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Local Government

Message from the Regional Local Government Service Group Chair

 Kevin O'Grady:

Welcome to our Local Government page! With the recent change of Government we have a challenging time ahead of us.  With over £6 billion cuts in public services expected before the end of March 2011 and with much of those cuts anticipated in local councils, we will have our hands full! These cuts will devastate the very services that YOU our members provide, many of which are to the most vulnerable in our society.

We will be starting a dialogue with YOU -  the public and our members -  about how we bring together all interested parties who will be affected by these cuts. So, what we want you to start thinking about is how these cuts affect you - not just in the workplace, but in your home and social lives. For example will the cost of caring for your Mum be more? What about your local charity or church who rely on your help  - they will struggle as your time is taken up instead with covering unfilled, deleted posts at work. 

The Local Government section of UNISON is the largest service group in the union.  We have nearly 50,000 members working in Local Government and related employers in the Eastern Region. Our Branch representatives have just returned from UNISON National Local Government Conference where they have been setting the union priorities for the coming year.  

We hope to keep you informed about our activities in the Region. Let us have your comments and suggestions - and news!  e mail us at unisoneastern@unison.co.uk

Latest News -

27th July 2010 - Care home satisfied with £1million payout - see more 

26th July 2010 - Campaigners fight on for Norfolk Connexions - see more or here.

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26th July 2010 - Academy warning for Hertfordshire schools - see more

23rd July 2010 - Care workers in Essex get £1million payout - see more - See press cuttings here.

14th July 2010 - Stinging response to council’s planned huge cuts in Suffolk CC see more

9th July 2010 - Unions urge different approach as cuts debate continues....see more

6th July 2010 - Dave Prentis: Dinner ladies 'bailing out the bankers' - when challenged about waste in local councils and adverts for some non-essential jobs. Daily Politics show. See more

1st July 2010 - Essex County Council Roads staff shocked by job losses, See more

30th June 2010 - EX- Council Care workers take Excelcare back to court.see more.

30th June 2010 - Forecast suggests 600,000 public sector jobs to go. see BBC site

28th June 2010 - St Edmunsbury boss says:- Councils ‘demonised’ see more

24th June 2010 - Essex County Council -  The Battle for Public Services – YOUR JOB, YOUR FUTURE is at risk!!!! Meeting dates and further information. Click here.

The 2010 UNISON Local Government Conference -Sunday 13 - Monday 14 June 2010, in Bournemouth. See more. 

20th June - 2010 - NO LOLLY – THE COUNCIL PAY FREEZE CONTINUES. Click here.

16th June 2010 - Dave Prentis defends the LGPS and outlines how members will be affected. Click here.

June 16th 2010 - Unison says regional pay would create problems. See more

June  - Equal pay news from Luton News

14th June -The Government has published details of the £450m revenue reductions in grants to local authorities, here is the regions breakdown. Click here

9th June 2010 - Spending cuts: where will the financial axe fall? Below is a link to the daily politics show. One of the guests is Unisons National Secretary for local government  Heather Wakefield who makes the important and less publicised point that Trade Unions need to be consulted on any areas for cuts. Click here

8th June 2010 - Suffolk County Council - New spin doctor “will save half a million” see more

3rd June 2010 - Cameron’s ‘beacon’ bank's off to sluggish start. Click here.

19th May 2010 - Fears over plans to axe jobs at Essex County Council.

UNISON has obtained a document revealing plans for jobs cuts, a staff pay freeze and a shorter working week at Essex County Council.

Public sector union Unison said 85 full time posts will be axed and a two-year staff pay freeze imposed.

Bonus payments for the lowest paid staff will stop and the working week cut to 35 hours. Click here for more. To see the UNISON press release please click on related document here.

30th March 2010 Pay Freeze Lobby.

30th March 2010 - A number of members from Eastern branches and a few regional staff joined other Unison, Gmb and Unite members to lobby against local government pay, jobs and service cuts. Thanks especially to Cambridgeshire County and Basildon District Branches (you will see from the national website picture that Cambs County Unison banner is put in a very strategically well placed spot.) The full article is avaliable on the national Unison site:-  see article here.

17th March 2010 - More bang for the public buck. See more.

12th March 2010 - Guide to LGPS Valuations 2010. - The LGPS in England and Wales will undertake the triennial valuations on March 31st. The figures from this exercise will determine the future contribution and possibly the benefit rates of all scheme members.

UNISON held a seminar for branches earlier in the year and we promised them a guide so that they may engage their administration authorities on the assumptions the employers may take.

This is attached Click here. The report has been produced by First Actuarial.

12th March 2010 - Basildon and Chelmsford Councils plan merger.

11th March 2010 Cambridge Question Time - Huge Success

9th March 2010 - Views sought in Adult social care in Thurrock.

2nd March 2010 - A warning message about the whole of Essex.

1st March 2010 - Councils across Eastern region and the country are predicting large falls in public spending over the next few years, a BBC survey has found. Results showed Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Southend were looking at overall spending reductions of between 5-20% - See more

22nd Feb 2010 - Cambridgeshire Social worker story.

18 Feb 2010- Branch AGMs - Happening Now!

Your chance to decide UNISON'S views in 2010. All members will be invited to go to their own branch AGM between now and the end of March. Vital issues are discussed included your pay and combatting councils' attempts to slash jobs and services while many are stashing money into reserves. Contact your local branch for the date of your AGM. One local branch reports: South Cambs Superbly attended AGM!

Pay

16 Feb 2010 - Local Government 2010/11 Pay - leaflet now available to order - see more

 

News from Your area

News from Beds 

News from Cambridge - Protest over planned cuts - Feb 2010 - see more

News from Essex 

News from Herts 

News from Norfolk

News from Suffolk

 

Report from Eastern Region LG Annual Conference (Nov 2009) - see more

 

LG Branches - see here

 

Kevin O Grady

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