UNISON Updates – Page 2 – Stirling UNISON

Questions and answers about the ballot

Which groups are being balloted for strike action?

The membership groups that we have formally notified employers we will be balloting are all members employed working in schools, who provide services to the running and operation of the school, and all members working in early years and in waste and recycling services.

Why are only certain groups being balloted for action?

It is important to stress that this campaign is for all local government workers. The decision to only ballot certain groups of workers for strike action is tactical – to ensure we maximise the impact of our action on vital service areas likely to force the employers hand.

What is the deadline for returning my ballot paper?

We must receive your completed ballot paper by 10am on the 26th July 2022 so you need to get it in a post box a couple of days before this to make sure you meet the deadline.

What should I do if I misplace my ballot paper?

Call the ballot helpline on 0800 0 857 857. This Helpline will be open from 8am on 15th June 2022 to 12 noon on the 20th July 2022.

Why can’t I vote online?

Legislation governing industrial action stipulates that a formal industrial action ballot must be conducted by post.

Why should I vote for strike action?

• The failure to provide a meaningful increase to the Scottish Local Government Living Wage means that those on the lowest pay would still not reach a £10 per hour rate of pay never mind the £12 per hour called for in our claim.

• This offer is weighted towards those on the highest pay and will further exacerbate the issue of endemic low pay which plagues this sector.

• The offer fails to address many of the other issues outlined in our claim such as the need to alleviate the burden of paying professional fees for those on the lowest wages and achieving a no-detriment reduction in the working week to address issues of work-life balance.

• UNISON would not ask you to take strike action unless it was absolutely necessary. We have exhausted all other options in terms of trying to get movement from your employers.

Will I get any financial support if I vote to take strike action?

Yes, all members taking strike action will be financially supported by UNISON. Further details will follow.

I am employed on multiple contracts with my local authority – am I being balloted to take strike action in all my roles?

You are only being balloted on your role as an employee working in a schools, for the purpose of providing services to the running and operation of the school, or your work in early years or in waste and recycling services.

I’m not being balloted for strike action – what can I do to show my support for the campaign?

There are a number of things you can do to show support for the campaign and it is important that you do so colleagues included in the ballot know that you stand with them.

You can: https://join.unison.org.uk

Important Information – Local Government Pay Briefing

Please Read

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 1^st 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

UNISON International Relations Newsletter

The UNISON International Relations Newsletter provides updates on UNISON’s international work, reports on international matters affecting workers and trade unionists, and keeps BIROs informed of related developments, publications of reports and briefing documents, as well as upcoming nationwide events relevant to the union’s international work.

Talking about Palestinian rights:

A UNISON guide for activists This new briefing aims to provide activists with a better understanding of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, with a particular emphasis on human and workers’ rights and public services. It provides a background to UNISON’s policy on Palestine and the key information activists need to discuss the situation and campaign from a public service trade union perspective.

Download the ‘Talking about Palestinian rights’ briefing

Save the Date: UNISON International Seminar 2022

UNISON’s International Seminar will take place from Friday 25 March to Sunday 27 March 2022 at UNISON Croyde Bay in Devon. The seminar will help branch international relations officers (BIROs) gain a better understanding of UNISON’s international policies and how to implement them in the branches. They will also learn more about the role of the BIRO.

We will send you further details when registration for the seminar opens in January.

Turkey: Send a solidarity message to Gonul Erden

Gonul Erden is the former president of the Turkish health workers union SES. She was arrested on 25 May along with seven other current and former leaders of the union for alleged membership and leadership of a terrorist organisation. The eight accused were initially released on bail, but Gonul was rearrested and returned to prison after the prosecutor appealed the decision. Trade unionists in Turkey are regularly arrested and accused of terrorist offences for defending workers’ rights.

Gonul is a great friend of UNISON and was a guest at our national delegate conference in 2018. We know that messages of solidarity from UNISON branches to Gonul will mean a great deal to her whilst she is in prison. Please send your message to i.relations@unison.co.uk and we will forward it on to our colleagues in Turkey.

Palestine Webinar Solidarity with MAAN members at Ta’aman Foods

Monday, 20 December 2021, 4.30pm Hear from MAAN leaders and members of the Ta’aman workers committee about the struggle of Palestinian workers at Ta’aman Foods, located in the industrial zone of the Mishor Adumim in the occupied West Bank.

Join the webinar at 4.30pm on Monday, 20 December.

Read more about the recent strike and MAAN’s work to organise Palestinian workers in the settlements, which is supported by the UNISON International Development Fund.

