Category: Statements & passed motions

Motion passed at UoB UNISON branch committee meeting on 7th August 2025.

UoB Unison notes that following the outcome of an internal UNISON process arising from a complaint made in 2023, in relation to his role of Chair of UNISON’s NEC Staffing Committee, Steve North has been suspended from all UNISON roles for 18 months, but remains a member of UNISON. 

This decision led to Steve’s immediate removal from the roles of UNISON President, Chair of Staffing, NEC representative, North West Joint Deputy Convenor, Salford City UNISON Branch Secretary and Steward. 

UoB Unison notes the powerful letter from members of the Salford City UNISON Branch Committee to UNISON General Secretary Christina McAnea, stating how the decision has impacted their branch, how appalled they are at how UNISON has handled this process and demanding their right to elect Steve as their Branch Secretary. 

UoB Unison further notes that Steve continues to deny the allegations of misconduct against him. In first and second statements he has made since the outcome, Steve has highlighted numerous concerns about the way his original hearing and appeal were conducted and has stated that he will continue to challenge this decision, including through the Certification Officer.  

UoB Unison understands that the members of the panels that found against Steve and enforced this sanction were appointed by senior officers of the union. 

UoB Unison believes that Steve North remains the democratically elected UNISON President, NEC member, Chair of Staffing, North West Joint Deputy Convenor and Salford City UNISON Branch Secretary. 

UoB Unison further believes that Steve has consistently promoted greater transparency and accountability within our union in these roles. He has insisted that we must stand up for UNISON policies, and be unafraid to challenge the current Labour Government in doing so. He has marched and spoken in solidarity with Palestine, has actively worked to organise migrant workers in social care, has personally confronted the Far Right and has shown unwavering solidarity for the rights of all UNISON members, including our Trans comrades. 

UoB Unison believes Steve’s removal from his union positions, at the start of the UNISON NEC elections when no prior restrictions had been placed on his union activity since the complaint was raised in 2023, is intended to create division in our union when we need unity against Labour Government cuts and the rise of Reform. 

UoB Unison therefore demands Steve’s immediate reinstatement to all his UNISON positions and calls upon the NEC to undertake an immediate, member-led review of all disciplinary procedures to ensure the fairness and transparency befitting a genuinely member-led union. 
 
UoB encourages all its members to sign the petition calling for the reinstatement of Steve North and will publicise materials relating to the situation to its members 

Motion passed at UoB UNISON branch committee meeting on 7th August 2025

This Branch Committee notes: 

• That Julia Mwaluke was removed from her position as UNISON vice president a week before UNISON’s national conference, some of which she would have been chairing. 

• That she was then prevented from taking up her newly elected position on UNISON’s National Executive Council (NEC). 

• She was stopped from taking up these roles by union officials who claimed she had broken election rules regarding her low pay. 

• Julia is a Black migrant worker who is employed by an agency and was elected to the National Black Members reserved (low pay) seat by a large majority. 

• UNISON officials are claiming Julia changed employer and earnt more money as a result and that this disqualified her. 

• That there was no formal process carried out to remove Julia from her elected positions. 

• UNISON quite rightly champions the rights of migrant workers and how essential they are in public services. 

• Julia campaigns tirelessly for low paid care workers like herself who get little choice about where they are sent to work. She is a vocal anti-racist, socialist activist and campaigner. 

This Branch Committee believes: 

• That Julia did not change employer, she remained with the same agency. For a few weeks the agency sent her to a higher paid role, before returning her back to a low paid role. 

• That when applying for the election, and when elected, Julia qualified for the low paid seat and so should have been elected. 

• That Julia is wrongly being prevented from taking up her rightfully elected position, and should be immediately reinstated. 

• This is a massive injustice. If the UNISON leadership truly champions the rights of migrant workers, as it claims to, then Julia must be reinstated. 

This Branch Committee resolves: 

• To support the campaign for Julia to be reinstated and publicise her case and the campaign to members. 

• To support, publicise and encourage attendance at events organised by the Reinstate Julia Mwaluke campaign. 

• To circulate the petition calling for Julia’s reinstatement. 

