Violence against public service staff has nearly doubled - UNISON Scotland

Fri 24 October 2014

Violence against public service workers in Scotland has increased yet again last year and has nearly doubled over the past eight years.

UNISON's Scottish Organiser, Dave Watson, will present the union's annual survey of violent incidents to UNISON Scotland's health and safety conference at Stirling University on Friday 24 October.

37,052 incidents were reported to public service employers last year – up 3,363 and almost double the 20,000 reported when the first survey was first conducted in 2006. He will highlight assaults on council workers, who have suffered four out of five job cuts in Scotland. They are seeing a year on year increase in violent incidents - 15,729 last year an  increase of 850.

He will welcome improvements in data recording, although some public bodies are still failing to collate data properly. If they can’t collate data – they don’t know where to take the necessary action.

Dave Watson said:
“It is entirely unacceptable for staff who serve the public to be assaulted for simply doing their job. These statistics record reported incidents and are therefore only the tip of the iceberg of misery faced by workers across Scotland’s public services”.

"The biggest increase in violent incidents is happening in those services that have suffered staffing cuts. Workers are stretched too thinly, dealing with service users who are coping with cuts in the services they rely on. This is a toxic cocktail that is putting hard pressed workers at greater risk of violent assault."

Scott Donohoe, chair of UNISON Scotland’s Health and Safety Committee, said:
“To seriously tackle violence against staff we need proper monitoring, backed up by effective workplace measures to minimise the risks. We also need better legal protection for workers in the civil and criminal courts.”

There were 330 convictions under the Emergency Workers Act last year. Due to the limited scope of the Act few violent incidents result in criminal action. Sadly, efforts to address this were blocked by the Scottish Government when they opposed Hugh Henry MSP’s Protection of Worker’s Bill. The UK Government has also undermined protection for workers with cuts to the Criminal Injury Compensation scheme.

ENDS 

Note for editors:
The UNISON Scotland Survey of Violence at Work 2014 is online here:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/safety/ViolenceAtWorkSurveyOctober2014.pdf
There is clear guidance for councils on how to address this issue in Managing Occupational Violence in the Workplace (2010). NHS Scotland has similar PIN policies.

Tony Benn - A Celebration

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/tonybenn.html

Posted with Blogsy

Time up for PFI Pro£iteers in Lanarkshire

UNISON Lanarkshire Health Branch has launched a campaign to bring staff providing 'Soft' Facilities (catering, portering, domestic and security) currently employed by Serco in Wishaw General Hospital and ISS at Hairmyres Hospital back in-house.

The Branch has taken the decision after discovering that NHS Lanarkshire planned to rollover the existing contracts on both sites to the private pro£iteers who are currently operating them. The Health Board has 'bench-marked' the services in both hospitals against the in-house services at Monklands Hospital.

UNISON believes this 'bench-marking' exercise was a farce, who in their right mind would compare services currently provided at a dilapidated Monklands with relatively new facilities at Wishaw and Hairmyres. To be clear this is NOT an attack on the staff who provide a service in Monklands but more a comment on the great work they do in difficult circumstances in an extremely old building not fit for purpose!

UNISON has produced a PFI bulletin which we have directly mailed to all Lanarkshire MSP's and MP's along with a letter asking them to support UNISON's campaign to bring the staff back in-house were they belong.

The Branch has also produced a model letter for members, their families and supporters to send to local MSP's and MP's urging their support and a petition asking the general public to also support this campaign.

Let's be clear PFIs are bleeding Lanarkshire's NHS, its time to put a stop to pro£iteers draining OUR National Health Service.

Support our campaign You can support our campaign in a number of ways you can directly email NHS Lanarkshire Chairperson Neena Mahal Nina.Mahal@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk and/or Chief Executive Ian Ross ian.ross@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

Alternatively you can write to them both at: NHS Lanarkshire Headquarters, Fallside Road, Bothwell G71 8BB

Scotland needs a pay rise

Good turnout from UNISON branches at today's march and rally in Glasgow.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Public sector living through 'lost decade’ - UNISON Scotland report on austerity economics

Thu 16 October 2014

In a damning report ‘Austerity economics don’t add up’, released today, UNISON say public sector pay, conditions and morale are at a record low, calling it the public sector’s lost decade.
The report shows that:

• Wage growth is at record low and forecast at 1.25% . Real average earnings aren’t expected to return to their 2009-10 levels until 2018-19.

• Between 2008-2014, inflation rose by 19% and the minimum cost of living by 27-28% when wages grew by only 9%.

