Author: Stirling Websites

The Audit Commission today published its Local Government Finance Bulletin  This independent analysis confirms that:

• Councils face the most difficult budget-setting context seen for many years with the ongoing impacts of Covid-19, inflation and the cost of living crisis. They will need to continue to make recurring savings and also make increasingly difficult choices with their spending priorities, including, in some cases, potential service reductions.
  
• Two-thirds of councils intend to use reserves to help bridge the 2022/23 gap between anticipated expenditure and revenue (budget gap) of £0.4 billion but this reliance on non-recurring reserves is not sustainable in the medium to long term.
  
• An increasing proportion of local government funding is now either formally ring-fenced or provided with the expectation it will be spent on specific services. They calculate this to be 23 per cent of total revenue funding in 2021/22. Ring-fenced and directed funding helps support the delivery of key Scottish Government policies but removes local discretion and flexibility over how these funds can be used by councils.
  
• Revenue funding from the Scottish Government to the local government between 2013/14 and 2021/22 increased by 6.1 per cent (in real terms) whereas Scottish Government revenue funding to other parts of the Scottish Government budget increased by a significantly higher figure of 27.2 per cent over the same period.
  
• Total net debt (total debt less cash and investments) has increased across councils by £0.2 billion to £16.4 billion. Fifteen councils have increased their net debt in 2021/22. This compares to eight councils in 2020/21.  Councils’ total debt has increased by £0.3 billion to £19 billion; this may be related to the increased need to borrow to fund capital expenditure, with 19 out of 32 councils having increased long-term borrowing from the previous year and 15 councils with increased short-term borrowing compared to the previous year
  
• The 2022/23 estimated budget gap as a proportion of the 2021/22 net cost of services varied across councils from an anticipated surplus of 0.2 per cent to a gap of 23 per cent.
  
• Scottish Government revenue funding in 2022/23 decreased by 0.1 per cent in real terms when non-recurring funding elements are excluded and total revenue funding will fall by 2.4 per cent in real terms in 2022/23.
  
• When Covid-19 funding in 2021/22 is removed from their analysis they find that the Scottish Government budget is set to increase by seven per cent in real terms, as opposed to a real-terms cut in local government funding of 0.1 per cent.

Rishi Sunak is trying to force his anti-union “sack key workers bill” through parliament in a matter of weeks. It means that when workers democratically vote to strike, they could be forced to work and sacked if they don’t. That’s wrong, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal. We need to stop this bill.

These new laws are a direct attack on working people’s fundamental right to strike to defend their pay, terms and conditions.

Here’s how you can take part

Protect the right to strike day

Along with the TUC, we are coordinating a protect the right to strike day on Wednesday 1 February. Book a ticket for our Defend the Right to Strike Rally in Glasgow.

Solidarity with worker striking on the 1st of February
Join our solidarity rally.  Scottish workers in the civil service, higher education, some schools, some rail operators and Co-op Funeral Care will all be taking industrial action on the 1st.  Join our joint strike rally at the Donald Dewar Steps, Buchanan Street at 12 noon.
Edinburgh
A rally is also being organised for Edinburgh.  Click  here for details which will be uploaded asap
Petition
Sign the petition and join the campaign. 

Lobby your MP

Whatever party your MP is in, you have a part to play in stopping this bill in its tracks. 
Use forms to request a meeting here.

Be part of the social media storm

Get on social media channels and get the message out by using #RightToStrike. We need people to know that their right to strike is under attack

Wednesday 22nd February 2023, 12 – 2pm, Council Chambers, Viewforth, Stirling only.

Unfortunately, we have to cancel this year’s virtual AGM scheduled for 6 p.m. on the 22nd of February 2023. During covid, a dispensation was given by the Certification Officer that branches could hold virtual AGMs (even if their branch rules did not provide for this) for the years 2021 and 2022, providing an organiser was present. This dispensation is no longer valid.

For 2023 AGMs, branches can only hold virtual AGMs if their current branch rules provide for it –  Branches have only just been made aware of this. As such we will need to approve a constitution at our in-person AGM this year to be held as above to allow for us to have future virtual AGMs from 2024.

Bearing in mind the continuing cuts across Local Government, Voluntary Redundancies and possible Compulsory Redundancies within Stirling Council over the coming years it is in all members’ interests to come along to the AGM.

If you have any motions/items for the Annual General Meeting please submit them to me by Wednesday15^th February 2023 for inclusion within the Agenda. A pre-agenda is attached.

A free prize draw will be carried out for those attending the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you there

A day of protest over plans to restrict industrial action by the unions under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill will be held on 1 February with events taking place across the country, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) says.

The TUC has announced a national protest in response to new anti-strike legislation it says attacks a “fundamental British liberty” and is “almost certainly illegal”.

The “national right to strike day” will be held on 1 February with events taking place across the country, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said.

It comes after a bill was introduced to parliament on Monday afternoon that will mean unions representing key workers will have to agree to minimum levels of safety and service when their members go on strike.

The TUC, which represents all unions, called the measures “draconian” and vowed to fight them “every step of the way”.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “The right to strike is a fundamental British liberty – but the government is attacking it in broad daylight.

“These draconian new curbs will tilt the balance of power even more in favour of bad bosses and make it harder for people to win better pay and conditions.

Calling all stewards, see the new calendar of courses for 2023 for new or more experienced reps.

Please book early as spaces are limited you will find the application form in our training page.

Many of the courses will be held online and others in one of our venues. Our venues have disabled access but as disabilities vary greatly from individual to individual you can let us know your requirements.