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.

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.

International Workers' Day - May Day Rally 2025

ATUC May Day Rally, Aberdeen 2025

Speech given by ATUC President, Tommy Campbell at the Aberdeen May Day rally Saturday 3rd May 2025

International Workers Day (May Day) is the time each year  when we celebrate the links between workers across our world.  

International Workers Day was established in July 1889 at a worldwide meeting of Trade Union and Labour Federations in Paris. It was agreed to hold the first International Workers Day on 1st May 1890 in  recognition of the launch of the campaign for an eight hour working day on 1st May 1986  by American Trade Unionists which suffered a major violent reaction by the bosses including the killing and  imprisonment of workers  who went on strike to achieve their demands.

There was also a major miscarriage of justice with the  execution of four workers  who were falsely accused of killing police officers in a bomb attack in Chicago.  The international Trade Union movement since has been demonstrating each year on May Day so this is the 135th anniversary of Aberdeen TUC’s annual May Day March.

The theme of our May Day march and rally  event this year  is Workers Rights and Human Rights  and this has never been more important. The fundamental message of May Day is for peace,  prosperity and  friendship between workers of all backgrounds and nationalities and this is needed more strongly now  than ever before.

The ATUC  strives  for  unity and solidarity between workers  and this is absolutely critical, especially given the  wars being raged in many countries around our world.

It is for this reason that we offer support to all refugees fleeing war in their own countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and  Sudan.

The ATUC fully supports the International Solidarity and boycott campaign work of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Committee activists in Aberdeen against  the Apartheid Israeli government who continue with their  war crime of Genocide  committed against innocent adults and children in Palestine. The only war that should exist is a war on inequality, hatred , poverty and ill health.

In Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire  workers & their families, social security benefit claimants and pensioners  also face an intensifying cost-of-living crisis in addition to severe cuts in our public services and our NHS. Energy bills are now rising much faster than workers  wages. We are witnessing  increased levels of poverty and hardship  because the super  rich are getting richer at the expense of workers, benefit claimants and pensioners.

The scandal of Aberdeen City Council threatening its employees with fire and rehire  underlines why we need major changes in employment laws that support and protect workers rights.

This is why the Aberdeen TUC  will always provide  its support and solidarity to workers   in dispute with their  employers and to all those  fighting any form of injustice in their workplaces or in their communities whether that be in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire or elsewhere in our world.

Nelson Mandela had this to say:

“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.  Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is created by humans and therefore can be removed by the actions of human beings.”

Solidarity with Aberdeen SPSC activists – support for the peaceful boycott , divestment and sanctions campaign (BDS)

Aberdeen Trades Union Council (ATUC) stands in solidarity with the six activists from Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Aberdeen who were arrested and detained following a peaceful protest in Home Bargains on Saturday 15 February.

Following 16 months of genocide in Gaza, which has left more than 62,000 dead including almost 18,000 children, and further Israeli violence in the West Bank, which has killed over 900 Palestinians, protesters took their Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign into Home Bargains in Aberdeen and called on shoppers to boycott Israeli goods, and for Home Bargains to stop stocking them.

ATUC is very concerned about the response by Police Scotland to a peaceful solidarity protest that involved 16 police officers which we understand included at least one armed police officer. We are deeply concerned that this response by Police Scotland caused serious alarm to the public shopping in the area and to the members of the Scottish Palestine solidarity committee exercising their lawful right to peacefully protest in support of the Palestinian people. 

ATUC believes that the right to protest is a fundamental democratic right, enshrined in law, and protected under human rights conventions. Under international law, advocating for and participating in boycott actions against companies complicit in human rights violations is not a crime. 

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.

Come along to the St Andrew's Day rally on 25 November and join the fight against racism and fascism

Please join us at our St Andrew's Day rally against racism and fascism on Saturday 25 November from 12 noon.

Organised by Aberdeen Trades Union Council, it will begin in the Castlegate before moving into the Anatomy Rooms, depending on the weather. The rally will hear from a packed line up of speakers, along with music and poetry.

This is another crucial year in the fight against racism and fascism. The racist UK Government immigration policy and rhetoric is going from bad to worse. On top of that we face a cost of living crisis and attacks on pay that disproportionately affect equalities groups including Black workers and disabled people. 

We also stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, as Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza, with the massacre of over 11,000 civilians, including almost 5,000 children. Alongside Israel's denial of food, water, fuel and medicines, this collective punishment constitutes a war crime and Israel must be held to account.

Please join us and be part of the fight against racism and fascism and for a more just, more equal world.

Standing on the shoulders of giants - the women who stormed the Grill Bar

The Grill Bar in Union Street commemorated the day 50 years ago when women delegates attending the STUC Congress in Aberdeen stormed the bar - then a men only pub - demanding their right to be served.

Police were called to the pub and the incident made national headlines. Two years later, a law banning pubs from refusing to serve women was passed. However, it wasn't until 1998, following further protests, that The Grill installed a ladies' toilet.

The event, organised by Aberdeen Trades Union Council, took place on Wednesday 19 April when ATUC delegates Laura McDonald and Kathleen Kennedy unveiled a picture frame of the three Daily Record photographs of the 1973 protest by women attending the STUC Congress in Aberdeen.

