We’re nearing the end of the parliamentary process of the controversial Trade Union Bill. It has been a bruising experience for the government, lasting longer than they had hoped, and with a successions of embarrassments, defeats and concessions along the way. Much is still up for grabs, but…Read more…
Cuts to Further Education must be reversed
#STUC16 The STUC will campaign for the new Scottish Government to provide colleges with sufficient funding to return to meeting the full range of educational needs in their local communities.
It will also call for the protection of, or improvement in, the terms and conditions of college staff.
UNISON’s James Corry, backing the Fife TUC motion, asked Congress to celebrate the recent lecturers’Read more…
Let’s give disabled young people the chance they deserve
#STUC16 Disabled young people are massively under-represented in apprenticeships and Congress delegates backed a wide-ranging campaign to address the difficulties they face, to support their educational attainment and to make sure more can access apprenticeships.
Supporting the motion UNISON’s Morag Houston told delegates that times are hard for all our young people – but they are doubly hardRead more…
UNISON welcomes government change of heart over check-off
Commenting on the announcement in the Lords today (Tuesday) that the government is no longer to stop unions from collecting members’ subs via their pay packets, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis…Read more…
Govt’s house of cards
First it was cuts to tax credits, then the raid on disability benefits – and now measures in the Housing Bill are facing defeat. The government’s proposed policies, all taking aim at those who are…Read more…
GIRFEC must not become a tick box exercise – our children deserve better
#STUC16 The STUC condemned cuts to education which so often follow on from council cuts, especially attacks on support staff numbers which damage the learning experiences of our most vulnerable young people and called for action to protect education funding.
Supporting the SSTA motion, UNISON’s Susan Kennedy pointed out that the Scottish Government continues with their commitment to providingRead more…
Cuts to emergency services put staff and communities at risk
#STUC16 The STUC will press the Scottish Government to adequately fund the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and to properly staff their control rooms, currently being cut from eight to three.
UNISON Police Staff’s George McIrvine spoke in support of the FBU motions and drew parallels with the move to a single police force in Scotland.
He pointed out that, like Police Scotland, the primaryRead more…
Report from GPM&IT NISC April 2016
The committee, which covers the Graphical, Paper, Media & IT industries, met Monday and Tuesday. This is a summary of some key points. I’ve not included most of the industrial detail (and some other points) in my report because not everything is appropriate to post publicly. For jargon, see…Read more…
Tories: On the workers’ side?
The so-called National Living Wage, first announced last year, was offered up as proof that the Tory government was, in fact, on the side of working people. “We back work,” said prime minister…Read more…
No more excuses – time to address Scotland’s housing crisis
#STUC16 The STUC will press the incoming Scottish Government to back Shelter Scotland’s campaign for a radical programme to build more affordable and social rent homes. It will also campaign for such a building programme to create directly employed construction jobs and apprenticeships.
Supporting, UNISON’s Mark Ferguson told delegates that it is a national scandal that estimates show thereRead more…
Public private finance – secret and eye-wateringly expensive
#STUC16 The STUC will call for an independent enquiry into PFI/PPP funding models for public sector building work, as well as into the Edinburgh schools contracts which has led to such disruption for pupils, families and staff.
Seconding an emergency motion from the EIS, UNISON’s Susan Kennedy told delegates that the issues raised around PPP by what has happened in Edinburgh go well beyond aRead more…
Use your vote on 5 May
Jobs and public services – the most important issues at the elections on 5 May
The article Use your vote on 5 May first appeared on the UNISON site.Read more…
UNISON congratulates Merthyr Tydfil council’s wage rise decision
Labour council raises pay for lowest-paid staff to £8.39 per hour
The article UNISON congratulates Merthyr Tydfil council’s wage rise decision first appeared on the UNISON site.Read more…
STUC health and safety award for UNISON’s Scott Donohoe
#STUC16 Scott Donohoe, UNISON Scotland health and safety chair, has been presented with this year’s STUC Frank Maguire Award for Health and Safety.
Scott has been health and safety officer for Glasgow City UNISON for 14 years and is seconded from his employer, Glasgow City Council and is passionate about health and safety, an interest that has seen him play a leading role in his union’s workRead more…
UNISON members join People’s Assembly march in London
Student nurses take their fight to save the NHS bursary back onto the capital’s streets
The article UNISON members join People’s Assembly march in London first appeared on the UNISON site.Read more…
Young workers worth ‘better than zero’
#STUC16 Young members were joined by other STUC delegates and TUC president Liz Snape in demonstrating for ‘Better than Zero’ workers’ conditions outside Café Nero in Dundee this morning.
Like some other businesses, Café Nero have made staff pay for the discriminatory so-called national living wage by a penny-pinching claw back of conditions like paid breaks and snacks. Under 25s don’tRead more…
Local government executive to explore help for school support staff
Government plans to force all schools to become academies are just one issue facing support staff
The article Local government executive to explore help for school support staff first appeared on…Read more…
A quick note on Leave.EU’s creative accounting
The Chancellor’s statement yesterday, on the costs of Brexit has provoked some creative accounting from the Brexit campaign. Their response is built on two highly questionable statistics combined with a statement of such devil-may-care chutzpah that it seems almost heroic. Let’s take their most…Read more…
We need politicians to be bold in opposing austerity
#STUC16 The STUC has backed a UNISON and GMB 10 point plan for decent public services which are key to ‘reducing poverty and economic inequality.’
UNISON’s Stephen Smellie told delegates there was a broad political consensus in Scotland against austerity but words were not enough.
“We must insist that Scottish politicians can’t hide behind the ‘it’s all the fault of the Tories and we can’t doRead more…
Procurement at the heart of strong manufacturing sector
#STUC16 UNISON’s Carol Ball threw the spotlight on procurement as Congress set out an ambitious plan to end the stagnation of manufacturing in Scotland through a long-term industrial strategy.
Joining the criticisms of the Scottish Government’s ‘A Manufacturing Future for Scotland’ plan, Carol told delegates that this really is a missed opportunity for a much needed comprehensive manufacturingRead more…