Local Government Service Group Conference
15-16 June 2008
Pay and shared services dominate Conference
Stephanie Herd, Scottish Local Government
Chair |
(Click on highlighted areas for more information
and see also UNISON
UK Service Group Reports - more reports to follow on UNISON
Scotland site in the next few days)
The pay ballots across the UK dominated Conference
but issues like privatisation, shared services, Housing and Social
Care all took centre stage too with an Emergency Motion from Aberdeenshire
(among others) demanding action on mileage
rates to reflect the huge increase in costs for essential
staff.
Kate Ramsden |
"It is a disgrace that this has not been increased
since 2002. Running a car for work now eats into our members' incomes
and is fast becoming a pay cut," said Aberdeenshire's Kate
Ramsden, adding that this hits low paid members the hardest.
After over 30 years as a leading lay activist, Local
Government Chair Jean Geldart retired. In one of her last speeches,
referring to the pay ballots 'we must win', she said, ""Our
members are facing real privation from rising food prices, rising
fuel prices... we must break the government's stupid pay policy
and secure a decent pay rise for our members."
Jean Geldart |
"We are up against hard times as we have been so many
times before, but we have always succeeded. And if we work hard
and work together, if we keep campaigning, we will defeat the government's
marketisation and pay policies; we will continue to succeed."
Frustration at drawn out pay negotiations led delegates
to vote for a plan to have any industrial action on pay in place
by April of the year concerned.
Carol Ball |
Duncan Smith |
School meals:
Scotland's Carol Ball spoke on the effects of staff due to school
meals changes. "We all know there's no such thing as a free lunch",
said Carol. "In order to take this policy forward it needs to be
properly considered and resourced."
Housing:
Conference has pledged to continue to defend council housing,
and to carry on fighting for decent housing for all. Delegates welcomed
the government's commitment to building new houses, but determined
to make sure they were council-owned - because "housing belongs
in local authorities," a point supported by Edinburgh's Duncan Smith.The
union will lobby for,
- the widest possible measures that enable councils to build new
homes to meet local housing needs;
- the right of ALMOs to return to local authorities;
- a level playing field between different providers in the housing
sector;
- a well trained and well paid workforce, with fair pay and conditions
throughout the sector.
Social Care: Conference tackled the issue of Home Care privatisation
and the possible hiving off of Looked After Children services in
England.
Carol Ball |
Denise McLaffery |
Sandra Kennie |
Asylum children:
Building on a motion from Scotland last year, Conference agreed
to keep up the campaign children to be seen as "children first
with their immigration status second", in the wrods of John
Stevenson. The law intended all children's interests to be 'paramaount'
and UNISON will continue to campaign for that and support members
trying to work within that principle.
Scotland led opposition to a plan to split Local Government Conference
from National Conference and won a surprise victory. Contributions
here from John Stevenson, Denise McLaffery, Kate Ramsden and Sandra
Kennie. Click here for more details.
More news to follow.........
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