Response from the SNP Group

1. How will you protect public services? We have campaigned successfully for an increase in funding for Aberdeen, which has seen our budget increase by £5m this year and will go a significant way to protecting services. We have a policy of no compulsory redundancies, which will ensure that staff can feel secure in their jobs resulting in improved morale and better services. 2. Will you oppose any proposals for privatisation of key council services? As you know we opposed the corporate governance ADM as we believe that council services should wherever possible be carried out by the council. If we do need to change the way services are provided this should not be along the model of Sport Aberdeen where it is a company owned by the council - and no need to make a private profit. 3. With budgets going down, how will you protect standards in social care? We will utilise the Scottish Government's change funds and work in partnership with other public bodies to ensure that support is given to allow people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. This will save money and result in better outcomes for older people. 4. How can you ensure that the amount of personalisation or self-directed payments are at a level for elderly or disabled people to purchase an adequate amount of care? We will regularly review how these payments operate and ensure that consultation is undertaken with service users/carers to ensure standards are maintained. 5. Should everyone delivering public services - council staff and those working for contractors - be paid the Living Wage? Ideally yes - we have introduced it for council staff from this year and will explore if this can be rolled out for contractors. We passionately support the living wage. 6. Will you recognise the contribution made to our children’s education by classroom assistants by supporting them in opposing cutbacks? We have tried to limit the reduction in the numbers of PSAs. Following consultation last year we rolled back on proposals to reduce PSAs by 50% and reluctantly accepting a 33% reduction. There were no further reductions this year and we increased DEM budgets by £1m this year - if head teachers think they need more PSAs they can use this money to fund it. 7. Will you oppose the 3,000 planned job losses among police staffs? Policing will be a matter for the Scottish Government. Due to declining budgets savings will need to be made. It is important to note that the SNP has a no compulsory redundancy policy at a local and national level. 8. What will you do to lessen the impact of the UK Government’s Welfare Reforms which will see many families losing entitlement to a range of benefits including council tax benefit, housing benefit and working tax credits? We will ensure that support and advise is given to people who bear the brunt of the massive welfare cuts. We feel that the cuts are wrong and will only create further social and economic problems for some of our most vulnerable people. We will support initiatives that help people back to work. 9. Do you think it’s fair that council staff should have their pay frozen while inflation is high and the rich are getting richer? In principle no. Pragmatically I would rather see a pay freeze than job losses though, which is the motivation behind the pay freeze. 10. Will you support the council negotiating a Green Workplace agreement with trade unions to help meet climate change targets? We are totally committed to achieving the ambitious CO2 reduction targets and will explore all options to do this and would very much welcome working with the Trade Unions to achieve this goal.

Response From The Labour Group

Thank you for your recent e-mail, this response is the Labour Group position on the matters you have raised. 1 Our record is our key argument. We have worked closely with the Trade Unions and in particular UNISON throughout the last 5 years to try and protect our staff and services threatened by the SNP and the Lib Dems. We believe in public services and we believe that good public services are key to the viability of this city. 2 Again our record is to rebut all attempts at privatisation. This culminated in our pressure on the SNP paying off and producing a decisive rejection of the wholesale-proposed privatisation of core services. Remember Labour took a position right at the start of the process and said no. The SNP on the other hand said yes initially then changed their minds after huge amounts of money had been spent on outside accountants and thereby wasted. 3 We will be integrating the current plans for wholly owned internal company to ensure quality is preserved. We will work with the Trade Unions and in particular UNISON to take forward proposals in partnership and possibly incorporating co-operative aspects. In childcare and fostering in particular we might in close consultation with the Unions examine co-operative solutions. 4 We can assure the workforce that any changes in this field will be politically led centred on strong convenor ship. Labour Councillors will not be rubber-stamping anything. 5 Our commitment is to guarantee our own staff the living wage and we will seek to apply this to contracts wherever this is legally possible 6 We have fought hard for PSA’s against the SNP and Lib Dems who cut them. In alliance with educational religious and parent representatives we succeeded in forcing an inquiry into the educational impact of these cuts. The SNP and lib Dems voted against our motion. 7 We have always recognised the crucial importance of non-uniformed staff to the provision of criminal justice services. This was shown by the prolonged struggle over provision of forensic services in Aberdeen. We will continue to be pro-active in protecting staff. 8 We will work to oppose and bring down this reactionary UK Government and get back Labour Government. We would call on all Trade Unions and all Trade Unionists to support us in our endeavours. We will work with COSLA to do whatever can be done in mitigation of current measures. We will support all legitimate protests. 9 The reactionary SNP councillors supported by the Lib Dems tried to deny Aberdeen City Council staff their legitimate salary increments. Labour opposed this and fought to ensure all staff received their entitlements under contract. Only our joint working with Trade Unions overcame this. In administration we would be a strong voice in COSLA working closely with unions 10. Yes we believe that green should be an important part of our agenda Willie Young Secretary Labour Group Aberdeen City Council

