Celebrate International Workers Day at our May Day march, rally and social for Cuba

We are urging all delegates, union members, families and friends to join our May Day March and Rally on Saturday 2 May to celebrate International Workers Day.

Note new gathering point. Gather in Alford Place from 11am to march along Union Street to Union Terrace Gardens for a rally with a range of political and community speakers.

The march will be a family friendly event led by the Granite City Pipes and Drums; and branches and community activists are urged to bring along their placards, banners and flags.

100 years on from the General Strike of 1926 we gather to celebrate our achievements but also to learn lessons from the intervening years and to recommit to fight for workers' rights both here and across the world.

The Rally will be followed by a social, free to attend with raffle on the day and taking donations in aid of Cuba Vive (https://cubavive.org.uk/) Organised by ATUC and partners it will be held from 2-4pm in the Scottish Embassy on Trinity St (Opposite the train station) There will be live music from Callum Michael and the event is open  to all. Come and have a bit of fun after the serious politics.

Tommy Campbell, ATUC President said, "International Workers Day or May Day is a chance for the labour movement across the world to celebrate the core values that trade unionists stand for.

"Workers today continue to face threats on all fronts; global conflicts, ongoing structural racism and the rise of the far right, ever growing inequality and the climate crisis.

"On May Day we remember we are part of a global movement and our collective power is our greatest strength. One hundred years on from the 1926 General Strike against pay cuts, there are still the same issues of pay cuts to be opposed, coupled with other huge injustices and inequalities to be eradicated. 

"Too many people stuck on poverty wages, too many women denied equal pay, too many people in our ethnic minority communities whose lives are blighted by discrimination and disadvantage, too many unemployed and millions of workers, especially young workers, suffering the curse of zero hours contracts."

Join us on 28th April to "Remember the dead, Fight for the living"

All trade unionists, community activists, families and friends, especially those who have lost loved ones to an industrial accident or industrial disease are invited to attend the International Workers Memorial Day 2026 events below.                                        

The Aberdeen Trades Union Council International Workers' Memorial Day wreath laying service will be held on Tuesday 28 April at 1pm in the Persley Walled Garden, Mugiemoss Road, Aberdeen AB21 9WH.  

The International Workers’ Memorial Day theme is to "remember the dead, fight for the living."

Tommy Campbell, Aberdeen TUC President said, "On International Workers Memorial Day we pay our respects and remember all those who have lost their lives through a workplace accident or an industrial related disease.

"Whilst we will always remember the dead, we reiterate our fundamental right and duty to fight for the living by ensuring that all workplaces are safe and healthier to work in."

ATUC Statement on Israel’s latest airstrikes on Lebanon

Aberdeen Trades Union Council (ATUC) joins the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Amnesty International in condemning the Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, which have continued even after the Pakistan brokered ceasefire in the Middle East on 8 April.

These strikes, the heaviest since Israel began this attack on Lebanon, have killed over 300 civilians, adding to the total dead in Lebanon of at least 1,739 with almost 6,000 wounded and over 1,000,000 displaced.

Tommy Campbell, ATUC President said: “The carnage we are seeing in Lebanon at the hands of the apartheid state of Israel is horrifying, with civilians and civilian structures bearing the brunt of Israel’s assault. Coming so soon after a ceasefire agreement makes it even more shocking. Once again Israel is being allowed to act with complete impunity while ordinary civilians pay the price.”

Kate Ramsden, ATUC Secretary added: “The latest strikes on Lebanon, in what Israel military refer to as Operation “Eternal Darkness”, continue Israel’s appalling track record of carrying out unlawful attacks – first in Gaza, where its murders of civilians, including children, health workers and journalists continue, despite the ceasefire there, and now in Lebanon.

“Israel’s complete disregard for international law and callous disdain for the lives of civilians including children must be ended and Israel held to account for its flagrant and continued breaches of international humanitarian law”

ATUC calls for the UK government to immediately halt the transfer of any weapons or military support to Israel, as we have done throughout the Gaza genocide. It calls on the Scottish Government to withdraw support for any companies complicit in supporting Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Palestine and its genocide in Gaza.

10 April 2026

ATUC lays wreath to remember lives lost in the Bond Helicopter crash

Tommy Campbell, President of Aberdeen Trades Union Council. along with Offshore Workers' and Trade Union representatives laid wreaths at the  Bond helicopter accident memorial in Johnston Gardens, Aberdeen on Wednesday 1st April 2026, where mourners gathered to mark the seventeenth anniversary of the Bond offshore helicopter fatal accident off the coast of Peterhead.

Tommy said: "Our thoughts are still with the families, work colleagues and friends who lost loved ones and are still affected by this horrific fatal helicopter accident. 

"The accident has had a catastrophic effect on the local community and is not the only fatal helicopter crash to have occurred over the recent past. 

"It should never be forgotten that the helicopter operator was supposed to replace part of the gearbox just a week before this fatal accident. They failed to carry out this necessary replacement due to a  lack of communication with the aircraft manufacturer Eurocopter. 

Aberdeen stands with Cuba against US imperialism

Members of Aberdeen Trades Union Council (ATUC) and the North East Morning Star Readers and Supporters Group along with comrades and community activists stood in solidarity with Cuba on Saturday 21 March as part of a global day of action, called by Cuba Solidarity Campaign.

