10 June 2009
UNISON, Scotland's largest local government union, has called on SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney to face up to the challenge of pay discrimination. The union’s move follows the publication of the latest Scottish Parliament investigation into equal pay, in which MSPs on the Parliament's Local Government Committee expressed dismay at the slow and costly progress towards pay equality and made a clear call for action by the Scottish Government.
Peter Hunter, UNISON Scotland Regional Organiser, said:
"The Scottish Government has sat on the sidelines throughout this process but the time has come for them to step up to the plate. This is the third parliamentary report calling for Government action on equal pay and the challenge can no longer be ignored."
Equal pay is widely recognised as the greatest destabilising force to hit local government finance in recent years. Despite compensation payments running to several hundred million pounds, low paid public service workers are still pursuing tens of thousands of equality claims.
Peter Hunter said:
"There was no financial provision for equal pay in the last SNP budget but the evidence of the last ten years shows that delay and denial only escalate equal pay costs. In England councils have access to special Treasury rules on capital expenditure to ease the equal pay burden. In Scotland we have had no meaningful government help – in fact employers are hounded for cuts and efficiencies at a time when record levels of compensation are being paid to workers."
UNISON Scotland welcomed the Committee’s recognition that single status is still work in progress in every local authority.
"Anyone who says otherwise is out of touch and misleading the public," said Peter Hunter. "UNISON rejected over 80% of the new pay systems on equality grounds and we will continue to litigate until we get genuine pay equality for our members."
Peter Hunter added:
"What people need to remember is that every million pounds of equal pay expenditure is a million pounds of hardship and suffering endured by low paid women who deliver vital public services. We have classroom assistants who teach disabled children 30 hours per week with no supervising teacher for £10,000 per annum. And that’s before tax and national insurance. Voters expect the Scottish Parliament to protect them from such rank injustice. It seems the Local Government Committee agrees. It’s time for the Scottish Government to take action now."
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
Local Government Committee report on Equal pay
The Local Government & Communities committee of the Scottish Parliament made the following recommendations:
• The Scottish Government should facilitate urgent talks
• Employers should pay-up where workers have a strong equal pay claim
• Independent pay audits should be conducted annually to drive discrimination out of the system
• Councils need more money and the Government need to come up with a package including capitalisation
Press Release:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-comm-09/clgc09-s3-003.htm
Committee Report
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/lgc/reports-09/lgr09-12.htm
UNISON's submission to Local Government Committee
In submissions to the Committee UNISON Scotland called on MSPs to:
• Press the Finance Secretary to reconsider the funding required to close the pay gap. The Committee has called on the Government to clarify their position.
• Press the Finance Secretary to establish capitalisation as a finance option and set out criteria against which applications can be made. The Committee has echoed that call.
• Press the Chancellor and the Finance Secretary to permit local authorities to offset equal pay costs, in whole or in part, against their share of any efficiency target. We are extremely disappointed that councils appear to be expected to increase seconding on equal pay while slashing services at the same time.
• Set a timetable for local government to implement single status in a way that eliminates discrimination and brings the repeated rounds of equal pay compensation to an end. The committee has called on the Government to facilitate talks designed to deliver pay equality.
• Invite Audit Scotland to review its Audit Methodology in a way that gives equality auditing the weight that is required by the Best Value regime. UNISON are delighted that the Committee has called for a new equality audit system to embedded into Audit Scotland’s revised Best Value scheme.
You can find the full UNISON Scotland Submission to the Scottish Parliament Local Government and Communities Committee in March 2009 at
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/equalpaymarch09.html
UNISON Scotland news releases:
Stay in touch with UNISON Scotland's latest news releases on our website
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/index.html
and frequent updates on our blog
http://unison-scotland.blogspot.com/
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UNISON. Scotland's biggest and liveliest trade union, representing members delivering public and related services.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
SCCS welcomes energy efficiency measures in Climate Change Bill
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: Tuesday 9 June 2009
CLIMATE CAMPAIGNERS WELCOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES IN CLIMATE CHANGE BILL
Scottish campaigners representing over 1.5 million people across Scotland have welcomed amendments to deliver greater energy efficiency which have been approved by the Scottish Parliament committee scrutinising the Climate Change Bill today [1].
Amongst the amendments approved, were several put forward by Sarah Boyack MSP which will allow householders to receive discounts of up to £250 on their Council Tax bill if they install insulation or small-scale renewables. This measure was approved by MSPs on the committee by five votes in favour to three against. [2]
Speaking after the vote, Mike Robinson, chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said:
“Achieving greater energy efficiency in Scotland is the first step on the road to a safe climate future. If we are to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland by 80% by 2050 greater energy efficiency is a vital part of achieving this.
“Whilst we welcome these and other measures included in the Bill, the low target of cutting greenhouse gases by only 34% by 2020 – only 2% higher than current trends - is still a real concern. The scientific community is telling us that cuts of at least 42% are needed to avoid catastrophic climate change. With the potential for further amendments to be made to strengthen the Bill it is not too late for our MSPs to take the action that is needed.”
Chas Booth from the Association for the Conservation of Energy, a member of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, added,
“Energy efficiency is the cheapest, quickest and easiest way to cut carbon emissions, and also has the benefit of cutting people’s fuel bills too. Sarah Boyack’s amendment is an excellent example of using incentives to encourage energy saving behaviour, and we’re delighted the committee has backed her proposals today.”
Other energy efficiency amendments approved by MSPs today include a requirement for the Scottish Government to set tough energy efficiency standards for its own offices; a requirement to remove planning red tape from small-scale renewable installations and powers to local authorities to tackle energy wasted in tenements.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
[1] A full list of amendments debated at the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee is available on the Scottish Parliament website:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/17-ClimateChange/index.htm
[2] On amendments 259, 261 and 263 in the name of Sarah Boyack MSP, there voted:
Yes:
Patrick Harvie (Green)
Cathy Peattie (Labour)
Charlie Gordon (Labour)
Des McNulty (Labour)
Alison McInnes (Liberal Democrat)
No:
Rob Gibson (SNP)
Shirley-Anne Somerville (SNP)
Alex Johnstone (Conservative)
[3] Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) is a diverse, growing coalition of organisations campaigning on climate change. The SCCS Coalition has 40 Scottish members, representing more than 1.5 million supporters, ranging from environment and development groups to faith organisations, trade unions, student societies, care providers and many more. For full details visit www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland.
Last Chance to Lobby for stronger Climate Change Bill - 24 June
Lobby 24 June Leaflet (pdf) Stop Climate Chaos Scotland wants to thank everyone who has lobbied their MSPs calling for a strong Climate Change Bill. We have had great feedback from MSPs who have had thousands of e-mails and visits.The Parliament is likely to make the final changes to the draft law on 24 and 25 June and so we have a last chance to push to get the best climate change legislation in the world. Stop Climate Chaos Scotland is organising a mass lobby of the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 24th June from 12 – 2.30pm.
We aim to bring people from across Scotland to the parliament to speak directly to their MSPs in support of early, tough action on climate change.
Please sign up now www.foe-scotland.org.uk/masslobby to join us at this crucial event. We will provide you with a fact-sheet before the event and updates on the day with last minute news. And, if you need it, some help with travel costs is available on request. We hope to see you on 24th June.
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland
Monday, 8 June 2009
Action4Equality Scotland issues apology to UNISON member
Monday 8 June 2009
Action4Equality Scotland, closely connected with no-win, no-fee solicitor Stefan Cross, has been forced into publishing a full apology to UNISON member Mrs Jacqueline Quinn.
Two separate articles which criticised Mrs Quinn for taking her equal pay claim away from NWNF solicitor Mr Cross provoked anger and the call for an apology.
Mrs Quinn had been persuaded to use the solicitor by promises of a quick result, but after months of waiting she decided to take advantage of free legal help available from the union. She was attacked on a website which also wrongly claimed that she was liable to pay a £500 bill.
In December 2008 the Court of Session ruled that Newcastle-based Mr Cross's contingency fee contract with Jacqueline Quinn was void and unenforceable in Scotland. The Court went on to ban Mr Cross from pursuing a bill for £500 from Mrs Quinn, a home care worker for Edinburgh Council.
UNISON Scottish Secretary Matt Smith, said:
"UNISON was pleased to help Jacqueline Quinn take a stand against Mr Cross and expose the flaws in his contract. She was not in breach of contract and it is only right that Action4Equality should apologise for the offence they have caused.
"The case has also highlighted the potential for thousands of other council and NHS workers in Scotland who have signed up to Contingency Fee Agreements to reclaim money deducted from their compensation."
The apology states:
"We now accept that Mrs Quinn was fully within her rights to challenge the Contingency Fee Agreement with Stefan Cross and acknowledge that on 16th December 2008 the Court granted an Order which declared that 'the pretended contract for the provision of legal services entered into between the Defenders and the Pursuer for the provision of legal services... is void and of no force or effect...' and that in the same Order the Court prohibited Stefan Cross from raising an action for payment against Mrs Quinn 'for sums due under (the) pretended contract' ".
.
Action4Equality Scotland, closely connected with no-win, no-fee solicitor Stefan Cross, has been forced into publishing a full apology to UNISON member Mrs Jacqueline Quinn.
Two separate articles which criticised Mrs Quinn for taking her equal pay claim away from NWNF solicitor Mr Cross provoked anger and the call for an apology.
Mrs Quinn had been persuaded to use the solicitor by promises of a quick result, but after months of waiting she decided to take advantage of free legal help available from the union. She was attacked on a website which also wrongly claimed that she was liable to pay a £500 bill.
In December 2008 the Court of Session ruled that Newcastle-based Mr Cross's contingency fee contract with Jacqueline Quinn was void and unenforceable in Scotland. The Court went on to ban Mr Cross from pursuing a bill for £500 from Mrs Quinn, a home care worker for Edinburgh Council.
UNISON Scottish Secretary Matt Smith, said:
"UNISON was pleased to help Jacqueline Quinn take a stand against Mr Cross and expose the flaws in his contract. She was not in breach of contract and it is only right that Action4Equality should apologise for the offence they have caused.
"The case has also highlighted the potential for thousands of other council and NHS workers in Scotland who have signed up to Contingency Fee Agreements to reclaim money deducted from their compensation."
The apology states:
"We now accept that Mrs Quinn was fully within her rights to challenge the Contingency Fee Agreement with Stefan Cross and acknowledge that on 16th December 2008 the Court granted an Order which declared that 'the pretended contract for the provision of legal services entered into between the Defenders and the Pursuer for the provision of legal services... is void and of no force or effect...' and that in the same Order the Court prohibited Stefan Cross from raising an action for payment against Mrs Quinn 'for sums due under (the) pretended contract' ".
.
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
SCCS Welcomes Important Climate Change Bill Amendments
2 June 2009 For Immediate Release
STATEMENT FROM STOP CLIMATE CHAOS SCOTLAND
The Scottish Parliament Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee resumed today (Tuesday) to continue its discussions on Stage 2 of the Scottish Climate Change Bill.
Reacting to the Committee’s decision to approve Labour MSP Cathy Peattie’s amendment on climate change duty for public bodies:
Mike Robinson, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said:
"SCCS is very pleased that the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green members voted in favour of Cathy Peattie’s amendments. The duty will mean that all public bodies in Scotland will have to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We believe this is an extremely important step in ensuring the public sector leads by example. With a strong 2020 target, this Bill can show real vision, but all the parties need to play a role."
On the amendment tabled by the SNP’s Shirley-Anne Sommerville on consumption reporting which was also approved:
Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said:
"This is a very important measure. We don’t make steel in Scotland any more but we certainly still use it in products ranging from cars and washing machines to steel beams for buildings. All the emissions from making that steel for us are now counted as some other country's problem. Including annual reporting on consumption means we will be able to see what emissions we are causing around the world by buying goods and services from overseas.
"This will help us to cut our climate footprint at home and abroad, as well as persuading politicians to make our own industries greener rather than exporting both emissions and jobs overseas."
Ends
Notes to editors:
[1] Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) is a diverse, growing coalition of organisations campaigning on climate change. The SCCS Coalition has 60 Scottish members, representing more than 2 million supporters, ranging from environment and development groups to faith organisations, trade unions, student societies, care providers and many more. For full details visit www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland
[2] In December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to agree a new international climate deal that will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012.
[3] SCCS will be helping organise a Climate Change march in Glasgow on 5th December.
STATEMENT FROM STOP CLIMATE CHAOS SCOTLAND
The Scottish Parliament Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee resumed today (Tuesday) to continue its discussions on Stage 2 of the Scottish Climate Change Bill.
Reacting to the Committee’s decision to approve Labour MSP Cathy Peattie’s amendment on climate change duty for public bodies:
Mike Robinson, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said:
"SCCS is very pleased that the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green members voted in favour of Cathy Peattie’s amendments. The duty will mean that all public bodies in Scotland will have to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We believe this is an extremely important step in ensuring the public sector leads by example. With a strong 2020 target, this Bill can show real vision, but all the parties need to play a role."
