The list this year comprises:-
• an alternative to austerity;
• challenging inequality and the squeeze on living standards;
• public services;
• outsourcing and privatization;
• fighting welfare and benefit cuts;
• campaigning for fair and progressive taxation;
• resisting the pay cap;
• fighting for employment rights;
• organising;
• promoting learning as a recruitment and organising tool;
• review into the resourcing of branches 2011 to 2013;
• Colombia;
• human rights and trade union rights in Burma.
The other major item on the agenda was the Spring Offensive on recruitment, designed to augment the union’s efforts on organising by providing an advertising platform that branches can use locally to attract the non members who have failed to join in the past. If unity is strength, then density in the workplace has to be a priority, and as the numbers of branches with density over 75% is probably in single figures (out of over 1000 branches) then any assistance to recruit the refusniks should be welcome.
In other news the NEC discussed our financial position, as the Finance Committee presented the management accounts. They reveal that while our income has gone down slightly while inflation increases costs (as we all know too well) our financial situation is stable, and unlike other unions we are able to maintain our staffing resources.
The Executive discussed the Frances report on the Mid Staffs hospital crisis, where the UNISON response emphasised that the situation resulted from a management concentrating on financial matters rather than patient care. Recent developments on Agenda for Change were raised and the meeting received a pessimistic report on local government pay, where meetings with the employers’ side were imminent.
The executive also agreed UNISON’s response to the TUC consultation on a possible General strike. see it here https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4mGMLu_gab8YVZKSHNwaUxXQUk/edit?usp=sharing