Latest UNISON Scotland Briefings from the Bargaining and Campaigns Team. UNISON Scotland Briefings include Bargaining and Policy Briefings for branches on a wide range of policy and employment issues, e-briefings and Legal Updates and briefings for MSPs and MPs and others to represent UNISON policy where decisions are being made.
Briefing 172 The cost of outsourcing: STUC research
Outsourcing, contracting out the delivery of public services from the public sector, is often presented as the cheapest option for public finances. This is not the case. Research from the ... Read More
Briefing 171 Local Government Benchmarking Report 2024/25
Every year the Improvement Service carry out research on how councils are performing against a range of measures, giving information about the last year and allowing comparisons over time. This ... Read More
Briefing 170: Additional Support for Learning: A Review of System Delivery for Learners
This briefing summarises the recent review of additional support for learning provision in Scotland, ‘Additional Support for Learning: A Review of System Delivery for Learners’. UNISON members in pupil support ... Read More
Briefing 169 – Scottish Water: Creeping Privatisation Report
This briefing summarises the findings of 'Scottish Water: creeping privatisation A Critical Examination of Union Representation, Governance, Outsourcing, and Management Culture in Scottish Water’ by Des McNulty, Glasgow University and ... Read More
MSP Briefing – Children (Care, Care Experience & Services Planning) Bill, Stage 1 Debate.
UNISON has written to MSPs about the Children (Care, Care Experience & Services Planning) Bill which goes before the Scottish Parliament on Wed 14th Jan. The Bill is hugely flawed ... Read More
Briefing 168 – Population challenges for public services and the economy
This briefing looks at the implications of current and projected demographic change. It summarises recent publications from the Improvement Service. There is a rising demand for services and pressures on ... Read More
Briefing 167 – Scottish Government Public Sector Reform Summit
On October 14th 2025 the Scottish Government held what they billed as a "Public Sector Reform Operational Summit" . The aim was to develop plans to fulfil the Scottish Government's ... Read More
Briefing 166 – Anti-racism Action Plan for Social Work
The Scottish Government published an Anti-racism Action Plan for the Scottish Social Work Sector in August 2025. The Action Plan sets out what the sector will do to make social ... Read More
Briefing 165 – Scottish Government Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan
The Scottish Government has published it's Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan. The aim of the document is to provide some detail on how the government intends to address pressures on their ... Read More
Briefing 164 – Scottish Government Medium-Term Financial Strategy
The Scottish Government have published their Medium-Term Financial Strategy. It outlines how they intend to approach public spending over the next five years. It is published against a backdrop of ... Read More
