Category: News

UNISON Scotland LG SJC Pay Update

SJC Pay Uplift 2024 – 2025

Standing Together for a Fair Deal

COSLA’s decision to impose an unfair pay award does not mean we are giving up. Instead, we are moving to the next stage of our campaign. Our consultative ballot showed an overwhelming rejection of the current offer, with over 86% of members voting to reject it. This clear message from our members highlights that the offer is insufficient and unfair. As a result, we are taking the step to ballot 90,000 council members in Scotland for strike action.

UNISON’s Commitment to Action

UNISON already has live strike mandates at 19 employers, we will identify the most effective areas for action and will move quickly to set dates, giving notice in selected employers. Additionally we are finalising a timetable to ballot our entire membership affected by this local government pay settlement for Industrial Action.

A Bitter Disappointment

The decision by COSLA to unilaterally impose a wage rise already rejected by a majority of the workforce is a bitter disappointment, choosing to disregard the overwhelming rejection of the offer by UNISON members in the consultative ballot.

Just days before the announcement, COSLA’s lead negotiator, Councillor Katie Hagman, and the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government & Finance, Shona Robinson MSP, assured us they were committed to a negotiated settlement.

This decision ranks among the poorest of employment practices, even worse than those seen in longer-running disputes within the rail industry and the NHS doctors.

The Inadequate Offer

The current offer from COSLA includes an hourly increase of 67p (or 3.6%), whichever is higher. However, this falls short of expectations, especially considering the 25% real-terms pay cut over the past 14 years.

Part of the reason Councils are in Crisis

Councils are in a state of crisis, grappling with severe recruitment challenges. Workers are being asked to do more with fewer resources and lower wages. Local authority employees and the essential services they provide are under untenable pressure. The only viable solution is to provide these dedicated staff with the higher pay rise they rightly deserve.

Our Members: The Backbone of Society

Council staff, our members, are the backbone of society, providing essential services that keep everything running smoothly. It’s both upsetting and infuriating to see them so undervalued. Politicians have enjoyed pay rises upwards of 6.7%, yet they tell dedicated workers to limit their expectations. Our members made it clear in the consultation ballot that this disparity is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately.

Demanding Fairness

UNISON members are rightly outraged that the current offer falls significantly short of their pay claim and is well below the 5.5% awarded to NHS colleagues. Despite Cosla claiming to value each member of their workforce, they have employed the poorest of employment practices by imposing an unfair pay offer. Finance Secretary Shona Robison’s mention of staff receiving this unfair pay settlement before Christmas is little consolation. Local Government workers deserve a decent pay rise, not just a payment to tide them over the festive period.

A Call to Action

Our members need a pay offer that takes a significant step in restoring the value of our pay. It must be fair, and we need it now—no more promises of cake tomorrow. Stand together, demand fairness, and fight for the pay rise you deserve.

UNISON: United for Fair Pay – What can you do ?

Our strength and solidarity are our greatest assets and together, we can make a difference in our  fight for a fair deal for all

Before the ballot, we ask all members to take immediate action by contacting their Councillors and MPs. By writing to them, you can build pressure and demonstrate the strength of our collective voice.

This will only take a few minutes but is vital in building pressure.

•          Email Your Councillor: You can send a pre-drafted email asking your councillor to support a fair pay rise for council workers. Click here to Email Your Councillor.
•          Email Your MP: Similarly, you can email your MP, explaining why local government workers need a proper pay rise and highlighting the impact of funding cuts. Click here to Email Your MP.

These emails can be personalised if desired and can also be used by friends and family, so feel free to circulate this call to action far and wide.
 
Finally you can read our latest update here: UNISON Scotland – Local Government Strike Ballot Could Be Extended to More Workers. https://unison-scotland.org/local-government-strike-ballot-could-be-extended-to-more-workers/

Let’s ensure every UNISON member gets the respect and pay they deserve.

Financial Wellbeing Fortnight – Women and Money

 SCOTTISH WOMEN’S COMMITTEE

Dear all,

UNISON College’s Financial Wellbeing Fortnight 2024 will run from Monday 11 November – Friday 22 November.It is a two-week series of sessions designed to help increase confidence with money management, understand debt and improve financial literacy.

The sessions below will be of interest to our women members. Please help to circulate this to women in the regions and branches. More information and details of how to register can be found here: Financial Wellbeing Fortnight 2024 | UNISON College

Tuesday 12 November 2024

Unison Debtline – free and confidential support for Members and their family

1pm – 2pm

PayPlan (Unison Debt line) is one of the largest FREE debt advice and solutions providers in the UK. Every year they support over 180,000 new clients with their finances, helping them to explore the range of different debt solutions that are available and providing guidance around the most appropriate for individual circumstances. Support is available over phone and a range of digital options including email, live chat and WhatsApp.

