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Domestic abuse: Collude or challenge

Sheila Henderson, researcher to the Scottish Partnership on domestic abuse outlined to a Scottish Council meeting how the Scottish Parliament's response would impact on UNISON members.

"Domestic Abuse is everyone's problem", said Sheila as she outlined how the implications for UNISON members as trade unionists and as service providers.

The extent of the problem was huge and there was a need for more education to raise awareness across services. We all had a role to play in helping people disclose, making sure they are taken seriously and given realistic choices to deal with the problem.

"We can choose to collude, or we can choose to challenge", she told delegates.

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Membership up by 4,000 as millions won for members

Scotland's UNISON membership rose officially by more than 4,000 last year - giving an annual recruitment rise of 15.34% to 144,000 (figures rounded to nearest 500). Simultaneously the union announced that £1.7m plus had been won in Personal Injury settlements for nearly 300 members, writes Chris Bartter.

Matt Smith, UNISON's Scottish Secretary said, "These figures show UNISONScotland is providing a valuable service for its members. Obviously we would rather injuries caused by the negligence and culpability of employers were cut out altogether. While they occur, however, UNISON is in the forefront in delivering compensation."

The membership rise - the first for some years - is particularly satisfying in that it puts Scotland in the top three of UNISON regions in terms of recruitment figures.

Matt said: "We know that we need to recruit in the region of 10% a year simply to replace people leaving. To have recruited enough to add to our membership total is gratifying and will help us to continue to deliver a better service to Scottish members.

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Scotland's water industry faces crisis

UNISON has been to the forefront recently in defending Scotland's unique publicly-owned water service in the face of a range of threats.

In addition to the 'creeping privatisation' of PFI financed schemes, the industry recently faced the double whammy of a huge cash cut proposed by the water commissioner (£134m over 5 years), and a Scottish Executive proposal to open up the system to private suppliers.

Dave Watson, Scottish Organiser for Utilities said: "Scotland's publicly owned water and sewerage services are at risk. The Water Commissioners cuts threaten the jobs of a third of the workforce - with a knock-on threat to safety.

"The Competition proposals will endanger rather than safeguard the benefits currently provided by Scotland's water and sewerage services."
UNISON has produced a briefing for MSPs (and others) and has presented its case directly to the Minister for the Environment and to the Transport and Environment Committee as part of an STUC delegation.
The briefing is available on our website at the new Water Links Page.

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Partial victory on part-time pensions claims

by Chris Bartter

The House of Lords has ruled that part-time and contract workers who were excluded from employers pensions schemes because of their status can claim for entering into such schemes back as far as 8 April 1976 or whenever their employment commenced.

This is a considerable advance on the UK Government's law which only allowed backdating of two years, and follows answers that the House of Lords sought from the European Court of Justice.

However claims for entry to these schemes need to be made either during or within six months of leaving the relevant employment, and it is also possible that there may be a demand for claimants to pay the employee's contributions - although UNISON is arguing that they should not have to do this.

Members who already have claims at Tribunal that have been postponed will now need to wait for the Chair of Employment Tribunals to decide on the future running of these.

We don't know how long that will take but once that is done, eligible cases should be able to proceed to the next stage. Obviously this will not include those who submitted claims more than six months after leaving their employment. UNISON is asking for more legal advice to be provided for these members.

One group of workers can still submit claims. - those who are either still employed by an employer who denied them access to membership of their pension scheme (because of the rules excluding part-time workers) at any time as far back as 1976, or who left the employment of such an employer less than six months ago.

You will have to have been a member of UNISON or a former partner union - NALGO, NUPE, COHSE, BAOT or SHVA at that time and still be a member.

Please contact Aileen Ward in the Regional Office if you have members in this category.

Index

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Headlines . Communications . Home

Partial victory on part-time pensions claims

by Chris Bartter

The House of Lords has ruled that part-time and contract workers who were excluded from employers pensions schemes because of their status can claim for entering into such schemes back as far as 8 April 1976 or whenever their employment commenced.

