Conference backs plan to ‘catch up with devolution'
The Report on Bargaining
and Devolution was put before Conference, setting out a clear agenda
for development within UNISON to allow the devolved parts of the
union to maximise the potential advantages, whilst maintaining a
strong national structure.
Jane
Carolan, Scottish NEC member moved the Report.
"Instead
of one centre of power, Westminster there are now four, not simply
four centres of power but four different
political cultures, and different political outcomes,” she
said
Jane
explained that the Scottish Parliament and the political balance
of a Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition has meant that entirely different
priorities have been adopted, and in certain cases very much to
our benefit.
Foundation
hospitals, university tuition fees, universal free care for the
elderly, are all on this week's conference agenda, and Scotland
can sympathise and show solidarity, but thanks to Scottish Parliament,
we don't have the same problems.
Jane
continued, "Before anyone thinks that we have reached a Utopia,
as a privatised local government worker, I have to say there are
downsides as well as upsides.
"But
the crucial point I want to make which my Welsh and Northern Irish
colleagues would agree with is that the public services agenda with
which this union crucially identifies is controlled a at national
level - but national is no longer UK but rather diversified into
Westminster, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast.”
"As
politics has diversified, bargaining has diversified. As devolution
has progressed the union has failed to keep up with it.
"At
a basic level the Auchenshuggle Local Government Branch Secretary
is still getting circulars on English pay and grading. Not just
a waste of resources, how much credibility does a union have in
these circumstances? ”
Mike
Kirby, Scottish Regional Representative highlighted the challenge
for the union's organisation and ‘our institutional and individual
capacity and capability to respond'.
"This
is a report which I hope will take the issues of policy, conferences,
rule book and resources, beyond the Celtic fringe and realise the
potential and challenge for the whole union”, he said.
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Jane Carolan
Mike Kirby
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