"The government has decided that women, families and children will bear the brunt of cutting the deficit," Ruth Lister, head of social policy at Loughborough University told a TUC forum on 22nd July 2010
Although the government claims that the emergency budget is fair, the combined effect of changes to benefits and service cuts is hitting the poorest hardest, especially low paid women workers and their families.
The Chancellor has claimed that the budget will "have no adverse impact on child poverty".
But, according to research by Ms Lister, the government is asking families with children to make an additional contribution that others are not paying.
"Gender and family friendliness are vitally important when we're talking about passing the fairness test," said Ms Lister.
"The conservative manifesto promised to 'make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe'," she said, "yet there seems to have been no assessment of how the budget will affect the coalition's family-friendly agenda".
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has recently advised the Treasury of its legal obligation to carry out an equality impact assessment of the budget.
"We need to remind the government of its duties to do an equality impact assessment of the emergency budget, and the spending review expected later this year," said Ms Lister.
Cuts to services announced in the budget, and housing benefit changes, will also hit women hardest. Research commissioned by UNISON, shows that service cuts will mean the poorest tenth of households will lose the equivalent of 20.5% of their household income, whilst the richest tenth will lose just 1.6%.
Service cuts will be particularly harsh for low-paid women, who make up most of the public sector workforce, and their families and children.
Low paid workers, who already face pay freezes and job cuts, will now also see their services and household income cut.
The government is planning to cap and put restrictions on housing benefit, which many hard-working low-income families depend on to meet rising housing costs.
Freezing of child benefit, and focusing on Child Tax Credits, which will be reduced and withdrawn from many families also indicates a shift in government policy from universal to means-tested benefits for families and children, warned Ms Lister.
Ruth Lister's blog
Women's budget group - Gender impact assessment of the coalition government budget
UNISON's Million Voices for Public Services campaign
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Friday, 9 July 2010
UNISON visit to Enable HQ
Following on from a meeting with UNISON members in the Enable HQ today, it was suggested that access to some of the information below would be useful to members.
Thursday, 8 July 2010
An in-depth study, published by UNISON, explores the complex relationship between working, juggling childcare responsibilities and low pay, a relationship that traps people into low wage jobs, with little chance of progression.
The knock-on effect to families is huge. From working two jobs, taking shifts on the weekend, or feeling too tired to discipline their children or help out with homework, many parents on low wages fear their kids are missing out on vital care and support.
Working alongside researchers from the Working Lives Research Institute from London Metropolitan University, UNISON members discussed and documented the effects of low pay, long and unsocial hours and/or multiple jobs on their own lives and those of their children.
The Impact of Low Pay on UNISON’s Families is available here
The knock-on effect to families is huge. From working two jobs, taking shifts on the weekend, or feeling too tired to discipline their children or help out with homework, many parents on low wages fear their kids are missing out on vital care and support.
Working alongside researchers from the Working Lives Research Institute from London Metropolitan University, UNISON members discussed and documented the effects of low pay, long and unsocial hours and/or multiple jobs on their own lives and those of their children.
The Impact of Low Pay on UNISON’s Families is available here
'Here's how you can cut the deficit' - Mr Cameron
UNISON had a message for David Cameron today, in response to his invitation for public service workers to suggest ways of cutting the deficit.
A letter to the prime minister made our ideas quite clear. It said:
"Dear Dave,
"You asked us how we could cut the deficit. We believe you can do this without devastating public services. Here's how:
"Stop cutting vital public services.
"Stop cutting public service jobs.
"Cut bankers' bonuses and bring in a Robin Hood tax.
"Keep services in-house, instead of paying consultants.
"Cut out the privatisation profiteers.
"Thanks for listening,
"From 1.3 million public service workers in UNISON."
General secretary Dave Prentis said: "Our members didn't cause the recession. It wasn't a nurse or a social worker or a teaching assistant that gambled millions on the stock exchange and almost brought the economy down.
