UNISON Community Conference 2017: Day 2 (& many thanks to Kevin)

Collage from last week's day 2 National UNISON Community Conference in Bournemouth. Check out first 24 hours here.

Steve Reed MP gave the keynote speech for the seminar and took no prisoners from those who said in the Q&A that it was possible for Councils to pass "legal no cuts" budgets.

I gave a presentation at workshops on "Democratising Housing Associations" with my London Regional Officer, Colin Inniss.

Our long serving Chair of our Community Service Group, Kevin Jackson, (top left)  announced that he will be stepping down this year. He told me that he will be expecting a blog post on this since I did one for his predecessor! Kevin has been a fantastic Chair and will be hard to replace.

Both of my UNISON branch motions were passed. I spoke on the one regarding Housing Associations on behalf of the SGE. A number of branch members spoke on a number of different motions.

There were many fine speeches but I remember the most the personal contributions from a number of delegates, who were from Eastern Europe and were obviously very concerned about their future in the UK following Brexit. They were all care and support workers. How disgraceful that they fear for their future, when they provide so much desperately needed care for our elderly, sick and vulnerable.

STRONGERUNISON - NEC Election 2017 - Regional Seats

Recommendations for Regional UNISON NEC seats. Mitsy and I were handing out leaflets on Saturday to UNISON Community Conference delegates. I think this is a fantastic slate and hope that UNISON members in England and Wales support these candidates.

Check out nominations for National Seats here

"New Tory White Paper - Putting Jobs & Residents at Risk". Emergency motion to UNISON Community Conference 2017

On 7 February 2017 the Government issued a white paper on the future of housing in England. The paper had been trailed beforehand as being the blueprint to fix the housing crisis and “as having affordability at its heart”.

The actual white paper has been dismissed by many commentators as being a “missed opportunity”. Labour’s housing spokesman, John Healey MP, condemned the white paper as “feeble beyond belief”. This Community conference believes that the White paper will fail to fix the broken housing market especially, with regard to genuine affordability. However, the white paper worries many of our members who work for Housing Associations and voluntary organisations on the new proposed benefit caps for sheltered homes and projects.

As reported in 24Housing “Employers Anchor, Hanover, and Housing & Care 21 warn the proposals could lead to up to £64million annual shortfall across their services. Mencap, too, has raised concerns that the proposals risk a housing crisis for people with a learning disability”.

Our Members fear that the new lower “benefit caps”:-

1. Will result in increased rent arrears for vulnerable residents in Housing associations and Voluntary sector residential schemes and projects.

2. This cut in rental income from benefit caps would result in further downward pressure on jobs, workloads, pay and other terms and conditions of our members.

3. They could even result in the closure of schemes leaving vulnerable residents without suitable accommodation and our members losing their jobs .

4. Will make building new schemes uneconomical.

This community conference:-

1. Calls on the Service Group Executive to circulate the white paper to all branches with community members with a briefing note on the threat of benefit caps and other relevant issues.

2. Encourage Community branches (together with employers and Tenant Resident groups if possible) to make formal submissions on the White Paper which closes 2 May 2017.

3. Call on UNISON Labour Link to encourage the Labour Party, Labour MPs, Councillors and Assembly members to press for the protection and survival of our sheltered housing and residential projects.

UNISON Greater London Housing Association Branch

STRONGERUNISON - NEC Election 2017 - National Seats

It will soon be UNISON National Executive Committee elections. This morning I was outside Bournemouth Conference Centre with Greater London NEC Candidate, Mitsy Harmon-Russell, handing out these leaflets to delegates arriving for the UNISON Community Seminar/Conference.

I am standing for one of the two Community NEC seats with Denise Charles (who had to miss Conference due to illness). I am happy to speak to any delegates about our campaign. I will post tomorrow on recommended Regional Seat candidates.