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Motions Carried and Lost - AGM - 15 Feb 06

Motions Carried:

Campaign to Make Sure Devon Does Care

This Branch expressly rejects the idea that either our members, or the people of Devon who rely on our services, will be better off if those services become 'externalised'.

This Branch agrees:

to combat all attempts by Devon County Council or its officers to externalise services
to launch a sustained and vigorous campaign through whatever suitable means to reach all branch members and non-members, the public, the County and District Councillors, MPs and other influential people and organisations so that everyone is aware that 'Devon Doesn't Care' and what needs to be done about it.
to research how such externalisations have been successfully challenged elsewhere
to vigorously defend members' rights
if necessary to ballot for industrial action as part of our sustained campaign
Refer to Region to instigate the 'keep services public' campaign and to seek sufficient resources to assist in the local campaign, including regional officers supporting work based sign up of non member days throughout the workplaces in DCC.

Proposer Colin Trudgeon, Convenor, Adult Social Services
Seconder Moira Macdonald, Branch Secretary

Increase in Fuel Price Negotiations

This AGM of Devon County UNISON calls upon the National Local Government Conference to:

Re-negotiate the NJC rates on travelling in line with the increase in fuel prices;
Lobby for the Inland Revenue rate to be re-negotiated in line with the rise in fuel costs;
Lobby to improve public transport infrastructure and services to enable members and clients to support green travel.

Proposer Moira Andrews
Seconder Roberto Franceschini

Local Government Restructuring

This AGM meeting of Devon County Unison calls upon the National Local Government Conference to:

Pay regard to the current activity by central government to achieve local government restructuring in areas where county and district councils operate a two-tier system, to a single unitary system.

It is expected that a white paper will be published in the autumn 2006 for legislation to be implemented by 2008.

Services in district and county in such areas will be subject to major disruption with sever cost implications and consequential impact on staff.

Public statements so far indicate that government is seeking to reduce expenditure in local service provision by slimming down current arrangements.

UNISON members in districts and counties in such areas are aware of the disruptions previously suffered in 1995/96 and the consequences on public service provision.

This conference seeks UNISON's engagement with government to oppose such unnecessary changes.

To consult at local level with county and district councils on any implication on the range of services they provide.

To involve all branches in the areas affected in the preparation of relevant responses.

Proposer Moira Andrews
Seconder Roberto Franceschini

Motion A - Counteracting adverse public attitudes towards rape.

Already passed at the Branch Executive of 24th November 2005

Devon County Branch notes with great concern the findings of a recent ICM™ poll into public attitudes towards rape. This Branch is dismayed that the poll found that alarmingly high numbers of people think women are partly responsible for rape if they have been drinking, wear revealing clothes or have had several sexual partners.

This Branch is further alarmed that the poll is not reported to have covered the crime of rape involving boys, girls and men as victims, focussing on women alone, and this Branch believes that if rape were to be considered in the light of the wide range of its victims its wholly unjustifiable and intolerable nature would be properly revealed.

The Branch recognises:

that most rape incidents currently go unreported
that only 6 per cent of prosecutions lead to a conviction
that fewer than 10 police forces in England and Wales have dedicated rape teams

This Branch calls on the Government:

to boost numbers of police force rape teams
to take appropriate action to counteract the perception that rape is not wholly within the initiative and power of those who commit the act
to provide all victims with the emotional and legal support needed to successfully bring prosecutions

This Branch asks that the Devon and Cornwall Police are approached to discover what provision is made in regard to rapes commited in Devon and that a report be made to this Branch of their response.

This Branch commends Diane Abbott, MP, for her action in highlighting this most serious issue and will write to her indicating our support and inform her that we will take this up at a Regional level, in the form of this motion being sent from the Branch to Regional Council calling on them also to put pressure on the Government and Regional police forces.

Proposer: Moira Macdonald
Seconder: Graham Parkhouse

Motion B - Affordable child care delivered by properly trained and fairly paid childcare workers

This Branch commends UNISON's commitment to campaigning for high quality, affordable child care by properly trained and fairly paid childcare workers. It is also important that childcare facilities should be suitably located in the vicinity of places of work. The campaign must also bear in mind the needs of lone parents, parents in deprived areas and parents of children with special needs resulting from disabilities.

This Branch deplores the fact that child care is still seen as predominantly the responsibility of mothers and that too many women feel forced to make restricted employment choices that land them in low paid, part time work with long term consequences to promotion, their careers and their pensions. For too many women finding a part time job that uses the skills that they built up before having children is difficult if not impossible.

Opportunities to work part time in better paid and in senior positions would benefit both men and women. Many fathers would welcome the chance to have an equal role in their child's upbringing. This Branch asserts that employers should adopt family friendly policies and that these should include the right to paid time off, for instance for child sickness, medical appointments and school visits.

The impetus given to the child care campaign by the Parental Rights Bill and the Work and Families: Child Care Bill is greatly welcomed and this Branch commends the work done by the Government to improve child care. However the Child Care Bill, if enacted in its current form, will place a duty on local authorities to ensure the provision of child care but will not find extra funding to support this work. In fact the existing Government child care provision has been adversely affected by funding problems, not least in this Branch.

This Branch states that without proper funding the proper level of provision for child care will not be achieved.

