UNISON demands Stirling and Clacks councils release elusive report

Date: Wednesday 10 June 2015

UNISON has called for the immediate release of all Ernst & Young documentation relating to the future of social care and education in Clackmannanshire and Stirling Councils.

In particular, UNISON demand the release of a report - by accountants Ernst and Young, commissioned by Stirling and Clackmannanshire councils - which was supposed to be a balanced investigation into the business case for the two councils to share services.

It was proposed that the report would take seven weeks, but it has taken over 30 weeks thus far and has been in the hands of senior council officers of both councils for well over a month.
UNISON believes this is an excessive amount of time to make this report public.

Trade unions, staff and many of the elected members are now asking how objective this report is going to be. The longer it drags on the more suspicious and uneasy the staff are becoming about potential decisions being taken behind closed doors.

UNISON warning over public services in Stirling and Clacks

Friday 22 May 2015

Council staff have grave concerns about the future of public services in Stirling and Clackmannanshire, says UNISON.

UNISON will present a report to senior managers in both Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils today which raise grave concerns about plans to run Clackmannanshire's education services from Stirling, and Stirling's social care services from Clackmannanshire.

UNISON’s report is based on a survey of 331 staff from both councils. Staff were asked to give their views on what is being called ‘lead council model’ for shared services between Clackmannanshire and Stirling Councils. The proposals being considered would mean that education for both councils would be run by Stirling Council and social care services for both councils would be run by Clackmannanshire Council.

Staff who were surveyed said that these new proposals will result in a ‘poorer service with potential for serious consequences’ that services will ‘continue to deteriorate’ and some staff even suggested that if these plans go ahead it will be an ‘unmitigated disaster’.

Staff also said there will be increased confusion saying, ‘how will you know where to find out if you qualify for a service’; ‘people will be confused over who provides their services’; and ‘they will be confused over where to go if you have any problems’. Staff also said they would be confused about ‘which policies to follow from which council’

Pam Robertson, UNISON secretary for Clackmannanshire branch, said “This report shows that council staff views are clear. They think these proposals will cause confusion for the public, that services will be less accountable to the public, and that local jobs will be lost. Council services are complicated enough to navigate and many of the people we serve are vulnerable and in need of care. They will not cope well with a change like this."

Lorraine Thomson, UNISON Secretary for Stirling local government branch, said: “Our two councils work very well together already. Staff welcome joint working where it improves our services to the public. But we have looked across the world to see where this type of reform has been tried before and the concerns raised by our staff are exactly what has happened elsewhere. It creates confusion, has no accountability, local jobs are lost and it ends up costing council tax payers more for worse quality services.”

Lorraine also said “We want to discuss how we improve all our services by working together, but in this case we just have to persuade elected councillors not to make a bad decision.”

This staff survey report was handed to the Chief Executive Officers of both Stirling and Clackmannanshire councils today, it is also being circulated to all MP's, MSP's and Councillors who represent our constituencies.

END

Notes for editor

1. UNISON is the public service union for the UK. It is the biggest trade union in Scotland and the biggest trade union representing local government staff in both Clackmannanshire and Stirling Councils

2. The full report can be read on UNISON Stirling branch website here:http://www.stirlingunison.co.uk/ 

3. The full report can also be read on UNISON Clackmannanshire Branch website here: http://www.clacksunison.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Shared-Services-Survey-Final-Report-May-2015.pdf

4. The report was carried out because UNISON was concerned about the lack of staff engagement that Ernst & Young had undertaken as part of their work on the business case for the Shared Services project. UNISON implemented a full and detailed staff survey to find out what front line staff really thought about the Shared Services project so far, and what their thoughts were for the future.

UNISON members step up strike action over ‘savage cuts’ by Stirling Council

UNISON members within Stirling Council are set to step up industrial action after talks with the council’s Chief Executive presented a ‘re-hash’ of the original proposals for savage cuts.

UNISON Stirling Council branch believes that this package of cuts proposed by the council will damage the vital services which local people rely on - and further reduce wages which have already been devalued by 13% over the last three years as a result of a pay freeze.

