North East joins Scotland-wide campaign to bring buses back into public ownership

 

Pressure for public control and public ownership of buses grows as new campaigns launched in the Glasgow city region, Tayside and the North-East

 

Scotland’s campaign for better buses continues to grow today as anti-poverty groups, environmentalists and trade unions join forces to launch new regional campaigns for better buses in three of Scotland’s biggest city regions.

Today three ‘Take Back Our Buses’ campaign videos are released, outlining the case for change in the Glasgow city region, Tayside and the North-East, and starting to build the pressure on all political parties in the run-up to the local election next year.

 Prior to the pandemic bus passenger journeys in Tayside and the North East fell by a quarter in the last five years, while in the South West and Strathclyde they fell by 12%. However, in Edinburgh and the Lothians where buses are council-owned, bus passenger use has bucked the downward trend.

The three regional ‘Take Back Our Buses’ campaigns call on local politicians in all parties to commit to using the new powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 – for public control and public ownership of bus services – in their manifestos for local elections next May.  

This follows Greater Manchester’s decision earlier this year to become the first UK city region to commit to re-regulating its bus network since 1986, as the only way to deliver a fully-integrated and affordable public transport network which serves all the region’s communities.

The campaign is supported by unions such as Unite the Union who represent bus workers, as well as by Trades Councils across Scotland, the Poverty Alliance, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Engender, Common Weal, Get Glasgow Moving, the International Transport Workers’ Federation, One Parent Families Scotland, the Young Women’s Movement and the Scottish Pensioners Forum. 

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is running the ‘Our Climate Our Buses’ campaign as a key driver of its wider campaign for a Just Transition.

 

Solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters on UN International Day of Solidarity

Today - 29^th November - is the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.  ATUC welcomes the Palestinian flag being flown from the Townhouse today to mark this important date, and sends solidarity to all our Palestinian brothers and sisters.

Messages from Palestine at ATUC anti-racism/ anti-fascism event

On Saturday 27^th November we came together for our annual St Andrew’s Day ‘Anti-racism/ Anti-fascism’ event, this year held online again due to Covid precautions. Unfortunately, our two speakers invited to speak on Palestine were unable to join due to technical problems so we are posting the information they planned to share with us here. 

Jamal Juma: Plant a Tree in Palestine

Jamal Juma, coordinator of the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall), and coordinator of the Land Defense Coalition had planned to join us to speak about the ongoing grassroots Plant a Tree in Palestine campaign.  Today, Palestinians are resisting an escalation of Israel’s land theft, settler violence and relentless destruction of Palestinian agriculture and way of life. The Plant a Tree in Palestine, a joint project of Stop the JNF and Stop the Wall, is a powerful tool of Palestinian resistance and serves three key functions:

• Building Solidarity: Planting trees within affected communities conveys a strong sense of international solidarity, of people not being alone and forgotten, building Palestinian sumud.
• Reclaiming the Land: Farmers being supported to plant trees counters the Israeli drive to detach people from their land.
• Benefiting the Environment: The trees planted are natural to the region, unlike many JNF trees, alien to the land. The trees planted as part of the project benefit the environment and have deep cultural and historic significance.

ATUC are actively supporting the Plant a Tree campaign and are supporting SPSC Aberdeen in awareness-raising and building support for the campaign in the North East. If you would like to find out more, or your branch would like to get involved please email aberdeen@scottishpsc.org.uk.

St Andrew's Day Online Rally - Join us on 27th November at 12 noon

Please join us on Saturday 27th November 2021 for our annual St Andrew's Day rally against racism and fascism, being held online once again this year.

The event will take place from 12 noon until 1.15pm. You can join us from our Facebook event by clicking HERE

It will be chaired by ATUC Executive member, Fiona Napier and will hear from trade unionists from local branches as well as speakers from further afield, representing Aberdeen Trades Union Council's commitment to international solidarity in the fight against racism and fascism. We will also have some music and poetry in the mix so it promises to be a lively and interesting event.

