Date: Tuesday 27 October 2015

UNISON North Lanarkshire demo as council moves to cut one thousand jobs

UNISON Scotland MEDIA CALLING NOTICE

UNISON, North Lanarkshire branch is holding a demonstration to protest against the latest 1094 job losses announced by North Lanarkshire Council 

The demonstration is on Wednesday 28 October at 12:30om outside the Civic Centre in Motherwell, ML1 1AB.

UNISON spokespeople will be available for comment and photo opportunities

North Lanarkshire Council announced on 22 October that they are cutting 1094 (FTE) jobs,  400 of these (FTE) jobs (approx 600 home care workers) are under threat of privatisation. This is 10% cut in North Lanarkshire Council workforce

UNISON is the public services union and the biggest union in Scottish local government.  We represent the majority of the workforce in North Lanarkshire Council

Willie Duffy, UNISON regional officer for North Lanarkshire local government, said 'We promised to take our campaign to save North Lanarkshire's public services out to the communities and this is exactly what we are doing. We are calling for an end to austerity, to get more financial support from the Scottish Government and to force North Lanarkshire Council to think again. It is the most vulnerable people who will suffer because of this decision. North Lanarkshire Council need to consider what other options they have to mitigate the serious impact this decision will have on local services, jobs and the local economy, which is set to lose £26m.'

END

UNISON is the public services trade union and the biggest trade union in Scotland, We represent the majority of the workforce in North Lanarkshire Council

UNISON Contacts
Audrey Malloy, UNISON area organiser, 07946 555 186
Danny Phillips, UNISON communications officer 07944 664 110
Willie Duffy, UNISON regional officer, 07904 342 129

UNISON's response released on 22 October 
“This is devastating for everyone living in North Lanarkshire and once again it is the low paid and vulnerable, including children, elderly and disabled people who will be the worst affected.  North Lanarkshire Council are proposiong to cut 10% of the workforce which will cause chaos in our vital public services; £26m will be cut from the local economy; and at least 600 jobs are under threat of privatisation which we will oppose.
UNISON will work with the council to fight every job loss. The Scottish Government has promised no compulsory redundancies and at very least we will expect them to stick to that, so far we have not had any guarantees.

We understand it’s a difficult time and Scottish councils are being hit by the UK Government austerity and the Scottish Government’s council tax freeze. However they can do more to mitigate the impact of these cuts like borrow at record low interest rates, refinance, use reserves, reform taxation, and make better use of pension funds.

UNISON will campaign to end austerity and increase funding from the Scottish Government and fight for all our members who are affected. We will be consulting our members in the next week or so and taking the campaign into communities to discuss the consequences of these cuts on people living in North Lanarkshire.’

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