UNISON Week No 167 – 8 Feb 2016

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7th  – 13th February 2016     Issue 167

Scotland’s future prosperity – is about more than education

Labour’s motion for debate  in Holyrood this week links Scotland’s future prosperity to maintaining the education budget over the course of the next parliament. Which is accurate enough as far as it goes – cutting the education budget isn’t going to help anyone, and certainly won’t help people reach their full potential, get a job or drive economic growth etc. That said singling out education from other public services isn’t going to do much for future prosperity either. We’ll leave aside the obvious point that delivering education relies on other services. But saying ‘education must be protected’ unless efforts are made to expand the budget is just an exercise, in robbing Peter to pay Paul (‘We won’t take money out of schools. Instead we’ll close libraries’ isn’t exactly the moral high ground). Rather than acting as a conveyer belt for austerity the Scottish Parliament should use the powers it has to raise the funds to protects services and jobs . Our public services are not a cost on society they are an achievement of our society, and should be viewed as such.

 Stage 3 Proceedings: Community Justice (Scotland) Bill

UNISON Scotland welcomes the return of Community Justice services to local government. UNISON has broadly supported the return of this service to local authorities although with some concerns over the powers of ministers and the new body, as we have set out in our submission on the Bill.

Local Government – No Compulsory Redundancy: Day of Action

UNISON Scotland Local Government Branches are organising a day of action this week calling for no compulsory redundancies in councils. ‘But why?’ you may ask after all isn’t there a guarantee from the Scottish Government of No compulsory redundancies… well yes. But the Scottish Government also say that Council budgets are only going down by 1% –  but that isn’t the reality on the ground.  So we  thought it might be useful to remind people that if the need for the services hasn’t gone away – the jobs of the people who provide them aren’t going anywhere either.

 ♥ UNISON *

The Trade Union Bill is unfair, unnecessary and undemocratic. Our updated Policy Briefing summarises  the provisions of the Trade Union Bill and the implications for Scotland.  UNISON is working with the TUC and other unions to oppose this attack and are backing the TUC ♥ unions week of action with our very own ♥ UNISON campaigning.

*And other unions…obviously

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‘Worth it’ is UNISON’s campaign for better, fairer pay
If you are a UNISON member – sign up at the UNISON Scotland website.
If you aren’t a UNISON member – you’ll be hearing from us.

UNISON’S NEWS
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03/02/16          unison-scotland.org.uk
If you are at all interested in social equality You don’t make cuts to library services

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03/02/16        publicworksscotland.blogspot.co.uk
A plan to enable actual delivery of anti poverty childcare.

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03/02/16          unison-scotland.org.uk
“The Scottish Parliament has tax raising powers – they can end the council tax freeze
Mark Ferguson, Chair of UNISON Scotland Local Goverment Committee

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02/02/16          publicworksscotland.blogspot.co.uk
Why MSPs need to get serious about tackling austerity.

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28/01/16          unisondave.blogspot.co.uk
Why CETA has implications for Scottish Water.

 

PICK OF THE MEDIA
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04/02/16          heraldscotland.com
Love Your Library photo-op ‘beyond irony’  – and so it is.  the reality is library services will be devastated by Scottish Government cuts.
Read this …and weep.

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04/02/16          heraldscotland.com
Another reason why it pays to be a trade union member.

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03/02/16            leftfootforward.org
There are alternatives to austerity,,,  get everyone to pay their fair share of taxes.

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02/02/16         scottish.parliament.uk
Despite forty years of legislation  and equality policies, the gender pay gap still exists in Scotland.

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28/01/16       strongerunions.org
Qatar World Cup dream is a nightmare for workers.

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08/02/16 truth-out.org
This is about the US.. but it’s as true here, sadly

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UNISON Week is produced by UNISON Scotland’s Bargaining and Campaigns Team. UNISON HOUSE, 14 West Campbell Street, Glasgow, G2 6RX 

Tel: 0141 342 2811
Questions or comments? Email: UNISON Scotland Week