| UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch |
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AGM 2002 Agenda - Motions In line with practice since the inauguration of the branch, motions have been prioritised under the following headings. In addition, they are prioritised on whether they are urgent, instruct the branch to act on an issue within its remit, and need a branch meeting decision. Where there is no clear priority, motions are in the order in which they were received. Please note that this agenda goes to print before the Council Budget is announced. Accordingly, the Branch Committee may wish to present an emergency motion. Council Budget, Cuts and Redundancies (local)
EMERGENCY MOTIONS None yet submitted COUNCIL BUDGET, CUTS, REDUNDANCIES 1. Campaigning for Positively Public Services Proposed: John Stevenson (Social Work) John Ross (Housing) This Branch notes the widespread demoralisation of local government and voluntary sector staff due to continued attacks on public services and the pay and conditions of the workers who provide them. Yet it notes that a UNISON MORI poll shows people in Scotland value their services and 91% are opposed to the private sector running public services. This branch notes the success of its campaign to draw attention to the crisis in Childrens Services. It also notes that it has resulted in united calls to the Scottish Executive to provide more funding for councils. We resolve to take this strategy further to national level and locally by by developing well-researched critiques on all of the services we provide, to build and maintain public support. This Branch calls on the Council and the Government to abandon outdated privatisation and PFI schemes and to look at imaginative ways to modernise public services by giving them the public investment they need. Whilst we recognise industrial action may be needed to defend our members, we also need to lobby politically and in partnership with community and other organisations to address the policy issues that create the threats to jobs and services and the undermining of pay and conditions. We therefore resolve to to intensify the campaign for the themes of UNISON's ‘Positively Public' and ‘...for World Class Public Services' campaigns in Scotland.
2. Joint Futures Proposed: George Lee (Social Work) John Stevenson (Social Work) This meeting recognises the benefits of closer working between Local Government and Health Services but is concerned about the limited timescales for consultation on issues like a Human Resources statement of intent and a Developmental and Training Plan. This branch is concerned that:- 1. Indications suggest management structures will consist of Partnership Boards. This would create a democratic deficit with responsibility to the Scottish Executive rather than the communities they serve. 2. While welcoming the avoidance of duplication in service provision, we cannot ignore the potential for Job Loss and the implications for Service Conditions with staff transferring between agencies. We note discussions have started between local branches in Local Government and Health to ensure local negotiating teams are in place as soon as possible. We welcome the efforts of UNISON officers involved in the development of Human Resources proposals but consider it imperative a UNISON agenda for "Joint Futures” be drafted with the active involvement of those members who stand to be affected. A framework must be put in place forthwith to facilitate that involvement. This meeting requests Branch Officers initiate discussion processes with members who would potentially be affected by Joint Futures.
SERVICE CONDITIONS ISSUES 3. Redressing local government pay problems Proposed: John Stevenson (Social Work) John Ross (Housing) This Branch believes that the most recent pay campaigns have been unable to address the fundamental issue of Local Government pay falling behind other sectors of the economy. The recruitment and retention problems faced by many local authorities can only be addressed by a commitment from central government to adequate funding. We therefore must start consultation now on a pay strategy well before the end of the current settlement in 2004. Recognising that the problems are so severe that they are unlikely to be solved by the normal pay negotiations, this branch are-iterates its call for the Government at UK and Scottish level to set up a comprehensive review of local government pay to address the long term problems, recognising that respect for the users of public services is directly related to respect for those who deliver them.
4. Industrial Tribunals Proposed: John Ross (Housing) John Stevenson (Social Work) This meeting notes the growing number of issues which require to be taken to Employment Tribunals for resolution and recognises the skills required for representing members in such forums require to be developed through structured training programmes. We call upon UNISON Scottish Region to put in place as a matter of urgency suitable training programmes for those who represent members in Tribunals.
PENSIONS AND SUPERANNUATION 5. Discrimination in Pension Schemes Proposed: Irene Stout (Recreation) John Ross (Housing) This meeting welcomes the support of employer's bodies for amendments to the Local Government Pension Scheme to the purpose of removing/amending those regulations which discriminate against non-married partners. We note this matter now lies with the Government and that they have failed to progress the necessary changes to date as they are considering the financial implications of similarly amending other pension schemes. We call on the National Executive Committee to actively campaign for immediate positive action on this issue and to seek the support of the Affiliated Political Fund in raising this mater within the Labour Party.
HEALTH & SAFETY No Motions
UNISON SERVICES AND STRUCTURES 6. Nominations to other UNISON forums Proposed: Kevin Duguid (Finance) Douglas Linton (Finance) This Branch supports the principle of our representatives participating in the work of other forums in UNISON (eg Scottish and National organisations and Self Organised Groups). We recognise such participation can facilitate individual development of skills and assimilation of knowledge which can be of benefit to the branch and, similarly, our policies and initiatives can be taken forward to other parts of the organisation. Paramount to this principle is a recognition that there should be dual benefits for the branch and the organisation with accountability to both. This Branch resolves only to support nominations where there is clear evidence that the nominee plays an active role within the Branch.