"So our members should not have to pay. It's time that those who created the crisis paid for it
In our alternative budget and here, UNISON has shown how it can be done without making public services workers and our communities suffer."
There's still time to let the prime minister get the message by clicking here and leaving your comments. And let us know what you've said by emailing millionvoices@unison.co.uk.
You can find more ideas in UNISON's alternative budget here.
Click here to join our Million Voices campaign to defend public services.
A letter to the prime minister made our ideas quite clear. It said:
"Dear Dave,
"You asked us how we could cut the deficit. We believe you can do this without devastating public services. Here's how:
"Stop cutting vital public services.
"Stop cutting public service jobs.
"Cut bankers' bonuses and bring in a Robin Hood tax.
"Keep services in-house, instead of paying consultants.
"Cut out the privatisation profiteers.
"Thanks for listening,
"From 1.3 million public service workers in UNISON."
General secretary Dave Prentis said: "Our members didn't cause the recession. It wasn't a nurse or a social worker or a teaching assistant that gambled millions on the stock exchange and almost brought the economy down.
"So our members should not have to pay. It's time that those who created the crisis paid for it
In our alternative budget and here, UNISON has shown how it can be done without making public services workers and our communities suffer."
There's still time to let the prime minister get the message by clicking here and leaving your comments. And let us know what you've said by emailing millionvoices@unison.co.uk.
You can find more ideas in UNISON's alternative budget here.
Click here to join our Million Voices campaign to defend public services.
Friday, 2 July 2010
National Office UNISON stall
Please come along to the Boardroom on 2nd Floor between 12.00 and 2.00 on Friday 9th July 2010.
This will be a chance to find out more about UNISON and discuss the changes at National Office.
Find out how UNISON can help you, all the benefits of membership and join on the day.
Drop in for 5 minutes or longer.
All welcome.
For further information contact Robert Rae
This will be a chance to find out more about UNISON and discuss the changes at National Office.
Find out how UNISON can help you, all the benefits of membership and join on the day.
Drop in for 5 minutes or longer.
All welcome.
For further information contact Robert Rae
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Budget: Government declares war on public services
22/06/2010
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, today accused the Government of declaring war on public services and public service workers with the most draconian budget in decades.
He said: “This budget signals that the battle for Britain’s public services has begun with the Government declaring war. Public sector workers will be shocked and angry that they are the innocent victims of job cuts and pay freezes.
“Freezing public sector pay when inflation is running at 5.1% and VAT is going up, will mean a real cut in living standards for millions of ordinary workers and their families - already struggling to pay rising bills.
“Nurses, social workers, midwives, paramedics, police community support officers, housing and environmental officers who provide vital public services, are amongst those who will be hit hardest by the two year pay freeze. And for local government workers this comes on top of this year’s freeze.
“A 25% cut in departmental public spending will decimate our public services. The budget will do nothing to restore confidence or kick-start the recovery, but will push local economies into the ground, raising the spectre of breadline Britain.
“They haven’t even bothered to consider any other option but slash and burn. What of the bankers who caused the recession and the super-rich who evade tax? They must be breathing a sigh of relief that they got away so lightly. The bank tax levy is a poor substitute for a serious ‘Robin Hood” tax on financial transactions. It is a missed opportunity to raise £30bn which would have made a significant dent in the country’s deficit.
“Throwing tens of thousands of public sector workers on the dole will cost the country billions in lost tax revenue as well as piling billions onto the benefits bill.
“The Chancellor dreams of a private sector recovery but how can that be on the back of brutal cuts to public services workers. Local businesses, shops, hairdressers, restaurants will go to the wall as spending dries up. No amount of fiscal stimulus will do any good if they have no customers
“Vital services that the poor, the sick and the vulnerable rely on, are in the firing line. There is no compassion in this coalition.
“Freezing council tax is a useless gesture saving people pennies but cutting tens of millions from council budgets, trhreatening jobs, losing services and undermining the local economy.