On the amendment tabled by the SNP’s Shirley-Anne Sommerville on consumption reporting which was also approved:
Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said:
"This is a very important measure. We don’t make steel in Scotland any more but we certainly still use it in products ranging from cars and washing machines to steel beams for buildings. All the emissions from making that steel for us are now counted as some other country's problem. Including annual reporting on consumption means we will be able to see what emissions we are causing around the world by buying goods and services from overseas.
"This will help us to cut our climate footprint at home and abroad, as well as persuading politicians to make our own industries greener rather than exporting both emissions and jobs overseas."
Ends
Notes to editors:
[1] Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) is a diverse, growing coalition of organisations campaigning on climate change. The SCCS Coalition has 60 Scottish members, representing more than 2 million supporters, ranging from environment and development groups to faith organisations, trade unions, student societies, care providers and many more. For full details visit www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland
[2] In December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to agree a new international climate deal that will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012.
[3] SCCS will be helping organise a Climate Change march in Glasgow on 5th December.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Increase support roles to help police fight crime
Thursday 28 May
Increasing the proportion of ‘civilian’ staff in Scotland’s police forces will mean police officers can concentrate on key policing requiring their specialist skills and experience, says a new report released by police staff union, UNISON, today (Thursday 28th May 2009).
The report highlights the important roles that ‘civilian’ staff (more accurately known as police staffs) carry out within Scotland’s police forces, the variations in numbers employed by different forces, and recommendations for further increases, as well as a potential future for neighbourhood policing in Scotland.
28% of personnel employed by Scotland’s police forces are police staff, carrying out a wide variety of jobs ranging from administration and clerical posts to specialist forensics and IT posts. Increasing numbers of police staff are taking on operational roles in areas such as custody and detention, investigation and surveillance. However there are wide variations of the use of police staffs across Scotland’s police forces; comprising 25% of staff employed in Strathclyde Police but 33% in Dumfries & Galloway.
The research highlights the potential to extend police staff posts. Either by extending police staff use to existing police officer roles (eg dispatcher posts in some forces) or by creating new roles (such as the use of Police Community Support Officers in England & Wales).
Dave Watson, UNISON’s Scottish Organiser said:
"This research highlights the need to look at the varying use of police staff across each police force, - Central Scotland for example, employ no police staff in dispatcher posts, whereas Dumfries & Galloway employ only police staff.
"By following the example of those forces who have used police staffs widely, more police officers can concentrate on using their specialist skills and experience to fight crime directly, while police staff can apply their specialist skills to support them."
The report also provides a comparison between Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and community wardens and suggests the possibility of introducing the PCSO to Scotland. PCSOs (not to be confused with Police Custody & Security Officers who are already used in Scottish police forces) would be employed directly by the police and have a wider range of enforcement powers than those available to Community Wardens.
Dave Watson said:
"We suggest a study is needed on the potential to establish Police Community Support Officers in Scottish Police Forces – these would be staff employed by the police and would have a wide range of enforcement powers to help tackle antisocial behaviour and improve neighbourhood policing."
ENDS
Note for editors:
The report entitled ‘Civilianisation of the Police in Scotland’ was carried out by Stewart Research on behalf of UNISON. It is available on the UNISONScotland website (http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/police/CivilianisationofPoliceFinalReport.pdf ) or from Kenny MacLaren (k.maclaren@unison.co.uk)
Increasing the proportion of ‘civilian’ staff in Scotland’s police forces will mean police officers can concentrate on key policing requiring their specialist skills and experience, says a new report released by police staff union, UNISON, today (Thursday 28th May 2009).
The report highlights the important roles that ‘civilian’ staff (more accurately known as police staffs) carry out within Scotland’s police forces, the variations in numbers employed by different forces, and recommendations for further increases, as well as a potential future for neighbourhood policing in Scotland.
28% of personnel employed by Scotland’s police forces are police staff, carrying out a wide variety of jobs ranging from administration and clerical posts to specialist forensics and IT posts. Increasing numbers of police staff are taking on operational roles in areas such as custody and detention, investigation and surveillance. However there are wide variations of the use of police staffs across Scotland’s police forces; comprising 25% of staff employed in Strathclyde Police but 33% in Dumfries & Galloway.
The research highlights the potential to extend police staff posts. Either by extending police staff use to existing police officer roles (eg dispatcher posts in some forces) or by creating new roles (such as the use of Police Community Support Officers in England & Wales).
Dave Watson, UNISON’s Scottish Organiser said:
"This research highlights the need to look at the varying use of police staff across each police force, - Central Scotland for example, employ no police staff in dispatcher posts, whereas Dumfries & Galloway employ only police staff.
"By following the example of those forces who have used police staffs widely, more police officers can concentrate on using their specialist skills and experience to fight crime directly, while police staff can apply their specialist skills to support them."
The report also provides a comparison between Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and community wardens and suggests the possibility of introducing the PCSO to Scotland. PCSOs (not to be confused with Police Custody & Security Officers who are already used in Scottish police forces) would be employed directly by the police and have a wider range of enforcement powers than those available to Community Wardens.
Dave Watson said:
"We suggest a study is needed on the potential to establish Police Community Support Officers in Scottish Police Forces – these would be staff employed by the police and would have a wide range of enforcement powers to help tackle antisocial behaviour and improve neighbourhood policing."
ENDS
Note for editors:
The report entitled ‘Civilianisation of the Police in Scotland’ was carried out by Stewart Research on behalf of UNISON. It is available on the UNISONScotland website (http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/police/CivilianisationofPoliceFinalReport.pdf ) or from Kenny MacLaren (k.maclaren@unison.co.uk)
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
SCCS disappointment as SNP and Labour join to frustrate climate change progress
STATEMENT FROM STOP CLIMATE CHAOS SCOTLAND
26 May 2009
DISAPPOINTMENT AS SNP AND LABOUR JOIN TO FRUSTRATE CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRESS
Hopes that Scotland's Climate Change Bill would lead the world were put at risk during today's Stage 2 discussions of the Climate Change Bill by the Scottish Parliament Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee.
The TICC Committee failed to support an amendment to increase the target for cutting greenhouse gases by 42 per cent by 2020. This target would have brought the Bill in line with the scientific consensus of what action needs to be taken and set a strong example for other world governments.
The SNP made a clear manifesto commitment to deliver at least 3 per cent emissions reductions every year which would deliver around a 42 per cent reduction by 2020. However they now propose a target of 34 per cent rising to 42 per cent only if other nations make specified commitments at UN climate meetings in Copenhagen in December, suggesting a reluctance to lead internationally and no more ambitious than the target set by the UK Government.
Mike Robinson, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said:
"There has been good progress on a number of areas but on the crucial issue of taking early action to cut Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions the Bill is looking desperately unambitious.
"The LibDems and the Greens provided good amendments to toughen up the 2020 target and deliver strong year-on-year reductions from the start. Other parties have not risen to the challenge unfortunately.
"The SNP have failed to deliver on their manifesto promise of 3 per cent cuts every year and on the First Minister's claim that the Scottish Bill would be more ambitious in every way than the UK Climate Change Act. In the end, the SNP have proposed a 2020 emissions target which is no more ambitious than the UK Act, even though they have already told the Climate Committee that they can do more.
"The position of Labour is the biggest disappointment. They have talked eloquently about the need for rapid action in the early years, but when they had the chance they failed to put in any credible proposals of their own or support those proposed by others. You have to question whether Labour is serious about having a tough Climate Change Act.
"They have one last opportunity in three weeks to make good on their rhetoric".
Currently this Bill does not live up to the demands of the 20,000 individual people who responded to the Government consultation, the expectations of the 1.5 million Scottish people represented by our coalition and the urgent need felt by millions around the world.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
[1] Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) is a diverse, growing coalition of organisations campaigning on climate change. The SCCS Coalition has 60 Scottish members, representing more than 2 million supporters, ranging from environment and development groups to faith organisations, trade unions, student societies, care providers and many more. For full details visit www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland
[2] In December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to agree a new international climate deal that will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012.
[3] SCCS will be helping organise a Climate Change march in Glasgow on 5th December.
26 May 2009
DISAPPOINTMENT AS SNP AND LABOUR JOIN TO FRUSTRATE CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRESS
Hopes that Scotland's Climate Change Bill would lead the world were put at risk during today's Stage 2 discussions of the Climate Change Bill by the Scottish Parliament Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee.
The TICC Committee failed to support an amendment to increase the target for cutting greenhouse gases by 42 per cent by 2020. This target would have brought the Bill in line with the scientific consensus of what action needs to be taken and set a strong example for other world governments.
The SNP made a clear manifesto commitment to deliver at least 3 per cent emissions reductions every year which would deliver around a 42 per cent reduction by 2020. However they now propose a target of 34 per cent rising to 42 per cent only if other nations make specified commitments at UN climate meetings in Copenhagen in December, suggesting a reluctance to lead internationally and no more ambitious than the target set by the UK Government.
Mike Robinson, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said:
"There has been good progress on a number of areas but on the crucial issue of taking early action to cut Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions the Bill is looking desperately unambitious.
"The LibDems and the Greens provided good amendments to toughen up the 2020 target and deliver strong year-on-year reductions from the start. Other parties have not risen to the challenge unfortunately.
"The SNP have failed to deliver on their manifesto promise of 3 per cent cuts every year and on the First Minister's claim that the Scottish Bill would be more ambitious in every way than the UK Climate Change Act. In the end, the SNP have proposed a 2020 emissions target which is no more ambitious than the UK Act, even though they have already told the Climate Committee that they can do more.
"The position of Labour is the biggest disappointment. They have talked eloquently about the need for rapid action in the early years, but when they had the chance they failed to put in any credible proposals of their own or support those proposed by others. You have to question whether Labour is serious about having a tough Climate Change Act.
"They have one last opportunity in three weeks to make good on their rhetoric".
Currently this Bill does not live up to the demands of the 20,000 individual people who responded to the Government consultation, the expectations of the 1.5 million Scottish people represented by our coalition and the urgent need felt by millions around the world.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
[1] Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) is a diverse, growing coalition of organisations campaigning on climate change. The SCCS Coalition has 60 Scottish members, representing more than 2 million supporters, ranging from environment and development groups to faith organisations, trade unions, student societies, care providers and many more. For full details visit www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland
[2] In December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to agree a new international climate deal that will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012.
[3] SCCS will be helping organise a Climate Change march in Glasgow on 5th December.
Monday, 25 May 2009
The Herald: Climate Bill Not Good Enough Warns Green Coalition
Climate Bill Not Good Enough Warns Green Coalition
Martin Williams
The Herald
Date: Monday 25 May 2009
A coalition of 60 charities, unions and churches has told Alex Salmond that a bill to tackle climate change does not go far enough, and accuses him of reneging on manifesto commitments on the environment.
Politicians have already voted to support the general principles of the Scottish Climate Change Bill that has set targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and by 34% by 2020.
The Scottish Government also wants to ensure the target rises to at least 42% when the EU agrees to reduce emissions by 30% by 2020.
Now, in a stinging letter to Alex Salmond, the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition - made up of organisations including Oxfam Scotland, the Church of Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, RSPB Scotland and Christian Aid Scotland - has insisted that the targets should be raised....
The Herald Editorial: A Climate for Change
UNISON Scotland is a signatory to this SCCS coalition letter. The full letter is at:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/2009/mayjune/2205a.htm
Martin Williams
The Herald
Date: Monday 25 May 2009
A coalition of 60 charities, unions and churches has told Alex Salmond that a bill to tackle climate change does not go far enough, and accuses him of reneging on manifesto commitments on the environment.
Politicians have already voted to support the general principles of the Scottish Climate Change Bill that has set targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and by 34% by 2020.
The Scottish Government also wants to ensure the target rises to at least 42% when the EU agrees to reduce emissions by 30% by 2020.
Now, in a stinging letter to Alex Salmond, the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition - made up of organisations including Oxfam Scotland, the Church of Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, RSPB Scotland and Christian Aid Scotland - has insisted that the targets should be raised....
The Herald Editorial: A Climate for Change
UNISON Scotland is a signatory to this SCCS coalition letter. The full letter is at:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/2009/mayjune/2205a.htm
Friday, 22 May 2009
Opening up public contracts is key to building justice around the world
Friday 22 May 2009
A Scots public health expert will today say that transparency of public service contracts and public accountability at all levels is vital to delivering justice for the world’s most vulnerable people.
Professor Allyson Pollock will also demand international action to prioritise health and social issues alongside trade deals.
As one of the key speakers at a conference at the Edinburgh World Justice Festival, Professor Pollock will say public service contracts must be placed in the public domain to allow public scrutiny and ensure accountability for tax payers money.
She said yesterday:
"You can’t have access to justice if you don’t have access to information and data and if you don’t have systems to ensure strong public accountability for decision making at all levels."
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander is opening the Festival at today’s ‘Building Justice Out of Crisis’ event in the City Chambers Business Centre.
The other speakers are Benedict Southworth, Director of the World Development Movement, and Iain Macwhirter, the Herald and Sunday Herald political columnist and Edinburgh University Rector.
Professor Pollock, Director of the Centre for International Public Health Policy, added:
"The mandate of the WTO and EU is trade, and public health and social welfare are increasingly marginalised in the international policy arena unless they facilitate trade. A new economic movement is required which will put health for all at the centre of policy making."
