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

Fighting fund to beat the cuts

UNISON will set up a special fighting fund to campaign and organise against the coalition government's cuts agenda, the national executive council agreed today.General secretary Dave Prentis said: "This is the biggest challenge our union has faced."The government has made a political choice to take a sledgehammer to our public services and to slash spending. UNISON is determined to show that there is an alternative to this vicious cuts agenda."It is not just a question of public service workers – just as many private sector jobs are at risk, and every single family will be affected by cuts to our vital local services."But this is our core work – it is the reason our union is here: to defend our members; to organise and to campaign for public services. This fighting fund will support our local branches and regions in the campaign over the next five years."The NEC heard a wide ranging report on the campaigning, organising and mobilising work the union has carried out over the summer under the Million Voices for Public Services banner.This included political interventions at the party conferences and in local elections; providing a range of communications and campaign support tools for local activists; mobilising campaign activity around the regions to support the ETUC day of action and gearing up for the TUC lobby and rally of Parliament on 19 October, the eve of the coalition government’s comprehensive spending review announcement.During autumn, the union will build a series of local campaigns across the UK that inspire and engage activists and members in alliance with PCS and other unions, service users and community groups leading up to the TUC national demonstration in March 2011 and the elections in May.The executive also heard that:
UNISON is recruiting well, with this year showing the strongest August recruitment rate for seven years;
with inflation running at up 5%, members are increasingly facing a real-terms pay cut as employers seek to impose pay freezes. Negotiation and organising around pay is continuing in all sectors;
UNISON has launched a major campaign against government proposals to restructure the NHS and has sought a judicial review;
equal pay continues to be a major issue for the union. An increasing number of settlements are being agreed with employers and a number of long-running cases are due to settle in the near future;
the presidential charity for the year will be a Make a Child Smile scheme, which is administered by UNISON Welfare. Regions and branches will be encouraged to raise funds to take children from disadvantaged families on days out to give them a day to remember;
the NEC agreed to send best wishes to Swindon local government branch, which is taking industrial action against employer proposals remove unsocial hours payments.

David Cameron's speech - UNISON response

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:“David Cameron is attempting to rewrite history. His party bitterly opposed the recovery package devised by Labour and followed by governments throughout the world. He is turning his firepower onto public services to pay for that crisis, and jeopardizing the recovery in the process.“There has been no more flesh on the bones of the Big Society idea, it is still the big cop out.”

Hutton response - UNISON response

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “Our key priority is to make sure that our members’ pension schemes, that they pay into all their working lives, remain sustainable and affordable and that there is no damaging race to the bottom. We will seek to maintain, using all means possible, the agreements reached two years ago to make our public service schemes sustainable and also protect existing members of the scheme.“This is an interim report, and UNISON will continue making the case for public sector pensions throughout the course of the review. “It is only right that the report recognises that public sector pensions are not gold-plated. We are pleased that Hutton recommends keeping a defined benefit scheme, but we are adamant that the final salary scheme should be retained.“There is a real danger that taking a career average to calculate pensions will see the low paid getting less in their retirement – especially as the government has switched from using the RPI to using the CPI to calculate pensions. “Public sector workers already pay a sizeable amount into their pension schemes year in, year out. Many of our members would struggle to pay more. Council workers, including home carers, librarians, social workers and dinner ladies, pay in 6.4% of their wages, while NHS workers pay an average of 6.6%. “Plans to make public sector staff work until they drop will hit the low paid hard. For many public sector staff, working longer is not an option. Many nurses, home carers, paramedics and refuse collectors are already forced into early retirement because of the physical nature of their jobs, and the damage it does to their health. “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, forcing taxpayers into picking up a massive long-term benefits bill.”

Osborne speech - UNISON reaction

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, reacting to Chancellor George Osborne’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference, said:“The Chancellor’s fine words about all being in this together are not being matched by action. He was clearly setting the scene for the huge cuts in public spending to pay for the banks’ failure that he will announce in the comprehensive spending review. It’s nonsense to claim that draining our schools and hospitals of funds will liberate them.“He talks of fairness, but all his announcements are about capping and cutting benefits. And his rhetoric, about asking the richest to pay their fair share, rings hollow because he fails to spell out either how he will do that or what that “fair share” means.“He may have made the right noises for his own Party conference, and played to petty ignorance about people on benefit, but the British people will take no comfort from this speech and have reason to fear what is round the corner. “Public spending cuts will hit the poor, the sick and the vulnerable and will have a devastating impact on local economies and local small businesses that rely on the public sector for survival.”

