The UCS Work-In: Clydebank TUC Online Public Meeting

Aberdeen Trades Union Council is encouraging all our delegates and associates to join the Clydebank Trade Union Council online public meeting on the UCS work-in on Wednesday 10th March at 7.00pm

Register here
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-ucs-work-in-clydebank-tuc-online-public-meeting-tickets-141935339421

This meeting commemorates a remarkable working class victory which offers lessons for today's labour movement. 

The strategy of the shop stewards leading the work - in succeeded in stopping the government, which was the ultimate owner of the four yards, from orchestrating their closure. They did so by seeing off attempts by the right wing in the trade union movement to take over the leadership of the workers' campaign and building a wider regional alliance around the demand for the ‘right to work’. 

They inflicted a major defeat on the Government of the day, ensured their original demand of keeping the four yards open was met in full, and forced a wider U-Turn in government policy.

ATUC supports International Women’s Day 2021 – “Choose to Challenge”

 
Aberdeen TUC proudly supports the struggle for peace, justice and equality by and for all women on International Women's Day and sends solidarity to all women in struggle.

The trades council is backing the local International Women’s Day events jointly arranged by Aberdeen Women’s Alliance, Aberdeen City Council and Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC).

ATUC is one of the co-hosts of an online event organised by Aberdeen Women's Alliance and GREC on Period Poverty, Technology and Activism on International Women's Day, 8th March from 11-12 noon. Please join us.  Click here to find out more on Facebook.

Click here to find out about the other events being held locally to celebrate International Women's Day.

Donna Clark, ATUC vice president said, “Trade Unions proudly celebrate the achievements of women on International Women's Day, especially as it grew out of the campaign for better pay and improved conditions at work, in addition to the campaign for all women to have the right to vote.

“These campaigns, led by women active in the Trade Union and Labour Movement were instrumental in having International Women's Day recognised as an annual event by the United Nations." 

Solidarity with GMB British Gas workers - sign the petition in support

Aberdeen Trades Union Council sends solidarity and support to GMB members in British Gas (Centrica) who are taking strike action over the company’s plan to sack them all and rehire them on worse terms and conditions.  

We are calling on our members to sign the petition calling on British Gas to think again.

Preliminary results for the year ending December 2020 shows that Centrica recorded £699 million in adjusted operating profits, and a £52 million statutory profit compared to an £849 million loss in the previous 12 months. 

Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary, said: "Last summer, when British Gas decided on fire and rehire pay cuts for gas engineers, it was already a profitable company - as these results confirm. 

“So there is no need to hurt workers, customers and shareholders. Refusing to take fire and rehire off the table is the main obstacle to a settlement at ACAS."

Graeme Farquhar, ATUC President said: "Fire and rehire is a disgraceful tactic and we stand four square behind our GMB colleagues who are taking strike action across the UK.

"We stand in solidarity with these workers and we condemn unreservedly the behaviour of British Gas who have made such huge profits on the backs of these same workers.

"Time for British Gas to think again. This is not how a reputable company should treat its workforce. It’s disgraceful."

Come long to the SPSC Aberdeen online quiz on Sat 27th Feb at 7pm and donate to the Plant a Tree campaign

Please join Scottish Palestine Solidarity Aberdeen for an online quiz, as part of its Plant a Tree campaign, supported by Aberdeen Trades Union Council, to support Palestinian farmers south west of Bethlehem threatened by illegal Israeli settlement building. 

The quiz will take place online on Saturday 27th February, 7-9pm.

It is open to all and teams of up to 6 or individuals are welcome. You can register by emailing aberdeen@scottishpsc.org.uk

The Plant a Tree campaign is looking to provide funds to enable these farmers to plant native trees. The longer term campaign also plans to build solidarity links between Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland and villages in South West Bethlehem.

Entry is free but donations to the campaign are very welcome (www.spscaberdeen.org/take-action). 

 

There'll be entertainment and top prizes! Please come along and support this important campaign.

Go to the Facebook event for more information.

ATUC Affiliations, News Articles & Adverts for 2021!

 ▶ ATUC Trade Union Affiliations

PLEASE USE THE FORM FOR BOTH RENEWALS AND NEW AFFILIATIONS

Well that wasn’t the year we expected but with your support, the ATUC continued its work throughout 2020, and we very much hope your trade union will support us by affiliating for 2021.

