Motions AGM 2011
MOTION 1 - HONORARIA
In accordance with Branch Rule 12 (1V), Honoraria payments are
recommended to be paid as follows:-
Secretary £1,845
Assistant Secretary (2) £874 each
Treasurer £1,236
Auditor's Fees (2) £143 each
Proposed by Branch Committee
MOTION 2 - CUTS WILL AFFECT SERVICES AND
JOBS
This AGM is deeply concerned at the potential impact of the Council's
proposed budget cuts on the services our members provide. It believes
that cutting the public's services is not the right way to deal
with the debt and will in fact make things worse.
The AGM recognises that Aberdeenshire, like every Council has
been put in a very difficult position by the unfair and unjust
policies of the Government at Westminster and the knock on effects
for Scottish spending. However the proposals to cut 900 full time
equivalent jobs will have a very serious affect on our members
and will also have a significant impact on people's services.
The proposed cuts will hit some of our most vulnerable citizens
hardest, including the elderly and adults with disabilities, as
well as children with disabilities, many of whom seem set to lose
the support they need in school.
The AGM is also concerned at the likely impact of job losses
on those who will be left behind, under pressure to continue to
provide services with reduced staffing and resources; and at the
spectre of Trust Status for some services - a form of outsourcing
which has had the effect in other authorities of driving down
pay, terms and conditions.
The AGM calls on the branch to:-
1. Negotiate with the council to minimise the impact of cuts
to jobs and services.
2. Ensure the council follows its policies and support members
facing job loss and redeployment.
3. Encourage members to alert the branch to the impact of cuts
on their jobs and services.
4. Ensure that recruitment forms a part of everything we do and
support members to encourage their colleagues to join UNISON.
5. Monitor and collate the impact of the cuts on jobs, terms
and conditions and on services to the public and publicise this
wherever possible.
6. Take forward the key messages to members, the public, politicians
and the media that the cuts are unfair, unnecessary, will affect
everyone and will damage the economy; and promote the alternatives.
7. Work with local branches and across trade unions to highlight
the impact of the cuts locally.
Proposed by Branch Committee
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MOTION 3 - CUTS ARE UNNECESSARY AND UNFAIR
This AGM deplores the Westminster Government's attacks on public
services as a means of dealing with the deficit. It believes that
cutting public services is unnecessary and runs the risk of further
damaging the economy and creating a "double dip" recession.
Our economy depends on a healthy public sector and the private
sector depends on public sector contracts. Throwing more and more
people out of work will only make matters worse.
This AGM further agrees with the Institute for Fiscal Studies
that these cuts will hit the poor far more than the rich and will
increase inequality in the UK. The cuts are opposed by many expert
economists and are driven by right wing ideology rather than concern
for dealing with the financial crisis created by the banks. It
welcomes UNISON's campaigning against the cuts at Scottish and
UK level under the million voices and public works banners.
This AGM believes that there are better ways to deal with the
financial crisis - ways which will ensure that the rich and the
banks all play their part in the recovery. Dealing with tax avoidance
amongst the very wealthy would raise £33 billion and a one off
20% tax on the richest 10% would raise £800 billion. Furthermore,
a 0.05% tax on banks for all transactions not involving members
of the public would raise £30 billion.
Using these measures and maintaining and increasing employment
in both the public and the private sector will lead to higher
tax receipts and to economic growth, which will, in turn do much
to deal with the deficit.
This AGM calls on the branch to:-
1. Continue the work they have been doing to get the key messages
out to members and the public that the cuts are unfair, unnecessary
and will damage the economy; and to promote the alternatives.
2. Build alliances locally with other UNISON branches, trade
unions and community groups to oppose the cuts.
3. Lobby politicians about the impact of the cuts and for their
support to oppose cuts to public services.
4. Put forward a motion to UNISON's Delegate Conference calling
for UNISON to continue its high profile campaign against public
service cuts.
5. Build support amongst members locally for the National march
and rally on 26th March 2011 to ensure the best possible turn
out to give a clear message to the Westminster government that
savage spending cuts are unnecessary and unfair.