Date set for UNISON NHS legal hearing

A legal hearing into the merits of, and permission for, a judicial review, will be heard on 13-14 of October, 2010, following an application made by UNISON, the UK's biggest union for health workers.UNISON lodged an application for judicial review against the Secretary of State for Health, over the lack of public consultation on the NHS White Paper - Equity and Excellence:Liberating the NHS.Karen Jennings, UNISON head of health, said:"UNISON believes we have a very strong case, and we look forward to putting our evidence before the court."The government's white paper outlines the biggest overhaul of the health service in its history. The government cannot just bulldoze ahead with sweeping changes to the NHS without asking people what they think - this public right to consultation is enshrined in law."

UNISON General secretary's speech to conference

Speaking to delegates at Labour Party Conference today (27 September), UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:“On 6th May our whole world changed. Last Saturday we elected our new leader, and today we begin the task of defending all that we hold dear. Our public services facing an attack, the like of which we’ve never seen. A dishonest coalition of vandals, bent on destruction. Using the financial crisis to plunder our welfare state - take a chainsaw to our public services.“Planning cuts on an unimaginable scale, our National Health Service, our schools system broken up. Local government to be handed over to powerful contractors. Big corporations cream off the profitable parts while vulnerable users and communities, the poor, left to fend for themselves.“And everything they do, justified by a tissue of lies: they’re saying it was labour’s over-spending that caused the deficit, they’re saying labour wasted money on public sector non-jobs featherbedded public sector workers. Gold-plated pensions. They’re setting private sector workers against public sector workers.“We have to challenge those lies. The truth is this isn’t about public versus private. It’s about haves against have-nots. The truth is it was public spending that prevented us falling into a deeper depression. The truth is it is this coalition’s cuts that will throw whole regions, and maybe the whole economy, back into recession.“And if you want to talk about ‘non-jobs’, instead of slandering NHS staff, teaching assistants, and community workers, what about the casino bankers? What about the hedge fund gamblers? What did they do to protect our country? What did they do to deserve the bonuses and bailouts they’ve had?“It is they who should be doing more for less. More for their country, less for themselves. Conference, we should be proud of our record, proud of the improvements made to public services. Yes, proud of the valuable jobs we created.“But we didn’t get everything right. We were at our best when we worked together. Social partnership, in schools, hospitals and many local authorities, delivered huge gains. But too often this was drowned out by the argument. Too many top-down reorganisations, wasting resources and sapping morale. “Why was it so hard to get our labour government to understand, that our members’ concerns about privatisation weren’t about dogma; they weren’t about resistance to change. We had a problem with privatisation, because we saw what it meant on the frontline: on hospital corridors, in school kitchens, in care homes, it means poverty pay and punishing hours, it means casualisation and understaffing, it means corners cut on training and investment and our members know it means a bad deal for the public.“We sent mixed messages about public services - ‘any willing provider’, PFI, privatising care services, eroding Labour’s support. If Labour seemed to have no faith in our own public services it’s little wonder that the wider public became confused.“That’s why we want to work with Ed to forge a new shared agenda for better public services. And we want to work with labour councillors to find alternatives to cut-price privatisation. Engaging and developing in-house staff to deliver more efficient and responsive services to the public. And it’s why we need to be clear in our opposition to this coalition’s attempt to tear down all that we have achieved.“It doesn’t mean being in favour of waste, or always defending the status quo. But the public need to know which side off the street we are on. They should be in no doubt that labour is on the side of ordinary families who want a national health service they can rely on, a good local school for their children, proper care for their older relatives.“Conference, we know this country faces tough choices but that means getting tough with those who have had it easy. So let’s ask those who can afford it to pay their share. Let’s see real action to stop the tax evasion and avoidance by the rich and let’s have a Robin Hood tax on the banks, to pay for the damage they’ve done. “Fairness is what our people are crying out for. Together we must show there is an alternative we must work with labour councillors to protect services and communities. No support for those who privatise. We must work to kick the Tories and Liberal Democrats out of councils next may. We must work with Ed to win back this country.“Trade unions and Labour, standing together. One movement standing up for the fairer Britain our people are crying out for. David Cameron, your honeymoon is over, Labour is back.”

