UN climate talks and cancellation of demonstrations in Paris - Support #ScotClimateMarch #COP21

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis today urged the highest possible turnout for marches in Edinburgh, London, Cardiff and Belfast next weekend, in solidarity with climate campaigners in Paris and around the world.

The International Trade Union Confederation  made the same call. Both were responding to the decision by the French authorities, following the terrorist attacks in Paris, to cancel demonstrations there on 29 November and 12 December at the start and end of the important UN climate talks.

Dave Prentis said: “While we show our respect for the Paris tragedy, it is also important that we show that, even without the Paris demonstrations, politicians will not be left of the hook when making the most serious climate change commitments for the next generation.

“By marching on 28 and 29 November, our voices will be stronger than ever in calling for a climate deal that must protect people and the planet.”

Demonstrations in the four UK capitals are going ahead on 28 and 29 November. Scotland’s climate march in Edinburgh is on Saturday 28 November. www.scotlandsclimatemarch.org 

Trade unionists are marching for a Just Transition to a low carbon economy to be part of the final global climate deal.

Dave Prentis - Join UNISON marching for Climate, Justice and Jobs

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis has spoken out to support the global call for urgent action on climate change this November and December. 

He said UNISON members will be joining in marches and rallies across the UK, organised by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and the Climate Coalition Movement, and in Paris, all timed to coincide with international demonstrations.

Dave explained the key role that trade union mobilisation has to play around ensuring the best outcome for workers and communities from the UN Climate Change talks to be held in Paris, in December. 

In an article for SERA , Labour's environment campaign, he said that trade unions are asking for a Just transition and decent work:

“UNISON is promoting the global public service trade union demands agreed by the Public Services International (PSI). All Governments in Paris should sign a universal, ambitious, binding and enforceable carbon emission-reduction agreement that goes beyond 2020. 

"All governments need to commit to a just transition as the human and economic costs of the transition need to be managed whether its support for displaced workers, affected communities who suffer local plant closures and job losses or low-income households who need support for affordable fuel.”

UNISON will be supporting the rallies and marches to be held on the weekend of the 28th and 28th November, in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and London, and in other major cities around the world at the same time. Dave said that it's important for members to join one of the marches, adding:

"We want to make sure that the UK government is clear about our trade union demands for a just transition: 

- creating new jobs and skilling a new generation through massive public investment in renewable energy, fuel poverty measures of insulation and green public transport;

- moving energy and industries from a fossil fuel dependency to a low carbon energy sustainable economy, while protecting workers' rights;

- providing a fair international climate deal to ensure a safe planet for future generations”

"Paris is just the beginning not the end. UNISON's green reps in the workplace will play a vital role in the Just Transition.”

UK marches:

Saturday 28^th November

Cardiff – Organised by Stop Climate Chaos Cymru. Contact Haf Elgar at Friends of the Earth, haf.elgar@foe.co.uk

Edinburgh – Scotland’s Climate March: Show Your Colours for Climate, Justice and Jobs organised by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland www.stopclimatechaos.org/march . Event details can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/926559887410007/ Also, see details on this blog here about the UNISON Scotland Green Network meeting on 14 Nov and poss subsidised places for members nominated by branches, for a bus to the Paris demonstration on Saturday 12 December.

Sunday 29^th November

London – Peoples March for Climate, Justice and Jobs by Climate Movement Group and Climate Coalition – Join UNISON in the trade union block https://www.facebook.com/events/885178824853269/

Belfast - The Peoples Climate event in Belfast https://www.facebook.com/events/1067121923313017/

Meanwhile the International Trade Union Confederation today issued a statement on the Paris talks, calling for stronger commitments from governments. Details here 

.

Join UNISON Scotland Green Network supporting #scotclimatemarch 28 Nov

*Stop Press: Members interested in booking a subsidised place on a bus to Paris for 12 Dec demonstration should seek nomination through their branch. See below for details.

It’s time next month to join the global movement marching for a better future, demanding strong action from world leaders at the United Nations climate talks in December.