• To call on UNISON’s NEC to investigate Julia’s disbarring immediately and work quickly to resolve her situation. 

• To write to UNISON’s General Secretary and Presidential Team expressing our concern that a low-paid migrant worker like Julia could be treated this way by UNISON and barred from taking up their elected office, and asking that they oversee a full investigation, with a published report that is shared to members. As well as officers, the investigation should be carried out by lay members from the National Black Members Committee, agreed by that body. 

Many organisations have begun moving away from the X/Twitter platform in response to Elon Musk’s involvement with the Trump administration, and an increase in extremist views: 

https://tech.co/news/companies-that-have-left-x-twitter

https://www.thenews.coop/why-are-so-many-co-ops-leaving-x-formerly-twitter/

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-universities-join-retreat-elon-musks-x-citing-misinformation-platform-2025-01-08

As a branch, we have opted to stop posting updates on X/Twitter, but will leave our account active (for now) as a record of branch activity.

We encourage branch members to continue to stay up to date by following us on Instagram and Facebook:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unison_bristol_uni/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/unisonbristoluni

Motion passed by branch committee on 12th May 2025.

350 Unite union workers have been on strike for nearly two months. Birmingham Labour council is slashing a safety-critical role and has said it will issue compulsory redundancy notices. Over 150 workers stand to lose from £2000 to £6000 a year and are striking to defend jobs from Birmingham Council’s cuts. 

This branch believes that this strike takes place against a background of huge cuts to local government spending and a victory for the bin workers would be an inspiration for other workers to fight to resist the onslaught. The use of the police by the Council to break up and disrupt picketing is of concern to the wider Trade Union movement, particularly in the context of the attacks on climate protesters and those demonstrating in solidarity with Palestine, as well as the threats to use the army to break the strike. 

This branch resolves to: 

• Send a message of support to the striking workers via Unite the Union in Brimingham. 

• Make a donation of £100 to the strike fund to help support the strikers and their families. 

• Circulate details of the strike amongst our members and look at other ways of giving solidarity if this dispute is not settled in the near future. 

Motion passed by Branch Committee on 12th May 2025.

Dear members, 

We wanted to reach out to share how appalled we are with the ‘statement’ provided by the University on the Supreme Court judgement statement regarding trans women in the All Staff Newsletter of 1st May. 

We are channeling our anger in the first instance by replying to the internal comms mailbox and telling them what we think – please also respond to the email if you have the fire and capacity. We have provided a rough template below, but please let them know your own personal thoughts too! 

In the past when people have responded, they’ve been forced to apologise; we hope the same will happen again. 

Dear Internal Comms, 

I would like to share how shocked and appalled I am at the statement you provided regarding the Supreme Court Judgement statement in the latest all staff newsletter. 

You mention being caring and inclusive, yet don’t even mention the word ‘trans’. This is reminiscent of Section 28’s ‘don’t say gay’ campaign. The statement is in no way reassuring to our trans colleagues and students, or our wider queer community. 

You have also welcomed ‘respectful debate’ on this topic under the guise of ‘free speech’. Trans identities are not something that can be debated. Existence cannot be debated.  

Your inclusion of the EHRC recommendations you are using as guidance is also frightening, especially as these are yet to be discussed in parliament and are currently separate from the law.  

Please be assured we will continue to stand with and fight for our intersex, trans and non-binary members. 

For a more general update on what we’re doing for our trans colleagues, see the email sent by our LGBTQ+ officers Chris and Theo on the 25th April (subject: ‘UoB Unison – Statement regarding the UK Supreme Court Ruling’). 

In rage and solidarity, 
Mia (She/Her) Comms Officer
& your branch executive team

This post is to acknowledge that UNISON University of Bristol Branch is aware of the recent UK Supreme Court Ruling (Please see this link for the PDF: UK Supreme Court Ruling) and are in conversation with the University of Bristol’s EDI team to establish what support the University can offer for trans and non-binary staff and students going forward.

We understand that this ruling will particularly affect women, both trans and cisgender. But we are aware of the impact on other intersex, trans and non-binary individuals.

