Tag: trade union

‘Council staff are worth more’ says UNISON as members are balloted on strike action

UNISON, Scotland’s largest local government union, has started to issue formal industrial action ballot papers in a dispute over pay.

COSLA, the umbrella body representing council employers, had previously offered staff earning less than £25,000 a flat rate rise of £800. Last week COSLA came back with a revised offer of £850 – working out at approximately 97p per week for the lowest paid staff.

The union says council staff who have kept services and schools running throughout the pandemic deserve a proper pay rise. They say the latest pay offer falls far short of their pay claim and does little to address low pay which has become endemic following a decade of austerity.

The trade union says that councils have suffered a decade of cuts and jobs losses, and that staff have received year-on-year pay cuts. It has meant delivering services has become increasingly stressful for the workforce.

Pressure is mounting on both COSLA leaders and the Scottish Government to find an urgent resolution to this issue.

UNISON intends to take targeted strike action, which means select groups of workers will be balloted. These include members working in school cleaning, school catering, school janitorial as well as those working in waste and recycling services.  

Tom Connolly, Branch secretary said: “The last 18 months have taken an enormous toll on council staff who have been working flat out for no reward. Their courage and sacrifices need to be rewarded, yet the employers are failing to recognise their efforts.

“These workers, mostly women, are amongst the lowest paid in the country and have seen their pay drop substantially in recent years. The pay offer falls far short of their colleagues in the NHS and local government workers are left feeling exhausted and undervalued. Scotland’s council workers deserve fair pay.”

Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government, said: “We’ve all relied on council staff to keep our communities clean and safe, protect the most vulnerable and to work in our schools throughout successive lockdowns to allow others to work.

“Without these workers going above and beyond to keep services running over the past year their colleagues in the NHS would have been left without childcare, our mortuaries would have been overwhelmed, our children would have been left without an education and our elderly would have been left without care.

“Yet to date they have received no reward or recognition of their efforts at all. It’s simply not good enough – our council staff are worth more.”

The ballot will run from 1 – 22 September 2021.

• Useful reading: https://unison-scotland.org/local-government-pay-ballot/

• One year of Covid Survey, a survey of UNISON members working in local government in Scotland. https:// www.unison-scotland.org/wp-content/uploads/LG-One-Yr-of-Covid-Survey-Report-April21-1.pdf

No future for McVitie’s Tollcross

“Honest answers” needed from pladis after proposals for future rejected

Following an announcement this morning by the McVitie’s Tollcross owner pladis, confirming its rejection of counter-proposals to maintain production and intentions to proceed with closure, GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Hazel Nolan said: “It seems clear now that pladis had no intention of engaging in good faith over the future of Tollcross – General Manager Jim Cuthbert told us they “expected more” from the counter-proposals but offered no specific comment on what “more” would look like.

“That’s not good enough. If pladis are walking away from this community after nearly a century of production, and after eighteen months of constant manufacturing during this COVID-19 pandemic, the very least the workforce deserve is honest answers.

“That honesty is also needed for the members of the Action Group because if a firm like pladis no longer sees Scotland as a viable place to do business, then everyone needs to understand why and what must be done to prevent further manufacturing decline.” 

Union advises cleansing workers to prioritise safety and refuse self-isolation exemptions

GMB Scotland has today advised thousands of local government cleansing workers to prioritise safety and exercise their ‘right to refuse’ requests from employers to continue working if they have been exposed to COVID-19.

It follows the Scottish Government’s announcement that double-vaccinated workers in key services, returning negative PCR tests and undertaking daily lateral flow tests, can avoid self-isolation if notified of exposure to COVID-19 by the test and trace app, and continue working if their employer’s requests meet conditions set by Ministers.

The union has over 2,300 members in cleansing and waste services across Scotland’s local government, including Glasgow, North and South Lanarkshire, and West Lothian councils, who have worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and the decision was taken after consultation with their workplace representatives.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Drew Duffy said: “A major underlying factor in the so-called ‘pingdemic’ is the chronic understaffing in our frontline services after years of cuts, and our cleansing and waste is no different.

