Category: North Edinburgh News

Lararowicz: ‘Good employers have no interest in Government attack on rights at work’

Mark Lazarowicz MP has strongly criticised Government plans for employees to trade in basic rights at work such as statutory redundancy pay in return for shares in the business they work for.

In a Westminster speech yesterday the North and Leith MP (pictured below) said: “I am a strong supporter of employee share schemes to enable them to benefit from the growth of their company and participate in the way it is run. However, these Government plans would produce exactly the opposite result since employees would lose basic employment protection in return for shares that can always go down as well as up in value. A number of leading businesses have already said they want nothing to do with the scheme – good employers realise there are much better ways to motivate their workforce than a bribe to give up basic employment rights.”Mark_Lazarowicz[1]

The Government proposes that in return for shares in the company they work for, employees would lose the right to statutory redundancy pay, request flexible working and training, challenge unfair dismissal (apart from where this relates to anti-discrimination law) or be required to give longer notice to return from maternity or adoption leave.

Mr. Lazarowicz was the author of the Employee Share Schemes Bill which became law in 2002. That sought to encourage employee share ownership and long term involvement by them in the running of the business, but he believes these latest plans would make it easier to sack them.

The House of Lords initially voted to delete this part of the The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, with several former Conservative Ministers voting against the Government. However the Government reinserted the proposals for the Bill to be debated in the House of Commons and won yesterday’s vote. The Bill will now return to the Lords for further discussion.

Greens urge government to ensure school leavers can cook

Green MSP Alison Johnstone has urged the government to respond to a survey which shows a strong appetite among Scots for the Government to set a target to ensure all school leavers are able to cook a basic meal from scratch.

By contrast the major supermarkets, who already control three-quarters of our grocery spending, are encouraging the growth of the ready meals sector through advertising campaigns, broadcasts and billboards. The UK ready meal market, which has been at the centre of the horsemeat scandal, continues to grow at five per cent a year and is now worth £1 billion a year.

The Panelbase survey for the Scottish Greens shows 79 per cent of 1,000 Scots agreed with the need for a target for school leavers, while only 7 per cent disagreed.

Other research suggests the majority of 18-25 year olds leave home without the ability to cook a simple recipe such as Spaghetti Bolognese, with many relying on ready meals and takeaways.

Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian and spokesperson on food and education for the Scottish Greens (pictured below), said: “We have a growing problem with obesity and ready meals are nutritionally haphazard. It’s time the Scottish Government challenged the big manufacturers and retailers. The inconvenient truth about many convenience foods is they make big firms big profits while public health pays dearly.

“Curriculum for Excellence has great potential and I would urge the government to recognise the appetite there is for ensuring school leavers are able to cook. As more people question what’s in the food they’re buying due to the horsemeat scandal it’s important we establish a balanced food culture from the start.”

AlisonJohnstoneMSP

The survey, carried out online by Panelbase in March, asked:

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The Scottish Government should set a target to ensure all school leavers are able to cook a basic meal from scratch.

The results were:

Agree Strongly 48%
Agree Slightly 31%
Neither Agree/Disagree 15%
Disagree Slightly 4%
Disagree Strongly 3%

Botanics CLOSED

At least the sun's brought the blooms out!
At least the sun’s brought the blooms out!

The Botanic Gardens are currently closed due to the high winds, although The Gateway remains open and this evening’s Adult Education Open Night goes ahead as planned.

I can vouch for the power of those winds – I’ve just seen my blue recycling box flying past the window and off down the road!

Growing demand produces allotment consultation

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Scotland’s Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has launched a consultation to consider the shape of future allotment legislation following the announcement of Government plans to simplify and overhaul Scotland’s allotment rules.

Among the questions being asked are: should councils be required to provide people in their area within a specified timeframe? And should councils have a duty to provide a specific number of allotments in their area per head of population?

Mr Lochhead said: “Growing your own food is continuing to grow in popularity in Scotland and this goes hand in hand with an increasing desire to know where our food comes from. Allotments provide a range of benefits including better health, an opportunity to learn new skills, and an understanding of where food comes from – not forgetting the chance to eat the fruits of your labour.

“We’re committed to helping people to grow their own food and this consultation will consider what changes should be made to the existing legislation to make it simpler and fit for today’s community needs. Many communities have expressed a desire to get back to nature and more involved with growing their own food and that’s exactly what we’re working to make possible.”

The consultation runs until Friday 24 May.

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Woman and child rescued from Muirhouse flat fire

A woman and a child were rescued after a fire broke out in the kitchen of a flat in Muirhouse last night.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze started in a second-floor property in Gunnet Court, within Muirhouse View, when a grill pan caught alight just before midnight.

A spokeswoman for the service said a four-year-old girl and a woman, aged 22, were rescued by firefighters.

They were treated at the scene for slight smoke inhalation but did not have to go to hospital.

Anti-‘bedroom tax’ activities – North Edinburgh and beyond

draft flyer local bedroom tax meetings 2

Tuesday 16th April (today!)

DEMONSTRATE

Rally at 9 – 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday 16 April outside the City Chambers. This is when the motion about the Bedroom Tax is going before the Council’s Policy Committee, which starts at 10am.

Show your anger – bring drums and banners, whistles . . .

