I want to live, not just exist - UK campaign for Living Wage in FE and HE

There is a UK wide UNISON campaign for a living wage in Higher and Further Education.  It  was launched on the 2nd of March.  As part of the campaign there is a good “micro-site” providing information, resources etc.  The address is  http://www.alivingwage.co.uk/  

Emma Phillips

UNISON Scotland Regional Organiser - FE

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UNISON defends Council Living Wage from attack by MSP

Monday 5 March 2012
News release from UNISON South Lanarkshire:
Margaret Mitchell Conservative MSP for Central Scotland has been criticised by union leaders and Councillor Jackie Burns, Deputy Leader of South Lanarkshire Council.

Mitchell has criticised South Lanarkshire Council for the implementation of a Living Wage of £7.20 from 1st April, claiming the cost will lead to cuts in services and jobs.

However, Stephen Smellie, Secretary of UNISON's South Lanarkshire Branch said:

"Margaret Mitchell fails to note the hugely poitive impact which the living wage has on the families who will gain from its introduction. It is primarily low paid women who make up the workforce who have benefitted from the Living Wage. They will now be better able to buy a spare pair of shoes or a winter coat for their kids.

"Studies have shown that introducing the Living Wage leads to a better motivated staff and an improvement in service delivery. This is why it is supported by, amongst many others, Tory Boris Johnson in London. Therefore Margaret Mitchell is wrong to raise the spectre of cuts in services. The Council have planned for and budgeted for the Living Wage. The trade unions are engaged fully with them in seeking to protect services, despite the cuts which flow from the economic policies of the Tory led Coalition government.

"She also fails to note the impact that the Living Wage has as a boost for the local economy. Any increase in pay to low paid women is spent, mainly, in local shops. I would have thought she would have welcomed this boost to the local economy."

Stephen Smellie said:
"I am aware of workers in the community and voluntary sector as well as the private sector who do not earn the Living Wage and I would hope Margaret Mitchell would support UNISON’s campaign for the Living Wage to be extended to those sectors.

"The Living Wage is a good news story for everyone."


Note for editors:
The statement from Margaret Mitchell is copied below for your information.
News
02 MAR 2012
Forcing businesses to pay living wage would be counterproductive
 
In today's Local Government and Regeneration Committee debate, Scottish Conservatives urged caution on the introduction of a living wage. There are concerns that the higher wage could lead to a reduction in local services or job opportunities.
Scottish Conservative Local Government Spokesperson, Margaret Mitchell urged for the payment of the living wage to be voluntary.
Margaret Mitchell MSP said:
"All things being equal, the living wage is an admirable aspiration and one which we would want to achieve.
"In the region which I represent, South Lanarkshire Council spent £3.5 million in 2011/12 introducing the living wage. From April 2012 a further £2 million will be spent increasing the rate of pay to £7.20. In total this council will have spent a staggering £5.5 million on the living wage.
"If the costs of introduction and payment of the living wage are so high and this then is seen to result in a corresponding reduction or cut in local services and job losses, this could understandably lead to resentment.
"This is particularly true given that public sector workers' wages are higher than many in the private, voluntary or third sectors, because taxpayers' money has been used to make this a priority over service delivery.
"Furthermore, payment of the living wage must be voluntary. In the current economic climate the priority must be to maximise employment opportunities and any attempt to force businesses to pay the living wage would be counterproductive."

End of statement by Margaret Mitchell MSP Scottish Tory Local Government spokesperson

UNISON's better way for local government includes a Living Wage for all - find out more in our local government manifesto here:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/UNISONScotlandLocalGovermentSummaryManifesto2012.pdf

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'Inexcusable that public sector workers should take more pay freezes and pay cuts' UNISON tells Scottish Labour

Sunday 4 March 2012
Speech to Scottish Labour Party Conference by UNISON delegate Gordon McKay, moving resolution condemning public sector pay freezes and pay cuts:

There are times when the people of Scotland just don't realise how much the Tories and their multimillionaire friends are suffering. Sir Fred Goodwin and he will always be Sir Fred to me - you can take his knighthood but you can't take his bonus - Sir Fred is now reduced to scraping by on his last year bonus from RBS of £2.6 million, his £2.8 million lump sum pension and his yearly pension of £342,000. 