This session will provide attendees with insight to the support Unison members can expect to receive when contacting Unison debt line, the options available for support and the solutions to resolve debt issues.  The session will also explore member case studies and referral options that members can be provided with.

Women & Money

Wednesday 20 November 2023

12.30pm – 1.30pm

This webinar is specially tailored for our women members and the financial challenges they face throughout their lives. The session will be run by the Money Charity, an independent and impartial charity, who have been helping people from all walks of life to take control of their finances, become financially capable and achieve Financial wellbeing.

  • Understanding the Financial Challenges Women face throughout their lives
  • Common Money Myths about Women and Money
  • Financial Resilience and the Cost-of-Living Crisis
  • Budgeting and Keeping Track
  • Credit, Borrowing and Understanding your Credit Score
  • Where to Access Support for Debt
  • Savings and Investments

Sent on behalf of

Susan Burns

Regional Organiser (Scotland West Organising Team)

Scottish Equality Officer

UNISON Scotland

NEWS – UPDATE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY DISPUTE

UNISON Scotland’s local government committee has decided to run an official postal strike ballot for ALL council staff.

The decision was taken after the committee met to consider the result of the ‘ALL’ local government members email consultative ballot.

Thousands voted overwhelmingly (86%) to reject COSLA’s latest pay offer, with over 50% of you voting in this consultative ballot.

All Local Government members should have already received an email  from UNISON Scotland with details, please refer to this email for further information.

Not received that email?  Please take these steps as soon as possible –

1. please check your spam folder.

2.Please contact the branch to update and check your details that we hold for you.

Email: thomsonl34s@stirling.gov.uk Tel: 01786 233093

How to become active in UNISON

The animated film charts how a public service worker can develop and progress as a trade union activist within UNISON. read more…

Follow Ruby, a public service worker and UNISON member, on just one path she might take as a trade union activist: from health and safety rep to one of her branch’s representatives on its regional council, from first-time speaker at national delegate conference to member of the union’s main policy-making body, the NEC.

And all the while, she’s “learning so much about the union, her workmates and herself.”

Why climate change so important to UNISON?

Collectively our workers across every sector are key stakeholders in the transformations necessary to meet the UK’s commitment challenge to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Public services are vital to this agenda – that means we can use our influence to act, and to support our members’ actions, in addressing this emergency situation.

Our members are often at the frontline of managing the affects on our health and our environment. All our jobs are, or will be, affected in one way or another. And, of course, our energy workers are at the forefront of delivering the new renewable technologies and infrastructure that reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

This year, July saw the three highest global temperatures ever recorded and a new study showed that pollution alone now accounts for more deaths globally than war, disease and drugs combined.

Heatwaves are now estimated to kill 30 times more people a year than tropical cyclones. Yet, despite pollution and heatwaves causing such devastation, they are unseen catastrophes. Unlike floods, hurricanes and wildfires, they don’t leave a trail of physical destruction or striking images in the news.

And we know that, both at home and abroad, pollution and extreme heat prey on the poorest and most disadvantaged people. And it is public services, and our members, who have to pick up the pieces of these impacts in the UK.

We can’t afford to bury our head in the sand and hope this goes away.

While initial signs are very encouraging, we wait to see if this new Labour government will be ambitious enough to do what’s needed, both fairly and in time. The UK must urgently get back on track with its commitments and continue to lead and encourage others to do the same.

As a public service union, we are clear that the money we are not investing now, up-front, on meeting those vital carbon reduction targets will end up being spent 10 or a hundred times over on attempting to adapt to whatever comes next. That’s money that could and should be saved to strengthen the public services we all rely on.

read more…

Opinion: The chancellor must think again on winter fuel cut

It’s clear the government has inherited a mess from the Tories, but cutting winter fuel allowance to pensioners is a mistake.

By Senior National Officer for Equalities Josie Irwin

Clearly, the Labour government has inherited a mess from the Tories and that tough decisions must be taken to get the economy back on track.

However, the proposal to withdraw the winter fuel payment from all except those pensioners receiving pension credit is deeply concerning. Older people, who have budgeted for the allowance, have had the rug pulled from under them just as winter approaches.

UNISON knows that, while some wealthier pensioners don’t need the help and would readily say so, restricting eligibility to those receiving pension credit means that too many pensioners living in poverty will fall between the cracks.
read more…