There IS an alternative - UNISON Scotland strategy conference 4 September 2010 - video

There IS an alternative: Dave Prentis, Mike Kirby and participants at UNISON Scotland's strategy conference 4 September 2010

See also:
unison-scotland.blogspot.com/2010/09/weve-got-argument-weve-got-alternatives.html
www.unison-scotland/publicworks



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IFS Budget Report - UNISON steps up campaign against cuts

25 August 2010


UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector trade union, today vowed to step up its campaign to protect vital public services against Government cuts, in the wake of the latest research* highlighting the deeply regressive nature of the Government’s budget that is hitting the poorest hardest.

Following the budget, the union accused the Government of declaring war on public services and public service workers calling it “the most draconian budget in decades”, and called for fairer taxation, a transaction tax on banks and action against tax havens and dodgers.

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:
“There is no compassion in this coalition. The Chancellor’s claims that his budget was fair and progressive have been blown out of the water. Well he didn’t fool us then and he’s not fooling anyone now. That is why UNISON is stepping up its campaign to protect the vital public services that the vulnerable and needy rely on most, ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

“The Tories always revert to type. They are still the party that clobbers those on the lowest incomes, whilst helping the rich to get richer. It is a disgrace that children from low-income families are the ones paying the price for this bankers’ recession.

“UNISON has long been warning that the Tories plans would hit the poor hardest. Many families are already struggling to cope with the fall out from the recession, and things will only get worse.

“The Comprehensive Spending Review will pile more misery onto families, with more local communities set to lose vital services. The cost of everyday essentials such as fuel and food are already rising, with inflation and VAT hikes in the pipeline. This spells danger for low-income families, who spend the lion’s share of their money on everyday essentials.”


http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=1960




*IFS Research – Distributional effect of tax and benefits reforms.




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Families to bail out banks - Prof Ruth Lister

Families to bail out banks

"The government has decided that women, families and children will bear the brunt of cutting the deficit," Ruth Lister, head of social policy at Loughborough University told a TUC forum last week.

Although the government claims that the emergency budget is fair, the combined effect of changes to benefits and service cuts is hitting the poorest hardest, especially low paid women workers and their families.



 
Full report at:
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=6264


Sign up for UNISON's Million voices campaign:
A million voices for public services

Big Society = Big cop out, warns UNISON

Date: 19 July 2010


Commenting on the launch of David Cameron’s ‘big society’, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest public service union, said:

“Cameron’s “big society” should be renamed the “big cop out.” Make no mistake this plan is all about saving money. And it will cost even more jobs and lead to more service cuts.

“The Government is simply washing its hands of providing decent public services and using volunteers as a cut-price alternative. We don’t want jumble sales to provide incubators for babies, we shouldn’t have volunteers taking over our libraries or museums and where are all these people with time on their hands, going to come from? Are we going to pay an army of newly unemployed to help run services?
“Public services must be based on the certainty that they are there when you need them, not when a volunteer can be found to help you.”



News Release at UNISON UK site:
http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=1926
 
 
 
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'Here's how to cut the deficit' UNISON tells PM

8 July 2010

'Here's how to cut the deficit' UNISON tells PM 

* Stop cutting vital public services

* Stop cutting public service jobs

* Cut bankers' bonuses, bring in a Robin Hood tax

* In-house services instead of consultants

* Cut out the privatisation profiteers

 

 

 For more see UK UNISON news release:

 http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=6247

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Rally in sunshine to Stop the Cuts - video

UNISON Scotland public service workers marched in Glasgow on Saturday 10 April with comrades and friends to demonstrate against cuts in public funding. Here's the 4 minute video of the march around Glasgow's west end in glorious sunshine.




And this is Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary, explaining what the demo is all about in just a minute.




More videos at our YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/UNISONScotland

And don't forget to check the UNISON Scotland website: http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk for more on our Public Works and Stop the Cuts campaigns.