Social workers send out SOS - Give us new contract so we can practice safely

Stressed out social workers are today sending out an SOS to MPs and the public to back their campaign for a new contract for social workers. The contract has been drawn up after UNISON, the UK's biggest public sector union, and leading social work journal Community Care, joined forces in support of social workers. Alarming new evidence about the effects of spiraling caseloads on social workers and their clients prompted the union and the magazine to act. Social workers want the government and their employers to sign up to the contract because they cannot practice safely if they can't give enough time and attention to the people who need their help.Recent research* by both UNISON and Community Care revealed a bad situation getting worse. Social workers are struggling to keep track of the rising numbers of cases. They are bogged down by too much bureaucracy and don't have workable IT and admin back-up. As part of the campaign, UNISON and Community Care will be launching an E-petition while social workers will be sending the contract to their local MPs to get their support, and using social media to get the message out to as many people as possible. Helga Pile, UNISON national officer for social workers, said: "Children at risk, young people in care, frail older people, mental health patients, and the terminally ill are just some of the people who suffer when social workers don't have time to deal with their cases properly. Leaving people's needs to escalate, costs more in the long run and can lead to terrible tragedies."We're taking this campaign out there because social workers want the government and their employers to provide the minimum conditions for safe practice. A manageable caseload, the right to have their professional concerns heard and acted upon, the right to a minimum level of professional supervision and to keep their skills up-to-date - these are basic requirements that social workers should be able to expect. They know better than anyone how badly things can go wrong when workloads spiral out of control."SOS - the contract social workers needIn order to practice safely, and effectively, social workers should have a new contract with the government and with employers, that gives them: 1. The right to a manageable workload with a reasonable number and mix of cases. In high risk areas like child protection, mental health and older people's teams, we believe the Government should publish a recognised benchmark that practitioners can use to raise the alarm when caseloads are becoming too high.2. The right to have time off or get paid to compensate when excess hours are worked. 3. The right to raise professional concerns when workloads become unmanageable to the highest level of their organisation, for example to an elected member, board member or trustee. 4. The right to a minimum of monthly professional supervision from a qualified social worker of at least one and a half hours and more frequently for newly qualified social workers. 5. The right to 10% of working time to be available for continuing professional development and related activities like reflective practice, mentoring colleagues, supporting students and peer support.6. The right to a functioning IT system and adequate administrative support so that social workers can use their time on activity that requires their expertise.7. The right to safe working practices, which address the high risks social workers are exposed to from lone working, threats and attacks.8. The right for support to deal with stress and traumatic cases.9. The right to management training and realistic limits on the numbers of social workers any one manager is expected to supervise.10. The right to a clear definition of respective roles between assistant practitioners and qualified social workers so that there is clarity about who is responsible for cases* Research by UNISON and Community Care has found that caseloads are rising. A recent poll of over 600 readers found that more than four-fifths (82%) said their caseload has increased over the past year. 90% of social workers said high caseloads were getting in the way of them practising good social work. In another poll, three-quarters of members said the time they had to spend with each client was not sufficient to meet their needs. OFSTED's national social work practitioner survey from July 2010 painted a similar picture.The serious case review into the death of Khyra Ishaq uncovered the fact that her social worker had 50 allocated cases.UNISON is the biggest union representing social workers, with more than 40,000 social worker members. Community Care is the leading print and on-line publication read by social work practitioners.

Labour Leader - UNISON Response

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, has welcomed the election of Ed Miliband as Leader of the Labour Party, announced in Manchester today. He said:“Congratulations to Ed on being elected leader of the Labour Party. UNISON backed Ed Miliband because of the way he listened and understood the needs of ordinary working people. We look forward to working together to challenge the coalition government and its regressive cuts agenda. “Under Ed’s leadership, Labour must offer an alternative economic strategy, promoting growth and recovery, together with fairness. This means protecting the poor, the sick and the vulnerable from the fall-out of this banker’s recession. “Protecting public services, and defending them against sweeping privatisation, must be central to this vision of a fairer society. “As a priority, Ed must re-connect with Labour’s lost voters, including public sector workers, many of whom have been turned off in the past because they believed that Labour had deserted them.”

