Author: Stirling Websites

Important Information – Local Government Pay Briefing

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UNISON Stirling Branch Local Government Pay Briefing

UNISON has sent notice to Stirling Council, and all other local authorities of its intent to ballot for industrial action over pay and the failure to make an acceptable pay offer for this year.

Our pay claim was submitted in February in good time for an offer to be made in time for the implementation date of 1st April.

Only one offer has been made thus far, despite our rejection. The 2% offered to all employees, absolutely ignoring that inflation is currently sitting at 9% and expected to increase further. This is a pay cut in real terms.

There is no recognition of the cost of living crisis affecting everyone and certainly no recognition of the work you have and continue to do throughout the pandemic. Supporting the public and ensuring the people who rely on our services were supported through one of the hardest times in their lives.

This offer of 2% does not even come close to the Scottish Government Pay Policy, even so inflation has run rampant since that was developed.

Remember councillors were given a 5.2% increase to their annual allowance.

We are conducting what is deemed a disaggregated ballot, with individual ballots being held in each local authority at the same time with the same groups of workers.

We will be balloting all Waste, School Staff and Early Years Staff.

These groups of workers have been selected to have the maximum effect disrupting services to bring the employer back round the table. Scottish Government funds councils and we need them to increase funding to councils so we also have to get their attention.

We are asking all Waste, School and Early Years’ staff to look out for your ballot paper in the post, it will be in a blue envelope.

It is vitally important that you complete it and post it in the envelope provided.

Trade unions are required by law to deliver a 50% response rate before we can take any action.

If we do not deliver 50% our members are showing our employers and the Scottish Government that they do not care about pay and our employers will know that we cannot deliver and our strength to negotiate decent pay for you will be gone. Poor pay will be a thing of the future.

By voting in the ballot and returning your paper you will be influencing your own pay and the pay of every other council worker for years to come

Every single ballot counts, even if you don’t want to support the action it is essential you return your ballot paper. We do not want to be short of the 50% by one vote.

Staff not included in this ballot it is essential that your fellow workers feel supported, they are voting on taking action for all our pay.

We need you to promote this action and encourage those being balloted to return their papers.

If you are in the position to, we ask you to consider donating to our strike fund, to ensure that workers taking action on behalf of all of us are not out of pocket.

Remember it is time for every one of us to step up. To ensure that both Councils and Scottish Government

  • Recognise, our workforce
  • Respect the work you do in supporting our communities
  • Reward you for the work you do

As ever we welcome questions and comments from everyone

Please feel free to get in touch e-mail address  thomsonl34s@stirling.gov.u

Pensions Update May 2022

The UK government pushed for a reduction in the number of pension funds in England and Wales and instructed them to form larger and what are perceived as more sustainable funds.  At the same time, the Chancellor also suggested that pension funds should be investing heavily in Government Infrastructure projects. This interference in investment policy was rejected by both politicians and Pension Committees however, mergers still went ahead.

In Scotland, there was no such pressure.  The Scottish Government did however want Pension Funds to work closer and more collaboratively.  Falkirk and Lothian’s funds have worked closely throughout the years and indeed have a shared investment strategy and have even invested in the same projects. Additionally, in order to reduce costs, Falkirk has also utilised Lothian’s internal investment managers. 

This history of close collaboration and similar investment philosophy meant that exploring was the next logical step. Both funds have investigated the expected benefits, disadvantages, costs, and risks of a merger, and this review is now complete with favourable results.

Work to take this proposal forward will continue this year, subject to approval by both the City of Edinburgh and Falkirk Council, and regulatory approval in both Scotland and the UK. If approved, the merger is expected to take place in 2023.

More detail can be found in the Pension member’s merger and Q and A documents.

Pension merger questions and answers
Pension members merger info

Covid guidance update

A number of pieces of Covid guidance have been updated.  You can find links to the relevant documents below but key points are: 

  • The new ‘stay at home message’ replaces self-isolation for people who have symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19. 
  • Testing for the general population has ended and with it all test sites.  However testing will remain available to certain groups to protect high risk settings, support clinical care and for surveillance purposes. These groups include health and social care workers and care at home workers.
  • All contact tracing has ended. 
  • The High Risk list – formerly known as the Shielding list – will end on the 31st May.  The Chief Medical Officer will write to everyone on this list to advise them of the change and sign-post them to ongoing support.

https://www.gov.scot/news/new-stay-at-home-guidance-published/

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested/pages/changes-from-1-may-2022/

https://www.gov.scot/news/end-of-the-highest-risk-list/

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-use-of-face-coverings-in-social-care-settings-including-adult-care-homes/

In terms of the 12 week protection period for Covid related illness – the previously agreed temporary amendment to the red book has now expired.  COSLA proposed reducing the protection period to 10 days – we, along with the other SJC trade unions, have argued that the protection period should remain at 12 weeks until at least the end of this school term.  COSLA have not agreed that.  We are aware that some local authorities are bringing in the 10 day period anyway, arguing that since the Teaching unions had signed up to that it would bring SJC into line with them.  We will continue to fight this but suspect they may impose it without our agreement.