STUC call on University governors to reflect diversity of staff

#stuc15 The STUC has called on Scottish Government to legislate for all university governing bodies to have a chair elected by all staff and students, ensure they are representative of the university and wider community - including a quota for women members; and include reserved places for trade union representatives.

UNISON Scotland’s Davena Rankin backing the University and College Union Scotland’s motion said that “Senior management pay continues to increase at a time when workers in universities have seen their salary fall in real terms by 15% -with one university principal in Scotland receiving an increase of twenty five thousand pounds”

Rally against Dundee University job cuts 22 April

#stuc14 The STUC has thrown its weight behind a rally on 22 April against job cuts at Dundee University and is calling on the government to commit to no compulsory redunfancies in higher education.

Backing the motion, UNISON's Davena Rankin offered the full support of UNISON to UCU in fighting the proposed cuts at Dundee University.

More Higher Education strike photos

#fairpayinHE Photos are coming in from the Scottish picket lines as UNISON HE members are taking a third day of strike action - alongside colleagues from UCU, Unite and EIS - in the increasingly bitter dispute with the higher education employers over their offer of a 1% pay rise.

Midnight walk out in Glasgow begins UK higher education shut down

Wed 30 October 2013

A midnight walk out by security guards at Glasgow Caledonian University will start a day of shutdown of universities and higher education colleges across the UK.

The security guards will be joined by Cinderella, the Ugly Sisters of Corporate Greed and the Fairy Godmother of Decent Pay Rises at 0000hrs 30 October (ie midnight).

This will begin a day of action by unions representing all sectors of the higher education workforce It’s not action that’s being taken lightly but following a 13% decrease in the value of pay over the last four years. the workforce serving our students have had enough. Pay should be at a level which attracts and maintains a happy and motivated workforce. Instead staff are being asked to do more and take home less and less to their families year after year.

Emma Phillips, UNISON regional organiser for higher education said;

“For UNISON, this dispute is about tackling low and decreasing pay. In the last 4 years, the pay of the university staff that we represent has fallen by nearly 15% in real terms. Over 4000 staff working in our universities are paid below the Living Wage. There are people employed by universities facing the choice between eating or heating their home this winter. I find this shocking. Universities can afford to pay decent wages. They should show more respect to all the people who work for them.



Details of local actions/ Pickets/ Rallies:

Glasgow Caledonian University - 12midnight
Walk out of security guards. The security guards will be joined by Cinderella, the Cinderella, the Ugly Sisters of Corporate Greed and the Fairy Godmother of Decent Pay Rises at 0000hr 30th October, 70 Cowcaddens Road. Walk out will go past main gate.
For further info contact Davena Rankin 07901 594158


Glasgow Rally: 12 noon – 1pm, Adelaide’s Baptist Church, Bath Street, Glasgow
Speakers so far: Dave Anderson UCU Scotland President, UNISON, Unite, Dave Moxham STUC Deputy General Secretary, NUS


Edinburgh Rally: 12 noon – 1pm, Bristo Square, Edinburgh Speakers so far: UCU, Unison, Unite, Gordon Maloney NUS Scotland President, Ann Henderson STUC Assistant Secretary


University of Aberdeen
Picket lines: From 8am – 11am - Regent Walk, Hillhead Halls, Library, Foresterhill (Polworth and IMS), College Bounds
Contact: Chris McLeod - c.mcleod@abdn.ac.uk – telephone Grampian Regional Office on (01224) 620624

Robert Gordon UniversityPicket Lines: From 8am – 11am - Garthdee Campus, Riverside East/FoHSC, RGU:Sport, ABS.
Contact: Colin Jones – c.jones@rgu.ac.uk - telephone Grampian Regional Office on (01224) 620624


Glasgow University main gate 7am – 11am

Glasgow School of Art – 7.30am -10.30am

University of West of Scotland – Paisley main entrance 0800-1100
Hamilton main entrance 0800-1100
Ayr 0800-1100

Stirling University Pickets from Unison, Unite and UCU from 0730-1030 at both the front gate and rear gate.

