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UNISON Budget Suggestions
January 23rd, 2017In view of ongoing budget cuts within the Council, UNISON have been engaging with both the Council and the Councillors to bring forward our own list of money-saving or income-generating suggestions. We are fully committed to minimizing the negative impacts of this current austerity on employees. We appreciate the contribution of our members to some […]
Read More...Support staff struggling to maintain standards for pupils because of cuts, says UNISON report
January 16th, 2017UNISON Scotland publishes major report on school support staff: This is one of the biggest surveys of school support staff undertaken for years. It paints a bleak picture of school support staff under pressure, struggling to provide high standards to pupils in Scotland. Support staff report heavier workloads, jobs cuts, lack of educational supplies, and dirtier […]
Read More...Clerical Staff in Schools – update
December 16th, 2016At UNISON’s branch meeting on the 10th of December serious concerns were raised about the treatment of Clerical Staff in Schools regarding the re-structure of their services. The Branch decided to consider taking forward a ballot for industrial action to support these members. At the Joint Trade Union Education Issues Group meeting on Wednesday, 14 December […]
Read More...Primary Clerical Assistants Working Group Meeting 6 Dec.
December 7th, 2016A working group consisting of Primary Clerical Assistants, Primary Head Teachers, School Support Managers, Education Staff and UNISON Stewards met on Tuesday, 6 December 2016. The first statement which Mr Colin Grant made was that there would be ‘NO DECISIONS TAKEN TODAY’. He went on to say that the Education Department had to find £250,000 […]
Read More...Thousands of council jobs at risk in Scotland
December 5th, 2016Scottish councils have been forced to cut 7,000 jobs in the past year due to £350m funding cuts, council chiefs have warned. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) also said that further cuts to local government funding next week will have ‘severe’ consequences for jobs across Scotland. COSLA president, Cllr. David O’Neill, said: ‘There […]
Read More...Breaking News for Non-Teaching Primary School Staff in the 2-18 Service Review
November 30th, 2016UNISON would like to reassure Clerical/Facilities Assistants employed in primary schools that we are now in full consultation with Dumfries & Galloway Council in connection with the ongoing 2-18 Service Review. A vibrant team of Unison Officers, who work in Education, are working together to get the best results for our members. The way forward […]
Read More...UNISON THERE FOR YOU – WINTER FUEL GRANT 2016/17
November 25th, 2016WORRIED ABOUT PAYING YOUR WINTER FUEL BILL? Get help staying warm this winter… With rising fuel costs and another cold winter imminent many members are worried about how they’re going to pay this year’s winter fuel bills. Help is on hand ‘There for You’ has set up a limited fund to help UNISON members on […]
Read More...TELL UNISON WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE BUDGET CONSULTATION
October 7th, 2016We know the council wants ideas on how to save money. There’s no-one better placed to know where this is can be done than the people providing the Council’s services. THIS MEANS YOU! You may or may not have attended one of the Public Consultations over the past week – there’re more next week if you’ve got […]
Read More...Misinformed about the effect of Council cuts?
September 29th, 2016Yesterday the Council assured the employees there will be no redundancies or cuts to Terms & Conditions. Listen however, to the audio of Policy and Resources Committee on 15 September 2016. Who’s really in charge – Elected Members or Council Officers? . . . Listen to the full audio of the Policy & Resources Committee meeting […]
Read More...Council’s latest budget cuts threaten jobs
September 26th, 2016It’s not news that there have been severe cuts to the Council’s finances over the past five years and a further £21million has to be cut in the coming year. UNISON has campaigned throughout this time for the Council to keep its no compulsory redundancy policy and to protect your pay and conditions, and till now this […]
Read More...UNISON D&G to fight austerity cuts via Council Elections
August 31st, 2016UNISON D&G proposes independent candidates to stand in the 2017 Council Elections to challenge Council’s austerity cuts. The following motion to approach other unions to support the idea was carried the Branch’s August Executive meeting: “This motion calls upon the UNISON Dumfries Local Government Branch committee to make contact with sister trade unions in Dumfries & Galloway to […]
Read More...NEWSFLASH! Up to 4 years excess mileage for redeployed Learning Assistants
August 30th, 2016Learning Assistants – have you been redeployed? Did you know that if you’ve been redeployed by Dumfries & Galloway Council you are entitled to claim excess mileage from your last base school to your current base school for a maximum of up to 4 years? The current applicable mileage allowance is £0.25 per mile.
Read More...Supporting Learners Review and Procedure for Transfer for Supernumerary Nursery Nurses
June 28th, 2016A number of issues have been brought to our attention by Members regarding the Supporting Learners Review and Procedure for Transfer for Supernumerary Nursery Nurses. UNISON has today raised a number of issues with Mr Colin Grant, Director of Children and Young Peoples Lifelong Learning (CYPLL) and Dr Gillian Brydson, Head of Education. UNISON has […]
Read More...UNISON School Uniform Grant – APPLY NOW!
