Workers can sometimes temporarily stop working because they’re on strike or taking industrial action. Strikes or industrial action can happen for a variety or reasons and there are various rules to follow when holding legal strikes.

We’ve pin-pointed some of the key facts.

What is a strike?

A strike or industrial action is an action taken caused by a dispute between Trade Union members and employers. It is a refusal to work by employees until the dispute has been resolved.

Why do people strike?

The dispute can be over a variety of issues including:

How do strikes come about?

For a strike or industrial action to happen, there needs to be an official, legal trade union ballot first. This ballot is a vote among members that basically asks employees whether or not they’d like to take action.

Some of the key rules in holding a ballot are:

Your rights during a strike

Once a ballot has been cast, and action has been decided, what happens if you decide to take part in the industrial action or a strike at your workplace?

There are a few things you should remember:

If you want to find out more about industrial action and strikes, you can have a look at the Gov.UK’s page and to find out more about trade unions and/or join one you can visit TUCs website. 

Contact your workplace reps if you have any questions about Industrial Action  and ballots

https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-guidance/industrial-action

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if you are not yet a Unite member can you afford not to be

Get protected! Get Active!  Get Organised !

Join Unite today

If you are not yet a member of Unite can you afford not to be?

You can join Unite the Union online : https://join.unitetheunion.org/
Or contact one of the Unite reps (Details below)

West Lothian Council Local Unite contacts
Unite the Union Shop Stewards/ Workplace Reps

Kirkton Service Centre 

Pat Tedford : pat.tedford@unitetheunion.org.

Mark Mckay

Whitehill Service Centre

Davy Johnstone : Email : d.johnstone70@talktalk.net

Davy Dowds: Email: dowdsdavid1@gmail.com

Donald Smail: Email : donaldiansmail@gmail.com

Robert Maclean :

Bobby Lee: Email: Bobby.lee@westlothian.gov.uk

Follow Unite in West Lothian on Social media

There are a number of other comments, events and images we have shared with our followers on our social media streams you can find on our streams below.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/InLothian

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Become a Rep!

Activists are the backbone of Unite. It’s mainly through their hard work that we protect employees rights at work, campaign for better working practices and support those in need of help. They’re the bridge between employers and employees in workplaces and negotiate on important matters to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard.

If you’d like to get more involved in your union now is the time to do it. Elections for workplace representatives and branch officers will be taking place early in the first quarter of 2022, so this is your chance to become more active in Unite.

Workplace Reps

Elections for workplace representatives and branch officers take place once every three years. The next electoral period is 2022 to 2025. Your regional office will provide more information about how elections will be conducted, but all reps will be elected by the end of March 2022 or contact your branch secretary or senior reps.

If you think you have what it takes, sign up using the form to the right.

These roles may sound challenging, but all of our workplace representatives receive quality training in all of the areas of their responsibility. The training is a great opportunity to learn – and meet other Unite activists from across all of our different workplaces and Sectors. The role of the Health & Safety reps is covered by law and specialist training is therefore available. Following your training support and advice is available from other reps or your union fulltime official.

Workplace reps are eligible to be nominated to various lay delegate or representative positions.

Branch Officers

Everyone is in a union branch. These are usually based on workplaces, but they can also be based on an industry or geography. The Branch is the key structure through which members can come together to participate in the Union’s activities and democracy, access services, recruit, organise, campaign, support local issues and influence Unite policy.

Branch officers are elected by and from the members of the branch. Details of how to run the elections are provided by your regional administration. All branch officers must be elected for the new electoral term by end of March 2022.

Getting involved in Unite Unite the union – WORKPLACE REPRESENTATIVES

Getting involved in Unite Unite the union – BRANCH OFFICERS

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You can join  Unite the Union online: https://join.unitetheunion.org/

Or contact one of the Unite reps  (Details below)

West Lothian Council  Local Unite contacts 

Unite the Union Shop Stewards/ Workplace Reps

Whitehill Service Centre

Senior Steward: Pat Tedford

Mobile:   07787 102 636  E mail :  pat.tedford@unitetheunion.org

Davy Johnstone :E mail : d.johnstone70@talktalk.net

Davy Dowds :E mail : dowdsdavid1@gmail.com

Donald Smail: E mail : donaldiansmail@gmail.com

Andy Dowds: E mail : andydowds@live.co.uk

Bobby  Lee : E mail :  Bobby.lee@westlothian.gov.uk

Kirkton Service Centre

Unite the Union Workplace Reps

Rab Brown  Unite Convenor: Email  robert.brown@westlothian.gov.uk

Tam Brown Unite Rep: Email: tam.brown@unitewlc.org

Ryan Morcombe: Email  ryan.morcombe@unitewlc.org

 Regional Contacts Unite Scotland 

https://unitetheunion.org/what-we-do/unite-in-your-region/scotland/

Pat Rafferty is the Unite Scotland regional secretary

We have offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Ayr, and Inverness. Alternatively contact one of our departments.

