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Scotland inUNISON | Back issues | Current Issue
All out on 16 November
Rally 12.00 Odeon Cinema, Clerk St Edinburgh
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Scotland inUNISON | Back issues | Current Issue |
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All out on 16 November Rally 12.00 Odeon Cinema, Clerk St Edinburgh | |||||||
| * Who is on selective strike? | |||||||
| * When will the employers see sense? | * Threat to national bargaining structures | ||||||
| * About UNISONNews | |||||||
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THEY'RE STRIKING
FOR YOU - SUPPORT THEM! Rally 12.00 Odeon Cinema, Clerk St Edinburgh A rally on the November 16 strike day will be your chance to show your support for Edinburgh's selective strikers. Seventy-six Edinburgh members came out on indefinite strike on 1 November as the pay dispute with Scottish Councils went into its fourth month. Dougie Black, Edinburgh branch secretary and national negotiator said, "The employers must take notice of their staff's strength of feeling. They have underestimated it all along and it is now time to come forward with a decent offer. "As Scotland's capital, Edinburgh should be playing a key role in CoSLA. We urge councillors to play that role and exert pressure to come up with a better and fairer deal to avoid further disruption and to keep faith with their staff". John Stevenson, Branch Vice Chair, warned the employers against escalating the action. "We welcome statements from Edinburgh councillors that strikers will not be victimised, but we have already encountered management instructing other staff to to cover for strikers. "This can only lead to more strife and more people being forced out on strike. Instead of working away at wheezes to get round the action, the people of Edinburgh will expect the Council to put their efforts into seeking a sensible resolution to the dispute. "Of course the Council has to try to deliver services. The best way to do this is with fair treatment of the staff who deliver these services day in day out. "The employers accept our members have fallen behind on pay over the years, but the new offer (only 0.5% more).....
"They can afford a better deal and our members deserve it", added John. | ||||
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Employers try frighteners as pay action steps up Employers look like taking a harder line in a desperate attempt to stave off disruption caused by their failure to settle the pay dispute. CoSLA is writing to councils suggesting that they might like to write to members to 'advise' them of the dangers of the selective strike action. It is no surprise that the employers are trying to put pressure on strikers, and some of the letter may well be statements of fact. However, UNISON already knows that information put out by one one council is misleading and wrong. "We have examined the issues raised from a legal perspective and will raise challenges to a number of areas", said Local Government Organiser Joe Di Paola. The union has also written to all affected members putting the record straight. In particular, UNISON makes it clear that any statement claiming that strike action will mean broken service is legally incorrect. Service is NOT broken by the strike and strikers retain their previous service. Members on selective strike will have normal pay and pensions contributions covered by the union, so any threats in that area are covered. "Having lost the arguments, our employers are now reduced to threats and peddling misinformation to break our members resolve", said Dougie Black, UNISON negotiators Chair. "Instead of trying to put the frighteners on members, they would be better getting round the table and coming to a fair pay settlement". | ||||
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Who is on selective strike? Cash Collection Staff, Finance
Dept. Planning Reception Front Counter/Plan Store,
Property Management Corporate Secretarial Services,
City Development Directorate Building Support Staff,
Council HQ Building Support Staff,
City Chambers Licensing Section, Legal
Services District Court Admin Staff Security, Chesser House Housing Cash Collection Further staff have been
identified for a potential second phase of indefinite action. | ||||
Threat to national bargaining structures
As this bulletin goes out the employers are trying to decide whether to impose the pay offer.
This is partly because the GMB and T&G unions have broken ranks and said they want the offer to be paid.
"This is not surprising since they had already voted not to strike over the 2.5% offer. They are the minority unions and it has always been the case that any offer must be acceptable to the majority and that means UNISON", said Dougie Black, branch secretary.
In Edinburgh there are seven UNISON members for every member of the other unions.
The position of the T&G and GMB is hard to understand, given their action could undermine the whole pay bargaining system for local government.
That is based on a National Joint Council that agrees conditions between the unions and all the Councils. If there is no agreement there, there is no deal.
If any of the unions, or councils move away from that structure, it could open the door for local bargaining, pay wars between councils and a crisis for Single Status.
When will the employers see sense?
If you were a councillor, would you not be asking how your negotiators got you and your council into this mess?
How have they got you to a stage where your staff are on strike, the Civil Service has offered at least double to their staff and you can't come to a fair offer even with the extra money the Scottish Executive is giving you?
Why is the only way you can deal with the situation to make threatening noises and fail to get down to serious talks?
Perhaps it is time they started asking these questions. before it's too late.
About UNISONNews
The views expressed in UNISON News are not necessarily those of UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch or the union.
All articles/comments to John Stevenson, Communications Officer at 0131 220 5655
P&P by UNISON City of Edinburgh Local Government & Related Sectors Branch, 23 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EN