Dignity at work must recognise additional challenges for women

Kate Ramsden

Congress slammed the disgrace that in the 21st century, toilet and welfare facilities are still not readily available to train drivers and other transport and logistics workers. STUC will convene a round table discussion to strategise for improvements.

This will specifically consider the particular issues facing women, such as pregnancy, menstruation and the menopause, as mover, ASLEF accepted the ATUC amendment calling for this.

Seconding, Kate Ramsden told delegates that it isn’t acceptable for any worker to have to suppress their need for the loo or use unsuitable containers.

“But clearly women’s needs for proper and readily available toilet facilities have to take into account additional considerations based on our biology.

“Menstruation, pregnancy and menopause all add to women’s needs to have regular access to hygienic toilet facilities and exacerbate the risks for us if these are not made available.”

She called for women to be in the room when the trade unions meet to coordinate their campaign.

ATUC leads way on welfare not warfare

Fred Bayer

In what was a fairly momentous decision, Congress backed a composite motion from Glasgow and Aberdeen Trade Union Councils to oppose the UK Labour government’s plans for increased defence spending and to campaign for public services to be prioritised.

A card vote followed an excellent debate when the issues were fully aired. However delegates confirmed that war and the economic forces behind it can never be in the interests of our class.

It aligned with the TUC Congress in giving the government a clear message from the Scottish trade union movement that we oppose increases in defence spending to the detriment of our members in public services.

Seconding, ATUC’s Fred Bayer told Congress that the moral case against rearmament and the arms sector more generally is pretty well understood.

“It is a sector that exists for no purpose other than to destroy human life and the products of human labour,” slammed Fred.

The argument that defence expenditure grows the economy, creates jobs and boosts union membership is a myth, he added, pointing to research that shows every pound spent on arms generates only half as many jobs as every pound spent on education, health, and environment.

“In other words, every pound we waste on this rearmament exercise is actively costing us jobs and shrinking the economy, compared to if that money was instead invested in our public services and infrastructure.

“The IPPR has warned that unless they reverse course on this, Scotland will lose another 20,000 jobs in local government in the next 3 years.

“Rearmament is just yet another anti-worker, anti-social, element of this appalling Labour government’s hare-brained policy,” Fred warned.

Congress agreed and supported the motion on a card vote 625 to 512.

Beware the public sector reform strategy

Amy Snell

Public services were at the forefront of the afternoon’s debates and delegates slammed the Scottish Government’s public sector reform strategy which is a clear threat to public services and especially council services.

Seconding the composite from PCS and ATUC, Amy Snell told Congress that the strategy is about saving money by reducing the workforce, shifting services out of the public sector and centralising.

“We are told this is all about prevention. But where is the serious action on poverty, on long term underfunding, or the reason demand is rising in the first place?”

She called for a strategy “that starts with workers, not cuts. One that fixes the real problem, underfunding, lack of resources, broken systems,” and called on Congress to stand with workers and for the future of our public services.

Let's keep our Promise to children in care

Kate Ramsden

Congress backed a comprehensive strategy to address cuts and outsourcing in our Scottish public services.

Kate Ramsden spoke to ATUC’s amendment calling for the Scottish Government to end profit in children’s residential care, in line with the Promise Scotland.

She pointed out that a report from the Common Weal Care Reform Group found that £10.2 million is being extracted in private profit from children’s residential care.

“It can be done,” said Kate. “The Common Weal paper has shown how and Wales has passed legislation to take profit out of children’s care.

“Let’s give the Government a clear message that it cannot allow profit to be made on the backs of our most vulnerable children.”

Better buses now, says Congress

Amy Snell

The STUC will campaign for buses to come back into municipal ownership and for investment in green bus manufacturing in Scotland, as delegates backed Unite’s call.

Seconding the motion ATUC’s Amy Snell said that services must be based on what our communities need and not what is deemed commercially viable.

“We must make sure that work is done to protect our rural communities,” warned Amy, adding that many rural bus services are infrequent and unreliable but are the only transport available.

“We need decent, robust and reliable public transport which serves the whole of Scotland!” she said.

