UNISON Scotland attacks council grant cuts

Thursday 9 December 2010

UNISON, Scotland’s largest local government trade union, today attacked the grant settlement for local government as bad for services, communities and democracy.

The settlement means a cut of 5.5% in real terms. Councils are given a classic Hobson’s choice. A cut of 2.6% if they accept the Government’s priorities, or a 6.4% cut if they don’t. If any council wanted to bridge the gap with a Council Tax rise they would need an increase of between 15% and 18%. Not a realistic political prospect for any council.

UNISON Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby said:

“This settlement will damage essential services and the local economy. It also heralds a return to ring fencing and a major attack on local democracy. Councils are being turned into the administrative arm of central government.”

The main Scottish Government priority is the Council Tax freeze. This undermines local democracy and the shortfall is increasingly being made up by charges for services. This disproportionally hits low income households who rely on council services, yet it is the wealthiest who gain most from this real terms tax cut.

Mike Kirby said:

“The Council Tax freeze is simply not viable in the current financial climate. It supports wealthy homeowners at the expense of those who rely most on local services. The Scottish Government is keen to talk up this tax cut as part of its election strategy, but less keen to identify the services that will be cut to pay for it.”

The actual financial impact on local services will be greater than this allocation implies. Councils are already planning budget cuts and job losses over and above this grant settlement due to higher inflation, reducing income, rebuilding balances and demand for services in a recession.

UNISON Scotland will be calling on councils to protect services by setting a needs budget and publishing local economic and equality impact assessments.


ends

For further information please contact:
Mike Kirby (Scottish Secretary) 07939 143355
Dave Watson (Scottish Organiser) 07958 122409


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False Economy website and video: why the cuts are wrong

Check out the False Economy website http://falseeconomy.org.uk/ from the people who brought you The Other Taxpayer's Alliance http://www.taxpayersalliance.org  - the good one! And here's their video about Why the cuts are wrong.


Why cuts are the wrong cure from False Economy on Vimeo.


More on Scotland from STUC's There Is A Better Way
and UNISON Scotland's Public Works


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STUC: There is a Better Way Campaign to be debated in the Scottish Parliament

From STUC, Mon 29 Nov 2010:

"The STUC's 'There is a Better Way Campaign' will be debated in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 2nd December at 5pm. Elaine Smith MSP has tabled a Member’s motion for debate. This has received considerable support.

"Please contact your MSPs (regional and constituency) to urge them to attend the session at Parliament. If your MSPs have not yet signed the Motion, please ask them to do so."

Scottish Parliament Resolution S3M-07227
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Scottish Labour): 
There Is a Better Way

That the Parliament commends the STUC on the launch of its There is a Better Way campaign; believes that deep, savage and immediate cuts are neither unavoidable nor inevitable and that they would actually threaten economic recovery *across Scotland and in areas such as Coatbridge and Chryston*; further believes that a sensible and sustainable response to the current economic crisis is to promote growth and ensure fairness through creating jobs and protecting services, through fair taxation and a living wage, and *would welcome widespread support for the STUC campaign*.

Supported by: Bill Butler, Dr Bill Wilson, Jackie Baillie, Patrick Harvie, Pauline McNeill, John Park, Patricia Ferguson, Marlyn Glen, Rt Hon George Foulkes, Rhona Brankin, Bill Kidd, Cathy Jamieson, Mary Mulligan, Mr Frank McAveety, Ken Macintosh, Michael McMahon, Bob Doris, Sandra White, Sarah Boyack, Karen Whitefield, Dr Elaine Murray, Charlie Gordon, Rhoda Grant, Des McNulty, David Whitton, James Kelly, Cathy Peattie, Malcolm Chisholm, Brian Adam, Jamie Hepburn, Maureen Watt, Hugh Henry, Linda Fabiani, Stuart McMillan, Joe FitzPatrick, Marilyn Livingstone, Dave Thompson, Robin Harper


You can find your MSPs here:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/MSPAddressPostcodeFinder.htm
You could also supply your MSPs with additional information about the impact of public spending cuts locally and in your industry, and encourage them to raise particular points in the debate on Thursday in the Parliament.

In the Member’s parliamentary debate there is no vote taken, but a Scottish Government Minister will respond to points raised in the discussion.

ATTEND THE DEBATE 5pm THURSDAY 2nd DECEMBER
Please also encourage your members to come along and fill the public gallery. This will help raise the profile of the campaign and highlight the concerns of many groups and trade unions in Scotland.

