Thank you to all workers providing vital services in the worst snow in a decade

Aberdeen Trades Union Council (ATUC) wishes to thank all the workers in Aberdeen City and across Aberdeenshire that went above and beyond in the Wintery conditions earlier in January to protect the citizens of the North East - especially the most vulnerable.

This is when the absolute value of public services and the workers who provide them is laid bare. We have heard many stories of NHS staff's valiant efforts to get into hospitals and health centres, carers going the extra mile to ensure vulnerable older people are not left isolated, the workers who plough the roads and pavements, out in all weathers, the emergency service workers braving the elements, and many many more. We thank all of you.

We recognise that the situation was made even more challenging by the cuts that councils and other public services have faced over 15 years of austerity. We have written to Aberdeen City Council to express our concerns at some of the unreasonable demands made on some, mainly low paid women workers, to get into their work when other colleagues were able to stay at home. 

With climate change we are likely to see more such severe weather events. Aberdeen Trades Union Council calls on all employers to ensure their workers are kept safe in providing services at these times and that the impact of cuts is identified to the Scottish Government to ensure that lessons are learned for the future.

ATUC and individual trade unions will continue to campaign for properly funded public services, for the health and safety of the workforce and for the benefit of the citizens of the North East of Scotland.

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.”

Join us at our May Day March and Rally for Workers Rights and Human Rights

All are welcome to attend the ATUC’s  annual May Day March and Rally on Saturday 3^rd May 2025. Bring your flags, banners and placards.

Gather from 11.00am on Rubislaw Terrace. The march will set off at 11.30am onto Union Street via Union Terrace and Schoolhill to Broad Street .

The Rally will be held outside Marischal College from 12 noon, with music, poetry and speakers from Trade Unions and progressive organisations. This is a family friendly event with food available and activities for children.

Tommy Campbell, ATUC President said, "At a time when we see attacks on workers' rights and human rights here and across the world, we will be coming together as trade unionists and campaigners, to show solidarity with workers and citizens in struggle here and across the world. 

"We are united in our fight for dignity and respect for all workers and the rights of citizens ere and internationally. Our speakers will focus on all these struggles, including no fire and rehire, no social care cuts, a proper just transition, get me home safely campaign, international workers’ rights and peace including Palestinian rights, an end to poverty and pensioner poverty and no to public service cuts, including the crisis in health, and universities.

"Please join us in our fight for social justice and make this a march to remember."

Join us at our May Day march and rally on 4 May

Please join us at our Aberdeen Trades Union Council May Day march and rally on Saturday 4th May 2024 to celebrate International Workers' Day.

Marchers will gather at Rubislaw Terrace at 11.00am, to march off at 11.30am down Union Street, led by the beats of the Guarana Drummers. 

In a change of route, the march will then proceed down Union Terrace and up Schoolhill to Broad Street.

A rally will be held in the Castlegate from 12 noon where we will hear from a range of speakers from trade unions and community groups.

ATUC Vice President, Kathleen Kennedy, who aill chair the rally said, "As councils again face unprecedented cuts to their budgets, and citizens of the North East struggle with the cost of living crisis, it has never been more important that we stand together in solidarity.

"Workers face cuts to terms and conditions and increasing pressures in the workplace and at the same time, communities are faced with the impact of cuts that will undermine their living standards and quality of life. 

"It has never been more important to support all these struggles. They are all linked and collective action is our strength. A win for one is a win for all."

Enough is enough - standing up for the right to strike

Over 100 trade unionists, community activists and members of the public joined the Aberdeen “Protect the Right to Strike” Rally on 1st Feb – part of massive UK wide protests against the latest anti-trade union legislation passed by this government.

Organised by Aberdeen Trades Union Council (ATUC) the event was chaired by Kathleen Kennedy,  vice president of ATUC. Speakers came from a range of unions in struggle, including EIS, PCS and UCU, whose members had been on strike that day.

Jacob Campbell brought greetings from Unite. he had led a successful strike in Shelter which saw a wage rise for his members. 

