Latest news affecting staff in Education and Children’s Services
You were recently surveyed on the terms of our pay claim for 2023. The results are in and Unite’s demands are listed below.
Unite’s pay claim for 2023 is below. This will be put to Unison and GMB, so we can agree what the unions’ pay claim to put to COSLA will be.
Unite calls for:
Continue reading “Unite’s pay claim 2023”
If you receive Universal Credit the amount you get changes if your take-home pay changes. This includes awards of backdated pay. When your backpay for the 2022/23 local government pay settlement is paid on 22 December, your Universal Credit payment will either be less than you normally receive or your income may be too high to qualify for a payment and your claim will close.
Universal Credit is calculated on your personal circumstances. Because of this the Council do not know how, or if, you may be affected.
If your claim closes, you will see a message on your UC Journal telling you about this.
Edinburgh Trade Union Council (ETUC) is hosting a public meeting on Tuesday 6 December 2022 from 6pm to 8:30pm. The meeting will be held with the Council Chamber, City Chambers, High Street.
We encourage everyone with an interest in social care and public services to attend—especially members working in this area and those who receive care in their family.
Continue reading “The Social Care Crisis in Edinburgh—public meeting on 6 December”
On Thursday 24 November, teachers in the EIS will be on strike over pay.
All schools will be closed.
Staff who are not striking will be working from home.
Pupils on free school meals will get their Thursday lunch to take home on Wednesday.
There will be no clubs at schools, other than evening classes after 6pm.
Download the Council’s guide to industrial action for details (PDF)
Download Unite’s guide for members not involved in industrial action (PDF)
Working from home presents a question of whether this is crossing a picket. A picket line is not just a physical line, but one that can be crossed virtually.
The decision is yours.
Continue reading “EIS strike—advice for members in schools”
As won by the strike action of August 2022, councils will now pay Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) fees for local government workers across Scotland. These are mandatory fees for workers in social care that must be paid each year, so this victory puts money back in the pockets of, often low paid, workers.
The SSSC are working on how
We will update here as soon as we hear details of refunds. Read below for how registrations will work.
You will still have to re-register each year, but you will not pay a fee. When registering online select the option ‘I work for a local authority (local council)’.
The MySSSC payment screen will soon encourage local government workers not to pay a fee. In future MySSSC will recognise that you are a local government worker and not ask for a fee.
SSSC won’t issue invoices for fees due in December. Instead, they will send an email advising they do not need to pay a fee.
Unite members will be relieved to hear that the 2022 pay deal will now be implemented – finally!
Today COSLA confirmed that the sticking points of the 1 day’s annual leave and payment of SSSC registration fees will be in perpetuity as offered and accepted by a members’ ballot.
Despite pressure being applied to accept a partial deal, Unite would like to thank you all for your continued support and determination to get the full deal.
Together we will always be strong!
The new rates, and your backpay, will be paid on 22 December 2022.
One day annual leave will be added to your entitlement soon. As the pay deal takes effect from April, there was around a half day accrued in the last leave year. We are in discussions about how this will be added to your entitlement.
For details of the pay deal, and to see a rough calculation of what it will mean for you, see our post from September.
Today, Unite members accepted the latest pay offer from COSLA, with 71% voting to accept. Read details of the offer and see what it means to you.
Edinburgh waste and cleansing workers led the fight for Scottish local government worker pay.
The strike proved what we knew all along—the undeniable value of waste and cleansing workers, the city’s disease prevention team whose work benefits citizens, businesses and tourists immeasurably, and the power these workers have when organised to take action. The impact was noticed within 12 hours. Edinburgh was turned upside down and this shock made the Scottish Government sit up and take it notice. The action of the waste and cleansing workers brought the First Minister to the table to negotiate a resolution, despite the government’s prior insistence that it had nothing to do with them.
Overwhelmingly, the public stood by us and recognised that our fight is their fight. The attacks on working people in this country are being resisted and we are at the forefront, showing that organised, disciplined workers are ready for the fight for fair pay to weather the cost of living crisis. Edinburgh residents and visitors have shown their support and solidarity, recognising that local government workers are essential, yet unappreciated and unvalued by the Scottish Government.
Continue reading “Pay offer accepted—looking back on the strike”