And how can we humiliate Stephen Hester the current CEO of RBS by offering only £963,000? One of his banker colleagues summed it up when he said: "Why on earth would someone do this job if that is all the bonus that you give them?"

So with all this hardship that the Tories business friends are suffering, what have public service workers got to complain about?

24,000 public sector jobs in Scotland wiped out by the Tories and the SNP in 12 months. The jobs of those who care for our children, our elderly our vulnerable.

A two year pay freeze and more to follow for those who have given a lifetime of service to their communities. A 9% pay cut in real terms in two years.

Ed Miliband was spot on on Friday when he reminded us that public sector wages are today at the level they were ten years ago. That just makes it all the more inexcusable when both he and Ed Balls said that public sector workers should take more pay freezes and indeed pay cuts.

Public sector workers are struggling to hold society together and trying to keep their own families together. And when they needed the UK Labour Party and asked for Labour to protect them people who had worked and voted for Labour all their lives Ed Miliband and Ed Balls walked away from them.

A consensus with the Tories on austerity, on attacking public sector workers will not work.

It didn't in the 1930s and it won't today. We heard yesterday from one delegate how we lost in 2011 because we hadn't listened to the business community. We still hear it from some who should know better "we need to cut but just not as far and not as fast." Comrades, that way will sleepwalk us to separation and a review of the party entitled 'Where did it all go wrong?"

Scottish Labour needs to come out with a vision of fairness and social justice. We will not blame public sector workers for the greed of bankers. Scottish Labour must work with the trade unions on fair pay and that not mean a pay freeze.

And on pensions we were grateful for the support on Nov 30 but UNISON members will be on strike as from March 13 in the NHS defending our pensions. We expect the same support from the Labour leadership today as we had then. We are sure that the fact there is now no leadership election will not affect that support in any way.

And a word for Nicola Sturgeon. It's decision time Nicola. Are you on the side of the Tories and their business friends, on low paid NHS workers? If you are willing to sit down with us and talk meaningfully about a Scottish solution to these unfair contribution rises to pensions, then UNISON will call off its industrial action. If not - be assured that our members will know what an independent Scotland would look like.

Conference, we don't need to say "shame on the Tories" because everyone knows they hate public services, despise public service workers and treat those who rely on public services with contempt. That is why no-one votes for them.

We do say that Scotland deserves better than the SNP. They implement budget cuts proposed by the Tories, pay freezes proposed by the Tories, pension cuts proposed by the Tories and job cuts proposed by the Tories.

Their sole rejoinder: "It's nothing to do with us".

Frankly it is pitiful. You are the government of Scotland. Start taking some reponsibility, rather than crying "a big boy did it and ran away".

If you implement a cut you are responsible for the cut.

We have elections in two months time and a separation referendum coming. We need to get our policies, right.

Scottish Labour - proud to be Scottish, on the side of families and communities, on the side of fairness and decency. Not a bad slogan.




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UNISON protesters lobby Health Minister as Scotland launches further industrial action on pensions

UNISON Scotland will on Monday 5 March launch a further round of industrial action on changed proposed to NHS pensions.

Ayrshire & Arran Health Board will be the first of several Boards in Scotland to receive notice for strike to take place in the week of 12th March. This will involve staff working in the Central Decontamination Unit at Ayrshire Central Hospital.

That facility is on Monday 5 March being officially opened by Cabinet Secretary Nicola Sturgeon. Protesters will make it known that UNISON’s 50,000 members in health expect a Scottish solution to all aspects of pensions changes including the year 1 increases to employee contributions of up to 2.4%.

Mike Kirby, Scottish Secretary of UNISON, said:“Health workers in Scotland will be the major group to face the brunt of contributions increases which even the Scottish Government says are unwanted and unnecessary.

"Scottish Ministers should delay these changes to allow negotiations in NHS Scotland to find alternatives which don’t involve taking money out of Scottish health workers' pockets to give to the Treasury as a windfall tax.”

