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STUC votes to call for co-ordinated industrial action to defeat austerity

Delegates at the STUC conference in Perth voted for co-ordinated action to defeat the Con-dem government's austerity measures.

For a full report see link below.

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/stuc2013/4.html

Fighting against the Austerity Agenda/ 24 Hour General Strike.

Glasgow motion agreed by Unison Scottish Council

On Saturday 1st December, UNISON’s Scottish Council meeting of 200 delegates representing 160,000 members in Scotland voted to “immediately take the necessary steps to promote with all STUC affiliated trade unions and professional organisations the need for a co-ordinated industrial action strategy beginning with a one-day strike across Scotland, and to co-ordinate the strike with any action by trade unions at a UK level as appropriate”.

“This meeting notes that the political parties in the Scottish Parliament and local councils are making the overall level of cuts in public spending asked of them by the UK Government. Much of the UK Government’s policy programme is a direct or indirect attack on jobs, wages, pensions and services which UNISON can never agree to. The UK Government’s wider austerity measures, attacks on welfare benefits and overall management of the economy represent further attacks on working people and the most vulnerable in our society.

The trade union movement must now step-up its campaign to defend jobs, wages, pensions and services by organising co-ordinated strike action across all sectors of the economy.

This meeting therefore agrees that UNISON Scotland immediately take the necessary steps to promote with all STUC affiliated trade unions and professional organisations the need for a co-ordinated industrial action strategy beginning with a one-day strike across Scotland, and to co-ordinate the strike with any action by trade unions at a UK level as appropriate.

In addition to the above, this meeting agrees to produce written material and publicity in support of this policy for distribution amongst members and the wider community in line with UNISON industrial action procedures."

Fighting the Cuts

Letter to all Glasgow Councillors from Brian Smith, Branch Secretary on behalf of Unison, Unite and GMB

Dear Elected Member, Glasgow City Council

I write on behalf of the trade unions UNISON, GMB and UNITE regarding the £50m budget cuts which you are being asked to make over the next two years and specifically on the report being tabled at Thursday's Executive Committee (11 October) which seeks cut more jobs from the council.

As you know people provide the services; and fewer jobs mean fewer services. Over 2,500 jobs have already been cut by Glasgow City Council since 2010 (more than 10% of workforce) and we strongly urge you and your political group to refuse to cut any more council jobs. Glasgow will need more services in the coming years as the social fallout of the bankers economic crisis gathers pace, not less. The council workforce is already facing unacceptable work pressures due to current service demands. There is no more room to cut.

With youth employment in the city at record levels it is wrong to take more good jobs out of our local economy. The private sector is not creating the levels of employment claimed by the ConDems and where it is many of these new jobs are low paid, part-time or temporary, or all three.

We believe that elected members have a choice - make the cuts or demand an end to the slash and burn austerity policies of the ConDems and fight for a return of the tens of millions stolen from Glasgow in the last few years. We urge Glasgow City Council to use all available financial mechanisms to hold-off any further cuts, while building a campaign to win back the money stolen from the city. The trade unions will support any politician or political group who now says "No More". We still hope for a united campaign of elected members, trade unions and communities to win more money from the Scottish and UK Governments.

We hope that many of you have reached, or are close to, your own personal political “line in the sand”. We urge you to vote against any more job cuts.

UNISON members in Glasgow are facing increased work demands due to the cut in the number of workers across the city. The demands on public services are also increasing due to the fallout of the economic crisis just as the workforce is becoming smaller!

In addition, UNISON members often come under pressure to adopt new cost-cutting working practices under the guise of “modernisation” or “service reform” which have little to do with improving services to the people of Glasgow. Many members are increasingly coming under pressure to do paid and unpaid overtime.

The UNISON Glasgow City Branch is stepping up its efforts to defend members from overwork and unacceptable work demands. These include:

􀀀 Approaching all the employers covered by the branch to convince them to adopt robust and effective work demand / work load management schemes

􀀀 Ensuring that UNISON workplace stewards raise with local managers the need to properly manage and monitor local work demands

􀀀 Giving members the opportunity to collectivise the issue of overwork through regular members meetings

􀀀 Requesting Stress Risk Assessments for occupational groups and service areas

For more information and assistance contact your local UNISON steward or the branch office on 552 7069 or email enquiries@glasgowcityunison.co.uk

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