Response from Jim Farquharson

Hi Karen, Difficult questions, but my answers must be brief. Bearing in mind that I had a thirty year career in HR in the Oil Industry, my answers will certainly be a bit different from those of your members. In that time, i was always known as firm but fair. I always try to achieve a win/win solution and am disappointed with much of the warring that seems to be part of Public Sector bargaining.Short answers are as follows. 1) Cut back on wasted expenditure and vanity projects. Try to achieve win/win solutions to problems. That means both side understanding the issues and coming to a compromise. 2) I have largely been opposed to privatisation as the saving in costs are often replaced by contractor profits. 3) Good question... It is my personal belief that the Equal Pay settlement that was imposed on the Unions has created more problems than we originally had. Bad legislation has been enacted for good reasons but without any understanding of the possible outcome. 4) Outwith my remit. 5) They should be paid a fair wage. The definition of Living Wage depends on too many different criteria. That is where mistakes have been made in the past. 6) I am totally opposed to the dual policy of "inclusion" and swingeing cuts in PSA's and classroom assistants. 7) I am totally opposed to the amalgamation of Scotland's Police Forces and the resulting loss of Police Officers on our streets. 8) Not part of my remit. 9) These are hard times and should be shared by all alike. 10) it is not a matter that I personally am particularly interested in, and so I would leave that to others. Sorry that is my lot. Regards, Jim Farquharson

A letter to council candidates

With the local elections now just 11days away the branch has written to as many council candidates as we could get contact email contact information for, we have not included candidates who represent the National Front and when we reciee a response we will post the comments here. Dear Council candidate Our Members wish to make informed choices at the local council elections next week. With this in mind I am sending these questions to as many candidates as possible. We realise this a busy time but the Aberdeen City Branch of Unison would appreciate your answers to the following questions. We with your permission will publish responses on our blog. In order that our members have all the information they require. 1. How will you protect public services? 2. Will you oppose any proposals for privatisation of key council services? 3. With budgets going down, how will you protect standards in social care? 4. How can you ensure that the amount of personalisation or self-directed payments are at a level for elderly or disabled people to purchase an adequate amount of care? 5. Should everyone delivering public services - council staff and those working for contractors - be paid the Living Wage? 6. Will you recognise the contribution made to our children’s education by classroom assistants by supporting them in opposing cutbacks? 7. Will you oppose the 3,000 planned job losses among police staffs? 8. What will you do to lessen the impact of the UK Government’s Welfare Reforms which will see many families losing entitlement to a range of benefits including council tax benefit, housing benefit and working tax credits? 9. Do you think it’s fair that council staff should have their pay frozen while inflation is high and the rich are getting richer? 10. Will you support the council negotiating a Green Workplace agreement with trade unions to help meet climate change targets? thanks in advance karen Karen Davidson Secretary Unison Aberdeen City

Comment from Cllr Jim Kiddie

Many thanks for your kind remarks. I can assure you that I spoke with considerable passion on this subject and am delighted with the outcome.

Councillor Jim Kiddie (in response to email below)

Councillors,

I am writing on behalf of the Aberdeen City Unison Branch to thank you for your support yesterday in voting to end the ADM project.

We are incredibly grateful and look forward to now working to further improve the Corporate Governance Service.

On a separate note, can I, on behalf of the Branch, take this opportunity to say that it has been a pleasure working with you all over the past few years, through a period that has been challenging at best! We look forward to continuing and developing this relationship after the election.

We wish you all the very best for 3 May.

Comment from Cllr Marie Boulton

Please pass on my support and gratitude to all your members for the great work they do and I have complete faith that they will ensure we move forward successfully together.

Best wishes
Marie Boulton

End to Privitisation Plans at ACC

Aberdeen City Unison Branch would like to thank all those involved in the fight against the privatisation of sections of the Corporate Governance Service, and the Labour and SNP Councillors (and Councillor Marie Boulton) who voted to end the ill fated project yesterday.