• 50,000 public service jobs have been lost, the highest proportion from local government, with a further 60,000 forecast to go.

• 100,000 more children could be pushed into poverty by 2020

Lilian Macer, UNISON Scotland convener said:

"A workforce that cares cures and educates should be celebrated as an achievement, not constantly under attack as a drain on resources.

"The cleaners, classroom assistants, chefs, nursery workers, nurses, planners, social workers, meat inspectors, care workers and the many other members we represent do vital jobs that support and protect us all.

"They are worth and deserve decent pay and conditions.

"We all deserve to live in a society that puts people first, where the economy is run for everyone, not just the well off”

Dave Watson, UNISON head of bargaining and campaigns said:

"We need to start seeing money spent on public sector workers as an investment not a cost.

"A one per cent increase in public sector pay would generate up to £820 million in increased income tax, National Insurance contributions and expenditure tax receipts, as well as reduced benefit and tax credit expenditure.

"It would also inject £460 to £880 million of extra value into the economy and create jobs."

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. UNISON is the biggest trade union in Scotland. Our members are taking part in the STUC's 'A Just Scotland March and Rally for Decent work, dignified lives' in Glasgow on Saturday 18 October.
   
   www.ajustScotland.org
   
   
2. UNISON Scotland report 'Austerity economics don’t add up' can be read here:
   
   http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/
   AusterityEconomics_Oct2014.pdf

UNISON Scotland suspends strike planned for 21 October after improved offer from employers

Tuesday 14 October 2014

UNISON Scotland has suspended strike action planned for 21 October and will consult its members on an improved offer put forward by the Scottish employers (CoSLA).

The new offer concentrates on three areas of our dispute: the future participation in the agreed bargaining machinery; consolidation of the living wage; and the deletion of spinal column point below the level of the living wage. 

UNISON believes these proposals represent a significant change and is consulting our members in a full consultative ballot which will open on Monday 20 October 2014 and close on Monday 3 November 2014. 

Mike Kirby UNISON Scottish secretary said:

“UNISON have made real progress on two of our demands. On low pay we have a commitment to consolidate the living wage as the new starting point for local government pay. We know this is hugely important for our lowest paid workers and will affect at least 24 of the 32 local authorities. 

" On getting the employer back round the table, COSLA have agreed to reinforce their commitment to joint negotiation and to adhere to the collective bargaining process. UNISON will use this commitment to continue to press for fair pay.

" This is real progress and shows what we can achieve when we work together. UNISON remain determined to continue the fight for fair pay.”

END

Notes for editors

• UNISON members voted for industrial action, up to and including strike action in the ballot which closed on 29th September. UNISON then announced a strike for 21 October 2014. 

• Fair pay. An extra £1 per hour for all workers in Local Government. UNISON members in Local Government had 1% below inflation pay rise imposed on them. Members have seen their pay eroded by 14% since 2007 

• An end to low pay. The consolidation of the Living Wage and deletion of spinal column points below the level of the Living Wage. Some council’s make up the living wage through a low pay bonus.

• To get back round the table. UNISON members have had decisions on pay imposed on them in 2013 and 2014. Employers refused to negotiate going against agreed protocols between UNISON and COSLA. Employers should get back round the table and talk about the big issues facing local government including future pay offers

• COSLA is committed to the consolidation of the living wage as the new starting point for payment of the local government workforce. We know that this is hugely important for our lowest paid workers and will affect at least 24 of the 32 local authorities

• COSLA is committed to reinforcing their commitment to joint negotiation and to adhere to the collective bargaining. We have agreed a form of words with COSLA which says ‘our principle aim is to reach mutual agreement based on our shared values on a national scheme of pay and conditions’. 

• Local government workers have seen a 14% reduction in their pay since 2007, 40,000 jobs have been lost and they are the only sector which has actually seen a cash cut to services – all in all meaning our members live with the stress which comes with having to do more work for less money. 

• UNISON is the largest trade union in Scotland and the largest in local government where it has 72,000 members.

Talks progress. 21 October strike suspended - new consultative ballot

#councilfairpay Following a meeting of UNISON’s Scottish Local Government Committee today, the committee has taken the decision to suspend strike action planned for 21 October and consult our members on new proposals put forward by the Scottish Employers (CoSLA).

The proposals concentrate on three areas of our dispute: the future participation in the agreed bargaining machinery; consolidation of the living wage; and the deletion of spinal column point below the level of the living wage.

The view of the Scottish Local Government Committee is that these proposals represent a significant change to the current award. In line with our agreed procedures UNISON is consulting members on the revised pay offer from the employers and a full consultative ballot will now take place.

