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

Further cuts to local services not sustainable, says UNISON Scotland

Date: Tuesday 2 February 2016

UNISON Scotland is calling for the Scottish Parliament to use its powers to put more money into local services. By 2020 expenditure on public services will be 12.5% lower in real terms. That is on top of the £2.5bn cuts since 2010.

This next round of cuts will mean at least another 15,000 job cuts for local councils. Of the 50,000 jobs that have been lost in devolved public services, 40,000 have been in councils. 

The need for council services has not disappeared, remaining staff have to take on extra work, and do the best they can to deliver what they can. UNISON has the evidence to show our local services are in crisis and further cuts are simply not sustainable.

Mark Ferguson, chair of the UNISON  local government committee said, "Local government services are vital. They deliver health, education, clean and safe streets, child protection and much more. 

"In short they create a good society and the Scottish government should use every power they have to mitigate the worst effects of UK government austerity. 

"The Scottish Parliament has tax raising powers - they can end the council tax freeze, they can work with councils to refinance PFI schemes or invest pension funds in public works, or do more to follow the recommendations of the Christie Commission and invest in preventative spending as a way of making sustainable savings. 

"The bottom line is they have the powers to protect Scots from the worst of austerity. The need for local services has not gone away, so why should our local services?"

END  
UNISON Contacts 
Dave Watson 07958 122 409
Danny Phillips 07944 664 110

UNISON Scotland reaction to ministerial statement on draft 2016/17 budget

Date: Wednesday 16 December 2015

Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish Regional Secretary said,

‘UNISON Scotland recognises that Tory austerity limits the options available in the Spending Review. However, it is unacceptable that yet again local government is bearing the brunt of cuts. We are now in the 8th year of the council tax freeze that limits how councils can choose to respond to austerity. This cannot continue. We need to discuss how we are going to properly fund Council services as they play a crucial role in the health and well being of all of us.'

END

Notes

UNISON is the biggest trade union in Scotland

UNISON Scotland statement on First Minister’s programme for Government

Wed 26 Nov 2014

Mike Kirby, Scottish secretary of UNISON, said ‘UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union and we welcome the First Minister’s programme for government. There was much in Nicola Sturgeon’s statement to commend.

We welcome her commitment to protect public services and to increase NHS funding; her commitment to the living wage and to mitigate the problems of welfare reform; and her commitment to put gender equality and women’s rights at the heart of her government; and to increase childcare.

Review of local government financeUNISON also welcomed the commission to review local government finance but we are disappointed that the council tax freeze will remain in place until 2016. This freeze hits the most vulnerable people, those who need public services the most.

We need a fundamental reform of how we pay for local services. Local government is experiencing the worst of the cuts. It has lost the bulk of the jobs and it is the only sector to get a real cash cut. We can no longer pretend to get better services for less money. We favour a progressive property tax where we all pay our fair share.

Scotland should use powers to create fairer council funding now

#stuc14 The Council Tax freeze is benefitting the richest by £1,500 while disabled people can be £3,000 worse off. "That needs fixed and it can be done in Scotland now - we have all the powers we need", UNISON's Stephen Smellie told the STUC congress.

The UNISON Scotland motion called for politicians of all parties to 'stop hiding from difficult decisions and sort out fair tax for local services'.

Unison brands council tax freeze 'unfair on poor households'

2 May 2013

The Herald also reports on UNISON's new figures...

by Magnus Gardham

"THE country's biggest trade union has launched the most comprehensive attack to date on the Scottish Government's long-running council tax freeze, claiming the policy has been unfair on poorer households.

"Public sector union Unison said wealthy households – those in Band H homes – were saving £441 per year as a result of the freeze, compared with £147 for those in the cheapest Band A homes.

"In a report, the union flatly rejected Scottish Government claims that the policy was a "lifeline" for hard-up Scots and called for a debate on its future. Council tax bills have been frozen each year since 2007 when the SNP first took power at Holyrood.

"The freeze was originally intended as an interim measure until the Nationalists promised local income tax could be delivered, but the proposal enountered fierce opposition and has remained on hold.

"Councils have been threatened with mutlimillion-pound penalties if they refuse to keep freezing bills. Alex Salmond has claimed it is part of a "social contract" with the public to keep bills down in tough economic times...."

Read more

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Council tax freeze ‘benefits leafy suburbs not poor’

2 May 2013

The Scotsman today reports on UNISON Scotland's new figures showing that the council tax freeze is costing public services dear...

Report by EDDIE BARNES

"THE council tax freeze is most beneficial for people in “leafy suburbs” and burdens hard-hit families with extra costs as local authorities “plug the gap” in their coffers by increasing charges for services, a new investigation has found.

"The report by the Unison union concludes that families in the most expensive homes are saving three times as much as those in the cheapest houses as 
a result of the freeze.

