Unions call for Green Teams to boost economy and environment

A new report by UNISON, supported by the TUC, today maps out a green path to recovery. It calls for local authorities to take a lead in developing sustainable energy projects that will both cut carbon emissions, ease fuel poverty and create vital local jobs to boost economic recovery. The report – based on a comprehensive survey of local authorities – shows councils are creating green jobs, highlights a new funding model available for sustainable community projects and calls on the government to issue clear policy to encourage take up. This must include reinstating higher Feed in Tariffs* for community level renewable energy projects. It also shows the vital role the public sector can play in tackling our economic decline and fulfilling our international environmental commitments. Crucially, the report makes recommendations to central and local government on how to make green teams a reality. The report will be launched at an event at TUC Congress House today (31 Jan) - The New Green Team: Local government, sustainable energy, jobs and skills. Speakers on the day will include Caroline Lucas MP, Leader of the Green Party, Frances O’Grady, Deputy General Secretary, TUC and Mike Jeram, National Secretary for Business and the Environment, at UNISON. Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “Central and local government must act now – both our economy and environment are hanging in the balance. Green teams are a real opportunity to create much needed local jobs and boost our energy efficiency. By making homes more sustainable, we would also help ease fuel poverty that millions of families are struggling with. Local businesses would not only benefit from more people working and spending money in local shops, pubs and restaurants, but could also take part in community energy efficiency programmes. “This report sets out exactly what needs to happen to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of rolling green teams out nationally. We want key stakeholders such as local authorities and MPs to act on this – it really is a win/win scenario.” TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Local councils across the UK are starting to make a real difference when it comes to cutting down on energy costs – insulating homes, tackling fuel poverty and slashing their own emissions. But all of this costs money, and the worry is that with local authorities seeing a huge cut in the grants they get from government, this good work is being put at risk.“Greater energy efficiency is not a luxurious optional extra – it is something that will pay long-term economic and environmental dividends, and it must be right at the heart of the public policy agenda. So whether it’s through a Robin Hood Tax on financial transactions, a tax on bankers’ bonuses or a proper clampdown on tax avoidance, the means certainly must be found to make the UK an energy efficient reality.”*Feed in tariffs allow people or companies to generate electricity and either use it or sell it to their energy supplier.

Taxpayers' Alliance compensation figures distract from real policing picture

Commenting on figures released by the TaxPayers' Alliance, which show that £12 million has been paid out to injured police staff since 2006, Ben Priestley, UNISON’s national officer for police staff, said:“The police do a really important job and it is only right that they are supported if they are injured at work. “The sums involved are just 0.01% of the £17 billion budget. "This mustn’t be used as a distraction from the huge cuts being made to the police, which are forcing officers to pick up duties previously carried out by back office staff and threaten to increase crime levels in all our communities.”

The Taxpayers Alliance are at it again !!

Don't let the truth spoil a good Tory plot to undermine public services.
The cost to the Tax payer is 5p in every £1 and this is achieved by having a well managed fund that generates a good income and actually saves the Council having to dig deeper into the tax payers pockets.Until recently the Shropshire fund was one of the best in the country.The Tax Payers Alliance is a perfect example of how dangerous it is to have knowledge that you do not understand and use it in an area where you do not know what you are talking about.

Taxpayers Alliance gets it wrong on pensions

Commenting on the TaxPayers' Alliance report released today, which wrongly calculates that £1 in every £5 in council tax goes towards local government pensions, Heather Wakefield, UNISON’s head of local government, said: "This simply isn’t true. Actually, the local government pension scheme costs the taxpayer just 5p in every £1 paid in council tax. "Councils get only 25% of their revenue from council tax, 75% comes from other sources, including business rates and local government grants. "If the schemes were closed down, or people were priced out, they would be pushed onto means-tested benefits in their retirement. When dinner ladies, social workers and care staff retire, on average they will get just £4,000 a year, dropping to just £2,600 for women."The TPA should concentrate on getting their facts straight, rather than attacking sustainable and affordable schemes."