Despite ATUC opposition delegates vote for biennial Congress

Fred Bayer

ATUC’s Fred Bayer joined the wide ranging constitutional debate, as Congress, on a card vote, supported the General Council’s constitutional amendment with over two-thirds of the vote. This reversed last year’s decision and means that from now on Congress and Equalities Conferences will be every two years albeit with some strengthening of rights.

This is predicated on saving expense and staff time with a plan to redirect both to implementing Congress decisions and a more incisive campaigning focus.

The concerns about a democratic deficit were rejected by a majority of unions.

Opposing the amendments, Fred pointed out that the changes proposed were philosophically incoherent.

“As a trade union we oppose cuts. We should resource the STUC properly to keep delivering Annual Conference and the other campaigning events that have been described.”

X's coat on a shoogly peg

Fred Bayer

Fred was also in action in the debate about affiliates use of X, formally Twitter.

It was once again condemned by STUC Congress as a platform for misinformation, misogyny and extreme content. However, the movers, SSTA, agreed to remit the motion to enable the General Council to consider further the practicalities.

Seconding the motion, ATUC’s Fred Bayer said, “We do not use X, X uses us. Our data, our time, our content. It’s time we stop spending our time and energy creating profit for a fascist.”

Scotland must pursue foreign policy based on peace

 

Kate Ramsden

Congress condemned the complicity of our UK and Scottish government in the growing international crisis.

It called for Scotland to pursue a foreign policy based on peace, international solidarity and respect for sovereignty and set out clear calls to action on both Venezuela and the Middle East.
Supporting, ATUC’s Kate Ramsden said that at the minute international law is being ridden roughshod over, primarily by the US and Israel, leading to a real threat of world disorder.
“They seem able to do this with utter impunity,” said Kate, “Aided and abetted by the UK and Scottish Government.”
She pointed out that Prestwick Airport has been repeatedly used by US military aircraft heading to bases across the Middle East.
“Yet Prestwick Airport belongs to the Scottish government. It’s in public hands. There is no excuse for that airport being used to support an illegal war.
“No nation has the right to interfere in the sovereign affairs of another. That’s a given,” said Kate.
Link to sign petition against use of Prestwick Airport for US military support.
https://www.change.org/p/no-us-airforce-at-scottish-airports

ATUC at Congress 2026

Aberdeen Trades Union Council was represented at STUC Congress in Dundee from 20-22 April 2026 by Kate Ramsden, Fred Bayer and Amy Snell, all of whom were at the podium during the three days of Congress.

Both ATUC motions were composited. Comp G on Military Spending, which included both our motion and a motion from Glasgow Trade Union Council was the best debate of Congress as two of the big affiliates, Unite and the GMB spoke and voted against it. Fred Bayer seconded the Composite on our behalf.

Our second motion condemning the Scottish Government's Public Sector Reform Strategy was composited with a PCS motion and Amy Snell seconded it for ATUC.

Kate Ramsden spoke to both our amendments. The first, demanding that marketisation is removed from children's residential care, was included in a wide ranging Composite on public services.

The second, on dignity for train drivers, threw a focus on the additional challenges for women train drivers because of our biology, was accepted by ASLEF and Kate seconded the amended motion.

Fred also spoke against the constitutional amendment seeking to restrict Congress and Equality Conferences to once every two years, in line with ATUC's policy to oppose.

Fred then supported an SSTA motion condemning X and calling on affiliates to stop using it. The motion was then remitted.

Kate joined the debate on Comp R on the international crisis, condemning the complicity of our UK and Scottish government in the growing international crisis.

Building bridges, not borders – report of 98th STUC Women’s Conference

Kate Ramsden was ATUC’s sole delegate to STUC Women’s Conference 2025, held on 29-30 October in the Glasgow Royal Conference Hall with the theme, “Women build bridges, not borders”. 

Kate has been a member of STUC Women’s Committee in one of two Trades Union Council seats for the past two years. She was re-elected unopposed for a further term. This is her report.

Delegates discussed a wide range of issues affecting women as workers, as trade unionists, as mothers, as carers. As always there was a focus on women’s health, highlighting that employers are still not addressing the needs of menstruating and menopausal women, pregnant and breastfeeding women, with calls to lobby employers and government for change. The shameful increase in the gender pay gap was also highlighted, alongside the rise in violence towards women and children and the impact on women nationally and internationally of patriarchal and class based oppression. And of course, combating the far right was a key theme which ran through much of the conference.

