UNISON and the branch is calling on all our members to write to their MSPs calling on the Scottish Government to:
- Protect jobs and services
- Reward council workers
- Build strong councils after Covid
- Implement full consolidation of the living wage for all
You can do that easily by clicking on the link on the above graphic.
UNISON Scotland’s Local Government Committee has slammed the Scottish Government’s draft budget as falling far short of what our local councils need to protect jobs and services.
Inez Kirk, branch secretary and one of the UNISON Local Government negotiaters said, “As the Scottish Government enters into dialogue with other political parties to try to finalise their budget, it’s more important than ever for members to ask their MSPs to stand up for council services and help #PlugTheGap in Local Authority budgets.”
“Local government in Scotland has suffered more than a decade of cuts and is now under severe financial strain as a result of the pandemic, with increased demand for services and a substantial loss of income.
“It is time to value our councils and our council and voluntary sector workforce and give them decent funding and a decent pay rise.”
Kate Ramsden, branch co-chair added, “Covid has made the importance of council services absolutely clear and underfunding over the years has left them woefully unprepared to deal with a pandemic.
“The way to rebuild our economy is NOT to put more money in the hands of the richest, but to increase the pay of our public service workers, who spend in their local communities and pay their taxes, and to replace the hundreds of thousands of jobs lost over the past ten years.
Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland’s Head of Local Government has pointed out that the cost of Covid to councils has been £767 million yet the additional spend in the Scottish draft budget is only £90 million, much of it ringfenced. Watch the full video below.