Social housing is key says UNISON - as Audit Scotland finds ‘failure to meet need’ for homes

Thu 11 July 2013

Housing services union UNISON has called for a massive investment in social housing to meet the shortfall of homes identified in a hard-hitting report out today.

The Audit Scotland report ‘Housing in Scotland’ finds that the “supply of housing is not meeting current levels of need”, and argues that welfare reform – otherwise known as benefit cuts - “will further increase pressure on the sector”. The report concludes that more funding sources are needed for new social housing to meet the massive shortfall in homes being built.

Union hits out at high cost of private financing for Scottish transport projects

21 June 2013
UNISON today (Friday) welcomed the call from Audit Scotland for greater transparency on the costs of five key transport projects.

The public services union said it was clearly wrong that the full public sector financial commitment for the projects has not been reported before now and condemned the continued use of expensive PFI/PPP through so-called Non Profit Distributing (NPD) financing.

Audit Scotland warned that the total estimated spending commitment over 30 years is £7.5 billion but that the Scottish Government “has not fully demonstrated the reliability” of its analysis that this is affordable.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns, said: “Two of these road projects use NPD, while the Borders Rail project failed as an NPD scheme.

“We have long warned about the high costs and lack of transparency about PFI/PPP. It is mortgaging future generations to the hilt at greater cost than conventional financing.

Public services paying the price of austerity job cuts

Date: Thu 23 May 2013

UNISON Scotland response to Audit Scotland report on ‘early leavers’

UNISON Scotland has called for an end to the ongoing massive public service job cuts which cost hundreds of millions of pounds and devastate local economies.

In response to a report by Audit Scotland on the price of early retirement and severance the union argues that its alternative to austerity would boost the economy and protect vital public services.

Mike Kirby, UNISON’s Scottish Secretary, said:
“While the Audit Scotland report makes some positive noises about the way public bodies manage workforce change, the reality is that our precious public services are paying the price of austerity economics.

“Audit Scotland reveal that the cost of removing 14,000 jobs from the public sector in just two years was £561 million. And that’s the tip of an iceberg.

“We know that over 50,000 jobs have gone from the public sector in Scotland since greedy bankers caused the crash in 2008.

“Why should jobs and services go when the need still exists?”

UNISON has consistently argued for an alternative to austerity economics. Growing our way out of trouble: UNISON's alternative budget for jobs and public services published in March says:

• on average every redundancy creates £29,400 in additional costs to the public sector as well as undermining morale and productivity
• most of the cost of employing a public service worker is recouped by the state through increased tax revenues and reduced benefit payments
• economic research shows that for every pound spent on local public services, 64 pence is re-spent in local economies, supporting jobs and businesses

Lilian Macer, Convener of UNISON Scotland added:

“Every job lost costs the local economy dear – and piles stress on vital public services as a decreasing workforce faces mounting pressure to meet increasing need.

“Every new piece of evidence supports our call for an alternative to austerity. We need to grow our way out of trouble – and not carry on cutting jobs and vital public services at massive cost to our communities and the public purse.”

ends

Notes for editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing 160,000 members working to deliver vital public services.

2. UNISON Scotland’s e-Briefing - Public Sector Workforce in Scotlandpublished in Dec 2012 gives details on the cuts to public sector jobs since the crash in 2008
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/e-briefing_PublicSectorWorkforce_Dec2012.pdf

3. Growing our way out of trouble: UNISON’s alternative budget for jobs and public services was published in March 2013 – see news release here:
http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/
pressrelease_view.asp?id=3002

and the full alternative budget document here:
http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/18887.pdf

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Bumpy roads across Scotland tell the real story of maintenance spending cut by a fifth

17 May 2013

 

UNISON Scotland response to Accounts Commission report on audit update on roads maintenance:

 

UNISON said today that the key point to emerge from the report is the scale of the cut in expenditure on roads maintenance – down by 21 per cent.*

 

Dave Watson, UNISON’s head of Bargaining and Campaigns, said that the public will be scathing about the report concluding that road conditions have remained largely the same in the last two years. Indeed, it concedes that the proportion of acceptable roads is lower than in 2005.

The public services union, which represents staff involved in planning, road maintenance and land services, also warned that some councils are planning for up to 50 years use on road surfaces designed originally to last 15 years.

 

Dave said: “The fact is, if you cut spending by one fifth, the only way you can maintain the illusion of maintaining standards is by patch and mend.

“Potholes are being patched rather than surfaces being replaced. Any cyclist, let alone motorist can feel the difference.”

He highlighted the following points in the report:

 

·         council payments to compensate drivers for pothole damage have risen, from around £340,000 in 2007/08 to £1.2 million in 2011/12

·         Forty-five per cent of local roads users in Scotland consider roads condition to be poor, very poor or terrible, the worst rate in the UK.

 

·         Scotland is perceived to have more potholes per mile than any other region in the UK, and more worn or faded roads markings.

·         Drivers in Scotland are more likely to report pothole damage, with 44 per cent saying their cars had been damaged at some point over the last two years. 

 

 

Dave added: “Any new formats for roads asset management plans, or calls for more or different data on the roads - or indeed if any proposals emerge for structural change – is just tinkering around the edges. It is the scale of the cutbacks which is the issue and people can see and feel the bumpy roads on a daily basis.”

Chris Stephens, UNISON’s Land and Environmental Services convenor, said: “Road surfaces are designed to last 15 years. However, in many councils this is being stretched to 50 years.

 

“If local roads were funded to the level of trunk roads we would of course see significant improvement.”