The ballot will open on Monday 20 October 2014 and close on Monday 3 November 2014.

Full statement on UNISON Scotland website
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/localgovt/pay2014/index.html

Working harder but getting poorer is conclusion of new report comparing wages and prices

Mon 13 October 2014

A new report from public services union UNISON - 'The Price of Everything and the Value of Wages' - paints a stark picture of the decline and fall in living standards for workers across public services.

Years of zero or below inflation pay rises have meant that the value of wages has failed to keep pace with rising prices. 'The Cost of Everything and the Value of Wages' tracks how prices have risen faster than wages and the way that inflation as it is experienced by the poorly paid is often significantly higher than headline figures would suggest.

The report details how the cost of food, fuel, childcare and rent amongst other essentials has increased faster than wages.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns with UNISON Scotland said:

“It’s no coincidence that we are bringing this report out at the start of Challenge Poverty week and the day of the Poverty Alliance Conference. Wage freezes are reducing people to poverty one fifth of the children in poverty in Scotland are in households where at least one adult is working.

"It’s no use politicians in Edinburgh and London trumpeting record employment figures if those in work aren’t getting enough to live on.

"Scotland needs a pay rise that’s the message we’ll be sending out loudly all this week and most especially on Saturday’s STUC demonstration for Decent Work and Dignified Lives.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The full UNISON Scotland report 'The Price of Everything and the Value of Wages' can be found herehttp://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/
ThePriceof_UNISONScotlandReport_Oct2014.pdf

STUC Demonstration 18 October For A Just Scotland: Decent Work and Dignified Lives - Saturday 18 October 2014 in Glasgow. STUC links for more information
http://www.stuc.org.uk/
http://www.ajustscotland.org/events/4/18-october-march-and-rally

Price of Everything and the Value of Wages

Working Harder but getting poorer is conclusion of new report comparing wages and prices.

A new report from public Services Union UNISON Scotland- The Price of Everything and the Value of Wages - paints a stark picture of the decline and fall in living standards for workers across public services.

Years of zero or below inflation pay rises have meant that the value of wages has failed to keep pace with rising prices. The Cost of Everything and the Value of Wages tracks how prices have risen faster than wages and the way that inflation as it is experienced by the poorly paid is often significantly higher than headline figures would suggest.

The report details how the cost of food, fuel, childcare and rent amongst other essentials has increased faster than wages.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns with UNISON Scotland said;

"It’s no coincidence that we are bringing this report out at the start of Challenge Poverty week and the day of the Poverty Alliance Conference. Wage freezes are reducing people to poverty one fifth of the children in poverty in Scotland are in households where at least one adult is working. It’s no use politicians in Edinburgh and London trumpeting record employment figures if those in work aren’t getting enough to live on. Scotland needs a pay rise that’s the message we’ll be sending out loudly all this week and most especially on Saturday’s demonstration".

Posted with Blogsy

Scottish council strike - Prentis calls on members to make a stand

 #councilfairpay Message from Dave Prentis, General Secretary: UNISON members in local government in Scotland have voted to take strike action due to the employers ignoring the agreed bargaining machinery, the imposition of a pay award and their failure to negotiate on UNISON’s pay claim. The first strike day will be Tuesday 21 October.

I am writing to ask you to take part in the strike and send a strong message to the employers that you will not accept the employer’s behaviour and that you want fair pay. UNISON’s aim is to get an improved offer for you.

Taking strike action might seem like a big step, especially if it is your first time. However, I would urge you to take part, alongside thousands of your fellow UNISON members. If you face hardship from taking strike action, you can seek help from UNISON.

The actions of the employers in ignoring the agreed bargaining machinery and imposing a pay award in April this year is unacceptable and threatens the future of collective bargaining in Scotland on pay. The 1% award imposed on 1 April this year does not keep pace with price increases and is in effect a pay cut. We have been forced to take action as a last resort after all attempts to negotiate have so far failed. We want to get the employers back to the negotiating table with us, but at the moment they are not prepared to do that.

Support for Bhopal - UNISON delegation marks 30th anniversary of disaster

The Chairs of UNISON Scotland’s International Committee, Sam Macartney and Health & Safety Committee, Scott Donohoe are taking part in a delegation to Bhopal, India, to mark the anniversary on 3rd December 2014 to mark the 30th anniversary of the industrial disaster that has killed 25,000, left 120,000 chronically ill and continues to maim subsequent generations. See details at http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/international/bhopal.html

Sam said: "The UNISON delegation supports the Bhopal Medical Appeal as part of UNISON's ongoing commitment to international issues around the world.