We can only exist because trade union branches support us, and whether your branch has been a long time affiliate, or you wish to join us for the first time this year, we’d be very happy for your support.

Affiliating/Renewing is simple and easy to do online – just click the link and complete the form. We will then send an invoice to the branch contact you nominate. http://bit.ly/ATUCAffiliate

If your branch already affiliates, but you know of other branches or unions who don’t then please send this email on to them – spread the word!

▶ Book your Annual Report Adverts!

It's that time of year again, and the ATUC are looking for organisations to help sponsor our 2020 annual report, to be published in the new year, by taking out adverts to be included in the publication. You can view last year’s report as well.

Organisations taking adverts in this way allow us to produce the well-respected Annual Report each year which is distributed to trade union and other organisations, as well as being made available at the annual STUC conference. It's a great way to get your branch or organisation noticed, as well as helping us to cover the costs of producing the report.

Annual Report advert costs are as follows (please note we are now basing advert costs on page size, as all are now available in colour due to the new printing process we use):
Full-page - £200.00
Half-page - £100.00
Quarter-page - £50.00

To make it even easier you can now submit your annual report advert request online, including uploading your copy ready artwork/poster. We'll then invoice you for the selected amount. If you don’t have your artwork ready yet, you can still book and then send the artwork in later.

To book your advert please ensure you complete our online form as that allows us to track invoices appropriately!

To book your advert in the annual report just complete our online form.

▶ Send us your Annual Report Articles!

As we begin 2021 and hopefully towards an end to Covid, as vaccines become available, this year's annual report will stand as a historical reminder of a unique and very difficult year in the lives of most of our members. We would like to encourage all our affiliates and associate organisations to provide a report on your work over this year, and the impact of the Covid pandemic on your members and your communities. We usually ask for an A4 page of type in Arial 12pt but we would be happy with just a couple of paragraphs on your branch's/organisations' experience to ensure we can include as many affiliates as possible in this Annual Report.

Articles can be submitted to atucreports@gmail.com and we would be grateful to receive them as soon as possible, and no later than 31st January 2021.

How international solidarity and boycott can overcome oppression - come along to the Morning Star Our Class our Culture event and hear more

Please join us at the Morning Star “Our class, our culture” event on 12 January at 7pm, on how international solidarity and boycott can overcome oppression. 

The event will involve a number of ATUC stalwarts including ex-President, Sasha Bryden in the chair, and speaker, Tommy Campbell, Unite and Kate Ramsden, UNISON. 

The North East of Scotland has a proud history of international solidarity. Men and women from the North East went to fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War. And Aberdeen was amongst the first UK cities to award the freedom of the city to Nelson Mandela whilst he was still imprisoned on Robben Island.

Come and hear more about the history of solidarity and boycott and about the vital importance of the peaceful boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign in the struggle for freedom, justice and equality for the people of Palestine.

ATUC backs "People before profit" movement to demand that workers don't pay for Covid crisis

ATUC has voted overwhelmingly to support the aims and demands of "People before profit", a movement that has grown up in response to the Covid pandemic calling for an emergency programme for jobs, services and safety.

It notes that tens of thousands have unnecessarily died from the Covid pandemic thanks to a government that was ill prepared and put profit ahead of people’s safety. 

Now, alongside a Covid pandemic that is far from over, we face an avalanche of job losses, more austerity and more attacks on pay and conditions. "People before profit" is calling for a fightback across workplaces and communities to demand that ordinary people won’t pay for the crisis. 

"People before profit" has made the following demands of the UK government:

• extend the furlough scheme - defend jobs
  
•  guarantee safe workplaces
• tax the wealthy - don't make the workers pay for the crisis
• public ownership of services and end outsourcing
• an immediate massive programme of green investment
• a welfare system that provides real social security and dignity

The campaign has the support of many unions, activists and politicians including John McDonnell, Neil Findlay and Robin McAlpine.

An ATUC working group, led by ATUC delegate, Gerry McCabe, will look at how best ATUC and it's affiliates and associated organisations can take forward the demands of "People before profit" in the North East of Scotland.