“But the Scottish Government’s new guidance has opened the door for employers across the country to heap more pressure on these key workers if they have been exposed to COVID-19. That’s not safe for workers, families, or communities.

“And again, some of the lowest paid are being asked to take the greatest risk in another example of how poorly they are valued by government. You cannot cut and coerce your way out of a crisis, if you want services to function then you must invest in them.

“That lesson needs to be learned, and it’s why we are advising our members to exercise their right to refuse and instead follow the general self-isolation rules if they are exposed to COVID-19.”

GMB members overwhelmingly reject ‘derisory’ local government pay offer

GMB members across Scottish Local Government have overwhelmingly rejected the Scottish Government’s £800 increase for staff earning under £25,000 a year, sending a clear message to politicians and employers: “We’re worth more.”

Following the close of the union’s consultative ballot, 93 per cent of members voted to reject the offer tabled by the Finance Secretary Kate Forbes in the recent Scottish Budget, increasing the prospect of significant industrial action across local services this summer.

GMB, which represents 20,000 local government workers, pre-dominantly in services like home care, refuse, school support, and roads and maintenance, will now write to the First Minister and COSLA leaders to call for fresh negotiations and a significantly improved offer.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Drew Duffy said: “This is a clear demonstration from key workers across Scottish local government that Kate Forbes’ valuation of their efforts isn’t anywhere near good enough.

“It’s been a wretched year and a desperate decade for council workers, especially the lowest paid and the services they deliver. Home carers, refuse workers, and school support staff have got on with the job for all of us despite being failed on PPE, testing and safe working guidelines. Furthermore, they did this after years of political austerity, which cut their pay in real-terms and gutted their services.

“After the applause and all the political platitudes, to recognise their dedication and sacrifice with an increase that won’t amount to much more than £10 a week for many staff is derisory, and the message to Ministers, politicians on the election trail, and councils is clear: “We’re worth more.””

Key workers: “We’re worth more!”

Ahead of the start of the 124th STUC Annual Conference today, GMB Scotland members from care, nursing, refuse, ambulance, and school support services, will tell Ministers, “We’re worth more!” as they campaign for a rejection of the NHS and COSLA pay offers for 2021.

GMB workplace representatives in NHS Scotland and COSLA are strongly urging members to reject the respective 4 per cent and £800 increases for the lowest paid workers, arguing the Scottish Government can and should go further after the last twelve months.

The union’s consultative ballot in COSLA will run until Thursday 22 April, and until Wednesday 5 May in NHS Scotland.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Drew Duffy said: “We were told at the start of the pandemic that Scotland was prepared for COVID-19, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

“Health and social care staff tackled the first wave of COVID-19 without proper PPE, home carers were left without workplace testing until January, and school support staff were an afterthought in the education recovery plan.

“From PPE, testing, sick pay support and socially distanced working arrangements, everything that’s been put in place to protect the workers on which we all depend had to be fought for by the workers’ themselves.

“And after a wretched year and desperate decade, where their modest incomes have been cut by thousands of pounds, our members are prepared to fight again for their proper value, against pay offers that don’t amount to much more than a £10 a week increase for many.

“They’ve heard the applause and they’ve read all the political platitudes, but now they are telling the Scottish Government to listen, and the message is clear: “We’re worth more.”

The continuing safety concerns due to COVID-19 means that the 2021 annual Congress will be held as a digital event.

Delegates from over 50 affiliated unions and trades union councils, as well as the STUC equalities committees, will meet over three days to debate and agree new policies.

We will also hear from sisters and brothers from other Trade Union Centres and from politicians.

The STUC General Council will deliver its report of the past 6 months work.

The digital format of Congress limits some of the things we can do but we still have a busy fringe event as well as expo sessions from our sponsors and supportive organisations.

You can watch the whole of Congress live on Facebook or YouTube!

Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary

Congress Documents

Fringe meetings

Congress videos

Congress Live

British Gas doesn’t give a toss for customers or staff, says GMB

200 workers sacked in national ‘Fire and Rehire’ dispute

British Gas doesn’t give a toss for either customers or staff – and that is shown by the mass sackings of engineers who are badly needed by customers to clear huge backlog, says the GMB trade union.

British Gas went ahead with yesterday’s mass sacking of striking gas engineers who refused to submit to corporate bullying to accept a 15% cut in pay rates and other imposed changes in terms and conditions.

This coincides with British Gas suspending the sale of boiler insurance cover amid scenes of ‘van graveyards’ from the vans returned by the sacked gas engineers.

This mass sackings  were enacted as gas engineers took part on the 43rd day of strike action in the long-running, deadlocked and increasingly bitter dispute.

British Gas announced in July last year that staff in the Field staff bargaining group who refused to accept imposed 15% cuts in pay rates and other changes would be sacked.

GMB says the company bullied the rest of the staff in the Field staff bargaining group to sign terms they had overwhelmingly rejected and still don’t accept.

These GMB members at British Gas have already taken 42 days of strike action against the imposition of the 15% cuts in pay rates and other changes via “fire and rehire” notices.

In addition, a national official “lockout” dispute between British Gas and GMB will become effective from 14 April and will include further strike action and action short of a strike.

The strikes have led to a backlog of millions of customers waiting for planned service visits and hundreds of thousands having to wait for emergency repairs.

British Gas has suspended sale of the standard boiler service insurance.

Justin Bowden, GMB Regional Secretary said: “That British Gas doesn’t give a toss for either customers or staff is shown by the mass sackings of engineers it needs so badly for customer services that it has suspended the sale of boiler insurance cover.

“The ‘graveyards of vans’ returned by the sacked gas engineers shows this.

“These sacked gas engineers are badly needed by customers to clear the huge backlog of missed planned annual service visits and repairs.

“There is sadly nothing in law to stop corporate bullying by companies of their own staff to sign terms they don’t accept and sacking those who don’t submit to this bullying.

“But GMB members won’t accept the outcome of the bullying. This is why we are staging the 43rd day of strike action today. 

“I have news for Mr O’Shea. This is not the end of the dispute. As well as being in dispute with his own staff he is now in dispute with the national union GMB.

“This is why this dispute will continue and become an official national lockout dispute. There will be more strikes and action short of strikes.

“The British Gas leadership disaster reaches its low point today (April 14) with mass sackings of British Gas Engineers – in the only consistently profitable part of the company – by a management team too stupid to see the true value of a uniquely skilled and loyal workforce.

“With hundreds of thousands waiting in the backlog for service, customers have been treated as collateral and so, it seems, too will staff – as Mr O’Shea prepares to go down in history as the first major CEO to mass sack his highly skilled and qualified engineers.

“They are his most valuable asset. He will be universally condemned by politicians and public alike for doing so.

“The arrogant gamble has been lost. Any fool can start a war and, it seems, ruin a good business.

“History will not be kind to Mr O’Shea or the Centrica Board who failed to rein in him and his out-of-control leadership team.” 

A statement posted on the British Gas website yesterday said: “Unfortunately, due to strike action by some engineers on Wednesday the 14th of April, we’re only able to offer a very limited emergency service.

“During this time we’ll be prioritising our most vulnerable customers, but we’ll do our best to help everyone as quickly as we can. Thanks for understanding – we’re so sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.”

A Centrica spokesperson said: “There is a job for everyone at the end of this process. We are changing the way we work to give our customers the service they want and protect the future of our company and 20,000 UK jobs. Today marks the end of the period for our employees to sign new contracts.

“These are highly competitive, and our changes are reasonable. Around 98% of the entire company has accepted and we hope the remaining, also sign and choose to stay. We have not cut base pay or changed our generous final salary pensions. Our gas service engineers remain some of the best paid in the sector, earning £40,000 a year minimum.