UNISON members are invited to a Green Network meeting in Glasgow on Sat 14 November to build support for the coming big demonstrations in Edinburgh and Paris, and to plan green workplace campaigns in 2016.

Our branches will be at Scotland’s Climate March , organised by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) in Edinburgh on Saturday 28 November and in Paris on Saturday 12 December to show our colours for climate, justice and jobs.

Trade union demands for the UN talks include ensuring the final deal contains plans for a Just Transition to a low carbon future. Latest on that here

Full details about the SCCS march are online at www.stopclimatechaos.org/march including posters and flyers and a supporters’ toolkit which includes full details of timing, after gathering at The Meadows at 12 noon. If you can help steward, please email SCCS through the link on the march web page.

It is one of many marches being held in cities around the world that weekend, including other UK ones in Cardiff on 28 and London and Belfast on 29 November.

The major international demonstration in Paris on Saturday 12 December, at the end of the talks, is being held to keep up the pressure on political leaders to prevent dangerous runaway climate change. It will mark the peak of two weeks of civil society actions, including trade union actions, around the talks. Friends of the Earth Scotland is running a bus. Details here.

UNISON Scotland may have a small number of fully subsidised bus places for members nominated by branches, if a funding bid is approved at the end of October. Branches interested in booking one of these, if they become available, should email f.montgomery@unison.co.uk asap with Paris Bus in the subject line. Please make sure your young members also know about this opportunity. A small number of young members are already booked to go from London as part of a UNISON young members International delegation.

The UNISON Scotland Green Network meeting in Glasgow is on Sat 14 November from 2-4pm in UNISON’s West Campbell Street office, following the International Committee meeting earlier. There will be contributions from Stephen Smellie, vice convener of UNISON Scotland, and Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns.

We are hoping lots of new members interested in campaigning for climate justice policies will come to the meeting or get in touch to be part of the Network. Email f.montgomery@unison.co.uk for more information and to sign up for Green Network email updates.

The Sat 28 November Edinburgh event will see people from all over Scotland come together to demand an agreement in Paris that cuts greenhouse gas emissions and helps the poorest countries adapt to the challenges they face caused by climate change. The family-friendly march will culminate with music, entertainment and speeches at the Ross Bandstand in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens.

It unfortunately and unavoidably clashes with the STUC annual St Andrew’s Day Anti-Racism March and Rally, which takes place this year in Glasgow on Sat 28 November. UNISON Scotland is a strong supporter of the STUC march. This year’s theme is No Racism: Refugees Welcome Here – a theme with many links to the impact of climate change. Branches are encouraged to be represented at both events.

(SPICe, the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, has produced a briefing on the UN talks.)

Climate, Justice and Jobs – Sat 28 Nov Scotland’s Climate March

UNISON Scotland is showing our colours by supporting the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland Climate March on Saturday 28 November.

On that weekend around the world, millions will be marching to put pressure on world leaders for an ambitious deal at the UN climate negotiations in Paris in December.

Scotland’s Climate March is in Edinburgh, with other marches taking place in Wales on 28 November and in London on Sunday 29 November.

SCCS member organisations are calling for Scotland to show its colours in Paris and beyond, with strong action on climate change.

The Edinburgh march theme is “show your colours for climate, justice and jobs.”  SCCS will announce further details soon. Watch this space.

There will be a mass demonstration in Paris at the end of the talks on Saturday 12 December.

UNISON Scotland is also a strong supporter of the STUC annual St Andrew’s Day Anti-Racism March and Rally, which takes place this year in Glasgow on Sat 28 November. Branches are encouraged to be represented at both events.

UNISON was one of a large group of organisations supporting a WWF Scotland initiative this week that saw Scotland’s party leaders sign up to a cross-party climate change agreement.

Thousands in Edinburgh demand peace for Gaza

#Gaza Thousands turned out on in Edinburgh on Saturday to demand an end to the killing in Gaza. The Edinburgh UNISON banner was there as the rally at the Mound moved along Princes Street for a minute's silence and ended at Bute House, the First Minister's official residence.
  