David O'Connor, Regional Organiser for UNISON said: “We were asked to meet the Chief Executive with a view of considering how we resolve the ongoing dispute only to be presented with a re-hash of the original proposals for savage cuts. The trade unions tabled suggestions on how we could move forward only to have these suggestions ignored.

“With what can only be described as an unwillingness on the employer’s part to enter into meaningful talks to resolve this dispute we have been left with no alternative to step up our action.”

Stirling strike photos

Photos from the latest selective actions, support from Mark Thomas and the all-out day on 26 August are now in Picasa at https://plus.google.com/photos/117247006402711752943/albums/5928317506827002673
See also a short video at http://youtu.be/LSFcUqIrwBI

 

Mark Thomas backs Stirling strikers

Comedian and activist Mark Thomas joined Stirling UNISON pickets on Wednesday between gigs in Stirling and Aberdeen.  He was backing members in ICT on strike as part of the escalating action against cuts in pay and conditions. See also Stirling unions come together to defend services and standards.

Stirling steps up action as ICT strike

UNISON members in Stirling Council's ICT Infrastructure team embarked on the first of five days of action today as the branch stepped up action against cuts in pay and conditions. This is the first phase of selective action that follows the one day all out strike action on Monday 26 August. See also Stirling unions come together to defend services and standards.

STIRLING COUNCIL UNIONS COME TOGETHER TO DEFEND SERVICES & STANDARDS

Unions at Stirling Council have pledged to work together to defend services and working conditions.

This follows meetings involving Unite, GMB, UNISON and UCATT.

UNISON and Unite members have already taken industrial action and there will be further selective Industrial action on Monday 16/09. Recent ballots by UCATT and GMB members returned strong mandates for industrial action

Lesley Russell Secretary for the Local Authority’s Joint Trade Unions said:

“ It’s clear that all sections of the Council workforce are angry at the attempt to impose pay cuts on staff who are trying to maintain services and already suffering the effects of a three year pay freeze
UNISON and Unite members have already taken action and unless the council returns to the negotiating table there will be further action coordinated with UCATT, Unite and the GMB. Although the teaching unions are not part of this dispute, they have expressed their full support for their union colleagues.”

“We urge the council to talk to us - our members would rather be at work delivering the services the people of Stirling rely on.”

“ This isn’t just an issue about Council Staff . While In the short term we are trying to defend ourselves and our families but it is foolish to imagine that steadily making the people delivering the services poorer won’t have an impact on the quality of the services delivered.”


For further information please contact:
Lesley Russell 07717544968
Emma Phillips 07538101221

IT workers at Stirling Council to strike next week in ongoing dispute

UNISON local government workers in Stirling will start selective strike action on Monday (16 Sept) as part of the branch’s ongoing industrial action against draconian cuts to pay and conditions.

UNISON has given notice to Stirling Council of selective action involving a group of IT workers. This will start on Monday for one week.

This is the first phase of selective action that follows the one day all out strike action on Monday 26 August.

UNISON hits back at Stirling council claim of "voluntary" signup for pay cuts

Sunday 8 September 2013 

UNISON Stirling branch has hit back at a claim by the local authority that employees are voluntarily signing up for its draconian package of pay cuts and increases in working hours.

Striling Council chief executive Bob Jack told BBC Scotland that: "The number of staff who have voluntarily agreed to the changes is heading towards the halfway mark and we expect the numbers to increase rapidly now that Unison is calling on its members to sign up."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-24007009

UNISON branch secretary Lorraine Thomson said:

"For the record, there is nothing voluntary about having to sign up to keep your job. Our advice to our members is to sign up 'under duress' to avoid the risk of losing their jobs.

"The campaign will go on to fight these savage cuts to our pay and conditions and we will be announcing further action very soon."

Huge support for Stirling strike against 4.5% pay cut

UNISON Stirling Branch is reporting huge support for its strike today against a 4.5% pay cut. "With council pay already falling 13% behind, means a whopping 17.5% hit on Stirling Council workers", said branch treasurer Andy Douglas reporting from the picket line earlier.

