Protesters say "Enough is enough" as energy costs rise while companies make huge profits

Aberdeen Trade Union Council (ATUC) joined Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) North East Scotland, and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) North East Scotland at a protest outside Marischal College on 1 July under the banner “Welfare Not Warfare”.

The demonstration was held as households face yet another increase in energy bills. From 1 July the energy cap will end and average annual energy costs are set to rise by a further £221.

The protest was one of several across Scotland and the UK as protesters demanded an end to energy cost rises and that the energy companies stop their profiteering.

ATUC President, Tommy Campbell said, "Those hardest hit will be the most vulnerable members of our society, including older people, disabled people, and those living on low incomes. 

"Many are already struggling to meet the basic costs of heating their homes and powering essential appliances.

"At the same time, politicians continue to stand by while energy companies make enormous profits. Around £500 of a typical household energy bill already goes towards company profits, and that figure is likely to rise if the government continues to allow excessive profiteering in the energy market.

"It’s time to say enough is enough."

ATUC joins tenant’s union, charities and community groups call for Aberdeen City Council to fill 1,816 empty council homes.

Aberdeen Trades Union Council joined Living Rent Aberdeen as they delivered their open letter, signed by key organisations across Aberdeen, calling on Aberdeen City Council to urgently bring the 1,816 empty council homes back into public use.

The open letter highlights that this year, Aberdeen’s homeless services have been declared as at ‘a heightened risk of systemic failure’ by the Scottish Housing Regulator and the council is ‘routinely breaking the law’ in failing to meet housing needs.

Living Rent Aberdeen say that families with children sit trapped in unsuitable temporary accommodation while the council’s inability to fill lettable empty homes has cost £12.5m in the last 6 years. 

Scotland Demands Better - book your seat for Edinburgh demo on 25 October

Working people are suffering across Scotland, and are crying out for a decent income, decent pay, decent work, and a decent future for their families.  The Scottish TUC and the Poverty Alliance are demanding change, and tens of thousands will come together on Saturday October 25 in Edinburgh under the banner of "Scotland Demands Better". 

Aberdeen TUC is doing our bit to support this, and is putting on transport. We are calling on all our affiliates to publicise this vital event to all their members. We are looking for names and emails of anyone who wants a space on the free coaches (leaving 7am, returning by 6pm) - email to secretary@atuc.org.uk by 17 October.  Bring your branch banner too!

Kate Ramsden, joint secretary of ATUC spoke at the recent public meeting "Aberdeen Demands Better". The well-attended event also heard from Fiona Young, Community Development Worker, Tillydrone Community Flat and Rev. Peter Johnstone, Church of Scotland. Sai Shraddha Viswanathan, President, NUS Scotland chaired the meeting.

Kate's speech in full is posted below.

ATUC solidarity actions with comrades in struggle

Aberdeen Trades Union Council delegates were proud to stand in solidarity with trade union and community actions over recent weeks. 

On 12 June, delegates were proud to take ATUC's banner to Edinburgh to support our UNISON Enable colleagues in their fight for decent wages for Enable workers who support some of our most vulnerable citizens. 

We marched down the Royal Mile with UNISON members and supporters to Holyrood to demand the Scottish Government ensures Enable can afford to pay their skilled staff properly for their essential work.

Kate Ramsden, Joint Secretary said: "This dispute highlights the complete disconnect between the Scottish Government’s rhetoric and the situation in care on the ground.

Care workers ask Scottish Government "Where are the missing millions!"

ATUC sends solidarity to social care workers from Unite, UNISON and GMB who today picketed the Scottish parliament demanding the return of the ‘missing millions’ cut from the Scottish Government’s Budget for social care workers.

Information from the Scottish Trades Union Congress’ ‘Missing Millions’ campaign has shown that £38 million of ringfenced funding for maternity, paternity and sick pay for social care workers in Scotland was secretly cut from the latest Scottish Government budget.

