THIS weekend, young members of Unison, Britain’s biggest union, representing 1.4 million public service workers from across the country, will meet in Swansea to discuss some of the big issues affecting our workplaces and our world.

The agenda contains important motions on training and development under Unison’s industrial strategy, Organising to Win. Several motions raise issues, particularly affecting young women, including much-needed support for young single mothers, period poverty and the housing crisis, which disproportionately affects women.
 
A number of emergency motions are also expected to be debated — addressing topics ranging from recent escalatory actions by Israel in both Palestine and Lebanon in the context of its ongoing genocide, to the British government’s announcement of a 50 per cent increase to the cap on bus fares and the announced increase in tuition fees which highlights the failure of the current higher education funding model.

From the motions passed at conference, delegates will then vote for two to become the national committee’s focus over the next year. Along with debates on motions, delegates will be able to attend a great line-up of official fringe meetings — including a workshop taking a detailed look at the Organising to Win strategy and how it relates to young members’ workplace organising, a “motion writing 101” session and a Palestine solidarity rally.

The conference will also elect young members’ delegates to attend Unison’s sector and service group conferences for 2025.
 
This conference is the first to take place under a Labour government, but unfortunately, we have so far seen no real action to bring an end to the multiple crises facing Britain’s public services. The NHS remains in a staffing emergency with over 100,000 vacancies, leading to extremely high patient backlogs and wait times.

Unison research in the report “Councils under pressure” released last year predicted a collective funding shortfall of £3.56 billion for councils in England, Wales and Scotland over the current financial year 2024-25, rising to £6.99bn next financial year, and we have already seen Birmingham City Council (Europe’s largest local authority) go bankrupt causing immeasurable damage to local communities through the loss of services.

All parts of our education system are in a funding crisis, years in the making, with both students and staff (often young people and often Unison members) bearing the brunt of the impact. Young parents are particularly hard hit by the Tories’ two-child benefit cap, which the new Labour government has chosen to maintain. The list goes on.
 
At the same time, Starmer keeps finding funds to increase the military Budget and to send more weapons to Ukraine, even at the risk of involving our country in a nuclear war, as Unison affiliates Stop the War have warned.

In June, an important amendment from the national young members’ committee passed at Unison’s national delegate conference, committing the union to oppose any increase in military spending. The priorities of young workers are clear: welfare, not warfare!
 
I hope this weekend’s conference will provide an opportunity for Unison young members gathering here in Swansea to engage in useful discussions, make positive connections in a spirit of solidarity and refocus for the fights awaiting us in 2025. Young workers, it’s time to conquer your future.
 
Ruben Brett is co-chair of Unison’s national young members’ committee.