Speaking on behalf of UNISON, branch co-chair, Kate Ramsden brought solidarity from our union to all workers in struggle, “our own members, south of the border and all our sister unions taking action locally and across Scotland.

“Because a victory for one is a victory for us all,” said Kate. “That’s the beauty of collective action – of standing together in solidarity and comradeship.

Enough is enough

Speech from Dod Ross, CWU for Protect the Right to Strike Rally

Good evening and I bring solidarity from the Communication Workers Union, a Union that has already taken 18 days Industrial Action and is in the process of re-balloting our members due to anti-trade union laws.

This is a campaign that shouldn’t be needed.

This is a campaign that shouldn’t need to exist.

However, we are now part of a working world where suppression of pay, terms & conditions seem to be requirements we all must be expected to adhere and surrender to by business & government alike.

Food poverty, child poverty, in-work poverty in the 5^th richest country in the world is abhorrent.

We are in a real time crisis, not only working people but for all people, families & communities across the country.

We aren’t looking for huge sums of money, we aren’t looking for massive dividend payments to stick away in the Cayman Islands accounts, we aren’t looking for employers to break the bank to pay us.

What we are looking for is fairness, equality, a share in the billions and billions of pounds of profits & dividends paid to the nameless few who control the wealth in this country.

A victory for one is a victory for us all

Kate Ramsden's speech for "Protect the Right to Strike Rally"

Kate Ramsden, UNISON proud to bring solidarity to all trade union members in struggle

Because a victory for one is a victory for us all

That’s the beauty of collective action – of standing together in solidarity and comradeship

That’s what the Tories and the capitalists fear

That’s why they are attacking our employment rights and our right to strike

They know that when we stand together we are strong

And that is why we are standing together now

Saying enough is enough

Our right to strike is a fundamental human right

It is essential to balance the power between worker and boss

Come along to the Morning Star Our Class Our Culture event on 50th anniversary of the union movement defeat of anti-trade union laws

 Please come along to the Morning Star Our Class Our Culture event on Tuesday 1st June at 7pm to look at how the trade union movement defeated anti-trade union laws and an anti-working class government 50 years ago and the lessons we can learn for the present day.

The zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87526499610

The event will be chaired by UNISON national executive member and ATUC member Kate Ramsden, and speakers are:

Davie Cooper - on the UCS action, how unity was won and maintained, how broader support was won across Britain

George Kerr - on how broader unity was secured in workplaces across the Clyde and further afield and the role of the shop stewards movement and liaison committee

Brenda Carson - on current challenges, the fight back by women trade unions and how memories of the past can inspire the present

Jackson Cullinane - on lessons for the present

There has never been a more important time to be in a trade union and for collective action. Many of the challenges that face us have parallels from 50 years ago and hearing about those successes can only inspite us for the fights ahead. 

Please join us.

ATUC stands united with the people of Myanmar and in solidarity with all those resisting the military coup

On 10th April, president Graeme Farquhar on behalf of Aberdeen Trades Union Council, emailed the Myanmar Embassy in London in solidarity with trades unions and other civil and human rights organisations and demanding an end to the coup and a return to democracy and respect for trade union, civil and human rights in Myanmar.

The full text of the letter is below.

H.E. Mr Kyaw Zwar Minn
Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
19A Charles Street
London
W1J 5DX
10 April 2021
By email.

Your Excellency,

Aberdeen Trades Union Council Opposition to the Coup in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Aberdeen Trades Union Council at its meeting on Wednesday 7 April agreed to raise our concerns with you as we are opposed to the military coup and the resulting death and injury of innocent civilians who were peacefully protesting to demand that democracy is restored.

In solidarity with the trade unions and other civil and human rights organisations in Myanmar we demand an end to the military coup and a return to democracy and respect for trade union, civil and human rights in Myanmar.

ATUC are appalled at the seizure of power by the military in Myanmar and to inform you that our organisation will do all we can to act in solidarity with and support those resisting the military to stop the coup succeeding.

We will also work with other national and international organisations in a campaign to secure the release of all those detained and bring an end to the violence and harassment of the trade unions and their members and other citizens in Myanmar.

