ATUC remembers the dead and pledges to fight for the living at moving IWMD service

Aberdeen Trades Union Council hosted a moving International Workers Memorial Day service in the beautiful setting of the Persley Walled Gardens in Aberdeen on 28 April.

It was one of several in Aberdeen, including the Action on Asbestos charity’s International Workers Memorial Day service in Johnston Gardens, where a plaque was unveiled dedicated to the memory of our late ATUC President, Graeme Farquhar.

Aberdeen City Council also held an IWMD  service in Duthie Park when the flag there was lowered to half mast. (Photos of both these events are below.)

Chaired by ATUC President, Tommy Campbell, our ATUC event began with a minute’s silence to mourn all those who have lost their lives through their work, in this country and around the world.

We pledged to continue our fight to ensure that no one else is killed, injured or made ill at their work. In this country that means fighting for better Health and Safety legislation and enforcement. Across the world it means demanding that international law is observed in areas of conflict and countries flouting that held accountable by the international community. It also means ensuring that workers rights to safe and healthy workplaces are enforced internationally.

This year's theme focussed on mental health at work and suicide prevention.

Dignity at work must recognise additional challenges for women

Kate Ramsden

Congress slammed the disgrace that in the 21st century, toilet and welfare facilities are still not readily available to train drivers and other transport and logistics workers. STUC will convene a round table discussion to strategise for improvements.

This will specifically consider the particular issues facing women, such as pregnancy, menstruation and the menopause, as mover, ASLEF accepted the ATUC amendment calling for this.

Seconding, Kate Ramsden told delegates that it isn’t acceptable for any worker to have to suppress their need for the loo or use unsuitable containers.

“But clearly women’s needs for proper and readily available toilet facilities have to take into account additional considerations based on our biology.

“Menstruation, pregnancy and menopause all add to women’s needs to have regular access to hygienic toilet facilities and exacerbate the risks for us if these are not made available.”

She called for women to be in the room when the trade unions meet to coordinate their campaign.

ATUC leads way on welfare not warfare

Fred Bayer

In what was a fairly momentous decision, Congress backed a composite motion from Glasgow and Aberdeen Trade Union Councils to oppose the UK Labour government’s plans for increased defence spending and to campaign for public services to be prioritised.

A card vote followed an excellent debate when the issues were fully aired. However delegates confirmed that war and the economic forces behind it can never be in the interests of our class.

It aligned with the TUC Congress in giving the government a clear message from the Scottish trade union movement that we oppose increases in defence spending to the detriment of our members in public services.

Seconding, ATUC’s Fred Bayer told Congress that the moral case against rearmament and the arms sector more generally is pretty well understood.

“It is a sector that exists for no purpose other than to destroy human life and the products of human labour,” slammed Fred.

The argument that defence expenditure grows the economy, creates jobs and boosts union membership is a myth, he added, pointing to research that shows every pound spent on arms generates only half as many jobs as every pound spent on education, health, and environment.

“In other words, every pound we waste on this rearmament exercise is actively costing us jobs and shrinking the economy, compared to if that money was instead invested in our public services and infrastructure.

“The IPPR has warned that unless they reverse course on this, Scotland will lose another 20,000 jobs in local government in the next 3 years.

“Rearmament is just yet another anti-worker, anti-social, element of this appalling Labour government’s hare-brained policy,” Fred warned.

Congress agreed and supported the motion on a card vote 625 to 512.

Beware the public sector reform strategy

Amy Snell

Public services were at the forefront of the afternoon’s debates and delegates slammed the Scottish Government’s public sector reform strategy which is a clear threat to public services and especially council services.

Seconding the composite from PCS and ATUC, Amy Snell told Congress that the strategy is about saving money by reducing the workforce, shifting services out of the public sector and centralising.

“We are told this is all about prevention. But where is the serious action on poverty, on long term underfunding, or the reason demand is rising in the first place?”

She called for a strategy “that starts with workers, not cuts. One that fixes the real problem, underfunding, lack of resources, broken systems,” and called on Congress to stand with workers and for the future of our public services.

Let's keep our Promise to children in care

Kate Ramsden

Congress backed a comprehensive strategy to address cuts and outsourcing in our Scottish public services.

Kate Ramsden spoke to ATUC’s amendment calling for the Scottish Government to end profit in children’s residential care, in line with the Promise Scotland.

She pointed out that a report from the Common Weal Care Reform Group found that £10.2 million is being extracted in private profit from children’s residential care.

“It can be done,” said Kate. “The Common Weal paper has shown how and Wales has passed legislation to take profit out of children’s care.

“Let’s give the Government a clear message that it cannot allow profit to be made on the backs of our most vulnerable children.”

Better buses now, says Congress

Amy Snell

The STUC will campaign for buses to come back into municipal ownership and for investment in green bus manufacturing in Scotland, as delegates backed Unite’s call.

Seconding the motion ATUC’s Amy Snell said that services must be based on what our communities need and not what is deemed commercially viable.

“We must make sure that work is done to protect our rural communities,” warned Amy, adding that many rural bus services are infrequent and unreliable but are the only transport available.

“We need decent, robust and reliable public transport which serves the whole of Scotland!” she said.

Despite ATUC opposition delegates vote for biennial Congress

Fred Bayer

ATUC’s Fred Bayer joined the wide ranging constitutional debate, as Congress, on a card vote, supported the General Council’s constitutional amendment with over two-thirds of the vote. This reversed last year’s decision and means that from now on Congress and Equalities Conferences will be every two years albeit with some strengthening of rights.

This is predicated on saving expense and staff time with a plan to redirect both to implementing Congress decisions and a more incisive campaigning focus.

The concerns about a democratic deficit were rejected by a majority of unions.

Opposing the amendments, Fred pointed out that the changes proposed were philosophically incoherent.

“As a trade union we oppose cuts. We should resource the STUC properly to keep delivering Annual Conference and the other campaigning events that have been described.”

X's coat on a shoogly peg

Fred Bayer

Fred was also in action in the debate about affiliates use of X, formally Twitter.

It was once again condemned by STUC Congress as a platform for misinformation, misogyny and extreme content. However, the movers, SSTA, agreed to remit the motion to enable the General Council to consider further the practicalities.

Seconding the motion, ATUC’s Fred Bayer said, “We do not use X, X uses us. Our data, our time, our content. It’s time we stop spending our time and energy creating profit for a fascist.”