Mike Kirby, UNISON Scotland convener, is chairing the event, which will focus on the global economic crisis, climate change and how to build a new world order delivering justice and sustainability.
He said:
"The Edinburgh World Justice Festival (EWJF) was inspired by the massive Make Poverty History demonstration and the G8 alternative conference, held in Edinburgh in early July 2005. Four years on we have a backdrop of global economic crisis and the threat of catastrophic runaway climate change. We need to build justice in ways that put people first."
Douglas Alexander said:
"Millions of people in Britain campaigned four years ago to make poverty history, but millions worldwide face a future of poverty if the world fails to tackle climate change. We have to move to a low-carbon future if we’re going to create a better life for all - here and around the world."
ENDS
Notes for Editors
1. The Building Justice Out of Crisis event takes place on Friday 22 May at Edinburgh City Chambers Business Centre, High Street, from 12.30pm -3.30pm. Douglas Alexander is due to speak at 12.35pm, with a question session at 1pm.
2. Other EWJF highlights include: a European Election hustings, a film by Dalkeith High School pupils on the injustice of climate change; a discussion on Mordechai Vanunu, human rights, arms sales and nuclear disarmament; and a debate on what is needed from the UN Climate Change talks in Copenhagen.
3. Contributing groups include African HIV Policy Network, Amnesty International St. Mark's Group, Bookmarks, Christian Aid, Depletion Scotland, Edinburgh Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Edinburgh Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, Edinburgh Stop The War, Friends of the Earth, Hadeel/Palcraft, HIV Scotland, Impact Aids, Jubilee Scotland, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Sanctuary, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, Shakti Womens Aid, Stop Climate Chaos, Unison, Waverley Care, World Development Movement.
4. The full programme is at www.ewjf.org.uk
.
A Scots public health expert will today say that transparency of public service contracts and public accountability at all levels is vital to delivering justice for the world’s most vulnerable people.
Professor Allyson Pollock will also demand international action to prioritise health and social issues alongside trade deals.
As one of the key speakers at a conference at the Edinburgh World Justice Festival, Professor Pollock will say public service contracts must be placed in the public domain to allow public scrutiny and ensure accountability for tax payers money.
She said yesterday:
"You can’t have access to justice if you don’t have access to information and data and if you don’t have systems to ensure strong public accountability for decision making at all levels."
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander is opening the Festival at today’s ‘Building Justice Out of Crisis’ event in the City Chambers Business Centre.
The other speakers are Benedict Southworth, Director of the World Development Movement, and Iain Macwhirter, the Herald and Sunday Herald political columnist and Edinburgh University Rector.
Professor Pollock, Director of the Centre for International Public Health Policy, added:
"The mandate of the WTO and EU is trade, and public health and social welfare are increasingly marginalised in the international policy arena unless they facilitate trade. A new economic movement is required which will put health for all at the centre of policy making."
Mike Kirby, UNISON Scotland convener, is chairing the event, which will focus on the global economic crisis, climate change and how to build a new world order delivering justice and sustainability.
He said:
"The Edinburgh World Justice Festival (EWJF) was inspired by the massive Make Poverty History demonstration and the G8 alternative conference, held in Edinburgh in early July 2005. Four years on we have a backdrop of global economic crisis and the threat of catastrophic runaway climate change. We need to build justice in ways that put people first."
Douglas Alexander said:
"Millions of people in Britain campaigned four years ago to make poverty history, but millions worldwide face a future of poverty if the world fails to tackle climate change. We have to move to a low-carbon future if we’re going to create a better life for all - here and around the world."
ENDS
Notes for Editors
1. The Building Justice Out of Crisis event takes place on Friday 22 May at Edinburgh City Chambers Business Centre, High Street, from 12.30pm -3.30pm. Douglas Alexander is due to speak at 12.35pm, with a question session at 1pm.
2. Other EWJF highlights include: a European Election hustings, a film by Dalkeith High School pupils on the injustice of climate change; a discussion on Mordechai Vanunu, human rights, arms sales and nuclear disarmament; and a debate on what is needed from the UN Climate Change talks in Copenhagen.
3. Contributing groups include African HIV Policy Network, Amnesty International St. Mark's Group, Bookmarks, Christian Aid, Depletion Scotland, Edinburgh Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Edinburgh Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, Edinburgh Stop The War, Friends of the Earth, Hadeel/Palcraft, HIV Scotland, Impact Aids, Jubilee Scotland, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Sanctuary, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, Shakti Womens Aid, Stop Climate Chaos, Unison, Waverley Care, World Development Movement.
4. The full programme is at www.ewjf.org.uk
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Friday, 15 May 2009
Hope not Hate - Stop the BNP
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| From Inverness - Anti BNP leafletting for Union Friday 15 May 2009 - Hope not Hate |
UNISON members and supporters along with the STUC and other unions were out in force across Scotland today with the message: "Stop the BNP - use your vote against the fascists in the European elections on 4 June."
The Scottish campaign was part of Hope not Hate's UNION Friday, and included lunchtime street stalls in Inverness (pictured above), Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock. PCS union activists also leafletted rail stations in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Kirkcaldy. The STUC Black Workers Committee and supporters are currently leafletting commuters at Glasgow Queen Street station as we write.Great response from people in the street and at least in Glasgow city centre campaigners faced down a couple of vile BNP leafletters who quit in short order.
No Pasaran!
More on the UNISON Scotland website and at the Hope Not Hate site.
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Thursday, 14 May 2009
International Development Secretary to launch World Justice Festival
Douglas Alexander MP, the International Development Secretary, is to open Edinburgh’s fourth World Justice Festival (EWJF) next week.
Mr Alexander will speak about the UK Government’s development response to global economic and environmental crisis at the ‘Building Justice out of Crisis’ conference in the City Chambers.
His speech, on Friday May 22, will focus on what steps are needed to create a new regime to deliver justice and sustainability for the world’s population.
The unique Edinburgh World Justice Festival (EWJF) was inspired by the massive Make Poverty History demonstration and the G8 alternative conference, held in Edinburgh in early July 2005.
EWJF organisers include UNISON Scotland, Edinburgh Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Friends of the Earth, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and the World Development Movement.
Mr Alexander said:
“Millions of people in Britain campaigned four years ago to make poverty history, but millions worldwide face a future of poverty if the world fails to tackle climate change. We have to move to a low-carbon future if we’re going to create a better life for all - here and around the world.
“I am delighted to take part in this important event and congratulate the many organisations which have put together an impressive programme.”
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 07715 583 729(m)
Sara Thoms (Department For International Development Press Office) 0207 023 0849 (w) 07932 954867 (m)
Notes for Editors
1. Other speakers at the Building Justice Out of Crisis event include: Allyson Pollock, Centre for International Public Health Policy, Edinburgh University; Iain Macwhirter, Sunday Herald journalist and Rector of Edinburgh University; Benedict Southworth, World Development Movement. Mike Kirby, Convener of UNISON Scotland, will be in the chair.
2. The event takes place at Edinburgh City Chambers from 12.30pm -3.30pm. Douglas Alexander is due to speak at 12.35pm, with a question session at 1pm.
3. Other EWJF highlights include: a European Election hustings, a film by Dalkeith High School pupils on the injustice of climate change; a discussion on Mordechai Vanunu, human rights, arms sales and nuclear disarmament; and a debate on what is needed from the UN Climate Change talks in Copenhagen.
4. The full programme is at http://www.ewjf.org.uk/.
.
Mr Alexander will speak about the UK Government’s development response to global economic and environmental crisis at the ‘Building Justice out of Crisis’ conference in the City Chambers.
His speech, on Friday May 22, will focus on what steps are needed to create a new regime to deliver justice and sustainability for the world’s population.
The unique Edinburgh World Justice Festival (EWJF) was inspired by the massive Make Poverty History demonstration and the G8 alternative conference, held in Edinburgh in early July 2005.
EWJF organisers include UNISON Scotland, Edinburgh Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Friends of the Earth, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and the World Development Movement.
Mr Alexander said:
“Millions of people in Britain campaigned four years ago to make poverty history, but millions worldwide face a future of poverty if the world fails to tackle climate change. We have to move to a low-carbon future if we’re going to create a better life for all - here and around the world.
“I am delighted to take part in this important event and congratulate the many organisations which have put together an impressive programme.”
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 07715 583 729(m)
Sara Thoms (Department For International Development Press Office) 0207 023 0849 (w) 07932 954867 (m)
Notes for Editors
1. Other speakers at the Building Justice Out of Crisis event include: Allyson Pollock, Centre for International Public Health Policy, Edinburgh University; Iain Macwhirter, Sunday Herald journalist and Rector of Edinburgh University; Benedict Southworth, World Development Movement. Mike Kirby, Convener of UNISON Scotland, will be in the chair.
2. The event takes place at Edinburgh City Chambers from 12.30pm -3.30pm. Douglas Alexander is due to speak at 12.35pm, with a question session at 1pm.
3. Other EWJF highlights include: a European Election hustings, a film by Dalkeith High School pupils on the injustice of climate change; a discussion on Mordechai Vanunu, human rights, arms sales and nuclear disarmament; and a debate on what is needed from the UN Climate Change talks in Copenhagen.
4. The full programme is at http://www.ewjf.org.uk/.
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Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Which Way to Equal Pay? – UNISON launches campaign
UNISON Scotland is launching a campaign to highlight the consequences for workers who have been drawn to so-called "No Win No Fee" solicitors. In a national advertising campaign UNISON highlights the fact that the Court of Session recently awarded an interdict to prevent a prominent No Win No Fee firm pursuing an Edinburgh homecare worker for payment.
Cross & Co have recruited thousands of Scottish workers in their equal pay campaign, but a growing number of workers are now following Edinburgh carer Jacqueline Quinn and switching to the free legal service provided by UNISON. The Stefan Cross contract seeks to charge his clients if they change their mind and pursue their claim through their union. In Jacqueline Quinn’s case, the charge was £500 for every six months. However there was also provision for additional charges in the contract. These could require additional payment by Jacqueline Quinn if she continued to pursue her claim - even if Stefan Cross was no longer acting on her behalf.
A UNISON spokesperson said:
"We are delighted that the Court of Session has declared that Jacqueline Quinn’s contract with Stefan Cross is void. The interdict gives Jacqueline the peace of mind she was looking for. We can now get on with the business of fighting for equal pay for her and her UNISON colleagues. Our advertising campaign is very simple - we are keen to let other members know that UNISON believes that equivalent charges should be unenforceable. Where our members encounter problems similar to Jacqueline Quinn we will help them."
ENDS
For Further Information Please Contact:
Peter Hunter (Regional Organiser) 07903 814 118 (m)
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 07715 583 729(m)
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Monday, 11 May 2009
Kerelaw Report - initial response from UNISON
Monday May 11 2009
UNISON, the union representing the social care staff working in the Kerelaw residential school, today agreed with the general trend of the conclusions and recommendations of the Frizzell report – particularly the criticisms of the council’s own earlier investigations.
Ronnie Stevenson Convenor of UNISON’s Glasgow City Branch Social Work stewards said:
“While it will take us some time to look in full at the 154 page report from Mr Frizzell, our preliminary view is that we find ourselves in agreement with the general trend of its conclusions and recommendations.
“We particularly welcome his criticisms of the Investigatory Team’s work and its reporting. They left many staff unaware and isolated. They left many perfectly good child care staff “broken” people with devastating effects on their families. Their actions left all ex-Kerelaw staff, regardless of their practice, with their reputations tarnished and often their ability to find employment compromised.”
UNISON also says that many of the report’s recommendations are about issues which they have been raising with Strathclyde Regional Council, Glasgow City Council and the external inspection regimes for years.
Andy McCallion, Residential Convenor of UNISON’s Glasgow City Branch Residential Social Work stewards and also a Child Care Worker, said:
“Despite the staff raising these concerns the employers have done little about them. A question still remains of what confidence we can have that this failure to react in the best interests of children, young people, services and the staff will change.
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Sunday, 10 May 2009
Glasgow's pay freeze call 'ill-informed or malicious' - UNISON
Sunday May 10 2009
The main union representing Scotland's public service staff today condemned comments by Glasgow City treasurer, Cllr Gordon Matheson on today's BBC Politics Show as 'either ill-informed, or malicious'.
Cllr Mathieson appeared to call for a public sector pay freeze in the current year on the programme, apparently unaware that his Scottish council colleagues had agreed a number of pay deals covering his own staff, including police and teaching staff.
Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary of UNISON, the largest public service union said:
"Councillor Matheson is either woefully ill-informed, or is malicious enough to suggest reneging on agreements his representatives have already signed. All local government staff including teachers, police and chief officials are in the middle of multi-year deals - deals that the employers insisted on. Other public service staff - like healthcare workers also have agreed multi-year deals that Labour Government Minister Alan Johnson MP has publicly guaranteed."
Matt Smith also condemned the call for a pay freeze:
"To cut staff pay in a recession simply further deepens that recession, as fewer people have less money to purchase goods and services. Is Councillor Mathieson seriously suggesting he wants to further depress demand in Glasgow and the rest of Scotland?"
