ATUC joins unveiling of commemorative stone to recognise role of key workers during Covid

 Aberdeen Trades Union Council took part in a ceremony as Aberdeen City Council unveiled a commemorative stone in recognition of the role of key workers throughout the pandemic.

The stone will be a reminder to future generations of the hard work and sacrifices made by all in the battle against Covid-19.

The ceremony took place on Sunday 27th March in the Kirk of St Nicholas churchyard, and followed a Covid-19 thanksgiving service to key workers. 

There was a gathering at the Town House afterwards, where a video premier of a piece of music specially composed by the award winning composer Paul Mealor, Professor of Composition at the University of Aberdeen, was shown. 

The composition and accompanying video gave thanks on behalf of the city to all those who had made sacrifices during the Covid-19 Pandemic and also featured key workers.

ATUC President, Graeme Farquar spoke on behalf of Aberdeen Trades Union Council. He thanked the Lord Provost and Aberdeen City Council for the three events. 

"It was an honour and a privilege to assist in the unveiling of the stone. The stone will now be a legacy for future generations to visit and reflect on," said Graeme.

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.

Join the Morning Star Fringe meeting on Sun 15th Nov at 3pm - overcoming the economic crisis

Please join us at the Morning Star Fringe Meeting at the STUC virtual Congress, "Covid and the economic crisis: Neoliberal policies caused it. How can we overcome it?" on Sunday 15th November 2020 at 3pm. 

Speakers include ATUC member Kate Ramsden of UNISON, alongside Andrew Murray, Unite Chief of Staff, Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary, and Neil Findlay, MSP. Corolyn Jones, Vice-chair of the People's Press Management Committee will chair the event.

It promises to be an interesting and stimulating debate. Please come along.

Solidarity with Richie Venton sacked by Ikea for defending workers' rights - please sign the petition

ATUC sends our support and solidarity to Richie Venton, USDAW steward, sacked by IKEA for standing up for workers’ health and livelihoods in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and for carrying out the duties that any decent elected trade union representative would. 

Please sign the petiton to reinstate Richie Venton and to demand wages for sick workers at Ikea.

Since February, Richie consistently argued that anyone off sick or self-isolating from the worst killer pandemic in a century should receive their full 100% average wage - not to be put on company sick benefit; not to be penalised with sick absence points; not to be excluded entirely from IKEA sick benefit for exceeding the points threshold, but to get their full average wages.

Richie argued this was essential to prevent workers facing an impossible choice of financial ruin on £95 a week Statutory Sick Pay or ruination of their health and that of others by dragging themselves into work, potentially infecting a workforce of 540 people.

When IKEA – who made £11.2bn profits in 2019 - announced that from 1^st June wages would be removed from workers absent due to COVID-19, Richie repeated this case and then informed union members who had elected me as their shop steward and convenor, of company plans and his opposition to these as their union representative.

For that Richie was sacked, on a trumped-up charge of “breach of confidentiality”.

This is Union victimisation, to clear the path to even worse attacks on the rights and conditions of IKEA staff. It’s no accident that Richie had built union membership to the highest level in any IKEA store in UK and Ireland; to more than twice the density of the second best-organised store. 

In the line of duty - Unite senior organiser Davy Kettyles aims to raise cash for the NHS – with a song

Davy Kettyles

 Davy Kettyles is well known to ATUC delegates as he attended our St Andrew's Day rally a few years ago and the international brigade commemoration in Aberdeen earlier this year where he played and sung some of the powerful and moving songs he writes.

Davy has now written a song about the Coronavirus, "No tears at your grave" which is going on sale to raise money for the charity Asks for Masks.

Please go on and buy the digital track for a very good cause.

DOWNLOAD THE SINGLE:
Want to download the single? Here’s how you can

This is how it came about:

It’s rare for Unite Ireland senior regional organiser Davy Kettyles to watch breakfast TV – he normally listens to Today on Radio 4. But on one fine May morning, Belfast-based Davy, for no apparent reason, tuned into BBC TV’s Breakfast programme – and was surprised to see his old friend actor Adrian Dunbar, aka Superintendent Hastings as BBC’s Line of Duty fans know him – asking viewers to support the NHS-fund raising charity Asks for Masks.

