Frustration as 16 month dispute boils over
Revenue and Benefits in ballot for action
Over a hundred Revenue and Benefits staff are being balloted on official strike action as a 16 month grading dispute comes to a head.
Members unanimously rejected a 'final offer' after long talks and the level of anger led to the ballot call.
"This dispute has been going on for 16 months and the membership now feel they have been left with no option but to pursue this course of action", said Kevin Duguid, one of the branch's Service Conditions Officers.
The dispute stems from the merger of the Finance Department Council Tax Benefits and the Housing Benefits functions in February 1998, and the grading that was attached to the posts.
The substantive grade of the new post was 'evaluated' at a lower level than the previous Housing Benefits Officer post despite a huge increase in duties.
The result is that there can be a 25% difference in what two people doing the same job are being paid.
The ballot is the only option after members exhausted procedures at local and national level.
TALKS have started as we go to press, but the union is pessimistic about any resolution at this stage. Collection sheets will go out if the action goes ahead.
Sell-off horror faces Garden Aid contract
Privatisation means six Garden Aid workers have to get out to the contractor's base in Linlithgow each morning, then get back to Edinburgh to cut the grass
As we went to press, angry UNISON convener George Lee was taking emergency action after horror stories emerged of attempts to change bonus, travel problems and undermining legally required transfer conditions
This is the Council's idea of efficiency in giving the contract to Premier 1 (Tree Services) Ltd after voluntary tendering. Staff transfers were whittled down from 18 to six as people found other jobs elsewhere in the Council.
"Legal advice was that, because Premier promised to honour conditions, the remaining six jobs had to transfer", said George.
"But we obviously had serious doubts and UNISON's legal team were standing by expecting attempts to cut conditions".
UNISON now understands the Council wants to sell-off schools and Social Work premises contracts
"We will fight against this, and for real 'best value', not services on the cheap at the expense of our members and the public", warned George.
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Branch backs living wage
Edinburgh branch members joined an estimated 20,000-30,000 marchers in Newcastle for the Campaign for a Living Wage event on April 10.
Taking over an hour to cross the Tyne Bridge, the march culminated in an afternoon of music and family entertainment at the Telewest Arena.
Inside the arena, in a concert costing just £3.00 (the minimum wage up to age 21) thousands enjoyed music from Ash, The Devine Comedy, Travis and Fungus.
"Whilst we are delighted that we have a minimum wage for the first time, after a 100-year battle to get it, the level is far, far too low," said UNISON general secretary, Rodney Bickerstaffe.
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At first Eileen Brunton found her management less than helpful when she had access problems in her workplace.
But when UNISON stepped in things began to moveThere should be no such word as can't
Social Worker Eileen Brunton became a victim of Multiple Sclerosis several years ago.
As the situation led to restrictions in her mobility, a wheelchair was increasingly needed to allow her to fulfil her duties.
Management's unhelpful response was to offer her "ill-health redeployment" which would have led to a substantial drop in salary and a move from the Social Work service, in which she has excellent qualifications and long experience.
Enter Irene Stout, UNISON Branch Equalities Officer.
"When Eileen contacted me, she was at the end of her tether. Management would not accept she was capable of doing the job she was trained for."
Irene's first action was to tell management they were in breach of the Disability Discrimination Act and they must meet their responsibilities to Eileen.
The matter was taken out of the hands of Eileen's line managers and the council's Special Needs Employment Team were brought into action.
After a priority assessment, the specialists accessed external funding and Eileen was very quickly delivered a state-of-the-art wheelchair.
Now she was mobile and looked forward to carrying out her duties in the hospital.
Happy ending? Not quite!Irene visited Eileen's workplace to see how she was getting on.
"I could not believe what I saw. Eileen could not get access to her support staff, the premises were riddled with steps and stairs which were not only restrictive but downright dangerous. Eileen could not even get through the front door without assistance".
Irene called for immediate action from management who were now beginning to learn the error of their ways.
As a result Eileen was relocated immediately, carrying out duties suitable to her Social Work background. She is now based in an environment which allows her to work on an equal basis with her colleagues and allows her to be independent.
The icing on the cake is her skills have been recognised by the council who now want Eileen to draft a response to a research document on infertility, a field she has specialised in.
Eileen said, "I was really lost when I contacted Irene Stout. Like most people I thought I could do it on my own but, until the union got involved, I was hitting a brick wall. Now I can get on with what I want to do, putting my knowledge and experience to play in helping others".
But despite the success, Irene warned, "There are so many people who do not contact the union when they have problems. They think things will be right in the end.
"I'm happy Eileen's situation has been resolved but I worry for those cases we don't hear about.
"With the resources available to help with access and other issues, there should be no such word as 'can't'".
