Aberdeenshire Branch has a new branch website

UNISON Aberdeenshire Branch has a new branch website.

After 12 years and two national awards we have retired the old branch website and launched a new one designed to be cleaner, more accessible and able to be updated by a wider group of the branch team.

We will no longer be updating this blog so for up to date branch information please go to http://aberdeenshireunison.org/

Leisure and Culture Trust Update UNISON – working to protect members and services

As Aberdeenshire Council continues to explore the proposal to move its sport, culture and leisure services out to a trust, UNISON continues to be involved in all working groups and project board looking at this option.

Here, Branch Secretary, Inez Kirk gives an update on the branch’s work to ensure our members feed into this process.

“UNISON has met with our members during a series of meetings during September and the feedback we have received continues to form our negotiating strategy. 

We have been seeking:

·         trade union recognition in the new trust

·         a non voting trade union advisor to the board

·         a sign-up of the trust to the SJC (Scottish Joint Council)

·         terms and conditions to maintain parity with colleagues remaining within

the Council.

So far, the Council has agreed to trade union recognition; the others we continue to discuss. 

Now is the time to stand strong, stand united and put public services first

Branch Chair and NEC member Kate Ramsden joined thousands of people from our union and other unions as they came together in London and demanded change, an end to austerity and real pay rises for all public service workers.

Addressing the rally in Parliament Square, Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary told those assembled that this is trade unionism at its best, “United, single-minded and determined to change our country for the better.

Branch members join Pay Up Now march and rally to demand decent pay rise

Branch members joined over 5,000 public service workers as they marched through Edinburgh on 7 October as part of UNISON’s Pay Up Now! Campaign, which is keeping pressure on both the Scottish and Westminster governments to end the pay cap and give all workers a decent pay rise.

Public service employees have seen their pay held back right across the UK for almost a decade. Public sector pay rose by just 4.4% between 2010 and 2016, while the cost of living rose by 22%.

The rally was addressed by Lilian Macer, UNISON Scotland convener, general secretary Dave Prentis and Gordon McKay, the union’s senior vice president.

See the full report on the UNISON Scotland website with photos and videos of the event.