Who cares for the carers?

UNISON Scotland's Simon Macfarlane, Robert Rae and Janet Stewart at Glasgow City Chambers on Wednesday 24 June 2009, handing in the care workers' petition calling for Minimum Wage to be paid for "sleepovers".



See press release from Wed 24 June
http://unison-scotland.blogspot.com/2009/06/no-bed-of-roses-unison-care-workers.html

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UNISON welcomes government acceptance of union concerns on community nursing

UNISON, the union for nursing staff in the community, today welcomed the government’s decision not to proceed with the project started in 2006 to develop a new post of ‘Community Health Nurse’ which would absorb the jobs of District Nurse, Health Visitor, Public Health Nurse, Family Health Nurse and School Nurse

After prolonged and sustained opposition by UNISON to the threatened generic community nurse over the last three years, Cabinet Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon MSP has now agreed that it is not the way forward.

In a letter to the unions today, Ms Sturgeon confirmed, that she wishes to retain and reinforce the contribution made by existing community-based nurses in the future.

The changes to the community based roles were heralded in the Review of Nursing in the Community at the end of 2006 by the then Chief Nurse for Scotland and have been being trialled in development projects in NHS Borders, Tayside, Lothian and Highland health Board Areas until 2008. From April 2008 the changes began to be implemented, but were then reduced back to pilot projects in the original four areas.

UNISON members and members of other unions were consistently concerned that the dilution of specific skills into a generic ‘Community Health Nurse’ endangered the quality of care given to Scottish people in their own homes and jeopardised the high standard of care offered by health visitors and school nurses in health promotion and child protection.

Bridget Hunter, UNISONScotland’s Lead Officer for Nursing, said:

‘This is a major triumph for our members in community nursing. After almost three years of resistance our concerns have been eventually accepted as valid. Generic community nursing was from day one, deeply unpopular with staff who genuinely believed that it diluted specialist jobs and reduced the service the community was likely to receive. It was seen as aiming low to avoid disappointment, rather than aiming high in our endeavour to achieve excellence, and enhance skills.’

UNISON will now continue discussions with the government and the NHS to modernise community nursing services within a team setting.

Ends

Note for Editors:
A briefing from UNISON on the detailed concerns of nursing staffs on the ‘Community Health Nurse’ proposals can be found on the UNISONScotland website at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/healthcare/nursing/index.html

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Scottish social care workers come together to issue ten-point plan to rescue social work

Thu 25 June 2009

The two organisations representing social care staff in Scotland today published a joint manifesto in Glasgow containing ten demands that need to be addressed to resolve key problems affecting social work in Scotland.

Social care staff trade union, UNISON and social work professional body - the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) have issued the manifesto - entitled Helping People Change their Lives - after a series of surveys indicating that severe staffing shortages continue in the sector.

At the launch in Glasgow, Stephen Smellie, chair of UNISONScotland’s Social Work Issues Group (SWIG), said:

"As UNISON’s survey of staffing revealed last week, the problems of social work stem from an increase in demand across the whole range of services; and increase that is not matched by any corresponding increase in resources.

"This is leading to increasing stress and burnout in dedicated and enthusiastic staff. If this is not addressed we could be seeing more tragic stories like Brandon Muir and Baby P."

The union survey was yesterday backed up by official government staffing statistics, which also revealed overall vacancy levels running at around 7% in Scotland. This is similar to UNISON’s findings, but the union also points to councils that have much higher numbers of vacancies. In Scottish Borders, almost a quarter (24.06%) of social work posts are vacant. This is followed by Inverclyde (20.8%), West Dunbartonshire (19.6%), Falkirk (15%), Highland (13.1%) and West Lothian (12%).

Hilton Dawson, Chief Executive of BASW, also backed the demands in the manifesto:

"No government or local authority which seriously purports to serve people well can do so without the aid of well qualified, skilled and experienced social workers." He said, "It is now time that politicians of all parties and policy makers across all agencies recognise the value of our work.

"It is now time for Social Workers to stand up for Social Work and campaign for nothing less than the fundamental transformation of the standing and status of our profession."

Both organisations will now be raising the ten points with employers and politicians, demanding that they each be addressed so that staff can maintain and surpass the high standards they set themselves.

