This toolkit provides branches with campaign resources to save our public services from cuts to pay for an economic crisis caused by rich bankers

The fightback starts here

UNISON branches are faced with cuts in funding, exacerbated in local government by artificial restraints on council tax levels. This is likely to get worse in future years. UNISON has started the fightback – with a twin-tracked campaign at Scottish and branch level engaging user groups and communities to lead successful opposition to cuts. Starting with a rally after Scottish Council on Feb 6, the campaign will continue into an important demonstration on April 10, and further action across Scotland.
Click here for leaflets and posters for the 10 April event.

Issues in the campaign

• Public Services in a recession - why they are important
  Public Works: UNISON Scotland programme to beat recession (pdf)
  
• A Day in the Life: What have Public Services ever done for us?
  Our public services are the most efficient way to deliver the things we need.
  We all depend on public services and the people who provide them every day
  A Day in the Life (pdf)
  A Day in the Life (web pages)
  
• Cost and value of public services: how everyone could lose out if the public sector was to be cut back
  Public Works Briefing #1: What it costs... Oct 2009 (leaflet pdf)
  

Campaigning against cuts

• A basic guide to campaigning
• Assessing your campaign: an essential checklist
• Communications: Getting the message across
• Draft Press Release
• How to produce a newsletter
• Political Lobbying

Budgets and cuts

• Budget cuts February 2010: Briefing 221 (pdf)
  Latest briefing from Policy & Information Team - the Scottish Budget which was passed on 3 February 2010
• Local government budget allocations February 2009: Briefing 197 (pdf)
  Includes figures for 2009-10 and 2008-9
• Local government financial settlement - an overview of key campaign issues

Guidance for branches

• Reading a council budget - guidance on accessing and making sense of local government accounts
• Job reductions - negotiating guidance - issues and resources when dealing with jb reductions
• Redundancy - legal guidance
• Redundancy - pensions guidance - (to be added)
• Equality duties- guidance on accessing and making sense of local government accounts

Public sector pensions - key facts, challenging the myths

• UNISON Scotland Pensions pages - with articles and links
• Pensions Research Update Feb 2009: Briefing 198 (pdf)
  

Recruitment - (to be added)

Keep UNISON informed – Cuts Impact Assessment form
(NB Word document - right clickto download - around 2MB)