Napier University 7:45 till 10:30
Sigthhill Campus, Bankhead Ave, Edinburgh
Craiglockhart Campus, Glenlockhart Road, Edinburgh
Merchiston Campus, 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh
Contact Afshin Dastafshan 07982-120802

Historic UK-wide strike to hit universities on Thu 31 Oct

Wed 30 October

Feelings are running high ahead of the first strike to hit universities involving all three higher education unions, UNISON, UCU and Unite. The UK wide strike is to go ahead tomorrow, Thursday 31 October, after university employers ignored calls to make a last minute improved offer to defuse tensions and avoid disruption to students.

UNISON members are upset and angry at the 1% pay offer which see their pay fall by nearly 15% over the past four years.  Over 4,000 staff are currently paid below the Living Wage while over half of vice-chancellors earn over £242,000 - 18 times more than the lowest paid.   1% of £13,486 is just £134.86 a year, £11.23 a month – not enough to cover the latest gas bill rises.  By contrast, even if Vice Chancellors stick to a 1% increase – which would be a big surprise – they would trouser an extra £2,420 a year.

The disruption will go much further than lectures as UNISON’s members carry out a wide variety of jobs such as supporting students on campus, in libraries, course administration, catering, cleaning and security. Many of the roles, particularly the catering and cleaning are paid at salaries below the Living Wage of £7.45p (London Living Wage £8.55p).

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, who will be joining members on the picket line tomorrow in London (details below) said:

“Taking strike action is never an easy decision, especially for those already struggling on low pay. With Christmas less than two months away losing a day’s pay is even harder, but it shows just how angry and upset our members feel at this miserly 1% offer.

“Even members earning above the Living Wage are finding their incomes squeezed to breaking point.  It is a disgrace that universities are sitting on cash surpluses worth £2bn, but they are not prepared to reward their staff, who are the backbone of our world class university system.

“We know that the total wage bill is falling while staff numbers have increased – that dynamic spells misery for many thousands of families.  It is time for university employers to think again about the value that they place on their workforce and come back with a better offer.”

Notes to Editors

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis and Jon Richards, UNISON Head of Education will join picket lines in London at approx 9.30am - University College London - Gower Street - London - WC1E 6BT and Westminster University 309 Regent St, Paddington, London W1B 2UW - at approx 10.20


·              Higher education has a greater gender pay gap than the rest of the public sector

·              More than half of higher education institutions are using zero hours contracts and the numbers are growing

·              In the last two years surpluses in the sector have been over £2bn.  Student fee income has more than offset cuts in government grants.


UK wide snapshot of action hotspots

Brighton - 12.00 Assemble Victoria Gardens (Grand Parade); 12.30 start march through Brighton to Church Street; 13.00 disperse for rally in Corn Exchange to finish no later than 14.30.

Bristol - 11:00am rally at Senate House; TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady will be visiting picket lines.


Cambridge  - 12 noon at Central St Mary's church (outside Senate House).


Exeter - joint trade union rally, 12:30pm, Phoenix Theatre <http://goo.gl/maps/JMBS4 <http://goo.gl/maps/JMBS4> > ; UCU speaker: Barry Lovejoy

Leeds - Thursday 31 October: assembling after picketing, 11.30, Parkinson Building steps, Leeds University.  Joint union march, to rally in Victoria Gardens or City Square, depending on availability. UCU speaker: Paul Bridge


Leicester - 1.30pm rally at Nelson Mandela Park.


Liverpool - rally information details to follow


London -: rally, 2pm Conway Hall, Red Lion Square <https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+UK&hl=en&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=18.461747,46.538086&oq=25+RED+LION&hnear=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+Greater+London+WC1R+4RL,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=14&iwloc=A <https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+UK&amp;hl=en&amp;sll=53.800651,-4.064941&amp;sspn=18.461747,46.538086&amp;oq=25+RED+LION&amp;hnear=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+Greater+London+WC1R+4RL,+United+Kingdom&a>  <https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+UK&hl=en&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=18.461747,46.538086&oq=25+RED+LION&hnear=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+Greater+London+WC1R+4RL,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=14&iwloc=A <https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+UK&amp;hl=en&amp;sll=53.800651,-4.064941&amp;sspn=18.461747,46.538086&amp;oq=25+RED+LION&amp;hnear=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+Greater+London+WC1R+4RL,+United+Kingdom&a> > > , near Holborn; UCU speaker Michael MacNeil; UCU speaker Michael MacNeil