Proposed by Branch Committee
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MOTION 4 - STRENGTHENING THE UNION
This AGM recognises the importance of increasing our branch membership
so that we can have the biggest possible influence in negotiating
with the council and other employers to protect the jobs and conditions
of our members and in campaigning to defend the services our members
provide to the public. It believes that everyone has a role to
play in this process, from full-time staff, to Branch Officers,
to stewards and activists and to grass roots members.
We all have a shared interest in making sure that we can continue
to provide the citizens of Aberdeenshire with high quality services,
especially those who are most vulnerable. However to do this effectively,
there needs to be a well motivated, trained and committed workforce,
respected and valued for the work they do, adequately resourced
and appropriately paid, with good terms and conditions. A greater
level of membership will improve the branch's ability to negotiate
this on behalf of members and the more members involved in campaigning,
the greater clout we will have.
The AGM therefore agrees
1. That as well as supporting individual members through our
stewards network, the branch should have an organising and campaigning
focus, to get the key messages out there and involve the widest
possible membership in campaigning against threats to jobs and
services.
2. That the branch should maintain a focus on recruitment and
should continue to make that a part of everything we do.
3. That all members should be asked to take on a role to encourage
their colleagues to join UNISON.
4. That the branch should continue to develop its stewards',
equalities and contacts' network and provide support and training
to members interested in taking on these roles.
5. That the branch should develop a resource pack to support
members interested in developing their role in the union.
Proposed by Branch Committee
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MOTION 5 - RISING FUEL COSTS
This AGM notes with deep concern the extremely steep rise in
fuel costs since Jan 2011. Motorists have been hit with a double
whammy with an increase in fuel duty alongside the rise in VAT
to 20% The AA estimates that the two rises add 3.5p to a litre
of petrol and diesel. However, in rural Scotland, especially the
more remote areas, the increase is likely to be far higher, with
the cost of a litre of fuel costing £1.45 in some parts of Scotland.
64% of the price of every litre of fuel goes to the government
in tax and analysts are predicting that this trend of rising fuel
costs will continue with a further increase in fuel duty already
scheduled for April.
The AGM recognises that this has a very serious and increasing
impact on those of our members who are required to provide a car
for council business. This is of particular concern in rural areas
like Aberdeenshire, where employees have no alternative but to
use their cars, often to travel long distances, and where fuel
prices are often at their highest.
High fuel prices also disproportionately hit our low paid members
such as home carers, who need their cars to provide a service
to our most vulnerable citizens. Petrol and diesel costs eat into
their already low incomes and they can end up subsidising the
council.
This is further exacerbated by the knock on effects of high fuel
costs on energy bills and food. This is a particular problem for
those of us who work in Scotland, where mileage rates paid by
councils are no longer covered by a national agreement which includes
a calculation of motoring costs including fuel costs.
Aberdeenshire Council, under the Single Status agreement still
pays a small lump sum based on the number of miles travelled by
employees on council business in the preceding year. However,
the actual mileage payment is at the Inland Revenue rate of 40p
per mile, a rate which has not been reviewed for many years and
which takes no account at all of the steep increases in fuel prices
that we have seen since the rate was set in 2002.
The AGM welcomes the efforts of UNISON at UK level to campaign
for an increase in the Inland Revenue rate. However, as prices
again rise we believe that more needs to be done. The AGM therefore
calls on the branch to:-
1. Take all steps possible in negotiations with the council to
protect the lump sum paid to staff that use their cars on council
business.
2. Lobby local politicians to press the government to honour
its pre-election manifesto commitment and establish a fair fuel
regulator to ensure that when there are spikes in oil prices,
the fuel duty will go down.
3. Take a motion to Local Government Conference calling for
the Service Group Executive to redouble its efforts to press for
an increase in the Inland Revenue rate and to press the government
for a fair fuel regulator
Proposed: Kate Ramsden Seconded: Susan Kennedy.
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