Lobby against Playworkers redundancies and privatisation of Learning Disability Services!

Wednesday 4th May

The branch found out at very short notice that the County Council were proposing to rush through legislation relating to the privatisation of local Elderly persons Homes and learning Centres for people with Disabliites.

Mark Howard the Notts Branch Chair said.......

"This morning we highlighted the plight of 8 disabled care homes "partnership homes", The forced redundancies of the Play workers and the coming attacks on our pensions. Even with short notice we can still muster a presence to show this council WE care about the services and show THEY don't!

Following on from this action we will be arranging meetings to highlight further issues with pensions and the lack of consultation.

WHY WE ARE DEMONSTRATING TODAY (WED 4 MAY 2011)

We have THREE issues we are raising today:

LEARNING DISABILITIES SERVICES TO BE PUT OUT TO TENDER

A Cabinet meeting takes place at 11am.  On the agenda is a plan to ‘privatise’ the current Learning Disabilities services.  There are currently eight residential homes, where 89 service users with severe learning difficulties live and are cared for.  The council wants to put out to tender the running of these services.  UNISON has not been fully consulted on this proposal which makes us concerned for both service users and the specialist staff that care and support them.

The Cabinet papers make it clear that the council wants to review existing user needs, and seek to change the way the service is delivered.  UNISON is calling for the Council to hold back from taking a decision today, pending open and frank talks about their plans for this critical care service.  If they go ahead, we want an absolute guarantee that we will be properly consulted, including access to prospective bidders, and protection of pension rights for staff as a minimum.

PLAY WORKERS APPEALING AGAINST REDUNDANCY

UNISON is representing members today at an appeal meeting.  Playworkers are being threatened with redundancy, even though the work they do remains!  The Council has establishing a new bank/pool of staff to carry out play activities in schools in future, but is only offering ‘zero hour’ contracts for new staff.  We think the council should keep existing staff in post as the work they do is still here.  Its not redundant.

GOVERNMENT ATTACKS ON PUBLIC SECTOR PENSIONS

We will start to hand out leaflets condemning the Government for its plans to change the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).  This will see members paying MORE for LESS.  We fear that the changes will mean that staff simply opt out of the scheme, making it less sustainable.

Join a union that is prepared to campaign against service cuts.

Join UNISON.  Call us on 0115 981 0405

Notts UNISON, 39-41 Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, NG2 7LJ