Manchester - 12.30pm rally at Club Academy, University of Manchester Students Union, Oxford Road. The meeting is to be chaired by Lynn Collins (North West TUC Regional Secretary). On the platform will be Kevan Nelson (Unison), Dominique Lauterburg (UCU NEC), Unite the Union speaker (TBC) and NUS president Toni Pearce: download the Manchester rally publicity poster (.pdf) [99kb] <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf>  <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf>   <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf>  <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &amp;amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf>    >
Newcastle - Assemble 12.30 for 1 pm Grey's Monument, Newcastle. UCU speaker: Liz Lawrence: download the Newcastle rally publicity poster (.pdf) [113kb] <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf>  <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf>   <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf>  <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &amp;amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf>    >

Oxford - rally in the Council Chamber at Oxford Town Hall from 1-2pm; speakers from all three unions including Jon Richards, UNISON Head of Education.

Sheffield - rally at 12.00 at the St Matthews Hall in the centre of Sheffield: UCU speaker: Simon Renton


Southampton - rally at Guildhall Square in Southampton <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0> <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0>  <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0> <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &amp;lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0>   <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0> <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &amp;lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0>  <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &amp;lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0> <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &amp;amp;lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0>    )>  between midday and 1.30pm.


SCOTLAND
Edinburgh  - Rally: 12 noon - 1pm, Bristo Square. Speakers: Mary Senior (UCU Scotland Official), Gordon Maloney (NUS Scotland President), Ann Henderson (Assistant Secretary STUC), Emma Phillips (Regional Officer, Unison) plus speakers from Unite.

Glasgow - Rally: 12 noon - 1pm, Adelaide's Baptist Church, Bath Street. Speakers: Dave Anderson (UCU Scotland President, Robert Foster (NUS Scotland Vice President), Dave Moxham (Deputy General Secretary STUC), Davena Rankin (Unison) plus a speaker from Unite.
St Andrews - Rally at Church Square, 12 noon


WALES
Aberystwyth - details tbc

Cardiff - rally outside the Main Building of Cardiff University at 11.30am on Thursday 31st October 2013. Speakers: Margaret Phelan, (UCU Wales official), John Toner (UNITE) and a speaker from Unison tbc 




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News release from UNISON UK press office
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/historic-uk-wide-strike-to-hit-universtites

Higher Education Pay Ballot Starts 18 September

UNISON members in higher education are being balloted for strike action over pay. UNISON’s higher education service group executive is urging members to vote for strike action in the autumn, seeking a significant improvement on the 1% pay offer. More details on the UK UNISON site at http://www.unison.org.uk/at-work/education-services/key-issues/higher-education-pay-ballot-2013/home/

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.

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'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

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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.


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UNISON in The Herald: Holyrood warned college merging is not a quick fix

Holyrood warned college merging is not a quick fix

24 September 2012
Andrew Denholm

...The Scottish Government's strategy of regionalisation also came under fire from unions, which have submitted evidence to the education committee.
A paper from Unison, the country's largest public-sector union, says: "Colleges are already cutting jobs and closing courses in response to funding cuts. We expect there will be far more as the cuts begin to bite.
"Colleges will also face the added complications of a new regional structure and the funding cuts also seem to be encouraging many colleges to merge.
"We believe that regionalisation could make a difficult situation worse."
Unison said the problems faced by colleges were a result of the Scottish Governmnent's decision to prioritise higher education.
"The priority in post 16-education appears to be the Government's commitment to free higher education for Scottish students," the paper added.
"Further education budgets have on the other hand been cut by 13.5% over the next three years – a £70 million cut."
...

Full story on The Herald website:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/news/education/holyrood-warned-college-merging-is-not-a-quick-fix.18944169

See UNISON Evidence on HE and FE to the Scottish Parliament Education and Culture Committee on the Scottish Budget 2013-14 (Sep 2012)
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/EvidenceonHEandFE_EducationandCultureCttee_Budget2013-14_Sep2012.pdf

I want to live, not just exist - UK campaign for Living Wage in FE and HE

There is a UK wide UNISON campaign for a living wage in Higher and Further Education.  It  was launched on the 2nd of March.  As part of the campaign there is a good “micro-site” providing information, resources etc.  The address is  http://www.alivingwage.co.uk/  

Emma Phillips

UNISON Scotland Regional Organiser - FE

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FOI must be safeguarded - Scottish Information Commissioner

Scotland's outgoing Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion has played a vital role in establishing a strong Freedom of Information regime.

