Cameron sell off- UNISON response

Commenting on plans announced by David Cameron to open public services up to private companies, UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said: Not content with breaking apart our NHS and our schools, the Tories are now turning their wrecking ball onto the entire public sector. The Tories want to turn the clock back to a time when private companies ran schools, hospitals and other council services. The state was forced to step in when the market failed to give people equal access to decent services. Taking vital services out of the public sector will see a postcode lottery develop. Huge transaction costs and a tsunami of bureaucracy will waste billions. As private companies seek to eke out profits they will strip our services to their bare bones. This is not about modernisation - it is about privatisation, creating an open market for the Tories friends in big business to make billions out of our public services.

CND adds support to TUC march against the cuts

(03/02/11) CND has added its voice to the thousands supporting the TUC march and rally on 26 March against the government cuts."Government cuts are an £81bn assault on the welfare state. Jobs, houses and pensions are all under attack as the government slashes public services," CND chair Kate Hudson said. "Cameron and Clegg are cutting welfare but leaving big-ticket defence projects virtually untouched. "We didn't make this crisis and we don't want our money spent on weapons that can kill millions of people. "Our money must be spent on jobs, pensions, education and health – we must improve the lives of the British people without threatening the lives of others."The march will bring together trade unions, community groups, political organisations and anyone concerned about the pace and scale of government cuts.Ms Hudson said: "CND wholeheartedly supports the TUC demonstration on 26 March and urges all its members and supporters to participate."March for public services on 26 March

http://www.shropshirefightsback.org.uk

SHROPSHIRE AGAINST THE CUTS

Join the March - 19th February 2011 From Shirehall to the Square in Shrewsbury Assemble at 11:00 am Shirehall Car Park

Con-demned jobs: Cuts that wreck recovery

UNISON today (24 January) warned that savage public sector job cuts are threatening whole communities and wrecking recovery.The UK’s largest union is publishing a snapshot of “Con-demned jobs” covering just the last 6 weeks, to show that growing numbers of workers are being consigned to already lengthy dole queues, along with the services they provide. Staff at the Heart of England NHS Trust are being hit with the loss of 1,600 jobs and the latest cuts added from local councils include 1,200 in Hampshire, 1,000 in Norfolk and 400 in East Sussex County Councils, where social service departments are being targeted.The careers service has also fallen victim to the cuts, with 8,000 jobs going by 31 March this year. The union is predicting that half the workforce could now be axed - with cuts ranging from 25% to 90% in some areas - leaving young people without the help and advice they need.Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:“This dossier of Con-demned jobs makes very grim reading. Behind every statistic there are families desperate to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table and the dignity of a decent job.“With unemployment up to 2.5m, the coalition cuts are blighting lives and wrecking the country’s chances of recovery. Sacking workers and closing down essential services will not put the economy back on its feet.“The union is calling for an alternative political vision, to boost economic recovery and keep Britain working. Money can and should be raised from the bankers who continue to rake in their bonuses. Having brought the country to its knees by their financial dealing, they are happy to ignore a Government on its knees and powerless to stop the bonus culture.“The latest figures show record levels of unemployment for 16 to 24 year olds, with 1 in 5 (951,000) unable to find work. Getting the right help can make or break the future of young people desperately trying to find their feet, as well as workers made redundant struggling to retrain. “Cutting 8.000 jobs from the careers service will add to their difficulty. The hikes in tuition fees, education cuts and record unemployment means that many young people don’t know which way to turn and now they will have one less place to turn to.”The union says that the figures nail the lie that the NHS is being ring-fenced by the Government. The £20bn that is being demanded in efficiency savings is already being translated into job losses. Good patient care depends on having the right numbers with the right level of skills on the wards. This is one of the key lessons to come out of the Inquiry into the death toll at Mid Staffordshire Hospital Foundation Trust.

UNISON calls for an end to excessive hours in social work

In the second week of a ten-week long campaign, UNISON, the UK’s largest union, and Community Care magazine, have written to key stakeholders in social work, calling on them to make sure social workers can get time off in lieu (TOIL) or be paid for working additional hours. A recent survey* showed that 64% of social workers worked extra hours, and in another survey** social workers reported that they did an average of 1.9 hours per week in overtime without pay or TOIL. 39% said they had to work additional hours at short notice either most days or every week. Many social workers can’t claim it back or have TOIL because they’re too busy, or their managers won’t let them. This does nothing to help morale, and contributes to already high rates of social worker burn out, making it near on impossible for social workers to practice safely and effectively. Helga Pile, UNISON national officer for social work, said: “Heavy caseloads and high vacancy rates mean many social workers have little choice but to work late. And the stats back it up – 64% work extra hours. It’s not as if they can say ‘sorry, I’ve got to go’, when it hits five o’clock if a vulnerable child is depending on them. “But social workers can’t keep picking up the slack. This constant overloading is not sustainable. Lots of people in the profession are facing burnout. They are hit with the impossible dilemma of trying to balance their heavy workload, with the needs of their own families. Many simply give up on the idea of having a life of their own.“If they have to work extra hours, social workers should be paid or given time off in lieu. This will force employers to stop exploiting their goodwill, and start managing workloads properly. “This week we have written to key stakeholders in social work calling on them to make it a priority. It’s only right that social workers get the opportunity to rest and recuperate, so they can carry on doing one of the toughest jobs going.”UNISON is campaigning for minimum conditions to give social workers what they need to practice safely and effectively. Together with Community Care, the union has developed the Social Work Contract, which outlines ten key points, one of which is giving social workers TOIL (time off in lieu) or pay for working additional hours. Each week, the union is writing to Tim Loughton, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Children and Families, Paul Burstow MP, Minister of State for Care Services, Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour Shadow Minister for Children and Families, and Emily Thornberry MP, Labour Shadow Care Services Minster, highlighting one part of the social work contract. The union has also launched an online petition on the contract, and is calling on members of the public, parents and social workers to add their voice to the call for action. Hundreds of social workers have already signed. Add your support here: http://www.unison.co.uk/asppresspack/%3CA%20HREF=">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/714/061/796/ <http://www.unison.co.uk/asppresspack/%3CA%20HREF=">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/714/061/796/>

UNISON slams growing toll of council job cuts

Commenting on today’s shocking news that 1,200 workers at Hampshire, 1,000 in Norfolk and up to 400 at East Sussex County Councils, face joining the 2.5 million unemployed, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:“The Government’s cuts are taking a terrible toll on council workers and services. It is a disgrace that 2,600 more council workers are being added to growing dole queues as unemployment hits 2.5m. “The job losses are a bitter blow to families who face inflation hikes, soaring prices and the prospect of their mortgages going through the roof, when interest rates rise. This Government is robbing communities of hope for the future and vital services that people depend on.“In Hampshire, children and adult services look likely to be hardest hit by these huge cuts - how will vulnerable people who rely on these vital services cope with such a strained service? We know that workers there only found out about the job losses through word of mouth. Bosses should have the decency to tell workers the truth.“There are alternatives. The government should come clean on the real impact of their savage cuts agenda.”

Policy Committee in its deliberations on interest
rates since November 2009.