Cameron's economy speech

Commenting on David Cameron’s speech on the economy, UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said: “David Cameron claims he wants to create a fair economy, but we won’t take him seriously until he acts to stop bankers awarding themselves huge bonuses. “At the same time that Goldman Sachs staff are enjoying nearly £8bn worth of bonuses, the Government is freezing pay for public sector workers and axing jobs and vital services.“If Cameron really wants to create a fair economy he needs to tackle unemployment, stop savage cuts and invest in deprived communities.”

UNISON members back local government pensions talks

UNISON members in the local government pensions scheme this week voted to continue negotiating with the employers over potential changes to their pensions. More than 150 nationally elected activists in UNISON’s five sector groups representing the local government pensions scheme, gave their backing to the framework proposals for talks that the union’s negotiators have secured since November 30. Negotiations will now enter an intense phase, running until April 2012 – at which point members will be fully consulted on the final offer. Should talks fail, the union’s ballot remains live, leaving the option of more industrial action on the table. Heather Wakefield, UNISON head of local government, said: “This week, our elected activists representing members that save into the local government scheme, gave their unequivocal backing to the framework proposals for more negotiations that we have secured since November 30. “We have agreed some important principles for the talks, including no change to contribution rates until 2014, and a commitment to protecting the pensions rights of workers that have been outsourced or are under threat of privatisation. “Talks with the local government employers will now run until April 2012. Members will continue to be consulted at every stage – including when we have a final offer. But if talks should break down – our ballot means we can still take industrial action.” *The five sector groups include - Local Government, Community, Police and Justice, Water, Environment and Transport (WET), and Higher Education.

UNISON welcomes some justice for Lawrence family

(04/01/12) With today's sentencing of two men for the murder of Stephen Lawrence, UNISON welcomes a degree of justice for the Lawrence family.UNISON president Eleanor Smith said: "At last the Lawrence family have some justice. Their campaign – which is not over – has been both tireless and dignified."I am proud of the role that UNISON has played in giving the family its support."And she continued: "There can be no place for racism in our society – both of the overt kind demonstrated in the horrendous attack on Stephen, and the more covert, institutional kind unearthed by the inquiry into the original police investigation."We all have a responsibility to make sure every possible lesson can be learnt to honour Stephen's memory."

Decent social care must be funded through national insurance

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today called for a national Social Care service properly funded through national insurance to tackle the growing crisis in elderly care. The call comes in the wake of demands for urgent action and fundamental reform to care and home help services from a broad coalition of government advisers, charities, unions and independent experts.The union has welcomed some of the proposals set out by the Dilnot Commission as a “step in the right direction” but warned that the commission’s recommendation of voluntary insurance, will not solve the problem of underfunding.Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government said:“Social care is characterised by inadequate funding which has created an unfair and unsustainable system, leading to falling quality care. It’s time to take urgent action but voluntary insurance is not the answer. It will create a two-tier system of care – high quality care paid by insurance and low quality care underfunded by the state.“What is needed is a national Social Care service properly funded through national insurance to really tackle the growing crisis in elderly care. Without serious public funding there will be the disappearance of these services and an increase in private sector provision. This is not the way to ensure a personalised quality care service or develop a quality well paid care workforce for the future.”

Real pensions timebomb is in the private sector

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today called on the government to take urgent action to protect private sector pensions, after a survey revealed a shocking number were being closed or watered down. With two thirds of private sector workers already shut out of saving for their retirement, action would also protect taxpayers from a spiralling means tested benefits bill. UNISON estimates that taxpayers already face a bill of up to £15 billion for supporting the millions of private sector workers who have not not saved for their retirement – the real pensions timebomb. Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “The real pensions timebomb is in the private sector. Already two thirds of these workers get nothing from their employers towards their pensions - this could cost the taxpayer billions in the future. The situation will spiral even further out of control, if more schemes are shut down and the taxpayer has to step in to cover the cost of supporting even more workers in their retirement. “The government must take urgent action to make sure more schemes in the private sector are not lost or weakened. The new regulations coming in later this year will be too little too late for many who will still have to rely on the state in retirement – the minimum contributions are insufficient to give people enough to live on in their old age.”

*Survey by the Association of Consulting Actuaries.