Tom Waterson, chair of UNISON Scotland's Health Committee said:“We had hoped to bring the Scottish Government to the table to negotiate on the pension tax due to start in April 2012.

"It is not too late for further industrial action to be avoided, and for the pension tax increases to be delayed to allow a negotiated settlement.”

ENDS

Notes for editors

1.UNISON will lobby Cabinet Secretary Nicola Sturgeon on Monday 5 March as she offically opens the Central Decontamination Unit and Ayrshire Central Hospital (Ayrshire Central Hospital, Kilwinning Road, Irvine, KA12 8SS)on Monday 5 March at 9.00am.)

2. Selective industrial action involving groups of UNISON members will take place in Ayrshire & Arran, Greater Glasgow and Lothian Health Boards during March 2012. This will include Sterile Services Staff, Procurement and Finance staff, and other groups.

UNISON urges Nick Clegg to safeguard vulnerable in Universal Credit claim arrangements



Nick Clegg and Ann Wardlaw at the UNISON stand

 UNISON today warned Deputy PM Nick Clegg and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander that the system for claiming the new Universal Credit risks failing those in most need.

The public services union used a ‘policy pitch’ session with senior MPs and MSPs at the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ conference in Inverness to warn that the planned online claims system should not axe the option for local face to face support.

Ann Wardlaw, vice chair of UNISON Scotland’s Disabled Members Committee, said: "Benefit cuts in the Welfare Reform Bill have horrified those of us who want a more equal society.

"On top of such devastating cuts though, is the worry that many people will not be assisted to claim support that they are entitled to because of the switch to a largely online system.

"We asked Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander to ensure that there is an option still under the new system for local face to face support for a range of aspects of the claim service, including verifying and scanning documents such as tenancy agreements, and help with queries."

Housing benefit is one of the range of benefits being brought together into the new Universal Credit. UNISON represents members who currently work in local authorities administering housing benefit services. The union says that the expertise of these staff should be used in retaining local access to claiming Universal Credit.

Dave Watson, UNISON’s Head of Bargaining and Campaigns, said: "The Liberal Democrats have an opportunity to realise that even if the IT for this proposed new online computerised system works, against the evidence of similar past projects, it is vital to help people claim all they are entitled to.

"Yet half the 9.5 million people in social housing have never used the internet. Attempting to deliver 80% of Universal Credit claims online and most of the rest in distant call centres simply won’t work.

"We believe it is vital to keep a local delivery mechanism , including using the experienced staff in local authority housing benefit services. The Government seems unaware of the high level of face to face interaction these staff have with claimants.

"There is a real risk that without access to proper support, people who could be getting help will lose out, leading to severe financial problems, major stress and potentially homelessness."

ENDS

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/b010_PolicyBrief_HousingBenefitReform_August2011.pdf

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Notes to editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing more than 160,000 members.

2. UNISON’s briefing on housing benefit reforms is on our website at 　

UNISON warns staff jobs cuts could lead to scandal of 2,000 police officers taken off street

Date: Tuesday 28 Feb 2012

Police staff union UNISON has warned the Scottish Parliament that plans for a new unified force could result in 2,000 police officers taken off front line crime fighting.

UNISON’s Dave Watson told the Scottish Parliament’s JusticeCommittee today (Tuesday 28 February) that hundreds of police officers are now substituting for some of the thousand staff posts  that have already been cut in the last year. The plan of police chiefs to meet government savings for the new force by cutting thousands more vital support staff can only result in the public scandal of hundreds or even thousands more police officers being taken off the streets.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns, told MSPs:

“We are already getting substitution of police staff jobs by police officers, as a result of the loss of about 1,000 police staff jobs in the past year or so. This is happening now, even before the  new force.  And the threat of two or even three thousand further police staff jobs cut means it can only get worse.

“We have just completed a survey of our membership – which shows that something like 53% of police staff posts which have already gone are being covered in part or in full by police officers.

“That means around 500 police officers are now not out on the street fighting crime. If you extrapolate this to the future it would suggest as many as 2,000 officers could be taken off the street.