"The Bhopal campaign continues its major support for victims workers and communities in India seeking justice from Union Carbide, now Dow chemicals , to take responsibility for its actions in causing this major disaster in 1984. UNISON fully supports the communities and workers in this endeavour.

"The UNISON delegation will seek to gain the knowledge and personal experiences from workers and communities who lived through this harrowing time and support them to gain justice and retribution. Lessons must be learned and UNISON can help to raise the profile of this campaign and help to get the message out that health and safety and workers rights cannot be denied."

How you can help

Sam and Scott are urging Scottish branches to undertake the following steps in order to help mark the anniversary, advance the campaign and keep the fight alive for decent health and safety here:

Large scale investment is needed to reverse Scotland’s housing crisis, warns UNISON

Wednesday 8 October 2014

A survey of Scotland’s housing staff has exposed the reality of frontline staff trying to cope with the huge scale of Scotland’s housing crisis.

Our report – Open the door: housing staff on the homes we have and the homes we need – looks at the real experiences of members involved in all aspects of providing housing services: housing officers, housing assistants and lettings officers.

The majority of those surveyed (68 per cent) said funding for their service had gone down, negatively impacting on the quality of service they can provide. Three quarters of respondents said changes in welfare and benefit legislation has contributed to the problem. At its bluntest, welfare changes have made life more difficult for tenants and this in turn has created problems for housing staff.

Some of the comments included:

• “I work with homeless people. The pressure is increasing relentlessly. Demand is increasing as resources dwindle.”

• “[Benefit changes] have impacted massively and it will only get worse. Rent arrears have risen and you cannot take what people don’t have.”

• “Due to bedroom tax and direct payments of housing benefit to tenants we are seeing an increase in rent arrears and homeless rising due to more evictions.”

• “How is it possible for them to provide for the future of their housing with less staff and more homelessness. It’s not possible.”

More than half of respondents (55 per cent) said they regularly work over their contracted hours while 58 per cent said staff numbers are in decline, meaning they don’t have as much time to spend with clients. Like other workers in public services, housing staff have been experiencing years of zero or minimal pay. Almost 70 per cent of workers said their standard of living had dropped in the previous three or four years, with many struggling to make ends meet.

Mark Ferguson, chair of UNISON’s Housing Issues Group, said: “This survey shows the shocking truth of Scotland’s housing crisis. It goes beyond the raw statistics and shows the reality facing frontline staff who are struggling to maintain a quality of service against a background of declining resources and increased financial pressure, while their workload increases.

“We have a crisis with the availability, the cost and the quality of our housing and we urgently need a large scale investment to reverse Scotland’s housing crisis. Any plan for social justice – and Scotland has had no shortage of talk of social justice in recent months – must have housing at its core.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The full UNISON Scotland survey – Open the door: housing staff on the homes we have and the homes we need – can be accessed on our website athttp://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/housing

2. Scotland has approximately 1.46 million owner-occupied homes, 368,000 privately rented homes, 277,000 homes rented from housing associations and 318,000 homes rented from local authorities. There are currently 23,000 long-term private sector empty homes across Scotland.

The most recent Scottish Government Housing Statistics record that there are 179,954 households with outstanding applications for social housing; of these some 29,500 are households on transfer lists meaning 150,000 households are waiting to enter social housing.

3. Further information can be found in our UNISON reports:

• Making homes for a fairer Scotland 
  http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/housing/
  MakingHomesForAFairerScotland_June2013.pdf
  
• Funding and building the homes Scotland needs 
  http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/housing/
  FundingAndBuildingTheHomesScotlandNeeds_Mar2013.pdf

Enhanced Devolution, the Smith Commission - views wanted

On 19 September, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that Lord Smith of Kelvin had agreed to oversee the process to take forward the devolution commitments on further powers for the Scottish Parliament.

The terms of reference for the Smith Commission are to convene cross-party talks and facilitate an inclusive engagement process across Scotland to produce, by 30 November 2014, Heads of Agreement with recommendations for further devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament. This process will be informed by a Command Paper, to be published by 31 October and will result in the publication of draft clauses by 25 January. The recommendations will deliver more financial, welfare and taxation powers, strengthening the Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom.

Interested parties have until 31 October to submit views, and UNISON Scotland will do this directly and through the STUC.

In February 2013, UNISON Scotland had adopted Fairer Scotland and Devolution, our contribution to the debate on how devolution settlement can be strengthened.

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/scotlandsfuture/FairerScotlandDevoPaperFeb2013.pdf

It is evident that the grounds of the debate have altered since that time and it would be appropriate to review that statement.