This is a considerable advance on the UK Government's law which only allowed backdating of two years, and follows answers that the House of Lords sought from the European Court of Justice.

However claims for entry to these schemes need to be made either during or within six months of leaving the relevant employment, and it is also possible that there may be a demand for claimants to pay the employee's contributions - although UNISON is arguing that they should not have to do this.

Members who already have claims at Tribunal that have been postponed will now need to wait for the Chair of Employment Tribunals to decide on the future running of these.

We don't know how long that will take but once that is done, eligible cases should be able to proceed to the next stage. Obviously this will not include those who submitted claims more than six months after leaving their employment. UNISON is asking for more legal advice to be provided for these members.

One group of workers can still submit claims. - those who are either still employed by an employer who denied them access to membership of their pension scheme (because of the rules excluding part-time workers) at any time as far back as 1976, or who left the employment of such an employer less than six months ago.

You will have to have been a member of UNISON or a former partner union - NALGO, NUPE, COHSE, BAOT or SHVA at that time and still be a member.

Please contact Aileen Ward in the Regional Office if you have members in this category.

Index

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Living wage to feature in run up to general election

by Chris Bartter

UNISON's continuing campaign to deliver a living wage for all will feature in the run-up to the general election in a high profile march and rally in Manchester on 28 April followed by an evening rock concert.

Events are being organised in the week running up to the event and the Scottish Committee is encouraging branches to club together to organise buses to Manchester.

Mike Kirby, UNISON's Scottish Convenor said:
"We are encouraging as many members as possible to get to Manchester for the 28, to take part in the activities. We are also commissioning the Scottish Low Pay Unit to research the effect of the National Minimum Wage on employment in both the care and cultural and leisure sector.

"We are concerned by the apparent increase in casualisation in these sectors and the research that the SLPU and UNISON are carrying out will be presented at a seminar in the Spring".

Scotland's Young Members Committee are also committed to campaigning for a living wage. Cameron Day, the Chair of the Committee said:

"In addition to playing a full part in encouraging members to go to Manchester, we want to organise club events in different parts of Scotland -we are already in discussion with one in Edinburgh. We want to use these to promote UNISON's demand for a living wage and particularly our demand to abolish the discriminating youth rate."

Tickets for the evening concert in the MEN Arena on 28 April will be £10 and will be available for a brief period to UNISON members before going on sale.

Details of this and the band line up - likely to include Catatonia - will be announced soon.

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Living wage to feature in run up to general election

by Chris Bartter

UNISON's continuing campaign to deliver a living wage for all will feature in the run-up to the general election in a high profile march and rally in Manchester on 28 April followed by an evening rock concert.

Events are being organised in the week running up to the event and the Scottish Committee is encouraging branches to club together to organise buses to Manchester.

Mike Kirby, UNISON's Scottish Convenor said:
"We are encouraging as many members as possible to get to Manchester for the 28, to take part in the activities. We are also commissioning the Scottish Low Pay Unit to research the effect of the National Minimum Wage on employment in both the care and cultural and leisure sector.

"We are concerned by the apparent increase in casualisation in these sectors and the research that the SLPU and UNISON are carrying out will be presented at a seminar in the Spring".

Scotland's Young Members Committee are also committed to campaigning for a living wage. Cameron Day, the Chair of the Committee said:

"In addition to playing a full part in encouraging members to go to Manchester, we want to organise club events in different parts of Scotland -we are already in discussion with one in Edinburgh. We want to use these to promote UNISON's demand for a living wage and particularly our demand to abolish the discriminating youth rate."

Tickets for the evening concert in the MEN Arena on 28 April will be £10 and will be available for a brief period to UNISON members before going on sale.

Details of this and the band line up - likely to include Catatonia - will be announced soon.

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UNISON wins funding for two trade union learning projects

by Chris Bartter

UNISON is the only Scottish union to have been successful in winning funding for two union learning projects from the Scottish Executive, it was announced in January.

