All the union news that's fit to blog...
#STUC16 The last business in a rushed afternoon was the emergency motion on abortion. Because of the time restriction, UNISON’s Davena Rankin limited her speech to just one aspect of the motion. Here we print her short but powerful speech in full.
“The 1967 Abortion Act was never applied to Northern Ireland – something we must fight to change.
“I recently attended the Irish Congress of TradeRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC sent out a clear message today that we should be backing democratically elected governments in South America against a ‘corporate-wealth’ right wing backlash.
Moving UNISON’s emergency motion, Sam Macartney told delegates: “Over the last couple of decades we have seen huge advances for working people in South America.
“The victory of the Lula led Workers Party in Brazil wasRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC Congress sent congratulations today to Glasgow CCTV UNISON members who have won a deal bringing up to a 24% pay rise, after twelve days of strike action over six weeks.
The 19 members of UNISON are employed by Community Safety Glasgow, an ALEO of Glasgow City Council, and were taking strike action over the employer’s failure to pay shift allowances. The dispute was aboutRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC will continue to oppose the “Prevent” strategy amidst concerns that it could criminalise Muslim communities and has called on the Scottish Parliament to ensure that it doesn’t divide our communities as it is implemented in Scotland.
Delegates heard that it will force workers in the health service, the prison service, local authorities, school , further and higher education andRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC will seek talks with Scottish Universities Support Palestinian Students (SUSPS) with a view to giving active support to a revised initiative and encourage unions to back the project financially and in any other ways possible.
The Edinburgh TUC motion reminded delegates that last year’s Congress in Ayr gave a generous welcome to the first recipient of a SUSPS award who is fromRead more…
7.30 pm Thursday 21 April White Horse bar, 266 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8AA with Lilian Macer, Convenor of UNISON Scottish Council reporting on her visit to the country and her meetings with trade unionists, human rights activists, politicians and the mothers of young victims of extrajudicial killings by the army. She will also report on the peace process between the Colombian government andRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC backed the TIE (Time for Inclusive Education) campaign which is committed to inclusive education which aims to tackle homophobia and create a safer learning environment for all regardless of sexual orientation, gender or identity.
UNISON Scotland has already donated £1000 such is the importance we attach to this campaign, and UNISON’s Willie Docherty spoke in support.
To theRead more…
#STUC2016 UNISON’s Pat Rowland urged delegates to get involved in the campaign against ‘dodgy trade deals’ like TTIP that could stop governments bringing privatised services back in-house.
And she called on trade unionists to join the Scotland Against TTIP coalition day of action on Saturday 23 April at the Buchanan Street steps in Glasgow.
The STUC backed a UNISON motion to campaign forRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC gave unanimous backing to an emergency motion supporting the Glasgow UNISON #Justice4Jannies campaign as they began their three-day strike for parity of conditions with other like-workers.
The jannies packed the gallery as delegates stood to applaud them. The full text of the motion is…
“That this Congress congratulates UNISON members who are janitors in Glasgow’s primary,Read more…
#STUC16 The STUC has renewed its call for Trident replacement to be abandoned and will revisit setting up Trade Union CND, focussing on job diversification for workers employed on Trident.
It rejected a GMB motion calling for Trident replacement as the ‘only game in town’ to defend jobs.
In a rousing speech, supporting a Clydebank TUC motion, UNISON’s Jane Carolan told delegates: “UNISON hasRead more…
#STUC16 TUC president Liz Snape called for the STUC and TUC to continue to work together ‘to protect our future and fight for our people’ as she addressed Congress this morning.
Liz, who is also a UNISON depute general secretary, said: “Congress, be in no doubt our fortunes and our future will rise or fall as one. And it falls to us – to our generation – to protect our future and fight for ourRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC is to launch a campaign promoting the employment rights the EU has delivered for working people and will oppose attempts to ‘water down the benefits of a Social Europe.’
It also rejected calls to campaign to leave the EU.
Backing the USDAW motion, UNISON NEC member Gordon McKay explained why the union’s leadership had decided to campaign in the referendum to stay in the EURead more…
#STUC16 The STUC will campaign for the new Scottish Government to provide colleges with sufficient funding to return to meeting the full range of educational needs in their local communities.
It will also call for the protection of, or improvement in, the terms and conditions of college staff.
UNISON’s James Corry, backing the Fife TUC motion, asked Congress to celebrate the recent lecturers’Read more…
#STUC16 Disabled young people are massively under-represented in apprenticeships and Congress delegates backed a wide-ranging campaign to address the difficulties they face, to support their educational attainment and to make sure more can access apprenticeships.
Supporting the motion UNISON’s Morag Houston told delegates that times are hard for all our young people – but they are doubly hardRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC condemned cuts to education which so often follow on from council cuts, especially attacks on support staff numbers which damage the learning experiences of our most vulnerable young people and called for action to protect education funding.
Supporting the SSTA motion, UNISON’s Susan Kennedy pointed out that the Scottish Government continues with their commitment to providingRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC will press the Scottish Government to adequately fund the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and to properly staff their control rooms, currently being cut from eight to three.
UNISON Police Staff’s George McIrvine spoke in support of the FBU motions and drew parallels with the move to a single police force in Scotland.
He pointed out that, like Police Scotland, the primaryRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC will press the incoming Scottish Government to back Shelter Scotland’s campaign for a radical programme to build more affordable and social rent homes. It will also campaign for such a building programme to create directly employed construction jobs and apprenticeships.
Supporting, UNISON’s Mark Ferguson told delegates that it is a national scandal that estimates show thereRead more…
#STUC16 The STUC will call for an independent enquiry into PFI/PPP funding models for public sector building work, as well as into the Edinburgh schools contracts which has led to such disruption for pupils, families and staff.
Seconding an emergency motion from the EIS, UNISON’s Susan Kennedy told delegates that the issues raised around PPP by what has happened in Edinburgh go well beyond aRead more…
#STUC16 Scott Donohoe, UNISON Scotland health and safety chair, has been presented with this year’s STUC Frank Maguire Award for Health and Safety.
Scott has been health and safety officer for Glasgow City UNISON for 14 years and is seconded from his employer, Glasgow City Council and is passionate about health and safety, an interest that has seen him play a leading role in his union’s workRead more…
#STUC16 Young members were joined by other STUC delegates and TUC president Liz Snape in demonstrating for ‘Better than Zero’ workers’ conditions outside Café Nero in Dundee this morning.
Like some other businesses, Café Nero have made staff pay for the discriminatory so-called national living wage by a penny-pinching claw back of conditions like paid breaks and snacks. Under 25s don’tRead more…