by Kate Ramsden
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Stephen Smellie
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Congress resolved to campaign for more stable long
term funding for the voluntary sector and called
on funding bodies to pay the rate for the job and
to ensure that voluntary sector employers provide
proper pensions and conditions of service for their
staff and can meet their equality obligations.
It recognised that the voluntary sector provides
essential services to the Scottish community and
that its workers should not be treated as second
class citizens.
Stephen Smellie of UNISON Scotland told congress
that UK and Scottish Ministers have made statements
committing to the expansion of the voluntary sector
in providing public services.
He cautioned however, that whilst many voluntary
sector organisations provide excellent services,
others do not. "But all are posed to the public
as cheaper," warned Stephen, "and they
can only do it cheaper because they pay poorer wages
to staff who have poorer working conditions, sickness
benefits and pensions. Local authorities invite
voluntary sector providers to outbid each other,
forcing down costs and standards."
"As a public service union, we reject totally
the proposal to use one set of public sector workers
to undermine another," he said. "Therefore
UNISON has welcomed the STUC and SCVO joint campaign
for fair and longer term funding, to ensure that
voluntary sector workers are paid the same as workers
in the authority awarding the contract, and that
services are properly funded to meet good quality
standards."
Scotland's
public service union
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