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East Dunbartonshire fights back against clawback

As we went to press, East Dunbartonshire Branch was planning a demonstration to expose the threat to services and jobs created by the Government's clawback of £12.3m over the next two years.

The march and rally was planned for Kirkintilloch the weekend Scotland inUNISON publishes (26 February).
Colin Miller, East Dunbartonshire Branch Secretary says that other branches have been asked to support the demo.

"While the clawback is specifically relevant to us at the moment, our aim is to highlight the general underfunding of local authority services in Scotland. We have already lost £23m of Government cash over the last three years, before this latest threat", said Colin.

The council has warned of 240 potential redundancies due to the clawback, imposed by the government to bring the council back to the spending guidelines.

According to Colin, that is simply the last straw. "In addition to the formal notification of redundancies, we fear that management aren't taking seriously the non-staff savings that we and other unions have suggested.

"In addition, if any particular service is given special protection, that could increase the threat to UNISON members jobs."

The march and rally is the next step in the branch's campaign to save East Dunbartonshire's services. Messages of support or offers of help to Colin Miller, East Dunbartonshire Branch, UNISON, c/o Tom Johnstone House, PO Box 4, Civic Way, Whitegates, Kirkintilloch. G66 3QB.