Adrian was promoting a short spoof Line of Duty video promoting the charity – and Davy, who has worked with Unite NHS members and care workers – wanted to help.

“It was serendipity,” Davy says. “Adrian and I grew up on the same estate in Enniskillen and it just so happened I’d written a song about the Coronavirus, No tears at your grave.”

Aberdeen Trades Union Council Executive Committee Statement on the UK Freedom Movement

Aberdeen Trades Union Council condemns in the strongest possible terms the UK Freedom Movement. The UK Freedom Movement is aiming at holding a number of ‘anti-lockdown protests’ masked as social gatherings, including in Aberdeen. 

ATUC is deeply concerned about the possible links the UK Freedom Movement has to the extreme right, with possible links to Jayda Fransen, former Deputy Leader of Britain First, alongside former British National Party leader Nick Griffin and Tommy Robinson also voicing their support. 

ATUC urges members of the public to not attend these events, instead heed the advice from the Scottish Government to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.

ATUC calls on Grampian Police, and Police Scotland in general, to investigate the organisers of these events for possible links to the far right and other organisations putting public health in danger during this crisis.

Aberdeen Trades Union Council Executive Committee

Aberdeen Trades Union Council Executive Committee Statement on International Workers’ Memorial Day 28th April 2020

Aberdeen Trades Union Council (ATUC) extends its solidarity to working people past and present this International Workers’ Memorial Day, as we remember the dead and fight for the living. We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all those who have lost their lives at work, or to Covid-19 during these difficult times.

The focus for Workers’ Memorial Day this year is on a collective day of remembrance and solidarity for all workers who have lost their lives as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic affects every worker regardless of sector or locality. Tens of thousands of workers worldwide have died. More have fallen ill or continue to go to work risking their lives. Many workers are still attending work ill-equipped and without necessary safety measures in place.

ATUC is supporting the call made by the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives and UNISON - who collectively represent more than a million NHS and public service staff - to undertake a minute’s silence at 11am as a public display of commemoration and solidarity.

During the crisis created by Covid-19, International Workers’ Memorial Day has never been more important. Key workers, who until recently the government and establishment were calling ‘unskilled’ have been keeping the country running, as they always have.

Aberdeen Trades Union Council would like to extend its gratitude to all workers during this crisis; to all of our health and social care workers in NHS Grampian, the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils, the Community and Voluntary sector, community General Practices and Pharmacies; and also all other workers (paid and voluntary) who are helping to keep society functioning during the crisis - our transport workers, teachers, emergency services, shop workers, postal workers, delivery drivers, NGOs and community volunteers, and others too numerous to mention.

ATUC Newsletter: Wednesday 17th April 2020

STUC Press Release 12/02/20:  
Unionised workers have more safety and security to weather the crisis. See press release here


NHS Grampian:
The NHS Grampian Covid-19 Information website is updated daily with information for the public and also has pages for NHSG staff.


Scottish Fire and Rescue Service:
With people spending more time at home due to the coronavirus outbreak, SFRS has useful information and tips on how you can help to keep yourself, and everyone you live with, safe from  fire.


Grampian Women’s Aid:
Grampian Women’s Aid continue to provide all support services. Women, children & young people    seeking support during this time should call 01224 593381
or email  info@grampian-womens-aid.com
or visit their website

Please do the STUC Survey on COVID-19 and tell them how your employer is treating you

The STUC has put together a survey for workers: “Covid-19 – How safe is your job?”.  

They want to know more about how employers are responding to COVID-19 and what it means for you and your work. 

The STUC will use this information to put pressure on government and employers to keep workers safe, protect jobs and ensure people are treated fairly.

Your answers are confidential and our reporting will be on an anonymous basis. This should take less than 10 minutes to fill in.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XRJFZ6X

We hope that you are doing well during this unprecedented time.

ATUC Newsletter: Monday 30th March 2020

       STUC survey - COVID-19: How safe is your job?