Email: scotland@unitetheunion.org

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Glasgow        
Unite the union, John Smith House, 145/165 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 4RZ
Tel: 0141 404 5424
Fax: 0845 384 9396

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Edinburgh
Unite the union, 22 York Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EP
Tel: 0131 556 9676
Fax: 0845 384 9396

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Aberdeen
Unite the union, 42-44 King Street, Aberdeen  AB24  5TJ
Tel: 01224 645 271
Fax: 0845 384 9396

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Dundee
Unite the union, 110 Blackness Road, Dundee DD1 5PB
Tel: 01382 227 369
Fax: 0845 384 9396

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Ayr
Unite the union, 23 Barns Street, Ayr  KA7 1XB
Tel: 01292 430 170
Fax: 0845 384 9396

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Inverness
Unite the union, Ness Horizons Business Centre, Kintail House, Beechwood Business Park,IV2 3BW
Tel: 01463 213125
Fax: 0845 384 9396

NEWSLETTER
Local Authorities Update
DATE 2 September 2020
UNITE – BECAUSE YOU DESERVE BETTER!A Day in the Life of a Learning
Support Worker

In our series of newsletters showing the
difference you make, this newsletter is looking
at the vital work our members are doing in
schools and again shows that your roles should
be highly valued instead of low paid.

Today, Unite would like you to meet Iona (real name
changed to maintain anonymity). Iona works full-time in the
Highlands & Islands region and is paid £378 per week – a
mere 60% of the UK’s average wage*.

Give a brief description of your work you do
I support vulnerable pupils either on a 121 basis or working with a number
of pupils. I do this by working with teachers and adapting lessons to assist
the pupils to remain engaged with lessons in the classroom. I also assist in
pupils’ personal care.

Do you believe you have job security?
No. For a long time now, well before the COVID-19 pandemic, my
Employer has been talking about the impact and plans because of this
year’s budget cuts. When Lockdown happened and the schools closed, I
think this made me an easy target for redundancy.

Do you feel at risk of COVID-19?
Yes – there is a real lack of social distancing between staff and between
pupils. I have no idea where pupils are returning from, if they have been in
holiday hotspots and because I have to work in very close proximity to the
kids, I feel at risk to the virus.

Do you feel you are exposing your family to danger?
Absolutely. I have no idea what I could be bringing home to my partner or
our children.

What support did you receive from your Employer?
Quite a lot from the Authority but none from my line manager as they did not
contact me until a couple of months into lockdown. The Authority did
launch a wellbeing pack which I was grateful for.

Do you think you are adequately paid?
No – I don’t think we are even adequately recognised in or outside school.

Being low paid is very challenging with little or no training and support. I am
always made to feel inferior although I do recognise the difference I can
make to young people’s learning – even with the barriers, I do love my job.
*Average wage in UK is £31,830

Next Steps
Very shortly, Unite will be issuing a survey to all members via
email to find out your opinion on what your pay claim should be. It
is vital that you take part in this as we need the fullest possible
view of what the members want.

Are Your Details Up-To-Date?
Check your details and membership online. To do this click on
https://myunite.unitetheunion.org/login – this will give you full
sight of the information Unite holds for you. This also allows you to
update your details.

If you are aware of any of your colleagues who would want a say in
their pay claim, forward this newsletter and encourage them to join
a union – encourage them to join Unite. They can do this easily by
going to https://join.unitetheunion.org/

UNITE – BECAUSE YOU DESERVE BETTER!