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Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Video: What Scotlands Living Wage Campaign means for Dalmarnock
Check out this video in support of the Campaign for a Living Wage of at least £7 per hour in Scotland.
Dalmarnock in Glasgow is where the 2014 Commonwealth Games will be centred. Local community activists want the event to be a Living Wage Games, like the London Olympics in 2012.
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Dalmarnock in Glasgow is where the 2014 Commonwealth Games will be centred. Local community activists want the event to be a Living Wage Games, like the London Olympics in 2012.
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Employers urged to ‘Grasp the Thistle’ on living wage
The Scottish Living Wage Campaign today urged employers in the public, private and voluntary sectors to put an end to poverty wages by raising the earnings of their lowest paid workers to the Scottish living wage level of £7.00 per hour.
The Campaign will launch the Scottish Living Wage Employer award at 10.30am today (5 May), at Dalmarnock Community Centre, 3 Lily Street, Glasgow, G40 3HJ.
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said; “At least 700,000 workers in Scotland earn less than £7.00 per hour. The majority of these are women and work in the private sector although a significant number also work in the public and voluntary sectors. At a time of recession it is vital that all employers take steps to make ensure that their most valuable assets, their workers, are protected. Evidence shows that paying a living wage is good for workers, business, communities and the wider economy. These are challenging times that require brave decisions”.
The Scottish Living Wage Award will be awarded to those employers who pay all of their workers no less than the Scottish Living Wage of £7.00 per hour.
Dave Moxham Deputy General Secretary of the STUC said: “Poverty wages are bad for people, bad for business and bad for society as a whole. Establishing a Living Wage at a basic decency threshold will not solve the problems of low pay, but it can go a significant way to improving the situation of tens of thousands of workers in Scotland. We are looking forward to uniting trade unions, community groups, faith organisations and enlightened employers in local campaigns across Scotland.”
The Scottish Living Wage Campaign is supported by voluntary and community organisations, trade unions and the faith community. The award will be launched in Dalmarnock where guests will hear from local people about their experiences of living on low incomes and the difference a living wage would mean to them.
Kenny Faulds a community activist in Dalmarnock said: “Supporting the campaign for a living wage - means supporting sustainable local communities" Campaigners believe that there is a strong social, economic and moral case for employers to end the practice of paying poverty wages to the hundreds of thousands of workers doing jobs that many would find unappealing. Evidence suggests that many of these workers have two or even three jobs to afford to feed their families and heat their homes.
Martin Johnstone from the Church of Scotland said:: “In the midst of a recession one of the challenges is to come out of it with a more equal society. The Living Wage, if implemented, will help to create a healthier and better society for all.”
The launch will include the presentation of the first Living Wage Employer Award to Glasgow City Council, after they increased the pay of all of their low paid staff to the Scottish Living Wage level.
Steven Purcell, Leader of the Council, said: “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of Glasgow City Council and congratulate the Scottish Living Wage Campaign on the work they have done to raise awareness of low pay in Scotland. It is simply unacceptable that almost one in five of Glasgow’s workers are paid less than £7 an hour and the Glasgow Living Wage has the potential to make a huge difference to thousands of families across the city. In times of economic difficulties, we know that the lowest paid workers suffer disproportionately. I believe that the introduction of the Glasgow Living Wage is the right thing to do and it is another vital step towards ensuring that all of our citizens can share in the city’s success.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Scottish Living Wage Campaign is lead by the Poverty Alliance, The STUC, Faith in Community Scotland and UNISON. The Campaign is working with community groups, voluntary organisations, faith based organisations and trade unions to improve the pay of workers across Scotland.
.
The Campaign will launch the Scottish Living Wage Employer award at 10.30am today (5 May), at Dalmarnock Community Centre, 3 Lily Street, Glasgow, G40 3HJ.
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said; “At least 700,000 workers in Scotland earn less than £7.00 per hour. The majority of these are women and work in the private sector although a significant number also work in the public and voluntary sectors. At a time of recession it is vital that all employers take steps to make ensure that their most valuable assets, their workers, are protected. Evidence shows that paying a living wage is good for workers, business, communities and the wider economy. These are challenging times that require brave decisions”.
The Scottish Living Wage Award will be awarded to those employers who pay all of their workers no less than the Scottish Living Wage of £7.00 per hour.
Dave Moxham Deputy General Secretary of the STUC said: “Poverty wages are bad for people, bad for business and bad for society as a whole. Establishing a Living Wage at a basic decency threshold will not solve the problems of low pay, but it can go a significant way to improving the situation of tens of thousands of workers in Scotland. We are looking forward to uniting trade unions, community groups, faith organisations and enlightened employers in local campaigns across Scotland.”
The Scottish Living Wage Campaign is supported by voluntary and community organisations, trade unions and the faith community. The award will be launched in Dalmarnock where guests will hear from local people about their experiences of living on low incomes and the difference a living wage would mean to them.
Kenny Faulds a community activist in Dalmarnock said: “Supporting the campaign for a living wage - means supporting sustainable local communities" Campaigners believe that there is a strong social, economic and moral case for employers to end the practice of paying poverty wages to the hundreds of thousands of workers doing jobs that many would find unappealing. Evidence suggests that many of these workers have two or even three jobs to afford to feed their families and heat their homes.
Martin Johnstone from the Church of Scotland said:: “In the midst of a recession one of the challenges is to come out of it with a more equal society. The Living Wage, if implemented, will help to create a healthier and better society for all.”
The launch will include the presentation of the first Living Wage Employer Award to Glasgow City Council, after they increased the pay of all of their low paid staff to the Scottish Living Wage level.
Steven Purcell, Leader of the Council, said: “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of Glasgow City Council and congratulate the Scottish Living Wage Campaign on the work they have done to raise awareness of low pay in Scotland. It is simply unacceptable that almost one in five of Glasgow’s workers are paid less than £7 an hour and the Glasgow Living Wage has the potential to make a huge difference to thousands of families across the city. In times of economic difficulties, we know that the lowest paid workers suffer disproportionately. I believe that the introduction of the Glasgow Living Wage is the right thing to do and it is another vital step towards ensuring that all of our citizens can share in the city’s success.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Scottish Living Wage Campaign is lead by the Poverty Alliance, The STUC, Faith in Community Scotland and UNISON. The Campaign is working with community groups, voluntary organisations, faith based organisations and trade unions to improve the pay of workers across Scotland.
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Monday, 27 April 2009
Big uptake in Memorial Day activity prompts recognition call
Embargo: For immediate release
Date: Monday 27 April 2009
Scotland’s largest public service union will be making a major input into the large number of ceremonies organised to commemorate International Workers Memorial Day tomorrow (Tues 28th April) – when the community remembers those who have died in the workplace. The union called for the government to recognise the Day officially.
Most UNISON branches in Scotland are taking part in ceremonies organised by local Trade Union Councils, but some are participating in activity organised jointly with local authorities and many are taking initiatives on their own behalf. (a list of those activities notified to unison is appended.
Scott Donohoe, Chair of UNISONScotland’s Health & Safety Committee said:
"At a time when business interests are lobbying for Health & Safety regulations to be relaxed as ‘costly bureacracy’, deaths of workers at Stockline and in the North Sea remind us all that safety at work is vital – not a burden on business. It is important that the TU movement uses this opportunity and it is heartening to see the way that this commemoration has taken off in the last few years. UNISON is calling on the government to take a lead from this activity and formally recognise Workers Memorial Day to remember dead colleagues and make employers think twice about health and safety."
Major ceremonies will take place in Glasgow’s George Square (by the Burns’ statue) at 1.00pm –and the Flag on the City Chambers will fly at half mast; in Edinburgh at the Workers Memorial Day Tree in Princes Street Gardens at 12 noon; in Bonnyrigg – in King George V Park at 12.30, where Louise Adamson from Families Against Corporate Killers will be speaking and a number of wreaths will be laid; and in Fife where a ceremony will take place in Beveridge Park, Kirkaldy at 11.00am.
In addition to the wreath-laying and plaque-unveiling, a number of UNISON branches are taking initiatives locally. In Glasgow City Council, the local branch is encouraging health & safety reps to carry out safety inspections this week, Scottish Water branch is launching its new website and UNISON’s South Ayrshire branch is taking part in an ambitious project to help create a natural Scottish woodland in Ayrshire.
The branch is dedicating five trees in the woodland to be a memory to every worker who has lost their life at work or to a work related disease, with the added knowledge of the positive environmental impact this will also have on the surrounding area. Other Branches have already taken part in earlier events run at the weekend.
ENDS
For Further Information Please Contact:
Scott Donohoe (Chair – Scottish health & Safety Committee) 07866 952 765 (m)
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0771 558 3729(m)
Local information for editors:
International Workers’ Memorial Day Ceremonies in Scotland on Tuesday 28 April
Hamilton – 12 noon – South Lanarks Council staff unions holding a minute’s silence at midday followed by the unveiling of a memorial plaque on council grounds directly outside UNISON branch office.
Kirkaldy – Fife Branch will take part in a TUC Service at 11.00am at a tree planted some years ago in Beveridge Park.
Greenock – Inverclyde branch will lay wreath as part of Council run ceremony at 11.00am in Clyde Square Greenock – Pat Clark the UNISON Branch Chair will play the pipes
Edinburgh – 12 noon, John Stevenson, City of Edinburgh Branch President will lay a wreath as part of Edinburgh TUC’s ceremony in Princes Street Gardens
Bonnyrigg – 12.30, Tom Waterson, Chair of Lothian Health Branch; Agnes Petkevicius, City of Edinburgh Branch Secretary and Lesley Greig, Secretary of Midlothian Council branch will all be participating in the Midlothian TUC ceremony in King George V Park, Bonnyrigg at 12.30pm
Paisley – 1.00pm, UNISON’s Renfrewshire branch will take part in the Paisley TUC ceremony at the memorial stone.
New Cumnock– (see above) the planting is at Craigs Farm Estate near New Cumnock (Ayrshire) Contact. Campbell Peden (South Ayrshire) branchcomms@btconnect.com Tel 07714299673.
Glasgow – 1.00pm at Burns Statue, George Square. Wreath laying by reps from Glasgow City, Glasgow Housing and Dumfries & Galloway Branches. Speakers include Dave Moxham – Dep Gen Sec STUC.
Falkirk – Branch will take part in ceremony run by Falkirk TUC at the Municipal Buildings.
Coatbridge – 12 noon, Lanarkshire TUC has organised a ceremony at Summerlee Industrial Museum, Coatbridge. Speakers include STUC Gen Sec, Grahame Smith, and local MSPs and MP.
Dundee – 1.00pm. Memorial day Commemoration Tree ceremony beside Discovery Point.
Alloa – 10.00am - The Clackmannanshire Council trade unions are unveiling a memorial at the Council Head Office at Greenfield House, Alloa.
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Date: Monday 27 April 2009
Scotland’s largest public service union will be making a major input into the large number of ceremonies organised to commemorate International Workers Memorial Day tomorrow (Tues 28th April) – when the community remembers those who have died in the workplace. The union called for the government to recognise the Day officially.
Most UNISON branches in Scotland are taking part in ceremonies organised by local Trade Union Councils, but some are participating in activity organised jointly with local authorities and many are taking initiatives on their own behalf. (a list of those activities notified to unison is appended.
Scott Donohoe, Chair of UNISONScotland’s Health & Safety Committee said:
"At a time when business interests are lobbying for Health & Safety regulations to be relaxed as ‘costly bureacracy’, deaths of workers at Stockline and in the North Sea remind us all that safety at work is vital – not a burden on business. It is important that the TU movement uses this opportunity and it is heartening to see the way that this commemoration has taken off in the last few years. UNISON is calling on the government to take a lead from this activity and formally recognise Workers Memorial Day to remember dead colleagues and make employers think twice about health and safety."
Major ceremonies will take place in Glasgow’s George Square (by the Burns’ statue) at 1.00pm –and the Flag on the City Chambers will fly at half mast; in Edinburgh at the Workers Memorial Day Tree in Princes Street Gardens at 12 noon; in Bonnyrigg – in King George V Park at 12.30, where Louise Adamson from Families Against Corporate Killers will be speaking and a number of wreaths will be laid; and in Fife where a ceremony will take place in Beveridge Park, Kirkaldy at 11.00am.
In addition to the wreath-laying and plaque-unveiling, a number of UNISON branches are taking initiatives locally. In Glasgow City Council, the local branch is encouraging health & safety reps to carry out safety inspections this week, Scottish Water branch is launching its new website and UNISON’s South Ayrshire branch is taking part in an ambitious project to help create a natural Scottish woodland in Ayrshire.
The branch is dedicating five trees in the woodland to be a memory to every worker who has lost their life at work or to a work related disease, with the added knowledge of the positive environmental impact this will also have on the surrounding area. Other Branches have already taken part in earlier events run at the weekend.
ENDS
For Further Information Please Contact:
Scott Donohoe (Chair – Scottish health & Safety Committee) 07866 952 765 (m)
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0771 558 3729(m)
Local information for editors:
International Workers’ Memorial Day Ceremonies in Scotland on Tuesday 28 April
Hamilton – 12 noon – South Lanarks Council staff unions holding a minute’s silence at midday followed by the unveiling of a memorial plaque on council grounds directly outside UNISON branch office.