The sentiments now
are that interest rates will have to rise from their historic
low of 0.5% to put the squeeze on inflation.
% increase on a year earlier
RPI except mortgage interest payments
Five of the 14 groups that make up the RPI posted
an increase of the overall rise of 4.8% or more.
The clothing and footwear group’s 10.3% rise included
double digit percentage rises on women’s,
men’s, and children’s clothing of 13.8%, 11.1% and
11.7% respectively. Meanwhile, the motoring expenditure
group’s 9.1% rise included a 29.1% rise
Inflation rise piles on
the misery
Inflation has risen and will almost certainly rise
further as the VAT rise to 20% and fuel duty rises
will impact on next month’s figures for January. As
it was, higher fuel prices and dearer food had the
greatest impact on the rise for December.
Under the Retail Prices Index (RPI), the rate of
inflation was 4.8% in December against 4.7% the
previous month.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the
alarming rise in inflation will “make a tough year
for workers even harder to bear” and that “fuelling
inflation with a VAT hike will hit workers in
their wage packets”. The VAT rise is “bad for
working families and damaging for the economy
too,” Barber said.
Under the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), inflation
was up to 3.7% from 3.3% the previous month. The
rate is at its highest for eight months. This measure
does not include housing costs and is the measure
used by the coalition to update state benefits and
public sector pensions.
The CPI figure has been above the 2.0% target set
by the Treasury for the Bank of England's Monetary

in tax and insurance and a 12.6% rise in petrol and
oil prices. And the 4.3% rise in fares, included a
7.3% rise in rail fares.
Food prices rose by an average of 5.9%, but there
were substantial rises in butter (24.0%), tea (11.3%)
and lamb (11.8%).
The fuel and light group only showed an overall
rise of 2.8%, but “oil and other fuel” prices racked
up a 44.0% rise.
4.8% or more % Less than 4.8% %
Clothing & footwear 10.3 Fares etc 4.3
Motoring expenditure 9.1 Personal goods & services 3.9
Tobacco 8.4 Alcoholic drink 3.7
Food 5.9 Catering 3.4
Leisure services 4.8 Household goods 3.3
Household services 3.2
Housing 2.8
Fuel & light 2.8
Leisure goods 0.6
www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/cpi0111.pdf
www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/cpibrief0111.pdf
www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/a-to-i-dec-2010.pdf
www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-19007-f0.cfm

Government cuts score direct hit on Manchester with 2,000 jobs lost

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today laid the blame for the “tragic loss” of 2,000 jobs at Manchester Council, at the door of the Government. The union is shocked by the targeting of such a deprived area, and said that the impact of job losses on services and the local economy will be devastating.Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:“The shockwaves of 2,000 job losses will spread across the City of Manchester and beyond. It is a tragic loss to workers who will have to break the news to their families that they are losing their jobs. It is also a bitter blow to communities who will lose services they rely on and will hit local businesses and trade".“The Government’s cuts have been targeted at some of the most deprived areas in the country and Manchester is clearly in the firing line. The council had been working with UNISON to try to lessen the impact of budget cuts, but the Local Government finance settlement in December, was the final straw. It was the toughest in living memory and has forced the council into font-loading the cuts".“We will continue to work with the council but the people of Manchester face the grim reality of longer dole queues".

Rail fare rises funding
fat cat pensions

Rail passengers paying fare rises of up to 13%
are funding gold-plated pensions for private rail
bosses, the white collar rail union TSSA has said.
The pensions bonanza — which sees First Group’s
Sir Moir Lockhead retire on £325,000 a year this
March — comes as passengers face three years of
increases of RPI inflation plus 3% from 2012 on top
of the present increases.
“The rewards at the private rail companies expose
the myth that these huge fare increases are directly
linked to future rail investment,” said TSSA general
secretary Gerry Doherty.
“Rail privatisation is a gravy train. The private
companies take all the profits and the passengers
take all the pain.”
As well as Lockhead, Southeastern boss Keith Ludeman
retires this summer on a pension of £200,000
a year. Meanwhile at Arriva, David Martin, who
banked nearly £5 million when the firm was taken
over by Deutsche Bahn, will pick up £366,000 a year
when he retires.
“These huge rewards are being paid on the back
of passengers who are paying the highest fares in
Europe,” added Doherty.
Ray O’Toole “retired” from National Express’
board last May, but continues as an employee of
the group. He opted out of the group’s final salary
scheme in April 2006 by which time he was entitled
to a pension of £38,200 a year on retirement
in 2015. However since then the group has been
paying a pension supplement to him equivalent
to 44% of basic salary and over £800,000 has been
paid to him to sort out a rather handsome pension
in retirement.
Stagecoach is involved in a number of franchises,
including South West Trains. Chief executive Brian
Souter, according to the group’s 2010 annual report,
has accrued a pension worth at least £348,000 a year
for when he retires in four years time.

Travel expenses and minimum wage

A change to the minimum wage regulations came
into force on the 1 January after a legal challenge
from a company failed.
The change to the regulations prevents employers
from treating travel expenses as part of the wage
paid to workers.
Recruitment group Cordant, which employs around
30,000 people in the UK and Ireland, unsuccessfully
challenged the amendment to the National
Minimum Wage Regulations 1999, which came into
force on New Year’s Day.
The regulations now provide that any payments
to workers for travelling expenses under section
338 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions)
Volume 73 Issue 1 Fact Service 3
Act 2003 cannot count as part of the national
minimum wage.
Giving judgment in R (on the application of Cordant
Group) v Secretary of State for Business [2010]
EWHC 3442 (Admin), Mr Justice Kenneth Parker
described the challenge as “an attack on the economic
merits of regulatory reform affecting the
labour market in the guise of a common law and
legal equality case”.
He said he could “discern no arguable basis”
why the amendment, which brought “substantial
benefit” to low-paid workers and was in the public
interest, should not be implemented as planned.
Unions have welcomed the changes. Mary Maguire,
head of press and broadcasting for the public sector
trade union UNISON, said it would prevent bad
employers from exploiting workers.
She said: “It’s good news that the courts have come
down on the side of low paid workers. Employers
should not be allowed to get around their legal
obligations in this way.
“UNISON fought for years to get a statutory national
minimum wage established that would help stop
exploitation by bad employers by providing a pay
floor. Despite the fact that it is still too low, it is
incredible that employers are still trying to get
round it.”

UNISON secures £27,398,985 compensation for personal injuries in 2010

Assaults, car crashes, back injuries and slips at work are among the cases UNISON has won £27,398,985 worth of compensation for in 2010.The UK's largest public sector union has handled 3,893 cases to help members receive justice for the pain and suffering caused by personal injuries.UNISON's General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:"A lot of these injuries could and should have been prevented. These jobs are not dangerous - nursery workers, dental technicians and dinner ladies - but, because employers have been negligent, some UNISON members have lost their health, families, confidence and careers."Employers have a duty of care and where they fail, workers and their families deserve compensation for the pain and suffering caused by personal injuries."Last year UNISON secured £28million for workplace injuries but, one year on, and it's clear some employers have still not learnt their lesson and introduced safer working practices. "Public sector workers already face pay freezes, job and service cuts, with worse to come. They deserve to be able to do a hard day's work in a safe environment."

Breakdown of compensation by region:
Eastern - 204 cases - £1,482,492.60 compensation
East Midlands - 345 cases - £2,600,048.30 compensation
Greater London - 239 cases - £2,752,227.50 compensation
Northern - 463 cases - £2,746,031.80 compensation
Northern Ireland - 143 cases - £559,509.72 compensation
North West - 519 cases - £3,155,907.60 compensation
Scotland - 224 cases - 1,602,762.20 compensation
South East - 196 cases - £1,952,433.30 compensation
South West - 186 cases - £2,443,894.50 compensation
Wales - 382 cases - £2,754,931.80 compensation
West Midlands - 428 cases - £2,025,836.40 compensation
Yorkshire and Humberside - 564 - £3,322,913.90 compensatio
Examples of compensation cases for UNISON members:

30/12/2010
Economic vandalism:

