The Scottish Parliament’s Environment Committee is conducting an inquiry into air quality in Scotland. Poor air quality now represents the greatest threat to human health and could be contributing to around 15,000 early deaths in Scotland every year. Transport is a major cause of pollution, particularly in urban areas. In this submission we support a […]
The Scottish Government is proposing to make a number of changes to the procedures that govern civil litigation in Scotland. UNISON Scotland makes significant use of civil litigation in pursuing claims on behalf of members. For example, we recover millions of pounds in compensation every year for members who are injured at work. In this […]
The Scottish Parliament’s External Relations Committee is conducting an inquiry into the Article 50 negotiations that will determine the shape of our exit from the EU. The current stage of the inquiry is looking at the issue of citizen’s rights based on position papers issued by the UK government and the EU Commission. In this […]
The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport committee is looking at the issues that should be considered in the draft budget for 2018/19. In the UNISON Scotland submission to the inquiry we have highlighted a range of workforce issues, progress with health and care integration and the funding of NHS Scotland.
Democratic structures create public bodies which are open and transparent in their dealings with the public. Universities are not businesses, they are not owned by principals or senior managers, but rather they are societal institutions which are as much owned by the students and the staff who work there as their senior managers. Universities […]
The Cole report raises a range of issues which are relevant not just to public sector building projects but to the safety of all building work in Scotland. Concerns go beyond new building projects and include the ongoing maintenance and safety of existing structures. UNISON believes that much more work needs to be done to […]
Colleges must be accountable to communities which they serve. Democratic structures create public bodies which are open and transparent in their dealings with the public. Even private sector organisations are required to have a level of corporate governance and openness. Colleges are public bodies and should follow the same principles as other public sector bodies. […]
UNISON Scotland broadly supports the ambition and the specific targets set out in the consultation paper. A whole system approach, with stable transition to a more local and decarbonised energy system is clearly the correct approach. We also recognise that important elements of energy policy are reserved and we agree that important decisions […]
UNISON Scotland is opposed to fracking and we do not believe the case has been made to lift the current moratorium. We have three main grounds for reaching this view. Safety We should follow the precautionary principle in terms of safety when the evidence is inconclusive. This is rooted in Scotland’s industrial heritage as anyone […]
UNISON Scotland Response to Consultation on Policing 2026: Serving a changing Scotland Police Scotland & Scottish Police Authority May 2017 Introduction UNISON Scotland represents the police staff who work alongside officers as a vital part of the police team. Our police staff provide a wide range of skills and specialisms in order to deliver […]