June 17th, 2016Worried about back to school costs? Are you: — struggling to cope with the rising cost of living? — finding that you’re having to economise in every area of expenditure? Help is on hand! UNISON has set up a limited fund to help members on low income with school uniform costs by way of a […]
Read More...Standing up for fair recruitment practices at Dumfries & Galloway Council
June 13th, 2016As the Council’s restructuring continues, the ways in which matching pools have been selected have varied widely from the Council’s actual procedures. UNISON Dumfries & Galloway is holding the Council to account to ensure fair recruitment practice. Some Council staff feel they are being treated unfairly when it comes to job-matching and have shared their worries with […]
Read More...Further Education Pay Deal Agreed
January 13th, 2016UNISON Scotland’s FE Sector members accepted this “full and final” pay offer in our consultation ballot which ended on 18th January 2016. In November 2015 UNISON members across all Scottish Further Education Colleges resoundingly rejected the ‘final’ offer to emerge from the first ever round of Scottish pay negotiations and members signalled their desire […]
Read More...Senior Learning Assistant – Recruitment concerns resolved
January 11th, 2016Following contact from our members regarding issues with the recruitment web-link, UNISON contacted management and asked for an extension of 1 week to the closing date for the applications. We are pleased to advise that following further discussion with management the closing date has now been extended to 22 January 2016. The My Job Scotland website cannot be used […]
Read More...Private car business use insurance
January 8th, 2016This is a reminder to members that if they use their own vehicle for work they must ensure their motor vehicle insurance policy has business use included. Most companies will now add this on request at no extra charge, but even a small fee is better than being uninsured. So don’t be caught out; we […]
Read More...SSSC survey now open
December 24th, 2015UNISON is urging all of its members to respond to this request from the SSSC Chief Executive, Anna Fowlie. “We’re starting research to help develop our next strategic plan, looking ahead to our priorities for 2017-2020. The first step is a survey asking for as many people as possible’s views on the SSSC, our role […]
Read More...Scottish Parliament Playground Survey
December 18th, 2015A petition to Scottish Parliament public petition committee is : Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review and amend national legislation and guidance given to local authorities to ensure that all primary schools are required to provide playground supervision in the twenty-minute period before school starts. The Public Petitions Committee […]
Read More...THERE FOR YOU – WINTER FUEL GRANTS 2016
WORRIED ABOUT PAYING YOUR WINTER FUEL BILL? With rising fuel costs and another cold winter looming many members on low income are worried about how they’re going to pay their winter fuel bills. Help is on hand ‘There for You’ has set up a limited fund to help UNISON members on low income by […]
Read More...SCOTTISH YOUNG MEMBERS DEVELOPMENT WEEKEND
STIRLING COURT HOTEL, STIRLING UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, 4-6 MARCH 2016 The branch is keen to support and encourage our new young members to come along and find out more about their union and how they can get involved. It is a great weekend that provides valuable insight in to the union and gives new young members a […]
Read More...Unfair Trade Agreements
TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the EU and US, is one of a raft of new, aggressively neo-liberal trade deals being negotiated around the world that, if passed, will hand unprecedented levels of power to multinational corporations. A similar agreement between the EU and Canada called the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) […]
Read More...Independent Review of Planning
The UNISON Scotland Evidence to the Independent Review of Planning UNISON is Scotland’s largest public sector trade union representing a range of public sector workers including Scotland’s planners. Despite the radical reform of the planning system in 2009 the government is proposing further changes to the performance management of planning authorities. The real issues in […]
Read More...Stress Awareness Training
November 9th, 2015UNISON’s training course on Stress Awareness will be held in the branch office on 1 December 2015 from 9.30-1.30. The course is free to any employed person; teas, coffee and a light lunch will be provided. If you would like to attend please contact Roseann at the branch office tel 01387257393 to reserve a place.
Read More...NEW Council Carers Policy
November 4th, 2015The Council has acknowledged in a new policy that many of it’s employees have to deal with the daily demands of caring for dependants and dealing with emergency situations. It is also likely that some employees will find they need to provide long term care for a seriously ill dependant.
The new policy defines a carer as; someone who provides unpaid support to a dependant who is affected by long-term illness, disability or addiction who could not manage without this help. A dependant is the spouse, partner, parent, grandparent, civil partner or child of the employee, or anyone who lives with the employee as part of his/her family and is dependent on the employee.
Read More...EQUAL PAY No Win No Fee ?
July 21st, 2015It would be cruel if any Council employees who have missed out on claims are hit with huge legal fees
Read More...Professional Registration & Fitness-to-Practice cases
Many more job types will soon require compulsory registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). We expect many members will need support to gain their initial registration because historical data is being held by this organisation about incidents which involve employees who don’t yet need to be registered. These matters will need to be investigated before you can be registered.
Read More...ZERO tolerance policy on alcohol
The Council has changed it’s policy on alcohol to ZERO TOLERANCE
Read More...Council Reshape
June 19th, 2015Almost every part of the council will see changes over the next three years and we would encourage members across every one of the Council operations to participate in developing the new Council structures and services. If you are interested in supporting the Council
Read More...