Union considers action against `misleading` housing transfer advice

Unison is considering legal action against a booklet distributed
by Glasgow Council describing it as “misleading”.

The booklet, ‘Your Home – Your Choice’, has been
distributed by the council as part of the consultation process
prior to tenants’ vote on whether all the city’s
housing stock should transfer to the independent Glasgow Housing
Association (GHA). Unison claims the booklet promotes the transfer
despite the council formally deciding last week to circulate
objective information to tenants.

Angela Lynes, Unison’s Glasgow branch secretary, said:
“This booklet is stuffed with GHA propaganda, it is frequently
misleading and it ignores key questions that tenants will need to
have answers to if any ballot is to be fair.”

Jointly produced by Glasgow Council and GHA, the booklet is
being distributed to the 80,000 tenants involved in the possible
stock transfer. Unison believes that the biased nature of the
booklet is an attempt to influence tenants’ opinion prior to
a MORI poll commissioned by the council.

The booklet states that the housing stock transfer will mean “an
end to damp, cold uncomfortable homes. It means a huge programme of
repairs and improvements. And it means a real say in how your
housing is run.” Unison claims this is far from impartial, and the
booklet should point out that the repairs could be carried out
without the housing stock transfer.

As well as considering legal action against the booklet, Unison
is to distribute a comprehensive rebuttal to the booklet.

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