Author: Stirling Websites

Why should you vote?

Did you know that the suffragette movement wasn’t only about women?

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

(The Representation of the People Act 1918) This act was an important law as it allowed women to vote for the very first time. Before this, women weren’t allowed to vote in general elections at all.

Women over the age of 30 who occupied a house (or were married to someone who did) could now vote. This now meant 8.5 million women had a say over who was in Parliament – about 2 in every 5 women in the UK.

Of course, some men could vote, but not all of them – a man had to have property to be able to vote, so this excluded people without wealth.

This new law also allowed all men over the age of 21 to vote regardless of whether or not they owned property, and men in the armed forces could vote from the age of 19. The number of men who could now vote went from 8 to 21 million. So you men can thank the suffragette movement for fighting for them.

But as you can see, the situation was still very unequal between men and women.

Attachment in Children Course

We have secured funding through Scottish Union Learning to run Free Courses on Attachment in Children and will be delivered by Scottish Attachment in Action .

The courses will be particularly relevant to those working with Children or Members and Activists who have children, family or friends who could be impacted by Attachment issues.

Please distribute to members and activists who should e-mail their name , Branch and preferred date of course to memberlearningscotland@unison.co.uk

The course will run online and are available on the following dates :

12th February 5pm-8pm

20th February 9am -12noon

20th March 5pm – 8pm

The course outline is below;

The development of the bond between an infant and their primary caregivers is essential for their development, especially while they are young. This bond is called “attachment”. When a child is unable to develop this bond, it may affect their wellbeing and can have long-lasting effects. Unfortunately, many children in care or care experienced suffer from attachment issues..

The objectives of the course are for you:
– To be introduced to the idea of attachment, and attachment theory.
– To understand different types of attachment styles.
– To understand why and what happens when attachment is insecure.
– To understand the different needs children have because of their attachment style.
– To understand what happens to attachment when a need is not met.
– To be able to identify attachment issues based on a child’s behaviour.
– To learn practical techniques to help a child with attachment issues.

The course will be interactive, a Certificate of Participation provided on completion and would contribute to any CPD requirements.

Kevin Duguid
Regional Learning & Development Organiser
UNISON Scotland

Join Our Lobby for the February 2025 Budget Meeting

Budget Proposals
We recently met with the employer regarding the 2025 budget proposals. While we are now aware of the intended proposals and savings, we still have little supporting information. Additionally, we were informed that the list of proposals we reviewed needs further updates. Although we raised concerns during our brief discussion, we hope for more robust discussions as the proposals are confirmed.

Concerns
We understand this is an anxious time for all members across all services, and some of you may already be concerned following the recent community consultations. If any members have concerns, please contact the branch directly or your workplace steward. We are more than happy to meet with you to discuss your concerns. We can also arrange workplace meetings either in person or online.

There will also be a budget update at our AGM on Wednesday 19 February 2025 in the Council Chambers or Online in the evening. 

Lobbying
Stirling Council will hold their budget meeting on the 27th of February in the Council Chambers, Viewforth, where proposals will be considered and agreed upon.
Our branch is currently organizing a lobby outside Viewforth before the meeting convenes. We encourage all members who can attend to join us at Viewforth at 9:15 a.m. on the 27th of February.

regards
Lorraine Thomson
UNISON Stirling, Branch Secretary

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