Leaflet and lobby SNP conference 28 March

#decentwork @ScottishTUC is asking all political parties to support its Manifesto for Decent Work and this weekend it is the turn of the SNP to be lobbied at its conference in Glasgow. The event follows previous lobbies of the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems. Leafleting and the lobby will start at 12.00 at the SECC. More details at http://ajustscotland.org/events/8/snp-campaign-conference

‘Cuts cost lives’ says UNISON – campaigners lobby Glasgow City Council over savage cuts to mental health charity

Tue 11 Nov 2014

Staff, service users, community groups and members of the public will gather in George Square tomorrow (Wednesday 12 November) to lobby Glasgow City Council over its plans to cut a charity’s funding by 40%.

The scale of these savage cuts are likely to force Glasgow Association for Mental Health (GAMH) – which receives nearly all of its funding from the council – to close, risking the lives of hundreds of vulnerable adults across the city.

Chrissy McKeag, a project worker at GAMH, said: 
“We provide essential support - emotional, social and practical - to those who experience mental health difficulties across Glasgow. The support we offer transforms people’s lives and helps to prevent them from developing problems that are likely to require costly help and support from statutory services such as health, housing and criminal justice. Savage cuts of this level will leave Glasgow’s most vulnerable with nowhere to turn and end up costing the city much more in the long run.”

Glasgow City Council under fire over further cuts to care services

Tue 9 September 2014

Trade unionists, community groups and members of the public will gather in George Square later this week to lobby Glasgow City Council over proposed changes to its home care service.

The council announced plans to outsource all responsibility for assessing people who need home care services, including organising services, from their social work department to council-owned Cordia. Currently, Cordia employs most home carers in the city but the assessment of need, spending of budgets and oversight of the service is carried out by local social work staff.

The council has cited “budget pressures” – meaning future cuts – as a central reason.

The Defend Glasgow Services (DGS) campaign – a group set up by trade unions, community organisations and community campaigners – is holding a lobby on Thursday, September 11, to call on the council to reverse its decision.

Brian Smith, branch secretary of UNISON’s Glasgow City branch, said:
“This is the first time in Glasgow under a ‘purchaser/provider split’ that the provider will take on all responsibility for the assessment of a person’s need. This includes the level of service provided, people’s care reviews, responding to complaints and all spending.

“Home care services are already being reduced through shortened visits and this is just a further attack on services for the most vulnerable people in the city. It also threatens Cordia workers’ jobs, wages and conditions.

“We want Glasgow City Council to put people first by calling a halt to these changes and focus instead on investing in home care services and those who provide them.”

Under Glasgow City Council’s plans, Cordia will be given the existing home care annual budget of £50 million and be expected to deliver 10 per cent efficiencies by 2016, and further “appropriate targets” thereafter.

ENDS

Lobby stops closure of highly regarded Dunoon care home

25 April 2013

UNISON members joined community activists today in a successful lobby to stop the closure of a highly regarded care home.

Argyll and Bute UNISON members and a large number of community activists demonstrated outside council head offices in Lochgilphead.

Struan Lodge in Dunoon is a much loved care home for the elderly run by the council. If it closes, residents will be moved to private care homes.

Marion Power local UNISON Branch Secretary said “The fact that so many people travelled from Dunoon to Lochgilphead to protest outside a council meeting on a weekday morning shows how strongly people feel about the proposed closure.

“UNISON represents staff in Struan Lodge and we were delighted to unite with the community to call on councillors to think again. We are very pleased the decision today was not to proceed with the closure and the removal of current residents.

“It is so wrong that the most vulnerable in our society like the residents of Struan Lodge are being asked to pay the ultimate price of being turfed out of their home due to the austerity brought about by bailing out the banks.”

The top picture shows resident Kenny McLeod, with his 'Don't Evict Me' placard, with all the demonstrators.

 

Today's council decision was reported in the Dunoon Observer

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STUC Lobby of Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference 16 March, Dundee

As part of the wider national campaign for fair welfare and an end to the attack on benefits, there is an STUC Lobby of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference in Dundee, 16 March at Westpark conference centre in Dundee. It is still not too late for the Government to change its position on welfare including reversing its decision on the horrific bedroom tax and abandoning its attempt to cap benefits for many of the poorest in society.

