|
Headlines . Communications . Home
We must vote YES
for action on pay
Ballot started on 17 July with ballot papers staring to
go out to members home addresses.
So time is short to make sure members are fully informed
and vote YES before the 14 August deadline.
Members have already rejected the offer in a Scotland-wide
consultation. They rejected the offer and called for a ballot because:-
the employers "first and final" 2.5% offer is
below inflation, below the increase in annual earnings and below other public
sector staff increases
- the employers can afford to meet our claim
- the offer does nothing to address low pay
- the employers have refused to negotiate any improvement
and industrial action is the only way to change the offer.
We now have to translate that into the YES vote that matters
in the industrial action ballot.
"The offer is derisory and does not meet in any shape
or form our claim of 5% or £500 and a minimum hourly rate of £5
", said UNISON Local Government Chair Dougie Black.
Joe Di Paola, UNISON's Scottish Organiser for Local Government
and Trade Union Side Secretary said,
"This miserly offer was emphatically rejected in the
extensive consultations that we carried out amongst the UNISON membership
across Scotland.
"It doesn't go any way towards dealing with low pay
in local government and doesn't even match the offer made by English councils."
Jane Carolan, Chair of the Scottish trade union negotiators,
said, "We want Scottish local government to be properly funded, and
in particular those who provide the services should be properly paid.
"We deserve it and they can afford it".
Who's being balloted?
Everyone employed by the 32 councils in Scotland except
- chief officers; craft workers; voluntary sector members.
The reason for this is - If a lead employer is being balloted
on an industrial dispute only members employed by that employer who are
party to the dispute can be balloted. (UNISON's Industrial Action Procedures).
If in any doubt, Branches should seek advice from Joe Di
Paola, Scottish Organiser (Local Government).
Ballot Question
The question which will be used on the ballot paper will
be - "Are you prepared to take industrial action in the form of strike
action? "
With the ballot paper there will be information from UNISON
setting out why members are being balloted and why they should vote YES.
What form of action is proposed?
UNISON is recommending strike action. This would involve
all out strike action on 1, 2 and 3 days in consecutive weeks followed by
selective action.
Publicity
Posters and leaflets have been prepared have gone out direct
to Branch Secretaries from the printers. Please make sure that they are
distributed to all workplaces and notice boards.
Further supplies are available from West Campbell Street
or Belford Road.
What you should be doing
Stewards should be arranging workplace meetings to brief
members - ask them to hold off filling in their ballots until they've
heard the arguments.
Posters, leaflets and briefings have gone out to branches
and as we went to press, speakers notes were also on the way.
These are all in your branch now. If you haven't seen
them, nobble your branch secretary.
 |