A Day in the Life of a Janitor Newsletter (1)

 

A Day in the Life of a Janitor
Today our focus is on Rab who works for the City
of Edinburgh Council as a janitor. Rab (real
name changed to protect anonymity) has worked
for the Authority for over 15 years, 25 hours a
week and his weekly earnings are a mere £240
nearly half of the UK’s average wage*. Once
again, Unite is demonstrating how local
government workers should be highly valued
instead of low paid.
Give a brief description of your work
I work 5 hours a day – those hours are flexible for the Employer. I open up
my workplace, make sure the rooms are safe and set up properly as
directed by those using the facilities. I also shut and secure the premises.
Do you believe you have job security?
No – the way things are going everyone should be concerned. I don’t think
any council job is safe. Thankfully I am heading towards retirement but
anyone below the age of 50 must be really worried.
Do you feel at risk of COVID-19?
Yes, as facilities open and we have to return to work, I think we will all be
vulnerable. I have no idea the background or lifestyle habits those using my
workplace have and I am expected to trust they are behaving responsibly.
My employer wants things to return to what they were pre-COVID.

 

Do you think you will be exposing your family to danger?
Yes – and if I bring the CoronaVirus home, I could give it to my wife and
children. That’s a horrible thought.
What Support did you receive from your Employer?
I can’t think of any support I got. I had to phone my manager to keep in
touch with work during the whole of lockdown. Never once did they contact
or agree to contact me.
Do you think you are adequately paid?
No – with the amount of hassle I receive from my Employer I deserve a
decent pay rise. The treatment my colleagues and I receive is shocking. I
find it hard to get motivated and question on a daily basis is it worth getting
up!
*Average wage in UK is £31,830
Next Steps
Very shortly, Unite will be issuing a survey to all members via
email to find out your opinion on what your pay claim should be. It
is vital that you take part in this as we need the fullest possible
view of what the members want.
Are Your  Membership Details Up-To-Date?

Check your details and membership online. To do this click on
https://myunite.unitetheunion.org/login – this will give you full
sight of the information Unite holds for you. This also allows you to
update your details.
If you are aware of any of your colleagues who would want a say in
their pay claim, forward this newsletter and encourage them to join
a union – encourage them to join Unite.

They can do this easily by
going to https://join.unitetheunion.org/
UNITE – BECAUSE YOU DESERVE BETTER!

 

 

Save Scotlands Airports

 

 

 

 

2300 JOBS AT RISK

 

#Stop fire and rehire

#All support to be based on protecting jobs, T&Cs

#Extend the furlough scheme 

#Extend consultation #StoptheCrisis #KeepScotlandFlying

S5M-22313: Save Scotland’s Airports
That the Parliament recognises the value of the civil aviation sector to Scotland’s economy; is concerned at the analysis by the Fraser of Allander Institute, which suggests that the loss of 1,500 jobs in the sector would result in the loss of 2,330 jobs in total, and a subsequent £140 million loss to the wider economy; commends the work of everyone in the sector throughout this unprecedented period; welcomes the Saves Scotland’s Airports campaign by Unite the Union; urges the Scottish Government to reiterate its commitment to supporting the sector’s recovery and to work with trade unions and other stakeholders to agree a set of interventions to support it, but believes that any future support must be conditional on the protection of jobs and the safeguarding of terms and conditions of employment in line with the Fair Work principles.

Earlier this month Richard Leonard, and the Scottish Labour Party, also brought the concerns of Scottish Airport workers to the attention of the First Minister. We are deeply concerned that some companies are still attempting to fire and rehire its own workers, with their terms and conditions slashed by almost half. Scottish Labour, in line with Unite Scotland, has therefore asked the Scottish Government to make the 100 per cent business rate reliefs conditional on good employment practices, in order to protect jobs.  In addition, Richard Leonard wrote to the UK Government encouraging them to work with the industry and with trades unions to develop a strategy that supports the industry emerge from this crisis, without the need for such an attack on the terms and conditions of the workforce.

Scotland’s airport workers should not be the ‘collateral damage’ during this pandemic. Scottish Labour is therefore supporting Unite Scotland’s demands to have sector specific support for Civil Air Transport in Scotland, including the extension of the Government Job Retention Scheme.

On 16^th July, in response to a statement given to the Scottish Parliament by Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, my colleagues Colin Smyth and Pauline McNeill pressed for a commitment from the Scottish Government to fully engage with the trade unions in shaping a sector specific plan to save Scotland’s airports. You can read the Parliament Transport statement and debate here.

If our economy is to weather the storm of coronavirus we must prevent the loss of jobs across Scotland.  Urgent action is needed to protect jobs and livelihoods which  is why Scottish Labour has launched a ‘Jobs for Good’ campaign, calling on the Scottish Government to commit to safeguarding jobs in order to save our economy.