Stirling Websites

UNISON Scotland LG Pay

Stirling UNISON members not only met the ballot threshold but also demonstrated a massive strength of feeling on the pay offer with close to 95 % voting to take industrial action if needed to gain an improved offer.

The UNISON Stirling Branch would like to thank all our members that were balloted and voted in the ballot giving us this mandate to fight for a fair pay deal for all Local Government Workers across Scotland.

Local Government workers in Scotland have been offered one of the worst public sector pay offers. This is unacceptable.

Local Government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been made an offer of on average close to 5 %, which is a flat rate increase of £1925 on all pay points, UNISON responded to that offer with “it’s not enough to make up for a decade and more of lost wages.”

NHS workers in Scotland have been offered 5% and are being balloted with a UNISON recommendation to reject.

If you need to be reminded the pay offer in Scotland, 2%, saw the majority of the workforce being offered only £500.

UNISON Scotland LG committee and Branch secretaries will be meeting this week to discuss next steps.

Now we have a mandate for Industrial Action we will keep all members up to date going forward. We will be holding members meetings with members in those services taking action to discuss further detail. We will also be holding meetings with services not taking action and engaging them on how to support striking members that are taking action on their behalf.

Over the Line

This is about your Local Government Pay Ballot. Your pay is very important to UNISON.

Some important information.

To meet Trade Union Act. Legislation for Industrial Action there is a requirement to have 50% of ballot papers returned.

Ballot closes on the 26^th of July.

If you have not received a ballot paper yet and are working in a School, Waste or Recycling, you should have. It may be that the address we have for you is not up to date.

You should call 0800 0857 857 to request a replacement ballot paper.

Why Local Government Workers Need a decent Pay Rise?

With rising cost, energy, food, fuel inflation is now higher that it has been for generations. At the same time Public Sector pay has stagnated which means every local government worker is now far worse off, with many now having to make choices on what to cut back their spending on.

In comparison to other Public Sector workers our government clearly values NHS workers above those working in Local Government having now offered them a 5% pay increase. The 2% offered to Council Workers does nothing to address the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis or the contribution you have made over the last 2 years during COVID and continue to make.

Why it is important to return your ballot paper?

To get a better than 2% pay rise, UNISON recommend that the offer is rejected and that you vote for Strike Action.

By failing to return your ballot paper you will effectively be accepting the 2% increase that has been offered with no prosect of bringing the employers back to the negotiating table. If you care about pay now and, in the future, please return you ballot paper today.

Support The Pay Campaign!

Here are some things that members have been doing to support the campaign.

Watch online:

https://fb.watch/dZzyly8Hp5/

Get involved!

Post, like, share messages on the branch social media.

Send us a picture of you posting your ballot paper or make a video about why pay is important to you we will share this on our social media pages.

Let’s get this ballot over the line together and get a better pay deal for you, our local government workers.

Online Q&A events about the National Care Service Bill.

The government National Care Service webpage has details of online Q&A events about the NCS Bill.

Register for an event to learn more about the National Care Service Bill

There will be an opportunity to learn more about the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill and ask questions.

If you would like to attend, you can register online for the following dates:

· Thursday 21 July, 11am to 12pm

· Tuesday 9 August, 6pm to 7pm

· Monday 22 August, 10am to 11am (with BSL interpretation)

An Electronic Notetaker will be available at each session, with BSL interpretation for the session on Monday 22 August.

Scottish Government’s National Care Service Bill E-Briefing

See the latest briefing on the Scottish Government’s National Care Service Bill.

National Care Service Bill e-briefing

This briefing focuses on the alarming attack on Local Government that the Bill contains.

The briefing can also be found in online at the UNISON Scotland website

Local Government and the National Care Service

Social Work and the National Care Service

Social work e briefing

This briefing looks at what the National Care Service Bill means for UNISON’s social work members. The government is clear in its view that who provides social work and social care services makes no difference in terms of the quality of services provided to citizens and therefore no difference whether services are provided by the public, private or the voluntary sector. The changes discussed here are intended to be in place by 2025/26.

Statutory duties for social work are being transferred from local authorities to Scottish Ministers but will sit with the local Care Boards, who will also hold the funding. Once their statutory duties are removed, local authorities will have no reason to employ any social workers or provide any social work services. The Bill addresses this by introducing a clear legal basis for them to continue doing so.

The possibility that the NCS could directly deliver social care and social work services is the single most significant difference between the Bill and the proposals put out to Consultation.

The National Care Service Bill has profound implications for social work staff and for the future delivery of social work services. It creates risks for social workers’ conditions and security of employment and branches need to urgently discuss what this means for members.

Happy Pride season

‘While there is lots to celebrate and be proud of, we can’t forget the discrimination and harassment LGBT+ people continue to face’

Happy Pride season to all of UNISON’s LGBT+ members.

As always, UNISON activists will be at many Prides across the UK, being on stalls, marching and promoting our LGBT+ equality work in workplaces and branches. And after the last two years, we have even more reason to celebrate coming together this year.

While there is lots to celebrate and be proud of, we can’t forget the discrimination and harassment LGBT+ people continue to face.

From failures to progress with reforms to the Gender Recognition Act, to excluding trans people from proposed legislation banning conversion therapy, the UK government has constantly attacked trans rights.

With the recent comments by the attorney general, about schools not having to accommodate children who want to change gender under current legislation, this is a clear attack on trans children’s rights and a dog whistle to transphobes. This is also illegal under the 2010 Equalities Act.

I made it clear at last year’s LGBT+ conference and I’ll say it again: I have never felt, as a woman, that my rights were threatened by giving rights to trans women.

I am happy that our national LGBT+ committee is making trans equality a priority campaign, which we are officially launching at our UNISON centre on Friday 15 July. If you’re interested in getting involved, please email our LGBT+ national team on out@unison.co.uk.

Meanwhile, our national trans ally training has been a major success, with over 100 UNISON members benefiting from going through the training. It’s activities like these, that make our workplaces more inclusive for everyone and I urge all UNISON members to take up the training.

Let’s be proud of our achievements over the years on LGBT+ inclusion, and keep equality at the heart of everything UNISON does.

Be safe, and enjoy Pride season.