UNISON survey highlights devastating impact of education cuts

Government education cuts are depriving many young people and adults of the chance to contribute fully to society, UNISON has warned today.

A new freedom of information survey, sent by UNISON to all of the 248 further education colleges in England has revealed the devastating impact government funding cuts are having on learners and staff, with the situation set only to get worse.

The survey results demonstrate how the cuts are limiting access to further education, through course closures, reductions in admissions and job cuts.

More than 60% of respondents said they had closed courses that ranged from Aerospace engineering and construction, through to a-levels and part-time adult learning. Colleges gave funding cuts and changes to funding eligibility rules as the main reasons for cutting courses.

In addition, despite record youth unemployment figures, the survey also reveals a drop in enrolment figures for this academic year – with nearly 70% of respondents reporting a fall. This was blamed primarily on the loss of the education maintenance allowance.

Jon Richards, UNISON national secretary for education & children’s services said:

“In these tough times, the need for education and training has never been greater, yet our survey has highlighted the devastating impact government funding cuts are having on our further education college staff and students.

“In the first year of this Tory-led coalition government, we saw nearly 6,000 redundancies in colleges. This – teamed with more than 60% of colleges cutting courses, and nearly 70% reporting a fall in admissions in this last academic year – all paints a very grim picture for our further education services.

“These cuts are depriving too many young people of the chance to contribute to and take part in society. We know that many employers are looking for the very skills that FE colleges are able to provide. If the government does not stop this attack on education services, then we are looking at losing a generation to hopelessness and unemployment.”

University and College Union general secretary, Sally Hunt, said:

“If this trend of cutting continues quality will inevitably suffer. The further education sector simply cannot continue to be asked to do more for less. Investment in our colleges is essential if we are to kick-start growth in economy. At a time when other countries are investing in producing more highly-skilled workers we cannot afford a repeat of these large-scale course closures and redundancies.

“We are losing the very people we need to up-skill our workforce and train the next generation. We fear the situation could get worse with the introduction of loans for older learners and the government must ensure that participation does not fall any further.”

Shadow minister for further education Gordon Marsden said:

“This survey provides detailed evidence of just how the Tory-led Governments cuts in further education funding are blighting the life chances of hundreds of thousands of young and adult learners. They are being prevented from getting new skills and jobs to kick start our economy and with the government now scrapping direct financial support for many adult learners in favour of a debt producing loans system, many of them could drop out. That would make life for colleges and those who work in them even tougher.”

UNISON warning over community safety as police numbers drop

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, is warning that Government plans to make further drastic cuts to police staff, PCSO’s and officers numbers will have dangerous consequences for community safety. The warning comes in the wake of Home Office data released today showing that the number of police staff, officers and PCSO’s have fallen dramatically, as the number of volunteers has risen by more than 10%.

Hit with cuts totalling £2.4 billion by 2015, forces across the country are expected to carry on shedding jobs. Services are also being sold off to private companies – which the union is warning will only make cuts worse. Private companies, responsible to their shareholders, will have to take profits out of taxpayers’ funds and jobs will be an obvious target for cuts.

HMIC has already warned that three forces may not be able to provide an effective and efficient service in the future – UNISON is warning that this will spread to other forces unless the government takes action to protect police numbers.

Ben Priestley, UNISON national officer for police and justice, said;

“The government is playing a dangerous game with public safety. Relying on volunteers to keep vital police services running as police staff, officers and PCSOs lose their jobs will not keep our communities safe. And with 32,000 jobs set to go by 2015 in forces across England and Wales, this situation will only get worse.

“The cuts run the risk of turning the clock back on falling crime rates, which are down to the goodwill, hard work and dedication of well trained police and staff. The government must ditch the cuts, stop promoting damaging police privatisation, and take action to keep our communities safe.”

The government does have other choices that it could and should be making. Instead of drastic cuts, a pro-growth, anti-austerity alternative would help maintain the vital services that help to keep our communities safe. The Tory-led coalition should tackle the banks, and bonuses, take action on tax avoidance and tax havens. Putting the breaks on public spending cuts would help fuel the growth that our economy so desperately needs.

