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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

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Presidential poster launch against racism

Anne Picking, UNISON's national President joined Scotland Football Coach, Craig Brown, Tony Higgins, Secretary of the Scottish Professional Footballers Association, and other players and managers to help launch an anti-racism poster featuring the Scottish International Squad for 2000.

The event was organised with the help of the Scottish FA.
The poster has been produced by Show Racism the Red Card (SRTRC), the campaign that aims to drive racism out of football, and to use football as a way to get this message across to young people.

Also at the launch were 250 youngsters from
schools across Scotland, who got the chance to question players and managers on racism.

Anne said

"I am proud that UNISON is a major sponsor. Racism is an evil that must not be allowed to flourish. It is especially important that children are made aware of the damage and terror caused by racist behaviour."

Ged Grebby, Project Co-ordinator of SRTRC, said
"SRTRC have produced 140,000 posters which they hope will be distributed to schools, youth clubs, pubs and workplaces - anywhere where they will be displayed and used. The SFA have also produced postcards with the same photo for all their members."

UNISONScotland has already circulated Branches about the 10,000 posters we have. If you, or you friends or family have an outlet for these posters, please contact Chris Bartter or Aileen Ward at 0141-332 0006 or Helen Stewart or Pat Raeburn at 0131-226 2662.

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Real face of section 28 exposed

by Chris Bartter

Glasgow City Council has become the first in Britain to be taken to court over Section 28, ten years after the law was enacted.

The resulting withdrawal of funds threatens groups including those supporting people living with HIV and Aids, many of who depend on council run or council supported services to make their lives bearable.

In a move timed to coincide with Brian Souter's discredited poll, the Council had to defend an Interim Interdict by a Mrs Strain, a Glasgow nurse backed by a fundamental Christian group.

It has been reported that the Judge felt there was a case to answer but when the Council voluntarily agreed to cease funding groups the Interdict was not granted.

The group, the Christian Institute, is a fundamental biblically-based organisation who's main aim is "to affirm the universal Lordship of Christ, to challenge humanism, relativism and other ideologies, to proclaim Biblical truth as relevant to every area of life, and to equip Christians for action". It was formed in 1989 to "promote the Biblical Christian faith in society".

It opposes a woman's right to choose, the government's recent proposals for easier divorces and it is funding a judicial review (under Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act) of Glasgow City Council's support for Lesbian and Gay groups.

Whether or not the Judicial Review is successful, the Christian Institute has made clear it will happily fund reviews of other councils across the UK.

The effect on innocent people's lives could be catastrophic. The very act of starting the process has left many lesbian and gay people, their families and supporters feeling vulnerable.

Jim Mearns, Co-convenor of UNISONScotland's Lesbian and Gay Group says "The Council has made clear it will fight this case and it needs to win. This is a test case for a piece of legislation that is thoroughly discredited as being poorly drafted and discriminatory."

Continuing the campaign to repeal Section 28/2a, a STUC-organised March for Equality and Diversity is planned for Edinburgh on Saturday 24 June.
Assemble12.30 pm in East Market Street (beside Waverley Station), march up The Mound and rally in Parliament Square. Invited to take part are children's and parents organisations, church groups, NUS, CoSlA and many arts groups. UNISON will be calling for a big turn out from branches.

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RAISE THE ROOF ON DOMESTIC ABUSE
Building the profile in Scottish branches

By Jennie Biggs

Pioneered by Southern region, prioritised by the NEC and the National Womens Committee and now being highlighted by the Scottish Womens Committee...

In a recent policy day, members of the Scottish Womens Committee reviewed the campaign's progress in Scotland.

We were able to exchange information about take-up in the handful of branches that committee members belong to but no-one in Scotland presently has the wider picture. Initiatives reported include

• Working with local Womens Aid and Rape Crisis Centres
• discovering a young womens group Enough is Enough which campaigns on changes in Matrimonial interdicts and supports young women who have suffered domestic abuse as children and as adults
• sharing experiences about raising this as a branch issue and spreading the posters around with local contact number
• raising awareness and negotiating workplace policies

....what a workload

We know not every branch has the same priorities and we know what can be achieved in one area may stand no chance in another in the same timescale.

As a union, Raise the Roof on Domestic Abuse is a priority and your branch will shortly receive a questionnaire from the Scottish Womens Committee to find out where we are across Scotland in taking this issue forward.

Take time to read it and fill it in and let us know what support the campaign has in your branch and where you plan to take it further.

As they say in the Scottish Executive, "Domestic Abuse - there is no excuse".

We are also asking branches to send in copies of any policies on domestic abuse they have negotiated and to let us know what methods they used to spread the word and the campaign.

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Action plan on housing transfers

By John Stevenson

Scottish UNISON branches have met to draw up an action plan to fight housing stock transfers.

"We heard reports from 14 branches across Scotland facing whole or partial housing stock transfers", said Dougie Black, Scottish Local Government Chair.

"Now we plan to meet again in July to monitor progress".
The Action Plan includes:-

* Pushing for Parliamentary Questions on the issue

* Meeting UNISON linked MSPs of all parties on the principles and on employment rights issues

* Campaigning against whole stock transfers but also promote options like Quasi Housing Corporations

* Building links with the Scottish Tenants Organisation (STO) and Tenants Participation Advisory (TPAS)

* Step up recruitment of local authority and Housing Association members and open talks with Employers in Voluntary Housing on recognition and model agreements

* Promote branch officer training on the issue

* Explore a bid for GPF funding for a Scottish Action Fund for Best Value in Scottish Housing and for research to back our case and develop options

* Review national publicity materials to use directly or adapt for Scotland, eg Councillors Briefing,and a tenants 'NO' leaflet