Not voted for by the people not in the interests of this country
Working people in the UK can help stop the Conservative-led coalition from taking a wrecking ball to the fabric of daily life.That is the New Year's message to some 3.5 million workers across both the public and private sectors from their unions, the GMB, Unison and Unite, who say that the government's dangerous prescription of economic deflation and historically high cuts will not revive the economy but will instead bring it to its knees. The landmark joint message sees the three unions - the biggest in the UK - pledge that in 2011 they will inspire and support resistance to the cuts across the UK. They also vow to make the Spring elections the first referendum on the government's austerity programme.Such is the level of concern about the real intent behind the cuts - recasting the state so that the private sector can sweep in, allied to the fear that harsh cuts will cause endemic inequality across society and plunge a new generation into unemployment - that the unions have vowed to work tirelessly together throughout 2011 to pursue a sound economic alternative. The unions are furious that the government is using the cover of coalition and a whipped-up fear over the deficit to terrify people into acceptance of what is little more than the rolling back of social provision. Pointing to the mounting dissent among economic experts over the government's approach, they say there is no programme for growth but only polices which will lead to a devastating contraction in the UK economy at a time when the global economy is still exhibiting deeply worrying signs of recession.The unions say it is high time that the truth was told about the government's reckless policies. January will see the three embark on a programme of promoting an economic alternative to their members urging them to get active in both opposing cuts and making their voices heard at the May election, the first chance for large parts of country to vote on the government's cuts programme.Central to the unions' message will be the push for an economic policy based on:* Growth - and a clear programme for job creation* Investment to get the unemployed back to work* Maintaining universal, quality public services - and safeguarding them from costly private providers * A fair taxation policy, including closing tax avoidance loopholes and a transaction tax which will generate billions for the economy* Abandonment of welfare upheaval which will plunge families and communities into poverty * Regulation of the economy to restore trust and confidencePaul Kenny General Secretary of GMB said: "The deficit is not Labour's deficit, it's the bankers' deficit. The Labour Government had to borrow to save the UK economy from collapse due to the irresponsible actions of the bankers, a policy supported by the Conservatives in opposition."The banks' actions in pouring billions of pounds into risky and complex investments came unstuck and left tax payers and elected governments with a mess to clear up. This cost the UK £850 billion, a recession where we lost 6% of national output, two and half million unemployed, pay freezes, inflation rising and where taxation revenues fell suddenly."Unions had warned of the dangers of under-regulated financial sector and the banks now need regulating so it doesn't happen again. This is also the view of Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England."Dave Prentis General Secretary of UNISON said: "It's clear that the Government is ideologically driven to massacre public services and bring the misery of unemployment and poverty to millions. This is a recipe for social turmoil on a scale not seen since the 80's. A whole generation of young people betrayed, facing a bleak future."Local Government is particularly hard hit by the cuts. 70,000 jobs have gone in the last months of 2010 and hundreds of thousands more will follow in 2011. This spells disaster for local communities and for people who need those services. The Big Society spin won't pick up the pieces of broken Britain's lost jobs and dashed hopes. "We need a Government that will keep Britain working by investing in our economy, our services and our future."Len McCluskey, General Secretary-designate of Unite said: "It is possible to pull the UK economy out of recession without the misery of mass unemployment. This government is ripping a huge hole in the economy by contracting spending and throwing one and a half million people on the dole. But where is the Plan B? Where will the new jobs come from? Certainly not from a private sector which is reeling from the global downturn."We know all too well how this government can swing the axe; what we need to see more of is can they actually step up to the job of creating employment. Strategic investments can reap rewards far beyond the original outlay - for instance, a £6bn investment in affordable social housing would build 100,000 new homes and create 750,000 new jobs in construction and the manufacturing supply chain. This makes more economic sense than paying people to sit on the dole."Economic activism means not sitting on your hands. It is the duty of our government to actively support job creation. Roll your sleeves up, support investment, unlock the capital funds held in the banks and start creating the jobs needed to replace the million or so you have destroyed."The three unions will be taking the message about the truth about the deficit and the Conservative-led government's approach to its members in the coming weeks, focusing on:A fair economy:· Fair taxes must be part of any solution. Systematically, companies and rich individuals have been avoiding more and more tax which means government squeezes greater amounts from working people.· End to indirect taxes like VAT which hit the low paid proportionally harder.· Regulation of the banking system to bring transparency; Government to use its controlling stake in UK banks to stop job cuts, excess pay and bonuses· A transaction tax on City dealings, including trade in stocks, shares, currencies and derivatives · A just welfare state which does not force people further into poverty and social exclusion Saving the NHS:· The massive top-down £80 billion re-organisation of the NHS in England to break it into small local commissioning units tasked with employing private companies to find other private health providers to submit the cheapest bid for public health services. · The down-grading of NICE will also see drug price rise and access to them severely curtailed. · GP consortia will see the return of the postcode lottery. · The scrapping of waiting lists will cause undoubted misery for countless people in need of treatment. · These policies are all designed to ensure the private sector and overseas private health companies exert control over access to health services - however the service is still being funded by the UK taxpayer.Good education for all:· Free Schools and Academies in England will force schools to compete in a local market. In some areas, e.g. Wandsworth, they are prepared to spend tens of millions of pounds to promote this vision even when there are surplus places in some schools and existing schools in need of repair. · The English student tuition fee hike to a maximum of £9,000 a year is not being introduced to deal with the current deficit, as it will bite after 2014 by which point the Chancellor claims the deficit will have been aid down, but to create a financial market place for colleges, courses and students.· The end result will be students from wealthy families going to elite universities and, if not deterred by the debts, other students seeking out cheaper courses at cheaper colleges in cheaper locations. Social mobility will be thrown into reverse.Economic activism· Investment to put UK manufacturing at the forefront of economic development,· Support to expand low carbon sustainable industries. · Reversal of the decision to block a £80m loan to Sheffield Forgemasters.· The urgent establishment of a Strategic Investment Fund, alongside the promised Green Investment Bank. · Energy pricing policies which recognise the needs of industry.· Public procurement processes to ensure maximum benefit for UK manufacturing.

Flintshire Council overpayment - UNISON response

Commenting on the overpayment of staff by Flintshire County Council, UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:“The council say they have no money and are having to cut jobs and services, but this whole pay debacle shows they have no handle on their finances. “This is not the fault of hardworking staff and they must not pay the price for the council’s mistake. “Some staff have been overpaid over a number of years by up to £8,000, which is a huge amount for one person earning a low wage to repay, while other low paid staff have been underpaid. “We have put forward our recommendations to the Audit Committee and are supporting our members by dealing with this on a case-by-case basis.”

'Independent' consultants and Ministers should get their facts right on local government pensions

UNISON, the UK’s biggest union, with more than 600,000 members working in local councils, today called on consultants and government ministers to get their facts right on local government pensions. The call follows a claim by John Balfe, so-called “independent” pensions consultant, that the scheme’s liabilities had increased to £100 billion. The Communities and Local Government Minister, Eric Pickles, managed to muddy the waters even more by unsubstantiated claims that ‘town hall pensions are now costing over £300 a year to every household paying council tax."Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government, said: “Another week, another attack on the local government pension scheme. These so-called independent pensions consultants and government ministers should get their facts right before they resort to crude scare-mongering.“Eric Pickles is plain wrong. Less than 6% of council tax payments fund pensions. More than 50% is made up of employee contributions and investment returns.“The local government pension scheme is in good shape, and is a vital way of allowing mainly low paid workers to save for their retirement. A report out this year confirmed that the scheme could cover all its liabilities for the next twenty years, without a single penny more in contributions. What’s more, the scheme invests hundreds of billions in UK stocks and shares every year – a huge boost to our economy. “With pensions, its vital to take a long term view. It is totally misleading to take an assessment of the schemes liabilities now and make claims for the future that don’t stack-up. All investments have taken a knock thanks to the financial crisis, but given time they will recover.” Key facts on the local government pension scheme: - The average local government pension is £4,000 per year, for women this drops to just £2,600, or less than £40 per week.- After intense negotiations, a new pensions agreement in local government was introduced in 2008, setting out terms that include workers paying 6.4% of their salary into the scheme. - Local councils get most of their revenue from business rates and from central government grants. In reality, less than 6% of council taxpayers’ rates goes towards funding the pension scheme. More than 50% of the cost is met by employee contributions and investment returns.- Research in 2006 showed that if the LGPS did not exist - based only on current pensioners – it would cost the taxpayer £2bn a year in increased means tested benefits and loss of tax revenue. It would also fuel increased take up of NHS and council care services. - Often overlooked is the huge investment power of the LGPS fund. In 2008 the total value of combined assets in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, were £143 billion - 60% of which was invested in equities or shares, in UK and global stock markets. In the same year, more than £1 billion was invested in each of the top four FTSE companies. If the scheme were to close, and this investment was withdrawn, it would have a huge impact on the UK economy. - The LGPS is in better shape than a most other schemes. Even in the depths of the recession, investments provided nearly £3bn for the LGPS in England, accounting for nearly one third (27%) of the scheme’s overall income. Year on year, the scheme takes billions more in contributions and investments returns than it pays out in benefits. Last year, income from member contributions to the scheme in England alone increased by 15% - outstripping expenditure by £6 billion.- An Audit Commission report in 2010 stated that the LGPS could pay out all pensions due for the next 20 years without any further contributions.