UNISON warns government that threats to axe school body could lead to strike action

UNISON will be consulting members on industrial action and demanding the government carry out an Equality Impact Assessment over leaked threats to axe the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB).The UK’s largest public sector union is outraged at the possible removal of the body, which took years to set up. The body was designed to bring fairness and consistency to the pay of half a million workers in English schools, including teaching assistants, special needs staff, nursery nurses, school secretaries, caretakers, technicians and dinner ladies.Christina McAnea, UNISON’s Head of Education and lead negotiator, said: “This displays the utter contempt this coalition government has for low paid workers, trade unions and in particular for the staff in schools delivering essential education services. We have been asking them since May to talk to us about this. "They say publicly they want to maintain an education partnership with all the unions representing school staff, yet we hear this news through the media. "School support staff are predominantly low paid women who are committed and passionate about their job and this government demonstrates their utter contempt for them by refusing to even meet the unions to discuss this. “If these threats become a reality UNISON will consult its members on industrial action and demand that the government carry out an Equality Impact Assessment. “This news comes on top of a pay freeze this year, which the government wants to see imposed for a further 2 years. George Osborne and Danny Alexander make much of their pledge that those earning under £21,000 will get a flat rate increase of £250 for each year of the pay freeze, but this is nothing less than an outright lie as they will not guarantee this for school staff. If school staff aren’t public sector workers I don’t know who is. “Local Authorities are facing equal pay claims of hundreds of million pounds from school staff and the SSSNB was set up to help bring fairness and consistency as well as local flexibility into pay in schools. Now they face years and huge expense battling this out in courts.”

Ken Livingstone Labour Mayoral Candidate - UNISON reaction

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, today welcomed the selection of Ken Livingstone as Labour’s London Mayoral candidate for 2012. He said:“UNISON backed Ken for Mayor and I am delighted he has been selected to challenge Boris Johnson in the return match in 2012.“Ken has a great record in defending public services and improving the pay and living standards of low paid workers and we look forward to working with him. Ken’s drive and commitment to London and Londoners will be needed in the economic challenges that face the capital in the coming years.”

Lib Dems ditch the poor along with election promises

Speaking at a TUC protest rally at Salthouse Dock in Liverpool during the Liberal Democrats Conference, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest public service union, will say:“Who can trust the Liberal Democrats now? They have ditched the poor, the elderly and the vulnerable along with their election promises. Their thirst for power has led them to sell-out their own supporters.“They must face up to the responsibility, that their assaults on public sector workers, will see hundreds and thousands of people out of a job. The impact of those cuts on local people who rely on those services will be devastating.“Here is Liverpool, 36% people employed in the pubic sector, relying on those jobs to keep their families off the poverty line.“And we don’t swallow the myth that the private sector are there, ready and willing to pick up the slack. That they will be able to create jobs for all those people losing them. The opposite is true.“We know that the jobs of hundreds and thousands of private sector jobs hang by a thread, because they rely on the public sector.“They rely on the spending power of council workers in their local shops, hairdressers local cafes and restaurants. As councils up and down the country cut jobs, we will see our high street shops empty and boarded up. Local shop keepers losing a lifetimes work and the dream of running their own shop. Their life savings gone.“And what about local businesses with council or hospital contracts – everything from paper and pens to food, computers, hospital beds and equipment? Those jobs will be seriously hit by the Lib Dem cuts to the public sector. Another dream hitting the Lib Dem wall.“But the Lib Dems – just like their friends the Tories – have the blinkers on and will not look at the alternatives. They are risking a double dip recession because they would rather cut jobs than deal with the tax dodgers and the fat cat bankers still raking in their bonuses.“They would rather cut benefits to the poor than ask the rich to pay 50% tax on earnings over £100,000.“They would rather spend time hunting down every penny over-paid in child tax credit, than go looking for the billions hidden away in a tax haven somewhere.“And yes, we should have a Robin Hood tax – a tax on banking transactions that would raise as much as £30bn a year – so that those who got this country into a mess – help pay to get it out.“That is why we must unite to fight these cuts. In every village, town, city across the country - unions must help bring together those fighting for their communities and the services that the poorest, the elderly and most vulnerable rely on.”

