.

Headlines . Communications . Home

We want to hear your news

Won any deals or cases for members? Any 'people' stories we could use? SiU is your paper, we want to hear your stories.

Your SiU contacts are:

John Stevenson (Editor)

0131 343 1991

comms@unison-edinburgh.org.uk

Chris Bartter

0141 332 0006,

chris.bartter@unison.org.uk

FAX PRESS RELEASES to 0141-331-1203

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

BYE BYE BICK ....

by John Stevenson

If everybody had been so nice to me in the last 35 years as they have been this year, I wouldn't be leaving, Rodney Bickerstaffe told the Scottish Council meeting of branches on 2 December.

On his last formal visit to Scotland before he retires as UNISON General Secretary, Rodney's theme was standing together and fighting poverty.

Praising the Jubilee 2000 fight to end the poverty caused by third world debt, Rodney said,

"Our union is not just about protecting our members, fighting low pay, speaking out for our members' patients and clients, it is also about standing up for the poor and disadvantaged across the globe".
Turning to the local government and higher education pay disputes, he said,

"We see people in this country getting a bonus of £1 million each. We don't aspire to that - but we do aspire to a living wage. Even if you get what you are fighting for, it still wouldn't be a decent living wage".

Rodney remembered key people and events in Scotland over the years, including his work with the late Donald Dewar in the campaign for a Scottish Parliament.

He praised the quality of UNISON staff and lay officers in Scotland. NEC member John McFadden came in for special mention. "He can drink, eh?".

Pointing out John's long interest in the history of links between working people, especially in Ireland and Scotland, Rodney called for people to act together for change,

"The links between the people of these islands come from history, community, unions, co-operation, togetherness - it is about our collective"

And that was nowhere more important that in UNISON.

"Old traditions die hard" he said, but there are more and more people now who had not been part of the old unions, they had only been in UNISON and they were the future.

Rodney will now go on to lead the Pensioners campaign, a role that he was approached for some time ago by retiring leader and trade union legend Jack Jones.

"Jack asked me to stand but warned 'Barbara Castle won't like it". Shortly after, Rodney was summoned to the House of Lords to be asked the same question by veteran Labour peer Barbara Castle who warned "Mind you, Jack Jones won't like it".

Rodney gave his full backing to new General Secretary Dave Prentis and wished him a speedy recovery and every success in leading the union in the future.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

Window of opportunity in pay dispute

Local government members decided last week to suspend escalation of their five month pay action, after an 11th hour approach from the employers to UNISON gave a 'window of opportunity' for talks.

But as we went to press UNISON warned that if there was no progress, the strikes could escalate in early January.

As well as three one day strikes by all council workers since August, 600 members have been on indefinite strike since 1 November. A further 700 joined them three weeks ago. They will stay out and many more were set to strike before the chance of talks arose.

In making its decision, UNISON's Disputes Committee recognised the employers' position both with regard to inflation-proofing the current offer and a guarantee of inflation-plus pay awards in future years.

The employers have also said that negotiations could be weighted towards the lower paid - an objective which UNISON has been fighting for for many years.

The Committee expressed strong support for the industrial action and will meet in early January and look positively at the call for escalation should talks break down.

Matt Smith, UNISON's Scottish Secretary, called on CoSLA to re-open negotiations immediately.

"The ball is now clearly with the Employers' Side. I have written to Pat Watters, the Employers' Side leading negotiator, calling for urgent talks. We are long past time for a settlement".

Leading negotiator Dougie Black said, "We welcome the opportunity of talks but they will only succeed if the employers understand the need to be constructive and not just go over old ground".

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

Universities rally for BETTer pay and conditions

by Chris Bartter

Four rallies across Scotland started a major campaign for fair pay for University staff.

On Tuesday 5 December lunchtime rallies in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow heard that University unions were united in a campaign to try and force UK employers to implement the findings of the independent Bett Inquiry.

These rallies were part of a UK-Wide campaign by seven higher education unions - AUT, EIS, GMB, MSF, NATFHE, T&G and UNISON - supported by the NUS.

UNISON's Carol Judge (Scottish Organiser for Higher and Further Education) told a packed Glasgow Film Theatre that,

"Some universities are telling different stories on their attitudes to implementing Bett, depending on who they're talking to. We want union branches to get a clear statement out of their employers on their attitude to these long awaited improvements."

The Bett inquiry into pay and conditions for staff, recognised the need to modernise bargaining machinery, pay realistic wages and provide decent conditions to staff. Despite the fact that employers set the inquiry up, they have failed to deliver its recommendations. The university vice-chancellors refused to improve on a 3% pay rise despite a government award of £330 million to improve pay and conditions.