UNISON has a proud standing of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and please be assured we will continue to stand with our intersex, trans and non-binary members.

Unison nationally have published an article about the implications of the supreme court judgement for Unison stating “UNISON will continue to promote the workplace rights of women, trans and LGBTQ+ workers”: https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2025/04/the-supreme-court-judgment-and-unison/

If this ruling has impacted any of the LGBTQ+ community there are services available if you wish to talk to someone. This is a difficult time and you are not alone.

Mindline Trans+, available Friday evenings: https://www.mindinsomerset.org.uk/our-services/adult-one-to-one-support/mindline-trans/ 0300 330 5468

Switchboard National LGBTQIA+ Support Line, available 10am – 10pm:https://switchboard.lgbt/ 0800 0119100

LGBT Foundation Support Line, available 9am – 8:30pm: https://lgbt.foundation/help/helpline-email-support/ 0345 3 30 30 30

If you wish to contact any of your Officers:

Unison Bristol University Branch Officers https://dev.unisonbristoluni.org.uk/branch-officers/

Our branch Women’s Officer, Verity Fouracres, has stated she is available to support anyone who identifies as a women too.

Yours, 
Theo and Chris LGBTQ+ Officers and the UNISON University of Bristol Branch

This branch notes: 

1. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have announced massive cuts to public spending, targeted particularly at Personal Independence Payments for the disabled and Universal Credit for the poorest 

2. These measures are coming off the back of 15 years of Tory austerity, and Labour maintaining the two-child benefit cap, cutting winter fuel payments for pensioners and betraying the WASPI women 

3. This new austerity comes with huge numbers of job cuts in the civil service, the NHS and other public services, such as our own sector in Higher Education 

4. These cuts are being made to directly fund a huge increase in defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2027 – £13 billion – with a view to raising it to 3% in the next Parliament 

This branch believes: 

1. Starmer’s Austerity 2.0 is an attack on working-class people still bearing the brunt of a cost-of-living crisis 

2. Austerity is a political choice and Starmer’s government is choosing to impoverish the most vulnerable people in society instead of taxing the richest 

3. Our public services are in dire need of funding – not more cuts: our NHS is in the worst state it’s ever been in , our schools are crumbling, and transport and infrastructure are dilapidated 

4. The decision to increase military spending only makes the world a more dangerous place, shows that our government is prioritising the prospects of war instead of striving for peace, and is directly diverting money away from working people and public services that need it 

5. That the arms industry and defence sector are the least labour-intensive industries in the country and any increases in jobs from public spending will be minimal 

6. That the only beneficiaries of this attack on living standards will be the far right who will capitalise from people’s fears on losing jobs and benefits while demonising refugees, benefit claimants and protesters  

7. We need to rebuild a mass anti-austerity movement that confronts the government over these cuts  

This branch resolves: 

1. To build the People’s Assembly No More Austerity 2.0 national demonstration on 7 June and to join the march with our banner 

2. To make a donation of £100 towards Bristol coach costs to the demonstration 

3. To affiliate our branch to the People’s Assembly 

Motion: Join Stand up to Racism Trade Union Network & support actions and events on 22 March as part of the World Against Racism & Fascism international day of protest for UN Anti Racism Day  

Date of presentation: Branch AGM 12^th March 2025 

Proposed by:

Surinder Kaur/Eleni Vagia (Nominated Joint-International Officers) 

David Esteban Rodriguez  (Nominated Black Members Officer) 

This branch/region/executive notes: 

• The breakthrough of Nigel Farage’s far right Reform UK, which claims 200,000 members, five MPs and 54 councillors. 

• Fascist Tommy Robinson’s efforts to build a fascist led far right and racist street movement in Britain, based on deeply Islamophobic, antisemitic and racist rhetoric. 

• Robinson (who gained mass publicity with Elon Musk’s support shortly before Musk gave a Nazi salute with the world watching) was a member of the Nazi British National Party and founded the English Defence League. 

• Robinson held successive mobilisations in 2024 culminating in 26 October where he put up to 25,000 on the streets in an incredibly Islamophobic mobilisation, followed by a demonstration of up to 5,000 on 1 February. 