Olympic brand is forcing public safety into second place – UNISON

Thousands of Trading Standards hours are being used up in protecting the Olympic brand and corporate sponsors, instead of protecting the public, UNISON warned today.

The UK’s largest union called the commitment ‘hard to justify in the light of swingeing cuts to Trading Standard budgets’ and said it could put the public at risk by preventing officers from carrying out their usual duties. A national survey of Trading Standards staff carried out by UNISON raised these concerns, with 40% of respondents saying the London 2012 Olympics would have a ‘major impact’ on the workload of their local Trading Standards services.

Trading Standards carry out a wide range of work, including tackling loan sharks, reducing doorstep crime, seizing unsafe children’s toys and stopping underage tobacco sales. In spite of this, Trading Standards budgets are facing enormous cuts: In the 24 months between 2010/11 and 2012/13 Trading Standards budgets in England have fallen by more than £28.6m amounting to a 16% cut.

Helga Pile, UNISON national officer, said:

“Consumers rely on the hard work of trading standards officers in so many ways from identifying dangerous goods to tackling rogue traders. With fewer officers left in the service, those that remain are going the extra mile to deal with the upsurge in counterfeit goods, ticket touting and illegal street trading that the Olympics will inevitably bring. But diverting so much resource to protecting the Olympic brand – and the financial interests of huge corporations such as McDonalds and Coca-Cola – is hard to justify when budgets have been squeezed so hard.

“Trading Standards officers want to do their bit for the Olympics but they also have to make sure the public is protected from real threats and that leads to questions about whether the brands should be the priority.

“Once the Olympics is over it is the hard-stretched Trading Standards officers that will have to pick up the backlog as well as the pieces when things go wrong.”

Thirty local authorities are directly involved with protecting the Olympic enforcement, and the staff contribution amounts to the equivalent of 342 enforcement days. The cost is being estimated at £868,000 - the ODA is paying local authorities the hourly rate for the officer time. Other local authorities are also affected in providing cover and prioritising brand protection.

Respondents to the UNISON survey highlighted the impact this commitment is having on carrying out their duties. One said: “Brand protection for London 2012 appears to be the priority which is being imposed on our service from above. The driver is protecting trademark holders, not protecting the public from counterfeit goods.”

Another said: “Officers [are being] seconded to work as enforcement officers for the ODA. The rest of the department has been told that brand protection (normally a very light touch area of enforcement) will take higher priority”

Respondents spoke of the impact on other work: “Other important areas of work will have to be put back or missed out entirely die to coverage for the London Olympics”

UNISON responds to IMF budget warning

UNISON is urging the government to heed and act upon the IMF report telling the government it will have to slow the pace of cuts if it does not see growth return before the end of this year.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“This is a damning verdict from the IMF, and one which the government would be foolish to ignore. However, there is no point in waiting until the end of the year before calling a halt to these damaging cuts and injecting some growth into the economy.

“For more than two years we’ve warned this government against their austerity agenda, and for more than two years they have ploughed ahead with vicious attacks on our public services, and made life that bit harder for thousands of people across the UK.

“The UK cannot continue like this, and decisive action to encourage growth must be taken, and taken now, to prevent even more damage being done.”

12-week consultation period should stay as minimum

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today called on the Government to keep the 12-week consultation period as the minimum needed to avoid hasty, ill-thought through decision making.

The union supports a more flexible timescale to allow for a longer upper limit for complex policy making decisions, but said the 12-week period should stay as a minimum.

Karen Jennings, UNISON Assistant General Secretary, said:

“Cutting the 12 week consultation period will allow ill-though through policy making decisions to come onto the statute book, which is then a nightmare to unravel. It is vital that all parties affected by policy changes have sufficient time to consider the implications of changes and 12 weeks should be the minimum.

“It is ironic that the Government failed to consult on this change, opting instead to get feedback on how it should be implemented, not if it should be implemented at all.”