“While change is difficult, reversing our decline which has seen us lose over three million customers, cut over 15,000 jobs and seen profits halved over the last 10 years is necessary. The changes will also unlock our ability to grow jobs and hire 1000 green apprentices over the next two years.’’

Coronavirus: More than 350 deaths and 31,000 infections linked to exposure at work, new HSE figures reveal

Health and social care workers made up 70% of reported occupational deaths, GMB Freedom of Information request reveals 

More than 350 deaths and 31,000 infections have been linked to Covid-19 exposure at work, new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures reveal. 

The data, released in response to a GMB Freedom of Information request, shows that 31,000 the suspected cases of occupational exposure to coronavirus were reported to the Health and Safety Executive between 10 April 2020 and 13 March 2021.

367 workers’ deaths were suspected to be linked to workplace exposure to the coronavirus during the same period.

It’s likely the figures significantly underestimate the true extent of exposure and deaths among workers, warned the GMB Union.

GMB calls for urgent investment to make workplaces safe and full sick pay cover so that workers can afford to self-isolate.

Health and social care workers accounted for the overwhelming majority of infections and deaths notified under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).  70 per cent of occupational deaths, or 257 fatalities, were recorded for workers in this group.  

In total, 2,134 staff infections and seven deaths that were linked to workplace exposure were also recorded in educational settings since the start of September, despite Ministers’ repeated assurances that schools and other educational establishments were safe. 

Occupational infections peaked in January at 5,710 and the highest monthly count of worker deaths (60) was recorded in February, according to the figures.    

26,705 infections were reported in England since 10 April 2020, while 2,228 infections were reported in Wales and 2,447 were reported in Scotland. Northern Ireland is not covered by the figures.  

Reports of infections and deaths should be filed ‘where there is reasonable evidence that the worker was exposed because of their work,’ according to the HSE, which means that many infections that cannot be directly attributed to a person’s work will not be recorded. The HSE acknowledges that ‘RIDDOR suffers from under-reporting’ and that ‘it is likely that [COVID-19] disease reporting is lower’ than the true rate. 

The new figures, which had not previously been published, were uploaded to the HSE’s website following a GMB Freedom of Information Act request. The Information Commissioner’s Office issued a Decision Notice last week which required the HSE to reply to the request after it initially failed to respond. 

Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said: “No one should go to work in fear of their life. Each worker’s death was preventable and the damning reality is that too many workplaces are still not safe. 

“The fact that 70% of reported workers’ deaths are in the health and care sector should be a wake-up call, and sadly these figures are likely the tip of the iceberg.  

“Two thousand infections and seven deaths in educational workplaces since September is the final proof that Ministers reopened schools before they were safe. 
 
“Across the country too many people still face insecure workplaces and inadequate PPE. 

“These figures shine a new light on the abject failure of too many to keep workplaces safe. Seven out of ten reported infections were since the start of the second wave, when the steps required to limit the spread of the virus were well understood. 

“GMB calls on Ministers to urgently meet with unions, and for full sick pay cover to be provided to end the financial pressure that is leading to presenteeism and a greater spread of this terrible disease.’ 

For an Education Led Recovery: EIS trade union launches Holyrood election manifesto

Teaching union the EIS has launched its education manifesto ahead of May’s Scottish Parliament elections.

The Manifesto, entitled For an Education Led Recovery outlines EIS policy in key areas including Early Years education, Primary and Secondary schools, Additional Support Needs, Instrumental Music, the impact of poverty and tackling inequality, valuing teachers, Further & Higher Education, and social justice.

The EIS, which is not affiliated to any political party, does not make any recommendation on who its members should vote for, but highlights the key issues that teachers and lecturers may wish to consider when deciding how to vote.

The Manifesto has been published today to coincide with a meeting of the EIS national Council.

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “Scotland has a proud educational history, and education is one of the key devolved areas of responsibility for the Scottish Parliament.

