Aberdeen remembers Madiba with a call to continue the struggle against apartheid, inequality, poverty, oppression and injustice.

The citizens of Aberdeen remembered Nelson Mandela at a special memorial service on Sunday 25 May at the Kirk of St Nicholas Uniting.

Speaking at the moving service, Tommy Campbell of UNITE and the ATUC, who was a member of the Anti-Apartheid Movement at the time, said that it was a correct and courageous decision that Aberdeen  District Council in 1984 awarded the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen to both Nelson and Winnie Mandela.

 

The Freedom of the City of Aberdeen was awarded, "in recognition of the protracted persecution which he has endured and the example which he has set the whole world in his fight for freedom in opposing the evil of apartheid in his native land of South Africa".

Nelson Mandela was later able to attend a joint ceremony in the City Chambers, Glasgow on 09 October 1993, where he received a freedom casket and scroll from the people of Aberdeen.

Wood Group get the message after AGM protest

The Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) protest held at the Wood Group AGM in Aberdeen was a huge success, with 40+ activists outside making plenty noise, and 4 shareholders inside putting questions to the board members. 

Fiona Napier, of SPSC Aberdeen said, "Wood Group have definitely got the message that if they continue to do business with apartheid Israel, they will be held to account.

THE EUROPEAN UNION: YES OR NO? An evening of political discussion and debate

There is an open invitation to everyone and especially all Trade Union, Political and Community Activists to attend an evening of discussion on workers’ rights and the EU, on Monday 19th May from 6.30-8.30pm at the UNITE Offices,  44 King Street, Aberdeen AB24 5TJ, in the run up to the European Parliament elections on 22nd May. 

John Foster, a candidate for No2EU:Yes to Workers' Rights will debate with Asim Khan, prospective Labour candidate in the forthcoming Euro elections, who will put forward the pro-EU position at what promises to be in interesting and informative event.

All are welcome to attend.

 

    

Call on the Wood Group to Stop Powering Israeli Apartheid

Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign will mount a protest at Aberdeen based Wood Group's AGM on Wednesday14th May 2014, against their involvement in Israel.

Delegates at the Aberdeen Trades Union Council meeting on Wed 7th May gave their full support to the SPSC protest and condemned the actions of the Wood Group, which has built a massive power station in Israel whilst Palestinians are denied their rights.

May Day celebrates solidarity across borders as polticians, trades unionists and citizens take to the streets

The banners and flags of dozens of trades unions and community groups made a colourful display as hundreds of marchers snaked down Union Street in Aberdeen to celebrate International Workers Day, and to call for solidarity across borders.

Shoppers again stopped to watch and applaud, as the Guarana Drummers led the march from the West End to a rally at the Castlegate.

Organised by the ATUC, the march was joined by Dame Anne Begg, MP and Frank Doran, MP, and MSPs Lewis Macdonald and Richard Baker, as well as a number of Labour Councillors from Aberdeen City's administration.

At the Castlegate, speakers spoke passionately against the austerity measures of this UK Government which have hit ordinary people the hardest with cuts to welfare and poverty pay whilst the richest increase their wealth by £190 billion.

Click here to see more photos on Picasa
Click here to see more photos on Picasa (Aberdeenshire UNISON pics)

STUC Report 2014

Scottish Trades Union Congress 2014
The 117th STUC Annual Congress will be held in the Caird Hall, Dundee, 14-16th April

Report of the STUC 2014

ATUC delegates are:

Kevin Hutchens

                                  
                                        









Michelle Brady

Workers’ Memorial Day mourns all those who have lost their lives at work and pledges to fight for fundamental health and safety protections in this country and around the world.

Local trade unionists joined with politicians and citizens in a poignant service to commemorate Workers’ Memorial Day on 28^th April, in the beautiful setting of the Persley Workers’ Memorial Garden.

Speaker after speaker spoke of the key importance of Workers’ Memorial Day, to remember the dead but to fight for the living. They spoke of the rising numbers of people who have lost their lives or their health at work, in this country and around the world.

The service was organised by the Aberdeen Trades Union Council and opened at 11am with a minutes silence to remember and to mourn all those who have died doing their job.

Cllr Graham lays the wreath

 Representing the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Councillor Gordon Graham laid the wreath on behalf of all those who had gathered. He told them that all workers have the right to work safely and without risk to their health.

“With 241 people dying at work last year and 790,000 injured or made ill due to poor standards of health and safety, a lot more has to be done to protect workers,” he said, calling on all businesses to embrace health and safety regulation, and for the Health and Safety Executive, trade unions and businesses to work together to improve safety at work.

He also remembered the Bangladesh factory collapse  last year that killed over 1,100 workers, and called on the UK and Scottish Governments to take action to stop companies in the UK benefitting from the lack of health and safety standards that lead to such disasters and other tragedies.