(Pic: Hilton Dawson (Chief Executive, BASW); Ruth Stark (Scottish Professional Officer, BASW); Stephen Smellie (UNISON Scotland. Photo by Alan Wylie)

ENDS

Notes for editors:
1) the manifesto is available from the UNISONScotland website
www.unison-scotland.org.uk/socialwork/index.html

2) The ten points it wants addressed are:
- Introduction of effective workload management
- Reduction in meaningless bureaucracy
- Guideline for appropriate staffing levels
- Access to good quality support and supervision
- Ensuring employers are accountable to staff and service users
- Providing an effective reporting mechanism for problems
- A clear career path allowing experienced practitioners to remain in practice
- A universal service as ‘accessible as the NHS’ with welcoming buildings
- Social work professionals being able to practice their skills in the community
- An end to cuts and threats to budgets.


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The Herald: MPs back target to reduce emissions by 42%

MPs back target to reduce emissions by 42%

Robbie Dinwoodie, Chief Scottish Political Correspondent
Date: 25 June 2009

Scotland yesterday made itself a world leader in the battle against global warming, as MSPs gave unanimous backing to a bill enshrining a 42% cut in carbon emissions by the year 2020.

It means that abroadScotland will be lauded as the most forward-looking nation in the world in the run-up to the Copenhagen environmental summit later this year. But behind the rhetoric at Holyrood it was accepted that there were many caveats to the commitment.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said the climate change legislation was a good thing, and a victory for campaign groups. "Without this overwhelming pressure from outside parliament, we would not have made the progress that we've made, as we've seen this bill develop in the last few months," he said.

But He conceded that a degree of "posturing" had taken place across political parties and added: He added: "My message on where we go from here is primarily to the campaigners, to the activists, because its their work that will continue to be vital if we're going to make the commitments we've made a reality."...

Scotland leads the world in fight against climate change, says SCCS

MEDIA STATEMENT

Wednesday 24^th June 2009

SCOTLAND “LEADS THE WORLD” IN FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Scotland today laid down a challenge to the rest of the world, including the UK Government, by passing the most ambitious climate change targets in the industrialised world.

The Scottish Parliament unanimously agreed to cut the country’s emissions by 42% by 2020, and at least 80% by 2050, setting the benchmark for the rest of the world at this year’s UN Climate Change summit at Copenhagen.

The outcome represents a huge victory for the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition, a diverse coalition of 70 organisations campaigning on climate change and representing around 40% of Scotland’s population.

Mike Robinson, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said:

“This is a truly momentous day. The Scottish Parliament has voted for legislation that will be held up as an example to the world ahead of climate talks in Copenhagen in December.

“At a vital time ahead of the UN’s talks to put in place an agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol in Copenhagen, world governments have been set an example by Scotland which we would urge them to follow if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change.”

“In particular, this presents a challenge to the UK Government. By supporting this bill, Labour MSPs at Holyrood have been much more ambitious than their government colleagues at Westminster. If the Labour Party believe it is the right thing for Scotland, it must surely be the right thing for the UK as a whole.

“Uniquely, Scotland’s targets are guided by science as opposed to political expediency. They are based on what we have to do, rather than what we feel we can do. This is a positive and rational response to a global challenge, and we are calling on governments across the world to follow suit.”

Leading elements of the bill include:

• At least a 42% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 (based on 1990 levels)

• At least an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (based on 1990 levels)

• Emissions from international aviation & shipping to be included from the start

• Strong duty across the public sector to play a full part in tackling Scotland’s greenhouse gas emission.

• Commitment to report annually on consumption-based emissions – note 1

Ends

1 – Consumption-based emissions are those that arise from a country’s consumption patterns, as opposed to the actual amount of greenhouse gas arising in the particular country. This means reporting will therefore include emissions relating to imported goods & services.

Notes to editors:

- Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) is a diverse, growing coalition of organisations campaigning on climate change. The SCCS Coalition has 60 Scottish members, representing more than 2 million supporters (40% of the Scottish population), ranging from environment and development groups to faith organisations, trade unions, student societies, care providers and many more. For full details visit www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland

- In December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to agree a new UN international climate deal that will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012

No bed of roses: UNISON care workers demand minimum wage for sleepovers

Wed 24 June 2009


Voluntary sector care workers in Glasgow will demand an end to illegal poverty pay for sleepovers in a petition to be handed to the City Council tomorrow (Thursday 25 June).

UNISON Scotland, the union which represents the care workers, accuses voluntary sector employers of breaking the spirit of minimum wage legislation by using an averaging approach to undercut workers' pay. UNISON wants Glasgow City Council, which contracts the care services, to hold employers to their requirement in law to pay the National Minimum Wage for every hour worked on a sleepover.

