Jurgen Thomanek

This talk has been postponed was supposed to be tonight  but will be rescheduled in the next fortnight please watch this space for more details

Alison Evison, CoSLA President addresses STUC Highland and Island's Conference

Alison Evison

ATUC delegates, Fiona Napier and Steve Gray attended the STUC Highlands and Islands conference, held in the beautiful historic Inverness Town Hall. A packed day of interactive sessions, culminating in a panel of local councillors and MSP's taking questions from delegates - Conservatives, Lib Dems, Greens and Labour were all represented (no SNP as all at SNP conference in Aberdeen)

Good morning everyone

I’m delighted to be here with you, and I want to start by firstly thanking you for inviting me today.

I’m really pleased to be able to join you because it is a chance to build the kind of approach that I want COSLA to be all about- working together to understand the issues, learn from one another, and focus on solutions. 

That’s vitally important, because every day millions of people rely on the essential services that councils provide.  And that simply wouldn’t be possible without the huge dedication and hard work of the 240,000 staff that deliver them in communities across the country. 

Local Government is one of Scotland's largest employers, and roughly 1 in 10 working people are employed by a council.  As a lifelong trade union member and teacher for over 20 years, I absolutely believe in the vital importance of a properly skilled and valued workforce in getting the best possible outcomes for our communities.

Aberdeen remembers Grenfell - FBU's Leon Murray - "We will not rest till we have justice."

ATUC held a moving commemoration for Grenfell in Aberdeen on 14th June, remembering the 72 men, women and children killed one year ago this evening in a terrible and preventable fire. 

It began with a statement from the Justice4Grenfell, then around 50 people lit candles and wrote messages of support to survivors, families and friends of those lost.

There were emotional speeches and poems and a clear message that we will not forget and we will fight for justice for those who died and those left behind. We thank all the speakers.

Leon Murray spoke on behalf of Fire Brigades Union. Here is the speech he made.

"I’d like to thank Aberdeen Trades Union Council for organising this event and inviting me to attend and I’d also like to thank you all for coming here to take part in what, I’m sure you will agree, has been a very moving event. It’s right that we remember what happened a year ago in this way.

None of us will ever forget what we saw on our TV screens when we woke up that morning, the shear horror of the event unfolding was impossible to comprehend. As a firefighter it was no easier to believe, no firefighter in the UK had ever dealt with a fire of that magnitude, it was a fire that could not be prepared for, it should not have been able to happen.

Once we all realised that what we witnessed was real then the questions started to be asked, and those questions remain largely unanswered. How could this have happened, how could a relatively modern building in one of the richest areas, of one of the richest cities in the world be involved in a tragedy so horrific that 72 people, 72 innocent men, women and children lost their lives?

Vigil in Aberdeen to remember Grenfell one year on - please join us.

Aberdeen will join the commemorations happening in towns and cities throughout Scotland and the UK to remember Grenfell, one year on. 

A vigil, organised by Aberdeen Trades Union Council, will be held in St Nicholas Square on Thursday 14th June from 6.30-7.30pm. This will be followed by short speeches and contributions.

ATUC Secretary, Fiona Napier said, "As the inquiry begins into Grenfell, and we have heard the moving testimonies from loved ones to all those who perished in the fire, it reminds us that we must never forget what happened here - a completely avoidable tragedy.

"We will be remembering those whose lives were lost and all their friends and relatives who were so deeply affected by the terrible events of a year ago. 

"We will be giving thanks to the emergency services who worked tirelessly, at cost to themselves, to deal with the fire and its aftermath.

"But we will also be pledging to fight to ensure that this terrible tragedy can never happen again."

For details on Facebook click here