BBC Scotland: Stirling Council staff strike over pay

The council has proposed a 0.5% pay cut and an extra hour of work each week

Continue reading the main story

26 August 2013 Last updated at 09:50

 Staff at Stirling Council are staging a one-day strike in a row over pay and conditions.

The council has proposed a 0.5% pay cut across all pay grades and an additional hour of work per week.

Unison described it as a 1.5% pay cut after council staff across Scotland narrowly accepted a below-inflation 1% pay rise.

The council's chief executive Bob Jack said the union's decision to hold a strike was "regrettable".

However, Unison Stirling branch secretary James Douglas claimed the proposals were "by far the worst faced by any council in Scotland".

read more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-23840605

STV & BBC reports on union opposition to new employment tribunal fees

#JoinUNISON
STV News at Six reported last night on union opposition to the introduction of employment tribunal fees.

Bernard Ponsonby's report  included interviews with UNISON Scotland Legal Officer Suzanne Craig and Jim McCourt of Inverclyde Advice & Employment Rights Centre.

Suzanne explained how the punitive fees will put people off taking claims to employment tribunals.

Watch the clip on STV Player (9mins 50s into the programme).

And the BBC reported on UNISON winning the right to challenge the fees. The judicial review will take place in October.

UNISON members won't have to pay, as we said here.

UNISON women's equal pay success making the news - and winning support

#JoinUNISON www.joinunison.org #equalpay

A strong editorial in today's Herald newspaper criticised Dumfries & Galloway council's "grudging statement" on UNISON's equal pay victory.

It said the council's apparent stance is exactly what led to the Equal Pay Act in the first place, following the 1968 case of the Ford women machinists.

The similarities with the Ford women in Dumfries led to a situation where "a nursery assistant could look out of the window at a groundsman mowing the grass and know he was entitled to extra benefits and pay while she was not. That could not be fair."

The editorial concludes that it would be entirely wrong for Scottish councils to "perpetuate inequalities that should have been erased from the workplace 40 years ago."

Here's a few more links to coverage of UNISON's historic Supreme Court equal pay victory.

UNISON and STUC on Call Kaye about the falling value of wages #YestoFairPay

12 June 2013

The BBC Scotland Call Kaye programme had contributions today from UNISON's Dave Watson and Dave Moxham, from the STUC.

The subject was the falling value of wages, something Dave Watson blogged on yesterday.

The full programme is online here, with the start of this topic just after 3 minutes in.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b02117ds

Media coverage of UNISON council staff strike ballot #YestoFair Pay

#JoinUNISON 5 June 2013

Some of the media coverage of UNISON's news release announcing a Scotland wide strike ballot of council staff...

BBC:  "Unison to hold strike ballot over Cosla pay offer

"Local government workers across Scotland are to be balloted on possible strike action, after public services union Unison rejected a 1% pay offer by councils.

"The union said it would ballot 75,000 members working for Scotland's 32 local authorities.

"Unison described the pay offer as "miserly", following a two-year pay freeze...."

STV:  "Unions to ballot 95,000 local government workers on autumn strike

"Local government workers across Scotland are to be balloted on strike action following the rejection of a 1% pay offer.

"Unions will ballot 95,000 members working for Scotland’s 32 local authorities. Those balloted include cooks, cleaners, classroom assistants, housing staff, library workers, cleansing and environmental protection staff, technicians and trading standards workers, early years workers and social work staff.

"Members whose conditions are linked to local government pay and conditions are also to be balloted.

"Chair of Unison’s local government committee Stephanie Herd said: “Members are angry about a miserly 1% offer, following two years of a pay freeze.

“Council staff work hard delivering quality public services. They are overstretched after more than 34,500 local government jobs have gone. They are underpaid, and they see the wealthiest people in this country getting ever richer.

“Our members deserve fair pay and we believe they will vote yes for strike action to put pressure on the employers to improve the offer.

"Around 20,000 members of the Unite union who work in local government are also to be balloted..."


Evening Times:  "Council staff in pay row strike ballot

"Council staff are being asked to go on strike in an attempt to improve a 1% pay offer

"Public services union Unison will ballot 75,000 members in Scotland's 32 local authorities.

"Stephanie Herd, who leads the union's local government committee, said members are angry at receiving the "miserly" offer after two years of a pay freeze.

""Over this period the value of their pay has gone down by nearly 13%, while the cost of food and heating has soared," she said...."

Radio Forth:  "Scots council staff to be balloted on strike action..."

The Sun: "Council workers are to vote on strike action in a pay battle...."

UNISON on BBC's Call Kaye on the unfair council tax freeze

2 May 2013

UNISON's Policy Officer Stephen Low explained on BBC Radio Scotland's Call Kaye today why the council tax freeze is disproportionately benefiting wealthier families.

He spelled out why the freeze is not socially just and said it is much fairer for everyone to have to pay a small amount extra in tax than for some of the most vulnerable groups and people on the lowest incomes to be hit by big increases in charges for services they depend on.

The segment starts about 4 mins in.