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Big business group rattled by UNISON video

Well it is clear who the Tax Dodgers Alliance see as their main opponent in their campaign to attack services for the people of the UK – they have been burning the midnight oil over at their plush offices in the right-wing enclave in Tufton Street (provided free by Avanta, and their Chief Executive David Alberto) to cut and paste their lists of so-called ‘non-jobs’ onto UNISON’s video attacking public spending cuts - which has been posted on the union's Million Voices campaign page http://www.unison.org.uk/million/ .

Utilising the Telegraph blog of Tory MEP Daniel Hannan they have put a response video out in the media to claim (as they always do) that there are loads of non-jobs in the public sector.

Hannan, in case you don't immediately recognise him, is the man who recently rubbished the NHS as a ’60-year mistake’ in America (on Fox news - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiSPRkq28iU - it's worth a look too.)

The so-called Taxpayers' lists of so-called non-jobs are also instructive. Many of them (for all the fancy names) are about dealing with the media. Are they suggesting that the public sector doesn’t have to deal with the misinformation that they and others pump out on a daily basis? Indeed, I notice they themselves have just appointed a ‘New Media Co-ordinator’. I assume that is someone to co-ordinate, ‘new media’ rather than a ‘new’ co-ordinator of all media. So, assuming that someone deals with the ‘old’ media, that means that they have at least two. Well what is sauce for the goose …!

Dramatherapists? – I think most clinicians know the value of therapy in healthcare – obviously the TPA neither knows nor cares. Green jobs – doesn’t surprise me. What are the TPA’s policies on climate change? Do they accept that carbon emissions are increasing global warming or not? Do they think that the polluters are going to reform themselves without regulation? Most people actually think that the public sector should lead the way in reducing carbon emissions and carry out the function of protecting the environment – who do they think should do it? Exxon?

But the one I am most surprised to notice is the ‘Street Football Co-ordinator’. Maybe they think people have forgotten their most widely dropped clanger – but we haven’t. This post was created by Moray Council in 2006 and – two years later - the TPA whipped up its usual froth of righteous indignation about it. However Moray Council’s press office (yes that non-job) had other ideas and put the true story out.

The job was in fact part-time, and therefore the cost was half what the TPA – who had only noticed the top-line salary – claimed. It was only part-funded by the council, the rest being paid by the police, by other agencies and by the private sector – the TPA’s chums – who were delighted that the work was taking kids away from vandalism and other anti social behaviour. So much so in fact that the council has been able to secure funding until later this year –from all the original partners.

So now we know – if you want increased vandalism, environmental damage, poorer healthcare and authorities who are unable to put their views into the media – lets thank the TPA!

Chris Bartter
UNISON Scotland Communications Officer


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Public Service Cuts Hurt: video

The latest Million Voices campaign video from UNISON.

See the Million Voices campaign page here:
http://www.unison.org.uk/million/ and sign up to support us in defending public services.

More UNISON videos at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/UNISONTV
and at the UNISON Scotland YouTube page:
http://www.youtube.com/user/UNISONScotland


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UNISON's Dave Prentis launches Public Works - video

More video at http://www.youtube.com/user/UNISONScotland


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UNISON General Secretary launches Scottish 'Public Works' campaign

Date: Sat 6 Feb 2010

UNISON's general Secretary, Dave Prentis, today launched the public service union's major 'Public Works' campaign fighting back against cuts in public services.

Speaking at a rally in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, he attacked all political parties' 'Macho Politics' and announced that the union's research has uncovered cuts of £300m across Scottish local government with a planned job loss of over 3,000.

"No school cleaner gambled billions on the stock exchange." He said, "None of them created this recession. Why should they be expected to pay for it?"

Dave also pointed to the danger of cuts plunging the economy back into recession as public spending is the only engine of growth we have. "Spending on public services makes sense if you are trying to grow the economy. "

He said, "for every pound spent on public services, 64 pence goes back into the local economy."