STUC wants to know more about how employers are responding to COVID-19 and what it means for you and your work. They will use this information to put pressure on government and employers to keep workers safe, protect jobs and ensure people are treated fairly. Your answers are confidential and our reporting will be on an anonymous basis. This should take less than 10 minutes to fill in. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XRJFZ6X

TUC survey

Unions are pushing for fair treatment for everyone at work. But we need to know more about what the problems are. If you have concerns about how your employer is responding to coronavirus, please fill out oursurvey. The survey is short and can be completed anonymously if you prefer. Even if you tell us where you work, we won’t publish any details that can identify you. If there’s something you’d like to tell us about what’s going on where you work, please take the survey now. https://tuccampaigns.typeform.com/to/DhepZE

Aberdeen City Council has launched a free crisis support line to prioritise support to its most 
vulnerable and at-risk customers during the coronavirus outbreak.

This service is for crisis only. It is for those who are hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak and unable to find the information they are looking for or unable to get help from their existing support networks, in these unprecedented times. The telephone number 0800 0304 713 will be staffed initially from 8am-6pm Monday to Friday from Tuesday 24 March until further notice.

Members of the emergency helpline team are ready to provide welfare and financial advice and support, including what to do if you are struggling to get food or pay bills. Similar advice and information are also available on issues such as housing, health, food, heating, finance and schools on the Coronavirus(COVID-19) page of the Council’s website, which is being regularly updated. https://news.aberdeencity.gov.uk/council-launches-emergency-helpline-during-covid-19-outbreak/ 

FAQs have been developed jointly between COSLA and the SJC Trade Unions (UNISON, Unite and the GMB) to help Local Government employees understand the national COVID-19 advice. https://www.cosla.gov.uk//news/2020/03/covid-19-employee-faqs

FAIR WORK DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS JOINT STATEMENT BY THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT AND SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Coronavirus is affecting all our daily lives including our workplaces. We recognise the very challenging position that many employers and workers are now facing. We need a partnership, working in the national interest, to get through the next few months - a partnership that involves the public sector, unions, businesses, 3^rd sector organisations, and all workers and managers. We are hugely appreciative of the many cases where this is already in place.

Applying Fair Work Principles through the crisis

Scotland is rightly proud of its reputation as a leader on Fair Work and remains committed to becoming a Fair Work nation.  The health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and the economy is our priority and in these exceptional times, adopting a Fair Work approach is more important than ever.

Scotland’s success as an economy is built on a shared endeavour between workers, unions and employers and this approach will help us get through the current health and economic crisis. Government, unions and business organisations must work together to reach, collectively, the right decisions for protecting workers and public safety, and to help businesses to stay open, where permitted under latest guidance, and keep people in employment.

There has been an unprecedented package of support announced from both the Scottish and UK Governments to support businesses. This support should help many employers preserve their business, maintain jobs and pay their workers throughout this crisis. Information on this support is available through findbusinesssupport.gov.scot.  We urge all businesses to make use of this. 

Employers should consult the latest guidance on the operation of public services and non-essential businesses.  With the closure of schools and other childcare centres now in place to help delay the spread of the virus we need to make sure that key workers performing essential tasks (and for whom no other safe and viable childcare including home working is available) have childcare support to enable them to carry on working.    

Guidance on the definition of key workers and childcare provision is available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus---school-and-elc-closures-guidance-on-critical-childcare-provision-for-key-workers/.

We have high expectations of how fair work principles should be applied during the current crisis. This means an approach where workers, trade unions and employers work together constructively to reach the right decisions on all workplace issues that arise throughout this crisis. The dimensions of fair work as defined by the Fair Work Convention: effective voice; security; respect; opportunity and fulfilment, applied to the current context, offer a framework for taking these decisions.

ATUC Newsletter: Monday 23rd March 2020

At a time when many are facing real hardship and uncertainty, we are hearing stories of appalling employer practices, but also cases where employers are striving to protect their employees. ATUC is planning to collate local examples of both, to a) name and shame poor employers, and act where we can to help those workers being unfairly treated, and b) to showcase employers who are treating their workers well. We are looking for you to share your experiences - please email us at aberdeentuc@gmail.com  

Aberdeen Social Centre (who most of you will know are based in ATUC) have suspended group meetings and radical cafes until further notice, but are planning online meetings and events. Follow them on Facebook to find out more https://www.facebook.com/AberdeenSC/ 

Campaigning activities are obviously challenging in the current situation, but see below a range of local and national actions you can support from home. (We are planning to do this regularly, so please forward me any other relevant actions/ resources you come across):