Edinburgh UNISON banner - Tom Connolly

Hundreds also gathered in Aberdeen in the fourth consecutive week of demonstrations in the city. More than 60,000 also rallied in London. Malcolm Chisholm MSP and Aamer Anwar were among the speakers at the Edinburgh rally.

pic Tom Connolly

After 19 days of bombardment from Israel, the death toll in Gaza passed. UNICEF estimates that one in three civilian deaths are children under 18. Whole families have been wiped out. On 23 July, a UN statement said: "One child has been killed in Gaza every hour for the past two days."

More Valentines for public services - Edinburgh and Glasgow

15 Feb 2013

More work by branches on Valentine's Day showing how UNISON members love public services.

In Glasgow, maternity, nursing and domestic staff joined in the 'have a heart for public services' action yesterday. All pictures are from Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Domestic staff

Maternity staff



Nurses at the GRI

And City of Edinburgh branch secretary Andrew Barnett was outside the head offices of housing provider Dunedin Canmore.

.

HAVE A HEART FOR PUBLIC SERVICES – Valentines to the NHS in Glasgow and to police teams in Tayside

Theatre staff at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, members of UNISON's
NHS Glasgow and Clyde branch

14 Feb 2013 

From Durham to Dundee, Gateshead to Glasgow, around Scotland, down to SW England and over to Northern Ireland, UNISON members are today gathering for a Valentine's Day blitz.

Hospital theatre staff in Glasgow, police staff in Tayside, health workers in Belfast and council workers in Edinburgh are all taking part in the union’s ‘Have a Heart for Public Services’ day.

With a predicted 1.2m public service jobs under threat - giant Valentine's Day cards are being taken to hospitals, schools, day centres, libraries, leisure centres, town halls and police stations, to highlight the variety and value of work carried out every day across the UK.

Theatre staff and other health service UNISON members at Glasgow Royal Infirmary sent a Valentine to the NHS.

While in Tayside, members of the new UNISON Police Staff Scotland branch, showed their hearts are on the side of local police stations and the local police team.

PC Bob Cowan, PC Ashley Lee, Sheila Mitchell & Fran Benison (Crime management),
Leanne Meldrum (Warrants), Mandy Robertson (Staff Development/Training)
and Fiona Christie (Divisional Admin)

Branch secretary George McIrvine, who will lead the new UNISON Scottish police staff branch when the single police service comes into operation in April, said: 

"The photo of 'We love our local police team' is one which shows the importance of the current ‘Police family’ structure that ensures effective and best value policing for Scotland and the taxpayer.

“The threatened cuts that face up to half the police support jobs (3000) across Scotland will inevitably hinder this process, with the only alternative for the employer being to backfill with police officers at greater expense to the public purse.

“We continue to call on the Scottish Government to revisit their commitment to the artificial manifesto pledge of 1000 extra cops on the beat.”

Part-time shift worker Louise Phinn

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said: "The hearts may be different - but the message is the same, have a heart for your public services - they are too valuable to lose.

"Since the Government came to power it has declared war on public services with savage cuts and job losses expected to rise to 1.2m.  This means that the services in hospitals, schools, libraries, elderly and children's care and many more that the public rely on, are disappearing fast.

"With 2.49m people unemployed, axing more public service workers makes no sense. It is time for the Government to have a change of heart and think again about pursuing its failed economic policies that are leading to rising inflation and threatening to drag the country into a triple dip recession.

"What the country needs from Government is a coherent plan for investing in jobs and growth in order to boost the money available to spend on improving and providing public services, instead of devastating them." 

Other branches taking part in the Valentine’s Day events in Scotland included Edinburgh City branch and members at Glasgow Caledonian University, where the big card said ‘We love our support staff’.

George McIrvine, Police Staff Scotland branch secretary.

UNISON calls for immediate withdrawal of redundancy notices at Queen Margaret University

Tuesday 18 December 2012

UNISON Scotland has called for the Education Secretary to intervene over incompetent redundancy notices issued by bosses at Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University. The higher education union wants the redundancy notices withdrawn immediately in this week before the Christmas break.

