The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government Committee is conducting an inquiry into the budget for the next financial year. At this stage we don’t have the draft budget, so our submission outlines the financial and other pressures on councils, who have taken the brunt of austerity cuts in Scotland. We also include the comments of members, […]
UNISON believes that education including early years and childcare should be comprehensive and delivered free at the point of use via local authorities. This route offers democratic accountability and efficiency through economies of scale and allows school staff to focus on children. UNISON believes that it is investment in education and the development of education […]
UNISON is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition and we support the submission from SCCS. We outline some of UNISON’s important priorities in the next section – such as the public sector leading by example and the Just Transition to a low carbon economy – but we start with the […]
The Scottish Government’s annual pay policy covers UNISON members in NDPB’s, public corporations, fire and police. It also indirectly impacts on the rest of the public sector through its influence on budget allocations. In this submission to the government’s stakeholder consultation, we welcome the lifting of the 1% pay cap and set out the case for a […]
UNISON Scotland has argued strongly against this tax reduction from when it was first proposed. As we said in our June 2016 response to the consultation on a Scottish replacement to Air Passenger Duty, we start “from the position that the Scottish Government should be defending public services and working for social justice by opposing […]
UNISON is a leading human rights defender in day-to-day workplace situations. UNISON has also brought various direct challenges to the UK government in the Supreme Court and European Court of Justice through individual cases and judicial review. Having invoked EU law, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Magna Carta to remove tribunal fees […]
UNISON members work in a range of roles supporting children with additional support needs. They deliver services in local government,the NHS and the third sector. Our members believe that currently we are not Getting It Right For Every Child with additional support needs. Updating the code is welcome but without appropriate funding for both […]
The Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee is conducting an inquiry into internal police complaint handling. This is the UNISON Scotland submission.
Education is central to both Scotland’s economy and the wider wellbeing of its citizens. Everyone who could benefit from further and higher education should have an equal chance to do so. Education not only benefits the individuals who take part but wider society and the economy. It is reasonable therefore that, like schools, further education […]
UNISON members are clear that currently we are not getting it right for children with additional support needs. The strategy in itself will not work without appropriate funding for both the day-to-day delivery of those services and for training and professional development for all the staff working with those children. The strategy therefore needs to […]