The STUC Women's Committee Manifesto for the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections was also launched at the Conference.

Kate spoke in three debates on day 1. Below are brief reports on each of them.

Celebrate the Sex Discrimination Act with courageous conversations about women’s rights
As delegate from ATUC Kate spoke to support a celebration of the Sex Discrimination Act (now subsumed into the Equality Act) but also to recognise the challenges in progressing women’s equality.

She pointed out the similarities to the ATUC motion from last year’s conference, also celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Sex Discrimination Act.

Kate said, “Women make up a large and growing number of trade union members and yet we are still disadvantaged in a myriad of different ways in this patriarchal society which, despite decades of struggle, still privileges men”.

She called for a recognition that in certain circumstances, women, as an oppressed group in a male dominated world, need to be with other women who share our experiences.

She asked for open and respectful dialogue as to how women’s rights under the Equality Act can be fully implemented without disadvantaging other vulnerable groups.

“In celebrating the Sex Discrimination Act we have to have courageous conversations across the trade union movement,” urged Kate.

Building on the New Deal for Workers - ATUC at STUC Congress

 #STUC25 Congress, held in Dundee from 28-30 April and chaired by UNISON's Lilian Macer fairly bowled along as speaking times were cut from the outset to 4 minutes for movers and 2 minutes for everyone else. The theme was Building on the New Deal for Workers with a focus on workers' rights and workers in struggle. 

In her President's speech, Lilian condemned the UK Labour Government for their cuts to public services and their lurch to the right and demanded proper funding for public services in Scotland. “They are essential to the very fabric of our society and we to see significant investment to support our most vulnerable”.

On Gaza she said, “We must demand an end to the killings in Gaza and the horrific scenes we have seen, pointing out that 70% of those murdered are women and children.”

The Monday of Congress was International Workers Memorial Day and she slammed the murders of the health workers by Israeli forces and pledged to continue to fight for the living.

At lunchtime a moving service was held outside the Caird Hall with speeches from a number of union representatives, who also laid wreaths.

Congress heard from both First Minister, John Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. They highlighted all the concerns including a loss of industrial base in Scotland, the politics of division and rise of Reform and the far right, and the failure of our current political system to engage workers but themselves failed to offer any compelling answers and just trotted out more of the same - each condemning the failings in the other's parties.

A highlight of Congress was an excellent panel session on the crisis in social care with three young trade union activists working in the sector, from UNISON, Unite and GMB.

Their clear message - Scottish government should put its money where its mouth is, recognise social care is on its knees and properly fund the sector for the benefit of the workers and those who need care services.

Standing on the side of humanity - supporting Palestine

#STUC25 Congress backed a total of seven motions which together set out a wide ranging strategy to support Palestine through Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) and other actions and to end the genocide in Gaza.

Congress passionately condemned Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians and the slaughter of so many in Gaza, especially the children. They heard that the number one cause of child deaths across the world is Israel.

Kate Ramsden moved ATUC’s motion which called for the STUC to lobby the Scottish government to end funding to any company and/or organisation involved directly or indirectly connected to supplying any weapons or weapons parts to Israel, as part of a strategy of BDS.

Moving the motion, Kate Ramsden told delegates that we are proud to stand in solidarity with Palestine as we move into 20 months of genocide and see Israeli violence on the West Bank continue to grow.

“Like everyone here we stand in the side of humanity and utterly condemn Israel’s massacres of children, women and men in Gaza, the targeting of health workers, aid workers and journalists, and now the withholding of essential aid, condemning Gazans to death by starvation and from sickness and injury,” said Kate.

She slammed the UK government’s complicity in the genocide, calling on them to end all arms licenses to Israel. And she demanded that the Scottish Government puts its money where its mouth is and does not provide any government funding to businesses involved in supplying arms or military hardware to Israel.

She called on trade unions to do more to promote BDS amongst their members and to campaign for pension fund divestment from companies complicit in Israeli oppression.

“We know from our solidarity with South Africa all those years ago how powerful BDS can be as a peaceful weapon for freedom and justice.

“Let’s all stand on the right side of history,” urged Kate.