"Pay is low across the sector, and workloads have increased by 90%, yet staff numbers have only increased by 25%." Said Carol.

"Employers should know that the goodwill ends now unless negotiations start." Further action could include, working to rule and to contract, further demonstrations and refusal to hand over marks.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

All we want for Xmas is to be brought in-house

The UNISON South Glasgow Hospitals Branch held a successful demonstration outside Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary on Monday 4 December to launch their campaign to have ALL support service staff returned to direct NHS employment.

Currently those at the Victoria Infirmary are employed by private contractor Sodexho.

At the demonstration UNISON Branch Secretary, Robert Rae said:

"UNISON does not believe that patient care will be best served by retaining the services of Sodexho. UNISON is calling on the South Glasgow Hospitals NHS Trust to end the contract at the first available opportunity - 6th January 2001, returning staff from the hands of private profiteers into the NHS family where they belong! Sodexho's only interest is profits, NOT patients or staff!"

Support services at the Victoria were privatised five years ago by the former Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust.

UNISON is distributing leaflets and postcards for staff, patients and the public to sign and post to the Trust Chief Executive, Robert Calderwood. Please contact Robert Rae at the SGH Branch for copies.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

All we want for Xmas is to be brought in-house

The UNISON South Glasgow Hospitals Branch held a successful demonstration outside Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary on Monday 4 December to launch their campaign to have ALL support service staff returned to direct NHS employment.

Currently those at the Victoria Infirmary are employed by private contractor Sodexho.

At the demonstration UNISON Branch Secretary, Robert Rae said:

"UNISON does not believe that patient care will be best served by retaining the services of Sodexho. UNISON is calling on the South Glasgow Hospitals NHS Trust to end the contract at the first available opportunity - 6th January 2001, returning staff from the hands of private profiteers into the NHS family where they belong! Sodexho's only interest is profits, NOT patients or staff!"

Support services at the Victoria were privatised five years ago by the former Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust.

UNISON is distributing leaflets and postcards for staff, patients and the public to sign and post to the Trust Chief Executive, Robert Calderwood. Please contact Robert Rae at the SGH Branch for copies.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

UNISON backs gas disaster inquir

by Chris Bartter

John Taylor, representing the joint Electricity, Gas & Water Committee, won unanimous support at the Scottish District Council on Saturday 2 December for an independent public inquiry to investigate the whole issue of safety performance in the Gas Industry.

The Joint National Energy Group will also be asked for support.
A total of eight lives had been lost in Scotland due to gas explosions.

John stated, "We are now seeing the sharp end of Privatisation with parallels between Railtrack and the Gas Industry becoming apparent."
Some of the pipes in this country are over 100 years old. Safety performance has to be investigated along with impact continual staff cuts have had on pipeline safety.

John was also critical of OFGEM, the Government regulator who forces the industry to cut costs in the name of competition.

Over 15,000 jobs had been lost in the Industry since Privatisation. That results in a skills loss and a reduction in service to the customer. Stress, when things go wrong, impacts on the remaining staff who are then subject to abuse.

The call from the Utilities committee was given strong backing from Local Government's Mary Crichton. The recent gas explosion in Dundee resulted in two deaths and is the second incident in Scotland this year. Mary urged us all to become aware of what was happening in the Gas Industry. "When cost cutting results in tragedy then it's time to admit there must be an improvement irrespective of cost."

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

Goodbye to Cath, hello to Karie

By Chris Bartter

UNISON's Scottish Deputy Convenor Cath Friel has left us to go and work in Northern Ireland, the Scottish Council heard at its last meeting.

Cath, who was an activist in Scotland's Health Service for more years than she cares to remember, and was latterly a member of UNISON's NEC has now taken a full-time development officers job with the Northern Ireland region.

However she found time to come back to accept a gift from the Scottish Council for all her work.

"I left Scotland with some regret, I admit." She said. "But the job in Ireland is great. I shall miss the warmth and the work in Scotland and I wish you all well."

Cath's position as Deputy Convenor has been filled by Karie Murphy.

Also an activist in the NHS, Karie is Branch Secretary of the Glasgow Health Branch and a Health Visitor. She also Chairs UNISON Scotland's APF Committee.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

Nurses need Drugs Guidelines

by Bridget Hunter, UNISONScotland lead officer for Nursing

A Police spokesperson has warned nurses that they run the risk of breaking the law if they fail to inform police or their nurse manager when they know someone is taking drugs whilst under their care.