At least 29 staff have been notified that their jobs are under threat of redundancy – and three have been told they are definitely losing their jobs – despite the fact that the posts are not redundant. The university has also failed to comply with its legal obligations to consult with UNISON and to notify government.

Regional Organiser Emma Philips said:

“There is no need for these compulsory redundancies. The planned changes are part of a reorganisation with enough jobs for all existing staff.

 “The duties of the three people in Finance who were told they have been made compulsorily redundant will have to be covered by agency staff until new staff are recruited to cover their jobs. The security staff begin being interviewed for their present jobs today. 

“We have now written to Mike Russell, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, to tell him we do not believe there is a genuine redundancy situation. The jobs still exist, although there is a change to some of the tasks within the jobs.

“We want Queen Margaret University to withdraw all notices of redundancy and review all their processes in regard to this issue. And we call on Mike Russell as Education Secretary to take swift action to ensure this happens.”

UNISON already has the support of Labour’s higher education spokesman Neil Findlay MSP, who is putting down a motion today in the Scottish Parliament in support of the QMU staff.

Emma Philips said:

“We believe these redundancy notices are incompetent – in the legal as well as the usual sense of the word. But the university management persists in putting people under this kind of pressure in the week before Christmas. It is totally unjust, they are totally wrong - and they should call a halt now.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:Emma Phillips, UNISON Regional Organiser, on 07538101221

Malcolm Burns, Communications Officer, UNISON Scotland, 0141 342 2877 or 078765 66978

Fiona Montgomery, Communications Officer, UNISON Scotland, 0141 342 2877 or 07508 876 995

Notes for editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing over 160,000 members working mainly in the public sector in Scotland and represents a range staff delivering important services in further and higher education.

2. Queen Margaret University has failed to comply with its statutory obligations to consult with the trade unions and to notify government. The legislation states that these consultations should take place if 20 people are vulnerable to redundancy.

.

'Anger at university bonuses' - 'cleaners get crumbs'

12 Dec 2012

The Herald and Morning Star newspapers reported today on UNISON criticisms of bonuses paid at Napier University.

The Herald's Andrew Denholm reported on  'Anger at university bonuses':

"UNIONS have attacked plans to give staff at a university a Christmas bonus.

 

 

Members of the Unison branch at Edinburgh Napier University described the scheme to give staff a one-off payment of 0.5% of their salary as "unfair and unworthy" to lower-paid staff.

Emma Phillips, the union's regional organiser, said: "When you work it out, this means the many cleaning, catering and portering staff who are part-time would get just £80.""

 

Full story here

The Morning Star's report by Peter Lazenby said: 'Cleaners get crumbs under uni bonus plan':

University cleaners and porters slammed a Christmas bonus plan today that would give them less than £80 while their £200,000-a-year boss receives £1,000.

Staff at Edinburgh's Napier University, members of public-sector union Unison, branded the Christmas bonus proposed by principal Dame Joan Stringer "unfair and unworthy."

Unison regional organiser Emma Phillips said: "The principal's Christmas message tells all staff they have provided valued work to help achieve success for the university.

"Yet the unusual 'special payment' she proposes is a one-off payment of 0.5 per cent of your annual salary plus £100, pro-rata for part-time staff."

Full report here

.

Napier principal’s offer is nothing like a fair Christmas bonus - UNISON

Tue 11 Dec 2012

UNISON members at Edinburgh’s Napier  University have criticised a Christmas bonus proposed by the principal on the grounds that it is “unfair and unworthy”.

Cleaners and portering staff would receive less than £80 extra in their Christmas paypackets compared with the bumper gift of over a thousand pounds which Professor Dame Joan Stringer would be awarding herself.

UNISON Regional Organiser Emma Phillips said:

“The principal’s Christmas message tells all staff they have provided valued work to help achieve success for the university. Yet the unusual ‘special payment’ she proposes is a ‘one off payment of 0.5% of your annual salary plus £100 (pro-rated for part time staff)’.

“When you work it out, this means that the many cleaning, catering and portering staff who are part-time would get £79.66 – but the principal herself, on a salary in excess of £200,000 and soon to retire on a fairly decent pension, would pick up more than a thousand pounds.”