Dave made it clear that all the major parties were to blame in a rush to the bottom, but reserved particular criticism for David Cameron's Tories who, he said, hadn't changed

"They are calling for savage cuts - using the crisis to dismantle the welfare state. 20% cut in public expenditure over two years, but tax cuts for the rich . a world of haves and have nots."

He also urged Gordon Brown to learn from President Barack Obama's decision to stand up to American bankers. "Lets hear more about pay freezes for bankers," He said. "Lets hear Gordon calling for every last dime to be paid back to the taxpayer."

The rally, was attended by around 400 UNISON delegates from branches all ac ross Scotland, and invited guests from communities fighting cuts. It agreed to build towards a mass march and rally later in the spring and decided to make public spending a major campaign issue in the forthcoming General Election campaign

ENDS

Note for editors:

UNISON's Public works campaign is part of the union's UK Million voices for change campaign. Details at http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/

UNISON's Alternative Budget can be found at http://www.unison.org.uk/million/resources/Alternative_Budget.pdf

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Warning that shared services are not a panacea for savings - UNISON

Date: Mon 23 November 2009



UNISON, Scotland's largest public service union UNISON today warned that shared services will not necessarily save local councils money, and indeed could cost extra money in the short term.

The union was commenting on the publication of the report by Sir John Arbuthnott that recommends Clyde Valley councils work more closely together and share services to respond to likely cuts in funding.

Mike Kirby - UNISON's Scottish Convenor, said "While UNISON has always been in favour of delivering our public services efficiently, all the evidence is that shared services don't deliver savings in the short term if at all. Indeed they mean increased expense initially as new processes and systems, accommodation and IT have to be bought. The National Audit office suggests it takes on average five years before any savings are seen. We will be looking at this report carefully and in particular we want to ensure that the engagement with the trade unions that Sir John has started, continues as individual councils look at the implications. Upwards of 76,000 jobs are involved in the affected councils."

UNISON also points out that sharing services can also mean centralising services, and that this can remove jobs and accountability from local people.

Mike Kirby said "We need to ensure that increased efficiency doesn't come at the cost of cuts in accountability and damage to local economies. If roads need to be repaired in West Dunbartonshire, would this be better decided locally or in some corporate HQ elsewhere in the central belt?"

"Often jobs created by public services are very important for a local economy - particularly in rural areas. There have been examples abroad where centralisation of services has damaged that. Already in the areas being discussed the percentage of people claiming working-age based benefits is almost 22%, it is important that we don't increase the damage that recession has already brought to ordinary people, or add to the number of people having to claim benefits."


ENDS


Notes for editors: UNISON is running a campaign called 'Public Works' in Scotland, stressing the importance of public services to the delivery of services, and to boosting the economy when coming out of a recession. It is part of the union's UK 'Million Voices for Change' campaign.

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/index.html
 
 
 
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Plinther praises public services during tribute to mother

Date: Fri 25 Sept 2009

A Scottish plinther will pay tribute to the public service that helped his dying mother during his hour on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square on Monday (28 September).

Kevin O’Neil, who works as an area organiser for UNISONScotland, will hold up speech bubbles featuring messages from the UK’s largest public sector union’s Million Voices campaign and its Scottish arm – Public Works - as part of Antony Gormley’s One & Other project.

The campaign is close to the 40-year-old’s heart, as the NHS helped his mother when she suffered a brain tumour.

Mr O’Neil, who started off working as a postman, has been working for the union for six years. He has also completed a number of sponsorship activities for various charities, including running and abseiling, to raise in excess of £17,000.

Mr O’Neil, who lives in Inverkeithing, Fife, said:
“I wanted to say something in memory of my mother, who died seven years ago of a brain tumour. The NHS is an amazing institution and gave her endless support. It is a shining example of how vital public services are, especially during a financial crisis, and I cannot praise the dedication of its staff enough and I know my mother felt the same.

“This is exactly the principles espoused by UNISON’s Public Works campaign and I am proud to be able to support this and add to our Million Voices from the plinth.