"It warns that Scotland’s 32 councils are searching for ways to boost their funding and so increasing the cost of rents, school meals and day centre costs. The union is now calling for a fresh debate to be had over the freeze, first put in place by the SNP government in 2007....." 

Read more

See also the Scotsman's report on last week's report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showing that the council tax freeze is damaging to low income families. 

Council tax freeze ‘worsens’ austerity for poor 

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Council tax freeze is costing public services dear - UNISON

Hard-pressed Scots are facing massive increases in charges for vital local services to pay for the Scottish government’s Council Tax freeze, public sector union UNISON has revealed.

The union has called for a new debate over the Council Tax freeze - which mainly benefits those living in better off neighbourhoods.

UNISON Vice Convener Stephen Smellie on the challenges facing local government

25 February 2013

UNISON's Vice Convener Stephen Smellie has told Holyrood Magazine about the challenges facing local government and the 'people services' it provides.

In an interview published today, Stephen highlighted how local government is taking the brunt of the cuts, how the council tax freeze leaves those worst off still paying, and about how staff fear for their jobs.

He also hit out against benefit cuts and, in particular, the bedroom tax, warning that it has not been thought through.

Stephen said: “There’s a big promotion to boost the numbers of foster carers in council areas. But if you are a foster carer, you might have a spare bedroom because kids come and go, and if you are on housing benefit, all of a sudden you are under occupied.

"Also you have informal carers, grandparents, for example, who have a spare room because their grandchildren come and stay. But under these measures, those grandparents might not be able to keep that room.

"There are a whole number of consequences which we’re left trying to support people through. In that example, kids might be taken into care instead of going to stay with a grandparent for a few nights. It is one of the consequences which haven’t been thought through.

"We’ve raised it and others in social work have raised it but there’re no answers.

“The welfare state is becoming meaner on a number of levels. Local government picks up a lot of that, we pick up through social work or housing or education. All the time this is happening, our resources and pay are being cut.”

See the full interview here

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Scottish Budget – council services hit hardest – UNISON calls for funding review

6 Feb 2013

Public services union UNISON today warned that vital council services are being hit hardest by budget cuts and called for a review of local government funding.

UNISON Scotland warned that already councils have lost 34,500 jobs since 2008/9, with severe impacts on services right across the country. And they are taking the brunt of budget cuts in the Scottish Government’s three year spending plans.

Stephanie Herd, chair of the union’s Local Government Committee, said: “Local services that people rely on daily are already under immense strain, with more spending cuts to come.

“Given the scale of the damage that is being done, the further cuts we face and the ongoing unfair council tax freeze, we need a much wider review of how to fund services.”

Stephanie added: “There are stealth cuts too, where staff are struggling with massive workloads and increased demand. We cannot continue like this if we want to retain proper quality services.

“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 is challenging councillors who are setting budgets this month, asking whether they will be the agents of cuts, or will they instead champion their local communities.

Note to editors:

Already a total of 51,700 jobs have been lost in the public sector in Scotland since 2008/9.  Analysis shows that 66.7% have been from local government, which makes up 57.3% of the workforce. Further details in our public sector workforce briefing.

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Scottish government must choose a better way than council funding cuts - UNISON

Tue 27 Nov 2012

The poorest and most vulnerable in Scotland who depend on vital council services are bearing the brunt of austerity – and it is up to the Scottish government to choose a better way. That is UNISON’s response to John Swinney’s local government budget allocation announced in the Parliament today (Tuesday 27 Nov).

Scotland’s main public services union believes the Scottish government must act to end the Council Tax freeze so local government can continue to provide vital services rather than impose cuts or charges.

Stephanie Herd, chair of UNISON’s Scottish Local Government Committee said:

“Today’s local government budget allocations announcement confirms once more that Scottish councils are bearing the brunt of the austerity measures imposed by the Tory-led coalition in Westminster – and passed on by this Scottish administration.

“It is not enough to say a big boy in Westminster did it and ran away. To govern is to choose – and John Swinney has chosen to freeze Council Tax for years at the expense of the poorest and most vulnerable.

“These allocations are often discussed in terms of council winners or losers. But the reality is all of our communities are losing out, across Scotland.

“We need an end to the Council Tax freeze and action to make the tax fairer. We need to enable councils to continue providing vital services rather than impose damaging cuts or punitive charges. And our members, who provide these vital services despite being forced to accept a pay freeze for the last two years, need a pay settlement which will redress some of that burden.”

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing over 160,000 members working in the public sector in Scotland, the majority of whom work in local government.

2. The UNISON Scotland Manifesto for the Scottish Local Government election of May 2012 is available on our website. It includes our proposal for an end to the Council Tax freeze and reform of the Council Tax to create a fairer property tax.http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/
UNISONScotlandLocalGovermentManifesto2012final.pdf

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