UNISON’S UNIQUE POLITICAL FUND – BALLOT SUCCESS

UNISON Scotland urged all members to defend the union’s campaigning voice by voting ‘yes’ to keep its unique political fund. The ballot ran from 1-30 November and resulted in a resound YES we do want to be able to influence decision making in civic governance.

What’s political?

The best way to define this is to list the kind of campaigns that the union could not have mounted without a political fund.

• promoting and defending public services through Scotland’s Public Works campaign
• lobbying and campaigning against outsourcing and privatisation, including the victory in Edinburgh
• campaigning for fairer pay through the Worth It campaign
• fighting racism and discrimination, including our successful fight against the BNP
• defending pensions
• improving employment rights, including paid holidays, rights for agency workers – and building support to stamp out zero hours contract abuses
• getting legislation for more equality including through public sector equalities duties
• extending coverage of the Scottish Living Wage and getting this issue up the political agenda in the Scottish Parliament and in public sector agencies and the Third Sector.
• UNISON Scotland support for the People’s Assembly and we have contributed to a new campaigning guide issued by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity Scotland.

UNISON Scotland responses to consultations conducted by the Scottish Parliament are in part resourced from the Political Fund and have included:

Appointments to Public Bodies
Building Standards
Careers Service
Energy & Fuel Poverty
Environment
Equality
Ethical Standards m Finance
Freedom of Information
Health & Community Care
Housing
Justice
Lobbying
PPP/PFI
Regulation of Care.

More about UNISON’s Unique Political Fund

Following a ballot of all members in 1995, UNISON uniquely decided to have a political fund with two sections. Following a ballot in Mrach 2005, 85% of those who voted said Yes to continue the fund, which will allow UNISON to continue campaigning in the political arena, including the current campaign to defend public sector pensions.

The General Political Fund (GPF) which finances political campaigns in the wider public arena. It is not affiliated to any political party – is used for general campaigning, for example the long campaign for a Scottish Parliament. A branch can access these funds when it needs to run campaigns concerning political decisions.

The Affiliated Political Fund (APF) or LabourLink finances our affiliation to the Labour Party.

Members individually choose which fund to contribute to. They can also decide to opt out of any political levy or contribute to both funds.