Delegates will outline their fears that professional standards could suffer under the NDA’s regime of short-term contracts. They will describe how the concept of spreading best practice, previously inherent in the nuclear industry, is unlikely to survive the site competition arrangements introduced by the NDA.

Conference will hear evidence to suggest that such short-term contracts have a detrimental effect on the safe running of sites as managers are distracted by preparations for the next round of competition rather than efficient day-to-day operations. Prospect will be calling on the NDA to increase the length of contracts and involve the union in setting competition criteria for NDA work.

Delegates will also warn that measures are needed to retain existing expertise and attract new entrants with the right qualifications and experience to the nuclear industry or the decommissioning challenge will fail. Opening the new Industry Wide Pension Scheme to more than just the site licence companies would be one means of trying to retain expertise in the industry.

A separate motion from the Air Traffic Control Officers’ branch will highlight concerns that National Air Traffic Services’ management is turning the safety-critical public service into a profit-orientated business, contrary to assurances of ‘not for commercial return’ given at the time of the part-privatisation. The motion will call on Prospect to use whatever means possible to reverse this policy amid fears that the profit incentive may compromise safety.

More than 400 delegates from Prospect’s 260 branches will attend the conference to debate, among others, motions criticising the closure of public sector research establishments, deregulation and UK energy policy.