Simon Macfarlane, UNISON Scotland Regional Organiser for the voluntary sector, said:
"Sleepovers are no bed of roses. When staff are required to sleep over to care for clients, they are working. They can't leave the premises; they are on instant call, and they are often disturbed many times during the night to support vulnerable clients. They often have to deal with volatile situations. Yet employers continue to pay less than the minimum wage."

The petition of over 400 signatures has been gathered mainly from UNISON care workers in the city's voluntary sector. It will be handed to Glasgow City Council tomorrow (Thursday 25 June).

The petition calls directly on voluntary sector employers to pay the National Minimum Wage rate for sleepovers. It also calls on Glasgow City Council to insist, as part of its anti-poverty strategy, that all organisations it contracts with to provide care services should pay the legal rate for sleepovers, and fund this accordingly.

Simon Macfarlane added:
"Our members provide care and support with commitment, professionalism and dedication to some of the most vulnerable in the city, yet they are rewarded with poverty pay. It's time for the employers and the City Council to care for the carers."

ends


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Scots climate bill on verge of leading the world, says SCCS

MEDIA RELEASE

sent on behalf of STOP CLIMATE CHAOS SCOTLAND

For immediate use: Tuesday 23 June 2009

SCOTLAND'S CLIMATE BILL ON THE VERGE OF LEADING THE WORLD - SAY CAMPAIGNERS Coalition group hails Government amendment and urges MSPs to fix remaining loopholes.

Scotland's climate change legislation is once again on the verge of being 'world leading' said campaigners today (Tuesday 23 June). The Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) coalition made the call in response to a Scottish Government amendment tabled last night, after the main deadline, which calls for a reduction of 42% in Scotland's climate emissions by 2020 from 1990 levels. [1] Until last night the Government was only supporting a 34% reduction from the start.

The Government amendment is to amend a Labour one, which proposed a 40% reduction target. Both the Liberal Democrats and Greens had tabled amendments which called for even more.

The campaigners urged politicians from all parties to support the Government amendment, due to be voted on by MSPs for the final time tomorrow (24 June), and fix some last remaining elements of the bill, including ensuring the vast majority of pollution cuts take place here in Scotland and rejecting amendments that would dramatically weaken the climate change duty on public bodies already agreed.

During tomorrow, over 100 campaigners from across Scotland will directly lobby their MSP calling for the strongest possible Scottish Climate Change Bill. [2]

Mike Robinson, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said:

"We warmly welcome this late amendment from the Government and we offer it our unequivocal support. With this decision our politicians can begin to restore the public's faith in democracy - exactly what is needed if the world is to overcome climate change. By amending the target this bill finally begins to addresses the urgency with which we need to deal with this issue, listens to what the science is telling us, and takes account of the growing public consensus that a target of 42% is required."

"Almost all the parties have rallied round the need for a higher interim target. We urge politicians of all parties to support this amendment tomorrow and other amendments to fix some last remaining elements of the bill, including ensuring the vast majority of pollution cuts take place here in Scotland and rejecting plans that would dramatically weaken the climate change duty on public bodies already agreed."

Ends


NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] New amendments to Bills lodged on 22 June 2009 Climate Change (Scotland) Bill - Stage 3

Stewart Stevenson

94A As an amendment to amendment 94, line 4, leave out <40%> and insert <42%>

See full amendment:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/businessBulletin/bb-09/bb-06-23g.htm

[2] SCOTTISH CLIMATE CHANGE BILL - FINAL VOTE, WED JUNE 24 MASS LOBBY OF THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

What: Scotland's first CLIMATE MASS LOBBY
Where: Scottish Parliament
When: Wednesday June 24. Meet 12 noon at SCCS registration tent on the grass outside the Scottish Parliament; mass lobby 1230-2.30pm in Committee Room 1
Why: For a world-leading climate law

On Wednesday, MSPs have the chance to make history by voting for a stronger Climate Change Bill. During the day of the vote, over 100 campaigners from across Scotland will directly lobby their MSPs.

[3] Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) is a diverse, growing coalition of organisations campaigning on climate change. The SCCS Coalition has 60 Scottish members, representing more than 2 million supporters, ranging from environment and development groups to faith organisations, trade unions, student societies, care providers and many more. For full details visit http://www.blogger.com/www.stopclimatechaos.org/scotland

[4] In December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to agree a new international climate deal that will come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto treaty expires in 2012.

[5] SCCS will be helping organise a Climate Change march in Glasgow on 5th December.