Briefing Note for Staff in GLDP

UNISON has been involved in ongoing discussions about the restructuring in GLDP Services with Mungo Foundation management over recent months. You will remember the background to this is Glasgow City Council’s move to personalise services for service users with learning disabilities through self directed support.

You may well have now been involved in assisting in the completion of Self Evaluation Questionnaires on behalf of service users. It is important that staff, and key workers especially, be consulted on the completion of these questionnaires as staff are amongst the closest to knowing the needs of the service user. These forms will now be put through a Resource Allocation System by the Council which will determine the budget that each service user gets for support. The Council have been explicit that they expect to make on average 20 to 30% savings per service user.

UNISON supports the idea that service users should have more control and say over the service they receive, we do though have major concerns about this move being introduced at a time of massive contractions in public spending as is happening here. More info on UNISON’s views on personalisation can be found in a speech by Simon Macfarlane, Regional Organiser which is on our blog for Mungo Foundation members, this can be found at http://unison-mungofoundation.blogspot.com/ .

After scoring staff according to the selection criteria, TMF came to us an initial proposal for allocating staff to posts. Through further discussions and negotiations we made representations seeking the maximum number of Project Worker posts possible.

On Thursday 16th December I and Simon Macfarlane met with TMF management to be updated on the position. The proposals which you will be hearing from management on mean significantly more staff remain on the Project Worker grade; this is obviously to be welcome. Some staff will have to move project, we have been assured that you have been spoken to about this on an individual basis if this is a potential outcome for you.

Management have been frank that they are faced with a dilemma in that they do not yet know the outcome of the Resource Allocation System process mentioned above, but fully anticipate 20% or more cuts to come out of it. This we are afraid is a reasonable assumption for them to make. They therefore have advised us that they propose to offer staff in GLDP services posts on 20% less hours than their current contract, subject to no one dropping below the 16 hour threshold for Working Tax Credits.

This is obviously very difficult news for you and comes on the back of rising prices, pay freezes and a forthcoming increase in VAT. UNISON is here to support you through this difficult time, and can advise the following:

• We are told the reduction in hours will take effect on 1 April 2011;

• We are told there will be pay protection for 3 months for downgraded staff, we are seeking clarity on this;

• We believe that you are being offered a new post as part of a redundancy consultation exercise and thus you should be entitled to a trial period should you wish one and/or to ultimately to refuse a post at reduced hours and receive a redundancy payment;

• We have sought assurances that wherever possible extra hours will be offered to staff first. On this point you should remember that if you for instance end up on a 30 hour and 36 minute contract and work additional hours over this, then up to the full time hours of 38 you are entitled for additional paid annual leave and sick pay entitlement for each extra hour worked. We have been assured by TMF that they have systems in place to deliver this but we would advise members to be vigilant to ensure they get what they are entitled to as it will be complicated;

• As and when TMF pick up any further services they should look wherever possible to increase the hours of existing staff who wish more hours.

We also want to give you an opportunity to comment on this proposed course of action. The alternative we have been advised by TMF is that if they don’t reduce hours by 20% across the board it is likely they will have to make more staff redundant. It is a difficult call to make but on balance we feel most members would prefer to save jobs. However, we want to hear your views on this. As you hopefully know I am now seconded 3 days a week to carry out union work on behalf of members. I am based at 380 Govanhill Street and am on union duties Monday to Wednesday, you can email me or telephone my mobile is 07882 551134. Please do get in touch and let me have your views.

I also want to let you know that UNISON has written to both the political leader of the Council Gordon Matheson and the Chief Executive asking for a meeting to discuss funding and wages in voluntary organisations including specifically the Mungo Foundation, we will keep you updated on this via our blog and other communications.

Finally, please remember we are stronger together and we are here to support you, so if you are not already a member now is the time to come onboard, please contact me or visit the blog to join. As members you can also get a range of support and advice such as financial advice from organisations UNISON has links to, for more information on this please see our website at http://www.unison.org.uk/benefits/special.asp . We also have a dedicated charity UNISON Welfare for members facing hardship and this can be contacted via your branch by calling them on 0141 331 4450.

Alice Lyness

UNISON Convenor

The top ten tax shirkers – vote now

The government talks tough about clamping down on benefit ‘cheats’. Yet when faced with tax avoidance by the very wealthy, which sucks far more out of our economy than benefit fraud, ministers go quiet.


To help throw some light on this murky world, the Tax Justice Network has nominated its top ten tax shirkers and we’d like you to choose the worst offender. The winner will receive a small token of our esteem.

We're not suggesting anyone is breaking the law. But that's the problem: we need action to make sure those involved in the multi-billion pound tax avoidance industry, who act legally but use loopholes and tax havens to pay less tax, are stopped in their tracks.

You can vote here http://falseeconomy.org.uk/tax

VOTING ENDS ON MIDNIGHT 30th JANURY 2011

The benefits of UNISON membership......UNISON secures £27,398,985 compensation for personal injuries

Assaults, car crashes, back injuries and slips at work are among the cases UNISON has won £27,398,985 worth of compensation for in 2010.

The UK's largest public sector union has handled 3,893 cases to help members receive justice for the pain and suffering caused by personal injuries.

UNISON's General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:

"A lot of these injuries could and should have been prevented. These jobs are not dangerous - nursery workers, dental technicians and dinner ladies - but, because employers have been negligent, some UNISON members have lost their health, families, confidence and careers.

"Employers have a duty of care and where they fail, workers and their families deserve compensation for the pain and suffering caused by personal injuries.

"Last year UNISON secured £28million for workplace injuries but, one year on, and it's clear some employers have still not learnt their lesson and introduced safer working practices".

In Scotland, UNISON handled 224 cases and members received £1,602,762.20 compensation.

Remember if you are not a member you can join by clicking the link on the front page.