"Miserable Monday" spells danger for local communities warns UNISON

UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector trade union, dubbed today “Miserable Monday”, after some of the largest cuts to council budgets in history were revealed in the Localism Bill. The union said that the scale of cuts spelled real danger for local communities. It warned that the increased freedom for local councils was simply a way for the government to push the burden of responsibility for making cuts onto councils. Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government, said: “Today is “Miserable Monday” for councils, set to be hit with some of the largest budget cuts in history. This means a grim Christmas for thousands of council workers who are facing the prospect of losing their jobs next year. “Eric Pickles may talk about local authorities doing more with less, but the public should not be fooled; this is not possible. Cuts on this scale cannot be painless. Vital local services such as libraries and day centres, are already shutting their doors. Charges for others, such as home care for the elderly, and meals on wheels are on the up. After today’s announcement, this pattern will only gather pace. “The coalition is trying to rip the plaster off quickly, by front-loading the cuts. This spells real danger for services this year, and is a blatant attempt to get the pain out of the way long before the next election. But the scale of the cuts means that communities will be feeling the pain for years to come. “The new powers being given to councils may sound appealing, but they are simply a way for the government to wash its hands of taking tough decisions. Some services will be easy targets, with local authorities cherry picking only the easiest or cheapest services to provide. This will see local people who rely on difficult to provide, or expensive services, missing out on the support they need. “Meanwhile, the Bankers are still in line for their massive Christmas bonuses. Why are hardworking families paying the price for a recession they did not cause? There are real alternatives the government could and should have taken forward, that would have safeguarded jobs and recovery, and built a fairer future.”

UNISON members glowing mad over tuition fee hike join protest

UNISON members will be among those waving 9,000 glow sticks to symbolise government plans to hike up university tuition fees to £9,000, as part of student protests across the country tomorrow and Thursday.University staff, student nurses and other public sector workers, will join students in taking a stand against the savage plans during a series of regional rallies on the 8 December. On Thursday (9 December), UNISON members will be lobbying their MPs at Parliament, before a rally at the Victoria Embankment at 3pm. As it turns dark, the protestors will be waving the glow sticks.Christina McAnea, UNISON’s Head of Education, said:“It is a disgrace that poorer children will be put off from going to university, as higher education becomes the preserve of the rich.“Lib Dem MPs voting on the tuition fees on Thursday must dig deep into their consciences and stand by their pre-election pledge to vote against increasing tuition fees.“At the same time as hiking up fees, the government is cutting university jobs and services, withdrawing education loans, axing means-tested grants and making huge cuts to further education. The government is dealing out blows to students from all angles, but we will be backing them in their fightback.”

29/11/2010
Survey reveals Probation Service being pushed to breaking point

UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector union, today warned that the probation service is being pushed to breaking point, by a toxic cocktail of staff cuts and increased workloads. These spell danger for the government’s so-called “rehabilitation revolution”, which will see more offenders put on probation to take the prison population down. The survey of staff in the sector by the union found 69% of respondents already suffering from staff cuts, with 80% saying that workloads have increased in the last year. 74% said that stress levels had risen, whilst 69% said morale had decreased. 68% of staff said they felt less secure in their jobs than they did last year. Staff also raised concerns over management, with 46% saying they did not feel supported. The union said that plans to privatise parts of the service could see private companies making money out of offenders’ doing community payback work. The union warned these moves could spark a race to the bottom on service quality and terms and conditions for staff. Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “The probation service is instrumental in delivering community justice, rehabilitating offenders, and protecting the communities where offenders live and work. It is deeply worrying that the service is already under severe pressure, with staff reporting an increase in stress and workloads, but a reduction in numbers, leading to a collapse in morale. Worrying numbers of staff said they did not feel supported by their managers. “The worry is that an already tough job is set to get even tougher. The Ministry of Justice has been hit with savage cuts. If these cuts fall on the probation service, it will buckle under the strain. At the same time as cutting, the government is set to launch a “rehabilitation revolution”. This will see more offenders placed into the community. Who will be making sure these offenders and the communities where they live and work are safe?“The government is pressing ahead with plans to privatise parts of the service, including community payback work. This will take vital lifeblood away from Probation Trusts, and see private companies making money out of offenders’ hard work. It is highly unlikely that privatisation will lead to cost savings, but it is certain to lead to a lower quality service, and a race to the bottom for staff terms and conditions. “Our survey shows a clear link between staffing cuts and rising stress levels. And now the government’s plans are set to make matters worse by piling on the pressure. There is only so far the service can be stretched before it reaches breaking point. The government should take another look at its plans and take into account the risk they pose to offenders and to communities.” Key findings from the survey: - 80% of respondents said their workload had increased over the past year, with staff in Wales, the South West, and the North East most likely to report an increase. - 52% said they would not recommend their job. - Job security is a major concern – 68% felt less secure in their job compared with a year ago.- 69% said staff numbers in their area had already decreased over the previous year, with staff in Wales, the South West, Greater London and Eastern England more likely to report a decrease in staff numbers over the previous year. - 69% said morale had decreased in the past year. - 74% said stress levels had increased over the past year – staff in the North East, South West, Wales and Eastern England were more likely to report an increase. - 46% said they did not feel supported by their manager. - 79% said they had undergone training in the past year, with 32% saying their training lasted between 1 and 2 days. 46% said their training lasted between 3 and 6 days. - The three regions which stuck out in terms of workload pressure, stress and morale were Wales, the South West and the North East. UNISON represents 5000 members in the probation service, and more than 1000 were sampled in this survey.

Capita sacrificing services to protect profits- UNISON response

UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union, today (19 November) accused the government of helping Capita, a public sector contractor, to cut services in a bid to protect company profits.The union warned that the government’s plans to increase privatisation of public services could spark a race to the bottom, as private companies seek to protect profits at all costs. Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “Here we have the government hand in glove with a private company, plotting how to cut services to protect profits. UNISON has long been warning that profits come before people when vital local services are privatised, but now the government is making it even easier for their friends in private industry to sacrifice services to line their own pockets. “As public spending cuts bite, margins will be ever tighter. This could spark a dangerous race to the bottom on services, and pay and conditions for staff. Coupled with the government drive to boost private involvement in public services, this is a recipe for disaster. It is the elderly, the sick and the vulnerable who rely on local services who will pay the ultimate price.”

Conservatives using Co-operatives as a Trojan horse

UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector trade union, today accused the government of using the co-operative ideal as a Trojan horse, to disguise their drastic cuts to public services.With budgets axed, the union is warning that breaking up public services, under the guise of turning them into co-operatives, would not deliver improvements. UNISON accused the Government of simply washing its hands of its responsibility to care for the most vulnerable in society, children, the poor and the elderly.Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:“The coalition is simply using the co –operative ideal as a Trojan horse to disguise the effects of their drastic spending cuts on public services. Pushing responsibility onto staff to try and do more with less money, is setting them up to fail. The Government is simply washing its hands of its responsibility to provide services to the most vulnerable in society.“In today’s unstable financial environment, small co-ops and mutuals will be highly vulnerable to take over by big business, which could quickly start to dominate the market. This backdoor privatisation suits the Tories down to the ground.“The public should not be fooled by the Government’s Damascene conversion to co-operatives and social enterprises. I can’t see them advocating them across the private sector.”The union also pointed out that some of the original pilots in children’s social work had failed and staff voted with their feet. One even shut down after children, parents and foster carers were not properly consulted.”

Personal budgets could lead to personal hell, says UNISON

UNISON has warned that vulnerable people could be stuck in a personal hell as plans to move 1 million people on to personal budgets in the form of direct payments coincide with council cuts, shutting services and tightening eligibility. The warning follows the announcement by Care Services Minister Paul Burstow today (16 November) of personal budgets for all, and Government targets for even greater privatisation of social care.The UK’s largest public sector union is concerned that the long-standing funding deficit in social care will spiral, as austerity cuts bite. Stripping away vital local authority services will leave people struggling to manage their own care and stranded without choice or support.Helga Pile, UNISON’s National Officer for Social Care, said:“The move to making personal budgets in the form of direct payments at a time of cuts will leave vulnerable people with little choice or support.“The public should not be fooled by dressing up cuts as a chance to give more power to citizens. Tell that to hard-pressed families worried sick about elderly and vulnerable relatives who cannot get any help in the home. “It’s easy to sit in Whitehall and say councils shouldn’t cut eligibility at the same time you are forcing through record cuts in council spending. Many people will now not even be eligible for a personal budget, let alone any care services, and elderly people with conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes face losing home support, even if they are unable to carry out basic personal care.“The care system is a nightmare for families to navigate. Without the option of directly provided services, people may not know whether the budget they are allocated is fair and councils could freeze people’s budgets, or start cutting them as the funding squeeze tightens. It’s no accident that the Government has slipped in a policy change to put the emphasis on ‘cash for care’ rather than the other more supported options that personal budgets can offer. This makes it easier to make cuts by stealth, and put the onus on people to ration their own care.“Day centres, meals on wheels and reliable homecare are among the vital services being removed. Trained, qualified staff are being replaced by cheaper workers. We have huge concerns over where the workers are going to come from to work for the minimum wage on casual contracts.“Evidence shows that moving to ‘cash for care’ can have a hugely damaging impact on older people’s wellbeing, but this is ignored. Evidence proves the damaging effect on quality of care of privatisation to the lowest bidder, but this is ignored. Far from promoting choice, the government is changing the policy on personal budgets to make it one size fits all, without proper debate or consultation.”