The money, from the Executive's Scottish Union Learning Fund, was allocated to two projects. £36,000 was given to create up to 30 'lifelong learning advisers' across the NHS and local authority sectors in Scotland and £47,950 to train 100 public sector workers in entry level ICT skills.

Anne Cascarino, UNISON Scotland's Regional Officer (Education) said:

"This is a real feather in our cap. We bid for three projects and were successful in two out of the total of 12. No other union won two projects.

"We want to go ahead now, and try to ensure that public sector staff are geared up to take full advantage of the IT revolution and of the advantages of lifelong learning."

These projects will complement the other lifelong learning innovations that UNISON has pioneered - in particular, Return 2 Learn - and the union will be working to ensure that members are fully aware of these new schemes and how they get access to them.

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Round the Branch Magazines

Striking a blow for fair pay

Clackmannashire's Excuse me! leads with this headline in its September issue.

Branch secretary Catherine Craig praises the majority - and the 206 new members - who stood by the democratic decision, many of who "were unable to understand fellow members' disloyalty".

The strike had united members in their fight for increased investment in local government.

Health & Safety, Single Status, working hours, training and nursery nurse regradings are all covered in a packed and well designed issue edited by Alan Wilson.

Southside UNISON from South Glasgow Hospitals leads on a 217% increase in violence to staff over the last 4 years. A 14 page issue has a centre-spread on PFI. Return 2 learn is covered with a host of service conditions news.

Glasgow Health's new Picture of Health leads on the discretionary points issue (see SiU p2). It is packed with news and features (credit union) with an eye-catching, if familiar design - aha! we see prize-winning editor Robert Rae (South Glasgow Hospitals) had a hand in it. That's cross branch co-operation.

Glasgow City's Voice covers the local government pay dispute and more detail on the campaign to fight housing stock transfer.

UNISONNews from City of Edinburgh is doing frequent two page issues through the pay strikes. It reports a huge 83% rejection of the pay offer by Edinburgh members. A front page leader slams the employers' 'woeful lack of understanding' and warns, "The longer they dally, the more they'll dig a hole for themselves and local government".

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Careers service transfer

By Chris Bartter

UNISON has given a qualified welcome to the proposals by the Scottish Executive to bring the many different careers related services together under a new national all-age body to be called Careers Scotland.

The union is asking branches for more detailed responses, which will be discussed at a delegate meeting on March 5.

Following on a review of the careers service carried out by a committee chaired by Barbara Duffner, Wendy Alexander, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, announced £24m to set up the new structure. It will take over the role of Careers Service Companies, Adult Guidance Networks, Education Business Partnerships and Local Learning Partnerships, and is planned to assume responsibility from April 2002, when it is hoped that functions, funding and staff will all transfer.

Joe Di Paola, Scottish Organiser for Local Government said: "We welcome the principle of the return of careers to a publicly run service and we also welcome the commitment to no redundancies at present.
However, we must now get down to working with the Executive and the new body to ensure that staff transferring are protected immediately, and safeguarded in the longer term."

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Electricity shops to close

The Retail Division have confirmed what UNISON long suspected - they intend to close most High Street shops as soon as a buyer can be found.

197 jobs are at risk and Senior Regional Officer Dave Watson has already put initial proposals on the table to protect the staff involved and a bulletin has gone out to members.

Proposals include redeployment, excess travel expenses, a better voluntary severance scheme and a personal plan for each employee now, not waiting until the closure comes.

An early meeting of the Retail Staff Committee is to be called to discuss these plans.

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Scottish Communications Awards

New awards for branch communications are to be launched this month by the Scottish Communications and Campaigns Committee.

The three Scottish Communications awards which will be sponsored by Frizzell's, Britannia Rescue and the UNISON Credit Card, cover the categories of Branch publications (divided into branches with less than 1,200 or more than 1,200 members); campaigning and use of electronic media.

Each category will have a prize of £200 for the successful branch and an award that they can use on their material.

John Stevenson, Chair of Communications and Campaigns said: "The idea is to promote the importance of good branch communications as an organising tool. We want to give branches who are doing good work a pat on the back, but also display successful work at the Scottish Council to encourage others."

