Layout 6 - Scottish Trades Union Congress

The People’s Recovery – Organising for a Fairer Future

STUC Congress Programme Cover 2020 29/10/2020 09:58

STUC Congress Programme Cover 2020 29/10/2020 09:58

Contents

Published by the Scottish Trades Union CongressTypeset and printed by Hampden Advertising Ltd (TU), 403 Hillington Road, Glasgow G52 4BLThe STUC wishes to thank all contributors

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 2This Year’s President .......................................................................................................................................... 2Guide to Congress Arrangements ...................................................................................................................... 3Tackling Poverty and Inequality by Challenging Corporate Power ..................................................................... 5Why We Need Lifelong Learning in Scotland ..................................................................................................... 7Looking Forward to COP26 ................................................................................................................................ 10Two Hundred and Twenty-Four Linear Metres of STUC History ......................................................................... 12Let’s Talk Menopause ......................................................................................................................................... 14STUC Union Reps Awards .................................................................................................................................. 17

Report of General Council to Annual Congress ............................................................................................. 21Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 22Section One: An Effective Organisation ............................................................................................................. 24Section Two: Policy Development and Political Relations .................................................................................. 32Section Three: Campaigns and Support for Organising ...................................................................................... 35Section Four: Union Learning ............................................................................................................................. 39Section Five: Equalities ....................................................................................................................................... 42Section Six: COVID-19 ........................................................................................................................................ 48

Draft Order of Business ...................................................................................................................................... 55List of Delegates ................................................................................................................................................. 57STUC Affiliates by Section and Membership (2020/21) ...................................................................................... 60Nominations for STUC General Council and Standing Orders Committee for 2020/21...................................... 62Affiliated Organisations....................................................................................................................................... 64General Council Meetings................................................................................................................................... 68Contact the STUC................................................................................................................................................ 69STUC Affiliates by Section and Membership (2019/20) ...................................................................................... 70Obituary............................................................................................................................................................... 72STUC Past Presidents ......................................................................................................................................... 73External Organisations ........................................................................................................................................ 75

STUC Congress Programme & Report 2020 29/10/2020 11:31 Page 1

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Introduction

Welcome to the 123rd Annual Congress of the STUCand my first Congress as your new General Secretary.This year we are bringing you a Congress like no other,given that it has been postponed and eventuallymoved to being a fully digital event that will happencompletely online. I am sure however that the effortsof the STUC will still ensure a successful Congress, asthis year more than ever, we have many crucial issuesto discuss. The theme of Congress is ‘The People’s Recovery’

and this reflects the unprecedented public health andeconomic challenges we have all faced in the firing lineof the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for us toensure that we rebuild on a different track that willbenefit all Scotland’s People. No more going back to asociety where the rich get richer, the poor poorer, andthe gap continues to widen. Scotland’s people deservebetter.It is our frontline workers that have kept this country

on track throughout the Covid crisis. They have lookedafter all of us. Now we must look after them and senda message loud and clear to Government that theremust be no going back to austerity for ourcommunities and no long-term unemployment for ourworkers. We tried that under previous ToryGovernments. It didn’t work and we are not doing itagain. Times of crisis call for a focused approach and for

this reason the General Council will seek thepermission of Congress to remit all of the motionssubmitted to the earlier postponed Congress and willinstead propose debate around a General CouncilSpecial Statement that is focused on three key areas:

l Our response to COVID-19l Rebuilding our Economy – the People’s Recoveryl A Scotland Fit for the Future

Looking towards the forthcoming ScottishParliament elections we have extended an invitation to

the First Minister, Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP, and toRichard Leonard MSP, the Leader of the ScottishLabour Party, to each give a digital address to theCongress. We also have messages of support from ourinternational comrades and once again we willcelebrate the role played by our reps in LifelongLearning, Health and Safety, Equality and Organising,through the presentation of our Scottish Union RepAwards.We look forward to Congress being viewed by our

delegates, by representatives of Scotland’s politicaland civil society organisations, as well as ourcomrades from the ICTU, the TUC and the Wales TUC.In addition to this we are throwing open our digitaldoors to everyone across our Movement, because allof our reps, our activists and our members will beinvited to tune into the debates and see ourdemocracy at work, as the Congress will belivestreamed to make it accessible to all. I hope that you will also find an opportunity to visit

the many interesting webinars that will form our fringeevents and contribute to debates that will enrich ourpolicies and campaigns with the experiences, valuesand demands of the working people of Scotland. Enjoy the 2020 Congress.