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

Morning Star: Stirling staff walk out after 'savage' attack on pay

Sunday 25 August 2013

Workers at Stirling Council are taking strike action tomorrow to protect pay and conditions from "savage cuts" by their employer.

Local government union Unison has called the one-day strike to bring council bosses back to the negotiating table - but warned of further action if necessary.

Other unions at Stirling Council including Unite, Ucatt and GMB have also voted for strike action.

Unison's Stirling branch secretary James Douglas told the Morning Star: "We hope that tomorrow's strike will send a clear message to Stirling Council and its management team that enough is enough."

He described the council's offer as "insulting," pointing out that the combination of a 1.5 per cent pay cut and the requirement to work an extra 7.5 days a year amounts to a 4.5 per cent pay cut for the majority.

This comes on top of a three-year pay freeze which has meant a real-terms pay cut of about 13 per cent, he added.

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/136773 

Read the Morning Star online http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/

UNISON strike over ‘savage cuts’ by Stirling Council

Thursday 22 August 2013

Local government workers in Stirling will begin strike action on Monday (26 August) against ‘savage cuts’ being imposed by their employer.

UNISON Stirling Council branch believes that the package of cuts proposed by the council will damage the vital services which local people rely on - and further reduce wages which have already been devalued by 13% over the last three years as a result of a pay freeze.

Members of UNISON and other unions have voted to take industrial action beginning with a one day strike on Monday 26 August.

Branch secretary James Douglas said:
“We have been left with no option but to proceed with a strike due to the savage cuts proposed by our employer.

“The council’s offer is insulting - the combination of a 1.5% pay cut and the requirement to work an extra 7.5 days a year, actually amounts to a 4.5% pay cut for the majority. This comes on top of a three year pay freeze which has meant a real terms pay cut of about 13%. And the proposal to move to a 37 hour week also means a reduction in hourly rate of pay for all including the lowest paid.

“These proposals are by far the worst faced by any council in Scotland. But it was not local government workers or the people who rely on our services who caused the economic crisis - and we should not be forced to pay for it. We certainly do not appear to be ‘all in this together’.”

James Douglas said:
“We regret any disruption or inconvenience this strike may cause, but we feel we have no alternative than to take industrial action to protect our pay and conditions of service with Stirling Council. Unions did not walk away from the negotiating table – the employer did.

“We hope that a one day strike will send a clear message to both Stirling Council and its management team that enough is enough. We believe that this will force the council to think again. The changes to terms and conditions affect all of us, therefore we need to stand together and be prepared to fight for our rights.”

UNISON Stirling branch has also called on the Chief Executive and the leader of Stirling Council to withdraw letters of dismissal which have been issued, following a large number of complaints from members.

James Douglas said:
“Staff have said that they feel intimidated and bullied into signing new contracts, as they believe that the letter implies that they will lose their jobs if they don’t sign. We have referred the issue of letters of dismissal to our legal team for their view of the letter and any action that can be taken. I have asked that the letter be withdrawn and that a new letter giving the full legal position be sent out to all staff.”

Unions prepare for industrial action at Stirling Council

Thursday 15 August 2013
For Immediate release
Unions prepare for industrial action at Stirling Council

UNISON Stirling Council Branch, along with the other trade unions at the local authority, are preparing for industrial action following a rejection of the Council's final proposals for "draconian" cuts in pay and conditions.

UNISON Branch secretary James Douglas said: "The Council met with us today but we are unclear why as they made it clear within a few minutes that they were not prepared to change anything." 

David O'Connor Regional Organiser for UNISON said:
"What the employer is effectively proposing is a 4.5% pay cut for the majority of employees.
"The Chief Executive's offer for staff to work the equivalent of an extra seven days to reduce the pay cut to 1.5% does not detract from the fact the proposed cuts are nothing less than draconian."

UNISON's Branch Chair Lesley Russell said:
"We are disappointed that there has been no further progress and it  would appear that the Council have no interest in resolving this matter and have paid lip service to the whole collective bargaining process."

