Pay Update 24th January 2017 - UNISON urges councils to agree decent pay rise now

Aberdeenshire UNISON branch, along with all the other council branches in Scotland, will be writing to the leaders of our councils urging them to make a decent pay offer to staff when they meet on 27th January.

This is the latest in UNISON Scotland's long running pay claim for council workers which was first submitted back in August 2016.

UNISON council branches will also lobby the CoSLA meeting on 27th January.

Kate Ramsden, Branch Chair said, "Our claim has been in for 5 months now with NO response from CoSLA. It's a disgraceful way to treat hard-working staff.

"Council workers deserve a decent pay rise this year after years of falling living standards and we will continue to press the employers for a decent settlement."

Branch lobbies Scottish Parliament for increase to council budget settlement

Branch activists lobbied the Scottish Parliament on 3rd and 24th February as it debated the Budget Bill, to call on the Scottish Government to improve their settlement for Local Authorities to prevent cuts and job loss.

Inez Teece, Branch Secretary and Vice Chair of the Scottish Local Government Committee who attended both events with the branch banner said,
"It was good to see such a big turnout at the lobby of parliament on the Budget Bill.

"It is very disappointing that the Scottish Government has refused to shift and is talking down the impact of the cuts on council jobs and services.

Click here for a full report on the Branch website

Branch goes to the "heart of government" and lobbies parliament to say no to the "unfair, undemocratic and unnecessary" trade union bill

Aberdeenshire branch joined thousands of trade unionists in London on 2nd November in a mass lobby of MPs calling on them to vote against the Trade Union Bill.

Branch Chair, Kate Ramsden was the sole branch delegate after Inez Teece, Susan Kennedy and Steven Gray were left stranded in Aberdeen as fog in London cancelled flights from around the country.

Kate joined forces with Deirdre Macdonald of Aberdeen City Branch whose colleagues were also stranded in Aberdeen.