 

ENDS

 

*

“The percentage of local roads in acceptable condition has increased marginally from 66.1 to 66.7 per cent over the last two years, despite a reduction in roads maintenance spending from £492 million in 2009/10 to around £400 million in 2010/11 (a 21 per cent reduction in real terms).”

 

Notes to editors:

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing 160,000 members working in the public sector in Scotland, including staff at all 32 local authorities.

 

The Accounts Commission report is online at www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/media/article.php?id=234

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Union warns on public safety concerns raised in Audit Scotland report

Thursday 31 Jan 2013
UNISON today (Thursday) warned that damaging cuts to trading standards and food safety services in environmental health are putting the public at risk when safety should be paramount.

The public service union welcomed the fact that a new Audit Scotland report highlights the pressures on these essential services and calls for urgent action to strengthen protection for consumers.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns, said:
"Our members working in trading standards and food safety, within environmental health departments, tell us about many of the concerns noted in this report.

“For Audit Scotland to find that ‘the long term viability of councils’ trading standards services is under threat’ and to raise concerns about food safety staffing and training levels and loss of expertise demonstrates the seriousness of issues we have raised consistently.

“Members of the public expect to be able to rely on checks being carried out and expect these key services to be properly funded. This is another example of the enormous damage to vital public services caused by government funding cuts at UK, Scottish and local levels.”

The report suggests that COSLA and councils work together to ensure strong national co-ordination for trading standards. UNISON supports co-ordination and collaborative working, but would be sceptical about any suggestion that there should be a national service.

Dave added:
“The recent horse meat in burgers scandal also highlighted the importance of independent meat inspection in abattoirs. There is industry lobbying and EU consideration of relaxing the current standards. UNISON wants to ensure that there is no threat of privatisation and industry self-regulation. We must maintain an independent meat hygiene inspection service as this service is being devolved to Scotland.”

For information please contact:
Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns, 07958 122 409
Fiona Montgomery, Communications Officer, 0141 342 2877 or 07508 877 000
Malcolm Burns, Communications Officer, 0141 342 2877 or 07876 566 978


Note for editors

1.    UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing 160,000 members working mainly in the public sector in Scotland and represents staff in council trading standards and environmental health departments.
2.    UNISON was responding to the Audit Scotland report ‘Protecting Consumers’.

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Job cuts threaten services and make workers sick in Western Isles

Tue 18 Dec 2012

UNISON’s Western Isles local government branch has issued a counter-warning over jobs and service cuts following an Audit Scotland alert that staff sickness rates were becoming an area of ‘concern’.

Branch chair Flora Somerville said:

“The Audit Scotland report noted that ‘the Comhairle (Council) is not clear what the underlying cause is for the increase in sickness absence’.”

“I think we can tell them. The cuts we have faced – including the loss of 200 jobs - have had a damaging effect on the wellbeing of the workforce.”

 “The low morale in the workforce, the constant pressure of excessive workloads and the uncertainty around the future of their own jobs is having a significant impact on sickness levels.” 

The job cuts so far represent more than 10% of the Comhairle’s workforce and there are proposals currently on the table which include yet more job losses. 

Flora Somerville warned that further job losses would have an impact on services as well as the health of council workers:

“The reduction in the workforce so far has been achieved without cuts in service delivery - but at a very high cost to employees who are doing the work of colleagues who have left. Any further job cuts are bound to impact on the services we deliver to the most vulnerable in our communities.”

UNISON Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby said:

"Councils are being placed in this position as a result of decisions of the Westminster and Scottish Governments. These cuts across the UK are not about austerity measures to meet an economic problem, but about politics - a politics that hates public services and loves to profit from privatisation.

"If the Western Isles Council, or any other council, moves to any form of compulsory redundancies, UNISON will consult on industrial action."

ENDS

For further information please contact:Flora Somerville, UNISON Western Isles branch chair, on 07767034786

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 staff in all of Scotland’s local authorities.

2. The Audit Scotland press release and report on Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) December 2012 are available online here:

http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/media/article.php?id=222

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Audit Scotland report ‘Health Inequalities in Scotland’ - UNISON comment

Thu 13 Dec 2012

Public services union UNISON today (Thursday 13 Dec) welcomed Audit Scotland’s focus on health inequalities and the need for more preventative services but warned that action must include addressing wider issues such as in-work poverty.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns, said: “We are pleased that Audit Scotland has identified the importance of more preventative services and healthcare focused in areas of high deprivation.

“But, of course, rising living costs and falling incomes are having a huge impact on families just now, with large numbers of people in work struggling financially. They need a living wage. Poverty is a major factor in the deep-seated health inequalities in Scotland.

“However much we want Community Planning Partnerships to ensure health boards, councils and others work together on this, that can only go so far in making a difference if we don’t also address some of the root causes by building a more equal society. At present, the policies of ‘austerity’ are doing the opposite.”


ENDS


Notes for editors
1.    UNISON was responding to the publication of the Audit Scotland report “Health Inequalities in Scotland.” www.audit-scotland.gov.uk

2.    UNISON’s “A Fairer Scotland” report lists addressing health inequalities as a key priority, but says all the evidence shows these are linked to other inequalities. “Creating a healthier Scotland is not simply a matter of a strong NHS, vital though that is.” The report is online at
www.unison-scotland.org.uk/scotlandsfuture/FairerScotlandNov2012.pdf

3.    These issues are also addressed in more detail in our 2008 briefing on the 60th anniversary of the NHS. www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/PI184NHS60th.pdf


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