“That centrality has been brought into sharp relief during the Coronavirus pandemic, with politicians of all parties frequently highlighting the vital importance of education to your young people, to our economy, and to the future of our country as a whole.”

Mr Flanagan continued, “Despite its importance, education has been subjected to many challenges in recent years, even prior to the extreme stresses brought by Coronavirus. Investment in schools, in staff, and in support for young people has been insufficient.”

“Politicians have been quick to talk up the need for education to lead the way in the nation’s recovery from the pandemic, but less quick to commit to delivering long term investment and resources to ensure that this can be achieved.”

Mr Flanagan added: “At the current time more than 1 in 10 teachers are on temporary contracts or ‘zero hours’ supply staff lists. That is quite scandalous and is one of the reasons why we lose qualified teachers who struggle to get permanent posts in their chosen career.

“From the 2020 graduation group, for example, over 500 newly qualified teachers are no longer registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).”

Mr Flanagan concluded, “The challenge around education recovery is immense and if we are to meet the needs of young people, Scotland needs more teachers.”

“This would help to reduce class sizes, ensuring that students receive tailored support that meets their needs; it would enable an increase in the specialist provision required for young people with Additional Support Needs; it would support our pupils and students who have suffered a traumatic experience during the pandemic, with the impact often being felt most acutely by young people already facing disadvantage caused by poverty.”

“For all of these reasons, our politicians must commit in their manifestos to delivering the investment required to deliver education recovery.”

COVID: Headteachers need “tangible support, not just words” from Scottish Government

Headteachers and Depute Headteachers from across Scotland have shared their extreme disappointment at the Scottish Government’s decision not to allow schools to move to remote learning as a means of protecting the health of staff,  pupils and their families in the final week before Christmas.

A meeting of the EIS Headteacher (HT) and Depute Headteacher (DHT) Network, held on Friday, heard first-hand testimony from HTs and DHTs over the severe additional workload pressure that has been placed on school management teams as a result of COVID contact tracing requirements whenever a pupil or staff member tests positive for the virus.

Headteacher and Network Convener Lorraine McBride said, “The COVID pandemic has had a severe impact in our schools and has created huge stresses on everyone within our communities.

“Quite apart from the impact on the physical health of many teachers and students, there has also been a severe impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Added to this has been the huge additional workload burden generated by the demands of the contract tracing system, which frequently interrupts weekend and evenings on top of taking up swathes of time during the school day that should be being spent on other essential priorities.”

“Whenever there is a positive case linked to a school, this creates a demand on SMTs to quickly track, trace and isolate every pupil and staff member who has come into close contact with the infected person. This is additional workload, over and above the many usual demands on SMT’s time, and it has been imposed upon us with little or nothing in the way of tangible support.”

Ms McBride continued, “It is concrete support that we need – not just fine words from the Scottish Government or our employers telling us how much they appreciate us. Many HTs and DHTs have been left absolutely devastated by the Scottish Government’s decision not to allow schools to close their buildings early and move to remote learning in the final week before Christmas.

“This decision means that, where positive cases are identified late, SMTs may be expected to deliver or support contact tracing work over the Christmas period. The Scottish Government’s decision also significantly increases the risk of pupils and staff taking the virus into their homes, or into the homes of potentially vulnerable family members, during the festive period.”

Ms McBride added, “All we we’re asking for was for school buildings to close a few days early, in order to protect us all and our families. Education would have continued via remote learning and we were absolutely not asking for extra holidays, as has been falsely claimed elsewhere.

“In failing to take a small, common sense, step to protect teachers, pupils and their families, the Scottish Government is risking what little goodwill remains amongst a teaching profession that has been worn down to the point of physical and mental exhaustion over this past year.”

Senior pupils to wear masks in class

Parents and carers should wear masks when collecting school kids

Guidance on school safety has been updated to take account of public health advice and Scotland’s new approach to suppressing coronavirus (COVID-19).

The guidance, which outlines additional protection measures at all five levels in the Strategic Framework, comes into force on Monday 2 November.

