Making international policy
UNISON's international policy is determined by national delegate conference (NDC) which meets annually and considers resolutions from branches, regions and the national executive council (NEC).The NEC's international committee is responsible for international policy between conferences and, as well as overseeing the work of the international unit, it is also responsible, after wide consultation, for determining the international work priorities of the union.
Recent UNISON international motions
International motions carried at conference 2010International motions carried at conference 2009
International motions carried at conference 2008
The role of UNISON's international unit
Contact with unions abroadUNISON has links with sister unions throughout the world, and puts UNISON branches and regions in touch with their counterparts in Europe and further afield. Learning from other trade unionists is a vital way of strengthening our own movement.
Solidarity work
Solidarity means speaking out when fellow trade unionists are under threat - in Colombia, Burma or Zimbabwe, for instance. Solidarity also means helping sister trade unions to build their organisations on their own terms.
UNISON is regularly involved in a number of projects which aim to assist trade unions abroad to increase their capacity, to defend their rights and to enable them to promote development by improving the lives of working people and creating a more just society.
Recent projects have included working with unions in Colombia, Palestine and Iraq to build their organisations and working with unions in Southern Africa in their struggle against HIV/AIDS.
Working with international organisations
UNISON is affiliated to several international trade union organisations, including Public Services International (PSI), with over 20 million members worldwide, Union Network International (UNI) and the European Public Service Union (EPSU). The international unit co-ordinates UNISON's work to promote the policies and interests of its members through these organisations and other international bodies.
Sharing experiences
Many unions in different parts of the world face similar challenges to our own - privatisation, inequality, the fight against racism. A key role of the international unit is to keep UNISON informed about international developments on these kinds of issues so that we can better look after members’ interests. And the unit also handles requests from sister unions who want to learn about UK experiences.