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BBC: Union chief and MSP argue over Scottish council tax freeze

2 May 2013 

BBC Radio Scotland interviewed UNISON's Dave Watson his morning. You can listen here

Report on BBC website..

"Unison official Dave Watson and SNP MSP James Dronan disagree over whether the council tax freeze has been a good thing for householders.

"The union said people in the most expensive Band H homes saved on average £441 per year while those in the cheapest homes saved £147 a year.

"It added that increased charges for services such as rent had far outweighed the claimed savings.

"However, Mr Dornan told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "This is a fully funded council tax freeze. So, there is no reason for the council to be cutting services based on the council tax freeze."

"Mr Watson disagreed, telling Mr Dornan on the same programme: "Sorry, the council tax freeze isn't fully funded, it has remained at the same funding level for almost since it was started.""

UNISON's news release and report

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UNISON members tell Newsnight Scotland about workload pressures on nurses and midwives

25 April 2013 #JoinUNISON

UNISON health workers spoke out on Newsnight Scotland last night about the pressures on overworked staff.

Nurse Cathy Miller and community midwife Catherine Lewis described day to day stresses of the job for staff expected to do more and more in the same hours.

Cathy said that paperwork and bureaucracy has increased to such an extent that members report struggling "between direct patient care and paperwork care".

Catherine explained that growing workloads causes real strains as staff, even after prioritising the care they provide, may have to work through breaks, have no breaks, work beyond their shift, with consequent effects on their personal life - all "to deliver the level of care we want to deliver", because staff have a conscience and want to do the job properly.

The whole interview is on BBC iPlayer, about 2 mins 10 seconds in.

Matt McLaughlin, UNISON Scotland's lead organiser for nursing, said today that our survey published last week (report in the Herald) showed that members "across Scotland and the rest of the UK feel they are regularly short staffed.

"This leads to people not taking breaks, working on extra and people feeling they don't have time to provide the added quality in their care that is in fact an essential part of the job.

"This is why we have called for minimum staffing levels. We see that as a reasonable and safe way to provide care for patients across the UK."








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UNISON today backs Patient Opinion website for rating NHS care

19 March 2013

UNISON today endorsed Patient Opinion, a website for rating NHS care.

See the BBC Scotland news report by health correspondent Eleanor Bradford. "A website which allows patients to rate the care they have received on the NHS is being formally supported by the Scottish government.

"Patient Opinion works in the same way as travel review websites, but contributors review the care at hospitals, surgeries and clinics.

"It hopes that by allowing patients to post opinions, services can be opened up to scrutiny and standards driven up.

"Funding has now been awarded for health boards to engage with the service...." (more on BBC site)


More information in the Scottish Government news release, which includes this comment from Tom Waterson, Chair of UNISON Scotland’s Health Committee.

He said: “Unison welcomes the Health Secretary’s move to encourage “real-time” dialogue between health boards, staff and patients.

"Patient stories can make a difference in many ways, both to the quality of care and the morale of hard working NHS staff in their desire to deliver world class care.

“They can be powerful motivational reminders to frontline staff of how they are making a difference to someone’s life and play an important role in educating the healthcare professionals of the future.”


Full details in the SG release, including that:

From today, the service will be available for the following health boards to respond to feedback from patients: NHS Highland, NHS Shetland, NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Scottish Ambulance Service, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and National Education Scotland.

The remaining health boards will be asked to adopt the service by the end of the year.


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Multi-million pound cuts to council services and thousands of local government jobs lost

15 Feb 2013

A range of news reports today highlight multi-million pound cuts to council services and the loss of thousands of local government jobs around Scotland.

BBC Scotland reported on a third of Scotland’s councils setting budgets.

The Herald's front page headline was: “Thousands of jobs go as councils wield the axe.”

And STV said that millions of pounds and hundreds of jobs have been cut.

UNISON Scotland highlighted last week how council services are taking the brunt of spending cuts and called for a review of funding.

Stephanie Herd, chair of the Local Government Committee, said:

“Essential services provided by councils, including education, home care for elderly and disabled people, social work, environmental health, trading standards and many more are all affected by cuts and job losses.

“The austerity measures imposed by governments at Westminster and Holyrood are not needed. There is a better way and we will fight to retain good quality services. Paying off council and other public sector workers does not help local economies.”

UNISON Scotland works with the STUC to show that There is A Better Way 

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BBC anti-apartheid TV documentary series - starts tonight (Tue 24 Jan)

UNISON Scotland activist Dave Kenvyn says: "This documentary series, about the worldwide campaign against apartheid, starts on BBC4 tonight (Tuesday 24 Jan 2012 at 10.00 pm) featuring, amongst others, me. It has already won a number of "Best Documentary" awards and is well worth watching."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01b9hbg

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BBC News - Public sector strikes in Scotland: video

BBC News - Public sector strikes in Scotland: Services across Scotland have been disrupted as up to 300,000 public sector workers joined colleagues in the rest of the UK in a strike over pension and job changes.

Some good footage of rallies around Scotland and vox pops. There's a token numpty for "balance" but you'll spot and ignore him.

