retrofitting – Unite CEC Branch

On Thursday, we braved the chill and snow to demonstrate outside the City Chambers in solidarity with fellow trade unionists, activists and concerned citizens as the Council met to approve next year’s budget.

Read the budget papers and watch a webcast of the budget meeting, which includes the full deputations summarised below.

The Council have delivered a balanced budget for 2022/23, thanks to an underspend in 2021/22 and a 3% Council Tax rise, however the forecast for the years following looks bleak, with a gap in 2023/24 of around £55m with this gap increasing around £25m each year thereafter. The Council have said there must be a ‘robust savings plan’—which we know by now, translates to more cuts.

The demonstrators sought to raise awareness of the impact of cuts and call for measures to tackle the crises we face today that will be worsened by further cuts and by failing to change how the Council delivers services. We need a shake up and we need it now.

This weekend Unite reps joined hundreds of thousands of other trade unionists, activists and citizens to demonstrate at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

Your branch was represented by reps braving the wet conditions to stand in solidarity and demand that the gathering world leaders take heed of the messages from the crowd and act now to stop climate change and protect life on our planet.

Gillian Foy, workplace rep, said

The Day of Action in Glasgow was a genuinely uplifting event. Despite the terrible weather, 100,000 people came came together to make common cause on the issue of climate justice, with similar events taking place worldwide.
It was brilliant to meet Unite members from different branches in Scotland as well as other trade unionists, and to march alongside a wide range of groups and individuals.
The diversity of participants and speakers was really inspiring and I think it’s vital that Unite continues to be active around environmental issues.

Climate and sustainability in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Council’s approach to the climate crisis is due to be published in the 2030 Climate Strategy on 30 November 2021, as discussed at a recent Policy and Sustainability Committee. The draft strategy outlines 7 priorities:

Tag: retrofitting

Unite reps march for a green future at COP26

Climate and sustainability in Edinburgh