SPREAD THE WORD

Meet at North Edinburgh Arts Centre (by library at Pennywell) 6.30pm to collect and distribute flyers and posters to publicise the public meeting on 25 April to form the Muirhouse anti bedroom tax group.

Sunday 21st April

EDINBURGH-WIDE ORGANISING MEETING

– to support formation of anti bedroom tax groups city-wide

St Augustine’s Church, George IV Bridge at 2.00 p.m.

All welcome

Thursday 25th April

OPEN MEETING IN MUIRHOUSE

To form the Bin the Bedroom Tax group in Muirhouse

7pm The Millennium Centre, 7 Muirhouse Medway

All welcome

There will also be meetings coming up to form groups in Pilton/ Drylaw and Royston/Wardieburn/ Granton

Draft flyer for distribution to advertise the Muirhouse meeting is attached – it has been updated slightly to reflect opinions voiced at the organising meeting on 11th April – please post any comments or suggestions asap, thanks.

Saturday 4 May

MAY DAY

The May Day march and rally. Assemble 11.00am on Johnston Terrace.

A major theme of this year’s event will be the ConDem cuts to welfare, including the bedroom tax.

 

North Edinburgh Fights Back

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New affordable housing development opens in Leith

The latest affordable housing development in Leith has been officially opened, making a significant impact in the regeneration of the area. Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) welcomed the first of 100 households to a block of new, high-quality properties in Fox Street at a ceremony last Friday.

Speaking at the event to mark the opening of the development, Councillor Cammy Day, Housing Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “These new modern affordable homes in the heart of Leith represent a significant investment by the Council and Port of Leith Housing Association. It is also a reflection of the shared commitment between the Council and housing associations to tackle the city’s shortage of affordable homes in the city. These new homes will also mean modern family homes and lower energy bills. This is our commitment to helping struggling families deal with the range of financial pressures they face.”

This £13m development comprises 60 social rent and 40 shared ownership homes – where people buy and own a percentage of the property and rent the remainder from the Association. There is a wide range of housing types from one bedroom through to four bedroom main door duplex apartments.

Features include secure underground parking and a central landscaped courtyard. Solar thermal panels located on the roof will provide hot water for a number of properties with condensing gas boilers supplying heating and hot water.

This is the first of a number of affordable housing sites to be completed in Leith and North Edinburgh this year by the Association. Work is currently underway on four other sites and in conjunction with its subsidiary company, Persevere Developments, a further 189 new affordable homes – 101 for social rent and 89 for mid rent – will be completed this calendar year.

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive at PoLHA, said: “Fox Street is a significant development for PoLHA providing access to much-needed, high-quality, affordable housing for local people to buy and rent. This complements our existing affordable housing throughout Leith and North Edinburgh. It is the living embodiment of our commitment to developing vibrant and sustainable communities in homes people want to live.”

PoLHA worked closely with the City of Edinburgh Council which allocated £7 million of grant monies for the development. An additional £6.2 million was funded through private finance raised by the Association and from shared ownership sales receipts.

New affordable housing launched at Fox Street, Leith.

 

£61m boost for Scottish colleges

Student support, including funding for childcare, will be increased through additional financial support for the college sector from the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have set out how the £61 million of additional funding added to college budgets for 2013-15 will be spent.

Focusing on improving attainment, the additional investment over the next academic year (2013-14) includes:

  •  £1.9 million for additional student support through bursaries and childcare
  • £2.1 million targeted for some college regions to meet increased demand
  • £6.6 million for an additional learner places, including for women returning to study and part time places
  • £4 million to aid the successful integration of newly merging colleges.

MichaelRussell

Education Secretary Michael Russell (pictured above) said: “Earlier this year the Scottish Government showed its commitment to Scotland’s colleges by adding £61 million to the sector’s budget compared to what was originally announced for the spending review period. Since then, we have been discussing with college representatives and NUS Scotland how to allocate this funding to improve attainment so that more students gain and complete their qualifications, while moving towards a system of large, efficient regional colleges that offers courses responsive to local economic need.

“I am very pleased to be able to map out how we can further support the sector and its students. Increased student bursaries will mean more money in the pockets of our hard pressed students in times of economic difficulty. While full time courses for younger people remain a priority, there will be more learning opportunities for older and part time students, including women returning to study.

“Further funding will also help colleges with increasing demand and help institutions work closely together on a regional basis. This is a substantial investment in a sector with enormous economic importance to Scotland, and I am looking forward to working with the entire sector to ensure colleges continue to deliver for learners.”

Letter: the ideology of greed

Dear Editor

The Tory Party is known a the rich people’s party; it is motivated by the belief that private ownership of industry, business, energy supplies and land, etc. is the right and only way. Their every policy action is geared to maintaining and extending that control, as the continuing break-up and privatisations of national organisations and social services over the last three years shows.

The very act of privatisation puts the interests of the few above the majority; they believe their money creates all wealth – some honesty about their real intentions would be illuminating. Opponents of the Tories so not hide their intentions: they say and want the wealth produced by the majority to be distributed fairly to the majority, and if it needs national organisations and social welfare in all forms to do it, then that is how it will be done, This is open and honest, the Tories have difficulty in being so by the very nature of investors’ interests having priority over everyone by having the power to close down an industry or business and move their investment, irrespective of the colossal damage to the employees and their families.

It is a very backward, selfish and greedy ideology; how otherwise can it be described?

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens