Monday at the STUC
Kevin Hutchens |
Congress urged the Scottish Government to 'change its mind' and use its procurement rules to insist that contractors pay the Living Wage.
ATUC delegate, Kevin Hutchens, seconded the Composite and urged Congress to ensure that Living Wage provisions are at the heart of public procurement regimes.
Austerity 'a political choice, not an economic necessity'
Congress later pledged to continue its high profile campaign against welfare cuts and austerity and will press the UK and Scottish governments to take steps to improve employment protections, including the abolition of employment tribunal fees, and an end to poverty pay.Kevin Hutchens spoke to the composite which included the ATUC call for the "abolition of employment tribunal fees and discussion on the potential need for full control of employment tribunals in Scotland to be fully devolved, to facilitate the abolition of fees and other progressive changes."
Wednesday at the ATUC
Support pledged for Palestinian people in the International Year of Solidarity
Michelle Brady |
Michelle Brady moved the Composite and slammed the treatment of the Palestinian people by the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza.
Police Control Centre Closures without consultation condemned
In almost the last throw of the dice on Wednesday afternoon, Congress supported the ATUC's concern at the decision by Police Scotland to close the Aberdeen and other Control Centres, without consultation and agreed that the STUC General Council will formally express its concern to Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.Michelle Brady, herself a member of UNISON's Police Staff's Branch, told Congress that local knowledge will be lost through these closures - in Aberdeen but also across other parts of the country, with over 450 jobs affected. She called for the STUC to challenge the closures.