This Year’s PresidentJackson Cullinane has been active inthe labour and trade union movementfor over 40 years and is the Head ofUnite Scotland’s Politics, Research andCampaigns Unit. As a full-time union official, Jackson

has experience of representing and organising workersin the public sector and in the food and drink,agriculture, chemicals and transport sectors. Jackson was formerly a shop stewards’ convenor in

a large multi-national company (ICI) and has alsoworked in the construction industry, in localgovernment and for an MSP and for a Member of theEuropean Parliament.

by Rozanne Foyer, STUC General Secretary


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Guide to Congress Arrangements

Congress session times are:

Tuesday 17 NovemberCongress opens 10.00 am – 12.15 pm

1.05 pm – 4.30 pm

Scheduled comfort breaks: 11.05 am – 11.25 am2.30 pm – 2.45 pm3.25 pm – 3.40 pm

For the STUC virtual Congress, delegates will join theevent through a web-based events platform calledHopin. Each delegate will be emailed a unique link tojoin and we ask you do not share this with anyone else. Guidance and support on using Hopin will be

provided to delegates and speakers in the lead up toCongress and help will be available on the day ifrequired. Technical support will be provided byCameron Live and STUC staff. The General Council Report is contained within this

consolidated document. The reporting period of theGeneral Council Report is from April 2019 to October2020, and the Report will be presented to Congress inthe normal way. The General Council will also present aSpecial Statement on a strategy and series ofproposed activities between October and Congress2021. The Financial Statement will be presented toCongress in the normal way during the Private Session.With the exception of the Private Session, Congress

2020 will be livestreamed to the public on the STUCwebsite and on our social media. All delegates who wish to speak in the debate

sessions must have submitted a request through theirorganisation to the STUC prior to Congress so that alltechnical arrangements can be confirmed. Nounplanned contributions to debates by delegates canbe made. All votes will be done by card vote.

CONGRESS BUSINESSThe Standing Orders CommitteeThe Standing Orders Committee (SOC) members areMary Alexander (Unite the Union); William Docherty(UNISON); and Duncan Walker (GMB). The Secretary isDave Moxham, STUC Deputy General Secretary.The Standing Orders Committee is recommending

that all motions previously submitted to Congress 2020not be debated, and therefore are treated as remitted.

Many of the provisions of the remitted motions havebeen included in the General Council SpecialStatement. All other aspects of these motions will beconsidered in the period following Congress, as wouldnormally be the case for a remitted motion.The Special Statement will form the basis for

discussion and debate at the virtual Congress. We donot expect there to be any changes to the Order ofBusiness, but the Chairperson of the Standing OrdersCommittee will report as appropriate throughoutCongress. The Standing Orders Committee has initiated a

number of changes to the Order of Business this yeardue to the unusual circumstances. These are:

l Limitation on the number of guest speakers.l Shortening, or removing, sessions not devoted tothe debate of the General Council Report andSpecial Statement.

l Addition of three comfort breaks. The Standing Orders Committee will recommend to

Congress, at the outset, that speaking times in thedebate sessions are 4 minutes. The co-operation ofCongress delegates who have registered to speak inkeeping to their allotted speaking times would beappreciated. This is particularly important in thereduced virtual Congress to allow the President to keepto time.

Suspension of Standing OrdersStanding Orders will be suspended at appropriatetimes to allow for the Special Addresses andpresentations to be made throughout the period ofCongress. In the main, these Addresses andpresentations will be in the form of pre-recordedvideos.

Emergency MotionsNo emergency motions can be submitted to Congress2020.

BallotsThere are no ballots for the General Council andStanding Orders Committee nominations for 2020-21.A list of the nominations received and elected to theGeneral Council and Standing Orders Committee areoutlined on pages 62 and 63.


Scottish Trades Union Congress4 |

Voting CardsAll votes at Congress 2020 will be conducted by cardvote. Delegation Leaders will have receivedinstructions on how to submit their card voteelectronically.

TellersCongress will be required to approve the suggestedlist of Tellers, as outlined below.The main duties of the Tellers at the virtual Congress

will be to count the virtual card vote.

DELEGATES’ REGISTRATION &COMMUNICATIONAll delegates will be registered and issued with theirConference Pack via email or post prior to Congress.Delegates will have access to the virtual Congress onHopin from 9.30 am. Delegates can introduce themselves and chat with

other delegates using the chat panel to the left of thepage whilst they wait for Congress to begin. This chatfeature will be available throughout the day.

EVALUATION FORMSAll delegates will be emailed an Evaluation Form afterCongress. Given the unusual nature of Congress thisyear, we are particularly interested in your views.

EQUALITIES MONITORING FORMAll delegates will be emailed an Equalities MonitoringForm. The completed Equalities Monitoring Formsreceived by STUC Secretariat ensure STUC events areaccessible and meet the needs of trade unionmembers.

Visitors to CongressNo visitors will be permitted to join the Congress eventvia Hopin, but all members of the public can watchCongress live on the STUC website and on socialmedia. The details to watch the livestream will bewidely publicised before Congress.

FRINGE MEETINGSVirtual fringe events have been scheduled for Sunday15th and Monday 16th November. Details of the fringeprogramme, including information on how to join eachevent, are available on the STUC website.Organisations wishing to hold fringe events at othertimes should contact the STUC if they wish these to bepublicised.The STUC takes no responsibility for the content or

behaviour of attendees at externally organised fringeevents.

Distribution of MaterialAs normal, we ask that no materials are distributed todelegates in the virtual Congress without permissionfrom the Standing Orders Committee.

EXHIBITIONSadly, we will have no exhibition at Congress 2020. Wehope to be able to welcome exhibitors back toCongress in future years. The logos of thoseorganisations that had wished to exhibit are publicisedon the STUC website.

ADVERTSThe adverts illustrated in this consolidated Congressdocument are publicised on the STUC website.

TellersLorraine Barr, Union of Shop, Distributive andAllied Workers (to be confirmed)Alex Kennedy, Unite the UnionDee Matthew, Educational Institute ofScotlandTaylor Riach, Public and Commercial ServicesUnionMichelle Wilson, ProspectIt is recommended that Alex Kennedy act asChair of the Tellers.


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Coronavirus may not technically discriminate on the lines ofclass, but its effects are clearly exacerbated by imbalances ofincome, wealth and power.

Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, poverty andinequality were rising across Scotland. More than 1 millionpeople lived in poverty, a quarter of all children lived inpoverty, and the previous progress in reducing pensionerpoverty was beginning to be reversed. Perhaps mostconcerningly, work was no longer a guaranteed route out ofpoverty, with the majority of people in poverty now living inworking households.

When trade unionists speak of recovery then, we do notmean reverting to life in 2019. We mean recovering, forworking class people, the income, wealth and sense ofcollective purpose stolen from them by decades of politicalbias towards the rich and powerful.

is is where we take issue with theresponses to this emergency led by BennyHiggins and the Scottish Government.For all the welcome rhetoric ofGovernment intervention, we must alsoabolish the built-up conditions that madethis crisis so virulent in the first place.

Mass privatisations, short-terminvestment and the dominance ofmultinationals placed workers in aposition of weakness exacerbated byattacks on trade union freedom. is hasled to the growth of precarious workthrough bogus self-employment, zerohours contracts and unwanted part-timeworking. Nearly fiy years aer the EqualPay Act, the gender pay gap remains, while workplace injusticeis a daily fact for BME and disabled workers, and both groupshave suffered disproportionately from the Coronavirus crisis.

Alongside this, we have lost the power to guarantee basicrights, such as good quality affordable housing, a living incomefor the sick or unemployed, and a dignified care system foryoung and old alike.

Without radical change, Coronavirus will deepen thesetrends – and it will do so while the rich get richer.

Indeed, many have done very well out of COVID-19.Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, has increased his wealth by $87billion since the start of the year and is now worth more than$200 billion.

In the 2019–20 financial year, Scotland’s richest multi-millionaires increased their wealth by 13% to £40 billion.Scotland’s two richest billionaires now have as much wealth as

Tackling Poverty and Inequality by ChallengingCorporate Power

the poorest 20% of the population, while Scotland’s richesttwenty families – many of whom are tax dodgers – arewealthier than the bottom 30% of the population combined.

None of this is an accident. It is the result of deliberateideological policy decisions and unchecked corporate power.

72,000 workers in Scotland are on zero-hour contracts,while the number of gig workers has doubled in the past threeyears, with an estimated one in ten workers now doingplatform work at least once a week.

Over the past eighteen months, the STUC has engaged first-hand with some of these workers in sectors, such asdistribution and parcel delivery, hospitality and the creativeindustries to find out about their key concerns. Our report‘Collectivising in Precarious Work’ pinpoints threeoverarching themes which workers identified with and can

organise around: Control, Time, and Trust.Precarious workers described a sense of

vulnerability based on the decisions of theiremployer or manager. Time itself is used as apunishment, with managers changing shisat short notice to exert control. Workers alsospoke about the environment of mistrust andcompetition that employers foster betweengroups of workers to perpetuate forms ofprecarious work.

However, despite these forms of control,an atmosphere of camaraderie andfriendship is also possible in precarioussettings and is the essential foundationneeded to create strong trade unions. eresearch identified numerous instances ofpractical solidarity to be celebrated and built

upon and shows that, when unions deal with themes of controland time, they can significantly improve conditions for allworkers.

Besides our research into precarious work, in the pasteighteen months, the STUC has stepped up its work onpoverty and inequality. Our Manifesto for Social Justice waspublished ahead of the 2019 General Election.

We called out the deafening silence from the Tories & LibDems who didn’t even have the temerity to respond. Wesupported the Scottish Living Wage campaign; held a numberof events for young workers as part of Challenge Poverty Week;and made the case for why public services need to be placedfront and centre in the fight against poverty and inequality.

Coronavirus has changed everything. It has highlighted thatit is low-paid workers, not the rich, which keep the economygoing. at is why in September 2020, we published ‘e



People’s Recovery: A Different Track for Scotland’s Economy’,which won praise from leading politicians across Scotland’spolitical parties. Criticising the economic recovery plans ofboth the Scottish and UK Governments, the report identifiesnecessary measures for a fairer Scotland including a £2 an hourpay rise for all keyworkers, a National Care Service, sectoral

collective bargaining and democratic public ownership in thegreen economy.

Ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, the STUCwill be campaigning on these issues and for a People’sRecovery, which achieves an irreversible shi in the balance ofpower and wealth in favour of working people.

With warm wishes to STUC delegates from UCU Scotland


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By Marian Doherty,Principal, Newbattle AbbeyCollege

Last year we celebrated thecentenary of the 1919 Report onAdult Education in the UK. is

seminal document stressed the role of adult education inachieving national recovery aer the Great War andcreating democratic societies. One hundred years on inScotland, lifelong learning is equally critical in a world ofsocial and industrial change. Most adults now expect tolive longer than previous generations, to work beyondtheir sixties and to change jobs throughout their lives.No-one, however, expected 2020 to bring a pandemicwhich would affect all aspects of society and have such aserious impact on the most vulnerable. More than everwe need to improve opportunities for adults as theyrespond to the effects of the virus on themselves, theirfamilies and their communities.

e value of learning throughout life is not new inScotland. It has been highlighted by practitioners andacademics for decades and was endorsed at national levelin the 2014 Statement of Ambition for Adult Learning.is stressed that learning should be lifelong, life-wide –encompassing the person, work, family and community– and learner-centred. It highlighted the role of adultlearning in achieving Scottish Government priorities,including adult literacies, community empowerment,skills development and English for Speakers of OtherLanguages. It also recognised that adult learning is key toemployability and improved health and wellbeing,particularly for older learners. Significantly, theStatement of Ambition noted that children are far morelikely to aspire and achieve if their parents are alsoengaged in learning. Few people would deny the value oflifelong learning. Achieving this ambition, however, ismore challenging.

is may seem surprising, given the numerousopportunities for adults to learn – in the community, incolleges, in the workplace, at home, through volunteeringand in prison. ousands of adults engage in theseprogrammes and in Access to Higher Education courses.So, what is the problem? While many adults can takeadvantage of these opportunities, others face severalbarriers to learning. ese include lack of confidence,mental health issues, family commitments, physicaldisabilities or limited core skills. For some, full-time

programmes are not an option. Many are bewildered bywhat is on offer and need clear, impartial advice fromtrained staff. e impact of the Coronavirus has alsoreduced access to many community facilities, wheremany adults make their first return to learning. eselocal part-time programmes are an essential route frominformal learning to full-time accredited courses.Funding for such ‘stepping stone’ courses has reduced. Insome parts of the country, local adult learning networkshave diminished or focus too much on employabilityprogrammes at the expense of wider learning.Meanwhile, current funding models make it difficult forcolleges to offer flexible, part-time programmes withpartners in the community. All of this can make itdaunting for adults to think about returning to learning.

However, despite the challenges we are facing, thereare reasons to be optimistic. Progress is being made todevelop a strategic approach to lifelong learning atnational level. ose of us working in this area have formany years been calling for a national strategy for adultlearning. A key step towards this was the establishment ofthe Adult Learning Strategic Forum for Scotland, whichrepresents all of the major sectors and organisationsinvolved in this field. e Forum has consulted learnersand providers on key strategic areas:

l effective marketing and promotion of adultlearning

l securing learning for alll developing collaboration in planning and

delivering adult learningl high quality and accessible guidance servicesl workplace learningis year, Scottish Government allocated funding to

extend digital learning for young people and adults. It isalso exploring a Lifelong Learning Strategy for Scotland,in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. is isan ideal time to develop such a strategy and to shareexpertise and resources across sectors.

Newbattle Abbey College continues to play a strategicrole in these national developments. Since its inceptionin 1937, Newbattle has offered life-changingopportunities to thousands of adults, many of whomexperienced major barriers to learning. In the past tenyears, we have extended our programmes to includeyoung people at points of transition, outdoor learningand family learning. We enjoy excellent partnerships atnational and local level and are creative in securingfunding for innovative programmes. Our Adult

Why We Need Lifelong Learning in Scotland



Achievement Awards, for example, enable adults to gain anational qualification for their learning in any context –in the community, at work, in college, in the home orthrough volunteering. ey have proved popular acrossthe country with adults of all ages, especially those withfew formal qualifications. e Awards have also helped to

boost self-esteem and have given adults the confidence toseek employment or continue their learning. roughcollaboration and strategic planning, we can allcontribute to developing adult learning opportunities ofwhich Scotland can be proud.


Supported by funding from the Scottish Government, trade unions are organising free courses for workers across Scotland in a range of subjects from mental health awareness to quali�cations in management. Is there something you would like to learn? Is it something that your colleagues

might also bene�t from?

Get in touch with your Union Learning Rep or Learning Organiser to �nd out more.

[email protected]

twitter: @unionlearning

DIDYOUKNOW?


