Lay edited bi-monthly bulletin for 5,000 activists in Scotland

December 2008 No 76

Happy festive season to all our members ...especially to those delivering services over the holiday

Campaign to save our pensions needed now
Following ominous signals from the Tories that they plan to attack public service pensions, UNISON’s Jane Carolan has warned that we must start campaigning now.

Pensions, it’s down to us
As the politicians and the press gang up on the attack, who will defend our public service pensions? We will! says JANE CAROLAN.

Midlothian set to strike over Single Status
AMidlothian Council members were set to start selective strike action as SiU went to press after Single Status talks faltered. IT support and inquiry and collection staff were due to walk out .

Meat strike called off as employers agree to pay
UNISON called off a planned Meat Hygiene strike last month after employers agreed to pay a long-overdue pay rise.

Credit Crunch: Public service investment key to recovery
Investment in public services will be essential to stabilising our economy, maintaining demand and employment and underpinning future growth, UNISON’s Dave Watson told a conference at Glasgow University.

Scottish Water strike forces board back to negotiations
A day of all out strike action in November by UNISON along with Unite and GMB has forced the board of Scottish Water into negotiations over the current pay dispute.

Review set up as council staff accept pay award
The local government pay dispute finally reached an end in November as UNISON members in Scotland’s councils voted by a narrow majority to accept a two year pay deal worth 3% for 2008 and 2.5% for 2009. Now a review has been set up to look at the lessons to be learned.

‘It’s Democracy, Stupid’ to transform services
It’s “Democracy, Stupid” to transform Scotland’s Public Services, Dave Watson, UNISON’s Scottish Organiser, told a conference on transformation and the public sector earlier this month.

Back the public and extend Freedom of Information to private contractors
UNISONScotland has welcomed new research that shows the Scottish public backs extending Freedom of Information to cover private companies building schools and hospitals under PPP/PFI contracts and other non-public bodies delivering public services.

UNISON takes centre stage at Daily Record Health Awards
UNISON is a major sponsor of the prestigious Daily Record Health Awards and took centre stage again this year.

March for Just Solutions
Several hundred people marched though Glasgow last week to demand ‘Just Solutions’ on climate change. Meanwhile the Scottish Government has published the Scottish Climate Change Bill.

Scotland’s ten years on the web
John Stevenson, Chair of the Communications and Campaigns Committee was uncharacteristically lost for words at December’s Scottish Council as Convenor Mike Kirby announced the 10th anniversary of the UNISON Scotland website and thanked John for his work as “webmaster” over the past 10 years.

Edinburgh home help takes equal pay lawyer to court
Home Help Jacqueline Quinn is taking equal pay lawyer Stefan Cross to court after he charged her £500 for taking her case to another lawyer. UPDATE: members wins case

End discrimination of Gypsy/Travellers
UNISON Scotland has backed a move by North Ayrshire’s Colin Turbett to win formal ethnic minority status for Scotland’s Gypsies/Travellers. .

Cuba at 50
Marking the anniversary of the Cuban revolution next year, UNISON’s Scottish Council congratulated the Cuban people on their achievements.

Breaking the Barriers Trade union solidarity with Palestinian workers
International speakers will address the issue of solidarity with Palestine in a UNISON Scotland sponsored conference to be held in Edinburgh on 17 January.

Virtual Branch for Quarriers
On 1 December 2008, 10 years after UNISON Scotland went live, Quarriers Branch entered the world of the Internet with a brand new website. .

President praises Scotland
UNISON National President, Sue Highton, has praised UNISON Scotland for ‘punching above its weight’ at UK level in the union.

The pulling power of UNISON
UNISON South Ayrshire member, Colin Duthie, was one of a team of 36 manual wheelchair users who successfully achieved a world record, by pulling a 57 tonne Boeing 757 110 metres along a runway at Lasham Airfield, on 6 September 2008.

Police staff pay
As SiU went to press, UNISON was about to meet police employers to hammer out a new pay deal.

ST ANDREW’S DAY MARCH An Injury to One is An Injury to All!
UNISON Scotland’s banner joined with other unions, political parties and community organisations on the streets of Glasgow for this year’s St Andrews Day Anti Racism March and Rally on 29 November .

Youngsters back UNISON sponsored Show Racism the Red Card event Over 180 youngsters enthusiastically showed racism the red card, by participating in the football, cricket and fitness suite activities in Rutherglen at the end of October.

Waxing to ‘wear it pink’
South Lanarkshire UNISON steward Robert Allison was so keen to raise funds for the Wear it Pink Appeal on October 31st that he allowed colleagues Vicky Bradley and Christine Miller to wax his legs. .

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