The Tory government has taken an innovative approach in reducing child poverty. Instead of maintaining a target set by the last Labour government to eliminate child poverty by 2020, it’s…Read more…
Stand up for school librarians, says UNISON Scotland
Date: Monday 21 December 2015UNISON Scotland has called on councils and Scottish Government to do more to protect school librarians. UNISON says the evidence is that local councils are seeing school library services as a soft target to meet budget cuts and are cutting school library services across Scotland. UNISON has made a submission in support of School Libraries Petition PE 1581 to theRead more…
UNISON Scotland reaction to ministerial statement on draft 2016/17 budget
Date: Wednesday 16 December 2015
Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish Regional Secretary said,
‘UNISON Scotland recognises that Tory austerity limits the options available in the Spending Review. However, it is unacceptable that yet again local government is bearing the brunt of cuts. We are now in the 8th year of the council tax freeze that limits how councils can choose to respond to austerity. ThisRead more…
Let’s work together
Local government workers from Edinburgh and Glasgow city councils are calling on Holyrood MSPs to work with them in tackling an estimated £15bn billion debt crisis across Scotland’s councils. …Read more…
#COP21: UK austerity out of step with Paris climate talks
The French Presidency has finally got to grips with the UN climate negotiations, setting up a Paris Committee aiming to conclude all outstanding matters by 6pm on Thursday. All further negotiations will be closed and focused on brokering deals, includi…Read more…
Cuts by a new name
After months of criticism from all sides, Chancellor George Osborne finally caved in on tax credits in his autumn statement last week, pledging to reverse cuts that would see Britain’s poorest…Read more…
Save ‘jewels in the crown’
Unite Community members in Huddersfield have vowed to “keep fighting for properly funded public libraries” after Kirklees Council pushed through major cuts in the service. In…Read more…
ICT should focus on providing better services not cuts, says UNISON report
Date: Monday 30 November
2015
A UNISON Scotland report Disconnected,
published today, 30 November 2015, claims that ICT services should focus
on better services. The report highlights that ICT systems are all too
often seen as a way of providing cheaper rather than improved public
services.
This UNISON report is qualitative research ofRead more…
Take us seriously Mr Cameron
Dear David Cameron, As a 14 year old in state education, I’m often surrounded by a wide diversity of young people all from an array of different backgrounds both financially and culturally….Read more…
Osborne forced to u-turn
Osborne went to Parliament to attempt to undo the damage his last budget did to his political fortunes. Time will tell if he has managed it. Tax credit cuts that would have hit 3.3m low…Read more…
UNISON Scotland e-briefing on Autumn Statement – Osborne forced to abandon savage tax credit cuts
25 Nov 2015
UNISON Scotland e-briefing on Autum Attement online now…
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/e-briefing_UKAutumnStatement_Nov2015.pdf
"The UK highlights include the abandonment of the savage Tax Credit cuts, following the government’s defeat
in the House of Lords. Higher tax receipts and lower borrowing costs helped meet this cost. However, from
2018 claimants will switchRead more…
Tax credits u-turn will bring huge relief to working families – UNISON
Wed 25 Nov 2015
Nearly three million working families countrywide have breathed a collective sigh of relief, says UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis.Commenting on the announcement today (Wednesday) that the Chancellor is to reverse his planned cuts to tax credits, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said:“Nearly three million working families countrywide have breathed a collective sigh ofRead more…
A ‘wild experiment’ on UK
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey accused the chancellor of a ‘Frankenstein’ experiment that puts his ideological commitment to a surplus above the needs of the British people. Responding…Read more…
Big lottery robbery
Young people’s mental health interventions, women’s refuge projects and food banks could come under threat as the government may well look to cut £320m from the Big Lottery Fund. The services that…Read more…
Hidebound by ideology
George Orwell once noted, “Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” It perfectly sums up…Read more…
A blueprint for growth
Addressing a packed hall of students at York University (November 19) Unite general secretary Len McCluskey spoke about the positive economic policies needed to kick-start British industry and create…Read more…
Fare treatment please
George Osborne is being warned the impact of looming government cuts to bus services will see the country “grind to a halt.” Local bus services – which account for almost two thirds of public…Read more…
Swindon Council to ’empower’ local people by denying them power to decide on parishes
At the Council meeting yesterday I asked a couple of questions on the Community Governance Review which will consider whether to introduce parishes into all the non-parishes areas of the town. Question 1: “Will the administration make a commitment that no area of the town, which currently does not…Read more…
WOWPetition to assess full impact of all cuts to support & social care for disabled people
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Solidarity with Greek unions on strike today
The Greek trade union confederations, GSEE in the private sector and ADEDY in the public sector, have called a 24-hour General Strike today (12 November) against the latest round of austerity…Read more…