In almost the last throw of the dice
on Wednesday afternoon, Congress backed
an emergency motion from the Aberdeen
Trade Union Council, condemning Police
Scotland’s decision to close the
Control Centres at Aberdeen, Dumfries,
Stirling and Glenrothes, without consultation
and with the loss of over 450 jobs. The
STUC General Council will formally express
its concern to Police Scotland and the
Scottish Government.
Michelle Brady, of the Aberdeen Trade
Union Council, and a member of UNISON's
Police Staff's Branch, told Congress that
local knowledge will be lost through these
closures.
Seconding the motion, UNISON's George
McIrvine said: "Since 2009, 2,000
of our loyal, hard working police civilian
staff from a workforce of 8000+ have left
the service through either voluntary redundancy,
early retirement or resigning disillusioned
with the service.
"The reality is the majority of
these posts are now being carried out
by untrained police officers, perversely
at a greater cost to the public purse.
"Our police staff members have had
enough. They are suffering major job losses
across the whole of the service with no
end in sight, with attacks on service
& conditions and deskilling of their
roles on police Scotland's and the Scottish
Police Authority's agenda whilst the justice
secretary Kenny Macaskill turns a blind
eye."
"UNISON has always campaigned for
a balanced workforce of police staff and
officers that provides an effective police
service which is best value for the public
purse.
"Congress, we are told we have now
got a first class police service fit for
the 21st century.
However you cant have first class policing
by treating police staff as second class
citizens."