Workers protested outside the Scottish Parliament to demand the return of the cash, accusing the Scottish Government of “betraying” social care workers. ATUC delegate Paul King was amongst those protesting and features in this STUC video. 

The ‘Missing Millions’ campaign was launched last week during STUC Congress. A Freedom of Information request has shown that the £38 million cut was pulled directly from the Scottish Government’s Fair Work in Social Care terms and conditions workstream in September 2023.

Save St Fittick's Park Protest 18 Jan at the Town House - please support the campaign

 All Aberdeen Trades Union delegates and affiliates are urged to support our friends in the Save St Fittick's Park campaign. 

Please get along if you can to Aberdeen Town House from 9.30 to 10.30am on Thursday 18 January, to protest the council's decision on St Fittick's Park and demand it is saved for the people of Torry and Aberdeen.

ATUC welcomes new consultation on libraries and pool closures and commends campaigners on this victory

Kirsty Fraser of Save
Bucksburn Swimming
Pool at the May Day Rally

Aberdeen TUC has applauded the victory of the Campaign Groups against the libraries and swimming pools closures in Aberdeen in their legal claim against the City Council. 

Aberdeen City Council’s decision to launch a fresh public consultation on the closures, follows legal negotiations in four petitions for judicial review in the Court of Session.

The consultation is expected to run from early September until Tuesday, 31 October 2023 and campaigners have urged Aberdeen residents to engage with the process to make their views known.

Libraries in Cornhill, Cults, Ferryhill, Garthdee (Kaimhill), Northfield, and Woodside, and Bucksburn Swimming Pool, run by Sport Aberdeen, were closed this Spring as part of moves by the council to make savings of £47 million.

At the time, there was no consultation by the council ahead of the closures, and Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments were not published on the local authority’s website. This is despite several of the libraries being in some of the city’s most deprived areas, and Bucksburn Swimming Pool served residents from across the north-east of Scotland with additional support needs and mobility issues.

Graeme Farquhar, Aberdeen TUC President, said: "The Aberdeen City Councillors who voted through cuts and closures based on advice and guidance from the Council’s Chief Executive and senior Officers must now hold them to account for this failure to properly and meaningfully consult with the citizens of Aberdeen."

May day march demands services not cuts for our children's future

Over 100 trade unionists, politicians and community representatives joined the ATUC organised May Day March and Rally on Sat 29 April in Aberdeen.

Community groups out were out in force standing up against closures of libraries and pools in Aberdeen, against the loss of green space and to save Insch community hospital. Marching alongside trade unions on International Workers’ Day.

As always the march along Union St with a pipe band at its head, turned the heads of shoppers and passers-by, who stopped to clap or cheer as the marchers passed by. It was a colourful and lively procession as the marchers called out chants and the uplifting beats of the Guarana Drummers brought up the rear.

Graeme Farquhar

Chairing the rally in the Castlegate, ATUC President, Graeme Farquhar said, "We have see so many disgraceful attacks on the lives and livelihoods of workers, citizens, on the poorest and most vulnerable and on our children. We are here saying, Enough is enough."

He commended that community campaigns and pledged, "We stand with you in solidarity."

There were passionate speeches from all the speakers, pledging to stand together for “services not cuts for our children’s future.”

Speakers from all the groups fighting against closures, for green spaces and for living rents and adequate housing all gave great speeches on their cause, but also the wider aim of protecting our children's future.

Protect the Right to Strike rally 1st Feb – please join us

Aberdeen Trades Union Council is calling urgently on all our affiliates and associate members to join a rally at St Nicholas Square, Aberdeen at 5.30pm on 1st Feb to protect our right to strike. 

The rally is organised by Aberdeen Trades Union Council and will be part of a nationwide day of action against the bill which was passed in the Commons last night.

Kathleen Kennedy, Vice President said: “This is the biggest legislative attack on workers’ and human rights that we have seen so far and is just the latest in a long list of such attacks by this Tory government.