“Raising VAT affects the poor the most as they spend a higher proportion of their meagre incomes on goods and services.
“Meanwhile major utility companies spend money sponsoring sporting events whilst attacking pay and conditions – that cannot be fair.”
Adding 500,000 public service workers to the dole between now and 2015 – which the CIPD says would be the likely effect of Osborne’s spending plans – will cost around £10 billion in lost tax and increased benefit payments. This would almost entirely cancel out the reduction in the pay bill, as well as dealing a massive blow to local economies and communities.
UNISON’s Save Our Services alternative budget:
£4.7bn could be raised every year by introducing a 50% tax rate on incomes over £100,000
£10bn could be raised every year by reforming tax havens and residence rules to reduce tax avoidance by corporations and ‘non-domiciled’ residents
£14.9bn could be raised every year by using minimum tax rates to stop reliefs being used disproportionately subsidise incomes over £100,000
£30bn could be raised every year by introducing a Major Financial Transactions Tax on UK financial institutions – the Robin Hood Tax
At least £1.5bn could be raised this year by bringing back the windfall tax on bankers’ bonuses.
£4bn could be saved this year by cancelling Trident, the project could cost as much as £100bn.
£500m could be saved every year by eradicating healthcare acquired infections from the NHS – the extra cleaners would cost half this.
£495m could be saved every year by adopting measures to improve the health and well-being of NHS staff, thereby reducing sickness absence
£1bn could be saved every year by halving the local government agency bill, as has been achieved by high performing councils
£5bn could be raised every year with an Empty Property Tax on vacant dwellings. This only exaggerates housing shortages and harms neighbourhoods.
£2.8bn could be saved every year by ending the central government use of private consultants who bring little discernable benefit
£3bn could be saved in user fees and interest charges every year if PFI schemes were replaced with conventional public procurement
Total – 77.895bn.
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, today accused the Government of declaring war on public services and public service workers with the most draconian budget in decades.
He said: “This budget signals that the battle for Britain’s public services has begun with the Government declaring war. Public sector workers will be shocked and angry that they are the innocent victims of job cuts and pay freezes.
“Freezing public sector pay when inflation is running at 5.1% and VAT is going up, will mean a real cut in living standards for millions of ordinary workers and their families - already struggling to pay rising bills.
“Nurses, social workers, midwives, paramedics, police community support officers, housing and environmental officers who provide vital public services, are amongst those who will be hit hardest by the two year pay freeze. And for local government workers this comes on top of this year’s freeze.
“A 25% cut in departmental public spending will decimate our public services. The budget will do nothing to restore confidence or kick-start the recovery, but will push local economies into the ground, raising the spectre of breadline Britain.
“They haven’t even bothered to consider any other option but slash and burn. What of the bankers who caused the recession and the super-rich who evade tax? They must be breathing a sigh of relief that they got away so lightly. The bank tax levy is a poor substitute for a serious ‘Robin Hood” tax on financial transactions. It is a missed opportunity to raise £30bn which would have made a significant dent in the country’s deficit.
“Throwing tens of thousands of public sector workers on the dole will cost the country billions in lost tax revenue as well as piling billions onto the benefits bill.
“The Chancellor dreams of a private sector recovery but how can that be on the back of brutal cuts to public services workers. Local businesses, shops, hairdressers, restaurants will go to the wall as spending dries up. No amount of fiscal stimulus will do any good if they have no customers
“Vital services that the poor, the sick and the vulnerable rely on, are in the firing line. There is no compassion in this coalition.
“Freezing council tax is a useless gesture saving people pennies but cutting tens of millions from council budgets, trhreatening jobs, losing services and undermining the local economy.
“Raising VAT affects the poor the most as they spend a higher proportion of their meagre incomes on goods and services.
“Meanwhile major utility companies spend money sponsoring sporting events whilst attacking pay and conditions – that cannot be fair.”
