‘Listen to the Scottish Government - come and talk to us’ UNISON tells Aberdeen City Council

Friday 28 January 2011

Aberdeen City UNISON has welcomed the Scottish Government’s intervention over Aberdeen City Council’s proposal to make more than 900 people compulsorily redundant. UNISON says its door is always open to the Council if it has new proposals to avoid compulsory job losses in the city.

John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, said today that it is "important" that Aberdeen City Council should "fully consider" the Scottish Government’s approach to avoid compulsory redundancies. Mr Swinney said he was working on a framework agreement that provides an assurance of no compulsory redundancies based on the delivery of flexibility in the workforce.

Karen Davidson, branch secretary for Aberdeen City UNISON said: "We have always been willing to talk about other ways to achieve budget efficiencies rather than sacking people. Over the last three years UNISON has co-operated with Aberdeen City Council to achieve reductions in staff numbers and cut spending.

"We have been very disappointed at the Council’s recent refusal to discuss realistic alternatives to compulsory redundancies - I hope that the Council will now listen to the Scottish Government and enter into meaningful talks with us.

"Obviously any proposals have to be acceptable to our members, who’ll be fully consulted on any new ideas that the Council comes up with to save money but also save jobs.

"UNISON wants to protect public services in Aberdeen and we need a financially stable Council – we do not think that sacking over 900 people will achieve either of these things so we’re willing to talk to our employer about alternatives."

Mike Kirby, Regional Secretary of UNISON said: "John Swinney said today that the Scottish Government’s priority is to maintain headcount as far as possible in the public sector. Throwing more than 900 hard working, dedicated council staff out of their jobs in Aberdeen flies in the face of that.

"UNISON and other unions have been working hard with the Cabinet Secretary and COSLA to reach agreement on avoiding compulsory redundancies and we’ve made good progress.

"Aberdeen City Council is very isolated at the moment in their approach to this issue but UNISON is still willing to engage positively with them. I hope that the Council will knock on our door soon with some reasonable new alternatives to compulsory job cuts."


ends


Note for editors: 


What John Swinney said in Parliament
Friday 28 January 2011
In response to a question from Lewis Macdonald, MSP for Aberdeen Central, in the Scottish Parliament today, Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "I am working on the creation of a framework that will provide an assurance on the avoidance of compulsory redundancies based on the delivery of flexibility in the workforce to enable us to manage the financial constraints we face. The priority and aspiration for the agreement I am working to secure is to ensure that we can maintain headcount as far as possible in the public sector... On Mr Macdonald’s specific point about Aberdeen City Council I have of course discussed with the council the issues that have been raised publicly over the last few days. It is a matter for the Council to consider, but it is important that it fully considers the approach the Government has taken."



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Aberdeen: Employer has treated staff 'with contempt'

Commenting on Aberdeen City Council's announcement of 900 compulsory redundancies, UNISON Branch Secretary Karen Davidson has said: "We have already started the process for potential industrial action. There have been no negotiations. It was a political decision to demand this 5 per cent pay cut. It was either we accepted it or rejected it and our members have rejected it."

"The workforce are deeply disappointed and disillusioned by the council's decision. The employer has treated them with contempt and it looks as if we are bound for confrontation with the council." http://www.scotsman.com/news/Workers-threaten-to-bring-Aberdeen.6702250.jp

Speaking on the BBC's Newsnight Scotland, UNISON Regional Organiser Sarah Duncan said, "We will challenge them (the council) at every opportunity on the extent and number of redundancies".

She added, "Staff  are unsettled and  unhappy and extremely demoralised". She stressed that this was not a blueprint for other councils which may be 'better managed' than Aberdeen and pointed out that Aberdeen had already been through previous rounds of voluntary redundancies

Commenting on the council's previous attempt to break workers' contracts of employment by abolishing increments, she said "No other council has been foolish enough to propose that. No other council has been foolish enough to ask staff to take a pay cut to pay for job cuts".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007rhvm

UNISON Scotland's 'Public Works' campaign challenges some of the myths put forward by David Watt of the Institute of Directors Scotland on the programme. For example...

Public service job cuts affect the whole economy
For every one job cut in the public sector at least one is lost in the private sector. (Treasury report Guardian 29 June) Cuts don’t just damage essential services, they damage the whole economy.

About 70p of each £1 a public service worker earns is spent in their own community. Pay cuts and job losses will damage local businesses and local jobs. Not just services lost but at least 900 less people in Aberdeen paying taxes and buying in the local shops.

Cuts don’t just mean job losses.
They will mean cuts in the quality of our children’s education and the standards of our health service. Cuts attack the fabric of society.
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/tellapal.html

Anger at unnecessary 900 compulsory redundancies in Aberdeen

900 compulsory redundancies in Aberdeen: Anger from UNISON who says job losses unnecessary. See Newsnight Scotland tonight - full report tomorrow 25 Jan 2011

UNISON condemns savage cuts being imposed on Glasgow’s colleges

Friday 21 January 2011

UNISON says the savage cuts being imposed across Glasgow’s colleges will have a devastating impact on employers, families and entire communities.