Court of appeal gives stabbed social worker right to sue health authorities

A social worker stabbed by a psychiatric patient for whose child she was responsible, has today won her case at the Court of Appeal giving her the right to sue two health authorities responsible for her attacker’s care.

UNISON member Claire Selwood was stabbed six times by Graham Burton, of Murton, after he confronted her during a professional conference at his child’s school in County Durham. Just two days earlier he had told medical staff at Cherry Knowle Hospital, Sunderland that he would kill her on the spot if he saw her. This was the last of a number of threats that were not acted upon.

Her attacker left the 42-year-old mother of three for dead. She suffered life- threatening injuries and was profoundly traumatised by her ordeal.

If the case is ultimately successful, it could result in every NHS Trust and local authority being required to check that threats against the personal safety of social workers and other vulnerable lone workers are made known to all parties, taken seriously and acted on, says trade union UNISON.

Gill Hale, UNISON Northern Regional Secretary, said:

“The attack on Claire was shocking, but also shocking is the fact that it could and should have been prevented. Threats had been made by Burton on several occasions but Ms Selwood was never warned that her life might be in danger. We welcome today’s decision, which could lead improved safety for lone workers like Claire.

“Organisations such as local authorities and NHS Trusts must protect vulnerable workers in the workplace. There must be procedures when threats are made against staff that work for or with them.

“Organisations working in partnership with social workers and other vulnerable workers must be required to do a ‘Selwood Check’ to make sure that any threats made to employee’s lives are taken seriously and acted on.

“We will continue to support Claire in her fight for justice and demand that measures be put in place to avoid this type of preventable, disturbing attack happening again.”

Claire Selwood said:

“This has been a difficult time and I am very grateful for the help and assistance I have received from UNISON.”

Following the attack UNISON took up her case and began a claim for compensation against Ms Selwood’s employer Durham County Council, and the Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust and Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

The case against the two NHS Trusts was dismissed by Newcastle County Court on the grounds they did not owe Ms Selwood a duty of care, but she was given leave to appeal.

Today, Wednesday 18 July, the Court of Appeal accepted it was arguable the two NHS Trusts did owe her a duty of care based on their responsibilities under an agreed protocol. Ms Selwood can now continue the claim against her employer and the NHS Trusts.

If the case is ultimately successful, it would reinforce the need for every NHS Trust and other relevant authorities to fulfil their obligations under the ‘working together’ protocol.

Following the attack UNISON instructed legal experts Thompsons Solicitors to advise Ms Selwood.

Mick Laffey from Thompsons said:

“The Court of Appeal decision highlights the importance of social services and NHS Trusts communicating with each other to protect the lives of vulnerable workers. It is not good enough to pay lip service to health and safety.”

Burton was jailed indefinitely in June 2007 for the attempted murder of Ms Selwood. An independent inquiry found a ‘complete failure’ by medical staff to warn her of any danger.

Olympic effect will not last warns UNISON

Commenting on the job loss figures that show unemployment has fallen, UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:

“Sadly the unemployed cannot and the government should not take comfort from these figures. The Olympic effect may give the impression of a recovery, but it is a mirage. The number of long-term unemployed is still rising, and huge numbers of women and young people are still struggling to find work.

“Under the coalition’s no-hope economic plan, hundreds of thousands more public sector jobs are due to be axed. There is no demand in our economy to fuel growth - consumer confidence is low, and people do not have enough cash to spend in their local shops and businesses. The government has to take evasive action. We need an alternative plan for sustainable jobs and economic growth, to put the country back on the road to recovery.”

Government's local pay plans could cost local economies almost £10 billion a year

There is no evidence that the pay of teachers, nurses and dinner ladies is preventing local firms from hiring staff, and government plans to introduce regional pay rates for public servants could cost the economy almost £10 billion a year, according to a report published by the TUC today (Monday).

Concerned that the government has yet to undertake any serious research into the economic impact of its proposals for the introduction of local or regional public sector pay, the TUC recently commissioned the New Economics Foundation (nef) to analyse ministers' proposals. The nef researchers conducted an in-depth analysis of the arguments put forward by the government and found little evidence to support its position.

