ATUC joins fight against draconian social care cuts

Members of ATUC members in affiliated unions again joined community groups including “Disabled People against the Cuts” and local people affected by the cuts, to lobby the Aberdeenshire Integrated Joint Board (IJB) meeting at Woodhill House on 28 May.

This is the latest in a series of protests against cuts in both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Council, where much of social care is under threat.

Very few councillors came to meet the demonstrators, demanding that services to the most vulnerable in our communities are not targeted for draconian cuts.  Instead, with some honourable exceptions, they scurried through internal corridors to miss those of us campaigning to save jobs and services.

They then voted through a number of cuts that will impact on both staff and the people who depend on the services. 

Unions have condemned the to the most vulnerable in our communities and the attacks, especially on women workers and pledged that the campaign will continue to defend jobs and services. Outsourcing of home care will mean redundancies and cuts to pay, and all the evidence shows that private companies provide poorer services. Cuts to staffing in residential homes will leave residents vulnerable and a reduction in day care services for adults with learning disabilities will leave many with nowhere to go.

ATUC Media statement - No More Council Cuts

At Aberdeen TUC’s first meeting this year we received reports of significant concerns from UNISON, UNITE and GMB Trade Union Workplace Representatives about the potential impact of forthcoming Council cuts on our local public services.

Although the Scottish Government’s budget has not yet been agreed, Aberdeen Trades Union Council is alarmed to hear that local Councils have been warned to expect more cuts in this year’s financial settlement from the Scottish Government.

Already Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils are on their knees, unable to provide many services critical to our local communities. No one can have failed to notice the perilous state of roads and pavements during the recent cold snap. Both the Councils' and the voluntary not for profit sector Social Care services are under enormous pressure with an inability to attract professional care staff leading to some care homes closing their doors altogether.

Tommy Campbell, ATUC President said today, “After many years of continuous cuts, there is no fat left on Council services. We are down to the muscle, if not the bone. Staff morale is at rock bottom and although they are all working over the odds to keep our public services running, they feel undervalued and disrespected. 

The ATUC has to strongly point out that there is a huge disconnect between Scottish Government policies on delivering public services and our local Councils’ abilities to implement them as a result of year on year cuts to funding."

Kate Ramsden ATUC Executive Committee member added “The Scottish Government in their commendable commitment to reduce child poverty has ignored the fact that cuts to our Councils’ funding impacts dramatically on their ability to address child poverty at local level. If our Councils receive increased funding instead of cuts, they can provide the high quality public services they are set up for and this will improve the quality of life in our local communities.”

Doug Haywood President of the Aberdeen City Local Association of the EIS said, "Further cuts will have a direct impact on families who are already struggling. We are already seeing a rise in the impacts of poverty on our pupils, I fear what these cuts will mean for young people and education across the North East."

Tommy Campbell concluded “The Aberdeen TUC are calling for the Scottish Government to rethink any plans for further cuts to local Councils and instead to increase their core funding as a spend to save approach. If our Councils can provide the high quality public services they are set up for, this will be better for our local communities. It will mitigate child poverty, will ensure that vulnerable people can live in their own homes instead of blocking hospital beds and will save money in the long run.

The STUC commissioned report (link below) on taxation has shown how, with progressive political will, this can be achieved. We are calling on the Scottish Government to take brave political decisions and to invest more in our public services and by doing that we can properly support much needed services in our local communities.“

ENDS

STUC Options for increasing taxes in Scotland to fund investment in public services A report by Howard Reed, Landman Economics, commissioned by the STUC December 2022
https://www.stuc.org.uk/resources/scotland-demands-better-fairer-taxes-for-a-fairer-future.pdf

Reverse cuts to modern language teaching at Aberdeen University

Kathleen Kennedy

#STUC24 Congress gave its full support to the University and Colleges Union in its fight against cuts to modern language teaching at Aberdeen University.

The General Council will lobby the Scottish Government for proper funding that reflects the costs of teaching these subjects.

Seconding the UCU motion, Aberdeen Trades Union Council’s Kathleen Kennedy said that these cuts were bad for the university, bad for the staff, bad for students but also bad for our communities in the North East of Scotland.

She told delegates that the North East already faces problems attracting teachers. “With an end to teaching and research in modern languages in the university there will be fewer prospective teachers graduating.”

“Instead of cutting provision, the university should be protecting these jobs and their expertise in modern languages. And the Scottish government should be funding it properly.

“It’s important not just for Aberdeen university’s reputation and for its staff and students, but for our communities in the North East of Scotland.