We stand united with the people of Myanmar to ensure that the people’s vote is respected and that all those who have been democratically elected can form a legitimate government.

Yours sincerely,

Graeme Farquhar
President
Aberdeen Trades Union Council

The UCS Work-In: Clydebank TUC Online Public Meeting

Aberdeen Trades Union Council is encouraging all our delegates and associates to join the Clydebank Trade Union Council online public meeting on the UCS work-in on Wednesday 10th March at 7.00pm

Register here
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-ucs-work-in-clydebank-tuc-online-public-meeting-tickets-141935339421

This meeting commemorates a remarkable working class victory which offers lessons for today's labour movement. 

The strategy of the shop stewards leading the work - in succeeded in stopping the government, which was the ultimate owner of the four yards, from orchestrating their closure. They did so by seeing off attempts by the right wing in the trade union movement to take over the leadership of the workers' campaign and building a wider regional alliance around the demand for the ‘right to work’. 

They inflicted a major defeat on the Government of the day, ensured their original demand of keeping the four yards open was met in full, and forced a wider U-Turn in government policy.

Build solidarity for Richie Venton, sacked steward

 
Aberdeen Trades Union Council has already highlighted this appalling situation where shop steward, Richie Venton has been sacked by Ikea for legitimate trade union activities.

We have sent solidarity and support to Richie. Now, if you can, we are asking all delegates, associates, families and friends to join this online public meeting on Monday 26th October at 7pm to build solidarity across the trade union movement.

Please register for this event and take part if you can.

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. 

Take One Action 2020 Film Festival

This year's Take One Action film festival runs from 16th-27th September, with tickets on sale on a "pay what you can" basis.

Take One Action nurtures communal exploration of the stories, ideas and questions at the heart of positive social change. Through film screenings, conversation and enquiry, we bring people together to inspire a fairer, more sustainable and more fulfilling world, in Scotland and beyond our borders.

From freedom of the press to prison reform, from labour rights in the garment industry to indigenous rights and climate justice our programme offers a much-needed opportunity to connect with some of our planets most pressing issues - and to (re-)connect with our power to be the change.

See the trailer here, or go direct to their website for more information at https://www.takeoneaction.org.uk/events/

Aberdeen Trades Union Council Executive Committee Statement on Covid-19

ATUC echoes the statement from the Scottish Trade Union Congress calling on the UK government to:

• Allow access to sick pay from day one and remove the qualifying wage of £114 per week to be able to claim sick pay
• Significantly increase sick pay from its current level of £94.25 per week
• Bring in immediate safeguards for workers such as those in the gig economy who are deemed as self-employed or are on zero or short hours contracts

ATUC calls on Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire local authorities to:

·       Freeze rent for small businesses occupying council-owned properties

·       Freeze council tax payments to ease the burden for those unable to work

ATUC wishes affiliates, delegates and their families good health. As well as full support and solidarity to public and private sector workers including healthcare professionals keeping Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire running. ATUC wishes to lend support and solidarity to Covid-19 support groups in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

The Executive urges all delegates who are able, and taking account of the new guidance on self-isolating, to support local foodbanks including Community Food Initiatives North East (CFINE) and to support to the best of their ability the Covid-19 support groups.

Full Council meetings of ATUC will be suspended, with our International Workers' Memorial Day event and International Workers' Day parade and rally cancelled. The Executive Committee will be meeting every two weeks, more frequently on an as-needed basis, via video conference to deal with urgent business where necessary and to monitor the situation.

Aberdeen Trades Union Council statement on cuts to local government

"Aberdeen Trades Union Council is appalled at the news that 5000 local authority jobs have been cut in the north of Scotland in the past decade, with 329 full-time posts cut in Aberdeen City alone between 2017 and 2019.

"Echoing the words of Unite's Tommy Campbell in yesterday's Press and Journal, "Although the workforce has been reduced, the workload has certainly not reduced."