Adding 500,000 public service workers to the dole between now and 2015 – which the CIPD says would be the likely effect of Osborne’s spending plans – will cost around £10 billion in lost tax and increased benefit payments. This would almost entirely cancel out the reduction in the pay bill, as well as dealing a massive blow to local economies and communities.
UNISON’s Save Our Services alternative budget:
£4.7bn could be raised every year by introducing a 50% tax rate on incomes over £100,000
£10bn could be raised every year by reforming tax havens and residence rules to reduce tax avoidance by corporations and ‘non-domiciled’ residents
£14.9bn could be raised every year by using minimum tax rates to stop reliefs being used disproportionately subsidise incomes over £100,000
£30bn could be raised every year by introducing a Major Financial Transactions Tax on UK financial institutions – the Robin Hood Tax
At least £1.5bn could be raised this year by bringing back the windfall tax on bankers’ bonuses.
£4bn could be saved this year by cancelling Trident, the project could cost as much as £100bn.
£500m could be saved every year by eradicating healthcare acquired infections from the NHS – the extra cleaners would cost half this.
£495m could be saved every year by adopting measures to improve the health and well-being of NHS staff, thereby reducing sickness absence
£1bn could be saved every year by halving the local government agency bill, as has been achieved by high performing councils
£5bn could be raised every year with an Empty Property Tax on vacant dwellings. This only exaggerates housing shortages and harms neighbourhoods.
£2.8bn could be saved every year by ending the central government use of private consultants who bring little discernable benefit
£3bn could be saved in user fees and interest charges every year if PFI schemes were replaced with conventional public procurement
Total – 77.895bn.
Monday, 21 June 2010
UNISON Initial Response to Proposals to restructure ENABLE Scotland’s National Office
Please find below a copy of UNISON’s initial response to the proposed changes at National Office. This response was written following consultation with our members at National Office and emailed to Lorraine Davidson and Peter Scott on 16th June 2010. We are keen to expand our organisation at head office and will be arranging a drop in session soon for staff to come along to.
.................................................................................................................................................................
UNISON welcomes the chance to feed in comments about the proposed restructuring of ENABLE Scotland’s National Office. We would though express our disappointment that the notification given to UNISON was very short, which meant we were not able to attend the consultation meetings. Going forward we would hope that as the recognised trade union adequate time is afforded for consultation. Since the notification was received we have begun the process of consultation with our members. This paper represents UNISON’s initial response.
On the substantive proposals there is a sense amongst the members that an opportunity has been missed to engage staff at the formulation stage of the shaping of the new structure to meet the needs of the organisation. If time had been invested to consult staff on what the structure needs to be to meet the challenges ahead there would be a greater buy in at this stage.
Similarly in this vein, whilst it is welcome that there was an indication in Lorraine’s letter to UNISON of 1 June that there would not be redundancies directly associated with the restructure this was not conveyed to staff when the paper was initially issued to them. This combined with the direction to staff to ask for information of managers who themselves were not in possession of this significant information caused unnecessary anxiety amongst staff. We would ask that more consideration is given to communication going forward.
UNISON appreciates the financial pressures ENABLE Scotland operates under and indeed our members have endured the pain of a pay freeze and cuts to the sickness policy. We also note the increasing drive in social policy towards personalisation. Whilst no one would argue against people who have learning disabilities getting more choice and control over their lives rather than just being passive recipients of services, our members have expressed concern that many people who have learning disabilities will not want the added responsibilities associated with becoming purchasers and commissioners. Additionally unless personalisation is properly resourced there is a danger it will push down pay and standards in the sector. We hope ENABLE Scotland will continue to be a quality provider and seek to maintain and improve terms and conditions by not entering in a race to the lowest common denominator.
On the specific areas we would make the following comments:
Practice Development – ENABLE Scotland strives for high standards across its services and our members deliver these time after time. There is a concern that removing this team could undermine the focus and drive in this area.
Operations Department – we seek assurance there will be a suitable posts for everyone.