Capital skills jobs slashed
Council cuts mean seven staff at the highly respected Capital Skills training centre (which tries to get the long term unemployed back into work) face redundancy if they cannot be redeployed.
The centre, plagued by management problems since 1996, had been subject to an unfinished review and also put out to Best Value, explains City Development convener Bob McCafferty.
A UNISON campaign has won a pledge that any rental from the current premises will be invested in a new scheme.
But there is still puzzlement at the Council's claim that the centre was too costly because the number of long term unemployed in Pilton, Muirhouse and Granton was shrinking - a surprise to the locals no doubt.
UNISON feels the cut makes a mockery of Best Value and the commitment to getting people back to work.
"It is a strange decision by a Council with a policy of social inclusion at a time when the city will see unprecedented construction activity, in much of which the Council is a major partner", added Bob.
Dispute as Blind School dodges payments
The branch has lodged a dispute on behalf of Royal Blind School members who are being forced to work weekends at flat pay with no enhanced rates.
"We lodged the dispute under the school's own procedures to try to get the employer round the table", said John Mulgrew, branch service conditions coordinator.
However, it looks like the employer is digging its heels in over this unfair treatment of staff and things could come to a crisis.
"Such is the anger among members that they have said they are willing to be balloted on action if needed", added John.
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Mailing review threat to conditions
So-called best value looks set to be delivered by cutting the conditions of low paid workers again.
A Council report on a new centralised mailing service would force shifts on staff, stop flexitime, stop contractual overtime, and even threaten downgrading.
UNISON has been fighting these plans for some time but despite our protests, and objections from management in other departments, Corporate Services are hell-bent on going ahead with the review.
UNISON negotiations are being led by Wattie Weir, service conditions convener and industrial action has not been ruled out.
The new system would take control of mailings away from individual departments into a centralised system - adding more pressure on staff who are already under considerable stress.
Free Young Scot EURO<26 card from UNISON
Edinburgh UNISON youth officer Cameron Day has launched a special deal for young members.
UNISON members aged 26 and under are entitled to FREE membership of Young Scot EURO<26, the largest and most popular discount card for young people in Scotland and across Europe.
The card offers discounts in over 200,000 outlets in 27 countries, as well as legal advice, up to date information and support.
But Cameron's role is much wider than just fringe benefits.
"I am the first ever Youth Officer in the branch and my role is to encourage young people to join UNISON and represent their views in the branch", explained Cameron.
Cameron has also been elected to the Scottish Young Members Committee and has prepared a report on the Youth Forum for the next UNISONNews.For details on how to get your Young Scot EURO<26 card, contact Cameron Day on 529 4842.
Branch wins tribunals
The branch is taking more and more industrial tribunals as managements take tougher positions - but UNISON is winning for members.
Many disputes are settled through 'out of court' settlements, with one winning £4,500 for a voluntary sector member recently, but deals are often subject to 'no publicity' clauses.
"Instead of all the expense and hassle of going to tribunals, employers would be far better getting down to proper industrial relations", said John Ross, APT&C convener.
Housing tries to 'hand pick' severances.
More people want to leave the Housing Department than the Council is prepared to let go.
This is the result of a restructuring which deleted 13 posts with a possible four redundancies, and put voluntary severance on offer.
"Management are trying to hand pick who will get severance, but UNISON is putting on maximum pressure to ensure fair selection", said John Mulgrew, service conditions co-ordinator.
Education steward Murray Forgie warns we are all targets after the racist and homopohobic London bombings
Fight prejudice and violence on our streets
Why do 'they' go on and on about racism and prejudice - live and let live is what I say!
If we're honest, I'm sure these sentiments are ones we've heard voiced and maybe even agreed with at some stage, but the horrific events over the last few weeks, with lethal nail bombs in crowded streets - in Black, Asian and Lesbian and Gay communities - bring home to us all just how fragile a 'tolerant' society Britain is, at the end of the 20th century.
Tolerance after all implies reluctant acceptance of something we don't really like, understand or approve of - and something which can be taken back!
The police, having warned some Black, Asian, Jewish and Lesbian and Gay community groups to be vigilant - prior to the last fatal bomb, destroying forever the lives of almost 80 men and women out for a quiet drink with friends on the May Day weekend and the 40 people out shopping in Brixton and Brick Lane; now, after the arrest of David Copeland, they are saying that it was one man acting alone, with no connection to the extreme, right wing groups that claimed "credit" after the three events!
No connection... Fascism and Nationalism, evils we'd thought had been banished from Europe half a century ago, are back to haunt us. Their spectres haunt us from Kosovo to Old Compton Street.
Whilst it was good to hear Jack Straw, Paul Condon and even the Archbishop of Canterbury using the same language, "condemning homophobia", it is the same church that condemns the notion of lesbian and gay relationships and seeks to ban lesbians and gay men from the clergy.