7. Places at National Delegates Conference for All Self Organised Groups Proposed: David Hop (Social Work) Peter Sharma (Voluntary Sector) This branch fully supports self organisation within UNISON. As part of Fair Representation at Annual National Delegate Conference this branch supports the need for places for delegates from all the self organised groups within the branch, women gay/lesbian and black members. Therefore we call upon the branch committee to allocate places for all the self organised groups which are represented within the branch. We note that self organised groups all have their own conferences as well.
POLICY AND CAMPAIGNING 8. Ending Ringfencing of Local Government Finance Proposed: John Ross (Housing) John Stevenson (Social Work) This meeting views with concern the actions of the Scottish Executive which are leading to a growing percentage of Grant Assisted Expenditure (GAE) being ringfenced for initiatives determined by the Executive and not locally elected councils. This undermines the principles of local government where councils are elected on the basis of local manifestos rather than national issues. We note the intent to grant councils the power of wellbeing and the right to direct expenditure to new initiatives which councils consider to be of benefit to their local communities but consider such powers to be worthless without the power to determine all areas of expenditure without interference from the Executive. We call on the Scottish Executive to cease the practice of ringfencing and to put in place a financial framework which allows councils to determine their own priorities.
9. Campaigning for Public Services and Public Employees Proposed: Matthew Creighton (City Devt) Gavin Martin (Environmental & Consumer Services) We recognise that the principles which underpin public services are under threat at all levels, from the global (GATS) to the local (PPP). This means that the quality of services, their availability to all and the pay and conditions of the workers who provide them are all in question. In these circumstances the ability of our union to achieve success in negotiations for its members is underpinned by its ability to achieve influence and win arguments in the public and political arenas. Each relies on the other. Therefore we need to promote the campaigning role of our branches, activists and members. In each locality we aspire to the trade union movement, and our union in particular, to have a central role in forming and giving voice to public opinion on these matters. We believe that at any time there will be a need to be putting forward our views and policies on specific or general issues, so, to these ends, we agree to set up a Campaigns Working Group in the branch, accountable to the Branch Committee via P&F, which can co-ordinate campaigning activities and generate participation by activists and members.
10. GATS Proposed: Matthew Creighton (City Development) Kevin Duguid (Finance) This meeting recognises that the General Agreement on Trade in Services poses a major threat to public services. It expresses alarm at the support given by the UK governments to expand trade in public services; and at the decision of the WTO to speed up negotiations on GATS. It supports efforts by those governments which are seeking to ensure this process is required to show the effects and supposed benefits of liberalisation. We call on the UK government to state clearly that it will refuse to enter into or sign up to/support any agreement which obliges it to introduce liberalisation, free markets or privatisation on any public services; or to weaken its powers to regulate other industries. We call on the Scottish Executive and public authorities to give support to this position. We expect UNISON-linked MP's and MSP's to give active, vocal and public support to this policy. We expect all UNISON representatives to promote this policy in appropriate forums and not vote for any policy which does not protect public service from the threats in GATS. Our expectation in this respect includes APF representatives within the Labour Party. In doing the above we will lend support to and co-operate with the activities of the World Development Movement over GATS.
INTERNATIONAL No Motions MISCELLANEOUS 11. Missile Defence and Nuclear Disarmament Proposed: Matthew Creighton (City Development) Malcolm Bruce (Voluntary Sector) We recognise with alarm that we live in a world in which major powers, in particular the USA supported by the UK, are increasingly using force and military power to achieve their own ends rather than use negotiation, international law or any international institutions like the United Nations; and that actual military campaigns are ignoring the principles of international law like the Geneva Convention. We believe that in these circumstances the use of nuclear weapons becomes more likely. At the same time the USA is spending billions of dollars on increasing the scale and technological sophistication of its armouries. The USA's intention to develop and deploy National Missile Defence is the prime example. It will enhance both the capacity to use nuclear missiles as aggressive first strike weapons and the ability to deploy non-nuclear weapons throughout the world. We note that the use of facilities in the UK is central to NMD. This would set up our country as a target in an increasingly dangerous world. We believe that if a British government were to allow this it would be betraying the security of its peoples as well as the cause of global peace and security. We reiterate our opposition to all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, and our belief that the UK should disarm itself of them unilaterally and devote its energies to the cause of nuclear non-proliferation. We unequivocally oppose National Missile Defence (NMD) and call on the government to give a commitment that it will not support it nor allow British facilities to be used for it. We expect UNISON-linked MP's and MSP's to give active, vocal and public support to this policy. We expect all UNISON representatives to promote this policy in appropriate forums and not vote for any policy on defence or international relations which differs from it. Our expectation in this respect includes APF representatives within the Labour Party.
P&P by UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch, 23 George IV Bridge,
Edinburgh EH1 1EN, tel E-mail branchoffice@unison-edinburgh.org.uk
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