Kirkaldy – Fife Branch will take part in a TUC Service at 11.00am at a tree planted some years ago in Beveridge Park.
Greenock – Inverclyde branch will lay wreath as part of Council run ceremony at 11.00am in Clyde Square Greenock – Pat Clark the UNISON Branch Chair will play the pipes
Edinburgh – 12 noon, John Stevenson, City of Edinburgh Branch President will lay a wreath as part of Edinburgh TUC’s ceremony in Princes Street Gardens
Bonnyrigg – 12.30, Tom Waterson, Chair of Lothian Health Branch; Agnes Petkevicius, City of Edinburgh Branch Secretary and Lesley Greig, Secretary of Midlothian Council branch will all be participating in the Midlothian TUC ceremony in King George V Park, Bonnyrigg at 12.30pm
Paisley – 1.00pm, UNISON’s Renfrewshire branch will take part in the Paisley TUC ceremony at the memorial stone.
New Cumnock– (see above) the planting is at Craigs Farm Estate near New Cumnock (Ayrshire) Contact. Campbell Peden (South Ayrshire) branchcomms@btconnect.com Tel 07714299673.
Glasgow – 1.00pm at Burns Statue, George Square. Wreath laying by reps from Glasgow City, Glasgow Housing and Dumfries & Galloway Branches. Speakers include Dave Moxham – Dep Gen Sec STUC.
Falkirk – Branch will take part in ceremony run by Falkirk TUC at the Municipal Buildings.
Coatbridge – 12 noon, Lanarkshire TUC has organised a ceremony at Summerlee Industrial Museum, Coatbridge. Speakers include STUC Gen Sec, Grahame Smith, and local MSPs and MP.
Dundee – 1.00pm. Memorial day Commemoration Tree ceremony beside Discovery Point.
Alloa – 10.00am - The Clackmannanshire Council trade unions are unveiling a memorial at the Council Head Office at Greenfield House, Alloa.
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Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Euro candidates must restore working people’s rights - UNISON
Date: 22 April 2009
UNISON, Scotland’s largest public service union, today called on Euro election candidates to back campaigns to overturn negative European legal rulings and restore the human rights of working people, following the approval by the Scottish TUC in Perth of a composite moved by the RMT union.
The composite calls for a ‘Social Progress Protocol’ to be inserted into the Lisbon Treaty – to hold employers to national collective agreements and to back the right to strike.
Jane Carolan, from UNISON’s National Executive announced that UNISONScotland had released a European election manifesto, which calls for a range of measures to be introduced to defend workers rights, and is calling on Scottish members to judge the policies of the political parties on a range of issues – workers rights, the environment, anti-racism and others - before they cast their vote.
Jane said “Recent decisions of the European Court of Justice have asserted the primacy of the economic freedom of business and undermined national labour law and collective agreements. The Viking, Laval, Ruffert and Luxembourg judgements have made clear that the market rules, and that public services and employment and collective rights are therefore always under attack.
“Unless we defend our rights we will end up in a Europe in which capital roams free and where labour is cheap, plentiful and unprotected – neo liberalism writ large.
“The European Trade movement needs to develop teeth to deal with a capitalist system fighting for its own survival and one that has already proved that it has little truck with the problems of working people.”
ENDS
Note for editors:
The Viking judgement said that the collective action by the Trade Unions contravened Article 43 of the EU Treaty. The right of business to freedom of establishment anywhere in the EU. In Laval, the collective action of trade unions was deemed to be in breach of business freedom to provide services within another EU state. The same considerations apply in Ruffert and Luxembourg.
UNISON’s European manifesto is available on the UNISON-Scotland website http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/
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UNISON, Scotland’s largest public service union, today called on Euro election candidates to back campaigns to overturn negative European legal rulings and restore the human rights of working people, following the approval by the Scottish TUC in Perth of a composite moved by the RMT union.
The composite calls for a ‘Social Progress Protocol’ to be inserted into the Lisbon Treaty – to hold employers to national collective agreements and to back the right to strike.
Jane Carolan, from UNISON’s National Executive announced that UNISONScotland had released a European election manifesto, which calls for a range of measures to be introduced to defend workers rights, and is calling on Scottish members to judge the policies of the political parties on a range of issues – workers rights, the environment, anti-racism and others - before they cast their vote.
Jane said “Recent decisions of the European Court of Justice have asserted the primacy of the economic freedom of business and undermined national labour law and collective agreements. The Viking, Laval, Ruffert and Luxembourg judgements have made clear that the market rules, and that public services and employment and collective rights are therefore always under attack.
“Unless we defend our rights we will end up in a Europe in which capital roams free and where labour is cheap, plentiful and unprotected – neo liberalism writ large.
“The European Trade movement needs to develop teeth to deal with a capitalist system fighting for its own survival and one that has already proved that it has little truck with the problems of working people.”
ENDS
Note for editors:
The Viking judgement said that the collective action by the Trade Unions contravened Article 43 of the EU Treaty. The right of business to freedom of establishment anywhere in the EU. In Laval, the collective action of trade unions was deemed to be in breach of business freedom to provide services within another EU state. The same considerations apply in Ruffert and Luxembourg.
UNISON’s European manifesto is available on the UNISON-Scotland website http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/
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Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Cuts and tendering threaten social care - social workers warn
Date: 21 April 2009
The Scottish TUC today heard that Scotland’s social care system is on the brink of crisis. UNISON, the union representing the vast majority of Scotland’s social services staff, says that a combination of increasing demand and cuts in funding threaten further tragedies.
The situation is worsened by the use of tendering processes for home and residential care, that end up with low-cost companies taking over and driving down standards of care.
The union also blames the concordat between the Scottish Government and councils as a ‘straitjacket’.
UNISON delegate, Kate Ramsden, herself a social worker, said to the Congress “The continuing understaffing of children and families work is getting worse with the increasing demand for more savings, and as demand increases the widening gap can only increase the chances of further tragedies, such as Brandon Muir or ‘Baby P’.”
In moving a motion calling for a campaign to demand quality social services in Scotland, Kate also pointed out that although child protection is the sharp end of social care, care for other vulnerable people is also threatened.
“Last weeks Panorama investigation sharply pointed out the problems of relying on cost to supply home care.” said Ms Ramsden .
“If the only issue being judged is price, you end up with privatised services, delivered by poorly trained, under resourced staff who have no time to deliver proper care.”
A UNISON UK-wide survey of social work staff, published in January 2009, identified reduced resources, staff vacancies, increased caseloads, inadequate supervision, remote leadership, lack of focus on the rights of the child, agencies passing the buck to social work and excessive bureaucracy with a lack of admin support as issues making things worse than they were six years ago.
Kate said “Our members want to work to high standards. Whether they work for the council or the voluntary sector, they want to be accountable, want to protect children, and provide proper home care services. But they tell us that too often they are being asked to do this with one hand tied behind their back”.
“Inspections rightly point to practice and leadership issues but they never explicitly address resources. To ignore the fact that there are too few people to achieve the standards we all want just covers up the problem,” she added.
.
The Scottish TUC today heard that Scotland’s social care system is on the brink of crisis. UNISON, the union representing the vast majority of Scotland’s social services staff, says that a combination of increasing demand and cuts in funding threaten further tragedies.
The situation is worsened by the use of tendering processes for home and residential care, that end up with low-cost companies taking over and driving down standards of care.
The union also blames the concordat between the Scottish Government and councils as a ‘straitjacket’.
UNISON delegate, Kate Ramsden, herself a social worker, said to the Congress “The continuing understaffing of children and families work is getting worse with the increasing demand for more savings, and as demand increases the widening gap can only increase the chances of further tragedies, such as Brandon Muir or ‘Baby P’.”
In moving a motion calling for a campaign to demand quality social services in Scotland, Kate also pointed out that although child protection is the sharp end of social care, care for other vulnerable people is also threatened.
“Last weeks Panorama investigation sharply pointed out the problems of relying on cost to supply home care.” said Ms Ramsden .
“If the only issue being judged is price, you end up with privatised services, delivered by poorly trained, under resourced staff who have no time to deliver proper care.”
A UNISON UK-wide survey of social work staff, published in January 2009, identified reduced resources, staff vacancies, increased caseloads, inadequate supervision, remote leadership, lack of focus on the rights of the child, agencies passing the buck to social work and excessive bureaucracy with a lack of admin support as issues making things worse than they were six years ago.
Kate said “Our members want to work to high standards. Whether they work for the council or the voluntary sector, they want to be accountable, want to protect children, and provide proper home care services. But they tell us that too often they are being asked to do this with one hand tied behind their back”.
“Inspections rightly point to practice and leadership issues but they never explicitly address resources. To ignore the fact that there are too few people to achieve the standards we all want just covers up the problem,” she added.
.
Glasgow outsourcing tax scam removes democratic control, and attacks fair pay
Date: Tuesday 21 April 2009
UNISON, the main union representing Glasgow council staff, has condemned that council’s increasing reliance on outsourced trusts and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) to deliver public services. Currently around 15,000 staff are employed by nine LLPs, trusts and partnerships in Glasgow.
In a speech to the Scottish TUC in Perth today (Tuesday 21), Mike Kirby, Scottish Convenor of UNISON, the largest public service union and Chair of its Glasgow City Branch will denounce the rush to outsource services as a tax scam that abandons democratic control, and allows the council to avoid its legal duty to pay men and women equally.
Mike will say “A recent Glasgow Council report into these ‘arms length external organisations’ admits that these ALEOs are a tax scam, that they lead to loss of democratic control by councillors, and that they can avoid more equal pay claims because they have fewer comparators. So much for the Labour Government’s public sector equality duty.”
Mike will also point to the farce created by an earlier outsourced organisation when the Glasgow Housing Association Ltd awarded one of their repairs and maintenance contracts to a private building company – Connaught, only to find they couldn’t meet the contract specifications on covering the workforce pensions.
Mike will say “Connaught had to be sacked and that workforce returned to their previous employer – City Building, after they spent 2 days travelling around the city – from Hampden Park, to Connaught, to GHA, to Glasgow City Council.”
Moving the composite motion on Public Services, Mike will also point to the huge waste of taxpayers money being paid to management and IT consultants to recommend efficiencies and shared services. Billions of pounds that should have been spent on the services themselves. The composite will set out a charter to defend and build on the public service consensus in Scotland.
.
UNISON, the main union representing Glasgow council staff, has condemned that council’s increasing reliance on outsourced trusts and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) to deliver public services. Currently around 15,000 staff are employed by nine LLPs, trusts and partnerships in Glasgow.
In a speech to the Scottish TUC in Perth today (Tuesday 21), Mike Kirby, Scottish Convenor of UNISON, the largest public service union and Chair of its Glasgow City Branch will denounce the rush to outsource services as a tax scam that abandons democratic control, and allows the council to avoid its legal duty to pay men and women equally.
Mike will say “A recent Glasgow Council report into these ‘arms length external organisations’ admits that these ALEOs are a tax scam, that they lead to loss of democratic control by councillors, and that they can avoid more equal pay claims because they have fewer comparators. So much for the Labour Government’s public sector equality duty.”
Mike will also point to the farce created by an earlier outsourced organisation when the Glasgow Housing Association Ltd awarded one of their repairs and maintenance contracts to a private building company – Connaught, only to find they couldn’t meet the contract specifications on covering the workforce pensions.
Mike will say “Connaught had to be sacked and that workforce returned to their previous employer – City Building, after they spent 2 days travelling around the city – from Hampden Park, to Connaught, to GHA, to Glasgow City Council.”
Moving the composite motion on Public Services, Mike will also point to the huge waste of taxpayers money being paid to management and IT consultants to recommend efficiencies and shared services. Billions of pounds that should have been spent on the services themselves. The composite will set out a charter to defend and build on the public service consensus in Scotland.
.
Monday, 20 April 2009
Budget must tax the greedy, not cut public services - UNISON
Date: 20 April 2009
Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary of UNISON – the public service union – will today (Monday 20 April) tell delegates at the Scottish TUC that the economic crisis must be paid for by fairer taxation, and more investment in public services..
In a hard-hitting speech on the first day of 2009’s Scottish TUC in Perth, Matt will point out that the crisis has been caused by relying on a ‘get rich quick’ philosophy, and that the proponents of that philosophy are still arguing for the failed policies of deregulation and attacks on the public sector.
Matt Smith, will say:
“The richest one per cent in our society have doubled their share of total income since the 1980s. Today, they pocket more money than the entire workforces of the NHS, state education and local government put together. And they pay back nothing like their fair share of tax. Almost £20 billion is lost from the money to pay for our services every year because of the use and abuse of ‘tax havens’.”
He will go on to call for a budget that closes these tax avoidance loopholes, reject the ‘free market’ and say that the government must invest those funds in regenerating the economy, providing loans and mortgages and protecting those on low pay and on benefits. This should be done by supporting communities to keep as many as possible in useful employment.