Electronics Watch Webinars

Electronics Watch, with the influence and support of UNISON, has committed to do much more to focus on and build its capacity to support electronics workers to form and join trade unions of their choosing and to collectively bargain better pay, terms and conditions with their employers. And with their innovative public sector affiliation model that uses the power of public buying to influence anti-union employers you really can make a difference through your workplace by encouraging your employer to affiliate to Electronics Watch.

Between all the seasonal (hopeful) celebrations, why not listen to these excellent Electronics Watch webinars to understand more about the power of public procurement. We recommend them in this order: Freedom of Association, Climate Justice and Modern Slavery What is Freedom of Association, challenges to organising in global supply chains How to remedy violations of Freedom of Association For those who really find this fascinating, two other webinars exist on the YouTube site focused on these issues, along with many others.

We really hope this inspires you to encourage your branch to raise this with your employer. For support to do this, please contact i.relations@unison.co.uk.

UNISON’s International Affiliations: Palestine Solidarity Campaign

PSC is the largest movement in the UK campaigning for Palestinian rights. For many years PSC has worked closely with UNISON to further our work.

UNISON’s NEC international committee encourages all branches to affiliate to PSC and support their vital work, campaigning for Palestinian rights and an end to the occupation. Affiliation costs just £25 and you will receive campaign information, resources and can have a say in the direction of the organisation at the PSC AGM.

Pre-Budget Lobby

The STUC are organising a pre-budget lobby outside the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 8th December.

Local Government funding will be a central focus of the STUC’s pre-budget lobbying so it would be good to get as many council workers, with accompanying flags and placards, at the demonstration as possible.

The plan is to assemble at 11.30a.m with speeches kicking off around 12.15. Further information will be circulated nearer the time.

Green Survey

A ‘green’ survey organised by UNISON UK in conjunction with Leeds University is now online here: https://leedsubs.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Utl9m2Zr6gwyRE

The survey asks how climate change and moving towards a greener economy might affect workers and communities. Even if you are not sure about some of these topics researchers still want to hear from you to help make sure that all views are heard.

The survey has been designed by researchers at the University of Leeds and UNISON is participating to learn more about what members know about climate change and how they are being involved.

It will take 15 minutes to fill in. Your details will be confidential and responses will be anonymous unless you want to be contacted again with further details of next steps in research. There is space at the end to leave contact details if you wish.

LG Update 04 August 2021

Further guidance will be provided to businesses to help them adopt measures to mitigate risks, including ensuring good ventilation; maintaining good hand hygiene; practising respiratory hygiene; getting vaccinated; and continuing to engage with Test and Protect.

Beyond Level 0

Further detail about measures announced .

Some baseline measures will remain in place:

it will continue to be the law, subject to exceptions, that face coverings must be worn in indoor public places and on public transport
Test & Protect will continue to contact-trace positive cases. To assist with this there will be a continued requirement for indoor hospitality and similar venues to collect the contact details of customers. Anyone who is required to self-isolate will, if eligible, continue to have access to support
we will work closely with local incident management teams on appropriate outbreak control measures
we will continue to use travel restrictions, as and when necessary, to restrict the spread of outbreaks and protect against the risk of importation of new variants
for now, we will continue to advise home working where possible, recognising that some staff will start to return to offices in line with staff wellbeing discussions and business need. we will encourage employers to consider for the longer term, as the Scottish Government is doing, a hybrid model of home and office working – which may, of course, have benefits beyond the need to control a virus
we will, for a limited period, keep in place a gateway process through which organisers of outdoors events of more than 5000 and indoor events of more than 2000 will have to apply for permission. This will allow us and local authorities to be assured of the arrangements in place to reduce risk
we will continue to issue appropriate guidance to assist individuals and businesses to reduce the risk of transmission as much as possible, such as rigorous hygiene, including regular hand washing.

More information can be found here https://www.gov.scot/news/scotland-to-move-beyond-level-0 and here https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-update-first-ministers-statement-3-august-2021-1

Asymptomatic Testing Programme Update

Please view a letter that has been sent to local authorities asking that they include communications around on-return asymptomatic at-home testing in their plans for return to schools in the coming weeks.

An update on the asymptomatic testing programme is also included.

Ecouraging participation examples 29-july-2021

Letter to directors and testing leads 29th July 2021

Revised Schools Guidance

Following the First Minister’s statement today the revised schools guidance can be found here: Coronavirus: reducing risks in schools guidance

To allow time to monitor the impact of a new policy on self-isolation for U18s, and to take account of the unique features of the school environment at the time of return, the guidance advises the continued application of most of the existing mitigations for a period of up to 6 weeks; for example, the position on physical distancing in schools should effectively remain the same, despite the wider changes to these requirements.

As with previous versions, the guidance will be kept under constant review, and if data and evidence suggest that any specific mitigations can be removed at an earlier stage advice will be provided to that effect.