The Scottish Government must work to
prevent evictions over the deeply unfair
bedroom tax – evictions that would
heap homelessness on top of poverty.
That was the call from UNISON’s
John Stevenson as he supported a motion
condemning the despicable ‘welfare
reform’ agenda of the UK coalition
government.
John said that people should be “furious” at
the attack on benefit cuts from owners
of country mansions who have never had
to worry about rent or whether they can
afford a Christmas.
Unions must make sure the public know
the facts – not the fiction in
most of the media - to make them angry
and give them the confidence to act.
“But while we do that” he
said, “we still need to protect
the victims here and now.
“Part of that is to convince councils
and the Scottish Government not to heap
homelessness on top of poverty by evicting
people.
“Around 105,000 households in
Scotland – a fifth of the social-rented
sector – will lose an average of £14
a week.
“In Edinburgh 4,500 people will
be affected with only 900 one bedroom
houses available and of course not sitting
empty."
“The vast majority will lose £14
a week or more with no option whatsoever
to move – even if you accept that
people should be forced to move home – for
that is what it is – a home not
a flat, not a house – a home with
memories, with neighbours and friends
and support networks.
“To their credit, councils across
the country, including Edinburgh on Tuesday,
have pledged not to evict people due
to this vicious legislation. As Cllr
Ricky Henderson put it, the council was
not going to stand up in court: “trying
to evict some poor soul whose only offence
is the government moved the goalposts.””
The Unite motion, seconded by PCS, was
also supported by Edinburgh, Glasgow,
and South Lanarkshire & East Kilbride
TUCs.
It stated that Congress is “deeply
concerned at the statement of Johann
Lamont MSP, Scottish Labour leader, that
universal provision is ‘something
for nothing’ – on top of
Ed Balls and Ed Miliband’s declarations
that a future Labour government will
not seek to reverse the Tory-led Coalition’s
massive cuts programme or to restore
public sector pay and pensions to pre-freeze
levels.
Congress reaffirmed its strong support
for universalist principles, as an “effective
contribution towards creating a fairer
and more equal society, ie universal
provisions of social, welfare, education
and public services paid for through
progressive taxation, where the rich
are properly taxed on their income and
wealth.”
John, president of UNISON’s Edinburgh
City branch, added: “Credit must
go to Mike Dailly and Govan Law Centre
on the petition calling on the Scottish
Government to amend Section 16 of the
Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to prevent
social landlords from using rent arrears
caused by the bedroom tax in eviction
actions.
“Great though the campaign is,
it will not stop councils pursuing the
money, they just won’t evict.
“And it comes at a cost. Edinburgh
could lose £4m. That equates to
100 housing management jobs or a £4m
reduction in direct capital investment.
“And as we all know, while the
rich hoard their money away producing
nothing, the rest of us spend most of
what we have in our local economies.
“So almost £1.5million a
week will now be stolen by the government
from local communities and local businesses
that they claim to support.
“So it’s making people poorer,
councils poorer and local economies poorer.
“And there is another element
to this – the attack on local government.
Force local councils into delivering
your deeply unfair policies and let them
take the flak while you get off with
it.
“The more unpopular local councils
are, the easier it is to attack them
even more.”
The motion also called for a range of
measures in campaigning against the cuts,
for a fairer deal for all disabled people
and their families and for a campaign
to oppose all privatisation of welfare
delivery and to bring all privatised
services back in-house, provided by public
sector staff.
18 April 2013