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Looking Forward to COP26

As we try to rebuild our economy following Coronavirus,there has been a lot of talk of a green recovery. The UKChancellor, Rishi Sunak, has spoken about a ‘green industrialrevolution’ and, in Scotland, it is meant to be one of the planksof Nicola Sturgeon’s programme for Government.

Addressing the climate emergency is vital, but the shape ofany green recovery is crucial to gaining public support. With asurge in youth unemployment and the loss of thousands ofjobs in the North Sea, a green recovery must be designed in away that creates jobs, reduces inequality and provides a justtransition for workers.

This is the new context in which, a year from now, worldleaders will descend on Glasgow for the international climatechange talks known as COP26. The talks, which were meantto take place this November, have been postponed a year dueto COVID-19.

Through the ITUC, the international trade unionmovement will engage in the negotiations with cleardemands: for greater ambition from Governments to limitwarming to 1.5°C; for Just Transition measures for all workers,their families and communities; and for finance for low-carbon development to support the most vulnerable. ITUCdelegates, including local trade unionists, will follownegotiations, lobby Governments and present at side-events.

However, experience from COP25 in Madrid doesn’t bodewell. Trade unions and civil society partners were thrown outafter a protest, while Governments dismantled the ParisAgreement to limit global warming. Rich northern countries,even those that present themselves as ‘climate leaders’, seem tobe more interested in tradingemissions and making moneyfrom it, than actuallyreducing them. The Madriddeal, or what there was of it,had no respect for the science,no respect for human rights,no social justice, no ambitionand no commitments toaction.

While the high-level talksmight not deliver, COP26presents three strategicallyimportant opportunities forworkers and trade unions inScotland.

Firstly, it is an opportunityfor the international tradeunion movement to come

together and discuss strategies to develop a coherent, worker-led programme to address climate change and inequality.

Such a programme – which will have to decarboniseenergy, transport, industry, heat and buildings – cannot bedelivered by the market. Instead, public ownership solutionswill need to be prioritised alongside collective bargainingarrangements to ensure green jobs are good quality, unionisedjobs. The STUC will be working with the ITUC, the TUC,Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED) and others tocreate spaces for these discussions.

Secondly, it is an opportunity to influence the debate onclimate change outside the venue. Climate change is a classissue. It is a problem primarily caused by corporations and therich, while the impacts are felt most by the poorest, by peopleof colour in the global south and by workers, such asfirefighters, on the frontline.

Yet too much Government action on climate change takes amarket-led approach benefiting the rich. As Naomi Kleinstates ‘neoliberal climate action passes on the costs to workingpeople, offers them no better jobs or services and lets bigpolluters off the hook. People see it as a class war, because it is’.

The STUC will engage with the COP26 coalition to ensurethat issues of class are integrated into civil society demands.The STUC will also undertake our own events, and supportactivity by Scotland’s trade unions and Trades UnionCouncils, such as the ‘Free Our City’ campaign for free bustravel in Glasgow, and we will mobilise for a strong workerbloc in the large civil society mobilisation.


Congress Programme and Report 2020 | 11

Thirdly, COP26 represents an opportunity to shine a lighton the track record of the Scottish and UK Governments.The Scottish Government is quick to point to their ‘world-leading climate targets’, but targets are only meaningful if theylead to action. Emissions in transport continue to increaseand, although progress has been made on renewable energy,it has not come with the jobs and socio-economic benefitpromised.

In 2010, the Scottish Government promised 130,000 low-carbon jobs by 2020. Yet, figures show that in 2018 there wereonly 23,100 direct jobs. Bar one demonstration turbine offthe coast of Leven, all of Scotland’s offshore wind is

controlled by overseas state-owned companies or privatecorporations. Development after development is offshoringwork around the world, while local fabrication yards in Fife,Arnish and Argyll lie empty. Green jobs at the busmanufacturer, Alexander Dennis, are under threat due tocorporate neglect and Government inaction.

With the eyes of the world on Glasgow, the STUC willensure we shine a light on what is happening on the groundand link climate activism with workers’ struggles. As theformer South American trade union leader andenvironmentalist, Chico Mendes, once said:“Environmentalism without class struggle is just gardening”.


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Two Hundred and Twenty-Four Linear Metresof STUC History

By Carole McCallum,University Archivist

e records of the Scottish TradesUnion Congress first came toGlasgow Caledonian University in1998 when the office moved from

Woodlands Terrace to Woodlands Road. is first accessionwas a substantial size. Like many house moves it was far fromorganised. e important thing is that Campbell Christie andthe team recognised the value of the historical material theyhad preserved onsite and the records they had created as partof the day to day business of the STUC. ey also recognisedthe merits of making the STUC’s story available to presentand future generations via GCU Archive Centre. An earlierlarge deposit of records was retained by the National Library ofScotland. ey approached us to take this in 2006 ensuring thecomplete archive of the STUC came under our custodianship.e current size of the collection is 224 linear metres.

e STUC records date back to its formation in 1897 andare an eclectic collection not purely tied to Scottish labourhistory. It is a resource rich in social history and thedevelopment of a nation. From its earliest days, the Congressfocused on a wide range of economic and social questions, theScottish economy and wider issues concerning the people ofScotland. e records hold fascinating information on many ofScotland’s major historical and political events from the end ofthe 19th century to the present day. is is further enhanced bythe STUC’s internationalism over the same period.