The forms and rules will be going out very soon and should be returned completed with examples of the work by Friday 9 March. The presentation is planned for the Scottish Council on 7 April 2001.

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News In Brief

Angela is new NEC member
Glasgow City's Angela Lynes is Scotland's newest NEC member, polling 10,843 votes against Dundee's Mary Crichton with 7,772 votes. Angela is contactable on 0141 552 7069.

Also on the NEC is Scotland's Sofi Taylor who was elected to the 'National Additional Member' women's seat.
Our other NEC members are John McFadden, Nancy Coull and Chrissie Carmouche, with Jane Carolan in the National Local Government seat.

'Wee John' McFadden is currently recuperating after a illness. We all wish John well who hopes to be back in harness in the next month or two.

Commission on Social Need
UNISON Scotland is to arrange a Commission on Social Need and Public Finances to pose practical alternatives to austerity in the public services and erosion of the quality of the Welfare State.

The Commission, backed in a motion from City of Edinburgh Branch, would be made up of unions, academics and voluntary and campaigning organisations.

Edinburgh's John Stevenson told Scottish Council, "This will bring together a range of organisations in a co-ordinated assessment of social need and public finances to develop practical alternatives to engage in dialogue with the government".

UNISON to meet BA over access problems
UNISON Scotland is to meet British Airways executives to raise problems faced by disabled members who, despite going through all the proper procedures, find themselves banned from getting on flights.

Boyack meeting
The Scottish Disabled members Committee is to meet Transport Minister Sarah Boyack on 12 March to raise issues relating to transport and disability.

Police help in Stirling
Ann O'Neill who represents Police Support Staff in Stirling Council Branch has negotiated the use of an office in Dunblane Police Station.

Where meetings permit, Ann will be available to members for advice and enquiries at the office on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons.

Clinical Support Workers
Any Clinical Support Worker in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary or Simpsons who was previously an A Grade Nursing Assistant - and was on the top increment - should now be on the top increment of the CSW grade. If this affects you, contact Babs McGahey Ward 2 Simpsons on 61152.

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South Lanarkshire donates £250 to Indian Earthquake Disaster Appeal

Catherine McClymont, South Lanarkshire's Treasurer, and Lila Sneddon, Welfare Officer, hand over a cheque for £250 to Councillor Mushtaq Ahmad for Humanity First's Indian Earthquake Disaster Appeal writes Jane Aitchison.

A one day collection on 12 February in South Lanarkshire brought in over £1500 for the fund. Councillor Ahmad said, "It reinforces the Scottish tradition of altruism, with people translating their feelings for those suffering in other countries into generosity."

Donations can be sent to, The British Red Cross India Earthquake Appeal Freepost MID21782 Halesowen B63 3BR or by phone on 08705 125 125, - also at banks and post offices, and via other charities.

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Owning Scotland's Future: Morning Star Conference

The economic and democratic case for Public Ownership
11am Sunday 4 March 2001
STUC Building, 333 Woodlands Road Glasgow
Speakers include: Bill Spiers, Shona Robison MSP, John McAllion MP, Jane Carolan, Alan McCombes, Karie Murphy, Professor Matthias Beck, Phil McGarry, Kay Allan, John Haylett, Mick McGahey

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YOUSSEF ALLAN - OBITUARY

UNISON international activists were shocked to hear of the sudden death last month of the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Youssef Allan.

Youssef who was better known to activists as the UK representative of the Palestine Trade Union Federation, was 47. Although he had been ill, the suddenness of his death was a great shock. John Barton, UNISON Scotland's Chair of International Relations said:

"Youssef was a good friend of UNISON, and a dedicated representative of his people. We will miss him greatly both as a trade unionist and as a Palestinian."

He had been a regular attender at many UNISON conferences. Branches or individuals wishing to pay their respects can send condolences to the Palestinian Office in the UK, Palestine's Delegation, 5 Galina Road, London W6 0LT, Fax No: 0208 563 0058.

Chris Bartter