It marked the day that the Nuestra América Convoy for Cuba arrived in Havana carrying humanitarian aid and formed one part of an International Caravan against the tightening of the US blockade, to speak out against the collective punishment of the Cuban people by the Trump administration.

Activists gathered in St Nicholas Square giving out leaflets and encouraging passers-by to donate to Cuba Vive – Let Cuba Live – which provides medical and humanitarian aid to Cuba. £60 was passed on to Cuba Vive as a result. 

To donate please click HERE

Kate Ramsden, ATUC joint-secretary said: “At a time when US sanctions are ratcheting up the pressure on Cuba, visible solidarity from around the world matters more than ever. We will be one of many solidarity actions across Scotland, the UK and the world to show that Cuba is not alone.

Celebrating the collective power of women

Women and men celebrated International Women's Day in Aberdeen with poetry and song by and about women, their achievements and their activism. 

Organised by Aberdeen Trades Union Council and the North East Morning Star Readers and Supporters Group, the event, held on Sunday 8 March, also showcased the Morning Star's poetry anthology, "Who We Are". 

Chaired by Kate Ramsden, ATUC joint-secretary, women brought along their own inspiring poetry to read, or read compelling poems by other women from across the world, including many from the Morning Star anthology. 

Kate said; "It was a very uplifting event with poems that made us laugh and cry and which spoke powerfully of women's lives and experiences, their oppression and their resilience. What better way to celebrate International Women's Day?

"We also heard from the men but on the proviso that all the poems were penned by women. They were and they read them movingly and with reference to the important and influential women in their lives"

Music was provided by musicians from Aberdeen based band, Melting Pot who performed songs about women's lives before accompanying all those present in a rousing rendition of Bread and Roses.

Proceeds from the nine poetry books sold will go to the Morning Star Fighting fund. Thanks to Melting Pot and to all the sisters and brothers that came along. 

ATUC stands in solidarity with BrewDog workers demanding transparency

Aberdeen Trades Union Council delegates joined Unite Hospitality workers as they staged a demonstration at the BrewDog Bar at Union Square in Aberdeen city centre on Wednesday 25th February.

The demonstration was called in response to the treatment of workers before and during the ongoing sale process at BrewDog, amid reports that the company is being prepared for sale to the highest bidder.

The dispute centres on the lack of consultation, the abandonment of the real living wage, widespread bar closures, and the slashing of contracted hours — all of which have left workers paying the price for decisions taken at the top of the business.

Recent press coverage has confirmed that BrewDog is exploring options for the future of the company, including a potential sale, following years of cuts, closures and worker uncertainty.

Affiliations and Annual Reports Due for 2026

▶ ATUC Trade Union Affiliations

Thanks to your support the ATUC continued its work throughout last year with a large number of events, demos and attendance to support striking workers!  We very much hope your trade union will support us once again by affiliating this year as well

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.

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!

▶ Annual Report Adverts & Articles!

It's that time of year again, and the ATUC are looking for organisations to help sponsor our 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.

We would also like to encourage all our affiliates and associate organisations to provide a report on your work over this year.

Celebrating the collective power of women with poetry and song on International Women's Day

Poster by Morag Lawrence

 Join us to celebrate International Women's Day in Aberdeen on 8 March 11.30-1pm, with poetry and music by and for women. 

The event, which will be held in the ATUC, 22A Adelphi, Aberdeen, has been organised by Aberdeen Trades Union Council in association with the Aberdeen Morning Star Readers and Supporters Group. 

It is open to both men and women and will hear poetry from women and men celebrating the role of women in communities and political activism. It will also showcase the new Morning Star poetry anthology, Who We Are.

Music will also feature at what promises to be an uplifting event celebrating women's voices and women's power.

Please do come along and join us.

What is International Women's Day (IWD)?
IWD is celebrated annually on March 8.  It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for advancing gender equality.

IWD has been around for well over a century, with the first IWD marked in 1911.

In 2026, IWD marks an extraordinary milestone: 115 years of collective action, advocacy, and progress toward sex equality. For more than a century, IWD has helped drive transformative change. Each generation has built on the courage of those before it, pushing boundaries and redefining what is possible.

Looking forward to welcoming you to this event. Please come and celebrate the collective power of women in creating change.

Thank you to all workers providing vital services in the worst snow in a decade

Aberdeen Trades Union Council (ATUC) wishes to thank all the workers in Aberdeen City and across Aberdeenshire that went above and beyond in the Wintery conditions earlier in January to protect the citizens of the North East - especially the most vulnerable.

This is when the absolute value of public services and the workers who provide them is laid bare. We have heard many stories of NHS staff's valiant efforts to get into hospitals and health centres, carers going the extra mile to ensure vulnerable older people are not left isolated, the workers who plough the roads and pavements, out in all weathers, the emergency service workers braving the elements, and many many more. We thank all of you.

We recognise that the situation was made even more challenging by the cuts that councils and other public services have faced over 15 years of austerity. We have written to Aberdeen City Council to express our concerns at some of the unreasonable demands made on some, mainly low paid women workers, to get into their work when other colleagues were able to stay at home. 

With climate change we are likely to see more such severe weather events. Aberdeen Trades Union Council calls on all employers to ensure their workers are kept safe in providing services at these times and that the impact of cuts is identified to the Scottish Government to ensure that lessons are learned for the future.

ATUC and individual trade unions will continue to campaign for properly funded public services, for the health and safety of the workforce and for the benefit of the citizens of the North East of Scotland.