Nef also looked into the economic impact and the number of jobs that might be created - or lost - if local pay was introduced for schools, hospitals and other public sector employers.

To examine the likely economic impact of the government's local pay proposals, nef set out to explore a number of scenarios. One approach assumed that that the government is wrong and that there is no 'crowding out' of the private sector by public sector pay.

Nef concluded that with this 'worst' case scenario where the pay of millions of public servants who live beyond London and the South East is brought down to private sector levels, as many as 110,000 net jobs could be lost across England and Wales, and the cost to local economies would be a huge £9.7 billion a year.

Even on the 'best' case scenario for ministers, where nef modelling assumed that the government is right and the pay of public servants is preventing private sector firms from recruiting because they are unable to match public sector salaries, the introduction of local pay rates for public servants would only see the creation of a mere 11,000 net jobs across England and Wales, the report found.

Yet this approach would still come at a price and would mean local economies taking a hit to the tune of £2.7 billion a year as civil servants, refuse collectors and other local public sector workers find their spending power further diminished, says the TUC.

Commenting on the report, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Quite apart from the huge hit that public sector workers would have to take in their pockets if pay in parts of the UK is held down to 'allow' the private sector to catch up, this report shows that the move would also prove hugely damaging to local economies.

'Despite the concerns being voiced by MPs in the parts of the UK most likely to be affected by the introduction of local pay rates, the government has so far refused to rule out this move that would hit public sector workers and their families - who are already feeling the financial pinch as they suffer the effects of a lengthy pay freeze - very hard.

'We hope that our report - combined with the findings of the three pay review bodies due to report back to the government this week - will prove to be the final nail in the coffin for these discredited proposals.'

Helen Kersley, Head of Valuing What Matters at nef said: 'The research finds no economic case for regional pay variations. Our research finds the government's proposals are based on flawed assumptions that are not borne out in reality.

'Cutting the wages of public sector workers is a high stakes gamble from which there will be no winners. Even in the very best case where the private sector creates more jobs, the economy would be substantially worse off overall.

'Proponents of this policy must look again at the potential implications to avoid creating further harm in a fragile economic period.'

Since the Chancellor announced in last year's Autumn Statement that the government was to explore whether a system of local pay for public sector workers might help businesses in the private sector take on more staff, a growing number of coalition MPs in 'low-pay' areas of the UK - such as the North and South West - have begun to voice concerns about what such a move might mean for their local economies and communities.

The government should not put a price on justice

The Department of Justice announcement that workers will be charged to bring employment tribunal claims “denies many workers their right to justice” – UNISON said today.

The UK’s largest union condemned the move, which it says will also cause severe difficulties for multiple claims such as those it has lodged seeking equal pay for women workers. Many women would have lost out on equal pay claims if they had to pay money up front to access employment tribunals. UNISON said that by excluding those who do not have the cash to pay for justice, the Department is opening the floodgates for unscrupulous employers to take advantage of workers, knowing that they cannot afford to speak out.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“This is a disgraceful move that tips the scales of justice heavily towards employers, and denies legal redress to those who do not have the cash to pay for it.

“Because we do not have class actions in this country, UNISON has been involved in lodging equal pay claims for hundreds and thousands of women. If those women did not have union backing, and had to pay up front for access to justice, many would have lost out.

“It beggars belief that this decision has been made when implementing these charges will be complicated, expensive to the point of grossly wasteful, and contrary to workers’ rights.

“Workers in the UK are already subject to the toughest employment laws in Europe, and this move represents another blow against workers’ employment rights at a time when they have never been more needed or valuable.”

UNISON’s full consultation response can be found here: http://www.unison.org.uk/activists/pages_view.asp?did=14205

UNISON hits back at London Community Payback work sell off

UNISON, the UK’s biggest union, which represents 5,000 staff working for the Probation Service, today hit back at the Ministry of Justice’s decision to sell off Community Payback in London to Serco. The private company is set to take over the running of this vital service by October this year.