If it is unacceptable - and it is - for the Metropolitan Police to be "institutionally racist", how can it be acceptable for our whole State to be "institutionally homophobic?". Homophobia articulated all too often and most recently during the House of Lords debate on the age of consent; the dropping of homophobic violence from the scope of the "Police Bill"; the refusal to include same sex and non married couples in Pension schemes; the fact that "Section 28" remains on the statute books etc, etc, etc.
Does not this institutionalised homophobia give succour to bigots and crackpots?
Good must be made to come out of this evil, and the spontaneous cross-community demonstrations of solidarity must be harnessed and built upon. Pride and Scottish Pride in Edinburgh will be a focus for anti fascism and anti-racism like never before; UNISON, the STUC and Labour Movement are reaching out to excluded communities and organising events promoting mutual respect and solidarity, in new, diverse and inclusive ways. Never has 'an injury to one is an injury to all", all too graphically shown that the weapons of those who hate don't discriminate - we are all potential targets!To paraphrase Edmund Burke: "The only things necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good people do nothing!"
Scottish Pride in in Edinburgh on June 19th, National Pride is in London on July 3rd.
Kosovo Appeal
UNISON is backing the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) 12 charities appeal for Kosovo. Donations can be made by phone to 0870 6060900 or by post to DEC Kosovo Appeal PO Box 999, London EC4A 9AA, cheques made out to 'Kosovo Crisis Appeal'
Jubilee 2000
Edinburgh 12 June
UNISON is backing Jubilee 2000's human chain around the castle on 12 June, as part of a worldwide campaign for debt relief for the world's poorest countries. Phone 220 5294 for details of all the events.
On the negotiating Line...
Hours fight for residential and day care
The UNISON Scotland local government leadership is to set up a forum of branch delegates to kick off the campaign to harmonise the hours of residential and day care workers in Social Work.
The staff were left out of the Single Status deal and remain on different conditions with a longer working week than other white-collar staff
Central Emergency Services Review
The Council has agreed to UNISON lead negotiator John Mulgrew's call for it to delay the review of Central Emergency Services for full consultation with the union.
"Members anticipate major problems with the review. especially in the Emergency Social Work Service", said John.
ESWS stewards are preparing a full outline for the next UNISONNews.
Janitors accept new deal
After long negotiations, Janitors have voted by two to one in a ballot to accept a new improved conditions deal from 30 May.
The deal puts janitorial staff on APT&C conditions, consolidates earnings and gives a clearer career path.
UNISON will be monitoring the implementation closely.
Pay '99
UNISON has rejected the Scottish employers' offer of 3% in this year's pay talks.
As we go to press, the employers' are consulting and a further offer was expected at the end of May.
England and Wales members have accepted 3% but Scotland is striving for a better deal since the Scottish employers do not have the immediate costs of a reduced working week.
Any settlement is payable from 1 April.
Is the person next to you in UNISON?
UNISON's strength is its members. The more we have, the better we can represent you on pay, conditions, grievances, and disciplinaries.
Tell your colleagues about UNISON, about all the benefits, the legal help, the cheaper insurance, holidays and mortgages - after all, most people who don't join have just never been asked!
Phone 220 5655 for membership forms and check your payslip - are YOU still a member?
Free Internet with UNISON
Phone 0870 9009090 for your free unisonfree.net CD now. Quoting membership no.
UNISON is the first union to give free internet access to its members through unisonfree.net.
Free access, free email address, free web space to start your own site. It is for members only and you will need your membership number (contact 220 5655 if you've lost yours).
Working for equalities in UNISON
by Irene Stout, Equalities Officer
UNISON believes there are still groups in society who suffer discrimination whether they be women, black, disabled, lesbian or gay, society and/or the law creates barriers against real equality.
UNISON fights to achieve equality and believes it is important we involve all members. An important step is the network of self organised groups which provide forums for those who share similar discrimination.
This branch has active groups for women, disabled members, and lesbian and gay members. In the future we hope to establish a black members group.
Please fill in the survey below so that we can make sure we meet your needs.
Unfortunately the branch office is not accessible for people with restricted mobility, The Branch has pledged to find better premises but this is not easy given the current need for a city centre location.
Until this is resolved, the branch will ensure accessible premises are available where needed.
If you wish to discuss UNISON and its approach to equalities, please contact me on 0131 220 5655.
Click here for an online Equalities Survey
Jim Waller
The branch was saddened to hear of the death of Jim Waller last month.
Jim was a UNISON Senior Regional Officer who always maintained close contacts and friendship with the branch dating back to when he was the NUPE officer for Edinburgh No. 1 branch.
He will be sorely missed and the branch's condolences go to his family.
The branch sent a donation to the Chest, Heart and Stroke Foundation.
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