“I have always admired Anthony Gormley’s work and think it is fantastic that everyone can be involved in creating a piece of art. After watching the launch of One & Other on television I turned round to my wife and told her I needed to apply and I feel lucky to have been chosen.”

Ends

Notes for editors:

Kevin O’Neil will be appearing on the Plinth in Trafalgar Square, between 4pm and 5pm, on 28 September. UNISON members have been texting, tweeting and logging on to www.unison.org.uk to add their voice to the campaign and a selection of their messages will be read out by Kevin.

The union, which has more than 1.3 million members, is using the Million Voices campaign and Public Works – its Scottish arm, to call for social justice, good jobs and quality public services. The campaign was launched in the UK at UNISON’s Annual Conference and the Scottish launch was yesterday (Thursday 24). This will be taken to all the party conferences during this autumn – including the SNP conference in Inverness where Scottish Convenor, Mike Kirby will address a fringe meeting run jointly with APSE (the Association of Public Sector Excellence).

Kevin’s oneandother page is at http://www.oneandother.co.uk/participants/Inverkev;
the Public Works site is at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/adayinthelife.pdf

See also www.unison-scotland.org.uk/comms/diary.html

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Public service cuts will increase costs for ordinary families and delay recovery - UNISON

Date: Thurs 24 Sept 2009

A headlong rush to cut and privatise public services will lead to delays in coming out of recession, said the public service union UNISON today.

'Public Works', the Scottish arm of the union's 'Million Voices for change' campaign, is launched today with a leaflet demonstrating the importance of public services to everyone's lives and pointing to the huge costs that would fall on people if public services were not available.

Matt Smith - UNISON's Scottish Secretary, said:
"'A day in the life...' follows an average woman through her day and points out our dependence on public services - from water and sewerage, through environmental health and refuse collection, to education and health care, it is not only the disadvantaged who rely on public services, but all of us."

"If these services are cut back or privatised the increased costs of paying for them individually can only increase the cost burden on hard-pressed families. We estimate the average household gets more than £10,000 a year in benefits and public services. Public delivery provides value for money through economies of scale and stopping shareholders taking profits out of the pot. A year's domestic waste collection sourced privately would cost around £2,500, and the average cost of a year's education outside the public sector in Scotland is around £8,200."

UNISON is today (Thursday) briefing activists at meetings in Scotland, and will be campaigning to sign up members and non-members to back Scotland's public services at a time when they are under sustained attack from big business.

UNISON points out that cuts in public sector jobs, pay and pensions will only lead to less money being spent to stimulate the economy, and if public services were cut they would order and contract less with the private sector.

Matt Smith said:
"Far from being the drain on the economy argued by those who created the economic crisis, the public sector contracts for supplies and services from the private sector - especially important when private industry faces reduced order books.

"In addition money spent in the economy by public service staff will not be there if we accept the advice of the right wing think tanks to cut jobs, pay and pensions. Now is the time to build a fairer society based on social justice, good jobs and quality public services."

ENDS

Notes for editors:

The union's 'Million Voices' campaign was launched in the UK at UNISON's Annual Conference and will be taken to all the party conferences during this autumn - including the SNP conference in Inverness where Scottish Convenor, Mike Kirby will address a fringe meeting run jointly with APSE (the Association of Public Sector Excellence).

Click here for a pdf of the 'A day in the life...'

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A million voices for change on the plinth

UNISON Scotland's Kevin O'Neil will promote UNISON's Million Voices For Change on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth on 28 Sept.

He will be taking part in Anthony Gormley’s One and Other on Monday 28th September. He will be on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth from 16:00 to 17:00 to promote UNISON’s “A Million Voice for Change” campaign.

He has attached his “plinther” profile, please check it out and if you’re in London on Monday 28th September, then please come along and support him.

If not, then please watch on line and please leave a comment on the One and Other web site for Kevin.

http://www.facebook.com/l/9a590;www.oneandother.co.uk/participants/Inverkev

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