Marilyn Philip, UNISON branch chair at Napier University, said:

“Our members find it odd in the current crisis and with proposed cuts in university funding that their management feel they can use public money in this way. Poor pay awards and the rising cost of living have left our staff on lower pay much worse off. Within the last three years this same university found itself to be £6 million in debt virtually overnight and compulsory redundancies were made.

 “We believe that this Christmas offer is unfair and unworthy. A fairer way to use the resources would be to give all staff the same amount instead of a 0.5% one off payment.

 “There might be nothing like a Dame – but this is nothing like a fair Christmas bonus.”

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing over 160,000 members working mainly in the public sector in Scotland – including staff in higher and further education.

2. By UNISON’s calculation on the basis of the salary point scales at Napier, the part-time catering and portering staff - on grade 2 - would get £79.66 at bottom of scale, bearing in mind  also many of the catering/cleaning staff are part time and this will be pro-rated. A senior manager - grade 10 - would get £467.51 and the Principal - on over £200,000 salary would get over £1,000.


.

Stuart Douglas: "l have experienced the living wage"

Speech by UNISON member Stuart Douglas at Living Wage event in Scottish Parliament, Thursday 8 November 2012 

Stuart Douglas speaks at Scottish Parliament 8 Thu Nov 2012 From Living Wage event Scottish Parliament 8 Nov 2012

Stuart Douglas and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP at Scottish Parliament From Living Wage event Scottish Parliament 8 Nov 2012

Thank you for opportunity to speak tonight - it's my first visit to the Scottish parliament.

I am from Clydebank currently working for the NHS at The Beardmore Hotel in Dalmuir. I am a UNISON member and steward in my workplace.

I benefit from a living wage because my union fought for a living wage in the NHS in Scotland. From 2005 till 2012 I worked on minimum wage, and it was only since May that brought me out of minimum wage employment.

So I have experienced the living wage from both sides.

I know what it like not going on holiday for 3 years, not being able to afford a car, having to spend 5 hours a week walking to work. Even though you work very hard, you don't earn enough to live just to exist, enough to get by but not to progress in life.

So you don't get to plan the next stage in your life.

And I am a single person but people that I worked alongside had children and often worried how difficult it was for them, because at an early age a child will learn that money comes before them.

The areas in and around my community like Clydebank, Drumchapel, Garscadden display shocking high levels of child poverty. In Drumchapel and Anniesland over 40% of children live in poverty.

That £30 or £40 pounds a week extra could make a real difference to the food you buy, time you have to spend with your kids and the experience they have at an early age.

As a young person living West Dunbartonshire I am upset and angry to hear that I live in the top UK unemployment black spot. Businesses are well aware they can pay the minimum wage for almost any job and that erodes wages for everyone. Unemployment is so high and wages are low, is doesn't inspire you, your not rewarded, not encouraged to work, it encourages worklessness.

Since I started to receive a living wage in May this year, it fundamentally alters the way you go about your job, because you feel valued, more loyal to your employer, carrying out your tasks maybe not more efficiently but to a higher standard. Accountable to the business because you feel a valued part of it rather than someone carrying out a mundane task, for as little as they can get away with paying you.

Companies don’t just gain loyal employees, a living wage is a social barometer that demonstrate an ability to act ethically.

The public sector should lead the way but other businesses should be required, expected to pay the living wage.

At the moment there are many people who may not work directly for the public sector but serve the public in their work. A patient in our hospital can be fed, treated and helped home by someone earning a living wage, but the home help that provides the aftercare, the chemist that provides medicine may be on poverty pay.

It divides society into a race to the bottom for everyone.

I'd like to thank the first minister, for my pay rise he announced this week, because the living wage increase will mean an extra £6.00 a week, that's £312 a year.

It’s amazing how much a few pence adds up.

I look forward to this parliament delivering a living wage nation for us all.

.