Matt Smith will say:
“There is no more efficient way to promote a better society than by directing funds to meet unmet needs and to employ those who are cast aside by the actions of others. Government must listen when working people call for a just society that rejects free market economics.”
ENDS
Note for editors:
Matt will be speaking at the Scottish Trades Union Congress, meeting in Perth from Monday 20 – Wednesday 22 April. The debate will take place on Monday morning shortly after 11.00am. The STUC represents over 650,000 working people in Scotland.
.
Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary of UNISON – the public service union – will today (Monday 20 April) tell delegates at the Scottish TUC that the economic crisis must be paid for by fairer taxation, and more investment in public services..
In a hard-hitting speech on the first day of 2009’s Scottish TUC in Perth, Matt will point out that the crisis has been caused by relying on a ‘get rich quick’ philosophy, and that the proponents of that philosophy are still arguing for the failed policies of deregulation and attacks on the public sector.
Matt Smith, will say:
“The richest one per cent in our society have doubled their share of total income since the 1980s. Today, they pocket more money than the entire workforces of the NHS, state education and local government put together. And they pay back nothing like their fair share of tax. Almost £20 billion is lost from the money to pay for our services every year because of the use and abuse of ‘tax havens’.”
He will go on to call for a budget that closes these tax avoidance loopholes, reject the ‘free market’ and say that the government must invest those funds in regenerating the economy, providing loans and mortgages and protecting those on low pay and on benefits. This should be done by supporting communities to keep as many as possible in useful employment.
Matt Smith will say:
“There is no more efficient way to promote a better society than by directing funds to meet unmet needs and to employ those who are cast aside by the actions of others. Government must listen when working people call for a just society that rejects free market economics.”
ENDS
Note for editors:
Matt will be speaking at the Scottish Trades Union Congress, meeting in Perth from Monday 20 – Wednesday 22 April. The debate will take place on Monday morning shortly after 11.00am. The STUC represents over 650,000 working people in Scotland.
.
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Glasgow Council refuses UNISON attempt to resolve Community Service strike
For immediate release
Date: Thu 16 April 2009
Offenders sentenced to Community Service in Glasgow, are still sitting at home following the refusal of the City Council to involve ACAS in the fourteen-week long Community Service Supervisors dispute. The 21 UNISON members have been on strike since 6 January, following the refusal of the Council to pay them the right rate for the job. Despite attempts by UNISON to refer the dispute to conciliation, Glasgow City Council has refused to discuss the dispute with ACAS
UNISON Branch Secretary Brian Smith accused Glasgow City Council of treating the striking workers with "contempt".
He said: "Glasgow City Council has refused to formally involve ACAS as a third party, which we requested in an effort to resolve this dispute. We have waited six months for information on how the Council evaluated these jobs, yet they have refused to even answer basic questions. The Council is trying hard to make this a "forgotten strike".
"Meanwhile, the pay grades of council senior managers who faced wages cuts have all been sorted in the last few weeks. It's as if there is one rule for the bosses and another for the workers. Now we hear that private agencies are in discussions with the Council as part of the so-called 'service reform' to deliver some of the services which our members provide.
"The contempt with which Glasgow City Council has treated the Community Service Supervisors is unbelievable. Our members perform a vital service and they now feel as if they are being victimised by the Council for pursuing a legitimate claim. After fourteen weeks of strike action, our members remain determined to win their dispute."
ends
Note for editors:
The 21 Community Service Supervisors in Glasgow oversee offenders working in the community. The City Council’s refusal to settle the strike has meant that this important alternative to prison in Glasgow has been suspended since the strike began on 6 January 2009.
.
Date: Thu 16 April 2009
Offenders sentenced to Community Service in Glasgow, are still sitting at home following the refusal of the City Council to involve ACAS in the fourteen-week long Community Service Supervisors dispute. The 21 UNISON members have been on strike since 6 January, following the refusal of the Council to pay them the right rate for the job. Despite attempts by UNISON to refer the dispute to conciliation, Glasgow City Council has refused to discuss the dispute with ACAS
UNISON Branch Secretary Brian Smith accused Glasgow City Council of treating the striking workers with "contempt".
He said: "Glasgow City Council has refused to formally involve ACAS as a third party, which we requested in an effort to resolve this dispute. We have waited six months for information on how the Council evaluated these jobs, yet they have refused to even answer basic questions. The Council is trying hard to make this a "forgotten strike".
"Meanwhile, the pay grades of council senior managers who faced wages cuts have all been sorted in the last few weeks. It's as if there is one rule for the bosses and another for the workers. Now we hear that private agencies are in discussions with the Council as part of the so-called 'service reform' to deliver some of the services which our members provide.
"The contempt with which Glasgow City Council has treated the Community Service Supervisors is unbelievable. Our members perform a vital service and they now feel as if they are being victimised by the Council for pursuing a legitimate claim. After fourteen weeks of strike action, our members remain determined to win their dispute."
ends
Note for editors:
The 21 Community Service Supervisors in Glasgow oversee offenders working in the community. The City Council’s refusal to settle the strike has meant that this important alternative to prison in Glasgow has been suspended since the strike began on 6 January 2009.
.
Saturday, 4 April 2009
UNISON urges public service investment and anti-racism in European campaign
Date: Sat 4 April 2009
UNISON -Scotland's largest public service union - today (Sat 4/4) launches its manifesto for the forthcoming European parliamentary elections. The document calls for the EU to co-ordinate increased public sector investment to tackle the economic recession, and for it to take a lead in tackling racism across Europe.
Mike Kirby, UNISON's Scottish Convenor, said:
"While it would have been fairer for the G20 to agree a substantial global fiscal stimulus, including investment in increased public sector works and direct support for those hit hardest by recession, it is now crucial that these policies are adopted at European or failing that, at national level."
The union has published a manifesto that will be launched today at its Scotland-wide meeting of branches in Glasgow. This is being publicised via the internet and [email] to its 160,000 Scottish members - urging them to compare the policies of political parties standing in the election before they vote on 4 June. Another key policy called for by the union, is to tackle racism in Scotland, and across Europe.
Mike Kirby said:
"We have seen recent attempts by the far-right to turn genuine job grievances into attacks on migrant workers, and we know how they can exploit fears in a recession. The EU needs to ensure they tackle this racism, and UNISONScotland will be campaigning strongly against the BNP and other ultra right organisations wherever and whenever they seek to peddle their lies."
.
UNISON -Scotland's largest public service union - today (Sat 4/4) launches its manifesto for the forthcoming European parliamentary elections. The document calls for the EU to co-ordinate increased public sector investment to tackle the economic recession, and for it to take a lead in tackling racism across Europe.
Mike Kirby, UNISON's Scottish Convenor, said:
"While it would have been fairer for the G20 to agree a substantial global fiscal stimulus, including investment in increased public sector works and direct support for those hit hardest by recession, it is now crucial that these policies are adopted at European or failing that, at national level."
The union has published a manifesto that will be launched today at its Scotland-wide meeting of branches in Glasgow. This is being publicised via the internet and [email] to its 160,000 Scottish members - urging them to compare the policies of political parties standing in the election before they vote on 4 June. Another key policy called for by the union, is to tackle racism in Scotland, and across Europe.
Mike Kirby said:
"We have seen recent attempts by the far-right to turn genuine job grievances into attacks on migrant workers, and we know how they can exploit fears in a recession. The EU needs to ensure they tackle this racism, and UNISONScotland will be campaigning strongly against the BNP and other ultra right organisations wherever and whenever they seek to peddle their lies."
.
Friday, 3 April 2009
Hartley decision - UNISON reaction
Date: Friday 3 April 2009
Commenting on the Tribunal's ruling on Agenda for Change, Mike Jackson, UNISON's Senior National Officer for Health, said:
"The old NHS pay system was unfair. It took years of negotiation and a lot of commitment from our members to implement the new system.
"The Tribunal has now agreed that it does what it set out to do deliver - equal pay. "It is a fairer and more transparent pay system."
.
Commenting on the Tribunal's ruling on Agenda for Change, Mike Jackson, UNISON's Senior National Officer for Health, said:
"The old NHS pay system was unfair. It took years of negotiation and a lot of commitment from our members to implement the new system.
"The Tribunal has now agreed that it does what it set out to do deliver - equal pay. "It is a fairer and more transparent pay system."
.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Resource lesson needs to be learned from child protection inspections - UNISON
Date: Friday 27 March
The social work inspection system is failing to address the chronic shortage of resources in child protection services, UNISON, the union representing the vast majority of Scotland's social services staff, will tell a Child Protection Conference in Edinburgh today (27 March).
"While it is right that high standards are expected in child protection, they cannot be achieved without the tools to do the job", said John Stevenson, a member of UNISON Scotland's Social Work Issues Group who will be a panel member in one of the conference sessions.
In the wake of the 'Baby P' tragedy and inspection reports in Scotland, the Holyrood conference, The future of child protection in Scotland - the role of social services will discuss the 'systemic' changes needed throughout Scotland's children's services.
"It is right that we look at systems. It is right that we inspect and improve practice to make children safer. But it misses the point totally if we do not address the root problem of too few resources to match too many children at risk", said Mr Stevenson.
"You only have to divide the number of children assessed as being in need with the number of social workers available across Scotland to see where the problem lies. Our members want to work to high standards. They want to be accountable and most of all they want to protect children. But they tell us that too often they are being asked to do this with one hand tied behind their back".
"Inspections rightly point to practice and leadership issues but they never explicitly address resources. To ignore the fact that there are too few people to achieve the standards we all want just covers up the problem", he added.
A UNISON UK-wide survey of social work staff, published in January 2009, identified reduced resources, staff vacancies, increased caseloads, inadequate supervision, remote leadership, lack of focus on the rights of the child, agencies passing the buck to social work and excessive bureaucracy with a lack of admin support as issues making things worse than they were six years ago.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
1) the Holyrood Conference takes place in The Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.
2) The UNISON survey is announced on http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/2009/janfeb/2601.htm , and available on http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B4416.pdf
.
The social work inspection system is failing to address the chronic shortage of resources in child protection services, UNISON, the union representing the vast majority of Scotland's social services staff, will tell a Child Protection Conference in Edinburgh today (27 March).
"While it is right that high standards are expected in child protection, they cannot be achieved without the tools to do the job", said John Stevenson, a member of UNISON Scotland's Social Work Issues Group who will be a panel member in one of the conference sessions.
In the wake of the 'Baby P' tragedy and inspection reports in Scotland, the Holyrood conference, The future of child protection in Scotland - the role of social services will discuss the 'systemic' changes needed throughout Scotland's children's services.
"It is right that we look at systems. It is right that we inspect and improve practice to make children safer. But it misses the point totally if we do not address the root problem of too few resources to match too many children at risk", said Mr Stevenson.
"You only have to divide the number of children assessed as being in need with the number of social workers available across Scotland to see where the problem lies. Our members want to work to high standards. They want to be accountable and most of all they want to protect children. But they tell us that too often they are being asked to do this with one hand tied behind their back".
"Inspections rightly point to practice and leadership issues but they never explicitly address resources. To ignore the fact that there are too few people to achieve the standards we all want just covers up the problem", he added.
A UNISON UK-wide survey of social work staff, published in January 2009, identified reduced resources, staff vacancies, increased caseloads, inadequate supervision, remote leadership, lack of focus on the rights of the child, agencies passing the buck to social work and excessive bureaucracy with a lack of admin support as issues making things worse than they were six years ago.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
1) the Holyrood Conference takes place in The Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.
2) The UNISON survey is announced on http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/2009/janfeb/2601.htm , and available on http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B4416.pdf
.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
UNISON welcomes investigation into Glasgow job evaluation
Thursday 26 Mar 2009
UNISON today welcomed the decision of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to investigate classroom assistants' pay in Glasgow.
Around two-thirds of all classroom assistants in Scotland are UNISON members and the union is pursuing several thousand equal pay claims on their behalf across the country.
UNISON has been an active supporter of the Scotland-wide investigation since 2005 and UNISON members have already submitted a wealth of information to the EHRC.
UNISON's Glasgow Branch Convenor, Mike Kirby, said "Classroom assistants are a hidden army of talented and dedicated workers whose value is often overlooked. We trust the investigation will help us to deliver the wages they deserve."
UNISON withdrew from job evaluation in Glasgow due to concerns about the quality of the process. Management wrote the role profiles and they overlooked the complex demands members face. The appeals process has left classroom assistants' concerns unresolved so the union welcomes the chance of access to an independent view.
ENDS
UNISON today welcomed the decision of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to investigate classroom assistants' pay in Glasgow.
Around two-thirds of all classroom assistants in Scotland are UNISON members and the union is pursuing several thousand equal pay claims on their behalf across the country.
UNISON has been an active supporter of the Scotland-wide investigation since 2005 and UNISON members have already submitted a wealth of information to the EHRC.
UNISON's Glasgow Branch Convenor, Mike Kirby, said "Classroom assistants are a hidden army of talented and dedicated workers whose value is often overlooked. We trust the investigation will help us to deliver the wages they deserve."
UNISON withdrew from job evaluation in Glasgow due to concerns about the quality of the process. Management wrote the role profiles and they overlooked the complex demands members face. The appeals process has left classroom assistants' concerns unresolved so the union welcomes the chance of access to an independent view.