Last month the Scottish Funding Council announced that colleges across the country must reduce their budgets by more than 10 per cent this year alone. College bosses have already indicated that this will lead to a loss of courses, a loss of staff and, in turn, a loss of educational opportunities for students.

UNISON’s City of Glasgow branch says it will continue to oppose cuts and says it will not rule out industrial action if forced job cuts are imposed.

Jim Snell, of UNISON’s City of Glasgow branch, said:

“Cutting funding for higher and further education will not help to rebuild the economy. These cuts will not only affect students, it will affect employers, families and entire communities.

“We want to work with colleges to protect our services and ensure there is no need for forced job cuts, however, if compulsory redundancies are imposed we will not rule out industrial action.

“UNISON will continue to oppose cuts, as every cut affects the services we can provide to our students. Scotland’s students didn’t cause this crisis, so why should they be left to pay the price for the bankers’ mistakes?”



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Strathclyde Police staff under threat: UNISON's Gerry Crawley on BBC Scotland website

In response to Strathclyde Police proposals to cut jobs UNISON Scotland Regional Organiser Gerry Crawley commented to BBC Scotland as follows:

Unison branch officer Gerry Crawley said that if Strathclyde Police did not achieve its savings targets up to 800 civilian posts could go in addition to 400 police posts.

"Our big fear is that there is going to be compulsory redundancies," he said.

"The only decision that the police authority took today was to effectively cut the voluntary redundancy package on offer to staff.

"Although the cash offer is still unaffected the pension terms have been reduced. How do they expect to achieve 600 voluntary redundancies this way?"
 
Strike threat

Mr Crawley said Unison had agreed to make a joint approach, with Strathclyde Chief Constable Stephen House, to the Scottish government over the cash crisis facing the force.

He said the scale of the cuts being implemented meant that industrial action "could not be ruled out" and pledged to "fight for every job" under threat.

The scale of the projected budget shortfall facing Strathclyde Police is likely to become clearer after the Scottish government's spending review in October.

The voluntary redundancy package on offer to staff will run until the end of October.

Once the uptake is known, with the likely projected budget shortfall, the force will have to decide whether to pursue voluntary redundancy of support staff.

If any industrial action is called in response to such a decision it is likely to be next year.



(see Strathclyde Police to cut 600 civilian staff  26 August 2010 Last updated at 17:01  on BBC Scotland News website for full story)


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UNISON reaches out to community in campaign against cuts

Date: Thurs 21 January 2010


Glasgow City Council’s largest trade union is to reach out to community organizations and the people of Glasgow to build a broad campaign against the public service cuts being proposed by the council and its arms length trusts and companies.

The 12,000 strong city branch are organizing an open meeting for trade unions, public service workers, community organisations and the citizens of Glasgow on Saturday 23 January @ 11am, UNISON Branch office, 4th Floor (lift), 18 Albion Street, Candleriggs, Glasgow.

Cuts proposed by the council across Glasgow include:
* 12 Community Centres, a Pool and a Library to close
* Cuts in home care services and support to disabled people
* Welfare rights jobs lost and community workers cut by 50%
* Grants to voluntary and community organisations cut by 20% by 2013
* Over 600 jobs in the city lost

UNISON Branch Secretary Brian Smith said “Neither the people of Glasgow nor public service workers caused this economic crisis and they should not have to pay to bail out irresponsible bankers. UNISON has started a Scotland-wide campaign to unite users and providers of public services to stand up against the political demand to cut our services. This is a first step in building that Public Works campaign in Glasgow”

UNISON’s Public Works campaign points out that maintaining current levels of council spending would not only maintain services, but help the Glasgow economy during the recession by protecting jobs, and keeping contracts to private sector firms, many of which are under great trading pressure.

Brian Smith said “As unemployment rises and the social fallout of the recession grows the demands on Glasgow’s services increases. The council is proposing to cut services just as the demand for those very services increases.

“This policy also threatens economic recovery. Firms often rely on public sector contracts to keep them going during hard times like these. UNISON wants to:
* Protect vital council and community services
* Protect jobs in the city during the recession
* Build a united campaign of workers, service users and local communities”

ENDS


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UNISON condemns redundancy and reduced hours plan as Council faces biggest cuts ever

16 January 2010


http://www.unison-edinburgh.org.uk/news/2010/1601.html

UNISON has reacted to a City of Edinburgh Council memo to staff asking them to take unpaid leave or shorter hours while announcing up to 700 redundancies.

The union is having a series of meetings with the Council and has urged it to join them in lobbying the Scottish Government for more money to stave off the biggest cuts Edinburgh has ever seen.

It has also warned against 'cuts by stealth' and urged the Council own up to what this would really mean for services.

Branch President John Stevenson said: “Local services are provided by people. Cut the people and you cut the services. Services provided by people like home helps, social workers, road workers, environmental staff and workers in trading standards, education, early years and public safety.

"The Scottish Government cannot just stand by while the Capital grinds to a halt. They need to make cash available now".

