All the union news that's fit to blog...
Over 85% of Scottish local government members voting in their pay ballot have accepted a two year offer with a new Living Wage deal. Staff will now get a 1.5% rise from 1 April 2015 and 1% from April 2016.
Importantly, the Scottish Local Government Living Wage of £7.85 per hour will be put in place before the 1.5% rise, making it £7.97 an hour.
And in April 2016, the Living Wage will beRead more…
A UNISON report from a survey of staff in Scottish colleges, shows real problems caused by funding cuts, the college mergers programme and unaccountable college senior managers – and real concern amongst staff that education services for students are declining. The report Learning the Hard Way is published today (25 September 2015)
Its findings include: over 6 in 10 staff (64%) think collegeRead more…
@PositiveActionH From Positive Action in Housing www.roomforrefugees.com Make a donation here Yes we have room. Over 1,750 households across Scotland and the UK have registered with Positive Action in Housing to host refugees – and growing.
From the Outer Hebrides, to Shetland, to Edinburgh’s Morningside to Glasgow’s Easterhouse to Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham, Cambridge, Oxford, Devon,Read more…
Date: Wednesday 23 September 2015
UNISON Scotland is launching a campaign today (23 September 2015) calling on the Scottish Government, local authorities and public bodies to do all they can to mitigate UK government austerity.The public services trade union is calling for a range of financial and industrial policies to create investment in Scottish infrastructure, green energy production andRead more…
The excellent Take One Action Film Festival starts today. And there are free tickets for 50 UNISON members.
As part of its continued support for Take One Action, the UK’s premier
global justice film festival, UNISON is this year offering free tickets to
selected screenings – but HURRY: this offer is limited to the first 50 members.
Bookings must be made by Friday 18 September.
Take
One ActionRead more…
#scotlandwelcomesrefugees A new website by Scottish Refugee Council on behalf of Scottish Government has been launched You can donate or offer time, skills and housing to support refugees coming to Scotland. http://www.scotlandwelcomesrefugees.scot/Read more…
#TUC15 Speaking at the TUC congress in Brighton, Lilian Macer, Convener of UNISON Scotland, said: "We are delighted that Labour Party has elected a leader who is strongly opposed to austerity. UK Government cuts are hitting people and their public services hard in Scotland, just as they are right across the UK.
"UNISON members can see the damage that austerity is doing first hand. With jobRead more…
Date: Thursday 10 September 2015
UNISON Scotland police staff will call for the suspension ‘all cuts and reforms while we re-think Scottish policing’ at a public meeting in Dundee tonight (Thursday, 10 Sept 2015, 7pm). Shadow justice spokesperson Graeme Pearson MSP is travelling the country speaking to rank and file officers, civilian staff, community groups, victim support staff and othersRead more…
Tuesday 8 September 2015
UNISON, the trade union for Scotland’s library staff, has published a report ‘Read It and Weep’, which outlines the experience of those working in Scotland’s libraries. It raises the concerns and difficulties of staff who are simultaneously being expected to expand services while being in the front line of cuts. The report is based on qualitative research from UNISONRead more…
UNISON Scotland local government committee refugee welcome photos are now online. They can be downloaded through www.unison-scotland.org.uk and clicking onto our Picasa site.
Kate Ramsden, UNISON member, shows her support
The power of these pictures is that these are the local government workers who will plan, organise, manage and deliver the services that refugees so badly needRead more…
PDF leaflet to download and print
Football supporters at tonghts Scotland v Germany game at Hampden Park, Glasgow, are urged to tweet Refugees Welcome images…
From Scottish Football Supporters Association: http://scottishfsa.org/sfsa-set-to-show-support-for-refugees-before-crucial-eur0-2016-qualifier/
Scotland supporters will display a “Refugees Welcome” banner before tonight’s UEFA EURORead more…
UNISON delegates from local government branches across Scotland took time out from their conference in Glasgow today to say "Refugees welcome here".
UNISON Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby welcomed the leadership shown by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and opposition leader Kezia Dugdale as they united in the Scottish Parliament to pledge humanitarian support.
Mike had issued a stark warningRead more…
In April 2015 we said: Migrant rescue cut ‘indefensible in its inhumanity’.
“We must also seek to change the approach of the UK to immigration, creating a better more humane system that recognises our responsibilities in the world,” said Mike, adding that the UK is not doing enough to provide refuge to people who are displaced by conflict.
“In Syria, alone, close to four million refugees haveRead more…
Thu 3 September 2015
UNISON welcomes the findings of the HMICS Independent Assurance Review Police Scotland – Call Handling Interim Report. UNISON has fully engaged in this review and has encouraged police staff to participate as fully as they can. The review found that staff at all levels in the division are ‘strongly committed in often challenging circumstances to providing a good service toRead more…
Wed 2 Sep 2015
UNISON has welcomed the Scottish Government announcement that it intends to abolish fees for employment tribunals in Scotland.This announcement comes the week after UNISON vowed to go to the UK Supreme Court in its ongoing fight to appeal against the UK government’s decision to introduce employment tribunal fees across the UK – after the Court of Appeal rejected UNISON’sRead more…
UNISON Scotland is showing our colours by supporting
the Stop
Climate Chaos Scotland Climate March on Saturday 28 November.
On that weekend around the world, millions will be
marching to put pressure on world leaders for an ambitious deal at the UN
climate negotiations in Paris in December.
Scotland’s Climate March is in Edinburgh, with
other marches taking place in Wales onRead more…
In today’s Scotsman, UNISON’s Dave Watson contrasts the industrial relations culture in Scotland with the latest Tory attack on trade unions in the Trade Union Bill.He gives a short history of how this different culture has developed since devolution, particularly in the public sector – the main target of the Bill. He also makes the case for the type of workplace democracy the Tories want toRead more…
UNISON and the other SJC trade unions have been in negotiations with the Scottish Employers for a number of months on the issue of pay. We submitted a claim in November last year, the headline of which was an increase of £1 per hour. Unfortunately we were unable to convince the employers to make a flat rate increase in this pay round. It was also the case that the employers were prepared to offerRead more…
West Dunbartonshire Anti-Austerity Day, Saturday 12 September, 12 noon – 3 PM, Hub Community Centre, Kilbowie Road, Clydebank. Come and hear local and national speakers put the alternative to austerity
music from Pauline Bradley
free teas, coffee, juice and snacks
stalls.
Speakers from the People’s Assembly and STUC Youth Committee.
Local speakers
UNITE – Charlie MacDonald
UNISON – Thomas O’BrienRead more…
Thursday 27 August 2015This announcement is unsurprising. Chief Constable Sir Stephen House was put in an impossible position. The problems which beset Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Board are not down to one individual. They will not be fixed by his departure.The Scottish government’s arbitary political target of maintaining police officer numbers should be ended, as it is leading toRead more…