James Douglas added:
"The negotiating team were called to a meeting earlier this week to set out our concerns. However it is clear that all of these have been ignored therefore UNISON has been left with no option but to formally notify the Council of its intent to take industrial action."


Note for Editor
Scottish local government workers have faced a pay freeze for the past three years, equivalent in real terms to a 13% pay cut .

STV: Strike threat over Stirling Council plans to cut pay and raise hours

24 May 2013

See last night's STV report by Bernard Ponsonby on Stirling Council's plans to cut pay and increase hours.

http://news.stv.tv/stirling-central/226596-unions-threaten-strike-action-over-stirling-council-pay-and-hours-plan/

This is the joint statement put out by the unions UNISON, UNITE, GMB and UCATT last week.

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Stirling Council set to move away from collective bargaining – unions prepare for strike ballot

17 May 2013

 

Statement from the joint trade unions at Stirling Council – UNISON, Unite, GMB and UCATT

 

Council set to walk away from negotiations, collective bargaining:

 

It is with regret that we inform you that Stirling Council management indicated today that they intend to move away from the collective bargaining process. The trade unions therefore are left with no alternative but to prepare to ballot their members for industrial action. Stirling Council proposes savage cuts to both pay and terms and conditions, coming on the back of 3 years of a pay freeze.

 

 

ENDS

 

Notes to editors:

1    The attack on pay, holidays and terms and conditions comes at a time when council employees have suffered a real terms pay cut because of the pay freeze.

2    UNISON’s recent report  ‘Wages, inflation and inequality’ shows the “triple whammy” of pay freezes, inflation and tax and benefit changes affecting ordinary families  http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/b034_BargainingBrief_WagesInflation+Inequality_May2013.pdf

 

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UNISON condemns Stirling Council over unnecessary cuts

UNISON has rased major concerns following Stirling Council's budget meeting on 21 February.

Stirling UNISON said that the council's budget paper proposed making a saving of £9 million when there is only a need to achieve a £7.4 million saving.

The impact of this is to be felt by both staff and service users, including job losses, proposed changes to terms and conditions and reduced services.
After being informed of a need to make savings of £3 million from costs of employment, UNISON worked with the council and identified over £650,000, budget reductions. Unfortunately the employer then increased the savings required to close to £4.25 million including the budget reductions identified by UNISON.

James Douglas, UNISON Branch Secretary said : "To say we are disappointed is a gross understatement. We will of course attempt to negotiate to mitigate against the negative impact on both our members and services, although a ballot for industrial action at some stage cannot be ruled out."

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UNISON slams ‘damaging’ Stirling Council plan to cut vital services and jobs

Mon 28 Jan 2013

Stirling UNISON branch has criticised a decision by the local council to give formal notice of up to 250 redundancies ahead of negotiations over budget plans - which should be intended to avoid such measures.

James Douglas, Stirling UNISON branch secretary, said:

“We knew we were facing a challenging round of negotiations, but the employer’s move to take this drastic action is totally unnecessary and unwarranted. It suggests that damaging decisions to cut vital services on which our communities – and indeed our members and their families - depend have already been made.

“Some of the proposals coming forward are completely unwarranted. The council are saying staff can either face job losses just now or work longer hours for no pay - which in their words will ‘allow for staffing numbers to be reduced.’ But we’ve already had a pay freeze for the last few years – and jobs have gone too.”

Staffing levels at Stirling Council have been reduced over the last five years but these have been managed through negotiations with UNISON in order to avoid reductions in service delivery. In addition to the notice of 250 redundancies, the employer has also now proposed wide ranging changes to employee terms and conditions.

UNISON Regional Organiser David O’Connor said:

“UNISON has worked with Stirling Council in facing up to the challenges that have come our way and I am bitterly disappointed that we have got to this point.

“We’ve achieved a lot mainly through the hard work and dedication of Council employees.

However, you can only cut so much before you reach breaking point. We are now at that point.”

Lesley Russell, UNISON branch chair said:

“Our members are incensed at the cuts to jobs and services which are being proposed. UNISON would hope that a negotiated agreement can be reached - but we cannot rule out the possibility of industrial action to protect our members and the vital services they deliver.”

ends

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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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