End of Privatisation Plans for Corporate Governance Service

Councillors have today taken a decision to end plans to privatise sections of the Corporate Governance Service (referred to as the Alternative Delivery Model or ADM).

Councillors instructed Stewart Carruth, who is the Director for the Corporate Governance Service, to consult with the relevant Trades Unions and the wider workforce seeking their views on the future direction of the service and report to this committee with options for how future years' savings can be achieved in the absence of the ADM Project.

A huge thank you to all involved in the fight against this privatisation project - a great success for staff!

No to shared services

The following was recieved today from UNISON Scotland.

New UNISON study argues for proper service redesign instead of back office cuts through flawed 'shared service' models

The front line starts here

A new 16-page report for UNISON Scotland argues that 'efficiency savings' which are often expected from piecemeal organisational change such as flawed 'shared services' models are rarely achieved. In fact, the vast majority of front line staff - around 90% - who have faced cuts to so-called 'back office' admin jobs believe this has been at the expense of their primary tasks.

'The front line starts here' document, published today, outlines the case for full service redesign to be explored as an option when developing shared front and back office service proposals.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns, said:

"The UK National Audit Office reported this month that Whitehall departments have spent a staggering £1.4 billion over the past seven years - but saved just £159 million by ill-advised schemes for sharing 'back office' functions such as personnel and procurement.

"Our report highlights the importance of designing systems from the service user upwards - as opposed to piecemeal organisational change in the form of structures, which is resulting in the separation and fragmentation of services across the Scottish public sector.

"We want to end that kind of waste. Instead we want to work with public authorities to explore full service redesign as an option when developing shared front and back office service proposals."

The new report includes results from a UNISON survey of frontline public service worker in areas like social work and protective services, which shows that cutbacks in admin functions have damaging effects on vital public service, and are rarely effective or efficient.

Dave Watson said:

"The vast majority of the front line workers we surveyed - 94% - believed that it was more effective to provide administrative support in the same office than to centralise in 'shared service' type back office operations. 'The front line starts here' seeks to expose the flaws in creating artificial splits between the front and back office services when setting up shared service delivery arrangements, as back and front office services are interdependent."

Peter Smyth
Communications officer

Outsourcing

Asia many of you will know on Thursday the finane and resources committee agreed to amend the report on the ADM, shortly after the meeting the following email was sent to members.


At today's Finance & Resources Committee the following Motion submitted by the Labour and the SNP councillors on the committee was passed.

the Committee Agrees to

1.Terminate the procurement process without a contract award.

2. To approve the saving of £782,000 for 2012/13 from Corporate Governance to be met from vacancy management to secure a balances budget.

3. instructs the Director of Corporate Governance to consult with the relevant Trades Unions and the wider workforce seeking their views on the future direction of the service and report to this committee with options for how future years savings can be achieved in the absence of the ADM Project.

While it has been passed it has been referred to full council on the 4th of April.

This motion if ratified at the council will bring to an end the Alternative Delivery Model and the attempts to outsource significant services and staff within the council.

UNISON Aberdeen City thanks all of those Elected representative's who supported our call today for the ADM to be scrapped and we look forward to the 4th of April and hope that the Full Council ratifies this important decision.

Peter Smyth
Communications officer

Aberdeen UNISON calls on city council to do the right thing and keep services in house

UNISON Scotland news release

Date: 14 March 2012

Aberdeen City UNISON has called on councillors to keep vital public services in house and abandon flawed privatisation plans. The city’s powerful Finance and Resources committee meets tomorrow (Thursday 15 March) to decide on a report which recommends abandoning the Alternative Delivery Model – in other words outsourcing to privateers – and keeping the services in house instead.

UNISON Branch Secretary Karen Davidson told councillors:

“The ADM project is at a critical stage – you must now decide whether to plough on with it or back staff and management proposals to make efficiencies in-house.

“If services are retained in-house there will be no management time wasted on managing relationships and contracts with multi-national companies. There will instead be continued direct, democratic control of services. And you will be able to keep savings achieved for re-investment in public services, rather than providing private sector profits for multi-national companies that are not based in Aberdeen.

“UNISON is urging you to do the sensible thing and back the in-house option. Please now dump ADM, and show trust and confidence in us – your Council staff.”

ENDS

For further information please contact: 

Karen Davidson, Branch Secretary - 07917426931
Sarah Duncan, Regional Organiser - 07904 342 285
Malcolm Burns, Communications Officer - 0141 342 2877 / 07538 640 396

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk

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