Congress backs St Fittick's Park campaign

 #STUC25 Congress backed the St Fittick’s Park campaign and will actively support communities led just transition processes. It recognised the crucial role of trades union councils and encouraged all unions to affiliate.

Moving a composite from ATUC and Moray TUC, Steve Gray said the "Save St Fitticks Park campaign was “a story of greed power and corruption set against community solidarity, love and hope.

“Torry, home of the Torry cough, a life expectancy of 55, and Torry’s green lung St Fitticks Park, under threat from speculative development.”

He told delegates the bigger picture is who decides the future of the workers and their communities when their industrial base is at risk.

“The problems the people of Torry, Aberdeen and Moray face are replicated right across Scotland as big business tries to divide and rule our communities and asset strip our green spaces.”

He called for communities “to be able to make informed choices about their own future, resisting the divide and rule tactics of big businesses and their lackeys in local government.

Ann Joss

“Regional just transition plans backed by 20 years funding and growing Scottish manufacturing supply chains are a vital tool.”

The motion was supported by RMT’s Ann Joss who roundly condemned the attacks on Torry’s Green spaces.

Defending the right to protest

 #STUC25 Congress condemned attacks on the right to protest, especially in relation to Palestine and slammed police repression and escalating attacks on our right to protest.

The General Council will now submit a Freedom of Information request to establish the strategy for policing pro-Palestine demos in

Supporting the amended motion from the STUC Youth Conference, on behalf of ATUC, Jonathan Christie told delegates that there has been increased overpolicing and police repression of the SPSC demos in Aberdeen.

He added, “There were further arrests just over a week ago at a demo against an Israeli representative competing at the World Bowls championship in Aberdeen.

“This peaceful BDS protest was met with 32 police officers turning up and arresting 3 protestors. With 2 out of the 3 protesters being held in the police van for over 1.30 hours.

“We have seen increasing police heavy handedness against protesters and intimidation tactics against protestors.

“This is at a time when a genocide is being committed by Isreal on the Palestinians in Gaza over the last 18 months, which has seen 60,000 Palestinians-of which mostly woman and children - being killed.”

He reminded that the ICJ has ruled it as a plausible genocide.

“The police should be arresting war criminals not protesters,” slammed Jonathan.

“As trade unionists and activists, we have a duty to stand up to this injustice and police repression. Protesting is our human right and this is a threat to all activists right to protest.

“BDS worked against Apartheid in South Africa and is making an impact again today,” said Jonathan, calling on all trade unionists to defend the right to protest, use our voice to call out the Gaza genocide, take BDS action and show solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Bring back the Winter fuel payment for ALL pensioners

 

#STUC25 On the first day of Congress, delegates overwhelmingly supported a call from ATUC and West Lothian Trades Union Council to lobby the Scottish Government to restore the Winter Fuel Allowance for Scottish pensioners from this coming Winter.

Steve Gray, on behalf of ATUC told Congress that although Aberdeen is ostensibly a wealthy area, there is also a lot of poverty.

“It may have the second highest number of millionaires after London, however it also has a much higher number of poorer people.

“The removal of the Winter fuel allowance highlights the fact that Aberdeen is a city of ultra poor and ultra rich and the pensioners are noticeably one of the biggest groups amongst the poorest.

“The removal of the Winter fuel allowance is another demonstration that the poorest people in society are having funds removed that could help them, whist funds to the super rich are increased.”

On day 2 Steve seconded a motion from UCU that included our amendment calling on overseas students, especially those from China and the global south, to be treated with respect, especially in our current 'hostile environment' on China.

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.

Trade union councils centre stage at STUC Congress 2024

Mike Arnott

#STUC24 Congress 2024 in Dundee had a pleasing focus on Trades Union Councils, perhaps because it was ably chaired by this year’s president, Mike Arnott, who sits on a Trade Union Council seat on the STUC General Council. 

Mike gave an inspiring address to conference, in which he slammed cuts to councils. He also had a warning for our movement. "When it comes to equalities, unions must walk the walk as well as talk the talk and take a zero tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination and bullying, including where it takes place in our own movement." This theme was later picked up in our own motion to Congress.

In her speech to Congress STUC General Secretary, Roz Foyer spoke of the key importance of the work of trade union councils, to co-ordinate grassroots trade unionists and community activism at local level. She urged affiliated unions to ensure their branches affiliate to their local TUCs.