In the absence of a meeting of the Scottish Council before the submission date of 31 October, the Scottish Committee Policy seminar will meet on 23 -24 October and will consider submissions from branches.

Any comments should reach me by 5.00pm on Monday 20 October, 2014, at m.kirby@unison.co.uk

Mike J Kirby
Scottish Secretary
UNISON

Council pay action plans

#councilfairpay Following the ballot vote for action, UNISON Scottish local government leaders have sought authority from the union's industrial action committee for a programme of industrial action over the coming months to include a day of action followed by a programme of geographical/selective action. Branch consultation on action will kick off next week.

UNISON lead negotiator Dougie Black said: "Members are angry about the way they have been treated. Their pay being eroded whilst they take the brunt of the cuts. We urge employers to come back to the negotiating table."

Check back here for updates. http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/localgovt/pay2014/index.html

New Scotland in UNISON online

Major demo 18 October Glasgow, action updates, TTIP threat, holiday pay and much more on October's Scotland in UNISON. See it here on the website or here on issuu.

Take One Action - get to GFT for UNISON sponsored film Salt of the Earth!

SALT OF THE EARTH (USA 1954) - GFT Thu 2 October at 6pm
Screening and audience discussion - with Cath Cunningham - Fife miners' strike women's support activist

The Take One Action Film Festival is on now and has some fantastic films. UNISON Scotland has sponsored four of the screenings - our last one is on Thursday 2 October at Glasgow Film Theatre

Banned for a decade in the US, SALT OF THE EARTH is a pioneering agitprop drama tracing the story a mine-workers’ strike against so-called “austerity measures".

When a debilitating accident befalls a New Mexican zinc miner as a result of safety cutbacks, Mexican and US miners alike decide to withdraw their labour. But it is only when the workers’ wives get involved – bringing a moving and lyrical definition to solidarity – that the balance of power painfully starts to shift.

Featuring mainly real-life miners and their families, Salt of the Earth remains a fresh and rousing call for on-going non-violent resistance in the face of consumer and corporate exploitation.

 

More info here: http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/international/takeoneaction.html

or at the Take One Action website http://www.takeoneaction.org.uk/

Food Bill must prioritise food safety

Wed 1 Oct 2014

UNISON, the union who represent meat hygiene inspectors and environmental health officers, is calling on MSPs debating the Food (Scotland) Bill tomorrow (Thursday 2 Oct) to make the interests of consumers paramount in the objectives of the new regulatory body Food Standards Scotland.

The union is highlighting recent food scandals to make the case against deregulation. More than 60% of chickens in the UK are now infected with the campylobacter food poisoning bug, which on average kills 110 people each year and results in 22,000 people being treated in hospital. Despite this, the current UK regulators are scrapping independent inspection in poultry plants, allowing companies to appoint their own inspectors.

And it’s not just the UK regulators. The Scottish Government recently promulgated regulations that allow the visual only inspection of pigs in abbatoirs. This means tumours and abscesses will be minced into the sausages and pies we eat.

Dave Watson, UNISON’s head of bargaining and campaigns, said that; “Meat inspectors and vets must be able to carry out thorough independent inspections, free from food industry influence. Councils must also be properly funded so that food outlets are regularly inspected.”

“Since April 2012 meat inspectors and vets have prevented over a million instances of diseased animal carcasses from entering the food chain in Scotland. MSP’s are urged to recognise that simply creating a Scottish body to regulate food safety is not enough. They must legislate for higher standards to ensure the objectives set out in the Bill are achieved.”

UNISON believes the primary concern of Food Standards Scotland must be to protect consumers not increase food industry profits. This will also protect the high quality Scottish food brand which is so important for Scottish jobs.

ENDS

Notes to editor

1.    UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union. We represent the operational workforce of the Food Standards Agency – predominately meat inspectors and vets working in abattoirs and meat plants. We also represent Environmental Health Officers who inspect food premises and undertake food sampling.
 
2.    UNISON’s debate briefing for MSPs can be read here  http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/MSPe-briefing_FoodBill_Oct2014.pdf

3.    Our written submission to the Health Committee can be read here http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/EvidencetoScotParlHealthCmttee_FoodScotlandBill_May2014.pdf

4.    UNISON Scotland investigated the impact of cuts on local authority environmental health departments and at the Food Standards Agency. Two surveys of UNISON members confirmed our warnings that cuts are putting public health at risk. Full briefing can be read here. http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/b031_BargainingBrief_CutsinFoodSafety+EnvironmentalHealth_Feb2013.pdf