Author: Stirling Websites

Links to two new bargaining briefings

A National Social Work Agency

Occupational Therapists and a National Social Work Agency

Key things to know:

The government intends to create a National Social Work Agency as part of the proposed National Care Service.

The NSWA would have a Workforce remit including pay and conditions and the current intention is to remove the majority of social work staff from SJC collective bargaining.

The Social Work Issues Group has successfully pressed for UNISON to have representation on the Scottish Government groups developing the Agency.

These briefings give an overview and identify the key issues.

They also identify areas where we need to develop a policy.

Could members please contact their workplace reps or the branch office directly with any questions/feedback.

School uniforms should be the least of parents’ worries. That’s why UNISON’s very own charity, There for You, gives School Uniform Grants to members who need a helping hand in getting their kids kitted out for the new term. 

The grant programme is limited to 2,000 applicants and will close once the maximum number of applications has been received. This is due to the limited amount in the School Uniform Grant Fund. 

What’s new? 

We’ve been running online grant applications for a year, and this has been largely positively received by members. Some feedback specifically asked for the launch times to be adjusted to allow those with daytime commitments to be able to apply.  

That’s why this year, we’re launching the school uniform grant during half term: on 1 June 2023. And releasing 1000 applications at 8.30am, and another 1000 applications at 5pm. So that members can apply when it works for them.  

You spoke. We listened. 

Making welfare work for you. 

How to apply 

All applications should be submitted online. Once launched, the application form will go live here: https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/services-support/there-for-you/school-uniform-grant/  

Those members who have access needs which means that they can’t apply online should contact UNISONdirect on 0800 0 857 857, whilst the grants are open; where our agents will be able to assist. 

Criteria and who can apply 

This is a one-off grant of £50 per school-aged child, up to a maximum of £150. 

School Uniform Grant 2023   

Eligibility    

Applicants must:   

Be a UNISON member   

Have paid at least four weeks of subscriptions at the time of applying. Subscriptions must be up to date.   

Not have received a grant through our main applications since 01 December 2023    

Not have received more than £750 in total if within the first year of membership   

Have savings (including the total rolling balance on current accounts) below £1,000 to qualify.     

Be financially responsible for the school-aged child(ren) and receive Child Benefit for them. By school-aged, we mean children aged between 4-17 years old who will be returning to school in the autumn. 

Only one application per household will be considered.   

And EITHER:   

You are on a low income:   

Net household income* of no more than £26,000/year (£2,166.67/month)   

OR:   

In receipt of means-tested benefits. This includes:   

Universal Credit   

Housing Benefit   

Child and/or Working Tax Credits   

Pension Credit   

Means-tested Jobseekers Allowance   

Means-tested Employment Support Allowance   

Income Support   

Today, Friday 28 April 2023, Stirling UNISON held a memorial day for those who have died at work. The day was well attended by UNISON members, stewards and officers. Also in attendance were some of the elected members and officers in Stirling Council.

Abigail Robertson gave a speech on Health and Safety at work.

“The theme this year is ‘Organising for Health and Safety’, and it is incumbent upon all of us to do just that. Pressures on our public services, our public purse have resulted in the erosion of our workforce and the dismantling of services designed to support individuals and our communities, at a time when the public have never needed us more. Society is struggling, ordinary people are poorer than ever and poverty is directly linked to mental health and other health issues, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, crime, homelessness, hunger, desperation and all kinds of anti-social behaviours.”

read more…

There are some excellent events around May Day celebrations this year. Info on Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow celebrations is at: https://stuc.org.uk/campaigns-and-events/events/mayday hopefully more to follow.

Please mobilise members, friends and families to attend. If you need UNISON flags etc contact Lorraine Thomson.

Wednesday 3rd May 1-2pm – Scotland’s Drug (Including Alcohol) Issues Discussion

ABOUT THIS EVENT

A year ago we featured drugs issues (including alcohol) as a topic for a lunchtime webinar and this proved so popular we thought we should look again at the subject. This time we have Anne Marie Ward who heads up Faces and Voices of Recovery in Glasgow. Anne Marie is an outspoken critic of government policy and investment in effective recovery. We also hope to have a social work practitioner in the field , and a speaker involved in policy and strategy.

NB – the event will be recorded and signing up signifies consent.

Recording will be later available to view on UNISON SWIG website.

Please follow the link below to register:

A Teams Link will be sent out to all who sign up and provide an email address.

On 3^rd April COSLA, the employers’ organisation, made an offer for this year’s pay award.

The offer consists of several elements which will be differentiated depending on how much you earn.

Basically, all workers will be offered 5% onto their salary from 1^st April this year. With a further percentage amount payable from 1^st January 2024, this will be differentiated depending on how much you earn.

If your hourly rate is below £14.78 a 2.5% additional percentage will be applied on 1^st January 2024

If your hourly rate is between £14.78 and £19.71 then a 1.5% additional percentage will be applied on 1^st January 2024

If your hourly rate is above £19.71 then an additional 1% from 1^st January 2024.

At the end of the proposed pay increases the Local Government living wage will have been increased by 99 Pence.

So all workers will receive 5% now plus either 2.5,1.5 or 1% on 1^st January 2024.

Any pay claim for 2024/25 will still be due/implemented on 1^st April going forward.

There are various commitments on working with the joint trade unions to work towards a minimum rate of £15 ph within local government and other issues raised within our pay claim.

UNISON Local Government Committee recommend that you vote to REJECT this offer.

We are asking you to reject because this offer falls far short of our joint claim and it does not even give parity to other pay offers within the public sector and is not in line with the offer made to Teachers.

Please remember if you do vote to reject then it could be likely that we would need to take industrial action to achieve more.

In the past UNISON members in Stirling have shown that they are prepared to stand up for decent pay.

Together we can do that again.

Vote Reject and show that we are worth more.

You should now have received a voting link to the e-mail address we have for you. This may go into your Junk folder. If you have not yet received this you should contact the branch immediately.

It is important that you vote, we need as many voices as possible to say that we need and deserve more

All ballot FAQs are on the web here https://unison-scotland.org/local-government-pay-23-24/