Full details and how you can support the lobby are on 'There is a Better Way' website  

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Stop Climate Chaos Mass Lobby of Scottish Parliament 25 Oct #gyat

21 Sept 2012

"Get Your Act Together"

That's the message that members of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition will give to politicians at a mass lobby of the Scottish Parliament on Thurs 25 October.


Three years ago, thousands of SCCS supporters lobbied hard for strong legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland, and were delighted that MSPs unanimously passed the world leading Scottish Climate Change Act.

However, the Scottish Government has failed to meet its very first (and not particularly challenging) target to reduce emissions under the Act.

SCCS is encouraging people from all across Scotland who care about climate change to meet with their MSPs and call on them to "Get their Act together" and ensure the Scottish Government delivers on the Act.

Read more and book your place here


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UNISON protesters lobby Scottish Parliament as industrial action over NHS pensions continues

Health workers will be lobbying the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday (March 27), calling on MSPs to seek a Scottish solution to the proposed changes to NHS pensions.

UNISON protesters will gather outside the parliament as the second wave of selective strike action gets underway in Lothian, Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Lanarkshire Health Boards.

The move is the latest in a round of industrial action on NHS pensions, aimed at increasing pressure on the government for a Scottish solution to all aspects of the pension changes. This includes the year one increases to employee contributions of up to 2.4 per cent – which is effectively a pensions tax on health workers.

Finance staff from across the three boards will be undertaking a full day of strike action. Lunchtime demonstrations will also be taking place on the day at Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride; Wishaw General Hospital, and Kirklands Hospital, Bothwell.

Lilian Macer, UNISON’s Scottish Convener, said:

“We’re calling on MSPs to take a good look at NHS pensions and not to just blindly follow the UK Government’s proposals.

“We have a separate scheme in Scotland and therefore we need to seek a Scottish solution. Taking money out of health workers’ pockets to give to the Treasury is not the answer.

“As the Scottish Government has the responsibility to address these issues in Scotland, we’re calling upon Scottish Ministers to delay the pensions tax and engage with us to find a negotiated settlement.”

Tam Waterson, Chair of UNISON’s Scottish Health Committee, said:

“The sad reality is that many of our members will not be able to afford these increases and will be forced to opt out of the pension scheme altogether.

“Our members don’t take strike action easily and this day of action is yet further testament to the anger and distress that is being felt among health workers.

“We’ve always believed public sector workers deserve decent pensions, and our members have shown they are willing to take action to defend these.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES: You are invited to send a reporter, photographer and/or crew to the following events:

· Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, 9.30am: UNISON members will be lobbying outside of the Scottish Parliament. Interviews will be available on the day with members and UNISON organising staff.

· UNISON members will be undertaking strike action at the following locations:

o Corporate Services Offices, Monklands Hospital, Airdrie, from 9am

o Pentland House, 47 Robb's Loan Edinburgh, from 9am

o Caledonia House, Fifty Pitches Road, Cardonald Park, from 9am

1. UNISON’s lobby of the Scottish Parliament coincides with a meeting of The Health and Sport Committee which will be considering the NHS Superannuation Scheme and Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2012. The meeting takes place at the Scottish Parliament at 10am on Tuesday, March 27.

2. This round of selective strike action follows on from a successful two days of strike action earlier this month (13 and 14 March) by UNISON members in the Central De-Contamination Unit at Ayrshire Central Hospital, Irvine.

3. The action will be supported by UNISON’s Scottish Convener, Lilian Macer, Chair of UNISON’s Scottish Health Committee, Tam Waterson, along with members of the Scottish health committee and colleagues from Health and Local Government branches of UNISON.

4. UNISON is Scotland’s largest healthcare trade union representing over 50,000 members working in NHS Scotland and related services. Our health members are nurses, student nurses, midwives, health visitors, healthcare assistants, paramedics, cleaners, porters, catering staff, medical secretaries, clerical and admin staff and scientific and technical staff.