SCCS Rally for the Climate – 27 May at the Scottish Parliament

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland is holding a Rally for the Climate on Wednesday May 27 at the Scottish Parliament as part of its ‘For the Love of’ campaign.

UNISON members are urged to take part, even if you can’t attend on the day, by telling First Minister Nicola Sturgeon what you love that is at risk from climate change, and that the Scottish Government needs to do more to cut emissions.Read more…

May Scotland in UNISON now online

Election special, Health conference reports, Glasgow strikers and reports from UNISON at the STUC on TTIP, local government, pay, union rights, poverty, environment, child care, BME workers, ethical care charter, flexible working, pay and much more. Take your copy into your workplace and share it or see it online at at http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/siu/index.html and on issuu at http://Read more…

Make work fair for parents and give children decent childhoods, say UNISON and Child Poverty Action Group

CPAG, Scotland’s most high profile child poverty charity, and UNISON, Scotland’s biggest trade union have joined together to call on political parties to lay out policies to tackle in-work poverty.

The call comes as the two organisations release their report Fair Work and Decent Childhoods – policies for those who work to live lives free of poverty. They call for investment in the socialRead more…

Civil society groups demand ethical public procurement

UNISON Scotland is involved in launching the new #10Asks on procurement today. Here’s the press release:<!–[endif]–>

Civil society groups demand ethical public procurement

New public procurement rules in Scotland should help tackle
tax dodging, blacklisting and climate change, according to a coalition of civil
society coalitions.

International development charities,Read more…

Additional support needs are stretched to the limit

#STUC15. Additional support
needs for pupils, particularly those who start at a disadvantage, are stretched
to the limit with children not getting the support they are entitled to.

That
was the concern expressed by UNISON’s Susan Kennedy at the STUC 2015. Susan was speaking in support of an
EIS motion on additional support needs and local authority cuts.

Susan
said ‘Once again,Read more…

Workers Memorial Day – Remember the dead, but fight for the living

"Remember the dead, but fight for the living" is the rallying cry for International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD) today. It commemorates those workers across the world who died as a consequence of their work. There are events planned in Scotland and across the world today.
 
Over 20,000 people die every year because of their work; most of these because of exposure to dangerous substances. SoRead more…

UNISON condemns colleges for ‘hiding’ £99m in arms length foundations

Thursday 23 April 2015

UNISON Scotland has condemned colleges for moving £99m into ‘Arms Length Foundations’ while cutting student services and ignoring low pay.

UNISON welcomes research by the Educational Institute for Scotland, which shows that while £99m has been siphoned off into off campus bank accounts. The sector has cut staff by 9.3% (over the last three years alone). And over 300Read more…

Migrant rescue cut ‘indefensible in its inhumanity’

#stuc15 Delegates mourned the terrible tragedy of the 950 migrants drowned as their ship capsized off the coast of Libya just before the start of the Congress and gave overwhelming support to an emergency motion condemning the trade of people trafficking but also the reduction in search and rescue operations which is having a dramatic consequence on loss of life.

The STUC will campaign for anRead more…

Foodbanks: Solidarity not charity

#stuc15 The rise of foodbanks in the 6th richest country in the world is a national scandal and the STUC will continue to campaign vigorously against austerity, low pay and benefit sanctions which see so many people reliant on them.

It will also work to support foodbanks with advice on trade union and employment rights until the need for them can be eradicated.

Supporting the motion, UNISON’sRead more…

Poorer students are being failed

#STUC15. Too many students in Scotland drop out of full time education due to inadequate financial support.

Speaking on behalf of a motion from the Annual STUC Youth Conference, UNISON Scotland’s Ryan Boyle said that ‘students from poorer backgrounds are being failed’

Ryan supported the STUC Youth Conference motion calling for significant investment in further education support, increasedRead more…

Change society so women can live free from violence

#stuc15 Gender equality is at the root of violence against women and girls and the STUC will campaign to keep this issue at the heart of the agenda for all public bodies in Scotland. Delegates commended the Scottish Government’s “Equally Safe” strategy and the STUC pledged to lend its full support to groups campaigning to build a Scotland free from violence against women and girls.

SupportingRead more…

Call to challenge gender equality in apprenticeships

#stuc15 The STUC will press the Scottish government to work with them to tackle gender inequality in apprenticeships and to encourage women to take on apprenticeships in under-represented sectors.

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary also committed to taking up incidents of abuse in the apprenticeship sector in his capacity as a board member of Skills Development Scotland.

Seconding theRead more…

End 1 in 5 children living in poverty in Scotland

#stuc15 is appalled that 100,000 children live in poverty in Scotland and called on both the UK and Scottish Governments to adopt polices that will tackle the scourge the of child poverty across Scotland.

The STUC called for a review of the benefit system to ensure that it acts as a genuine safety net against poverty; and  a wider provision of good quality, affordable childcare to improveRead more…

Tackling poverty to tackle education inequalities

#stuc15 Poverty affects the education and life chances of our children, and delegates condemned the disgrace of one in five Scottish children living in poverty and will campaign for additional resources to tackle educational inequalities, for the full implementation of the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Strategy and for better training for teachers and other school staff on the effects ofRead more…

STUC call on University governors to reflect diversity of staff

#stuc15 The STUC has called on Scottish Government to legislate for all university governing bodies to have a chair elected by all staff and students, ensure they are representative of the university and wider community – including a quota for women members; and include reserved places for trade union representatives.

UNISON Scotland’s Davena Rankin backing the University and College UnionRead more…

Attempt to take over transport police is another ‘polishambles’

The STUC will vigorously oppose Scottish Government plans to absorb the specialist British Transport Police (BTP) into Police Scotland and delegates were dismayed that the announcement of these plans was made without any public consultation.

Supporting an emergency motion from the RMT, George McIrvine of UNISON Scotland’s Police Branch told delegates that although there have been rumours thatRead more…

House building and living rent to fix housing crisis

#stuc15 The STUC is to call for a major house building programme, focussing especially affordable and council housing, not only to meet need but also to boost employment and the economy. It also called for work with Shelter, other charities, community groups, and the People’s Assembly, to build a broad based campaign to support a living rent.

UNISON Scotland’s Susan Kennedy, backing the USDAW,Read more…

Return power to local councils to act on services

#stuc15 The STUC overwhelmingly backed a range of measures to rebuild local democracy. It will press the Scottish Government to provide resources to ensure strong local democracy and to return to councils greater control over local taxes and powers to take services back in-house.

Moving the composite on behalf of UNISON and the GMB, Depute Convener, Stephen Smellie called for a return to theRead more…