Monklands petitioning

Great day at Monklands yesterday fellow workers, patients and visitors supporting our campaign to end the Pro£steering in NHS Lanarkshire. Over 500 names on our petitions and 200 individual letters to local politicians! SOLIDARITY AT WORK

East Kilbride News highlights issues in Hairmyres

Article from this week's East Kilbride news on ISS at Hairmyres bringing in cleaner's from Coventry to help clean hospital following a Healthcare Enviroment Inspectorate visit. This despite the fact that ISS have earned extra thousands of £££'s from the taxpayer through NHS Lanarkshire. This weeks EK News article here

Branch active and campaigning against the PFI pro£iteers in Hairmyres and Wishaw

We have had a great response from the staff and general public at our two stalls in Hairmyres on Tuesday and Wishaw General today, with over 1,000 signatures collected in support of our campaign.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our campaign so far, and to those who have already committed their support to the Branch.

Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for more campaigning and perhaps a sighting of a Fat Cat!

An easy way to contact your local politicians.

We have produced a put online a draft letter for you too use/adapt while writing to local politicians, which can be downloaded. Below you will find the same text and a link to send it to your local politicians MSPs, MPs and Councillors simply by imputing your postcode. Simples! Copy and paste the letter below and then visit this page .

Suggested letter

Dear

NHS LANARKSHIRE: HAIRMYRES AND WISHAW PFI CONTRACTS

I am writing as a constituent who has grave concerns surrounding the proposals of NHS Lanarkshire to extend the Soft Facilities Management (cleaning, portering, catering, and security) contracts with private contractors Serco at Wishaw General and ISS at Hairmyres Hospital.The NHS Lanarkshire Board requires to make this decision by the end of 2014.

It is my understanding that the Board intends to simply roll on the contracts with the existing Private providers, thereby continuing to pay taxpayers money to the shareholders of SERCO and ISS, for the provision of public services. UNISON and the other Health Unions and Professional Associations are campaigning to have the services brought back in house, and I as a constituent and service user support this view and would request your support to lobby the Board on this issue.

I firmly believe that staff employed in Wishaw General and Hairmyres should be employed by the NHS and not private companies who are in the NHS to bleed money from it. There is a real opportunity for NHS Lanarkshire to bring back in-house these services and ensure quality and public control of public money.

I look forward to hearing your view of this vitally important issue.

Yours sincerely

We would like to thank those friends and supporters who have already acted on this request. Please share widely and encourage others to do likewise remember PFIs bleed the NHS dry!

1% Pay Rise Delayed

The 1% pay rise awarded to over 155,000 NHS Scotland staff has been hit by further delays.

The pay rise was due to be paid in April but health workers will now have to wait until June for the extra money in their pay packets.

Although the pay rise will be backdated to April staff may have to wait even longer for back payments.

Willie Duffy, Head of Health for UNISON Scotland said: "Clearly this is unacceptable. We signed off a circular instructing health boards to implement the pay rise, three weeks ago.

"I was assured the pay rise would be in the May pay packet. Our members will be angry about this given that they have had the pay rise in England, the North of Ireland and Wales and we are still waiting."

"I am going to be writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Alex Neil, to express my anger at the way the whole process has been handled and the fact we were assured it would be paid in May. I will be asking for an explanation from him as to why it has not been."

UNISON calls for new devolved powers to create a Fairer Scotland

UNISON today launched a set of policy proposals calling for fresh powers, including pensions and income tax, to be devolved to Scotland.

The union’s ‘Fairer Scotland and devolution’ document opens up a debate which has so far focused on fiscal issues and argues that new devolved powers for the Scottish parliament are essential to create a Fairer Scotland and improve the lives of working people.

UNISON Scotland says a range of fresh powers should be devolved: public sector pensions, health and safety, labour market regulation and broadcasting – as well as stronger fiscal powers, including all of income tax revenue.

The focus for UNISON of decisions about which powers to devolve and which to leave at UK level is social change and the creation of a more equal society.

Lilian Macer, Convener of UNISON Scotland said: “Our union hasn’t made a decision about which option to back in the referendum - but we are intent on putting public services and the people who provide them at the centre of the debate.”

In common with much of the trade union movement, UNISON has not as yet taken a stance on the referendum itself. Instead the union has challenged all parties to the debate to explain how their preferred option will match UNISON’s priorities laid out in the previously published document ‘A Fairer Scotland’.

Today’s publication marks a development of longstanding UNISON principles in relation to devolving power to the lowest practical level, and includes devolution below the Scottish Parliament, with a stronger statutory footing for local authorities.

Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish Secretary said: “We have always been strong supporters of devolution - and supporters of strong devolution. As political campaigns and parties are discussing more powers for the Parliament we want to make sure we are part of this debate.

“Our concern isn’t with constitutional mechanics. Our aim is to create a fairer and more equal Scotland. The referendum debate so far has focused on fiscal matters. These fresh new powers which we are calling for should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament and used – along with the many existing powers it already has –  to improve the lives of working people.”  

