No more cuts to public services summit - Clydebank

Clydebank TUC and West Dunbartonshire Joint Trade Unions are holding a local summit in Clydebank on Saturday.

The event is called "No More Cuts to Public Services" and has some great speakers lined up.

It is supported by UNISON, Unite, the EIS and GMB, and takes place from 11am to 2pm at Clydebank Town Hall on 27 October.

#APD cut is lose, lose - for public services and for climate action

#WED2016 It is World Environment Day on Sunday 5 June. A good day for the Scottish Government to cancel plans to cut Air Passenger Duty.

UNISON Scotland today urged the Scottish Government to prioritise protecting public services by axing its plans to first cut APD by 50%, then eventually abolish the tax.

In our response to the Scottish Government consultation on APD, closing today, we argue that Ministers should be defending public services and working for social justice by opposing austerity and tackling inequalities. Climate change action is essential and should support these goals. 

Instead, this policy proposal would benefit the wealthiest, while increasing aviation emissions. A lose, lose proposal for Scottish public services and for protecting our world for future generations.

If Scotland is to meet its proudly proclaimed as world leading climate change targets, a cut to APD makes no sense. The Scottish Government should think again.

UNISON member interested in climate change? Green Network Meeting Sat 21 May

Calling all UNISON members interested in climate change!

Come to our next Green Network meeting in Glasgow - this Saturday, 21 May.

We have a guest speaker - Jim Densham from Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. Come and find out the latest on tackling global warming and campaigning for a low carbon Scotland. 

Tell us what you think we should be doing and/or what you are doing where you are.

And join in discussions about Just Transition, green workplace action as part of our Combating Austerity work, and the Scottish Food Coalition's call for a socially just and environmentally sustainable food system.

The meeting is from 11am -1pm in the UNISON Scotland office. 14, West Campbell Street, Glasgow G2 6RX. Email f.montgomery@unison.co.uk for more information and to sign up for Green Network email updates.

We need politicians to be bold in opposing austerity

#STUC16 The STUC has backed a UNISON and GMB 10 point plan for decent public services which are key to ‘reducing poverty and economic inequality.’

UNISON’s Stephen Smellie told delegates there was a broad political consensus in Scotland against austerity but words were not enough.

“We must insist that Scottish politicians can’t hide behind the ‘it’s all the fault of the Tories and we can’t do anything about it’ line. That was never good enough when the Scottish parliament had few powers to tackle austerity. It is even less acceptable now that the parliament has significant powers that it can choose to use.

UNISON response to Scottish Government council tax announcement today (2 March)

2 March 2016

Dave Watson, UNISON head of policy and public affairs said,

‘UNISON welcomes any progress on the council tax freeze. However after 8 years we had expected more than tinkering with the present system. This will not ensure that local government is properly funded, nor will it ensure a fair funding for local government. Scotland needs a fundamental review local tax funding for local services and a fairer local tax for Scotland.

UNISON welcomes the end to council tax freeze next year. However we are totally opposed to the 3% cap. Scotland’s councils need to be given back democratic control of their local services.They are democratically accountable to local people and know the needs of people living in their local areas.

Delaying the end of the council tax freeze to next year ensures that the 1000s of job losses and £500m cuts will go ahead this year meaning further damage to our local services and economyt.

The 8 year council tax freeze has meant £3.15bn has been cut from local services and 40,000 jobs have been cut from local government. This has had a devastating effect on local services and our economy.’

END

Notes
UNISON is the biggest union in local government

UNISON contacts
Dave Watson 07958 122 409
Danny Phillips 07944 664110

UNISON Scotland's next Green Network meeting is this Saturday, Glasgow

Reminder for all UNISON members interested in climate change!

Come to our next Green Network meeting in Glasgow - this Saturday, 27 February.

Guest speaker Ric Lander, from Friends of the Earth Scotland, will be speaking mainly on pensions disinvestment campaigns, but will be referring also to fracking and other important policy areas.

We will be discussing what is needed now following the UN Paris climate deal, and looking at green workplace action as part of our Combating Austerity campaigning.

The meeting is from 1.30-3.30pm in the UNISON Scotland office. (slightly earlier than previously advertised) Email f.montgomery@unison.co.uk for more information and to sign up for Green Network email updates.

Our Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/greennetworkunisonscotland

UNISON member interested in climate change? Green Network Meeting Sat 27 Feb

Calling all UNISON members interested in climate change!

Come to our next Green Network meeting in Glasgow on Saturday 27 February.

Guest speaker Ric Lander, from Friends of the Earth Scotland, will be speaking mainly on pensions disinvestment campaigns, but will be referring also to fracking and other important policy areas.

We will be discussing what is needed now following the UN Paris climate deal, and looking at green workplace action as part of our Combating Austerity campaigning.

The meeting is from 1.30-3.30pm in the UNISON Scotland office.Email f.montgomery@unison.co.uk for more information and to sign up for Green Network email updates.