Detective Gerry McCann was speaking at the annual UNISON Nursing Seminar in Glasgow on 24 November. This was obviously a major area of concern as the 100 plus nurses quizzed him on the topic for some time.

The subject for the whole Seminar was caring for drug mis-users. A variety of speakers who highlighted aspects that nurses should consider while carrying out their role in caring for such patients.

One of those patients was Mark who works in conjunction with Greater Glasgow Health Board. "Patients who are drug users need dignity and humanity," he said "and nurses sometimes forget that drug users, like everyone else, feel pain - sometimes to a greater degree."

Other speakers included Mary McCreadie, an Education & Training Officer with Greater Glasgow Health Board. She pointed out that the best person to 'de-mystify drugs' was often the drug-user.

She also suggested that it was essential that nurses go back to their workplace and encourage a pro forma on the method of dealing with such patients within each of their wards / departments, as well as trust-wide policies.

Karen Jennings, UNISON's Head of Nursing described how nurses stand with regard to the UKCC.

She highlighted the fact that the UKCC do not have a formal position on this and that UNISON at national level were trying to move the Home & Health Department to provide clear guidelines for all nurses and residential care staff.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

STUC Anti Racist March and Rally

Shona Robison MSP (Chair, Cross-Party Group on Asylum Seekers); Aamer Anwar Lawyer for the Chhokar Family Campaign; Liz Elkind, President of the STUC; and Eniola Adewale, an asylum seeker from Nigeria, were pictured in front of UNISON's Scottish Black Members Banner at the rally at the end of the annual Anti - Racist March on 25 November.

The theme of the rally was an end to racist asylum laws, and a packed Glasgow Film Theatre heard speaker after speaker welcome asylum seekers to Glasgow and point out how the racism inherent in the current law, and the use of the abhorrent voucher system, gave legitimacy to some of the racist attacks suffered by asylum seekers, in Glasgow and elsewhere.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

Pass the banner and make it shine more brightly

At this year's UNISON Conference, retiring General Secretary Rodney Bickerstaffe gave a special interview to SiU editor John Stevenson. In it, one of the most significant union leaders in the last 35 years, shares his analysis of the past and his vision of the future.

We stand on giants' shoulders, said Rodney Bickerstaffe as he spoke of how the trade union movement had got to where it stands today.

"At the STUC I recall McGahey and Airlie, giants of the trade union movement. But they are all giants, be they members, stewards or leaders, high or low paid who have passed us the banner.

"This is not us, it is they who have brought us to where we are.

"Everyone has to hand over the banner as I will hand it over to Dave Prentis, as each of us here will hand it over to those who follow. The job is to make that banner shine more brightly".

Rodney's vision of the future is a single industrial union for the public sector and a single trade union movement for the world.

"We need to talk to civil servants, to teaching organisations and to build the profile of public services across the whole piece".

The bigger we are, the more we can "proclaim the public service ethos". That ethos is core to everything we do.

"It is ideological, political and a social belief. Public services paid from the public purse and delivered by properly trained and rewarded public sector workers".

Rounding on those who back privatisation, Rodney said,

"Profit-taking has no place in the areas we cover; in healthcare, housing, care of the elderly, the sick and the dying. If we do not speak up for them, who will?"

And he believes we have spoken up for them. In looking back to the merger, Rodney sees UNISON as having been crucial to the whole trade union movement.

"Without UNISON in those last seven years things would have been a lot worse. The merger was a voice and a vote for trade unionism and one that the members democratically chose.

"I know blue collar workers and white collar have sometimes felt left out by each other, but we are pulling together.

"There are new people coming into UNISON who have never been in NUPE, COHSE or NALGO and it has led to a UNISON culture.
"A UNISON culture of, whatever your job, you are worth as much as anyone else"

What next?

And what of the future? Rodney believes the wheel will turn in the next 10 to 15 years. In the 1880s and 1890s the push to private provision saw corruption and non-provision of services because private companies failed.

"I hope to become President of the National Pensioners Convention. I spoke to them in Blackpool recently and got a very warm reception.
He then launched into the familiar grasp of issues, statistics and political vision in this new role, that has made him so successful as a union leader.

"There are 10.25 million pensioners in Britain, one-fifth of the population.

"Grey power does work (luckily for both of us) - pensioners are a real power", said Rodney.

"But we need to make sure that in old age the extremes of poverty and wealth are not continued".

He acknowledged there was a lot of work to do, especially on building a link between the generations.

Young people should be campaigning for the elderly and the elderly should be standing up and marching for the young "on unemployment, lack of prospects and the minimum wage".

International

Rodney also intends to do some international work. He was at Seattle pushing for core labour values to be accepted.