“We are calling on everyone who can to come and join this protest.

"We appreciate that this is short notice but the passing of this bill last night in the Commons makes it imperative that we have a visible and vocal response. 

"We urge you to share this widely and encourage you members, families and friends to join the protest. Please bring placards and banners."

Support the Friends of St Fitticks and defend against a gross injustice

In her speech to the St Andrew's Day rally, Ishbel Shand of Friends of St Fitticks slams the threat to the last green space accessible to the poorest in the North East.

"I am here today to ask for your help in defending your fellow citizens from a gross injustice.  An unelected cabal made up of the Harbour Board, unelected officers at City Council, Scottish Enterprise and Sir Ian Wood’s ONE/ETZ company are planning to steal the last green space accessible to the poorest people in the North East.  This collusion of private interests and the political system is crony capitalism at its most sordid. 

Folk in Torry are already disadvantaged.  Their industries, fishing, ship building and repair, were lost to the oil industry.  Homes were destroyed when Shell replaced a picturesque fishing village with a major accident hazard site.  They were surrounded by landfill sites and industrial estates.  Edged by Wellington Road.  Home to two large harbours, a sewage treatment works, a gas turbine testing plant, a fishmeal factory. A 150,000 tonnes per annum incinerator is being built 500 metres from the Primary School. 

They were promised extensive environmental improvements by the Harbour Board and Aberdeen City Council in exchange for giving up Bay of Nigg.  That was in 2016.  Fast forward a few years and these two bodies were conspiring to remove Torry’s last green spaces and leave a settlement of ten and a half thousand people completely surrounded by industry.  The pandemic has shown us we need green-spaces for health and well-being.  Local health professionals have spelled out clearly what the loss of St Fittick’s Park will mean to the local community, where life expectancy is 13 years lower than in the leafier suburbs of Aberdeen, and healthy life twenty years lower.  The media has condemned the plan.  The list of organisations backing our campaign to save the park grows by the week. 

So why is this happening? 

Morning Star Scottish Readers and Supporters Conference 6 March 11am - It has never been more important to support the people's paper

The Aberdeen Trades Union Council is urging all our delegates and affiliates to attend the Morning Star Scottish Readers and Supporters conference taking place online on Sunday 6 March at 11am.

It has never been more important to support the Morning Star, the newspaper of trade unions and the left.

This is a practical conference for all supporters  of  the Morning Star to discuss how to improve the paper's impact, extend readership and build its finances in Scotland.

The Conference will be hels on zoom and will last a little over two hours. It will be chaired bu UNISON NEC member and ATUC ex-president, Kate Ramsden and will hear from Unite's Steve Dillon, a previous member of ATUC.

Click on the Zoom link to join https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88411162654

Kate said, "At a time when workers are under attack from poor wages, insecure work and the cost of living crisis; at a time when the poorest face stark choices between eating and heating whils the richest continue to amass more wealth; it has never been more important to back the newspaper of the workers, the Morning Star. 

"As the Star says, "You can’t buy a revolution, but you can support the only daily paper in Britain that’s fighting for one."

"Please come along and give us your ideas and find out what you can do to increase circulation in Scotland."

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.

Justice at last for the Shrewsbury pickets - but the truth is still not out

 Aberdeen Trades Union Council sends congratulations and solidarity to the Shrewsbury pickets who have had their convictions quashed after 48 years.

The Court of Appeal has overturned the convictions of 14 men sentenced for their involvement in pickets during the national builders' strike in 1972.

They were charged with offences including unlawful assembly and conspiracy to intimidate. The men have argued for the last 48 years that they should never have been convicted and denied all the charges. Many were then blacklisted and found it extrememly difficult to get work.

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."

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.

ATUC supports Plant a Tree for Palestine initiative

 At its December delegates meeting, ATUC gave its overwhelming support to the Plant a Tree for Palestine initiative, launched by the Aberdeen branch of Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC).