Training & Quality – We would want to see a continuing and explicit commitment to a highly trained workforce. Something ENABLE Scotland has done well at in the past.
Head of Corporate Support – it is unclear how the new post will relate to existing posts in the organisation. Furthermore at a time when finances are so tight what cost/benefit analysis of this new post has been carried out?
Overall we are worried about an increase in workload for staff that remain in the new structure and thus we seek info on what specific work will no longer be done or what will be done in different ways that will be more efficient?
Members are also asking about what is happening with the 6th floor of the office and how this impacts on matters and would welcome an update on this.
Additionally whilst roles are being restructured in National Office there is also a desire that the physical space is looked at again and that consideration is given to the return of a discreet staff room.
Members have also asked the question how can they access minutes from the meetings of the Joint Board of ENABLE Scotland. Are these open to staff to see? If not we would formally request that they are.
The above represents our initial views on the proposals. We would seek from ENABLE Scotland a timetable for further dialogue and a timetable for implementation. We look forward to hearing from you on the next stages.
.................................................................................................................................................................
UNISON welcomes the chance to feed in comments about the proposed restructuring of ENABLE Scotland’s National Office. We would though express our disappointment that the notification given to UNISON was very short, which meant we were not able to attend the consultation meetings. Going forward we would hope that as the recognised trade union adequate time is afforded for consultation. Since the notification was received we have begun the process of consultation with our members. This paper represents UNISON’s initial response.
On the substantive proposals there is a sense amongst the members that an opportunity has been missed to engage staff at the formulation stage of the shaping of the new structure to meet the needs of the organisation. If time had been invested to consult staff on what the structure needs to be to meet the challenges ahead there would be a greater buy in at this stage.
Similarly in this vein, whilst it is welcome that there was an indication in Lorraine’s letter to UNISON of 1 June that there would not be redundancies directly associated with the restructure this was not conveyed to staff when the paper was initially issued to them. This combined with the direction to staff to ask for information of managers who themselves were not in possession of this significant information caused unnecessary anxiety amongst staff. We would ask that more consideration is given to communication going forward.
UNISON appreciates the financial pressures ENABLE Scotland operates under and indeed our members have endured the pain of a pay freeze and cuts to the sickness policy. We also note the increasing drive in social policy towards personalisation. Whilst no one would argue against people who have learning disabilities getting more choice and control over their lives rather than just being passive recipients of services, our members have expressed concern that many people who have learning disabilities will not want the added responsibilities associated with becoming purchasers and commissioners. Additionally unless personalisation is properly resourced there is a danger it will push down pay and standards in the sector. We hope ENABLE Scotland will continue to be a quality provider and seek to maintain and improve terms and conditions by not entering in a race to the lowest common denominator.
On the specific areas we would make the following comments:
Practice Development – ENABLE Scotland strives for high standards across its services and our members deliver these time after time. There is a concern that removing this team could undermine the focus and drive in this area.
Operations Department – we seek assurance there will be a suitable posts for everyone.
Training & Quality – We would want to see a continuing and explicit commitment to a highly trained workforce. Something ENABLE Scotland has done well at in the past.
Head of Corporate Support – it is unclear how the new post will relate to existing posts in the organisation. Furthermore at a time when finances are so tight what cost/benefit analysis of this new post has been carried out?
Overall we are worried about an increase in workload for staff that remain in the new structure and thus we seek info on what specific work will no longer be done or what will be done in different ways that will be more efficient?
Members are also asking about what is happening with the 6th floor of the office and how this impacts on matters and would welcome an update on this.
Additionally whilst roles are being restructured in National Office there is also a desire that the physical space is looked at again and that consideration is given to the return of a discreet staff room.
Members have also asked the question how can they access minutes from the meetings of the Joint Board of ENABLE Scotland. Are these open to staff to see? If not we would formally request that they are.
The above represents our initial views on the proposals. We would seek from ENABLE Scotland a timetable for further dialogue and a timetable for implementation. We look forward to hearing from you on the next stages.
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