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Quality public services build sustainable economies, and democratic, just societies.

In tough economic times, social programs provide essential supports for both economies and societies. Investing in public services is the most effective way to create new jobs. Without them, the private sector cannot function. Democracy and universal access are linked to fair and accountable taxation. The growing gap between rich and poor in many countries can be explained in large measure by the fact that governments are taxing less and, correspondingly, spending less on social services. The economic crisis is providing more excuses for cutting public funding, at a time when citizens need public services such as education, unemployment, welfare, and health benefits the most. Public Services International and our affiliates are standing up to the attacks on public services, around the world.
Please see the following links for examples of these inspiring campaigns. Tell us your suggestions for more links and resources by emailing communications@world-psi.org

The UK Trades Union Congress

Has published a new report entitled Where the money goes: How we benefit from public services. It estimates the value of the public services from which households benefit, according to different income groups and regions. On average, each household in the UK receives the cash equivalent of £21,400 in services and benefits each year. The report also shows that the planned spending cuts will hit the poorest thirteen times harder than the richest.

Public sector pensions - UNISON comment

Commenting on Treasury plans to consult on the discount rate used in public sector pension schemes, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:"Changing the discount rate would cause more problems than it would solve. On average, public sector workers pay 6% of their salary into their pension schemes. The Government is now talking about adding an extra 3% on top. This could price many low paid workers out of saving towards their retirement.“If public sector workers are forced to opt out, this will undermine the future viability of the pension schemes. Workers will stop saving and rely on state benefits when they retire, leaving the taxpayer to pick up the bill.“It is time the government turned their attention to the private sector, where two thirds of employers don’t provide a single penny towards their employees’ pensions.”

British Gas price hike - UNISON response

Commenting on the news that British Gas will increase bills next month by an average of 7%, Steve Bloomfield, UNISON national officer for energy, said: “British Gas is the second of the six major energy companies to announce bill hikes, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest follow suit. Although there is some protection for low-income households, millions of other families will have to think twice before turning the heating up this winter, in fear of the heavy bill that will drop through their letterbox. “The British energy market needs an urgent, comprehensive review and overhaul to make sure it is acting in the interest of consumers. It cannot be right that companies like Centrica, British Gas’s parent company, can make huge profits by selling and producing gas, without passing savings onto British Gas customers.”

UNISON NHS survey reveals front-line pressures

UNISON, the UK¹s largest public service union, is warning that staff shortages, recruitment freezes and redundancies are set to ‘turn back the clock’ on patient care in the UK. A worrying report from the union shows a front-line under severe pressure, with more patients treated by fewer staff.UNISON is warning that the Government¹s squeeze on funding, risks dragging health services back to the 80¹s and 90¹s. An era when the NHS was starved of funds, hospital roofs leaked, training for nurses and other professionals was cut and waiting lists, for those who couldn¹t afford to pay, dragged into years.The survey - a cross section of more than 8,000 NHS staff - reveals that hospitals are responding to financial difficulties by freezing recruitment, cutting posts and services, outsourcing and restructuring. Almost a third of staff say this has led to a decrease in the quality of patient care, 80% reported an increase in workload, while half were struggling with staff shortages.Karen Jennings, UNISON Head of Health, said:“What is truly distressing is that that the survey clearly shows how spending cuts are already threatening to damage the quality of patient care. The Government are turning back the clock and dragging the country back to the dark days of the 80¹s and early 90¹s when the NHS was starved of money. Back then, patients who could afford it, paid up to avoid being at the end of a very long waiting list or being treated in poorly maintained hospitals.“Government cuts threaten to undo and reverse the benefits of all the investment and hard work that has gone into turning the NHS round over the past 13 years. We have been able to train our own nurses instead of scouring third world countries to fill shortages. In a worrying reversal, half the people we surveyed are affected by staff shortages. This is particularly dangerous because the lack of staff was a key factor in the appalling problems with patient care at Mid Staffs Hospital.“Our survey also reveals that 80% of staff have seen their workload increase and that means fewer staff treating more patients. This ties in with reports that NHS organisations are implementing recruitment freezes and making redundancies across the UK.“Our survey explodes the myth that the NHS is protected from spending cuts. How can this be true when Trusts are being asked to make savings to the tune of £20bn? At the same time, we know that the NHS faces an unquantifiable increase in demand as a result of cuts to local authority and other public sector services. “The cost of treatments are going up, drugs are getting more expensive, we have an aging population who need more, not less care and the cost of the latest round of top-down reforms will run into billions. “It is time for the Government to think again about the long term damage that their plans are inflicting on the NHS.”Key results from the UNISON survey:· 54% of staff reported they were coping with an increase in the number of patients; · 1 in 2 staff have experienced staff shortages; · 59% of respondents report a reduction in the number of staff employed; · 32% perceived a decline in the quality of care in their organisation; · There has been no let up in the relentless pressure placed on NHS staff, with 80% reporting increased workload and 77% increased stress over the last year; Factors contributing the most to increased workload include vacancy freezes and redundancies; · 46% of staff reported recruitment and retention difficulties; · Just under half of workplaces / departments responded to expected financial challenges with recruitment freezes.Ends The UNISON survey will form part of the evidence to be submitted to the NHS Pay Review Body on 10 November 2010

Relax - it's national stress awareness day

The risks of stress are far greater than you might suppose, warns UNISON's head of health and safety Hope Daley, on National Stress Awareness Day."Stress is clearly one of the biggest health issues facing our members today, and we want employers to focus more on the health of our staff and less on the bottom line to ensure that workers - who are after all their greatest asset - remain healthy and safe at work." said Ms Daley."Moreover, stress can be a killer, and coupled with the massive cuts to jobs and services, it could have a major impact on both individuals and society as a whole," she continued.A recent report undertaken by Manchester university has revealed that the public sector will be the most affected by increased stress as the global economic downturn impacts on the workplace.

Pension proposals - UNISON response

Commenting on the government’s pensions proposals today, Glyn Jenkins, UNISON Head of Pensions, said:"We believe all employers should contribute to their employees pensions and the fact that currently 2/3rds of UK employers let down their staff by paying nothing is a national disgrace.“But the proposals of allowing employers to contribute just 3% on a band of earnings, phased in over a number of years, is far too low to tackle pensioner poverty or provide relief to the taxpayers.“It takes a combined contribution rate of 20% and many years’ service to secure a decent pension and today’s Government proposals fall very short of the mark. It is peddling false-hope that somehow NEST will also come to the aid of the taxpayer. If employers continue to get away with paying such low contributions, good schemes will wither away and the taxpayer will have to pick up the benefits bill.”

Tuesday is Equal Pay Day.

From 2 November until the end of the year, women effectively work for nothing, because of the UK's persistent gender pay gap. How disgraceful that in 2010, women are still waiting for pay equality. We are campaigning for the law to be updated to make it easier for women to challenge unfair pay. But the coalition's public spending cuts are only making matters worse.Women bear the brunt of the cuts, as they make more use of, and find more jobs in, the public sector. Another reason why the union's Million Voices Campaign is so important. This week also sees UNISON's first community service group conference this week. The conference is very timely as the third sector is hard hit by damaging public spending cuts. The cuts are in direct contrast to the Tories so-called 'Big Society' agenda - otherwise known as the 'Big Cop Out'.

