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Kitty Wilkinson
Statue Unveiled
UNISON, the UK’s largest
union, has hit back at the spurious claims made by 25 economists,
branding their call for regional public sector pay unnecessary,
unworkable and unfair. It would also be hugely damaging for local
economies in the current financial climate warned the union.
An independent report by Incomes Data Services has proved there to
be little variation in the cost of living between regions that is
not already addressed by London Weighting.
The research body has debunked the ‘crowding out’ theory, the idea
that public sector pay in regions prevents private sector employers
from taking on new staff and growing their businesses.
Introducing regional pay has also been found to be wasteful and time
consuming; which is why most national, multi site companies in the
private sector do not use it, preferring national pay structures
with additions for London and the South East.
Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:- “These
economists should not allow themselves to be used for political
ends. The main reason behind the Government’s interest in promoting
regional pay is a not very subtle attempt to hold down the pay of
public service workers like nurses and paramedics. The case for
regional pay has been thoroughly debunked. It is unworkable,
unnecessary and unfair. These economists, who will enjoy a very
decent pay package, should know better than to call for real terms
pay cuts in low paid areas. This would only entrench economic
decline and make our recession worse.”
Why the crowding out theory is wrong according to UNISON:-
► Public and private sector
employers aren’t competing for the same workers. There are only a
few areas where there is a direct competition for skills between the
public and private sectors. The public sector employs far more
professional and technical workers (like nurses, doctors and
teachers) than the private sector. The different sectors are
employing different people with very different skills; "so
nobody is getting crowded out" added UNISON.
► Crowding out theory cannot work
when unemployment is high. For crowding out to work, employers would
need to be competing over the same groups of workers and those
workers would need to be in short supply. Employers are currently
finding they receive applications in record numbers for any
vacancies they have.
► Private sector pay doesn’t vary
hugely across regions. A shop assistant in the South West gets paid
much the same as a shop assistant in the North East; "just
like public sector workers" added UNISON.
► Private sector job creation and
job losses appear to be completely unaffected by public sector pay:
IDS monitored examples of job creation and job losses in the North
East and South West over the course of the first half of 2012. They
found no cases of job creation or losses in either region to be
affected by public sector pay levels.
► Public sector employment isn’t
crowding out, it supports the local population. The study shows that
levels of employment in the public sector track the level of the
local population. The number of nurses, local government workers,
teachers and doctors is a reflection of how many people live in a
particular area. Far from crowding out their jobs, this supports the
education and health of private sector employees.
MPS WARNING OVER YOUTH
UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS
UNISON, the UK’s largest
union, is calling on the government to take radical action to combat
the UK’s youth unemployment problem. A report by MPs warns that the
government’s Youth Contract will have only a ‘marginal’ impact on
cutting unemployment for the under 25s. The scheme will fail to
reach its targets, say MPs. Last week, unemployment figures revealed
that more than 1.02 million under 25s are out of work, with young
black people hit especially hard.
Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:- “The
unemployment figures speak for themselves, but here is yet more
evidence that the Tory-led coalition is not doing enough to tackle
the youth unemployment timebomb. Not only are there no jobs, young
people are being priced out of education, and the careers service
they need now more than ever has been pared to the bone. The
government has to take radical action, and they must take it now.”
The government should give the under 25’s hope by expanding the
Youth Contract and by pushing up the apprentice national minimum
wage rates to help young people to afford to stay on in their
placements. Currently 30% are forced to drop out before they
complete their training. The union is also calling on the Government
to give young people back a careers service. Careers advice has
collapsed for the current cohort of 14 to 18 year olds as the
Connexions has been dismantled and replaced with a school based
careers service that has yet to start. A national programme of
affordable house building could also create jobs, fuel growth and
boost the number of apprenticeship placements available to the under
25’s. It would also help to tackle the UK’s housing crisis; taking
people off housing waiting lists and helping first time buyers to
get on the housing ladder.
Email us your views on this topic. Do you agree with UNISON or not?
Email us now to:-
news24@southportreporter.com. |
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Liverpool
Schools are top of the class
LIVERPOOL has more schools
classed as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ than
any other big City in the country. Despite a more rigorous framework
being introduced by education watchdog Ofsted at the start of the
year, 77% of the 168 schools in the City have got the top 2
rankings. More than half are rated ‘good’ (53%) and almost a quarter
(24%) as ‘outstanding’.
And, for the last 18 months, no school in the City has been classed
as failing by being judged ‘inadequate’ or given a
‘notice to improve’.
Earlier this month, OFSTED announced that ‘good' is the minimum
standard it expects from schools1. The statistics show that it
places Liverpool is in a stronger position than every other big City
and region in the country.
In Manchester, 66% of schools are classed as good or outstanding; in
Birmingham it is 68%, while Bristol (59%); Newcastle (70%),
Nottingham (69%) and Sheffield (66%) all lag behind Liverpool2.
It is a major turnaround from just over a decade ago, when 25
schools were judged to have either serious weaknesses or be in
special measures, and the education service was on the brink of
being privatised because it was failing children.
Councillor Jane Corbett, Cabinet member for education, said:-
“This is an incredible achievement and is testament to the extremely
strong and positive relationship between schools, teaching staff,
governing bodies and the local authority’s School Improvement
Service in driving up standards and giving children the best
possible start in life. For a City the size of Liverpool, with all
the challenges that deprivation levels bring, to have over three
quarters of its schools classed as good or outstanding is just
fantastic. I would like to pass on my thanks to each and every one
of our schools for their help, support and willingness to work
together with us on identifying weaknesses and challenging poor
performance. It places us in a really strong position to meet the
increased standards demanded by OFSTED. But we are not complacent
and are working hard through the new Education Commission chaired by
Estelle Morris to identify ways in which we can further improve exam
results, and make sure our young people leave school with all the
skills they need to lead successful lives.”
Support provided by the Council’s School Improvement Service to help
them improve includes regularly reviewing recommendations made by
Ofsted and sharing best practice from other schools across the City.
Blueberry Park Primary School in Dovecot has seen a remarkable
turnaround since a damning OFSTED inspection in 2008. A new Board of
Governors and leadership team were appointed and its latest
inspection in May 2012 moved it up from ‘satisfactory’ to ‘good’
despite the more rigorous regime, which was carried out with just
two days notice.
Headteacher Kathryn Honey said:- “We are all so proud of what
the school has achieved over the last few years. It is fantastic
that our hard work and effort has been recognised by the inspectors
who know we are doing all we can to deliver a great education. It
really has been a team effort involving pupils, parents and carers
as well as our governors and staff.”
Exam results in the City are also at record levels, with provisional
figures for 2012 showing the number of students getting five good
GCSE results including English and Maths is above the national
average for the first time ever.
FACTFILE – LIVERPOOL SCHOOLS IN NUMBERS
122 primary schools
29 secondary schools
12 special schools
5 nursery schools
0 schools in special measures or with a notice to improve
TUC's Alan
Manning to retire
NORTH West TUC Regional
Secretary Alan Manning has announced his retirement after 27 years
service to the trade union movement. Alan will step down at the end
of the year after a total of almost 36 years with the Trades Union
Congress. He has been Regional Secretary of the TUC in the North
West since 1985, representing almost one million trade union members
in the Region. He said:- "It has been a great privilege to
have been able to serve the TUC and to have worked with so many good
colleagues. My focus and commitment will be undiminished in the
remaining period of my employment as we enter a critical period for
our movement in the battle against austerity." Tributes have
already started pouring in from trade union members all over the
North West. Mr Manning's successor is likely to be appointed before
the end of the year with the post of Regional Secretary being
advertised from next week. |
