Category: News

Scottish Pensions Bulletin No.60 May 2021

Pension contributions, from members and employers, are currently managed by 11 different pension funds across Scotland. Some are small – £400m – and some are huge – £27bn at Strathclyde. Most funds simply pass the funds to external investment managers to invest.

Pension contributions, from members and employers, are currently managed by 11 different pension funds across Scotland. Some are small – £400m – and some are huge – £27bn at Strathclyde. Most funds simply pass the funds to external investment managers to invest. Research by UNISON and the LGPS Scheme Advisory Board suggests that funds, and therefore members, are being ripped off. A single fund for Scotland could save £100m a year, according to Lothian Pension Fund by getting economies of scale, bringing some investment management in-house, and exposing the vast hidden fees which are charged at every opportunity. A bigger single fund could al-so improve the “Environment, Social and Governance” (ESG) of investments, helping to drop fossil fuel investments and invest more ethically. It could even help more local investment using in-house expertise. Read more..

Scottish Pensions Bulletin No. 60 May 2021

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Online Courses – places available

Course Application Form
2021 Training Programme july-dec

Please find below details of July online training courses where we still have availability.  If you are interested in attending any of these courses please arrange for the attached booking form to be completed and then forward to activisteducationscotland@unison.co.uk as soon as possible.  Please note that all of the courses are subject to numbers:

  • Online Organising for Health & Safety (5, 6, 12, 13 July – 1.00-4.30 pm each day)
  • Online ERA Refresher (27, 28 July – 9.30 am – 1.00 pm each day)

Please also find attached calendar for details of all our courses for the remainder of the year (July Organising Stewards course is full).

Free Online Event ‘Spotlight on Business and Human Rights’ Tues 15 June 10am-12.30pm

Scrutiny’ – relevant to so much in public services around human rights issues, domestically and internationally.

New human rights law in Scotland, public spending and procurement and supply chains, tackling corruption, and how the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights can help promote transparency, accountability and scrutiny.

Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com

These are all on the agenda for this important free online event on Tuesday 15 June ‘Spotlight on Business and Human Rights – Transparency, Accountability & Scrutiny’ – relevant to so much in public services around human rights issues, domestically and internationally.

Please do attend, if of interest, and/or pass details on to all you think may be interested. Full info, including a leaflet if of use, and registration link are here https://unison-scotland.org/free-online-business-human-rights-event-tues-15-june/

The direct registration link is here on Eventbrite.

The event is organised by the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland and supported by UNISON. Peter Hunter, Head of Organising, will be chairing and Gemma Freedman, from our International Unit in London, will be speaking on campaigning at UK level for a human rights due diligence ‘Failure to Prevent’ law. (More on this here https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2021/05/unison-demands-human-rights-due-diligence-law-for-supply-chains )

Local Government Letter to Councilors

Colleagues

UNISON is currently making preparations for an Industrial Action Ballot of members, following the recent pay consultation result, where 87% of those participating rejected the employers offer and 74% indicating they are prepared to take strike action.

Whilst these arrangements are being put in place – we are asking members to contact Your Council’s Leader and we would suggest using the following format, to let them know why you deserve a decent pay rise.

LET THE LEADER KNOW!

  1. About your job
  2. How your job has changed during COVID
  3. But for you – what wouldn’t have been possible
  4. Why you believe your pay should be raised
  5. If you didn’t receive the £500 COVID reward payment – how this made your feel
  6. The Scottish Government have offered other public sector workers rises beyond their own pay policy. This is unfair, at the very least parity should apply. – this is both a moral and political issue.
  7. Homeworking – The employer has refused to pay the reasonable HMRC allowance of £6.00 per week (it’s a disgrace that workers are having to pay for service delivery).

Who to contact?

Scott Farmer (SNP) as Council Leader and
Email address: farmers@stirling.gov.uk
Stirling Council, Old Viewforth, Stirling, FK8 2ET

Danny Gibson (Labour) as Depute Leader.Email address: gibsond@stirling.gov.uk
Stirling Council, Old Viewforth, Stirling, FK8 2ET

Any decision to improve the current offer will be taken by Council Leaders across Scotland.

Please take a few minutes to send this communication, it will ensure a clear message from our members is delivered directly.

IT’S YOUR PAY – FIGHT FOR IT!

Thanks
Lorraine Thompson
Branch Secretary

UNISON