Say no to skeleton services

Public sector workers in London, Brighton, Leeds, Nottingham, Newcastle Taunton, Swansea and Birmingham from UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union, will today (29 October) pose as skeletons in a grim reminder to the public that the coalition’s drastic, ideologically motivated public spending cuts, will slash vital local services to the bone. The union is calling on Tory and Lib Dem MPs to ‘bone-up’ on UNISON’s alternative budget, which proposes a fairer route to recovery, or face a dead loss in the next election.Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government, said: “This may look like a fun Hallowe’en protest, but there is a serious message behind the masks. “The Chancellor’s knife is cutting deep. His drastic, hard and fast public spending cuts will cut vital local services back to the bone and throw tens of thousands on the dole.“With spending power cut, local shops and businesses will suffer from wholesale, long term, mass unemployment. High streets will turn into ghost towns, and local economies will be given a death sentence, spiralling downwards, out of control. “Why should hardworking people pay the price for the recession? The bankers who caused this crisis are still making off with massive bonuses. And while millions of workers are in the grip of a pay freeze, the directors of the top FTSE 100 companies are laughing all the way to the bank with 55% pay rises. Where is the fairness in that? “The Chancellor should take his blinkers off; there is a much fairer route to recovery. Cracking down on the tax avoidance and tax havens, and making the bankers pay their fair share would claw back billions, saving jobs and stimulating recovery.”UNISON’s Save Our Services alternative budget includes: A 50% tax rate on incomes over £100,000 would raise £4.7bn a year£10bn could be raised every year by reforming tax havens and residence rules to reduce tax avoidance by corporations and ‘non-domiciled’ residents£14.9bn raised every year by using minimum tax rates to stop reliefs being used disproportionately subsidise incomes over £100,000£30bn could be raised every year by introducing the Robin Hood TaxBringing back the windfall tax on bankers’ bonuses would raise £1.5bn £500m could be saved every year by eradicating healthcare acquired infections from the NHS – the extra cleaners would cost half this £1bn could be saved every year by halving the local government agency bill£5bn could be raised every year with an Empty Property Tax £2.8bn saved by ending the central government use of private consultant £3bn could be saved in user fees and interest charges every year if PFI schemes were replaced with conventional public procurement

UNISON to consult on industrial action over abolition of schools support staff pay body

UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector trade union, today said it would be consulting members on taking industrial action over the abolition of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB).The body, which was years in the making, was set up to develop consistency in pay, conditions and job roles for schools support staff including teaching assistants, special needs staff, nursery nurses, school secretaries, caretakers, technicians and schools meals staff.Christina McAnea, UNISON Head of Education, said: “This is a bitter blow to the mainly women, overwhelmingly low paid, hard working and loyal support staff in schools. UNISON will be consulting our members on taking industrial action as a matter of urgency.“The coalition’s consultation process was a sham. It was obvious the government had made up its mind, right from the beginning, that schools support staff are not worthy of national pay and conditions. “We are calling for an immediate equality impact assessment, as it is likely this move will hit women hard. The government must also explain how it intends to deliver George Osborne’s headline grabbing, £250 boost for the lowest paid. It is a disgrace that they have so far refused to guarantee this pledge for schools support staff.”Notes for editors:1. The School Support Staff Negotiating Body was established under the ASCL ACT 2009 and is similar to the Pay Review Body for Teachers. The body has been developing a national pay framework of pay and conditions to cover around 500,000 school support staff in England. The employers on the body are the Local Government Employers, The Foundation and Aided Schools National Association (FASNA) , the Catholic Education Service and The Church of England. 2. UNISON is the main union for school support staff with more than 200,000 members, whose jobs include, teaching assistants, nursery staff, school secretaries, school business managers, school meals staff, technicians, librarians and special needs workers.3. Around 70% of staff are only paid during term time and get no pay for school holidays, the average pay for a teaching assistant is under £10,000 per year.4. More than three quarters of schools were closed when school staff took strike action over pensions in 2008.

Pension proposals - UNISON response

Commenting on the government’s pensions proposals today, Glyn Jenkins, UNISON Head of Pensions, said:"We believe all employers should contribute to their employees pensions and the fact that currently 2/3rds of UK employers let down their staff by paying nothing is a national disgrace.“But the proposals of allowing employers to contribute just 3% on a band of earnings, phased in over a number of years, is far too low to tackle pensioner poverty or provide relief to the taxpayers.“It takes a combined contribution rate of 20% and many years’ service to secure a decent pension and today’s Government proposals fall very short of the mark. It is peddling false-hope that somehow NEST will also come to the aid of the taxpayer. If employers continue to get away with paying such low contributions, good schemes will wither away and the taxpayer will have to pick up the benefits bill.”

UNISON response to Baby P report

UNISON, the UK’s largest public service union, today warned of the danger of cuts to council budgets, in the wake of the latest report into the tragic death of Baby Peter. Cutting so called “back office staff” could have serious consequences for social workers, who want to spend more time with families and less with paperwork.Helga Pile, UNISON National Officer for Social Workers, said:“Social workers tell us that they want more time to spend face to face with families, to see the true picture of what is happening in the home. Instead they are burdened with high case-loads, hampered by staff vacancies and overwhelmed with paperwork.“UNISON believes that social workers should have at least 2 years’ experience before they are allocated to child protection work. And that two social workers should make home visits - one to concentrate on the adults and the other to spend time with the child.“Today’s report into baby Peter’s tragic death must act as a grim warning about the potential danger of what cuts will do to vital council services and jobs. Cutting so called “back-office’ jobs will make social work even harder.”

Members disappointed at E.ON green jobs decision

(25/10/10) UNISON members working for power company E.ON have expressed their disappointment that the company has abandoned plans to build a new power station using revolutionary carbon capture and storage technology at Kingsnorth in Kent.The union believes that one of the main reasons for the decision is the government's failure to provide long-term certainty around funding for development of the technology. E.ON has said that depressed energy prices make the plant uneconomical.The union has long backed carbon capture and storage as a key technology in addressing the challenges of climate change and energy security.UNISON also believes that this technology, which is still to be tested on a commercial scale, could lead to a green jobs bonanza and establish the UK as a world leader in an industry of the future.Although the government committed to one plant in the spending review, the previous government had committed to four.UNISON head of utilities Steve Bloomfield said: "It's obviously disappointing that E.ON have pulled the plug on this development. "The commitment to develop one plant in the spending review is welcome, but the government needs to raise its game significantly on this issue if we are to keep the lights on and ensure we are generating the green and decent jobs of the future in the UK."

Cameron Speech - UNISON response

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “The truth is that Cameron has no strategy for growth, or for recovery. He got it wrong when the banks failed, by opposing the bailout, and he’s got it wrong now. “Cameron and his coalition’s cuts will see hundreds of businesses that rely on public sector contracts shut their doors, with half a million private sector workers losing their jobs. Economic output is predicted to dip by a whopping £46 billion. “The coalition’s own figures show nearly half a million public sector workers will lose their jobs. Adding upwards of a million more people to the dole queues now spells danger. There are, on average, already more than four unemployed people chasing every vacant post across the country. The situation is even worse in some parts of the country, with 31 people chasing every job in Hackney, and 25 in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. “This scramble for jobs will see the dole queues rise to record levels. Demand in the economy will plummet, so will the tax take, but the benefits bill will sky rocket. Some of the poorest regions will be hardest hit. “This is a recipe for disaster, for a decade of downturn, which will see inequalities rise, public services crumble, and consign a generation of young people to the scrap heap.”

UNISON hits back at plans to create London 'super-council'

UNISON, the union representing over 7,000 employees in the three London Boroughs – Westminster City Council, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea – has hit back at reports that the councils are to forge ahead with plans to merge council services. The go-ahead comes in response to the deep cuts announced by the Government in Wednesday’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).The CSR will see local government budgets slashed by 26% over the next four years. These cuts will place jobs and services, in particular to the most vulnerable in society, at risk.The union is angry that it learnt about the merger green-light, not from the employers, but from the press. Linda Perks, UNISON Regional Secretary for Greater London, today expressed the union’s concerns for the employees and local people in the three Boroughs, if plans to merge all services under a single Chief Executive become a reality, saying:“The merger plans are bound to mean that services and standards will fall, as decision making becomes even more removed from local people. In addition, any mergers are bound to lead to significant job losses. This will add more London public sector employees to the dole queues and damage the Capitals already fragile economy.“This announcement clearly demonstrates that the Government’s CSR really means Cuts Strangle Recovery! UNISON demands that these three Boroughs stop their political posturing and start to talk to the Trade Unions who represent some very worried employees across West London”.The announcement from the three boroughs, reflects a very clear intention to save up to £100m and to slash the number of employees providing vital public services, but it also says that there will be no reduction in the number of councillors or how democratic accountability will be maintained. Linda Perks, went on to say “Whilst services will be hit and employees will join the dole queues the Councillors will continue to be able to claim their expenses! Their jobs aren’t at risk! Where’s the democracy in that?” Earlier this week UNISON, released detailed analysis showing that on average, there are more than 4 unemployed people for every advertised job vacancy in England, Scotland and Wales. In Westminster the figure is 2.7, in Hammersmith and Fulham 5.3 and in Kensington and Chelsea 10.9.