This new campaign which aims to build local solidarity with and support communities in South West Bethlehem targeted by illegal settlement expansion.SPSC member and ATUC delegate, Fiona Napier presented the campaign and ATUC agreed to donate £500 towards tree planting in Palestine.

More information can be found at the Plant a Tree page of the SPSC Aberdeen website, where you can also donate.

ATUC has a proud tradition of supporting the Palestinian cause and calling for an end to the oppression of the people of Palestine and occupation of their lands.

Fiona told the committee, “Initially this project will focus on tree planting as political resistance via the ‘Plant-a-Tree in Palestine’ initiative, raising money for trees that can then be planted by farmers and communities, contributing to sustainable economic development as well as symbolic resistance against Israeli occupation.”

If enough money can be raised by February 2021, it’s hoped the first planting can take place by March (before the planting season ends). £8 will allow one olive tree or grape vine plant to be purchased and the ground properly prepared.  You can donate here.

ATUC calls for support to keep Old Aberdeen Medical Practice under health-board control

Aberdeen Trade Union Council is deeply concerned at the proposal made by NHS Grampian and the City Health and Social Care Partnership's (ACHSCP) to put the management of Old Aberdeen Medical Practice and five other medical practices in Aberdeen out to tender to be taken over as a for-profit GP-led practice.

This means that they would be run for profit instead of being run by the health board.  All nine of the Old Aberdeen Medical Centre's G.P.s have now resigned and the practice is on the verge of collapse.

We are calling on ATUC delegates, associates, families and friends to go on and like and share the Facebook page 'Save Old Aberdeen Medical Practice' that would be appreciated https://www.facebook.com/saveOAMP.

Please also sign and share the petition on 38 degrees to Keep old Aberdeen Medical Centre. 

If your practice is Old Aberdeen you can contact the local MSP Kevin Stewart and appeal for him to intervene before Thursday when the IJB takes the decision to the next stage via 01224 624719 and Kevin.Stewart.msp@parliament.scot.  

'SYSTEM CHANGE, not just SPARE CHANGE'

When 12yr old Zak Hijazi heard that Aberdeen Trades Union Council was taking part in Challenge Poverty Week, he set about designing a graphic to support it. What he produced - as you can see below -was a powerful image and message! His reason for doing it - in his own words, ”Poverty is a crime caused by our governments”. 

Throughout this week, ATUC has been posting information that demonstrates just how right Zak is in his assessment.

On Nov 16, 2018, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Prof Philip Alston commented in his investigation of poverty in the UK, “Poverty is a political choice. Austerity could easily have spared the poor, if the political will had existed to do so.” 

A damning statement to be made about the (at that time) world’s fifth largest economy. Rather than move swiftly to rectify the situation, the government dismissed the report as “barely believable” and ignored the findings.

Two years on, the Covid pandemic has tragically shown the result of that callous response, as the results of years of chronic underfunding of vital public sectors have been laid bare. This is what happens when looking after people - especially the vulnerable - is seen as less important than big business and shareholder dividends.

As we plan our economic recovery, we must redesign our economy to reflect the values of justice and compassion we all share.

Poverty is indeed a political choice; it's up to us to change the narrative, and make sure the right choices get made!

UNISON calls on the Aberdeenshire council to love their staff and defend services on Valentine’s day

Members of Aberdeenshire UNISON delivered a Valentine Card to councillors arriving for the Budget meeting at Woodhill House on Thursday 14th February.

The verse in the card reads, “Roses are red, Violets are blue, We love our council services, The crucial work we do. So show how much you love us too, Please – no ifs, no buts, Protect your staff and services, And say no more to cuts.”

The branch is warning that proposals which could see up to another 150 post from the council will have a disastrous impact on staff and services.

Kate Ramsden, Branch co-chair said, “This will have far reaching effects on existing staff that are already struggling to carry out their duties in the time that they are paid, because of salami slicing over the past 8 years and will inevitably have a knock on effect on services.”