A film was shown at conference showcasing the role of TUCs. Aberdeen TUC was represented through Kate Ramsden, who spoke of the excellent work of ATUC and called for more trade union activists to get involved as delegates from their union, especially young workers.

Aberdeen TUC was represented at Congress by Kathleen Kennedy, (delegation leader) Scott Sutherland and Kate Ramsden.

All three of our original ATUC motions were debated and approved and we were also delighted to second motions from UCU and Moray TUC. Kate also spoke on the Social Care composite from UNISON. Reports of our involvement are detailed below. Unfortunately, both our emergency motions were ruled out of order for different reasons.

Time to get our house in order

Kathleen Kennedy

#STUC24 Congress unanimously supported a call from Aberdeen Trades Union Council for trade unions and trade union councils to practice what they preach on equalities.

The general council will work with equalities groups urging them to report annually on equality statistics and aims and targets to improve them if needed.

Moving the motion, Kathleen Kennedy told delegates that saying we are doing equalities isn’t good enough.

“Let’s get real and prove we are doing it,” she urged.

She said that checking back on ATUC’s 150 years it’s clear that there have been only two women presidents and only two disabled presidents.

“We need to get our own house in order,” challenged Kathleen, calling for annual reporting of unions’ and TU councils’ equality stats and targets for improvement.

Speakers from other unions supported our motion making it clear that there is still a way to go across the TU movement on gender equality and other equalities.

Risk assessments must take account of climate change

Kate Ramsden

#STUC24 Congress backed Aberdeen Trades Union Council’s call for mandatory workplace based climate hazards risk assessments to deal with the changing risks that climate change has brought.

It will also campaign for a specific maximum working temperature law now that high temperatures are a growing feature of our climate.

Moving the motion, Kate Ramsden reminded delegates that Scotland’s climate is changing and last June was the hottest on record.

“All this affects our members at their work - sweltering under temperatures above 40 degrees C in work vehicles and buildings - well in excess of what we are normally used to.

“As a country we need employers to adapt to climate change and to severe weather events to keep the public and our members safe at their work.

“Unions and trades councils are in a great position to engage with our members and public and private sector employers to negotiate and campaign for workplace based climate hazard risk assessments.

She called on the General Council to build on the excellent Adaption Scotland Climate Hazards and Resilience in the Workplace resource to keep it fit for purpose and to ensure activists are trained on it.

Lessons from International Brigades recognised

Scott Sutherland

#STUC24 Congress backed a call from Aberdeen Trades Union Council to campaign to have the story of the International Brigade included in the curriculum of schools, universities and colleges.

It will also ensure a focus on the International Brigades during 2026, the 90th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War.

Scott Sutherland, moving the motion highlighted that the fight against fascism from the 1930s has the lessons for us today.

“The brigades stood and fought with the Spanish people against the nazis and the rise of poisonous fascism.

“A strong message of working class resistance was sent to France, Hitler and Mussolini.”

Scott quoted the late Bob Cooney, an international brigader from Aberdeen, who said, “The lessons learned on the battlefields of Spain helped to defeat Hitler, Mussolini and fascism.”

Scott applauded the International Brigade Memorial Trust for keeping up the profile of the Spanish Civil War and the fight against fascism. He called on Congress to do the same.

Solidarity brings hope amidst the war crimes and genocide in Gaza and West Bank

Husam Zomlot

#STUC24 Tuesday saw an extremely powerful session on Gaza and Palestine. We heard from Husam Zomlot, Palestinian ambassador to the UK and Shaher Saed, General Secretary of the PGFTU.

Husam Zomlot gave the long history of the oppression and occupation of the Palestinians by Israel over many years and the UK’s complicity.

Both railed unbelievingly against the failure of the US, the UK and other western governments to act in support of Gaza despite the daily evidence of slaughter, famine and genocide.

Both described the impact of 193 days of bombardment and the withholding of humanitarian aid by Israel; the murders of over 33,000 civilians - many more missing under the rubble of homes, hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, universities, museums, trade union buildings. The entire infrastructure razed to the ground. The murders of entire families, over 14,000 children, health care workers, aid workers, journalists - all war crimes.