This Branch calls for

consultation and negotiation with our various employers to improve child care provision in line with the two above Bills
The lobbying of MPs to demand that the Government commit proper funding to child care
UNISON's campaign to include the importance of location of child care establishments and the needs of lone parents, parents from deprived areas and parents who have a child with a disability
Region to instigate a campaign for affordable child care by paid and properly trained workers

Proposed by Joanne Jones
Seconded by Ann Hydes

Change Proposer to Andy Bowman
Change Seconder to Graham Parkhouse

Amendment Moira Macdonald:

Take to Region to instigate a campaign for affordable child-care by fairly paid and properly trained workers - Agreed

Motion C - The Turner Report: implications and action called for:

This Committee notes with interest the proposals set out by the Pensions Commission, chaired by Lord Turner, for future pension provision. It acknowledges that a balance has to be struck between pension provision by the state and by personal responsibility to secure a reasonable income in retirement.

The Committee recognises that some compromises have had to be made, but believe that the proposals in the report in broad terms should be welcomed and implemented as a package, with one notable exception.

The Committee believes that increasing the State Pension Age from 65 by incremental stages to 68 by 2050 fails to recognise that life expectancy is not constant across the whole of society; much depends on social background, type of work undertaken and standards of personal and health care.

The Government and our politicians must be brave enough to take the decisions needed now and for the people to accept that if they want a decent standard of living in their retirement, then they must start making sacrifices in terms of current spending in order to save for the future. This will require both voluntary savings and a small increase in taxes.

How we look after the young and the elderly are key elements of a modern social democracy and one of which we should be proud, not penny pinching.

We should therefore give qualified support to the Turner Report, recognise its shortcomings in terms of the universal raising of the state pension age but impress on all political parties the need to secure a broad consensus

Pensions is the one area where there is a need for cross party political consensus. It must not become a political football, nor can action be delayed. In terms of pension provision, time is money and the earlier we can encourage greater pension provision the cheaper is the long term solution.

The Government regrettably does not propose any consultation on its proposals. On this point, because these wide ranging aspects will affect everyone, we do need to seek all party consensus, and we must insist that UNISON and TUC press for full consultations to be carried out.

The Committee therefore resolves:

To press for implantation of all aspects of the Turner Report save that relating to increasing the state pension age
That the Government's proposals be set out in a Green Paper, not a White Paper, to ensure further consultation and to seek cross party political consensus, and that representations be made to Government by the branch through UNISON, the TUC and other appropriate bodies, to secure this
That the UNISON South West Region Service Group for Local Government and the Regional Council be requested to endorse this action

Proposed: Roberto Franceschini
Seconded: Colin Lomax

Motion D - Devon County Council - Budget Reductions 2005 and 2006

The Devon County UNISON Branch are aware of the Authority's proposed restrictions on staffing for the end of this financial year and for the forthcoming shortfall of £15M for the financial year 2006.

The proposal to limit recruitment is still under consultation; however, the Branch needs to prepare in order to consider any action it should wish to recommend to the forthcoming AGM.

In view of the notice served by Devon County Council to the DTI for 100 redundancies, preferably voluntary, that the Branch take the actions below.

Staff Side would wish the Executive Committee to re-endorse previous policy of the Devon County Branch of UNISON by supporting the following points:

The Branch shall oppose any compulsory redundancies and to conduct a ballot of our members for action including industrial action
The Branch will press the Authority to adopt a process of seeking and accepting volunteers across the authority
The Branch will adopt a 'pass it up' campaign in dealing with workloads where the Authority is not replacing staff
The Branch will highlight areas of service shortfall to the community and actively promote to the public
The Branch will actively respond to Health and Safety concerns arising out of staff shortages and serve formal notice to the authority to resolve
The Branch campaign committee will be asked to produce campaign material to support items 1 - 5

Passed as amended nem con at Branch Exec 27 Jan 06.

Motion E - Local Action Fund

The Devon County Branch of UNISON notes the continuing erosion of terms and conditions by management. We also note that public services are under a general attack by this government.

We also recognise the need to defend our member's jobs and terms and conditions by taking some sort of industrial action.

Therefore this Branch agrees to re-introduce the 1/10th levy of the UNISON subscriptions to be paid into the Branch Local Action Fund.

Proposer Roberto Franceschini
Seconder Julia Chiverton

Motion Lost:

Motion F - Treat Smoking Addiction Needs Seriously

This Branch understands the dangers of passive smoking and recognises the value of smoke free workplaces. However this Branch has serious reservations about a total smoking ban on all premises.

Smoking is an acknowledged but entirely legal (nicotine) addiction which does not affect the ability to work. In fact smoking is found, by those who become addicted to it, to be a way of combating stress, and it is common for those who cannot alleviate their nicotine craving when they need to, to actually have difficulty in concentrating on their work.

This Branch strongly takes the view that

as an addiction, which is legal, due consideration must be given to enabling this legal activity to be pursued at work so that withdrawal and other unpleasant side-effects are not suffered
The provision of designated smoking areas has always been seen as a way to enable people who need to top up their nicotine level to do so without causing passive smoking
In addition, there must be time during the working day to be able to get to the designated smoking areas, in particular for shift-workers
Where smokers live in County Council Property aligned to their work they must not be restricted in their pursuit of a legal activity
All existing designated areas should be retained and suitably located new ones provided.

It is the wish of this Branch that the above points are agreed with Devon County Council on behalf of the thousands of members who smoke.

Proposed Lilach Head
Seconded Brenda Grills