UNISON response to Scottish Government council tax announcement today (2 March)

2 March 2016

Dave Watson, UNISON head of policy and public affairs said,

‘UNISON welcomes any progress on the council tax freeze. However after 8 years we had expected more than tinkering with the present system. This will not ensure that local government is properly funded, nor will it ensure a fair funding for local government. Scotland needs a fundamental review local tax funding for local services and a fairer local tax for Scotland.

UNISON welcomes the end to council tax freeze next year. However we are totally opposed to the 3% cap. Scotland’s councils need to be given back democratic control of their local services.They are democratically accountable to local people and know the needs of people living in their local areas.

Delaying the end of the council tax freeze to next year ensures that the 1000s of job losses and £500m cuts will go ahead this year meaning further damage to our local services and economyt.

The 8 year council tax freeze has meant £3.15bn has been cut from local services and 40,000 jobs have been cut from local government. This has had a devastating effect on local services and our economy.’

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Notes
UNISON is the biggest union in local government

UNISON contacts
Dave Watson 07958 122 409
Danny Phillips 07944 664110

Further cuts to local services not sustainable, says UNISON Scotland

Date: Tuesday 2 February 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Date: Wednesday 16 December 2015

Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish Regional Secretary said,

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

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Notes

UNISON is the biggest trade union in Scotland

UNISON response to North Lanarkshire Council job cuts announcement

Thursday 22 October 2015

John Young, UNISON North Lanarkshire Council steward said,
“This is devastating for everyone living in North Lanarkshire and once again it is the low paid and vulnerable, including children, elderly and disabled people who will be the worst affected.  North Lanarkshire Council are proposing to cut 10% of the workforce which will cause chaos in our vital public services; £26m will be cut from the local economy; and at least 600 jobs are under threat of privatisation which we will oppose.

UNISON will work with the council to fight every job loss. The Scottish Government has promised no compulsory redundancies and at very least we will expect them to stick to that, so far we have not had any guarantees.

We understand it’s a difficult time and Scottish councils are being hit by the UK Government austerity and the Scottish Government’s council tax freeze. However they can do more to mitigate the impact of these cuts like borrow at record low interest rates, refinance, use reserves, reform taxation, and make better use of pension funds. 

UNISON will campaign to end austerity and increase funding from the Scottish Government and fight for all our members who are affected. We will be consulting our members in the next week or so and taking the campaign into communities to discuss the consequences of these cuts on people living in North Lanarkshire.’

UNISON Scotland statement on First Minister’s programme for Government

Wed 26 Nov 2014

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

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

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

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

UNISON on BBC's Call Kaye on the unfair council tax freeze

2 May 2013

UNISON's Policy Officer Stephen Low explained on BBC Radio Scotland's Call Kaye today why the council tax freeze is disproportionately benefiting wealthier families.

He spelled out why the freeze is not socially just and said it is much fairer for everyone to have to pay a small amount extra in tax than for some of the most vulnerable groups and people on the lowest incomes to be hit by big increases in charges for services they depend on.

The segment starts about 4 mins in.

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BBC: Union chief and MSP argue over Scottish council tax freeze

2 May 2013 

BBC Radio Scotland interviewed UNISON's Dave Watson his morning. You can listen here

Report on BBC website..

"Unison official Dave Watson and SNP MSP James Dronan disagree over whether the council tax freeze has been a good thing for householders.

"The union said people in the most expensive Band H homes saved on average £441 per year while those in the cheapest homes saved £147 a year.

"It added that increased charges for services such as rent had far outweighed the claimed savings.

"However, Mr Dornan told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "This is a fully funded council tax freeze. So, there is no reason for the council to be cutting services based on the council tax freeze."

"Mr Watson disagreed, telling Mr Dornan on the same programme: "Sorry, the council tax freeze isn't fully funded, it has remained at the same funding level for almost since it was started.""

UNISON's news release and report

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