PVG PAYMENTS SUCCESS

Below we re-produce the text of a letter received by UNISON's Scottish Health Committee regarding PVG payments. We are please that the new Scottish Health Minister, Alex Neil has listened to the concerns that UNISON and others organisations have had around the financial impact of passing on PVG payments to already hard pressed NHS staff and came to a sensible conclusion.

Mr Tom Waterson and

Mr Willie Duffy

Chair and Secretary of

Uhison Scotland Health Committee

Unison House

14 West Campbell Street

Glasgow

G2 6RX

Your ref: SHC/JG/WD/WK

Our ref: 2012/0036638

December 2012

The Scottish

Government

 

Thank you for your letter of 5 November about payment of the fee for membership of the

new Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.

I am aware that the issue of whether staff or employers will be responsible for payment of

this fee has been a particularly difficult one for STAC to resolve and that my predecessor,

Nicola Sturgeon, was approached for a view on the matter at the end of 2011. She

acknowledged that registration belongs to the individual and is transferrable and can

therefore be seen as analogous to a professional registration fee, for which a staff member

· would be liable themselves. However, she was also conscious of the need to protect the

lower paid and asked STAC to progress discussions on the basis that only those earning

over £21 ,000 would pay their own registration fee.

This led to further discussions but, unfortunately, no agreement has been reached. There is

no doubt that PVG registration is a transferrable benefit which can be used to facilitate

· employment with a different NHS employer, a local councilor a private service provider.

However, I acknowledge that the situation has moved on since 2011 and have listened

carefully to the points being made around this issue. I am particularly conscious of the

significant ongoing pressures hard working NHSScotland staff face on their take home pay

and have therefore written today to the Joint Chairs of STAC asking the Committee to

· discuss an approach which would see employers cover PVG registration fees for all staff.

I hope this is helpful in clarifying the position.

Alex Neil

THE SWINNEY TAX

John Swinney (SNP Finance Secretary) told the Scottish Parliament last week that the UK Government had confirmed its intention to increase public sector worker pension contributions in the coming year, as part of a move to increase contributions by an average of 3.2% per cent of pensionable pay by 2014-15.

The Scottish Government could choose not to impose the increases however it did impose them in 2012/13 and it is planning to do so again in 2013/14 and 2014/15. The additional contributions do not go towards pensions, they are simply a tax on public sector workers.

Dave Watson, UNISON Scotland Organiser said: “We agree that these pension changes are being driven by Westminster, but Scottish Government ministers could do something different on this if they wanted to – and they have decided not to.”

A special meeting of UNISON Scotland’s Health Committee will take place within the next two weeks to discuss further industrial action.

Updating the Scottish Council on the NHS pensions dispute in Scotland, Tom Waterson told delegates that it is now clear that it is the Scottish Government that is choosing to impose the pensions tax on health workers in Scotland.  Tom described the Scottish Government pensions tax as ‘The Swinney Tax’.

STRIKE AGAINST CUTS IN PAY, JOBS, SERVICES AND PENSIONS

UNISON’s Scottish Council has voted unanimously to step-up its campaign to defend pay, jobs, services and pensions by organising co-ordinated strike action at its meeting held on Saturday 1st December.

The motion approved by the Council stated:

‘This meeting notes that the political parties in the Scottish Parliament and local councils are making the overall level of cuts in public spending asked of them by the UK Government.’

‘Much of the UK Government’s policy programme is a direct or indirect attack on jobs, wages, pensions and services which UNISON can never agree to. The UK Government’s wider austerity measures, attacks on welfare benefits and overall management of the economy represent further attacks on working people and the most vulnerable in our society.’

DEFEND JOBS, WAGES, PENSIONS AND SERVICES

‘The trade union movement must now step-up its campaign to defend jobs, wages, pensions and services by organising co-ordinated strike action across all sectors of the economy.’

ONE-DAY STRIKE ACROSS SCOTLAND

‘This meeting therefore agrees that UNISON Scotland immediately take the necessary steps to promote with all STUC affiliated trade unions and other professional organisations the need for a co-ordinated industrial action strategy beginning with a one-day strike across Scotland, and to co-ordinate the strike with any action by trade unions at a UK level as appropriate.

No public cash for tax cheats

Tax dodging companies should not be allowed to bid for public contracts. That's one of the proposals UNISON Scotland has made for new procurement legislation. The Scottish Government's forth-coming Procurement Reform Bill is an opportunity to tackle tax dodging in innovative ways. It can also be used to extend the Living Wage to contractors, to strengthen labour rights and to contribute to climate change targets.

UNISON has pointed to examples in a number of European cities to show that it is possible to act against companies that use tax havens and other forms of tax dodging.

Scottish Organiser Dave Watson said: “It is entirely wrong that companies seeking to avoid paying their fair share of tax should be awarded public contracts.

“Public bodies in Scotland spend nearly £11 billion annually through procurement. This Bill offers ways to use that spending to deliver local social, economic and environmental benefits.

“We think this is an important opportunity to do what some European cities such as Helsinki and Paris are already doing, in acting against companies using tax havens.