UNISON welcomes Living Wage in Edinburgh

8 Nov 2012

News release from City of Edinburgh UNISON Branch

UNISON WELCOMES EDINBURGH LIVING WAGE

UNISON has welcomed Edinburgh council’s intention to pay a minimum ‘living wage’ of £7.50 an hour to its lowest paid council workers from January.

The union estimates 2,000 mainly low paid women will benefit.

Andy Barnett, Edinburgh UNISON Branch Secretary, said:

“This welcome announcement in Living Wage Week comes just after UNISON and the council agreed equal pay settlements for 3,000 low paid staff – another example of how much it benefits workers to be in their union.

“Edinburgh’s Labour and SNP ‘capital coalition’ have been as good as their word and have taken on board the argument UNISON made for the higher £7.50 minimum rate and early implementation.”

John Stevenson, Edinburgh UNISON Branch President, added:

“We have long campaigned for a Living Wage and made detailed submissions to the council on the benefits it would bring not just for staff, but for Edinburgh’s local economy. All the research shows that workers spend any extra money locally giving a boost to the local shops and businesses that are so badly affected by the government’s austerity measures.

“The next step is to campaign for the Edinburgh Living Wage to apply to all contractors and to convince businesses across the city of the benefits of paying their staff a living wage.”

See also News Release from City of Edinburgh Council 8 Nov 2012
Edinburgh set to introduce the living wage
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/1049/edinburgh_set_to_introduce_the_living_wage

.

#StrongerTogether in @unisonscot - branch action and pictures from Edinburgh

Lothian Health branch were busy at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh yesterday.

And on Tuesday the Adtrailer was outside Chesser House, in Gorgie Road, an Edinburgh council contact centre.



Keep putting your pictures on Facebook and Twitter - hashtags #StrongerTogether #joinUNISON

UNISON wins Edinburgh equal pay deal

Fri 26 Oct 2012

UNISON has won an equal pay deal for thousands of council staff in Edinburgh. The union today agreed a settlement with the City of Edinburgh Council after a long-running battle to secure equal pay claims by up to three thousand workers.

John Stevenson, President of Edinburgh UNISON branch said:

“We welcome the settlement of these long standing equal pay claims - and we are delighted that many of our members will soon start receiving their compensation. Equal pay for work of equal value is an important principle – but we aim to ensure it happens in practice too.”

The majority of equal pay claims brought by UNISON in Edinburgh were on behalf of women administrative and school-based staff, who argued that their work was of equal value to male manual workers in receipt of bonus payments. The Court of Session agreed with that case and the council has withdrawn an appeal to the Supreme Court as part of the settlement with UNISON.

The deal covers the period from up to five years before the date of claim.

A council spokesperson described the settlement as “an excellent outcome for these employees” and said it reflected a commitment to partnership working from all sides.

Council Leader Andrew Burns said the ruling coalition group was “absolutely delighted” that the equal pay claims had been resolved before the end of the year.

ENDS

Notes for editors

1.  Joint statement on Equal Pay settlement by UNISON and City of Edinburgh Council
Friday 26 October 2012 

The City of Edinburgh Council and the trade union UNISON, are pleased to announce that terms have been agreed to settle the outstanding equal pay claims of former APT& C employees lodged by UNISON on behalf of their members.

UNISON have confirmed that these terms will be recommended to their members and that this will bring this long-running dispute to an end.  

The agreed settlement terms will take a number of months to implement fully and both the Council and UNISON are calling upon those affected to remain patient whilst arrangements are put in place. Payments will commence in the next couple of weeks and will be staggered over the coming three months.

A council spokesperson said: “This is an excellent outcome for these employees and reflects a commitment from Councillors, Officers and trade union representatives to partnership working.”

Leader of the Council, Andrew Burns, said “the Capital Coalition had a firm aim to resolve these claims before the end of the year and we are absolutely delighted to report that this has been achieved.”

John Stevenson, President of City of Edinburgh UNISON branch said: "We welcome the settlement of these long standing equal pay claims - and we are delighted that many of our members will soon start receiving their compensation."

2.  Background to the Edinburgh equal pay claims (UNISON Scotland)

The equal pay claims were brought mainly by administrative staff and school-based staff, who were claiming that their work was of equal value to male manual workers who received a bonus.

