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The election of a new Scottish Parliament opens
new opportunities for Scotland's local government.
The language of dialogue and partnership will
need to be built on and strengthened if the vital
local services that Scotland values are to be returned
to the levels that people deserve and need.
Local government in Scotland is the primary provider
of local public services. Services which are crucial
to the people of Scotland, and highly valued by
them. These services must be of the highest possible
standard.
Local government will be a crucial litmus test of
the new style of working of this Parliament, and
of its willingness to devolve decision-making to
the most appropriate level.
Scottish local government is still beset by many
of the problems which were present under the last
government, principally the problem of finance.
Scottish local government is underfunded by between
£500-700million.
A new deal for local government is needed to address
the following issues and deliver working solutions.
The task facing a Scottish Parliament is to build
a new social consensus and implement it in partnership
with Scottish local government.
UNISON believes the process of devolution must
be encouraged.
UNISON believes that the great majority of local
services should be under local democratic control
and that public accountability should be restored
to the provision of local services.
During the past 20 years local government has effectively
become an administrative arm of central government.
Local democracy has been eroded. Central government
controls almost all local spending. Local government
is local in name only. If local government is to
reinvent itself successfully, powers and responsibility
must be restored, and real influence extended to
the users of local services.
Any new voting system for local councils must maintain
the link between elected councillors and their local
community. UNISON supports the proposals of the
McIntosh Commission to ensure that voting is made
much more accessible and user friendly in future
elections.
Services have been taken out of local government
control in recent years - Further education colleges;
Scotland's water authorities; the Scottish Environment
Protection Agency; the Scottish Children's Reporters
Administration.
We welcome the recommendation of the McIntosh Commission
that transfer to local government should always
be an option in any review of other organisations
who deliver public services. We invite the Scottish
Executive to begin such a review.
Local Government Finance
An urgent review of the present imbalance of power
between central and local government is essential
if a new spirit of partnership is to be between
the Scottish Parliament and Scottish local government.
Scottish local government currently raises only
14% of its total
expenditure. If we are serious about the task of
restoring local democracy and rebuilding local services,
UNISON believes that local government in Scotland
should be responsible for raising at least 50% of
its own revenue.
Whilst the level of the council tax in Scotland
has risen sharply in the last three years, the non-domestic
(business) rate - set centrally - has remained in
single figures. The present finance system places
a disproportionate burden on domestic council tax
payers, and is badly in need of reform. Local businesses
should be brought closer to the discussions on,
and resourcing of, local services.
To address these aims our Parliament should return
the business rate to local authority control.
Councils should be answerable for their spending
plans to their local electorate. The case for abolishing
capping is overwhelming and would provide councils
with a much needed degree of flexibility in deciding
local spending plans.
A Power of General Competence
The establishment of a Scottish Parliament gives
Scotland the opportunity to make a meaningful difference
to the power of locally elected councils. The centralising
agenda has been rejected. The time is right to grant
councils a power of general competence to free them
from their present legislative straight-jacket,
and allow them to act in the interests of their
own communities. The City of Edinburgh Council,
for example, has floated the idea of a tourist tax
as a means of increasing the flow of revenue to
Scotland's capital city. A power of general competence
would create new possibilities for developing and
improving local services.
Community Planning
Local government must move from supporting community
initiatives into full community planning. Empowering
local communities to set their own priorities will
bring decision- taking still closer to the people.
Ensuring that local government has the key role
in empowering this puts it at the heart of the community.
Where it should be.
UNISON supports the expansion of the democratic
process to ensure that communities are able to influence
the decisions which affect their lives. Systems
must be established so that local people have user-friendly
ways of expressing their views.
Standing for Public Office
A side effect of local government reorganisation
in Scotland has meant 8% of the total Scottish electorate
being disbarred from standing for public office.
A council employee who wishes to stand for public
office has to resign his/her job simply to get their
name on to the ballot paper. No other European country
operates such system.
This democratic deficit can be quickly addressed
and has no implications in terms of additional resources.
We welcome the recommendation of the McIntosh Commission
that local government staff should be allowed to
stand for office and urge the Parliament to implement
this, with appropriate safeguards, as soon as possible.
Continued pressure on local government finance
often forces councils to seek alternative methods
of service delivery, either through the Private
Finance Initiative or via so-called 'trusts '(sometimes
claiming a bogus charitable status). It is clear
that public provision is both cheaper and more efficient
than a reliance on market forces, and should be
the principal route for the delivery of public services.
It also means that the costs of our services are
open to public scrutiny, and are genuinely providing
'best value' for the people of Scotland, rather
than profits for the directors and shareholders
of private consortia.
Best Value in Scotland
UNISON supports the principle of developing a new
framework to replace the discredited Compulsory
Competitive Tendering(CCT). We remain concerned
however about the possibility of Best Value being
driven by local agendas of cuts, externalisation
and privatisation.