“The Scottish Government should adopt a tax justice approach, finding ways, with appropriate legal advice, to bar companies involved in tax dodging from being eligible to bid.”

Recently public outrage has focused on companies like Google, Amazon and Starbucks paying miniscule amounts of tax. Many companies investing in PPP/PFI projects are registered in tax havens.

UNISON believes that community benefit clauses could be used to argue that the community will benefit from companies paying proper levels of taxes.

UNISON‟s response to the consultation said the Bill should promote workforce protections such as the two tier workforce provisions and compliance with the Equality Act and Freedom of Information rights must follow the public pound.

Match our vision for a Fairer Scotland – UNISON issues referendum challenge

Scotland’s largest union in public services today issued a challenge to campaigners in the independence referendum.

UNISON Scotland said both sides must answer questions about how their scheme will match the aspirations and vision of UNISON members.  

Tomorrow (Saturday) sees the formal launch in Glasgow of “For a Fairer Scotland” – a document which outlines the union’s priorities in the forthcoming debate on the constitution.

Alongside this, the union has framed questions that members will be encouraged to put to all those campaigning around the referendum in the coming months.

“For A Fairer Scotland” does not advocate support for either the “Yes” campaign or “Better Together”.  Instead it challenges those campaigns and others to show how their plans can match UNISON’s vision.

For a Fairer Scotland states:

“UNISON’s approach to constitutional questions is one that is driven by the interests of our members, by the sort of Scotland we want to, and deserve to, live in.  This means that for us precise constitutional arrangements are the end, not the starting point of the debate. We must first define the sort of Scotland we wish to see and then try and examine the likelihood of differing constitutional arrangements on offer to deliver on that vision.”

UNISON Scottish Secretary  Mike Kirby said:  “We are not interested in an argument about national identity.  It’s not where the power lies, but in whose interest that power is exercised that really matters. Today we have outlined our principles for a better, fairer Scotland. It is the task of others to show how their proposals match up to those principles.”

Lilian Macer, Scottish Convener, said: “What we are looking for is a willingness to tackle inequalities, poor health and deprivation. Doing that is social change. Unless it is explained how this is to be achieved, arguments for or against constitutional change mean very little.”

PENSIONS: Email now to Nicola Sturgeon MSP

Over the last few days we have been circulating postcards to members and non-members encouraging them to send a pre-printed postcard to the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon.

If you have not seen the postcards please take 5 minutes to send an electronic message with the same message.

Please use this link to send your message to Nicola

UNISON Health workers in Scotland reject Government attacks on their pensions and start a new wave of strikes

The first strike will take place today at the central decontamination unit of Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine. Picket lines are in force this morning and the strike will last for 48 hours.

Further selective coordinated strike action will take place on a regular rolling basis across Scotland and will target particular departments in each Health Board. Strike action is planned later this month in NHS Lothian, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde.

The strikes are intended to increase pressure on the Scottish Government for a Scottish solution to all aspects of the pensions changes. This includes this year’s increase to employee contributions of up to 2.4% - which is effectively a pensions tax on health workers.

Members are particularly angry because not one penny of the ‘pensions tax’ increase in contributions will go towards their pensions.

Mike Kirby, UNISON Scotland Secretary, said: “We do not accept that the Scottish Government has no option other than to follow the UK Government’s proposals. There is a separate scheme in Scotland and there are other options to fund the cost. These should be pursued in partnership.”

"We call on the Scottish Government to seek a Scottish solution, delay the pensions tax, and engage with us to find a negotiated settlement.”

You are encouraged to sign the following e-petitions which are on the HM Government website:

Public & Private Pension Increases - change from RPI to CPI : http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1535

Maintaining a Fair and Sustainable NHS Pension Scheme: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29071

More than 100,000 signatures may trigger a debate in the Westminster Parliament.

UNISON protesters lobby Health Minister as Scotland launches further industrial action on pensions

UNISON Scotland will on Monday 5 March launch a further round of industrial action on changed proposed to NHS pensions.

Ayrshire & Arran Health Board will be the first of several Boards in Scotland to receive notice for strike to take place in the week of 12th March. This will involve staff working in the Central Decontamination Unit at Ayrshire Central Hospital.

That facility is on Monday 5 March being officially opened by Cabinet Secretary Nicola Sturgeon. Protesters will make it known that UNISON’s 50,000 members in health expect a Scottish solution to all aspects of pensions changes including the year 1 increases to employee contributions of up to 2.4%.

Mike Kirby, Scottish Secretary of UNISON, said:

“Health workers in Scotland will be the major group to face the brunt of contributions increases which even the Scottish Government says are unwanted and unnecessary.

"Scottish Ministers should delay these changes to allow negotiations in NHS Scotland to find alternatives which don’t involve taking money out of Scottish health workers' pockets to give to the Treasury as a windfall tax.”

Tom Waterson, chair of UNISON Scotland's Health Committee said:

“We had hoped to bring the Scottish Government to the table to negotiate on the pension tax due to start in April 2012.

"It is not too late for further industrial action to be avoided, and for the pension tax increases to be delayed to allow a negotiated settlement.”