Across all levels, face coverings should be worn by adults at all times where they cannot keep two metres from other adults and/or children and young people in primary and secondary schools (with some exceptions in P1-2). Face coverings should also be worn by parents and other visitors to any school site (whether entering the building or otherwise), including parents at drop-off and pick-up.

In local authority areas in Levels 3 and 4, pupils in the senior phase – S4-6 – and their teachers should wear face coverings in classrooms, as well as when they are moving around the school and in communal areas.

Guidance for school staff and pupils at the highest clinical risk (shielding) has also been updated.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Keeping schools open remains our priority but that can only be the case if schools are safe. There have been tremendous efforts applied by staff and pupils to ensure this is the case and I thank them all for their efforts.

“We constantly review the guidance on school opening along with our local authority partners, trades unions, parental representatives and other stakeholders to ensure we are taking all the necessary measures to ensure our schools are safe.

“This strengthened guidance, produced in light of updated scientific and health advice, adds to the health mitigations that have been in place since schools opened in August.

“From Monday, there will be increased use of face coverings and new advice to help protect those in the shielding category.  

“It is vital that all the measures are followed rigorously in schools. Doing that – together with the collective efforts of all of us across wider society ­– will help to ensure that schools can safely remain open.

“None of the levels in the framework require any automatic move to school closures or blended learning. However, no one can predict what the coming weeks and months will bring. Remote learning remains an important contingency for schools at all levels of the strategic framework and there has been considerable progress made in the provision of remote learning, should that be required.”

The updated guidance includes:

At Level 3

  • parents or guardians should discuss with their GP or clinician whether children with the highest clinical risk should attend school
  • employers should ensure that individual risk assessments for school staff members with the highest clinical risk are in place and updated appropriately, and staff should speak to their employer to ensure all appropriate protections are in place.  If protections cannot be put in place, they can discuss with their GP or clinician to see if a fit note may be appropriate

At Level 4

  • the current advice is that children on the shielding list should not attend school in person. However, we will look further at how we can use individualised risk assessments to maximise attendance for such children during Level 4 restrictions
  • the majority of workplaces can be made safe for staff. To ensure this remains the case, employers should ensure that individualised risk assessments for school staff members with the highest clinical risk are in place and updated appropriately, and staff should speak to their employer to ensure all appropriate protections are in place. To provide reassurance on this, the Chief Medical Officer will issue a letter similar to a fit note which can be used in the few cases where, following updating of risk assessments and discussions with employers, it is not possible to make a workplace safe for staff
  • greater levels of testing in response to COVID-19 outbreaks in schools may be recommended by the Incident Management Team
  • PE in school settings should only take place out of doors
  • Non-essential activities or clubs outside the usual school timetable should be paused. This does not include regulated childcare operating from school premises

Other changes in the guidance reflect updated advice from the COVID-19 Advisory Sub Group on Education and Children’s Issues. Members concluded that indoor PE may now be brought into line with advice outwith school settings, with appropriate safety measures in place. This does not apply to indoor PE in schools in Level 4 areas.

The EIS has issued its initial response to the new COVID-19 Guidance for Schools, published by the Scottish Government.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The strengthening of the School Guidance in a number of areas is a reflection of the greater risk posed by higher levels of community infection.

“Whilst the EIS supports the stronger advice in areas such as the use of face coverings and the critical need for adequate ventilation, we remain  dissatisfied with the lack of  specification on social distancing between pupils, which is exhorted but remains impossible to achieve in full classrooms.”

Mr Flanagan added, “The proposed mitigations at Level 4, essentially face coverings for senior pupils, are inadequate. The EIS is clear that Level 4 should trigger an automatic consideration of moves towards blended or remote learning.

“Schools cannot stay open at any cost; the safety of pupils and staff has to be the priority, especially those with increased vulnerabilities.  In the event of any Council area moving into Level 4, the EIS is likely to consult affected members directly on their views.”

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools

Coronavirus (COVID-19): children and transmission