Conference motions 2022:
Union policy and external matters

About this section

In this section you'll find all the motions linked to Accord's union policy and external matters.

We won't have time to debate all motions in this section at conference. Any motions that aren't debated will be considered by the 2022-24 Principal Executive Council, and we'll let you know what happens. This page will be updated with progress.

Motion details

1. Inclusion & diversity

   This conference acknowledges the past work of Accord in addressing issues of equality, diversity and inclusion and seeks to extend these efforts. Conference recognises how a diverse and inclusive membership within Accord enriches our abilities with valuable skills, experiences, and knowledge.

   To reach our full potential as an inclusive union, this conference calls for Accord to:

   • Continue efforts to recruit into membership under-represented colleagues (including but not limited to Black, LGBT+, Disabled and Young)
   • To invest in the development of a ‘talent & development’ programme to support and encourage members and representatives from diverse backgrounds to become more involved at every level of Accord.
   • To report on progress against these objectives (and those set out in the equality diversity & inclusion agenda of this conference)

   Workplace
   Equality Diversity & Inclusion group

   Carried

2. Union policy

   This conference acknowledges the United Nations estimated, in 2019, 14.3M UK residents live in poverty. The Social Metrics Commission (SMC) published a similar report and a follow up in December 2021. The 2021 report estimates there are now 13.9M UK residents in poverty and that over half of them, which is over 10% of the UK population, are in households where every adult works. The break down shows 3M of these impoverished UK residents live in households where all the adults work full-time and 4M where all the adults work and at least one is full-time. This is generally known as in-work poverty. This Conference also acknowledges the survey by Unite, our sister union, which was reported in The Guardian on 9 February 2020. The survey revealed 29.4% of the “several thousand” members taking part said they were struggling financially. This conference concludes in-work poverty is too widespread for the workforces of the businesses who recognise Accord to be immune from in-work poverty. 

   Conference therefore calls upon Accord to engage with our employers and all the Trade Unions they recognise to:

   • Find out how many employees meet the SMC definition of living in poverty
   • Identify the root causes
   • Identify those root causes which an employer can effectively mitigate
   • Write into HR Policy the availability of services, specifically designed to mitigate the root causes identified in the previous step
     

   Workplace
   Trinity Road Representatives

   Carried by PEC

3. Subscriptions

   This conference would like membership subscriptions to be more flexible. Members could be given a choice to pay a higher subscription amount, giving them flexibility to take payment breaks over the 12-month term.
   

   Workplace
   Bank of Scotland Bathgate

   Rejected by PEC

   Rationale: Rejected on the basis of low demand, difficulty in changing the subscription collection system and it would cost more to administer than it would benefit members.

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Conference 2022

Accord's biennial delegate conference is the most important date in the calendar - it's where you, our members, set the agenda of the policy for the next two years. Find out everything you need to know on this page.

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