Details for Visitor tickets to the Parliament :
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/visitingHolyrood/chamberTickets.htm#chambertickets
PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON, THANK YOU

Ann Henderson
Assistant Secretary
STUC

Mobile: 07875 208167
Email: ahenderson@stuc.org.uk


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UNISON's Better Way - some of the first 20,000 reasons to Mobilise

UNISON Scotland members and supporters formed a main part of the STUC's 20,000-strong There is a Better Way march and rally in Edinburgh on Saturday 23 October 2010.  Here are some of the reasons why they were demonstrating against the ConDem cuts and for a Better Way to fund our vital public services. And here are reasons for members to get involved in UNISON Scotland campaigns - Public Works: and the Mobilise 2010 campaigning event on 19-21 November in Glasgow.

(See UNISON Scotland site http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/ for more info)


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UNISON on the Edinburgh demo - NHS Glasgow Clyde CVS branch

Here's the UNISON NHS Glasgow Clyde and CVS branch video of yesterday's 20,000 strong march in Edinburgh, as featured on UNISON Scotland YouTube channel


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Sunday Mail: 20,000 Scots take to streets of Edinburgh to protest against spending cuts

Oct 24 2010 Mark Aitken, Sunday Mail

THOUSANDS of Scots marched in protest at Government spending cuts yesterday as Treasury axeman Danny Alexander battled to justify them.

More than 20,000 joined a rally in Edinburgh to oppose the spending review announced by the Con Dem coalition on Wednesday.

Union leaders warned of strike action over the slashing of public services, which will see Scotland lose around £3billion over the next four years.

Up to 50,000 of the 500,000 public service jobs under threat will be lost in Scotland and the same number could go in the private sector.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress organised the rally and general secretary Grahame Smith said: "If members decide that the best way is to take industrial action then they will do that. I'm not saying that as a threat, but as a fact.

"We want to work constructively with employers but if they are not willing to do that then members will take action to protect their rights."


Full story at Sunday Mail website

More UNISON pics and story to follow here on this blog and on UNISON Scotland website.  


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STV: 20,000 take part in Edinburgh cuts protest

23 October 2010 12:39 GMT

 
More than 20,000 people took to the streets of Edinburgh in a demonstration against cuts to public services.

The march and rally took in unions, political groups and concerned members of the public in a show of unity against the UK Government's spending review.

Organised by the Scottish Trades Union Congress, it aimed to highlight fears about the impact of Chancellor George Osborne's savings package.

Huge cuts amounting to about £81billion across the UK were unveiled on Wednesday - and Scotland is expected to lose about £3 billion over the next four years.

The colourful procession gathered outside City of Edinburgh Council headquarters and stretched at its peak along the entire route to Princes Street Gardens, exceeding organisers' expectations.


Full story at STV website

More UNISON pics and story to follow here on this blog and on UNISON Scotland website.  

BBC Scotland: Unions protest in Edinburgh over public sector cuts

23 October 2010Last updated at 15:09 

 

A rally in Edinburgh to protest at public sector cuts was attended by more than 20,000 demonstrators.

Union group the STUC arranged the event to demonstrate against measures in the UK government's Spending Review.

STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said: "We launched this campaign to dispel the myth that there is no economic alternative to these cuts.

"There is an alternative. Get people back to work, get the economy growing again, and the public finances will largely take care of themselves.

"We also launched this campaign to expose the lie that it is those with the broadest shoulders that will bear the brunt of the cuts."

Union leaders said they had been "overwhelmed" by the response to the protest rally attended by people from across Scotland.

See full story at BBC Scotland News

More UNISON pics and story to follow here on this blog and on UNISON Scotland website. 


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STUC predicts major turnout for There is a Better Way march and rally in Edinburgh

Thousands of trade unionists, community activists and members of general public will join the STUC-led 'There is a Better Way' march on Saturday 23 October.

STUC General Secretary, Grahame Smith said:
“Given that we called this event as a launch rather than an end point for our campaign, we are both surprised and delighted by the response we are receiving - not just from our members but from wider Scottish society.

“The intensity of the response will only increase when the implications of the Comprehensive Spending Review sink in over the next two days.

“You only have to look at the list of organisations attending and sending supportive messages to understand the depth of anger and growing level of support for the campaign.”

Notes:
On 23rd STUC will announce a range of future protest activities as well as committing to joint campaigning work with Scotland’s key civic and community organisations.

March details:
Arrangements
The march musters 11.00am at East Market Street Edinburgh at the south side of Waverly Station.
The march will set off at 11.30am. It will travel a route along Princes Street.At approximately 12.30am the march will assemble at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Gardens.The rally will begin at some stage between 12.30 and 1pm depending on the size of the march.



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