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…

UNISON welcomes end of employment tribunal fees in Scotland

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…

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…

Key questions in The Public Services Election

In the third of a series of articles, UNISON Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby lays out UNISON’s plan to get our members’ issues at the centre of the election debates.

 "This is the Public Services Election. The outcome will have a huge impact upon UNISON members, their families, communities and the public services in which we work, to protect the disadvantaged and provide a better quality of lifeRead more…

Christmas message from Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish secretary

2014 was a significant year and we should be rightly proud of the role UNISON played in the independence referendum. We led the debate for a fairer and just Scotland. Thank you to UNISON members, activists, staff and supporters for the way you conducted yourselves throughout. We showed, once again, the importance of trade unions in shaping the country we live in

Public services remain a keyRead more…