The unveiling took place in the presence of trade unionists, the proprietor, staff and patrons of The Grill Bar.

Although unable to attend, STUC General Secretary, Roz Foyer sent the following message:

"My apologies for not being able to attend in person this evening as you all commemorate the brave stand taken by female STUC delegates to be treated as equals in the Grill Bar on this day 50 years ago.

"I would like to extend my warm wishes and solidarity on this 50th anniversary of the storming of the Grill Bar in Aberdeen.

Aberdeen TUC calls for public protest against proposed City Council budget cuts

Aberdeen Trades Union Council has called for a public protest against cuts proposed by Aberdeen City Council which includes ending the financial support of £1.5 million to the Fairer Aberdeen Fund.

This proposal along with all the financial cuts proposed will have a detrimental and catastrophic effect on many community organisations in Aberdeen, who are giving critical support to people hardship and poverty due to the cost of living crisis.

The council is meeting this Wednesday 1st March at 10.30am to set its annual budget. Councillors are considering cuts of £40 million.

Graeme Farquhar, President of Aberdeen TUC, said today: “We are calling on all trade unionists, community organisations and members of the public to join us for a public protest at 10am on Wednesday 1st March outside the Town House on Broad Street." 

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."

Second Aberdeen protest against crippling cost of living rises at 1pm on Saturday 5 March outside Mariscal College

Aberdeen Trades Union Council is urging its delegates, affiliates and the the citizens of North East Scotland to join their second protest against spiralling cost of living rises.
It will be held this  Saturday 5th March at 1pm outside Marischal College, Aberdeen.

Click here for the Facebook event

This will be one of many protests being held across the country, as rising costs of food, fuel and other necessities already begin to bite, with local food banks experiencing significant increases in demand.

Tommy Campbell, ATUC retired union member delegate and protest organiser said: “ Yet again it is ordinary working people paying the price, whilst the energy companies make massive profits for their rich  shareholders. Once again it is the low paid and the poorest in our communities, older people and those with disabilities, that will be hardest hit" 

Come and join the peace and solidarity protest in Aberdeen on Sunday 6th March at 4pm

 CND NE Scotland and Aberdeen Social Centre are co-hosting a peace and solidarity protest on Sunday 6th March at 4pm in Broad Street, Aberdeen.

All ATUC delegates and affiliates, friends and families are urged to come along to show solidarity with victims of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to call for peace in Ukraine.

 

Find out more at the Facebook event

Scottish CND unequivocally condemns Russia's military actions in Ukraine and the threat to use nuclear weapons. 

 

The international community must stand united in ensuring that we protect and support civilians, and Scotland must strongly reject the violations of international law by Russia and the disregard for Ukraine's sovereignty as an independent state. 

 

For the UK to apply the use of force, individually or through NATO, would escalate conflict and increase the likelihood of nuclear misadventure through weapons use or involving the 15 nuclear power stations in Ukraine. We urge respect for international humanitarian and human rights law and accession, and compliance with international treaties to reduce nuclear weapons risks, including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 

 

Nuclear weapons do not deter conflict but make the world more dangerous, elevating the risk of a massive humanitarian catastrophe. We ask people in Scotland to help find ways of providing humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine and of enhancing dialogue with people in the Ukraine and Russia.

Maggie Cooper speaking at the Cost of Living Crisis protest slams child poverty as "unacceptable" and demands oil and gas companies repay "obscene profits"

Maggie Cooper

Maggie Cooper, retired social worker speaking at the Cost of Living Crisis protest about the impact of poverty on people’s lives, and demanding that the oil and gas giants pay for this crisis, not ordinary people. Time to reverse Thatcher’s attacks on working folk.   

We’ve gathered today to express concern about the current economic crisis . Apparently ‘ we’re all in this together’. Aye right!      

While I believe inflation is currently running at an all-time high this is effecting poorer people disproportionately.

Food and fuel account for a greater proportion of poorer people’s income. Most supermarket budget brand staple foods have risen by a higher percentage of original cost. Fuel supplied by card meter costs significantly more.

There has been a dramatic increase in food bank usage , where incidentally not all beneficiaries are unemployed. The so called ‘gig economy’ with zero hours contracts resulting in insecure earnings means workers can’t rely on a fixed income. Debts spiral while awaiting payment of benefit. 

While company bosses and shareholders net huge profits and misuse furlough schemes … many having paid staff off during the pandemic. By the way  if you’re going for a drink after this please give Archie’s a body swerve!

We are swiftly returning to an era when workers were without rights at the mercy of unscrupulous employers. Don’t let this happen to you . Join a union!    

Cost of Living protest in Aberdeen on 12th Feb 2022 - the first of many

 ATUC's protest on the spiralling cost of living attracted around 50 people, angry at the soarings costs of food, fuel and other basics and the impact that will have on all of us but especially low paid workers and thos on benefits.

We had some excellent speakers and will post their speeches on this blog.

The event was chaired by ATUC member and previous president, Kate Ramsden. Welcoming participants to the event, on such a cold, wet afternoon, Kate spoke of the importance of coming together to give a clear message that ordinary workers must not be left paying the price of  the cost of living crisis in the fifth richest country in the world. 

"There is no less money that there always was," slammed Kate. "It's just in the wrong hands."