UNISON demands pay uplift for further education staff

Sun 24 May 2015

UNISON today calls for Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Education, to intervene in national pay negotiations for further education staff, which have all but broken down.

UNISON leaders are astonished at the responses they have recovered from further education employers.

UNISON lodged its pay claim on 3 February 2015.  The union is looking to agree a new pay settlement to commence on 1 April 2015. However, negotiators were astonished when employers said they needed to get the agreement of all 27 college boards before they could progress any talks and they estimate a further delay until at least October 2015.

UNISON has responded that unless employers can return with a something on the table in June 2015 then the union will consider industrial action.

Chris Greenshields, chair of the UNISON Scotland further education committee said:

“National negotiations have become farcical. College bosses say they cannot respond to UNISON’s reasonable claim until October at the earliest.

"Our members, who have delivered significant organisational change and who have suffered big job losses and increased workload, have lost patience. There is a meeting in June and, unless there is a firm proposal, then we are headed for industrial unrest in this key sector."

John Gallacher, UNISON Scottish organiser with responsibility for FE, said:

“The further education employers and Scottish Funding Council are saying there is no money in the sector, yet colleges have a £100 million nest egg hidden in arm's length trusts.

"This is public money and UNISON calls on Angela Constance to get a small part of that very large fund on to the bargaining table to address UNISON’s reasonable pay claim.

"Student attainment in FE is very high thanks to the hard work and commitment of our members.

"It is perfectly reasonable that this should be rewarded.”

ENDS 

Notes for Editors

1. UNISON claim is for £1,000 flat rate with effect from 1 April 2015. This would cost £4.4 million.

2. There are 4,443 FTE support staff in FE Scotland (3,526 FTE Lecturing staff) in 27 colleges.

3. UNISON is the largest trade union in Scotland.

Council pay action plans

#councilfairpay Following the ballot vote for action, UNISON Scottish local government leaders have sought authority from the union's industrial action committee for a programme of industrial action over the coming months to include a day of action followed by a programme of geographical/selective action. Branch consultation on action will kick off next week.

UNISON lead negotiator Dougie Black said: "Members are angry about the way they have been treated. Their pay being eroded whilst they take the brunt of the cuts. We urge employers to come back to the negotiating table."

Check back here for updates. http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/localgovt/pay2014/index.html

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.”

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.

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 .