Take Action on Saturday the 28th of March - Keep up the pressure against Barclays Bank's support for Israeli war crimes

Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (SPSC)Aberdeen is calling on all supporters to keep up the pressure against Barclays Bank, following the success of previous protests by campaign groups including SPSC Aberdeen, which led to Barclays selling its shares in Elbit systems, the Israeli company which supplied the drones used in last summer's attacks on Gaza. 

The next protest will be held on Saturday 28th March. Please come along and tell Barclays to end its investment in Raytheon and stop profiting from Israeli war crimes once and for all. Assemble in St.Nicholas Square at 12 noon.

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Come along to the lobby of the Scottish Liberals in Aberdeen on 20th March and tell them that austerity has not worked.

The STUC has organised a leaflet and lobby of the Scottish Liberal Party Conference on Friday 20th March 2015 at Aberdeen International Conference Centre between 12noon and 1pm. The lobby will call for decent work and dignifies lives as part of a just Scotland and will challenge the austerity measures that the UK Government, of which the Lib Dems are a part, has put in place.

Kate Ramsden, Vice President of the ATUC said, "We are encouraging our delegates, associates and affiliated unions to join this very important lobby. We said from the start that austerity would not work. That it would hit the poorest hardest while those that caused the financial crisis, the bankers and the fat cats would carry on business and bonuses as usual. And we were right.

"That inequality would increase, that more children would grow up in poverty with their parents reliant on food banks to survive. And we were right.

"That the Government's policies would create a low wage economy that would reduce tax receipts and cut the money people had to spend in their local shops and businesses and that as a result the economic recovery would be much much slower. And we were right.

"We need to tell the Lib Dems that they have let down workers and created poverty and hardship for many people whilst the rich cream it in adding to their already enormous wealth.

"Please come along and hold the Lib Dems accountable for their actions in Government."

NHS Out of TTIP - Public Meeting on 19th March All Welcome

Aberdeen Trades Union Council has joined with UNITE, PCS, The People's NHS, Stop TTIP Aberdeen and the STUC to organise a public meeting on Thursday 19th March 7-9pm in the UNITE Offices at 44 King Street, Aberdeen AB21 5JT in the latest part of the campaign to keep the NHS out of TTIP.

Speakers will include Tommy Campbell of UNITE,  Yiorgos Kastalatis,  PeoplesNHS (Chair) as well as speakers from the ATUC and Stop TTIP Aberdeen. All are welcome to attend.

TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, is a series of trade negotiations being carried out mostly in secret between the EU and US. As a bi-lateral trade agreement, TTIP is about reducing the regulatory barriers to trade for big business, things like food safety law, environmental legislation, banking regulations and the sovereign powers of individual nations.

Ron Webster, longstanding trade unionist and ATUC activist, is honoured by UNITE - all ATUC delegates welcome to attend

Aberdeen UNITE is hosting an event in honour of Ron Webster on Monday 9th March at 7pm in the St Nicholas room  in the Town House, Aberdeen. 

 

Ron Webster

The event is in recognition of Ron's 58 years as a union member and representative in  NUVB, TGWU and UNITE.

 

Tommy Campbell, UNITE Regional Officer said, "We are delighted to honour Ron's longstanding union membership and his lifetime commitment to improving the lives of all workers and their families.

 

"We would like to invite all Ron's friends and colleagues to join us in celebrating his achievements."

 

As an ATUC stalwart, Ron's hard work and commitment to trade unionism is also recognised by all his comrades on the trades union council and all trade unionists associated with ATUC are invited to come along.

 

If you would like to attend, please contact Susan at the Unite office at susan.martin@unitetheunion.org or tel 01224 645271.

ATUC AGM on 4th March at 7.30pm - Come along and get involved

All delegates are urged to come along to the Aberdeen Trades Union Council Annual General Meeting on 4 March 2015, commencing at 7.30pm, in ATUC Premises, John Londragon House, 22a Adelphi, Aberdeen.

ATUC President, Alan Robertson said, "We have a packed agenda for the AGM including our guest speaker, Mark Pollit from TUC Education, Kelvin College, Glasgow. 

"We will be electing our office bearers for 2015-16 and there are a number of vacancies in key positions on the ATUC Executive which we really must fill if the ATUC is to continue its work over the coming year.

"We are about to circulate our Annual Report for 2014 which shows the breadth of our activities and those of our affiliates over the past year. We hope to go from strength to strength in the coming year but to do so, we will need the support and involvement of all our delegates and associates.

"We look forward to seeing you all on 4 March."

International Women's Day in Aberdeen - Making it Happen

Aberdeen  will celebrate  International Women's Day with two events this year.

The first is organised by Unite and will be a lunchtime event on Friday 6th March in the Unite Offices, 44-46 King Street, Aberdeen AB34 5JT.

The main speakers will be Donna Clark, an Aberdeen based Unite Activist, Aberdeen City Councillor Yvonne Allan, Agnes Tolmie , Unite  Executive Council Member and Chair of the Scottish Womens Convention  and  Elaine Dougall, Unite’s Regional  Women and Equalities Officer.

 

There will be light refreshments available from 12.30 until 13.00. 
 

All ATUC delegates are welcome, but as a buffet lunch will be provided, please contact the UNITE office on 01224 645271 or email: Susan.martin@unitetheunion.org to confirm your attendance by Wednesday 4^th March 2015.

 

On Sunday 8th March, Aberdeen City Council will bring together a significant number and a wide range of Aberdeen’s women  for an informal and relaxed afternoon of refreshments, entertainment & celebration.

The event will begin at 2.00pm in Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom with registration, conversation and a refreshing drink. There will be a small number of display stalls to view at this time. 

ATUC condemns union busting at the heart of government

Aberdeen Trades Union Council has thrown its full weight behind the PCS union in its campaign against this UK Government’s union busting tactics in the civil service.  Delegates at the meeting on 4^th Feb condemned the slashing of facilities time for union reps by more than 60% and the ending of “check-off” – the decades old method through which employers collect union subscriptions direct from a member’s salary.

The ATUC called on the Labour Party to publicly pledge to reinstate check-off in the civil service if elected and to legislate for a statutory right for union members to have their subscriptions deducted through their salary.

Delegates will also email their MPs in support of the PCS (see model wording below) and called on the TUC, the STUC and all affiliates to give their full support to the fight against these union busting tactics.