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!