Politics – Unite CEC Branch

September demo to #SaveOurCareHomes

Unite give a deputation to the EIJB at the City Chambers to protest care home closures

On 28 September, the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board met to discuss plans to change Drumbrae Care Home to a hospital based complex clinical care unit (HBCCC) and to close the NHS-run community hospital at Ferryfield.

The Council trade unions organised demos throughout the day with the support of community activists and Labour councillors. Once again, Unite gave a deputation to the EIJB to speak out against cuts to publicly owned-residential care homes, the unaccountable nature of the EIJB and the lack of consultation with staff, residents and citizens. Watch Unite’s deputation in the Council’s webcast or read it below.

Industrial action ballot launched—important details for members

Branch convener Graeme Smith and branch secretary Brian Robertson each hold a Unite flag and jointly hold an envelope reading notice of industrial action outside the Edinburgh City Chambers — Branch convener Graeme Smith and branch secretary Brian Robertson serve the notice of industrial action at the City Chambers

Unite launch industrial action ballots across all Scottish local authorities as pay dispute escalates

Today, Unite the Union served notice of industrial action ballot to all 32 Scottish local authorities following an overwhelming rejection of the pay offer in a consultative ballot.

In the ballot:

83% rejected pay offer
74% indicated a willingness to take strike action.

Important ballot information for members

We will conduct a ballot for industrial action of the following members:

Support for suspended Councillor

Edinburgh Labour recently suspended Councillor Gordon Munro, longest serving of our three Leith Ward councillors, for three months. This punishment was issued for the perceived delinquency of disobeying orders to vote for the coalition budget motion in February 2021 when, instead Councillor Munro abstained from the vote. His reasons for abstaining: that the coalition budget did not serve the people of Leith (where some of the most acute deprivation in Scotland exists) nor Edinburgh properly.

Whilst it is recognised that other parties’ budgets may have proven even more detrimental to Leith and Edinburgh it must also be recognised that Councillor Munro is a long standing campaigner against cuts, a lifelong supporter of workers’ rights (particularly City of Edinburgh council workers) and a consistent and persistent advocate for those in his ward and beyond who suffer the pains of poverty. It is in this context that we ask Edinburgh Labour to rescind or commute this sentence to enable this councillor to do what the role demands of him.

For more information on this visit:

Morning Star

Edinburgh Evening News

Morning Star

Do your election candidates support Unite’s care manifesto?

Unite have created a great tool to help you contact the election candidates in your area to ask if they support Unite’s care manifesto. Using your postcode, the tool automatically finds your candidates and lets you email them all, with Unite’s email template, in one go.

Contact your candidates today.

The manifesto’s five demands are:

A properly funded and publicly owned National Care Service which involves participation from the trade unions and local government.
A minimum of £15 an hour for all social care workers.
A minimum floor of terms and conditions for all social care workers which includes two 30 mins paid rest breaks, access to enhanced sick pay and consistent provision of pensions.
The establishment of collective bargaining in all areas of social care services including the third sector and private sector.
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) registration fee to be fully funded by the Scottish Government.

‘Council Matters’ by Tony Walsh

Another Edinburgh is Possible

Another Edinburgh is Possible is a recently formed independent alliance of community groups and trade unionists working to defend and extend public services in the city.

Please consider completing this short survey. Another Edinburgh is Possible wants to know your views about current council services and your ideas for the services we need.

Complete the survey

The survey is completely anonymous, it will be impossible to link responses to any individual, and the data collected will be used to help us collate the views of people right across the city and understand how factors like age and gender influence experience.

Once you’ve submitted the form please share the link with friends, family, neighbours and workmates (email, Facebook, WhatsApp etc).

You may also wish to compare and complete the City of Edinburgh Council budget engagement, which closes 12th December 2020.