ENDS
Sunday, 22 March 2009
UNISON Scotland calls on Euro candidates to make pledge for World Water Day
Date: Friday 20 March 2009
Embargo: 00.01am Sunday 22 March 2009
Sunday 22 March is World Water Day. Across the world campaign groups will be highlighting the importance of clean water and sanitation. UNISON, Scotland’s water trade union is supporting that campaign by asking European Parliament candidates in the June election to sign up to the following pledge:
As in Scotland, 90% of the world's water utilities are publicly owned. Research undertaken by the University of Greenwich (PSIRU) and the World Development Movement has confirmed that the private sector hardly invests in water services when they take over and that most of the large multinational companies have withdrawn from this field of operation. With the financial crisis, several of these companies, including Veolia and Suez Environment, have announced that they will reduce their investment plans. Rather then investing, they are cost-cutting. It is therefore not realistic to believe that the private sector will assist in bringing in investment to reach the Millennium Development Goals.
UNISON Scotland is therefore arguing that the EU should approve and support this pledge in its preparation for the World Water Forum, and make funds available to stimulate public-public partnerships.
UNISON Scottish Organiser Dave Watson said:
“Across the world communities are rejecting the privatisation of water services. Yet in Scotland, despite the economic crisis, we still have a few supporters of market madness who champion this cause. Public water operators bring us closer to meeting the needs of billions who are without regular drinking water and sanitation services. Private companies cannot be allowed to profit from this most basic need”
ends
Notes to editors:
UNISON Scotland has written to all the European candidates from all of Scotland's main political parties: Labour, SNP, LibDems, Conservative and Greens asking them to sign up to our four World Water Day pledges.
The PSIRU research can be found at:
Pipe Dreams - the failure of private sector investment in water services
http://www.psiru.org/reports/2006-03-W-investment.pdf
Sewerage works - about public investment in sanitation services
http://www.psiru.org/reports/2008-03-W-sewers.pdf
UN report
http://webworld.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/index.shtml
UNISON Scotland/STUC report ‘It’s Scotland’s Water’
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/water/scotland's_water.pdf
World Water Day is Sunday 22 March 2009
The European Elections will be on Thursday 4 June 2009
Embargo: 00.01am Sunday 22 March 2009
Sunday 22 March is World Water Day. Across the world campaign groups will be highlighting the importance of clean water and sanitation. UNISON, Scotland’s water trade union is supporting that campaign by asking European Parliament candidates in the June election to sign up to the following pledge:
- To recognise access to safe and clean water and sanitation services as a human right.
- To organise the World Water Forum by the United Nations, rather than a private body like the World Water Council.
- To promote Public-Public Partnerships rather than public-private partnerships.
- To support the maintenance of Scottish Water as a public sector utility.
As in Scotland, 90% of the world's water utilities are publicly owned. Research undertaken by the University of Greenwich (PSIRU) and the World Development Movement has confirmed that the private sector hardly invests in water services when they take over and that most of the large multinational companies have withdrawn from this field of operation. With the financial crisis, several of these companies, including Veolia and Suez Environment, have announced that they will reduce their investment plans. Rather then investing, they are cost-cutting. It is therefore not realistic to believe that the private sector will assist in bringing in investment to reach the Millennium Development Goals.
UNISON Scotland is therefore arguing that the EU should approve and support this pledge in its preparation for the World Water Forum, and make funds available to stimulate public-public partnerships.
UNISON Scottish Organiser Dave Watson said:
“Across the world communities are rejecting the privatisation of water services. Yet in Scotland, despite the economic crisis, we still have a few supporters of market madness who champion this cause. Public water operators bring us closer to meeting the needs of billions who are without regular drinking water and sanitation services. Private companies cannot be allowed to profit from this most basic need”
ends
Notes to editors:
UNISON Scotland has written to all the European candidates from all of Scotland's main political parties: Labour, SNP, LibDems, Conservative and Greens asking them to sign up to our four World Water Day pledges.
The PSIRU research can be found at:
Pipe Dreams - the failure of private sector investment in water services
http://www.psiru.org/reports/2006-03-W-investment.pdf
Sewerage works - about public investment in sanitation services
http://www.psiru.org/reports/2008-03-W-sewers.pdf
UN report
http://webworld.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/index.shtml
UNISON Scotland/STUC report ‘It’s Scotland’s Water’
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/water/scotland's_water.pdf
World Water Day is Sunday 22 March 2009
The European Elections will be on Thursday 4 June 2009
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Striking UNISON community service supervisors lobby Glasgow City Council
Date: Thursday 19 March 2009
UNISON’s Community Service Supervisors in Glasgow are to lobby the City Council tomorrow (Friday 20 March) to seek a resolution to their ten week long strike.
The UNISON members have been on strike since 6 January, following the refusal of Glasgow City Council to pay them the right rate for the job. The union believes that councillors have been sitting on their hands while offenders who should be doing supervised Community Services as an alternative to prison have been sitting at home.
Brian Smith, UNISON’s Glasgow City branch secretary said:
“After ten weeks of strike our members remain solid. The Council should recognise the justice of our members’ claim, and their determination to achieve a fair wage and resist pay cuts. There have been no community service squads in Glasgow this year. The people of Glasgow are entitled to ask why the Council is allowing those sentenced to community service to sit in the house. The Council must make a serious effort to address the issues at the heart of the dispute”.
The lobby will take place on Friday 20 March at 12.30pm, at Glasgow City Chambers.
ENDS
Note for editors: The 21 Community Service Supervisors in Glasgow oversee offenders working in the community. The City Council’s refusal to settle the strike has meant that this important alternative to prison in Glasgow has been suspended since the strike began on 6 January 2009.
.
Thanks for making CVS lobby of Parliament a success
From: Macfarlane, SimonSent: 19 March 2009 12:20
Subject: CVS Lobby of Scottish Parliament and presentation to Petitions Committee - 17th March 2009
Hello
Thanks to all who took part in our activities on Tuesday at the Scottish Parliament and to all who signed the petition and helped with our campaign. The day was a huge success with us getting our message over to many MSPs, we were given the longest slot in front of the Petitions Committee under the current Convenor and we attracted widespread publicity for the issues around fair funding for the voluntary sector and the attacks on our members jobs and conditions.
I attach a number of links below, a couple of which have video clips of our mock funeral, including a link to watch the whole presentation to the Committee should you so wish.
The Convenor said 10 years in to devolution "the next big project, one of them, has to be what we do about this constant anomaly of the voluntary sector". The Committee has agreed to write to a number of bodies including the Scottish Government and will decide in May how to progress it further.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7947039.stm
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/other/display.var.2496164.0.Care_workers_stage_mock_funeral_in_protest_at_wage_cuts.php video clip
http://deadlinescotland.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/trade-unions-stage-dramatic-mock-funeral-outside-scottish-parliament-738/ video clip
http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Protest-mourns-loss-of-jobs.5081361.jp
http://news.stv.tv/home/82806-unions-stage-mock-funeral-outside-scottish-parliament/
http://www.teletext.co.uk/regionalnews/centscotborders/730fdd4429ebad701b6d4d582b324745/Workers+stage+mock+funeral.aspx
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/britain/activists_mourn_job_losses_in_mock_funeral_procession
Finally you can watch the whole presentation to the Committee via this website:
http://www.holyrood.tv/library.asp?iPid=3§ion=43&title=Public+Petitions
Many thanks again and I look forward to working with you to continue to take forward our campaign.
Simon
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Wednesday, 18 March 2009
The Herald: Care workers stage mock funeral in protest at wage cuts
Care workers stage mock funeral in protest at wage cuts
STEWART PATERSON
The Herald March 18 2009
Care workers in the voluntary sector staged a protest outside the Scottish Parliament against cuts in wages yesterday.
Around 50 demonstrators staged a mock funeral for the "death of the voluntary sector", calling for equality of wages and conditions with council and health board staff.
The protesters from unions Unite and Unison paraded a coffin in a glass carriage, pulled by horses, before handing over a petition to Frank McAveety, petitions committee convener.
advertisementThe unions claim staff are receiving pay cuts as local authorities seek to drive down the cost of contracts for care services to achieve budget savings.
A union survey of staff in the voluntary, or third, sector found almost nine out of 10 said their organisation was under increased financial pressure compared to previous years, and almost three-quarters said they had suffered negative effects on wages and conditions as a result of funding cuts.
Roz Foyer, senior regional organiser with Unite said: "This is clearly unacceptable. We want the Scottish Parliament to deliver a framework for public procurement of voluntary sector services. We also need them to scrap competitive tendering.There is now a massive gulf between the voluntary sector and those delivering the same services in the public sector."
Mr McAveety said: "We will take up the issue directly with the Scottish Government and local authorities."
The group was also met by Labour leader Iain Gray, finance spokesman Andy Kerr and other Labour MSPs.
The SNP said the Scottish Government had made more money available to the voluntary sector and urged the campaigners to lobby Westminster as well.
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STEWART PATERSON
The Herald March 18 2009
Care workers in the voluntary sector staged a protest outside the Scottish Parliament against cuts in wages yesterday.
Around 50 demonstrators staged a mock funeral for the "death of the voluntary sector", calling for equality of wages and conditions with council and health board staff.
The protesters from unions Unite and Unison paraded a coffin in a glass carriage, pulled by horses, before handing over a petition to Frank McAveety, petitions committee convener.
advertisementThe unions claim staff are receiving pay cuts as local authorities seek to drive down the cost of contracts for care services to achieve budget savings.
A union survey of staff in the voluntary, or third, sector found almost nine out of 10 said their organisation was under increased financial pressure compared to previous years, and almost three-quarters said they had suffered negative effects on wages and conditions as a result of funding cuts.
Roz Foyer, senior regional organiser with Unite said: "This is clearly unacceptable. We want the Scottish Parliament to deliver a framework for public procurement of voluntary sector services. We also need them to scrap competitive tendering.There is now a massive gulf between the voluntary sector and those delivering the same services in the public sector."
Mr McAveety said: "We will take up the issue directly with the Scottish Government and local authorities."
The group was also met by Labour leader Iain Gray, finance spokesman Andy Kerr and other Labour MSPs.
The SNP said the Scottish Government had made more money available to the voluntary sector and urged the campaigners to lobby Westminster as well.
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Tuesday, 17 March 2009
BBC Scotland: 'Mock funeral' is held over cuts - 12:50pm update
Two trade unions have staged a mock funeral at the Scottish Parliament to protest against the loss of voluntary sector jobs and services. Members of Unite and Unison gathered outside Holyrood dressed in black and accompanied by a horse-drawn hearse.
The groups will later be joined by care charities in urging MSPs on the petitions committee to intervene.
They want the Scottish Government to give support to a "fair funding agreement".
BBC Scotland News: Page last updated at 12:50 GMT, Tuesday, 17 March 2009
More on BBC Scotland News website
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‘Funeral’ for lost jobs and services in Scotland’s voluntary sector
Date 16 March 2009
Embargo: Not for Release before 00.01am 17 Mar 2009
Members of UNISON who work in Scotland’s voluntary sector will gather outside the Scottish Parliament at 11.00 am today (Tuesday 17th March) to mourn the loss of jobs and services, and to warn that if funding is not improved more will follow. UNISON members will be wearing mourning black and will have a horse drawn hearse and coffin to drive home the message to MSPs. This action will be held jointly with Unite the other leading union in Scotland’s voluntary sector.
UNISON’s lobby comes before a delegation comprising UNISON along with the STUC, Unite, the SCVO, and Community Care Providers Scotland, will appear before the Scottish Parliament’s Petitions Committee in support of Petition PE1231. The 4,000 signature petition calls on the Government to ensure that frontline voluntary sector members receive the same pay and conditions as public sector workers through adequate public funding.
Simon Macfarlane, UNISON Scotland’s Regional Organiser for the Community & Voluntary Sector said: “This lobby is to highlight to politicians what is happening on the ground. Vital projects providing lifeline services are being shut and increasing numbers of jobs are being lost. We are mourning what we have already lost and say to the government now’s the time to act. We need fair funding for the voluntary sector and pay and conditions equity for our members.”
Simon Macfarlane continued: “In the current economic crisis Scotland needs a vibrant voluntary sector but that can’t be funded on the cheap. Members currently work in a climate of fear. Funding is more and more precarious and employers are cutting pay and conditions in response to this. This is not only bad news for our members but for those who the voluntary sector supports. In the care sector staff are stressed through threats to their jobs and demoralised by low pay and poor conditions while looking after some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Our members deliver first rate services but they really feel at breaking point. Increasing responsibilities are loaded onto frontline carers with no increased resources. If things don’t change, even in this tough economic climate, dedicated staff will vote with their feet and leave.”
Ends
Note for Editors:
Petition PE1231 calls on the Parliament and Government to implement the principles of the Fair Funding Statement the petitioning bodies signed up to in November 2007. This calls for voluntary sector workers to receive the same pay and conditions as public sector workers, an improved contracting environment and for contracts to be for a minimum of five years.