"There is a pressing need to address issues faced by workers regarding pressures and stress and for greater staff support in the face of increased strain on mental health and pressure at work, especially when the need for essential services local authorities provide is only growing.

"Ahead of International Workers' Memorial Day on the 28th April, ATUC reaffirms that we stand with workers and communities in resisting attacks on services being imposed at UK, Scottish and local level."

Click here to read the article

ATUC congratulates UNISON on landmark court victory as tribunal fees scrapped

Aberdeen Trades Union Council (ATUC) has welcomed UNISON's landmark court victory against the government this morning which means that employment tribunal fees will be scrapped. 

The Supreme Court – the UK’s highest court – has unanimously ruled that the government was acting unlawfully and unconstitutionally when it introduced the fees four years ago.

From today, anyone who has been treated illegally or unfairly at work will no longer have to pay to take their employers to court – as a direct result of UNISON’s legal challenge.

 The government will also have to refund more than £27m to the thousands of people charged for taking claims to tribunals  since July 2013, when fees were introduced by then Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling.

Kevin Hutchens, joint president of Aberdeen TUC stated "This is a great victory for justice and for workers rights. Clearly the case has been won for basic human rights to be respected.

"True justice should be the right of all regardless of financial status. UNISON is to be congratulated on this crucial success for trade union rights, and never again should barriers such as fees be created".

 Read the full story here

Get along and see Undermined at the Blue Lamp in Aberdeen on 26th April

Fight against zero hours, zero rights, zero respect workplaces.

Young Unite activist, Chris Trestrail has organised Aberdeen's first Better Than Zero meeting on 30th September in the Belmont Cinema at 6.30pm.

Chris said, "This is a real chance for us to grow a solid and active socialist youth movement in the city. Please come along and join us to plan local events."  

Chris added, "The Better than Zero campaign is a group of young trade unionists, precarious workers and creative campaigners who are fed up of bad bosses who think they’re beyond reproach. We want to fight back against the bullies, and use the skills in a collective project against zero hours, zero rights and zero respect workplaces."

Click here for Facebook page

ATUC sends support and solidarity to Unite and RMT in their 48 hour strike to protect pay and conditions for Wood Group offshore workers.

Aberdeen Trades Union Council send support and solidarity once again to our Unite and RMT colleagues in the North Sea offshore oil and gas sector who have begun a 48-hour strike today after company managers rejected an offer from trade unions.

The Unite website has the following statement about the action.

"Workers in the trade unions Unite and RMT will go ahead with the planned stoppage as part of an ongoing dispute with employers Wood Group. The workers are facing a massive cut in pay and allowances of up to 30 per cent.

In last-minute meetings this week, unions had offered to suspend the strike if the company agreed to remove their current proposal in full to allow for further consultation and negotiation. The company refused.

Unite regional officer John Boland said: “We are extremely disappointed that Wood Group has decided to continue its attack on the pay and allowances of offshore workers. We repeat our call for proper consultation and negotiation.

“Industrial action is always a last resort and throughout this dispute we have constructively sought to find a resolution. We need to look forward and work towards a sustainable solution.

Go along to Aberdeen's "bigger and better" Festival of Politics 2016

Aberdeen's Festival of Politics for 2016 will run from 23rd March to 3rd April. The event is open to all, and women and  trade unionists are especially welcome.

Aberdeen Trades Union Council is proud to have sponsored the Festival again this year. Please get along if you can.

Click here for the programme for the events in this year's Festival and to book for the events.

Events likely to be of particular interest to ATUC members are the Evening with Anne Begg on Thurs 24th March at 19.00 in the Belmont Filmhouse Cafe Bar, and the Big Debate with Bonnie Greer, Heather Wakefield (Unison), Dr Lesley Orr (feminist theologian) and Belinda Brown (writer for Conservative Woman) at 3pm on Sunday 3rd April.

It would be great to see a good audience for Anne Begg. That's going to be a Parkinson-style interview followed by questions from the floor.

Free tickets for the Big Debate can be booked at http://aberdeenfestivalofpolitics.org.uk/the-big-debate-3rd-april-2016/