 |
 |
|||||||||||||||
|
The branch is holding a Rally in the British Legion, Inverurie, from 10.30 till 11.30am. Speakers will include John Keggie, Scottish Organiser UNISON, Bob Revie, Aberdeenshire Branch Secretary and Alison Law, Home Carer and one of our lower paid members. Any members from other parts of Aberdeenshire who would like to attend but need transport should contact Lynne at the Resource Centre on 01224 620624 or email l.duncan Branch members will be picketing their workplaces at Woodhill House, Gordon House, and North Street, Inverurie. If you want to picket your place of work, contact the branch resource centre on 01224 620624 for armbands, leaflets and advice. Inez Teece, Asst Secretary is organising pickets in Stonehaven. If you would like to be involved contact Inez on 01224 620624 or email inez.teece Alison Law said "Local government workers are amongst the lowest paid in the public sector. At the lowest level in Aberdeenshire, staff on the current hourly rate of £6.74 stand to gain the princely sum of 51p after three years. For part-time workers this is less than £10 per week. The way things are going, even that miserly amount will be wiped out by inflation in three years time. Three-quarters of the workforce are women, but there's a 40% gap between part-time women's and full-time men's hourly pay."
Join the action and make your voice heard! Before 20 August
On 20 August
Go ahead for strike action A special meeting of the branch committee was held on Monday 11th August. Branch officers, local government stewards and contacts all attended. This meeting planned out the branch strike action plan. "Taking strike action is never an easy decision for members of this union. We prefer to do what we do best - provide quality services for the public. But having won a 'yes' vote for action, it is now up to the union at all levels to deliver," said Kate Ramsden, Branch Chair. A Call for Action letter will be direct mailed to every member on or about 8 August encouraging them to take action. Notice of Action letters to the employers will be sent out also on the 8th August. "There is still time for the employers to come back to the negotiating table, but if they do not, we must show them that we are no longer prepared to put up with below inflation pay increases," said Bob Revie, Branch Secretary. "By supporting the strike, you can send a clear message to the employers that pay is an issue that will not go away." 10 reasons why you need to strike Scotland's local service
providers vote 'Yes' to strike in pay row The members of all three unions (UNISON, GMB and Unite (T&G)) have voted to pursue their claim with strike action. UNISON is the majority union. The ballot was called after Scotland's local council employers offered a 2.5% rise each year for three years. All three local council unions rejected the offer. The form of the industrial action will be decided in discussions between the three unions later, but is likely to comprise a day of all-out strike followed by selective action from key sections of staff. Bob Revie, Branch Secretary and one of UNISON's negotiators for local council staff said "This result is a clear rejection of an inadequate offer. Our members are clear that they cannot afford another series of below inflation pay increases. Inflation is at 4.6% and key items on household bills like bread and milk are increasing even faster. Our members need a fair offer from their employers. We have a window of opportunity to see if we can avoid disruptive strikes. I hope the employers take it." Stephanie Herd, Chair of UNISON's Local Government Service group said "Our members are not the cause of inflation, they are the victims of it. They have the worst pay, holidays, parental rights and sick pay in the public sector and without them vital services will fall apart. The offer is a pay cut, increases the differential between higher and low paid and locks us into likely pay cuts for three years." STUC Support for Scottish Local Government
Workers "The ballot results reveal that local government employees are not prepared to accept an offer which would result in an ongoing effective deterioration of earnings for the next three years. The unions representing local Government have now demonstrated to the employers, and to the Scottish Government, that the existing offer falls far short of what could be considered reasonable in the current climate of rising costs. "The STUC calls on the local government employers to return to the negotiating table with an improved offer which addresses the increases in living costs of those workers who provide the essential services to the most vulnerable in Scotland." Other UNISON pay campaigns The union has also announced that it intends to demand reopening negotiations in the NHS over a three year deal which offers similar rises (2.54% and 2.5%) in years two and three. The pay claim The ballot was held from 1-31 July this year. It was run by Electoral Reform Services who reported there was a 36% return with 32,674 voting 'Yes' to strike action and 9,681 voting 'No'. |
|
||||||||||||||
Day
of all-out strike action on Wednesday 20th August
Call
to action for all members on 20th August
Kate
Ramsden, Branch Chair said "Our members do not want to have to take
strike action. We want to do what we do best - provide vital services
to the people of Aberdeenshire. However, we are angry that the employers
want to lock us into 2.5% increases for the next three years, while
inflation is still rising and is set to continue. The 2.5% pay offer
is already a pay cut. Food is up 6%, transport 7%, mortgages 8%,
electricity and only recently gas up by an additional 35%. Pay in
the private sector is rising by 4%." 
UNISON
dismisses employers' claims of affordability too. Bob Revie, Branch
secretary said "The employers have said that they can't afford a
better rise. But they agreed that they didn't need to raise council
tax, and they have saved £200million over the last two years in
efficiency savings - efficiencies that have been delivered by our
members. They also have at least £100million in unallocated reserves.
It is time for members to share in the savings that they have made."