For Further Information Please Contact:
Simon Macfarlane (Regional Organiser) 07703 194 132 (m)
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0771 558 3729(m)
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
G20 demo London Saturday 28 March
Jobs, Justice, Climate - Put People First!
UNISON is supporting the March for Jobs, Justice, Climate on Saturday 28 March in London, and is urging every member who can attend to do so.
Check out more details on the G20 demo website:http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk/
The aim of the demonstration is to put pressure on the leaders of the G20 group of rich nations meeting in London at the beginning of April, so that in their discussion and decisions they will Put People First!
The Google map below shows the assembly point at Victoria Embankment and where the rally will take place Hyde Park.
View Larger Map
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UNISON is supporting the March for Jobs, Justice, Climate on Saturday 28 March in London, and is urging every member who can attend to do so.Details of times etc:
11am Assemble Victoria Embankment London
12 noon March off to Rally at Hyde Park
2pm Carnival, speakers and entertainment at Hyde Park
4pm expected end of Rally
Check out more details on the G20 demo website:
The aim of the demonstration is to put pressure on the leaders of the G20 group of rich nations meeting in London at the beginning of April, so that in their discussion and decisions they will Put People First!
The Google map below shows the assembly point at Victoria Embankment and where the rally will take place Hyde Park.
View Larger Map
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Sunday, 8 March 2009
Economic crisis is no time to cut local services
Sunday 8 March 2009
The SNP's concordat with councils has now become a straitjacket which is causing cuts in local services to those who need them most, UNISON's Scottish Secretary Matt Smith told the Labour Conference in Dundee.
The UNISON motion on local government cuts states that the financial settlement for Scotland's local councils will lead to real cuts in public services this year with even more damaging threats for next year.
Speaking in support of the motion, Matt said:
"Today in the midst of this financial crisis many are looking to local government to make a difference: to be an economic generator; to look after those who are suffering; and to be the voice of local communities. Yet at this time we find that local authorities are themselves facing crisis. At a time when its services are more than ever required, it is starved of funds and opportunities to increase its income because of the council tax freeze and cuts in business rates."
Matt said:
"Of course we welcome the SNP's abandonment of the absurd local income tax, which was never going to be local anyway. But in seeking to pave the way for that policy the Scottish Government set unwelcome and unworkable financial parameters.
"The concordat has become a straitjacket. Every day we see the pressure piling up in local government, with jobs cut, redundancies proposed, hours of work reduced and services threatened. Year on year we experience not only underfunding but backtracking on policies from classroom sizes to town centre regeneration. We experience the uncertainty it provides to those employed in the services. And we see the impact on the most vulnerable."
Matt called on the Scottish Labour Party to restate the value of local government and campaign to improve local services, to recognise and fairly reward local government workers, and to recognise that "a financial crisis is no time to reduce services to those who need them most."
ENDS
Notes for editors:
UNISON Scotland's resolutions to Scottish Labour Party Conference 2009 can be found at the UNISON Scottish Labour Link pages on our website
www.unison-scotland.org.uk/labourlink/
Details of the UNISON Scotland campaign Public Works: a programme to beat the recession is also available on the UNISON Scotland website
www.unison-scotland.org.uk/
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The SNP's concordat with councils has now become a straitjacket which is causing cuts in local services to those who need them most, UNISON's Scottish Secretary Matt Smith told the Labour Conference in Dundee.
The UNISON motion on local government cuts states that the financial settlement for Scotland's local councils will lead to real cuts in public services this year with even more damaging threats for next year.
Speaking in support of the motion, Matt said:
"Today in the midst of this financial crisis many are looking to local government to make a difference: to be an economic generator; to look after those who are suffering; and to be the voice of local communities. Yet at this time we find that local authorities are themselves facing crisis. At a time when its services are more than ever required, it is starved of funds and opportunities to increase its income because of the council tax freeze and cuts in business rates."
Matt said:
"Of course we welcome the SNP's abandonment of the absurd local income tax, which was never going to be local anyway. But in seeking to pave the way for that policy the Scottish Government set unwelcome and unworkable financial parameters.
"The concordat has become a straitjacket. Every day we see the pressure piling up in local government, with jobs cut, redundancies proposed, hours of work reduced and services threatened. Year on year we experience not only underfunding but backtracking on policies from classroom sizes to town centre regeneration. We experience the uncertainty it provides to those employed in the services. And we see the impact on the most vulnerable."
Matt called on the Scottish Labour Party to restate the value of local government and campaign to improve local services, to recognise and fairly reward local government workers, and to recognise that "a financial crisis is no time to reduce services to those who need them most."
ENDS
Notes for editors:
UNISON Scotland's resolutions to Scottish Labour Party Conference 2009 can be found at the UNISON Scottish Labour Link pages on our website
www.unison-scotland.org.uk/labourlink/
Details of the UNISON Scotland campaign Public Works: a programme to beat the recession is also available on the UNISON Scotland website
www.unison-scotland.org.uk/
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Friday, 6 March 2009
PFI car parking contractors in line for £170,000 windfall - UNISON
Date: 6 March 2009
The parking contractors that run the car parking at Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary, are set to make around an extra £170,000 profit because of government actions to tackle the credit crunch, according to Scotland’s healthcare union, UNISON today.
Speaking at the Scottish Labour Party Conference in Dundee this morning, UNISON delegate, Morag Houston said:
“Our Lothian Health Branch has just found out that the private contractors who run the car parking at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary are cashing it in on the back of the government’s decision to reduce VAT by 2.5% this year. Because this has not been included in the contractual details – either with the parking sub-contractors Meteor, or with the main contractor, Consort – they are charging £70,000 to recalibrate their parking machines to take off that 2.5%, and will charge a further £70K to change them back when the VAT reverts to 17.5%! And that is after they have already made an extra £29,000 because they haven’t already changed the machines to reduce the extra 2.5%.”
UNISON, was backing a motion giving support to the private member’s bill proposed by Paul Martin MSP, which, if successful, would make charging for car parking illegal throughout Scotland’s NHS, including in PFI funded facilities.
Tam Waterson, Chair of UNISON’s Lothian Health Branch said:
“It is exactly this kind of contractual inflexibility and profiteering at the expense of our NHS, which UNISON has campaigned against from the first days of PFI. We need to get behind Paul Martin’s bill to deal with the scandal of car parking charges imposed on those who are sick, their families and friends and the staff who care for them, but more than that – we need to continue to fight to get rid of this expensive, inflexible and inefficient way of funding our vital public works – whether it is called, PFI, PPP or SFT.”
The motion was passed.
ENDS
Note for editors:
You can see video footage of Paul Martin MSP launching his bill in January with the support of UNISON members at http://www.youtube.com/user/UNISONScotland.
For Further Information Please Contact:
Malcolm Burns (Information Dev Officer) 07876 566 978(m)
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0771 558 3729(m)
Morag Houston (UNISON Delegate – LP Conference)- please contact Chris Bartter
Tom Waterston (UNISON Lothian Health Branch Chair) 07753 627 575(m)
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The parking contractors that run the car parking at Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary, are set to make around an extra £170,000 profit because of government actions to tackle the credit crunch, according to Scotland’s healthcare union, UNISON today.
Speaking at the Scottish Labour Party Conference in Dundee this morning, UNISON delegate, Morag Houston said:
“Our Lothian Health Branch has just found out that the private contractors who run the car parking at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary are cashing it in on the back of the government’s decision to reduce VAT by 2.5% this year. Because this has not been included in the contractual details – either with the parking sub-contractors Meteor, or with the main contractor, Consort – they are charging £70,000 to recalibrate their parking machines to take off that 2.5%, and will charge a further £70K to change them back when the VAT reverts to 17.5%! And that is after they have already made an extra £29,000 because they haven’t already changed the machines to reduce the extra 2.5%.”
UNISON, was backing a motion giving support to the private member’s bill proposed by Paul Martin MSP, which, if successful, would make charging for car parking illegal throughout Scotland’s NHS, including in PFI funded facilities.
Tam Waterson, Chair of UNISON’s Lothian Health Branch said:
“It is exactly this kind of contractual inflexibility and profiteering at the expense of our NHS, which UNISON has campaigned against from the first days of PFI. We need to get behind Paul Martin’s bill to deal with the scandal of car parking charges imposed on those who are sick, their families and friends and the staff who care for them, but more than that – we need to continue to fight to get rid of this expensive, inflexible and inefficient way of funding our vital public works – whether it is called, PFI, PPP or SFT.”
The motion was passed.
ENDS
Note for editors:
You can see video footage of Paul Martin MSP launching his bill in January with the support of UNISON members at http://www.youtube.com/user/UNISONScotland.
For Further Information Please Contact:
Malcolm Burns (Information Dev Officer) 07876 566 978(m)
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0771 558 3729(m)
Morag Houston (UNISON Delegate – LP Conference)- please contact Chris Bartter
Tom Waterston (UNISON Lothian Health Branch Chair) 07753 627 575(m)
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Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Councils key to solving housing crisis - UNISON
Date: 4 March 2009
UNISON – Scotland’s housing union – today urged the Scottish Government to allow councils to bid for housing grant on an equal basis with Registered Social Landlords (RSL) in order to increase the amount of affordable housing in Scotland and create a more stable housing market. The union, which has over 10,000 members in Scotland’s housing services, has released a briefing to all its branches in Scotland calling for extended protection for mortgages, a moratorium on repossessions, and to develop new types of housing associations that don’t rely on subsidies from house sales.
Dave Watson, UNISON’s Scottish Organiser said: “The main problem for Scotland’s housing is a lack of affordable houses for rent. We welcomed the increased funding for new housing released in 2007, but it must be realised that this only led to a start in new council housing (432 homes started in 2007).
“We need to re-balance Scotland’s housing so that there are more and better affordable options, and we don’t rely on home ownership as the only game in town. To do this we need to ensure that there is a level playing field - making funding available for council house building on the same basis as other RSL’s, so they can add to the affordable housing options available to people.”
UNISON is also concerned that the increase in repossessions and defaults on mortgages in the owned sector will need further government action. The union is looking for a short-term moratorium on repossessions like that suggested by Barak Obama, and for the government to extend the Mortgage Rescue Package.
Dave Watson said: “Our members are no different from the population as a whole. They are threatened with job losses, mortgage defaults and repossessions. If predictions are correct they could lead to one family having their home repossessed every seven minutes next year. Both the UK and Scottish Governments need to raise their game to provide further protection urgently.”
ENDS
For Further Information Please Contact:
Dave Watson (Scottish Organiser) 07958 122 409(m)
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0771 558 3729(m)
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UNISON – Scotland’s housing union – today urged the Scottish Government to allow councils to bid for housing grant on an equal basis with Registered Social Landlords (RSL) in order to increase the amount of affordable housing in Scotland and create a more stable housing market. The union, which has over 10,000 members in Scotland’s housing services, has released a briefing to all its branches in Scotland calling for extended protection for mortgages, a moratorium on repossessions, and to develop new types of housing associations that don’t rely on subsidies from house sales.
Dave Watson, UNISON’s Scottish Organiser said: “The main problem for Scotland’s housing is a lack of affordable houses for rent. We welcomed the increased funding for new housing released in 2007, but it must be realised that this only led to a start in new council housing (432 homes started in 2007).
“We need to re-balance Scotland’s housing so that there are more and better affordable options, and we don’t rely on home ownership as the only game in town. To do this we need to ensure that there is a level playing field - making funding available for council house building on the same basis as other RSL’s, so they can add to the affordable housing options available to people.”
UNISON is also concerned that the increase in repossessions and defaults on mortgages in the owned sector will need further government action. The union is looking for a short-term moratorium on repossessions like that suggested by Barak Obama, and for the government to extend the Mortgage Rescue Package.
Dave Watson said: “Our members are no different from the population as a whole. They are threatened with job losses, mortgage defaults and repossessions. If predictions are correct they could lead to one family having their home repossessed every seven minutes next year. Both the UK and Scottish Governments need to raise their game to provide further protection urgently.”
ENDS
For Further Information Please Contact:
Dave Watson (Scottish Organiser) 07958 122 409(m)
Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0771 558 3729(m)
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Tuesday, 3 March 2009
STV coverage of social worker role was excellent
Colleagues may have already seen tonights STV news where SWIG colleagues were interviewed following the Brandon Muir murder trial.
You can find the news piece here and follow other links to interviews
http://news.stv.tv/home/80041-man-found-guilty-of-culpable-homicide-of-dundee-toddler/
A further interview was done by ITN and will be broadcast on tonights 10pm news, we are advised.
http://www.itv.com/News/Ten/default.html
The STV coverage was excellent and we are hopeful that ITN will be as balanced in terms of the role of the social worker.
Regards,
Mandy McDowall
Regional Organiser, UNISON
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You can find the news piece here and follow other links to interviews
http://news.stv.tv/home/80041-man-found-guilty-of-culpable-homicide-of-dundee-toddler/
A further interview was done by ITN and will be broadcast on tonights 10pm news, we are advised.
http://www.itv.com/News/Ten/default.html
The STV coverage was excellent and we are hopeful that ITN will be as balanced in terms of the role of the social worker.
Regards,
Mandy McDowall
Regional Organiser, UNISON
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