News – Stirling UNISON

Lesley Russel retires from Stirling Council after 49 years

Lesley Russell, hugely respected Systems and Support Librarian is retiring after a phenomenal 49 years of service.

Lesley dedicated many years of service to UNISON, taking on several important representative roles, including Equalities Officer, Branch Secretary (2007–2009), and later Chair. She managed these commitments alongside the considerable demands of her day-to-day role, always finding time to support colleagues and members. No matter the issue, Lesley was invariably at the end of the phone, offering guidance, encouragement, and practical help. Her commitment and dedication have made a lasting impact on the branch and its members.

Tolbooth -nominated for Local Live Music Venue of the Year

We’re delighted to share thatTolbooth, Stirling has been nominated for Local Live Music Venue of the Year at this year’s Scottish Hospitality Awards.

This nomination is a wonderful recognition of the artists, audiences, staff, and supporters who help make the venue such a vibrant part of Stirling and Scotland’s live music and entertainment scene.

Tolbooth faces competition from six other incredible venues across the country for the title – the winner will be announced later this month at a ceremony in Glasgow.

Carers week 8-12 June

This week is Carers Week (8–12 June), which aims to recognise how many people undertake a caring role as part of their everyday lives.

You may have caring responsibilities yourself, or you may work with someone who does. This can include supporting a family member, friend or loved one who relies on you. For many people, this sits alongside work and other commitments and is an ongoing part of daily life. Caring responsibilities can also change over time and aren’t always easy to balance with work, so having the right support in place can make a real difference to how you manage both.

See Carers Trust for more information Carers Week 2026: Working with our network to build carer-friendly communities across the UK

Stirling UNISON’s Industrial Action Ballot

Stirling UNISON’s Industrial Action Ballot following the Stirling Council’s imposition of the new Organisational Change Policy

Stirling Council imposed a new Organisational Change policy that removes hard won terms and conditions. Under this new policy:

• You have lost the right to receive up to 3 years additional pension entitlement if you were leaving the organisation in a way that allowed you to access your pension.

• You have lost the entitlement to discretionary enhanced benefits, meaning that there is no guarantee that members would not leave employment with anything more than basic redundancy pay. This is a huge reduction in the severance pay that you could be entitled to. A 50-year-old who earns £26,000 per year with 20 years’ service would receive £12,250 under the new policy. Under previous arrangements, they would have received £26,950.

• There is a real terms reduction in the “payback period” for the cost of any benefits paid to staff when they leave. This is another method that cuts the Council’s ability to offer enhanced rates.

• There is no guarantee of any long-delayed Job Evaluation outcomes being backdated beyond two years. If the Council take longer than 2 years to evaluate your job, you could lose out on wages that should be yours.

• The Council can use settlement agreements in what should be redundancy situations, restricting members rights to speak about their experiences at work. We feel that this is an unnecessary gagging of Council workers, particularly as you will not be paid a premium payment as outlined on the second bullet point above.

• The Council has removed a reference to the legislation around permanency rights. This has been an issue in Stirling Council in the past and we feel that having this clearly marked in policy results in better outcomes for members.

In addition, we are hoping to resolve the imposition of generic job titles within Land Services, and the associated issues resulting from this.

To respond to these changes, we held a consultative ballot with selected groups of members to see if they would be willing to take action. This closed in late April, and those in favour were:

Wellgreen Car Park Attendants – 100% in favour

Enforcement officers – 100% in favour

Street Cleansing – 100% in favour

Waste – 98% in favour

Next steps

UNISON has now given Stirling Council formal notice that we will be balloting members for industrial action. The ballot will be open from 2nd June until 14th July.

Balloted members will receive additional communications from the branch on how to vote. If you are not in one of the above groups, then no further action is required.

However, please continue to show your support by liking, sharing and commenting on our Facebook posts. You can also talk to your colleagues about the issues and why they are important to you.

Remember, these groups of workers are taking action for ALL Stirling Council employees, as the changes will impact everyone.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local steward or the branch.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Caleary

Branch Secretary

UNISON Stirling Branch

Culture Night Stirling 2026: Carnival of the Wolf – Friday 1 May

It’s a big night for Stirling tomorrow as Culture Night Stirling 2026 takes over the city and surrounding areas from 6pm.

Building on last year’s success at Stirling Castle, this year’s event is a celebration of everything that defines Stirling—creative, diverse, welcoming, and proudly rooted in its culture.

With over 40 free events happening across the city, there’s something for everyone. Highlights include:

Cabaret of the Wolf at Stirling Distillery
Dougie MacKay: A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun at The Golden Lion
All or Nothing: The PACK at Baker Street Gardens
A headline performance from Fatherson with Katie Gregson-MacLeod at The Albert Halls

From live music and comedy to immersive arts, the night is all about discovering something new around every corner.

Didn’t pre-book? No problem. Many events don’t require tickets, and others will have limited walk-up availability on a first-come, first-served basis.

To plan your evening, check out the full programme, digital guide, and event map on the official Culture Night Stirling page. You can also follow Stirling: Alive With on social media throughout the night for live updates.

Enjoy the festivities!

International Workers Memorial Day

On April 28th, colleagues and Trade Union representatives gathered at the memorial tree in the grounds of Old Viewforth to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day. The ceremony offered a moment to quietly remember those who have lost their lives, or whose health and futures have been affected, through work-related injury or illness.

The wreath-laying, followed by a national minute’s silence, was opened by Chief Executive Brian Roberts, who spoke about the importance of not only remembering, but continuing to learn and care for one another in the workplace. He encouraged everyone to look out for each other and to speak up where something doesn’t feel right, so that lessons from the past can help shape a safer future.

Speakers from the Trade Unions reflected on this year’s theme of mental health and psychosocial risks. They gently highlighted that harm at work is not always visible, and can come in many forms, including stress, burnout, and workplace pressures. Their message emphasised understanding, compassion, and the need to create healthier, more supportive working environments.

There was also a reminder of the importance of balance — that wellbeing and family life should always come first — and that health and safety reaches beyond the workplace into our wider lives.

As a mark of respect, the Council flag flew at half-mast throughout the day, and in the evening, the Wallace Monument was lit in purple, a colour used to honour and remember those affected by workplace harm.