Con-dem Government condemning country to 'dismal, downward spiral'

At the “All Together for Public Services” protest rally at Central Hall Westminster, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest public services union, will warn the Chancellor that the unions will not go away “we will be back”. He will say:“The Tories and Lib Dems are intent on dragging our country into a dismal, downward spiral of despair. They have a one-track policy, which is an obsession with cuts and they are ignoring credible alternatives. They should be building for recovery not knocking-down hope for our future. For young people whose opportunities are being stifled before they even have a chance to get into university or into training, to get an apprenticeship or a job.“The truth is they are not interested in alternatives. “They don’t care if the poor, the elderly, the vulnerable are the targets of cuts. They don’t care if hundreds of thousands of families suffer because they no longer have a breadwinner. “If they did, they would see that they could claw back billions of pounds by taxing the banks that caused the recession in the first place. They would stop pussy-footing round with a “voluntary code of conduct” on tax avoidance by the banks. Make it compulsory – They shouldn’t be doing it – and they are robbing the country of vital revenue needed to get it back on its feet. “I am warning the Government today - the public can only take so much, working people will only take so much, and this union has already had enough. Today, up and down the country, UNISON members are holding rallies and marches and lobbying their MPs.“And make no mistake. If the Government doesn’t listen to us today, they won’t have heard the last of us. If George Osborne’s cuts go through – cuts that could mean a death sentence for our services and our communities – then we will be back.“For every one of us in this room today, we will bring a hundred more. We’ll march in our thousands ad we’ll vote in our millions.“We will unite and fight-back against the cuts. - the future of our public services are at stake and I will not let this Government set fire to them.

'Cowardly' Tory MPs hide from their constituents

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, today branded Tory MPs as “cowards” for turning their backs on their constituents, to join a last-minute meeting convened by David Cameron.Dave Prentis said:“It is a sad day for democracy in this country. I am outraged that Tory MPs have turned their backs on their constituents, when so many have travelled hundreds of miles, to see them.“Many had made appointments months in advance and are armed with facts and figures about the damage that cuts will do to local people and services.“MPs should not be running from the truth and hiding in a meeting with Cameron. They should have the guts to come face to face with the constituents that they were elected to represent.“I am warning the Tories that they can run, but they can’t hide. UNSON members will track down their MPs and lobby them in their own constituency offices, until they get their message across.”

Banks to knock £19 billion off their tax bill despite taxpayer bail out

Despite being rescued by taxpayers during the crash, UK banks will avoid paying £19 billion of tax on future profits by offsetting their losses during the financial crisis against their tax bills. This is equivalent to more than £1,100 for every family in the UK, a TUC report says today (Monday).
The TUC report - The Corporate Tax Gap - says that as well as benefitting from an £850 billion bailout from taxpayers and the Bank of England during the recession, banks are able to offset their £19 billion of tax losses between 2007 and 2009 against paying tax on future profits.
The report, authored by tax specialist Richard Murphy, has calculated this double subsidy from the accounts of five UK high street banks - HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Lloyds TSB and HBOS (later Lloyds Banking Group) - and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) data.
The Corporate Tax Gap warns that banks could soon be paying a lower rate of tax than small businesses. The corporate tax gap - the difference between the rate of tax set by the Government and the actual rate companies pay - has grown by an average of 0.5 per cent a year over the last decade. Between 2000 and 2009, the effective corporation tax rate fell from 28 per cent to 21 per cent, much deeper than the headline rate cut from 30 per cent to 28 per cent, says the report.
With the Government planning to reduce corporation tax to 24 per cent, the UK's largest companies, including banks, will soon be paying an effective tax rate of 17 per cent - three per cent lower than small businesses, who are less able to exploit loopholes and therefore pay a headline rate of 20 per cent. As a result, the UK will soon have a regressive corporation tax regime, says the report.
The TUC has calculated that the banks' £19 billion double subsidy could pay for the following cuts between now and 2015:
switching the indexation of benefits from RPI to CPI (£5.84 billion);
housing benefit (£1.77 billion);
tax credits (£3.22 billion);
child benefit for higher rate taxpayers (£3 billion);
estimated cuts to the science research budget (£3 billion); and,
estimated cuts in HMRC resources to tackle tax avoidance (£2.1 billion).
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Banks caused the global financial crash and triggered the recession that produced the deficit. Yet not only did they take almost a trillion pounds from taxpayers to bail them out, they are now using the losses caused by their irresponsibility to cut their tax bills for years to come.
'The Government's bank levy is small change compared to this huge loss as the business-as-usual bonus levels show.
'It's double bubble for the banks, but huge cuts, job losses and VAT increases for ordinary families.
'Small firms have every right to be angry too. Not only are they finding it hard to get credit from the banks, soon they will be paying more tax on their profits than the banks and other big companies.'

Where are the jobs? Says UNISON

Detailed analysis by UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector trade union, shows that on average, there are more than 4* unemployed people for every advertised job vacancy in England, Scotland and Wales. London is one of the hardest hit regions, with more than 31 unemployed people for every job advertised in Hackney, and 18 for every vacant job in Lewisham.The union says that these figures spell danger for the economy and undermine hopes for a recovery. In the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) this week, the Chancellor is set to outline plans that could lead to 725,000** public sector workers in the UK losing their jobs. The knock on effect to the private sector will be huge. A recent report by PwC predicted that public spending cuts could see 500,000 private sector workers losing their jobs, and economic output falling by £46 billion.The analysis blows out of the water coalition claims that private sector growth will compensate for public sector job losses. Both sectors are being poisoned by the cuts, which will swell dole queues, and lead to mass, long-term unemployment. When large numbers of people stop spending, the economy as a whole suffers as demand plummets, and more people struggle to make ends meet on the dole. The threat of a double dip recession, and all the dangers that this entails, is looming large.The benefits bill for supporting these workers will run into billions - for public sector workers alone, increased benefits, and decreased tax payments could cost the Treasury £15 billion***. For private sector workers, the bill will add billions more.Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:“The coalition has got it wrong. By only having a strategy for cuts, it has no plans for growth and recovery. Their public spending cuts are poisoning the private sector and condemning the country to widespread, long-term unemployment and low growth. This means misery for millions of families and for taxpayer’s who will be left to pick up the long-term bill. “Even now, before the drastic spending cuts have hit home, there are not enough jobs to go around. On average, there are more than 4 unemployed people for every vacant job across the country.“No sector is safe from the Chancellor’s axe. Despite his claims, there will be no refuge in the private sector for the 725,000 public service workers who face losing their jobs. Private industry will be suffering too, with more than half a million jobs set to go because of the cuts.“These spending cuts are intrinsically unfair - they hit women hardest, and are deeply regressive. They deliver the biggest blow to those on low incomes, and least able to take it.“Make no mistake - these cuts are driven by ideology not necessity. The Chancellor does have a choice in his Comprehensive Spending Review next week - one that would make a real difference to our struggling economy.“Tens of billions**** could be saved without jobs being lost or services being cut, if the government cracked down on the tax avoiders and tax havens. Raising a Robin Hood Tax on the banks, making taxation fairer, or putting a stop to plans to replace Trident would save billions more, at the same time as safeguarding our recovery.“We must all fight the cuts for the sake of the economy and the future of Britain’s public and private sectors.