Why do we keep minutes, reports, papers, photographs,posters, publications, badges, audio visual material, bannersand ephemera aer they have fulfilled their original use? Inour case we believe these records take on a new life whenthey come to an archive centre: they become a livingresource again. Preserving the past to inform the future is ourcore business; professionally caring for and cataloguing theseitems as well as providing a supervised readingroom for people to look at them. While theSTUC archive is not fully catalogued we makeevery attempt to identify relevant uncataloguedrecords and make them available to researcherswithin current data protection legislation.

So who uses the records and what are theylooking for? Taking a snapshot from thebeginning of the academic session in 2018 tothe present day some of the subjects researchedare home rule and devolution, fascism, racism,women’s empowerment in WWI, Red

Clydeside, Irish workers and the Irish question, workingconditions, women in the labour and trade union movement,International Women’s Day and the STUC’s support for theSpanish Civil War, Chilean solidarity, Anti-ApartheidMovement, miners’ strike, and the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders’work-in. e records are used by students and academics fromGlasgow, Scotland, UK and international arena, along withresearchers from the labour and trade union movement,genealogists, the media and creative industries, the generalpublic and STUC staff past and present.

We work closely with the STUC’s administrative team to addto the collection with a seven-year moving wall for GeneralCouncil minutes and papers. It is their stellar work that hasensured the records added to the archive as part of the STUC’srecent move of premises is well organised and listed.

e collection shares shelf space with records from GlasgowTrades Union Council, Anti-Apartheid Movement ScottishCommittee, Scottish CND, Communist Party of Great BritainScottish Committee, NUS Scotland, and a large archive whichdocuments the development of British Trotskyism particularlythrough the Socialist Labour League and the Workers’Revolutionary Party, to name but a few. As well as organisations,we house records of numerous political activists. Our otherbroad collecting areas are Scottish social work, social policy andchild welfare; Scottish public health; Scottish social enterprise;and our contribution to the development of Scottish highereducation from the late 19th century onwards (dating back to1875 and the formation of the Glasgow School of Cookery). Inrecent years we have expanded our collecting area and arecurrently working on academic Sandy Hobbs’ Urban Legendspapers, actor Blythe Duff ’s Taggart scripts and thephotographer Oscar Marzaroli’s complete negative archive(around 50,000 in total). Our collections sit well with themission of Glasgow Caledonian University as the Universityfor the Common Good, providing resources to enhance the



learning, teaching and research experience within the broadsocial justice arena.

As a University we are proud to play a part in preservingand sharing Scotland’s heritage. is is only made possibleby the generous donation of records from organisationssuch as the STUC and their openness in sharing their storywith anyone who wants to see it. e trade union movementrightly should be proud of their history documented in the224 linear metres (and growing) held here at GCU.

Before the current pandemic our Archive Centre was openMonday to Friday, to everyone. However we are currentlyclosed and when we do re-open it will be gradual with adigitisation service as the main source of providing researchmaterials in the first instance. More information on our currentservice can be found at gcu.ac.uk/archives/ or email us [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>

We look forward to meeting you.


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Let’s Talk Menopause

by Ruth Devlin, Let’s Talk Menopause.

The Menopause – for somewomen just the word can conjureup all sorts of negative views andfeelings. Then there are all thosemyths…

Menopause is one of the transitional stages in awoman’s hormonal journey when, yet again, hormonesare out of balance. For some, it can be a very turbulenttime, whereas for others an absolute breeze; thecontrasting experiences between women just adding tothe complexity of this topic.

Several years ago, I founded Let’s Talk Menopause toraise awareness, normalise the conversation aroundMenopause and to provide accurate information.Ultimately by being informed, you then help motivatewomen to self manage their symptoms more effectively,with or without the need for medical intervention.

Access to information is definitely improving, butfurther work still needs to be done, particularly insome areas of the workplace. However, over the last 12months there has been considerable improvementwithin many organisations, with employers realisingthe Menopause is a topic to be taken seriously and, assuch, they need to provide relevant information andsupport, resulting in menopause policies and supportnetworks being put in place within more and moreorganisations up and down the country.

So, to explain a little more about the Menopauseitself: firstly, it’s important to understand the differentstages of the Menopause. The perimenopause is themost symptomatic stage of the Menopause andprecedes becoming fully menopausal. A common mythis that you have to get through this stage before you goand consult with your Health Care Professional (HCP).Not true! There are unfortunately so many women whoput up with debilitating, life changing symptomsunnecessarily. It is never too early to go and seek advicefrom your HCP and always remember everyone willexperience symptoms in very different ways.