“The whole local economy will be affected. For every £1 a council worker earns, they spend 70p in their local community. Job losses and pay squeezes will put a stranglehold on local businesses and services, cutting off much needed income. Service cuts will affect local contractors and suppliers. These cuts will affect everyone. It is no way to build out of a recession”, he added

"We are astonished that this e-mail has gone out. We don't know where it will apply, or how the work that goes on normally will continue if people accept it..

"While UNISON will work hard with the council to avoid redundancies, there is a range of issues that have not been thought through and that they have not talked to us about. Some people might be quite keen to take a career break but it is what it means for those that are left over that we are worried about."

"Our concern is that if some staff do this, what happens to the ones that are left and how their workload is managed.

"We don't want this to be cuts by stealth. We wouldn't oppose any flexibility for staff. We just want honesty about cuts in services. For instance, we wouldn't see this as being an option for frontline social workers who currently have unfilled vacancies in all their teams."

"What is enraging our members is the complete dislocation of the people from the service they provide. There is no indication or reassurance how services, especially those to vulnerable people, are to continue if posts are cut."

UNISON re-confirmed its long-standing position that members would be balloted on action against any compulsory redundancies.


See also
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Edinburgh-council-to-axe-700.5985840.jp
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8461390.stm
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Edinburgh-to-cut-700-council.5987879.jp


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Glasgow college nursery closure back on as management break promises

Date: Wed 14 Oct 2009

UNISON, the education union, today accused the management of Glasgow College of Nautical Studies of bad faith and breaking promises as it emerged that the college plans to close its Thistle Street nursery in July 2010, with the loss of 54 places and 19 jobs – using compulsory redundancies. A further 9 places have already gone with the closure of the Baby Room on 24 September. The union called off industrial action on 20 August this year in return for a commitment to a joint review of nursery provision by both the college and UNISON.

Scott Donohoe, Assistant Secretary for UNISON’s Glasgow city branch said:

“The promises of management, the commitment to a joint review and the whole consultation process in this exercise has been a complete sham. Members called off planned industrial action in good faith, with a college commitment that UNISON would be involved in a joint review of the nursery provision and the nursery would remain open until July 2010 at least. Despite a number of business plans being forwarded that predicted a balanced budget, this commitment was blatantly abandoned by the college.

"It is now quite clear that the college always intended to close the nursery despite the constructive views & input of UNISON, the staff, MSP’s, parents etc. It is also clear that this service cut has always been driven by the prospective merger of city colleges, and this demonstrates the lack of commitment in these merger plans to the provision of affordable childcare arrangements for staff and students given the current economic climate.

“Members have already demonstrated their commitment to action in defending this service, and we give notice that UNISON will resist compulsory redundancies with all means at our disposal."

The union is also writing to the Secretary of State for Education and Lifelong learning to raise the issue.

ENDS



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UNISON in Day of Action at Forth Valley College over job cuts by diktat

Fri 3 July

UNISON members will take to the street in Falkirk today (Fri 3 July) to protest about job cuts which are being imposed at Forth Valley College.

The staff will be seeking to mobilise support from local people and elected representatives to persuade College directors to reconsider the job cuts. Loss of the 12 full time equivalent posts which are under threat, would mean 17 staff losing their jobs.

Pam Robertson, UNISON Clackmannanshire Branch Secretary, said: "These redundancies were sprung on staff at short notice, just as the semester ended. We have asked Forth Valley College management for meaningful talks so that we can avoid compulsory redundancies. Yet the directors seem set to impose these cuts by diktat."

"Management have offered the minimum statutory redundancy payments, regardless of length of service, they have refused to give 90 days notice of the job cuts and they want people out in the minimum time under law, before the next semester starts. We want dialogue, not dictatorship."

Staff from the three Forth Valley College campuses, in Falkirk, Stirling and Alloa, will join the demonstration, which will form part of a UK wide Day of Protest at FE colleges to "Defend Jobs, Defend Education".

Derek Keenan, UNISON rep at Forth Valley's Falkirk campus, said:

"These job cuts affect the campuses in Falkirk, Stirling and Alloa. We have held mass meetings of members in all three, at which members have expressed anger and dismay at the actions of the directors. The timing of this decision, at the end of the semester with staff and students leaving for holidays, has caused a lot of anger. UNISON does not intend to accept compulsory redundancies and we intend to fight this.

"We want the people of the communities which the College serves and our elected representatives to join our campaign to defend jobs and defend education at Forth Valley College."

ends

Notes for editors:

1. The UNISON demonstration against compulsory redundancies and to defend jobs and education will take place outside the Falkirk campus of Forth Valley College, Grangemouth Road, Falkirk FK2 9AD from 12 noon on Friday 3 July.

2. For more on the UK-wide "Defend Jobs, Defend Education" Day of Action in FE Colleges on Friday 3 July, see UNISON UK press Release " No to redundancies" (29 June 2009) http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=5494 and UNISON UK's College Protests page http://www.unison.org.uk/education/pages_view.asp?did=9015

3. UNISON Scotland is the main union for support staff working in Scottish further education colleges. Our members working in FE include learning support staff, librarians, IT specialists, technicians, professional staff, administrative and business support staff, cleaners, canteen staff and estate management staff.

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