Unite is a member-led union and will campaign for issues that matter to you. If there is a particular workplace, social or political issue that matters to you, contact an official to discuss how we can work on this together.
Bring Council services in-house
2021 to present
We believe Council services can best be delivered by Council staff with fair work, fair pay and proper training. Reliance on the private sector can mean
- poorer quality work
- demoralising the Council workforce
- poorer conditions and pay for the workers
- funding companies with suspect practices
- putting public money into the pockets of shareholders, rather than back into the community.
We are working to ensure services can be brought back in house for the benefit of workers, citizens and the local economy.
Save Our Care Homes
June 2021 to present
The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board wants to close 5 Council residential care homes. This would remove publicly owned and operated residential care from the city.
We have worked tirelessly to fight this and protect residential care as an option for older people, working alongside trade unionists, community activists and families to call for a solution that works for service users, families and workers.
Climate and green jobs
August 2021 to present
Decarbonising and transitioning to green ways of working present challenges and opportunities at work in the Council. The challenges are best faced when workers have a voice. The opportunities need to ensure a fair deal for workers and be used to create well-paid, fair work public sector jobs. Your branch is fighting to make these things happen—from getting climate-friendly ideas from workers implemented in the work place to fighting for Council jobs for the social housing retrofit programme.
ATEC24—making workers’ voices heard
ATEC24 is entering a time of great change, with the switch from analogue to digital devices in homes and introduction of new technology across Monitoring and Response and the Community Equipment Loans Service.
Unite are the union for ATEC24. We are fighting to ensure workers have a say in shaping the service and to ensure their health and safety is protected.
Hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS)
November 2021 to present
The Council’s measures for monitoring vibration are not protecting the workforce, with workers in several areas suffering from hand arm vibration system.
Your branch is leading the charge to ensure vibrations are monitored and worker are working with safe levels. And we will make sure workers are supported and compensated as necessary if they are injured as a result of working with vibration.
Early years expansion
January 2020 to present
The Scottish Government’s 1,140 hours proposal extends the number of free hours of early learning and childcare families are entitled to. This means more jobs in early years.
Your branch are working to support early years workers as the new model comes into place and to help workers prepare to apply for the early years jobs.
Drop the Debt
2015 to present
Drop the Debt is a national Unite campaign that looks at alternative funding models for councils in the age of austerity. It campaigns for Scottish local authority pre-devolution debt to be dropped. The campaign is supported by Scottish Labour and the Scottish Green Party.