BBC: Striking staff march on Holyrood

Thousands of striking public sector workers have marched outside the Scottish Parliament, in protest at UK government pension changes. Full report here

BBC News: Public services grind to halt as 300,000 workers strike across Scotland

BBC News - Public sector strike cripples services in Scotland: Public services across Scotland have ground to a halt, after 300,000 public sector workers went on strike over planned UK pension and job changes.

Most schools have closed for the day and thousands of NHS appointments cancelled. Travel is also being hit.

As workers picket the Holyrood building for the day, SNP ministers will use a government debate to brand the pension plans a "cash grab".

More...

Stick up for the public sector on BBC The One Show Facebook site

We would like lots of people to post messages on the One Show Facebook site sticking up for the public sector and the pensions campaign.

http://www.facebook.com/bbctheoneshow

The One Show did a piece yesterday featuring Katie Hopkins - the former Apprentice contestant, who hates the public sector.

She made some strong statements – public sector workers are cosy, lazy, enjoy big benefits and are wrong to strike. Karen Jennings did an interview, but this was severely clipped. The ‘debate’ with the the Gloucester City council workers was not set up by us and they did not get much of a chance to get their view across.

Please can you forward this link far and wide and get people to post.
http://www.facebook.com/bbctheoneshow

You can see The One Show from yesterday at the BBC page here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007tcw7

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BBC Scotland: Unions protest in Edinburgh over public sector cuts

23 October 2010 Last updated at 15:09 

 

A rally in Edinburgh to protest at public sector cuts was attended by more than 20,000 demonstrators.

Union group the STUC arranged the event to demonstrate against measures in the UK government's Spending Review.

STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said: "We launched this campaign to dispel the myth that there is no economic alternative to these cuts.

"There is an alternative. Get people back to work, get the economy growing again, and the public finances will largely take care of themselves.

"We also launched this campaign to expose the lie that it is those with the broadest shoulders that will bear the brunt of the cuts."

Union leaders said they had been "overwhelmed" by the response to the protest rally attended by people from across Scotland.

See full story at BBC Scotland News

More UNISON pics and story to follow here on this blog and on UNISON Scotland website. 


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BBC News - Budget hits the poorest hardest, says IFS

BBC News - 25 August 2010 Last updated at 04:58

The coalition government's first Budget has hit the poorest families hardest, a leading economic think tank has said.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the measures announced in the Budget in June were "regressive".

Its analysis suggests that low income families with children are set to lose the most as a percentage of net income due to benefit cuts announced in the Budget.

The Treasury said it did not accept the "selective" findings of the IFS.

The IFS had already challenged the government's claim that the Budget was "progressive".

Its report concluded: "Once all of the benefit cuts are considered, the tax and benefit changes announced in the emergency Budget are clearly regressive as, on average, they hit the poorest households more than those in the upper middle of the income distribution in cash, let alone percentage, terms."


Read more on BBC News site...

But there is an alternative: See www.unison-scotland.org.uk


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Glyn Hawker on BBC: There is an alternative. We don't need to be making these cuts.

July 29

UNISON Scottish Organiser Glyn Hawker today argued on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that there is an alternative to the current cuts and privatisation agenda.

Speaking in advance of today's Independend Budget Review report, she said: "There is an alternative. We don't need to be making these cuts.

"The alternatives are about generating income, about making sure we collect the tax currently not being collected, that we look at those people who do have more making a bigger contribution rather than taking away from those at the bottom end."

The so-called Tax Payers Alliance were also interviewed. UNISON has highlighted the fact that the TPA is an unrepresentative right wing body keen to promote massive cuts in public sector spending. UNISON is a democratic organisation made up of tax payers and could make far more claim to the name. The TPA is made up of right wing ideologues and non-dom millionaires.

For some interesting facts about the TPA, check out the website of The Other Taxpayers Alliance.  www.taxpayersalliance.org/

Listen to Good Morning Scotland here The interview starts at about 1 hour 9 mins into the recording.


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Mike Kirby on Newsnight Scotland: Ring fence all public services

UNISON's Scottish Convener Mike Kirby was interviewed on the BBC's Newsnight Scotland in advance of publication of the Independent Budget Review report today.

He argued that the debate should not be about cuts or which services to ring fence, but about the kind of public services Scotland wants.

He added: "All public services should be ring fenced."

Watch the programme here

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BBC blueprint for attack on public sector pensions

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Commenting on BBC pension cuts and public sector pensions, Dave Watson, UNISON Scottish Organiser, said:

"Clearly public sector pensions are now under full attack. We've had all the scaremongering and mythmaking about gold plated pensions for public sector workers. The truth is the average pension in local government is just £4,000 a year, and that's not gold plated.

"In fact public sector pensions are sustainable and affordable - we have already gone through massive changes to ensure that. There is no reason why public sector workers should pay for the bailout of the bankers. Public sector workers and their unions will defend decent pensions, by industrial action if necessary."


See BBC News website

BBC to cut staff pension benefits
15:44 GMT, Tuesday, 29 June 2010
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10443981.stm
"BBC business editor Robert Peston says the plans could be a blueprint for future public-sector pension plans."
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