Health and safety myths put workers' lives at risk

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today warned that Lord Young’s review into health and safety failed to distinguish between the very real problems of health and safety at work and the “ambulance chasers” who try to make money from peoples’ misfortune.The union said that many of the proposals in the report had nothing to do with occupational health and safety. And, where they do relate to workplace health and safety, the more practical ones either already exist or are in the process of being developed. (e.g. online risk assessment tool, register of consultants etc). Hope Daley, UNISON’s Head of Health and Safety said:“Lord Young has missed the opportunity to tackle the myths circulated about occupational health and safety which is damaging to both employers and employees. Many of these myths have taken root because of the ambulance chasers who seek to make money out of peoples’ misfortune. This simple failure could turn back the clock on health and safety and increase the number of accidents and injury to workers. “Despite the review, Lord Young shows no awareness of the problems caused by occupational ill health and no real understanding of the level of injury or ill health in schools, classrooms or offices. Schools and offices have very high levels of stress related illness, and many people suffer from arm, back and neck injuries. Between them these are responsible for around three quarters of work related sickness absence. “This report is really only interested in freeing business from bureaucratic burdens and disregards the value of workers’ health and safety.”

Dismay at Hutton report on pensions

The government should increase employee pension
contributions immediately, raise the retirement
age of public sector workers and end their
final salary schemes over the longer term. These
are some of the recommendations of Lord Hutton
in his interim report on public sector pensions.
But Hutton insisted claims from employers and
right wing pressure groups of “gold-plated” pensions
were wide of the mark. The average public
sector pension is £7,800 a year, his report said.
Unions were unhappy with the former Labour
cabinet minister’s recommendations. TUC general
secretary Brendan Barber said: “Public servants
will be angered by the review’s call for them to pay
more for less generous pensions.
“Public sector workers are already facing job cuts,
a pay freeze and increased workloads as they are
expected to do more with less. They have already
had the value of their pensions cut by the switch
to CPI indexing, which will slice a little off their
pension every year.”
“But the precise details of what will happen are
as yet far from clear, and on important issues John
Hutton has firmly pushed the ball back into the
government’s court. These should be negotiated
with unions rather than imposed from above.”
In the final report, expected to be delivered in time
for the 2011 Budget, Hutton will consider a range of
alternatives to current final salary pension arrangements,
including a career-average scheme.
Hutton’s report also acknowledges that the overall
cost of "unfunded" public sector pensions, including
the civil service scheme, is expected to fall from
1.9% of GDP in 2010-11 to 1.4% of GDP by 2060.
According to the PCS civil service union, the affordability
of public sector pensions is illustrated
by the fact that the cost of tax relief on pension
contributions each year is much greater than the
net cost of public sector pensions. One quarter of
that tax relief — almost £10 billion a year — goes to
the 1% of the population who are paid more than
£150,000 a year.

www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/hutton_pensionsinterim_071010.pdf
www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-18609-f0.cfm
www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/index.cfm/id/5555B2EB-7139-
4784-A504437D73235883

UNISON warning over asbestos in schools

At a meeting with Lord Hill, schools minister, today (14 Oct) UNISON, the UK's leading public sector trade union, reiterated its call for urgent action on dangerous asbestos in schools.Estimates vary, but more than 14,000 schools in the UK are thought to contain asbestos*. Over time, and without proper management, the safety of asbestos declines, and dangerous levels have been recorded during daily events, such as when children slam classroom doors.The withdrawal of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) funds has condemned many teachers, children and support staff to learn and work in buildings riddled with asbestos for even longer.UNISON is also lending its support to Waltham Forest Council, who had BSF funding for four schools containing asbestos cancelled, and is seeking judicial review to challenge the decision.Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the UK's largest public sector union, said:"UNISON welcomes Lord Hill‚s recognition of the need to tackle this problem urgently. We look forward to working with him to getting to grips with the true extent of the problem, by playing our part in the joint working group due to start next month.“Put simply, there should be no place for asbestos in our schools. Children, staff and parents should have the right to know they are learning in a safe and healthy environment. But asbestos - especially without proper management - is anything but safe."It is vital that the Government recognises that asbestos in schools is a health hazard and that they should take urgent action to have it removed, and make sure it is properly managed. "With more schools being taken out of local authority control, UNISON is deeply concerned that standards of asbestos management - which are already seriously failing - will decline even further. Schools will not get the help they need to deal with this dangerous problem, and this will sadly lead only to a more children and staff losing their lives."The safety of students and staff should be paramount. Asbestos claims many lives every year, but it is often many years later that the consequences of exposure become clear. UNISON will continue to campaign hard to rid our schools of this hidden danger."Earlier this week, the joint-union campaign got a boost from the Chairman of the United Asbestos Training Association, who expressed serious concern over asbestos management in schools, including training for staff. UNISON and the other education unions will be launching a major survey of asbestos in schools in October.

Public spending cuts poisoning recovery, warns UNISON

UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union, has again called on the Government to “think again” about public spending cuts, for the sake of the whole economy. The call comes in the wake of a report from insolvency firm Begbies Traynor, showing that 50,000 private companies are at risk because of the cuts.Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:“The Government’s public spending cuts are poisoning the country’s chance of economic recovery. They are putting hundreds of thousands of jobs in the private sector at risk. The public and private sectors are inter-dependent and by hitting one you damage the other.“Today’s red flag warning, comes on top of a report yesterday from Pricewaterhouse Coopers, which put nearly a million jobs at risk. The Government cannot ignore the growing body of evidence that their spending cuts are deeply damaging to both the private and public sector.“Before it is too late the Government must re-think its obsession with cutting public spending. There are real alternatives. Clamping down on the tax dodgers, taking action on the tax havens, and getting the banks to pay their fair share towards the recovery by imposing a Robin Hood Tax would raise billions.”

Unemployment figures - UNISON response

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:“This is the false calm before the storm. Next week the Chancellor will lay the groundwork for adding 750,000 public sector workers to the dole queues. The knock on effects to the private sector will be huge. PwC predicts nearly a million jobs could be lost, and economic output will plummet by £46 billion.“The Chancellor must return to the drawing board. His plans will wreak havoc with the recovery and drag the country back into recession. Millions will be condemned to long term unemployment, there will be no private sector jobs for those who have lost their public sector jobs, both sectors will meet each other in the dole queues.“Huge numbers of people unemployed will be a huge drain on the public purse. Less people working means less tax being paid. Local economies too will miss out on vital spending going through their tills.“The consequences for society will be huge. The cuts will be deeply regressive, hitting women, the elderly and lone parents hardest. Young people will suffer, and the threat of a lost generation looms large.“It is a disgrace that the Chancellor is ploughing ahead with his damaging plans when there are real alternatives. Clamping down on the tax dodgers, taking action on the tax havens, and getting the banks to pay their fair share towards the recovery by imposing a Robin Hood Tax would raise billions”.

EHRC report - UNISON response

UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector trade union, today reiterated its call for action to tackle the persistent gender pay gap, after a new report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)*, revealed the extent of pay discrimination in Britain.The union also warned that fairness will nosedive as a result of public spending cuts, hitting women, ethnic minorities, and the disabled hard. Bronwyn McKenna, UNISON Director of Organising and Membership, said:“More than 40 years after laws were passed to protect women, it is a disgrace that mothers without qualifications can still expect a 58% loss of earnings over their lifetime.“Women need action to stamp out stubborn pay discrimination. Boosting transparency, having regular gender pay audits, and updating the law to make it easier for women to challenge their pay, would be giant leaps towards fairness.“But just as women need more protection, the coalition government is consulting on watering down existing equality rules. This would be a huge step backwards.“The state of fairness in the UK will nosedive as the affects of public spending cuts hit home. Women will bear the brunt of the cuts, as the main groups of people working in, and making use of, public services. Vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities and the disabled are also well represented in the public sector workforce, and will suffer as jobs and services they rely on disappear."UNISON is calling on the government to think again about its damaging hard and fast cuts plan, which not only threatens our economic recovery, but could turn back the clock on fairness in our society."*EHRC report ? How fair is Britain?

TUC calls for Robin Hood Taxes across Europe

Commenting on the publication today (Thursday) of a European Commission report on the future taxation of the financial sector, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'The Commission has responded to public pressure. This is a much more positive approach to financial transaction taxes (FTTs) than we have seen in the past.
'But European Commission support for a global FTT should not let the EU and member states off the hook of implementing their own transaction taxes.
'IMF research shows that not only is this perfectly feasible but that 16 G20 countries already have some form of FTT. European governments like France, Germany and Spain - and of course the UK - should over-rule the over-cautious Brussels bureaucrats.'
The Commission report is to be given to European finance ministers next week.

At The Guildhall

West Midlands UNISON Battle Bus At The Shirehall