In overseeing the successful implementation of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), he has made wide-ranging and important decisions backing the public's right to know.

Just one example, among many, is a number of key decisions on PFI/PPP, where the Commissioner ruled that information was wrongly withheld and should be made public.

His Special Report to the Scottish Parliament today makes recommendations for ensuring that FOI legislation is safeguarded.

The Scottish Government has failed to act on one of the most compelling of the Commissioner's long-argued points - that information rights should follow the public pound.

His report today emphasises that extending FOI legislation to cover private companies and other bodies that deliver public services is in many cases not an extension, but SAFEGUARDING rights that are being eroded.

Mr Dunion's report says, about designating additional public bodies to be subject to FOISA:

"...designation is not necessarily about extending rights to information, but safeguarding them. This is particularly true where services which were once supplied directly by public authorities covered by FOISA are now delivered by bodies which are not, such as: trusts established to deliver services on behalf of local authorities; those private contractors which provide health, educational and penal infrastructure and services to the public sector; and housing asssociations to which housing stock has been transferred from local authorities.

"Tenants, patients, parents, service users, voluntary organisations and indeed elected members lose the right to information when such a change in service delivery takes place."

Scotland is at risk of falling behind the UK FOI legislation in this area. The Scottish Government should think again about extending FOI to cover these bodies and, as recommended by Mr Dunion, should establish "a rolling programme of active review..so that designation can keep pace with changes in public service delivery."

See also the report in today's Herald Commissioner leaves with call for extra powers


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UNISON condemns savage cuts being imposed on Glasgow’s colleges

Friday 21 January 2011

UNISON says the savage cuts being imposed across Glasgow’s colleges will have a devastating impact on employers, families and entire communities.

Last month the Scottish Funding Council announced that colleges across the country must reduce their budgets by more than 10 per cent this year alone. College bosses have already indicated that this will lead to a loss of courses, a loss of staff and, in turn, a loss of educational opportunities for students.

UNISON’s City of Glasgow branch says it will continue to oppose cuts and says it will not rule out industrial action if forced job cuts are imposed.

Jim Snell, of UNISON’s City of Glasgow branch, said:

“Cutting funding for higher and further education will not help to rebuild the economy. These cuts will not only affect students, it will affect employers, families and entire communities.

“We want to work with colleges to protect our services and ensure there is no need for forced job cuts, however, if compulsory redundancies are imposed we will not rule out industrial action.

“UNISON will continue to oppose cuts, as every cut affects the services we can provide to our students. Scotland’s students didn’t cause this crisis, so why should they be left to pay the price for the bankers’ mistakes?”



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Cuts will damage hygiene at Stirling University - UNISON

Date: Monday 19 October 2009

UNISON, Scotland’s education union, today called on the court of Stirling University to restore staffing levels at the university to avoid cuts in numbers that will dramatically reduce standards of cleanliness and hygiene. At a lobby of the court meeting in the university today, the union also outlined concerns for the training of future nurses.

The lobby was organised by the joint unions to protest about the loss of 174 jobs at the university.

Marion Adamson, Regional Organiser for UNISON said:

“We are very concerned that the massive cuts in important areas will mean a drop in standards of cleanliness. For example – in student residence kitchens the level of cleaning is being halved because of the numbers cut. This could have a serious impact on student health.

“And we also have a concern for the standards of teaching for student nurses at a time when their numbers should be increased – not reduced. If numbers of teachers leave, then either the numbers of nurses being trained will decline, or a drop in teaching standards may result. This could impact on future care to patients at a time when we need really well trained newcomers as the experienced staff of the post war baby boom are mostly retiring now.”


ENDS


Note for editors:
The lobby is being organised jointly by the UCU, Unite the union, and UNISON. It is taking place from 1.00pm today on the Cottrell lawn. There is also an online petition to oppose these draconian cuts at www.ucu.org.uk/stirlingcuts

For Further Information Please Contact:
Janette MacConachie (Stirling University UNISON Br Secretary) 01786 449471 (o)
Marion Adamson (Regional Officer) 0131 226 0067(o) 07904 326 812 (m)



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