ATUC president, Graeme Farquhar, who will be opening the event said: "Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland has a proud history of opposing racism and fascism and of international solidarity.

"We are proud to see this tradition  continue as we welcome refugees and asylum seekers from Syria and Afghanistan as well as migrants from many other countries and other parts of Scotland and the UK.

"But we must be constantly vigilant as we see attempts including by this UK Tory government, to demonise migrants and asylum seekers and to sow division. 

"Like the STUC event, our rally today will underline our commitment to root out racism and fascism in all its forms and to send the message loud and clear. Refugees are welcome here."

UPDATE on buses travelling to Glasow from Aberdeen for COP26 rally on 6th Nov

Glasgow COP26 Climate Justice March and Rally joined by Aberdeen Trade Union Council affiliated unions members & North East Scotland Just Transition Campaigners.

Many thanks to everyone who has emailed the ATUC registering for a place on the coach to Glasgow funded by UNISON Aberdeenshire. Your emails are being replied to. If you have any further queries email; 

secretary@atuc.org.uk

Our bus is now full and we cannot accept any more bookings. However, Friends of the Earth Scotland are also running a bus which is already full and are considering putting on a second bus - if you would like to reserve a place, register on the following Eventbrite site by Wednesday 6pm at the latest;

COP26-Aberdeen to Glasgow Free Coach travel, Global Day for Climate Justice Tickets, Sat 6 Nov 2021 at 07:30 | Eventbrite

    

Stewards needed! Please consider contacting the COP 26 Coalition directly if you can offer your help as a steward for the march and rally at workers@cop26coalition.org

Hope to see you there! 

👉IMPORTANT INFO👈

COP 26 COALITION INSTRUCTIONS FOR MARCH & RALLY ATTENDEES

• Please bring trade union flags/banners

• Please dress appropriately for the weather and bring food and water

• Wear a mask if possible.

• Please remain socially distanced.

• Please get vaccinated or take a Covid test before attending.

Come along to SPSC's online event and find out how you can support Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

 
ATUC is supporting a series of events organised by Scottish Palestine Solidaroty Campaign (SPSC) Aberdeen, focused on Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS). 

We are urging all our delegates, associates, family and friends to get along to the first event on Zoom on Thursday 27th October 2021 from 6.30-8pm. 

You can find out more by clicking HERE And you can register on Eventbrite HERE

The series will explore the divestment campaign against Caterpillar (via HSBC) and Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes, IHRA (Right to BDS), Puma and sport apartheid.

The first event is the re-launch of our divestment campaign against Caterpillar (via HSBC) and Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes.

COP26 - Bus to Glasgow rally, Sat 6th Nov

 On Saturday November 6^th ATUC and UNISON Aberdeenshire will be providing bus transport for trade unionists and other local activists to join the COP 26 rally in Glasgow from 11am to 4.30 pm. 

The bus will leave from  Inverurie market place at 7am and will pick up along the way, including Albyn Place Aberdeen at 7.30am. Buses will return the same day, aiming to be back for 9pm.

For more information and to book a place on the bus please email secretary@atuc.org.uk by 5pm on Friday 22nd October

Find out more about the demo and the bloc participating here.

Pre COP 26 Protest Rally in Aberdeen

On Saturday 23rd October, a coalition of local groups and organisations are planning a pre-COP 26 protest rally from 11.45 am to 2.30pm pm in Marischal Square with a host of speakers, musical entertainment and food by Food not Bombs. Read more HERE

ATUC supports urgent action on climate change as Rainbow Warrior visits Aberdeen

Steve Gray joined politicians and climate campaigners when he spoke on behalf of Aberdeen Trade Union Council at the Greenpeace Just Transition event at Aberdeen Harbour.

The event took place on Saturday 24th July. The Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior had docked in Aberdeen as part of its journey to engage workers and citizens in discussion around a just transition, in advance of the COP26 Climate Conference coming to Scotland.

Steve spoke of the impact of climate change on the communities in the North East of Scotland and the role of trade unions in supporting just transition and climate justice. He called for urgent action to tackle the climate crisis.