"There should be no child labour, no slave forced labour and real health and safety rights throughout the world", he said.

"I don't want to see people maimed and killed in factories, factories often owned by Western wealth treating people as scum".

Partnerships were needed and could be built with unions and non governmental organisations to tackle these issues and Rodney was looking to SOLIDAR as a start to this process.

And he stressed that all this work would be unpaid.

"I have a good pension after 35 years and I am grateful for that and because it will allow me to do this work", he explained.

Reach out to each other

Sitting with one of Scotland's NEC members John McFadden (who arranged the interview), I asked Rodney to reflect of his personal touch that extends to an amazing memory for people.

There was also the ability to immediately engage members in conversation about the issues they want UNISON to address. He was soon talking with passion about the need to treat and see people as individuals.

"In a major organisation of 1.3 million we need to try harder to reach out and touch each other.

"We cannot be bureaucracy bound, we are not so committee bound that we cannot reach out to each other.

"You can get so snowed under in a huge organisation, just as you can get lost in the hugeness of society. We are human beings, we have to reach out.

"For those in ill health, mental or physical, we need to reach out more.
"Trade unions have huge power to reach out be a force for good.

UNISON in particular is, has been and will be a power for good".
In that self deprecating way, Rodney had interspersed the interview with "is this alright, is this what you wanted" . Yes it was, and I will go long time before I see John McFadden sitting so quietly for so long.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

NHS 'day of shame' for Labour

Over 300 NHS staff are being privatised as a result of the new Private Finance Initiative hospital being built at Wishaw.

This has led to a UNISON claim that this Labour Administration will privatise more National Health Service workers' jobs in Scotland over the next 7 months than the Tories privatised in their last 7 years.

"This is a day of shame for the Labour Party in Scotland", said Jim Devine, Scottish Organiser of Health for UNISON. "Over 300 domestic, portering and catering staff are today being privatised by the Government in order to make profit for bankers. Many of these staff have worked for the National Health Service for 10, 15 and 20 years.

The priority of private contractors is to make profit out of ill health and patient care is a secondary consideration. These staff did not choose to work in this environment."

"Not only will the staff lose out but patients will lose out. When one includes the closure of Stonehouse Hospital nearly 130 acute beds will be cut in Lanarkshire as a result of this PFI project. Nursing numbers have been reduced and the skill mix changed.

"If one includes the NHS staff who will be privatised in Edinburgh in a few months time, more NHS workers will be privatised in the next 7 months here in Scotland than were privatised in the last 7 years of the Tory government when they were in power. This is Labour's Day of Shame".

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

Get your vote in for the NEC elections

Ballot papers are out for the National Executive (NEC) seat vacated by Cath Friel - and the closing date is 19 January.

This is one of Scotland's seats on the NEC, voted on only by members in Scotland. Two candidates are contesting the vacant seat,

• Mary Crichton, Dundee City branch secretary and
• Angela Lynes, Glasgow City branch secretary.

In addition to the vacant post, the current Scottish members on the NEC are...
Nancy Coull (Fife)
Chrissie Carmouche (Glasgow City)
John McFadden (Glasgow City)
Jane Carolan (Glasgow City) (LG )
(Apology: The hard copy version has Alex Joyce incorrectly in the Health NEC seat)

The Local Government and Health seats were voted for on a UK basis.
Also on the ballot paper is an election for a vacant 'National Additional Seat' for a woman delegate.

This election is on a UK-wide basis like the service group seats.
Make sure you use your vote in this important election to UNISON's ruling body.

As a lay led union, the NEC oversees all of the union's business and implements and interprets policy set down by the National Conference.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

"Christmas Chaos" slur is exposed

An attempt by CoSLA to 'dig the dirt' on the local government dispute and exploit the 'winter of discontent factor has been exposed. A circular from CoSLA to councils refers to a 'War cabinet' to plan their "battle with UNISON" and urges councils to highlight emotive examples of service disruption.

The story was highlighted in 7 December's Evening News. Chris Bartter, UNISON's Communications Officer said,

"It is not surprising that, having lost the media battle so far, CoSLA is making a desperate attempt to exploit human misery stories rather than addressing the issues. We need to be vigilant over Christmas, and I have written out to Branches asking for stories from a UNISON viewpoint.

Good News stories of things that branches are doing over Christmas to relieve any service problems or to compensate - Xmas parties for vulnerable groups for example.

In addition we could do with some stories about strikers - especially low paid ones - and how they are coping over Christmas, and any stories of deliberate exploitation of service disruption, by councils in order to blame UNISON."