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New financial powers could save Scottish councils £50m, says UNISON

Wed 27 Jan 2016 Public services union UNISON has today (Wed 27 January 2016) urged the Scottish Government to push ahead with proposed new financial powers for Scottish councils to relax the rules for borrowing, lending and the repayment of loans.  These proposed changes to Scottish councils' financial powers should now be used for greater flexibility to deal with the funding crisis in Scottish councils. If used effectively it could save Scottish councils upwards of £50million, or save over 1000 jobs.  UNISON called for these ‘long overdue’ changes in their report Combating Austerity (Sept 2015). The report called for a relaxing of the repayment of loans fund regulations, arguing that councils need greater flexibility to mitigate austerity.  The Combating Austerity report explores all options and argues that making full use of flexibility in new borrowing or refinancing, and restructuring existing borrowing could potentially free up significant sums of money, at a time of severe austerity cuts.  Dave Watson, head of UNISON Scotland policy and public affairs said,  ‘These limited changes are very welcome we have been urging the Scottish Government to introduce them for some time. Scottish councils are in real crisis, cutting local services and shedding 1000s of jobs. Giving councils this flexibility could save upwards of £50m and over 1000 jobs. This is not going to solve the problem but is an example of how we need to start thinking to mitigate the worst of austerity and council tax freeze.'  UNISON is now urging the Scottish Government to go further and include new proposals to enable councils to borrow to either make grants to third parties where these grants fund capital expenditure, or for the authority to incur expenditure directly on third party tangible assets; and a new provision for a local authority to be able to borrow to lend to any of its subsidiary bodies where the loan is to be used to finance capital expenditure of the subsidiary. Dave Watson said, ‘Further changes beyond what is now being proposed, could make a real difference and mitigate some of the worst of austerity. Councils could use new types of borrowing to support, for example buyouts of expensive Privtae Finance Intitiative (PFI) contracts or, perhaps, to finance new conventional spending, they could offer health boards an alternative to expensive hub Public Private Partnerships (PPP), PFI, or Non-Profit Distributing (NPD) schemes. We think they could be doing this now. However the Scottish Government should make it explicit in the rules for Scottish councils, so we can encourage innovation and more efficient use of public funds. And vitally, use these rules to save our public services and thousands of local jobs. END Notes for editors  • UNISON is the biggest trade union in Scotland and the biggest union in local government.  • UNISON report Combating Austerity: signposting the ways Scotland could limit some of the damage from Austerity (PDF). Combating Austerity Press release 23 September 2015 here: http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/2015/sepoct/0923.htm • UNISON summary briefing here:  http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/ e-briefing_RelaxingBorrowingRules4Councils_Jan2016.pdf • The new draft Local Authority (Capital Finance and Accounting) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and on Loans Fund Accounting are set to come into effect, with any changes following the consultation, from 1 April 2016 and statutory guidance can be read here:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/sdsi/2016/9780111031063 • These regulations cover changes to the statutory arrangements for local authority borrowing, lending and the statutory loans fund. They were the subject of a short consultation at the end of 2015.  • UNISON Consultation response to The new draft Local Authority (Capital Finance and Accounting) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 Here: http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/ LocalAuthorityCapitalFinanceRegs_UNISONResponsetoScotGov_Jan2016.pdf

Scottish public bodies must mitigate austerity, says UNISON

Date: Wednesday 23 September 2015

UNISON Scotland is launching a campaign today (23 September 2015) calling on the Scottish Government, local authorities and public bodies to do all they can to mitigate UK government austerity.

The public services trade union is calling for a range of financial and industrial policies to create investment in Scottish infrastructure, green energy production and jobs.

With interest rates at an all time low, it is cheaper to buy out or refinance PPP / PFI contracts saving up to £12bn; pension funds could be a source of badly needed investment for infrastructure, we need a political consensus on reform of local taxation; and councils should collaborate in using bonds as a means of financing borrowing rather than routinely using the Public Works Loan Board.

Dave Watson, head of UNISON Scotland bargaining and campaigns, said ‘We are expecting a further £2bn of cuts to local public services across Scotland. We could save £2bn by refinancing PFI / PPP projects. Every sensible measure that government and public authorities take will reduce damage to vital public services and protects jobs. And some councils are already using pension funds to invest in affordable housing, but we need to do this on a national scale.'

Dave Watson continued: 
‘Scottish local government has already seen over 40,000 job losses and many more jobs have been lost in the NHS, police, community and voluntary sector. Of course UNISON is joining with the STUC and others to campaign against austerity, however we are ready to work with Scottish Government and public authorities to do all we can to mitigate against the worst effects of these cuts’

The report is launched today

END

Notes

• UNISON is Scotland’s public services union, and it is the biggest trade union in Scotland
• The full report can be read here:http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/CombatingAusterity_Sep2015.pdf