| UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch |
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1 January 2003 UNISON calls on the City of Edinburgh Council to 'Give us the tools to deliver services in 2003'Edinburgh must rebuild staff morale and give its staff the resources to deliver Council services in 2003, says the Edinburgh UNISON branch in its New Year message today. "When it is so hard to recruit staff, especially social workers, the Council must shed the 'penny pinching' reputation of its human resources policies and take urgent action to attract and keep skilled and dedicated staff", said John Stevenson, Secretary of the UNISON branch representing the majority of Edinburgh's Council workers. "Staff like social workers, school staff and workers maintaining the city's infrastructure have gone through huge changes in recent years. They have seen work expectations increase while having to haggle over long-standing conditions. They have faced the uncertainties of the Private Finance Initiative and the unnecessary transfer of some of the lowest paid staff. "The loss of car allowances, especially for Social Workers and Occupational Therapists, has led to them feeling undervalued at a time when the service is creaking due to lack of resources. We appreciate the Council's response in trying to address social work recruitment across Scotland but it is now time for that partnership to be reflected across Council services. "That must start by the Council delivering its part of the 2000 pay deal. Three years on, it has yet to deliver on its side of the bargain to review all jobs. For many staff this means they have accepted the losses, while the Council has failed to deliver on the rewards", said Mr Stevenson. "Our plea for 2003 is a period of stability, respect and recognition for staff to give them the tools to deliver Edinburgh's services. And when we are celebrating at this time of year, we should remember the hundreds of staff who are looking after children and older people, doing the jobs that allow Edinburgh's Hogmanay to happen and ensuring public safety 24 hours a day". ENDS For Further Information Please Contact: |
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