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.

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."

ATUC support and solidarity to Bifab workers as Scottish government ends hopes for the communities in Fife and Lewis

Aberdeen Trade Union Council has described as "heart breaking"  to all those workers, their families and their trade union movement supporters, the collapse of a deal between Bifab and EDF for the manufacture of wind turbine jackets to support the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind project.

 As part of the campaign to save Bifab last year, the STUC organised the November 2019 Energy Conference which offered wide spread trade union and environmental organisations' support for a just transition and support for the Bifab community.

Follow up reports have been produced but the failure to support the Bifab workers shows the lack of political will across the UK and Scottish Governments to support a just transition for working people.

 

ATUC sends our support and solidarity to Unite and GMB members affected by this apparent failure on the part of the Scottsh Government and to the communities that will be affected.

Responding on Wednesday 21st October to the breaking news over the collapse of a deal between BiFab and EDF for the manufacture of eight turbine jackets to support the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind project, Unite Scotland Secretary Pat Rafferty and GMB Scotland Secretary Gary Smith said:

“It looks like the Scottish government ministers have walked away from our best chance of building a meaningful offshore wind manufacturing sector, and in doing so have extinguished the hopes of communities in Fife and Lewis who were banking their future prosperity on it. 

“It’s a scandalous end to a decade which started with promises of a “Saudi Arabia of Renewables” supporting 28,000 full-time jobs in offshore wind and now finishes in mothballed fabrication yards and no prospect of any contracts or jobs on the horizon.