A quick word on diagnosis – you can only bediagnosed as being menopausal when you have had 12continual months of no bleeding, after which you gointo your ‘postmenopausal’ years. The average age ofmenopause is around 51 years, with the majority ofwomen becoming fully menopausal by 54–56 years.

With hormones fluctuating all over the place within theperimenopausal stage diagnosis should be fromsymptoms alone. The Follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) blood test should only be offered to women whoare prematurely menopausal (under the age of 40years).

There are over 34 different symptoms ranging fromshort term to long term symptoms with a few raresymptoms as well. Although, for some women, it canstart to feel that the short term symptoms are turninginto long term ones! Approximately 80% of women willsuffer from symptoms, to differing degrees, with theremaining 20% literally breezing through wonderingwhat all the fuss is about! Declining levels of oestrogenis the main reason for all your symptoms, with othercontributory factors playing their roles in how you notonly experience these symptoms and then how youcope with them.

There are many physical symptoms, the classic onesbeing those hot flushes and night sweats and changes inyour menstrual cycle. Fairly common ones are jointaches, fine motor skills being affected, weight gain andbloating. Insomnia can be a very debilitating symptomfor many women, with sleep being interrupted by nightsweats and nocturia, in addition to anxiety and stressplaying their roles.

The psychological and emotional symptoms areextremely common but, as with any mental healthissue, are the ones which rarely come up inconversation. When doing talks, you can visibly see therelief pass over women’s faces when they realise they’renot the only ones experiencing these symptoms. Classicsymptoms include anxiety, stress, lack ofconcentration, low mood swings and poor memory.

Then there are the genitourinary symptoms. Whenoestrogen levels start to decline it affects the tissues ofthe vagina, the vulva area, urethra and bladder whichbecome thinner and less elastic. Women can experienceirritation, dryness and soreness and added to that, youmight be experiencing urinary frequency, urgency andleakage. Lower levels of oestrogen can also change theacidity, the ph, ofthe vaginalsecretions, whichcan make youmore prone toinfections likethrush or urinary



tract infections. What a minefield! Sadly, as with thepsychological/emotional symptoms, these are some ofthe most under-treated and under-reported symptoms.

So how do you cope with all these symptoms? Firstly,as with any health issue, it is incredibly important tohave a really good look at your lifestyle choices. Whatyou eat, what you drink and how much you exerciseplays a huge role in not only how you experiencesymptoms, but how you then cope with them.

Eating a really nutritious diet packed with nutrients,hydrating consistently throughout the day and takingsmall regular amounts of exercise are all veryimportant. Watching how much caffeine and alcoholyou consume on a daily basis makes a markeddifference to symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, stress,urinary frequency, and hot flushes amongst others.Incorporating into your diet plenty of calcium,magnesium and vitamin D for healthy joints and bones,accompanied by doing a variety of exercise includingweight bearing and resistance, is essential.

Other ways to cope with symptoms:l Hormone Replacement therapy (HRT) – the

benefits outway the risks, but please read factsheets written by clinicians who work within thefield of menopause day in day out (seesignposting) and not sensationalistic headlines!

l Non-hormonal medications – some women can’ttake HRT or choose not to, these medications tendto treat just one or two symptoms, whereas HRTtreats a whole ‘umbrella’ of symptoms

l Alternative remedies – herbs and supplements –always seek advice from a medical herbalist ratherthan self medicating as they all have side effectsand will interact with other medication you mightbe on.

l Alternative therapies – you and your body willbenefit enormously from looking into thesewhether it’s reflexology, massage, acupuncture,the list is endless. They will all help you to copewith your symptoms and help to reduce stresslevels.

l One very valuable non-medical approach to lookinto is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which worksby changing the way you think and behave. Taking

a bio-psycho-social approach, it involves stressmanagement, practical problem solving, helpingto understand and address negative emotionsand relaxation exercises.

And don’t forget that all essential R&R – a fewmoments every day.

For further information on any specific symptomhave a look at the websites below and

remember you are not alone. One of the best ways tocope is to simply talk. Chat with your friends andfamily, let them understand how you are feeling andfind out how they are feeling – good luck!

A short postscript…I originally wrote this article prior to Covid and lockdown.Limited access to HCPs and usual areas of support hasresulted in many women feeling isolated, which for somehas exacerbated certain symptoms like anxiety and stress. Ithas been an extremely hard time for many people to getthrough regardless of their circumstances. I was delighted tobe able to run on-line awareness sessions for manyorganisations throughout lockdown and continue to do so –just getting some information on board, information youcan trust makes such a difference. Please do not hesitate toget in touch with your GP/practice nurse if you are worriedabout anything, that is what they are there for andremember those lifestyle choices. e websites below aregreat sources of information if you are struggling.