Among the union’s fears over the sell off is that the profit motive will creep into probation work, that accountability will suffer, people on probation will get a worse service, and those working hard to provide the service will also pay the price.

London is the only region of the country where Community Payback work will be sold off. The government initially planned to sell off Community Payback work nationwide, but following criticism from the Parliamentary Justice Committee, the plans were dropped.

Ben Priestley, UNISON national officer for police staff said:

“In recent months, the pitfalls of privatisation have been exposed. G4S have run into problems with their Olympics contract, poor standards of care have been exposed at Winterbourne View, and elderly people have had their futures jeopardised at Southern Cross who put profits before people. The consequences of the Ministry of Justice’s decision to sell this service off are deeply worrying.”

UNISON will work with Serco to try and ensure that London’s Community Payback remains a good quality service and a decent place to work. It added that it will make sure that the Ministry of Justice is held to account for any repercussions that arise from the flawed decision to privatise.

UNISON’s key privatisation fears:

· Community Payback is a huge part of Probation Trusts’ work; if they lose it (as London now has) they may find that community links and financial viability suffers

· Community Payback is a local service which will not respond to remote regional level contracts

· Making a profit out of the unpaid work of offenders is morally offensive

· The private sector is not accountable in the same way as the public sector; e.g. none of the companies bidding for this work is subject to the Freedom of Information Act

· Private sector companies are driven primarily by the need to maximise profit, rather than deliver public service

· None of the previous privatisations undertaken by the Ministry of Justice or National Offender Management Service has been a success, with many of the contracts leading to poorer services at a higher cost to the taxpayer

Notes
Community Payback, previously known as community service, is a community sentence passed by the courts as an alternative to expensive and ineffective short term prison sentences. When an offender is sentenced to such a community order he or she has to provide unpaid work, under the supervision of the Probation Service, on projects to clear up parks and open spaces, paint buildings, remove graffiti or work with charities. Local people can nominate projects which they would like the Probation Service to run under Community Payback.

Labour Link condemns regional pay

 "Let's bring it down to basics. If regional pay is introduced then a healthcare assistant, doing the same job as me, but living in Blackburn will receive less pay than me for doing the same job," said Canterbury’s Jean Butcher, one of many speaking out against regional pay at UNISON’s Labour Link forum in Cardiff today.

Ian Fleming from the union's Northern region said that the proposals would have a "devastating impact" on his area, particularly on women who make up the majority of public service workers.

And he asked: “Why should a person in one region be paid less than someone else for doing the same job?

"Is gas in the North East cheaper?

"Is electricity in the North East cheaper?

"Are university fees in Newcastle cheaper?

"What about stamps? I think not.”

And he warned that an impoverished workforce would mean a shrinking economy: "In simple terms if we've got nowt, we'll spend nowt."

NHS is Cameron's weakness

The NHS will make David Cameron a one-term prime minister, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham told UNISON's Labour Link forum in Cardiff.

He accused the prime minister of using the NHS "cynically" before the election, making promises that he immediately broke.

And noted that Naguib Kheraj, the vice-chairman of Barclays Bank plc, was now a non-executive director of the NHS commissioning board - the prime minster had given "the man from Barclays the job of running the NHS."

He praised the "great campaign against the health bill that did huge political damage to the coalition" and said it showed that when the trade union movement and the Labour Party work together they are a force to be reckoned with.

The NHS is the battleground to fight on he said, reminding delegates that the famous Clinton campaign slogan "it's the economy stupid," had a second, less-quoted, sentence: "But don't forget healthcare."

04/07/2012

New report shows huge value of facility time

Facility time for trade union reps in the public sector saves the taxpayer money, cuts the number of strikes and disputes and improves workplace relations – these are some of the key findings of a new independent report by NatCen Social Research for UNISON.

The report found that facility time creates a structure for consultation and negotiation helping workers to feel that their voices will be heard when decisions are made. Trade union reps are instrumental to managing change – especially important given the upheaval currently hitting the public sector.