“One officer off the street would be too many – 2,000 is clearly a scandal.”

Dave Watson said:

“This is hugely expensive – but it is not just about cost, it’s about specific skills. The world has moved on since the 1980s. Crime and policing have become more complex. We need the skills of police staffs to enable police officers to do the job the public wants them to do, where they want them to do it – that is fighting crime, out on the streets.

 “Scotland is already behind modern best practice in England and Wales. The Stewart report on ‘Civilianisation of Police in Scotland’ published in May 2009 shows that Scotland had 28% civilianisation, compared to figure of 39% for England and Wales.

“Only the best Scottish forces have achieved this England and Wales average. Others fall far short. And after last year’s cuts and the planned cuts we now face, the Scottish figure of civilianisation is likely to fall to around 15%.

“This strategy is crazy. It takes policing in Scotland back to the 1980s – and even further back than that. I enjoy watching repeats of ‘The Sweeney’ like everyone else - but I don’t think it’s a model for modern policing in Scotland now and for the future.”

ENDS

Note to editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing over 162,000 members working in the public sector in Scotland, and represents police staffs in Scotland.

2. Documents available on UNISON Scotland website:

·         UNISON Scotland Evidence to Scottish Parliament Committees on the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill published in Feb 2012 is available on our website

• Evidence to Justice Committee:

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/Police&FireReform_SPJusticeCtteEvidence_Feb2012.pdf

• Evidence to Local Government Committee:
  http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/Police&FireReform_LocalGovtCtte_Feb2012.pdf
  
• Evidence to Finance Committee:
  http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/Police&FireReform_SPFinanceCtteEvidence_Feb2012.pdf
  

·         UNISON Scotland’s document ‘Future of Policing in Scotland - Response to Scottish Government consultation’ published in May 2011:http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/Response_%20FutureofPolicinginScotland_May2011.pdf

·         UNISON Scotland commissioned Stewart Research to examine the benefits of police staff – the report ‘Civilianisation of Police in Scotland’ published in May 2009: http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/police/CivilianisationofPoliceFinalReport.pdf

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Careers staff job cuts unacceptable in face of youth unemployment crisis – UNISON

Mon 27 February 2012

UNISON Scotland has called for direct Scottish Government intervention to stop over 100 jobs being cut at careers agency Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in the face of a mounting youth unemployment crisis. 

The union has reacted with shock and anger to the announcement of over 100 redundancies in the frontline Skills Development Scotland workforce. At a time when unemployment in Scotland stands at 231,000 and youth unemployment is standing at 88,000 amongst 18-24 year olds, Skills Development  Scotland, whose staff provide vital face to face careers advice and guidance, has taken the decision to further reduce its workforce.

UNISON Regional Organiser Gerry Crawley said:
“For the second time in only 12 months Skills Development Scotland have announced large scale redundancies. In March 2011, one in eleven of the workforce were made redundant. Now, in March 2012, one in ten of the remaining workforce are going to be made redundant. At a time of unprecedented youth unemployment in Scotland, there is more need for direct face to face careers advice than ever before. UNISON Scotland is deeply concerned at the level of cuts taking place at Skills Development Scotland and the direction of travel that the organisation is taking in ‘modernising’ its workforce.”

At the start of February 2012 the new Youth Employment Minister Angela Constance unveiled the Scottish Government’s youth unemployment strategy. As part of the launch Ms Constance referred directly to Skills Development Scotland as one of the agencies that would assist in getting young people back to work. The Minister stated then that all partners across the public and private sectors need to be “on the same page, pointing in the right direction ensuring we are all standing shoulder to shoulder to provide a national response to what is undoubtedly a national challenge in terms of rising unemployment.”

Just a few weeks later SDS, one of the key agencies which the Government expects to tackle youth unemployment, is itself to be decimated.

Gerry Crawley said:
“UNISON Scotland agrees that there is a national challenge in terms of rising unemployment and rising youth unemployment. How can the Careers Service and Skills Development Scotland deliver the required face to face intervention with these job cuts happening again? Not once, but twice in one year the frontline services have been cut. It is unacceptable. The Scottish Government needs to invest and restore the staffing levels in Skills Development Scotland. The right hand and the left hand need to work in tandem to get Scotland’s youth back into work.”

