Former Northumberland County Council CEO dies suddenly

Steve Stewart, the former chief executive of Northumberland County Council,  has died suddenly at the age of 64.

Steve Stewart was CEO, during the time I  was Joint Branch Secretary of the UNISON Northumberland County branch, Steve was at the helm during Local Government reorganisation, the implementation of Single Status, Essential Car Users dispute,  pension dispute and the privatisation plans for transactional services which we opposed and overturned. I found Steve very approachable and he tried to change the culture during his time in Northumberland - which to a certain extent he achieved. We may of had different opposing views but he believed in the Trade Union movement which was helpful to our industrial relations involvement. A keen Sunderland supporter, it often give us a reason to have social discussion outside the normal work stuff.

His death was announced by Worcestershire County Council, where he was interim chief executive, on Thursday evening.

The notice read: 'It is with deep sadness we announce that Steve Stewart, interim chief executive of Worcestershire County Council, has passed away. Steve joined the council in May last year, making a big contribution during his time in the county. Our thoughts are with his family at this very sad time.'

He was previously assistant chief executive at Northamptonshire County Council and also held top roles at councils in Wakefield and Leeds, Sunderland and York.

He opted to leave Northumberland council in November 2013 shortly after the Essential Car Users dispute and under the Labour administration.

My thoughts are with Steve's family and close friends at this difficult time.  RIP

Campaign against sell-off starts in Northumberland

UNISON has launched a campaign against 'reckless' council plans to sell-off services and over 1,000 jobs. UNISON’s campaign material makes a mockery of the councils Love Northumberland – Caring for our Community logo stating it cares very much for Northumberland and it’s council services.

The "Northumberland is Not For Sale" campaign will work with other unions, community groups and the public to expose the dangers of the council's 'alternative business models'.

"Services like front line customer contact, revenue and benefits, catering, cleaning,  cleansing and vehicle and grounds maintenance, along with HR are all up for grabs with cultural services, transport and legal services also being primed for outsourcing through multi-million pound 'strategic partnerships' - privatisation, to you and me", said Joyce Guthrie, UNISON Joint Branch Secretary.

"UNISON's own studies have revealed that, at best, council claims about savings are wishful thinking. No credible evidence exists to support them. Worse still, the evidence that does exist points to failures, worse services, increased costs and huge bills to bring failed services back in-house.

To go ahead with this, in an exercise likely to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds wasted on consultants, without learning the lessons of the last attempt at the tendering fiasco when the Unitary authority was established was nothing short of reckless.

If services are delivered in-house with no need to make a profit, how can they be delivered more cheaply while making a profit on top? Something has to give and that is usually the quality of the service or indeed the whole service - along with any decency in the pay and conditions of those delivering the service", added Joint Branch Secretary, Joyce Guthrie.

"You still pay your taxes but instead of the money going on the service and those who deliver it, it goes to company profits. Like the banks, these companies will become 'too big to fail' and will have the council over a barrel. It is time for the council to abandon these plans and concentrate on efficient and quality services in-house".

UNISON’s other Joint Branch Secretary Ian Fleming said, "The union has stressed that it is always ready to fully engage with the council on better and more efficient ways of delivering quality services. "However, management seem to have dismissed the idea to seriously looking at in-house options and making no real attempt to look at improving services, just a headlong drive to privatise".

"Staff are demoralised at how they are being treated with their jobs and now to say they are potentially going to be privatised leaves even more uncertainty”

“It seems to UNISON that the council are moving at a rapid speed in order to implement their plans prior to the County Council elections in 2013” 

Solidarity with Burmese Trade Unions

Earlier this year, Mick Bowman of the UNISON, Northumberland County Branch visited South East Asia with other Trade Unionists.

Our branch UNISON Northumberland County Branch have a long established link with the Burmese Trade Unions.

The Burmese Unions are one of the main bodies who have been fighting for democracy and justice for decades. We have supported their struggles over the last 10 years.

For years, trade unions have been affected by the events in Burma and they were labelled terrorist organisations.

Those who engaged in trade union activity were liable to torture or execution. Mick said "being in that country was an amazing and fantastic experience. When we were there we met with the trade union group, the federation of Union Kawthalei which is for Karen people.

The people in the group were at great risk of personal sacrifice for giving their lives to the trade union struggle. Some had been subjected to terrible atrocities. Among them Paw Gay, a woman from the Karen state who was forcibly removed from her family.

For 20 years, she lived among 400,000 displaced Burmese people in the eastern regions and saw members of her family slaughtered during fierce battles. Eventually she fled to Thailand where she lived in a refugee camp before devoting her life being a paramedic with Medical Backpackers.

The organisation "smuggles" medical supplies across the border to help those exiled from their homes." Speaking about Aung San Suu Kyi Mick said "She's an inspirational woman and a powerful character, but her story is not a typical in that there are others who have been subjected to violence and forced to relocate.

It's important that people involve themselves in Burma at this time when it's in a period of change. For that process to continue it's vital that the trade unions play an important role because they have got links with the workers.

They were at the forefront of the human rights movement and providing welfare services.