The Council claimed that the female employees could not make this comparison so the claims were invalid. The UNISON claimants won the point at the Employment Tribunal, the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Session.

The Council had appealed to the Supreme Court, but that appeal will now be withdrawn as part of the settlement agreement.

The settlement will cover the period from up to 5 years before the date of claim.

.

Capital cities join to back public services during festival

‘A Tale of Two Barnets’ film comes to Edinburgh. Edinburgh and London UNISON members are bringing an acclaimed film to the city during the festival on 20 August to highlight the dangers of wholesale privatisation of council services.

We've tasted victory, let's do it again

#undc12 Conference committed the union to building on the ‘Million Voices’ campaign for public services, further developing the community campaigning agenda.

Congress celebrates Edinburgh victory against privatisation

#STUC12 Congress applauded the victory by trade unions and community groups in Edinburgh in seeing off the threat of the privatisation of a huge tranche of council services and pledged support to unions and communities to fight privatisation in the future.

UNISON welcomes Edinburgh Council decision to support in-house bids over privateers

Date: Thu 19 Jan 2012

UNISON Scotland has welcomed the decision by Edinburgh City Council to support in-house bids for vital city services instead of privatising them.

The full council voted today for a joint Labour-SNP amendment with Green Party backing which overturned a proposal by the ruling Lib Dem-led coalition to award a contract for Integrated Facilities Management to private bidder Mitie.

UNISON branch President John Stevenson said:

“This is the best outcome we could have got – following the victory in November for keeping Environmental Services public, and the recent abandonment of the ruling group’s plans to privatise Corporate and Transactional Services.

John Stevenson told the full Council meeting this morning:

“UNISON has been campaigning to keep these services in-house for three reasons. Firstly because we think it is the right thing to do. We think it is right that quality public services are delivered by a public service team directly accountable to the people of Edinburgh through their elected councillors. We think it is right that our taxes should go directly to services, to the people who deliver them and the people who rely on them, rather than to profits and shareholders.

“Secondly because we believe that the public sector comparators – the in-house options – have risen to the challenge and will deliver not only best value but a continuing commitment to public services in Edinburgh.

“And thirdly because we believe that it is right that the Council should show trust, confidence and respect in its own workforce.

John Stevenson said:

“At the beginning of the process, the Council made it clear that there would have to be a compelling case for privatisation. We clearly believe that a compelling case has NOT been made for privatisation and we believe we have consistently provided compelling and credible analysis and evidence to show that.

“The unions and Council employees have put enormous work into this process. We have shown in detail that the in-house options have been realistic, fair and efficient – but most of all workable – especially if we have a level playing field and like is compared with like.”

.

Edinburgh bows to low paid women in equal pay

Date:               10 January 2012

The path to justice and compensation has been cleared for hundreds of UNISON members today as Edinburgh City Council abandoned its defence of long running equal pay claims. UNISON has been pursuing over 1100 claims for low paid women but many payments had been delayed by the council’s intention to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court in London.

Peter Hunter, UNISON Regional Organiser said:

“The council’s decision to abandon the Supreme Court appeal is another equal pay triumph for low paid women in UNISON. UNISON has been championing this specific issue in the Supreme Court for some time and we are delighted our huge investment has paid off.

"The council’s claim that women and men can be treated differently if they work in different council buildings was a fairly desperate defence.  The time-wasting and delay must stop now – our members deserve justice. Lord knows they’ve waited long enough.

“Hundreds of councils across the UK have been stalling on equality for women in the hope that work location or other trivia might be a defence for discrimination. This ruling has major implications and will be a welcome boost for workers whose wages are being attacked left, right and centre.”

ENDS

 

.

Rodney Bickerstaffe at Edinburgh #N30 - video

Rodney Bickerstaffe's speech to the magnificent Edinburgh Rally on November 30. Public Sector Workers stand united against attacks on pensions.

More on http://www.youtube.com/user/UNISONScotland and http://www.youtube.com/user/STUC1