Unison South Lanarkshire

27/05/2026

Don't forget, the Help with School Uniforms Grant scheme starts today from 12 noon. There is a limited cash pot available so register your interest and make your application as soon as possible. Details in the link.

Need help with the cost of kids' uniforms? Apply for a £75 voucher per school-aged child. Applications open 12 noon on 27 May 2026.

25/05/2026

UNISON have written to the Council seeking confirmation that the new mileage rates will be implemented and back dated to April

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CiwGV4Exf/

Mileage rate rise from HMRC is a win for workers — won by our members.

“UNISON has campaigned hard for this long overdue change,” Andrea Egan, UNISON general secretary

“Workers who use their own cars to do their job have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket for far too many years”.

“This simple measure will provide immediate help for countless frontline workers in public services. Particularly at a time when living costs are going through the roof again.”

“There’s still more to do to ensure no one is losing out and the union will continue to campaign for more over the coming months.”

UNISON GS on the announcement that the chancellor is raising the mileage rate by 10p a mile.

10/05/2026

Solidarity with Palestinian women in Hebron, who work in a co-operative producing beautiful craft work, providing employment and income for the women.
UNISON Scotland

UNISON South Lanarkshire Branch have reached out to women in Palestine by contributing to UNISON President Catherine McKenna’s chosen charity Women in Hebron. This is a women’s co-operative on the …

29/04/2026

Yesterday was International Workers Memorial Day where we remembered those workers who died at their work. Pictured are Branch Secretary Stephen Smellie, Depute Provost Bert Thomson, Secretary of UNISON's Lanarkshire NHS branch Peter McKinlay and Jennifer Gaffney, Secretary of South Lanarkshire EIS.
Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living.

25/04/2026

Yesterday 3 members of the branch who are Migrant workers delivering social care met with their MP Imogen Walker. They were accompanied by our branch secretary, Stephen, and assistant secretary, Dougie Marshall.
They were asking for support for UNISON's campaign against the UK government plans to increase the length of time Migrant workers have to wait to apply for the right to stay in the country, called Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), from the current 5 years to 15 years, and in support of a Fair Visa Scheme.
Like many others, our 3 colleagues came to this country to work. They are not able to claim benefits but work and pay taxes like the rest of us. Now, after working delivering essential for 4 years, they are being told that they cannot seek ILR for another 11 years. This retrospective change to the terms of their entry to the UK is grossly unfair.
Currently their Visa is dependent on an employer offering them "sponsorship." This makes them wholly dependent on the employer for if they are laid off, sacked, they are at risk of being deported as they will have lost that sponsorship.
This means they have to agree to work additional hours, in poor conditions and when the boss says "Jump!" they have to say "How high?" for fear of losing that sponsorship.
We are campaigning for a Fairer Visa system that takes away the power of the employer to dictate to the worker.
These issues are about fairness and justice.

21/04/2026

Tony Slaven from our branch speaking at the STUC on Disability Friendly Workplaces.

03/04/2026

Our colleagues in the NHS invite us to meet some of the candidates in the election for a rammy... oops... I mean a hustings meeting. Should be interesting to ask candidates whether they will fund social care fully, whether they will support additional resources for schools to cope with the levels of violence, whether they commit to protecting Council.workers' Pensions, whether their party leaders are millionaires?

02/04/2026

Glad this clown has been sacked but what kind of political party thought he was a suitable housing Spokesperson in the first place?
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AiqCdcRvk/

Reform UK's Simon Dudley suggested post-Grenfell safety rules have gone too far

30/03/2026

Autism Awareness flag flying at Council HQ this week

25/02/2026

Inspiring film. Moved to be part of a lengthy standing ovation at the end as we celebrated the film and the people of Pollokshields and Glasgow who stood for hours in Kenmure Street to prevent the removal from their home of two of their neighbours by Home Office immigration officers. Despite facing hundreds of police they stood firm and won the release of the 2 men. The film puts this story in the context of a history of radical actions in Scotland, from the suffragettes and Red Clydeside, to the UCS work-in and Caterpillar and Lee Jeans. And we, UNISON South Lanarkshire and UNISON Scotland , helped to get this film made to ensure this story of solidarity is told and people can be inspired by it.