Labour Leadership ballot UNISON is supporting

ED Miliband

Please make sure you use your vote and make Ed Miliband your first choice please remember to put the figure 1 not a x

Pay freeze causing untold misery

Commenting on statistics showing that take home pay has increased by 1.3% - well below the level of inflation - Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON the UK’s largest public service union, said:“The squeeze on pay is adding to the country’s economic woes with consumer spending power and confidence plummeting. Increasingly we see empty and boarded up shops littering the nation’s high streets.“The pitiful 1.3% pay increase across the economy is bad enough, but for more than a million local government workers their pay is completely frozen this year. With inflation at 3.1% and with the increase in VAT and national insurance kicking in next March, the picture looks bleak.“Public sector workers face a further 2 year pay freeze which will cause untold hardship to working families. Unless this Government starts to think about the damage that a pay freeze will cause, we will see more hard working people losing their homes and falling into impossible levels of debt.”

UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union,

Attacked the Taxpayer’s Alliance (TPA) for wasting millions of pounds of public money, by demanding answers from public bodies to spurious questions. The attack follows their latest line of questioning on union facility time to 1,200 public organisations. The union calculates answering would have cost taxpayers at least a million pounds as well as taking up valuable time and resources – equivalent to more than 100 nursery nurses, teaching assistants or home carers or 50 nurses or social workers.Far from costing taxpayers money, trade union involvement has a very positive impact on the workplace. Research commissioned by the Department for Business in 2007 suggested that effective and engaged union representation saves the public purse between £170m and £400m a year by improving retention, training take-up, health and safety, and dispute resolution; and as much as £3.6bn a year through general productivity gains.Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:“The Taxpayer’s Alliance is digging up another tired old chestnut. Taxpayers expect their money to be spent providing services, not answering spurious questions from the TPA to prop up their own political interests“Attacking trade unions who work with employers to create an efficient, more motivated workplace is just plain daft. The TPA is not working for the taxpayer. The reality is they are Conservative funded and are costing taxpayers millions of pounds, and tying up valuable management time, for their own ends.“There are more than 6m public sector workers and all these staff have the right to be represented. If trade union stewards are going to represent staff properly, they need time away from their usual jobs to do it. What’s more, collective bargaining saves cash. If councils or the NHS had to negotiate individually with all their staff, they would be forced to spend a fortune on consultants or mediators. “Public services are facing savage cut backs and workers have a right to have their voices heard and rightly expect their union reps to be there to help them when they need them most. “Far from causing industrial strife, paid facility time has contributed to the lowest levels of strikes on record. In short - trade union facility time makes good business sense. The TPA question makes no sense.”

Use your vote on June 4th

(1/6/09) This Thursday, every union member will be given the chance to stop the BNP and the politics of hate by voting in the European elections."We love Britain precisely because of its tolerance and diversity," said UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis."The British National Party and its allies are a threat to everything that makes us proud of this country we love," he warned.
UNISON branch members set up a sign up board to keep out the BNP in Chard, Somerset.The BNP's record is clear: its 2001 manifesto wanted mixed race relationships to be outlawed and for any black person who commits a crime to be thrown out of the country, even those who were born here. Nick Griffin, the leader of the BNP, was found guilty of inciting racial hatred in 1998. He denies that the Holocaust ever took place and believes that Jews are conspiring against white British people. Griffin has previously described the BNP as "a strong, disciplined organisation with the ability to back up its slogan 'Defend Rights for Whites' with well-directed boots and fists. When the crunch comes, power is the product of force and will, not of rational debate."The BNP is working hard to conceal its extremism because it knows that people in Britain totally reject the politics of racism and hatred. But a vote for the BNP is a vote against everything that makes this country great, said Mr Prentis."We are determined to vote on 4 June: please join us in voting for a great Britain."Use your vote on June 4