“How can the Careers Service and Skills Development Scotland continue to improve the service when their own job losses over the past year have seen a reduction of over 200 frontline staff? The Scottish Government needs to intervene and stop this happening at Skills Development Scotland as it’s a public service that is desperately needed at this time,” Gerry Crawley added.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing over 160,000 members working in the public services, and organises staff in Skills Development Scotland.

2. UNISON’s response in December 2011 to the publication of the Scottish Government’s request for written submissions on ‘Putting Learners at the Centre: Delivering our Ambitions for Post-16 Education’  included the following statement: “Careers officers need to be fully involved in the development of new post-16 support. They are the key professionals trained to ensure that people are able to make the right choices throughout their working lives. The careers service has seen a 50% increase in adults accessing their services during this recession.” 

The full UNISON Scotland submission to ‘Putting Learners at the Centre: Delivering our ambitions for post-16 education’ can be found at the UNISON Scotland website here:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/
Response%20to%20Putting%20learners%20at
%20the%20centre%20post%2016%20educati%85.pdf

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UNISON urges councillors to end compulsory redundancy threat to police staff in Strathclyde

Wed 22 February 2012

UNISON Police Staff have called on elected members on Strathclyde Police Authority to remove the threat of compulsory redundancy when they meet in Glasgow City Chambers tomorrow morning (Thursday 23 February 2012). The union is concerned that a proposed decision by SPA to end a voluntary severance scheme on 31 December this year could pave the way for compulsory redundancies. The new Scottish police force is due to come into being in April 2013 – which leaves three months in which job cuts could be forced on police staff.

Stevie Diamond, Chair of UNISON Strathclyde Police and Fire branch said:
“We are calling on the democratically elected councillors on the Police Authority to support us in having the voluntary scheme extended to 31 March 2013 – and end this imminent threat of compulsory redundancy.

“Police Staff in Strathclyde have lived under a veil of uncertainty for the past 2 years. There is much more uncertainty to come.

“We have borne the majority of cuts on existing police budgets. We know that more job losses are in the pipeline as the Police Service of Scotland takes shape. The prospect of our voluntary severance scheme ending three months before the new force is due to come into being does nothing to decrease the anxiety felt by all Police Staff members of the Force who face an increasingly unclear future.

“We already face losing posts, attacks on terms and conditions through harmonisation and disruption.”

By proposing that VSS2 – the current voluntary severance scheme – will finish on 31 December 2012, Strathclyde Police has opened to question whether compulsory redundancy could be utilised to reduce Police Staff numbers prior to the formation of the new Scottish force. Unions have discussed the extension of VSS2 with Strathclyde Police. The expectation was that the scheme would be extended to 31 March 2013, the eve of the transfer of staff to the Police Service of Scotland.

UNISON is calling on Strathclyde Police Authority councillors to extend the voluntary scheme and so ensure that there will be no compulsory redundancies of Police Staff in Strathclyde before the transfer to the new force.


ENDS


Notes to editors
1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing over 162,000 members working in the public sector in Scotland, and represents police staffs in Scotland.

2. UNISON Scotland Evidence to Scottish Parliament Committees on the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill published in Feb 2012

Evidence to Local Government Committee:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/ Police&FireReform_LocalGovtCtte_Feb2012.pdf

Evidence to Justice Committee:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/ Police&FireReform_JusticeCtte_Feb2012.pdf

Evidence to Finance Committee:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/ Police&FireReform_FinanceCtte_Feb2012.pdf

3. UNISON Scotland’s document ‘Future of Policing in Scotland - Response to Scottish Government consultation’ published in May 2011:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/Response_%20FutureofPolicinginScotland_May2011.pdf

4. UNISON Scotland commissioned Stewart Research to examine the benefits of police staff – the report ‘Civilianisation of Police in Scotland’ was published in May 2009:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/police/CivilianisationofPoliceFinalReport.pdf


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