The deferral of escalation over Christmas may well not be enough to stop the propaganda war and branches are urged to ensure they both have their media strategy arranged to cover over the festive season, and have some good news stories. Please ensure they are passed to Chris Bartter at West Campbell Street as well.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

Hospital infection - Invest in professional cleaning services

At any one time about one in ten patients in hospital have a hospital acquired infection and an unquantified number of patients in the community have an infection related to recent hospital admission.

A House of Commons report estimates that problem causes up to 5000 deaths a year and costs the NHS £1billion. But infection control experts believe that 15-30% of these incidents are preventable if high levels of cleanliness are adopted.

Against this background, managers and infection control professionals are increasingly recognising the key role of hospital cleaning staff in the battle to stop soaring levels of hospital acquired infection and combating the new breed of "super bugs" such as Methincillian Resistant Staphloccus Areus (MRSA), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE), Staphylococcus Aureus (VISA).

Jim Devine, Scottish Organiser for Health said, "UNISON maintains that for too long Britain's 100,000 hospital cleaners have been undervalued. Since the introduction of contracting out of cleaning services in 1984 cleaning standards in our hospitals have been systematically forced down in the drive towards greater cost cutting.

"Without the dedication, skills, commitment and professionalism of our hospital cleaners, the work of doctors and nurses would become increasingly futile."

The influential World Health Organisation now recognises the key role of cleaners in the world-wide crusade to combat hospital acquired infection.

"Nurses must be able to get on with the job of caring for patients without having to revert to the practice of the past of being inundated with non-nursing duties", added Jim.

"The Government and hospital managers need to urgently re-evaluate and recognise the crucial role of hospital cleaners as front-line troops in the war against cross infection.

"We must end the years of neglect and invest in training and development through NVQs for the newly emerging professional breed of hospital cleaners with access to a comparable pay and conditions package.

"100,000 cleaning staff are keen and willing to take on the challenge. The House of Commons report exposes just how critical this issue is to the future of our NHS. There are two decades of neglect to make up - we have no time to lose", says Jim.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

Working backs are better backs

by Chris Bartter

An early example of successful partnership working in the NHS was seen in mid October, when Gavin Hastings launched the Working Backs Scotland campaign.

The campaign, initiated by the Health Education Board for Scotland, has 20 partners including professional health bodies, the STUC and UNISON, and is trying to change attitudes to back pain.

New advice suggests that lying down is NOT a good treatment for bad backs, and that exercise is good for them. It also says that employers should be supportive of staff with bad backs, telling them to take time off, but not to go to bed.

Some 30,000 plus packs will be being distributed via members of the partnership. Millie Sommerville, (Chair of UNISON's Scottish Health and Safety Committee) was UNISON's representative on the partnership.

"Back pain is a major contributor to problems at work." She says "When you think that two out of three Scots have suffered back pain in the last year, you can imagine what the ratio is amongst nurses and other staff who have to lift heavy objects. We worked well as a team to devise the campaign. We needed a combination of what people could do to help themselves, and what employers could and should be doing to prevent back injuries, and find ways of adapting so that employees with back pain can continue to work."

The campaign will continue to spread the word and Scotland's Working Backs Partnership will be sticking together to monitor its progress.

.

Headlines . Communications . Home

Extremists exposed?
Scotland on Sunday loses its marbles

Yes, you read it first in Scotland on Sunday, UNISONScotland is riven with extremists in the strangest quarters.

On 10 December, SoS produced a cracking article that almost collided with facts on a couple of occasions. Yes, they spelled the names right - but that's where it stopped.

So who are these extremists uncovered by the intrepid broadsheet?

Extremist No 1. Gerry Crawley (Glasgow Organiser according to SoS, but really a mild-mannered treasurer). Gerry was last seen proving his extremist credentials by complaining about SWP placards on a pay rally. Clearly a ploy to mislead SoS.

Extremist No 2: Donald Shiach (SoS thinks he's in Highland Branch which will come as a shock to them, and indeed to UNISON Secretary Matt Smith. Yes, Donald is in fact a full time officer). SoS may have something though. We've found this photo of Donald with his Guevarra look a few years ago.

Extremist No 3: SiU editor John Stevenson for whom SoS has created the new post of 'Edinburgh Communication Director' (wonder what the salary is? - ed). "I'm flattered", said John. "Let the hard left slag me now, I've got street cred at last".

But surely the best quote came from Morag Stevenson. "It's not April fool's day is it?", she asked.

Seriously though, is it not pathetic that a newspaper that claims to be Scotland's quality Sunday can print such off the wall tripe.