• The summer riots and racist violence were stoked by Robinson, coming off the back of his July march which attracted over 15,000 people. 

• In the last year Stand Up To Racism organised national demonstrations in July (5,000), October (20,000) and in February this year (over 5,000), as well as the many protests bringing out tens of thousands in August and September to counter far right mobilisations and ensure fascists are not permitted free passage through our streets unopposed. 

• Internationally, the far right is growing, although it also faces opposition from anti-racists. Trump’s inauguration on 20 January, the electoral gains of the fascist AfD in February, and interventions of Elon Musk have further boosted the global far right. 

• Elon Musk is now one of the most influential figures of the far right, becoming the leading defender of Robinson, and stoking up racism and Islamophobia about so-called “Pakistani grooming gangs”. 

This branch/region/executive believes: 

• Reform UK is setting the agenda in British politics around immigration, pushing hard racism, scapegoating of refugees, migrants and Muslims, along with a so called “anti-woke” agenda targeting trans’ rights, women’s rights and the right to protest. This is giving confidence to the far right and fascists. 

• The far right is still divided, and the splits in Reform UK around support for Robinson reinforce that they can be stopped. 

• We stand with victims and survivors of abuse cases and oppose the cynical exploitation of their experiences to boost racism. 

• We must build the biggest movement possible to unite against and expose the fascists, while calling out and challenging the wider peddled racist myths and divisive narrative of hate that threatens working class communities. This means unions, from the workplace and community to regional and national levels, uniting with faith groups, campaigns, organisations, politicians and cultural figures—all opposed to racism and fascism. 

This branch/region/executive resolves: 

• To affiliate the branch to Stand Up to Racism Trade Union Network and pay the charge of £100 for affiliation. 

• To support the call by Stand Up To Racism and the TUC for regional and local protests, gigs, actions and events on 22 March as part of the World Against Racism & Fascism  international day of protest for UN Anti Racism Day, and to send the banner with a delegation, and cover the costs of transport. 

• To support, as part of the 22 March day of action, the launch days for campaigns against Reform UK for the May elections in the target areas selected by Stand Up To Racism: Hull, Doncaster, North Tyneside, Durham, Oxfordshire, Nottinghamshire, and to support local campaigning against Reform UK. 

• To circulate details to members encouraging them to join the events and actions in their regions and localities on 22 March. 

• To support future initiatives against fascist Tommy Robinson, the far right and Reform UK organised by Stand Up To Racism and the unions including leafleting, campaigns and protests. 

Proposed by: Nathan Street (Co-Branch Secretary) 
 
This branch notes that:   

• There is a developing crisis in higher education funding caused by a failed market model and a drop in the number of international students. 

• There are cuts and threats to jobs at a number of universities and ballots for industrial action with strikes planned in the next couple of months. 

• There is a lack of a joined up approach with nationally treating each dispute in isolation and not linking action on the ground to national campaigning on higher education funding. 

• Our branch passed a related motion in our September 2024 Executive (see Appendix 1 on the next page), with this motion as a necessary next step. 

This branch believes that: 

• The funding model in higher education is broken and needs a radical overhaul. 

• Increasing student fees is not the answer; fees should be scrapped and there should be a return to government funding of higher education as a social good. 

• We need a national campaign against redundancies in higher education and for a sustainable funding model that doesn’t burden students with huge debts. 

• The funding model for HE is determined by the Secretary of State for Education (Higher Education and Research Act 2017); Recent legal advice shows the viability of a trade dispute with the Secretary of State over the funding of HE. ​ 

This branch resolves to call on the Unison Higher Education leadership to:  

• Contact the National Union of Students and other Higher Education Trade Unions with the aim of organising a national demonstration for the full funding of higher education and the scrapping of tuition fees in England; 

• Classify all disputes in universities in the current period involving cuts and redundancies as disputes of national significance; 

• Organise a cross-union conference against cuts and redundancies in higher education with the branches currently fighting, inviting delegates from all Higher Education branches to raise solidarity and form a national campaign. 

• To explore urgently opening a trade dispute with the Secretary of State for Education over HE funding;​