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Date: Monday July 20 2009
UNISON condemns Quarriers threat to sack 2,000 staff
Care sector union, UNISON, today condemned Scottish charity,
Quarriers', threat to dismiss all their 2,000 staff unless the
union agrees to cuts in wages and conditions. Quarriers' - one
of Scotlands biggest charitable organisations providing services
for vulnerable children, homeless young people and adults with
disabilities - threatened on Friday to issue redundancy notices
to all its 2000 staff.
This follows the charity's management proposal -tabled in May
- to cut staff night shift payments, and payments for public holidays.
Most drastically, the charity wants to cut sick pay by a quarter
for any worker with less than 5 years service.
Instead of continuing negotiations with UNISON Quarriers' Branch
- a meeting was scheduled for Friday 10th July but was cancelled
by the employers with no explanation - Quarriers' wrote to UNISON
officially notifying them that unless UNISON agrees to their proposal
they will make everyone redundant and re-engage them on new terms
and conditions.
Stephen Brown, Branch Secretary, of UNISON Quarriers' Branch
said, “Like many staff in Quarriers I am on holiday this week
and I was horrified by this move by Quarriers. UNISON recognises
Quarriers' is feeling the financial pinch and were prepared to
meet Quarriers' in order to negotiate properly. I’m therefore
disappointed that Quarriers have decided to fall back on gun boat
diplomacy by threatening our members with the sack.”
He added, “Our members work very hard for the charity and provide
an excellent service to some of the most vulnerable in society.
Quarriers' continually say that they value their staff but this
threat shows how much they really value us. Quarriers' should
withdraw this notice immediately and sit around the table and
negotiate with us in a meaningful way.”
ENDS
For further information please contact: Stephen Brown
(Branch Secretary) 07738151150 Matt McLaughlin,( Regional Organiser
) 07904341979 Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 07715 583
729 :
Stay in touch with UNISON Scotland's latest news releases on
our website http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/index.html
and frequent updates on our blog http://unison-scotland.blogspot.com/
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