The report, based on evidence gathered from both employers and trade union reps through focus group sessions and 129 written submissions, also contains real-life examples of how trade unions have worked with employers to help public sector bodies through organisational change.

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:

“Trade union reps are a huge boost to our workplaces. They help to create more efficient workplaces, they cut the number of disputes, and by making people feel like their voices are being heard, they can help manage change. This adds up to saving the taxpayer a fortune.

“Given the huge scale of the cuts hitting the public sector, the role of workplace reps in our public services is more important than ever before. Attacking reps – who already give 100,000 hours of extra work outside of their facility time - doesn’t make sense and will only cost the taxpayer money in the long run.”

The key benefits that facility time bring to public sector workplaces include:

- Creating a ready-made structure for consultation and negotiation, saving organisations money and giving workers reassurance that their views will be heard when decisions are made.

- Allowing partnership working with trade unions to improve workplace relations, helping to create the reputation of an employer as ‘a good place to work’.

- Earlier intervention in relation to complaints, grievances and disciplinaries, helping to stop issues escalating, which saves organisations and ultimately taxpayers’ money.

- Better communication to manage change during restructuring and redundancy processes; thereby improving understanding of decisions, minimising negative impacts and reducing the number of working days lost through industrial action.

The following case study is included in the report:

The use of facility time minimised the impact of cuts in local authority library services. One rep said: ‘The council had to reduce its staffing numbers due to central government finance settlements. The trade union worked with management to avoid compulsory redundancies, put support packages in place to enable redesign of services to protect the frontline; exercised council’s legal requirements without any challenge saving money and upset. Worked with staff to move people into different careers that benefitted the Council and the local community. The trade unions had local knowledge and was responsive to ensure the Council met its requirements without industrial unrest in a very difficult situation’.

Britain's banking system is out of control, says TUC

Commenting today (Friday) on the latest news that banks have been mis-selling risky insurance products to small businesses, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'Britain's banking system is out of control. We are now paying a heavy price for the decades when banks and finance persuaded politicians that they were the new engines of growth.

'Yet in just three weeks RBS systems have collapsed, Barclay's has been caught market rigging and now a range of banks have been exposed for selling risky investment bank products to retail small business customers. Across Europe millions are suffering austerity in order to bail out the banks.

'But the worst that ever seems to happen to top bankers is that they have to give up their bonus while they claim they did not know what was going on in the companies they run.

'It's time for a fresh start for our finance sector that makes banking a utility that serves the rest of the economy, and ensures bank cheats face prison.

'We need a Leveson-style inquiry for banks - in public, with cross-examination and the powers to make recommendations for genuine banking reform.'

UNISON and GMB to form powerful new alliance

UNISON and the GMB, two of the UK’s largest unions, announced today that they will form a powerful new alliance to campaign against the Tory-led coalition’s damaging austerity agenda.

Building on their existing joint work through the TUC and the Labour Party, this new partnership will give a strong new voice to the two million workers represented by the unions. Together, they will use their mutual influence to rally support for an economic plan that will safeguard jobs and vital public services.

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:

“This is an historic day for both of our unions, and for the two million workers we represent. UNISON and the GMB have always had a strong common agenda, and today we are taking a step closer together.

“Communities the length and breadth of the country are being ripped apart by Tory cuts, while the rich enjoy tax breaks, massive pay rises and bonuses. In the face of this continued attack on working people, it makes absolute sense for us to join forces, and speak with one voice against this mindless austerity agenda which is only dragging the country down.

“We will campaign for the issues that really matter to our shared membership and, when the time is right we will take action together. Independently we are strong, together we will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said:

“Trade unions are the only constant beacons of opposition to austerity. The destruction of services and jobs under the current Government cannot be allowed to continue without serious challenge.

“The latest announcement threatening to throw onto the streets tens of thousands of young people by ending their housing support whilst multi-millionaire backers of Cameron hide behind tax dodges is the final straw in the argument that we are all in this together.

“The two million members of GMB and UNISON and their families are a powerful industrial and political force who refuse to accept a future of unemployment, despair and the destruction of ambition for their children.”

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