Local government must find ways to develop and
expand services in consultation with the community
and its employees.
The establishment of Best Value practices in local
government should be underpinned by a commitment
to quality services. A variety of models for improving
service delivery within a quality framework already
exist.
The Scottish Parliament should establish a new
Quality Commission, to replace the existing role
of the Accounts Commission, as soon as possible.
This body should build a new social partnership
with Scottish local authorities, renewing local
democracy and rebuilding local services.
Employees and their unions are key stakeholders
in developing best value. Trade unions must be involved
at every stage in the process. Best value and job
security should go hand in hand. A service which
is under-performing should have proper opportunity
to put things right before the threat of tendering
comes into play. A new parliament should not return
to the bad old days of cost-cutting at the expense
of pay and conditions of service.
PFI and the Public Sector
Borrowing Requirement
Whilst there is a real crisis of investment in
the provision of local services, the situation is
not helped by a continuing reliance on the Private
Finance Initiative (PFI) to meet new capital spending.
PFI creates the illusion that the private sector
is investing in public services, whereas, in reality,
the public sector is still having to pay for them.
And pay for them at a higher cost than would be
the case under traditional forms of borrowing.
The government is compounding its problems by continuing
to use the PSBR as the means of defining public
spending. There is a growing consensus that the
general government financial deficit (GGFD) would
provide a better measurement of government borrowing
than the PSBR. The GGFD, the standard measure of
fiscal deficit specified in the Maastricht Treaty,
is widely used and has a number of advantages which
would allow the government more flexibility and
to be more relaxed about increasing public spending.
By moving to the GGFD as soon as possible, we could
achieve a more rational approach to public sector
investment by EU member states.
We call upon the Scottish Parliament to commit
itself to working for an early decision in favour
of the GGFD.
Running quality services demands top-quality, well-trained
and motivated employees. Scotland's Parliament should
ensure that the public service team are treated
fairly.
The new Single Status agreement in Scottish local
government recognises the link between quality services
and quality employment. It provides a flexible framework
for better services, enhancing skills, delivering
fair and equal pay, good conditions of employment
and proper training and career development. Scotland's
Parliament, Scottish local authorities and trade
unions must work together towards the successful
implementation of single status in Scotland.
Best Value for the Team
Best Value should be provided on the basis of a
partnership between the service providers - both
the politicians, and the employees - and the service
users.
UNISON also believes that Best Value in Scotland
must be underpinned by a fair employment agenda
which aims to prevent a return to exploitation and
unfairness at work which characterised the process
of CCT.
The principles should include - Strong equal opportunity
policies, equality for part-time and temporary workers,
implementation of European and UK health and safety
and anti-discrimination legislation, trade union
recognition and collective bargaining rights on
all contracts, training plans for all groups of
staff , and new management approaches to ensure
fair treatment.
Neither the minimum wage nor the signing of the
European Social Chapter provides any increase in
the protection available to employees working in
Scottish local government. UNISON wants to move
to the introduction of full scale contract compliance.
This would achieve a level playing field for local
government providers and ensure private companies
compete on equal terms.
Employee Development and
Training
The main priority of the new government is education.
Education and training is not the sole preserve
of schools, colleges and universities. Investment
in education and training for workers is just as
important and requires the same commitment of resources
if continuous improvement in services is to be achieved.
The morale of local government workers in Scotland
has been badly damaged following all the unnecessary
upheaval of reorganisation. Investment in the training
and development of staff is at an all time low with
training budgets being a prime target for cuts in
recent years. The fully trained workforce must be
a realistic aim for all local authority employers
as we approach the year 2000.
A new partnership with local government has to
be based on something more substantial than fine
words and warm sentiments. A proper balance of powers
is essential for any new relationship to flourish.
Independent decision-making, the ability to take
risks and to make mistakes should be at the heart
of the democratic process.
UNISON supports proposals for a formal Covenant
between Scottish local government and the new Scottish
Parliament. The aim of this is to ensure that services
are provided at the most appropriate local level
and to devolve new powers and responsibilities to
councils in Scotland in terms of service delivery.
A balanced partnership with local government is
essential if our Scottish Parliament is to ensure
we are all:-
This minifesto and a full copy of Serving Scotland,
A manifesto For Scotland's Public Services, is on
UNlSONScotland's Website at http://www.unison-scotland
org. uk.
It is also available in different languages and
formats from UNISONScotland, 14, West Campbell Street,
Glasgow G2 6RX. tel 0141-332 0006, fax 0141 342 2835, e-mail c.bartter@unison.co.uk.
Published by UNISONScotland as part of its Serving
Scotland campaign, UNISON House, 14 West
Campbell Street, Glasgow G2 6RX. Tel 0141 332 0006.
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