Essential signposting:www.daisynetwork.orgwww.eveappeal.org.ukwww.endometriosis.uk.orgwww.letstalkmenopause.co.uk | @menopause_talk|‘Men…Let’s Talk Menopause’: Bookwww.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG23www.squeezyapp.co.ukwww.thebms.org.ukwww.womens-health-concern.org.ukManaging Hot Flushes and Night Sweats: A

Cognitive behavioural self-help guide to themenopause by Professor Myra Hunter and Dr MelanieSmith.


Standing up for public servicesand those who deliver themUNISON is the public services union and the largest trade union in Scotland. We are proud to represent our members across local government, health, community and voluntary sector, utilities, the emergency services, housing, higher and further education, and other areas like Skills Development Scotland, children’s reporter and regulation of care. This gives us an unparalleled view of Scotland’s public services -

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Greetings to all delegates at the 123rd annual STUC Congress


| 17

STUC Union Rep Awards

The STUC is pleased to be presenting four Union RepAwards at Congress: the Helen Dowie Award forLifelong Learning, the Frank Maguire Award for Healthand Safety, the Organising Award, and the EqualityAward, in recognition of the remarkable work andcommitment of the recipients on behalf of their fellowworkers and the wider Trade Union Movement.

The STUC welcomes the support of ThompsonsSolicitors in its continued sponsorship of the FrankMaguire Award for Health and Safety and the STUCOrganising Award; The Open University in Scotland forsponsorship of the Helen Dowie Award for LifelongLearning; and Skills Development Scotland forsponsorship of the STUC Equality Award.

STUC HELEN DOWIE AWARD FOR LIFELONGLEARNINGThe recipient of the 2020 STUC Helen Dowie Award forLifelong Learning is Shenaz Boyce, Unite the Union,who works in security at Glasgow Airport.

This year’s Award is again sponsored by The OpenUniversity in Scotland.

Shenaz is both a workplace rep and a Union LearningRep and has been instrumental in launching theworkplace learning initiative within Glasgow Airport.She was also involved in the establishment of a learningagreement between the employer and union.

Working alongside the Union Learning Organiser,Shenaz facilitated an organisation-wide learning needsanalysis, using the data from this to create a learningprogramme available to all employees of GlasgowAirport. Making a compelling case for the day-to-dayorganisational benefits of some of the courses, such asBritish Sign Language and Autism Awareness, Shenazwas able to secure paid release for attendees. Theimpact of these courses was demonstrated insubsequent interactions with airport users thatbenefited both employees and customers, giving them amore inclusive and accessible experience.

In bringing the trade union learning agenda intoGlasgow Airport, Shenaz had to work around hurdlessuch as staff shift patterns; the impact of peak holidaytimes; public safety requirements and ongoingindustrial disputes. In spite of this, her enthusiasm andcommitment kept the learning programme going as shewent above and beyond to meet the expectations ofunion members.

STUC FRANK MAGUIRE AWARD FORHEALTH AND SAFETYThis Award is sponsored by Thompsons Solicitors.

The recipient of the 2020 STUC Frank MaguireAward for Health and Safety is Paul Mooney, Unite theUnion.

Paul has been Convenor and lead rep on many majorconstruction projects in Scotland and has beenprominent in the Trade Union Movement for manyyears, holding senior positions in the predecessorunion UCATT. He was one of the first Union LearningCo-ordinators to deliver ESOL courses for migrantworkers in the construction industry. His work hasranged from occupational health in relation toasbestos and workplace dusts through to mental healthawareness work. The latter included producing a videowith Scottish Healthy Working Lives while on the NewSouthern General hospital project to support workerson site and begin the conversations, often difficult,around stress in the workplace. The methodology usedwas a survey where workers were asked to expresstheir feelings about the workplace, based on whatsupport could be provided. It is hoped that thisinitiative will be repeated so that an accurate picture ofthe occupational health on site can be examined, andimprovements can be made where necessary.

Due to his work he has shown private sectorcompanies the benefits of working with, rather thanagainst trade unions, in one of the hardest to organiseindustrial sectors.

Paul Mooney



STUC EQUALITY AWARDThe recipient of the 2020 STUC Equality Award is KateSang, University and College Union (UCU). Kate is UCUEquality Rep at Heriot Watt University and Professor ofGender and Employment Studies at EdinburghBusiness School. This year's Award is again sponsoredby Skills Development Scotland.

Kate’s tireless commitment to equity and equalityhas had a major impact on her own workplace, herunion and other workforces. She has been particularlyeffective in advocating for disability awareness andinclusivity and has written prolifically with anintersectional approach to explore the experiences ofdisabled women.

Kate sits on various equality-focused cross-partyworking groups within the Scottish Government andWestminster. She is also developing training for UCUreps to improve representation and inclusion withinthe University, and her work has seen disabilityawareness improving in the Scottish Universities andUCU Branches she is involved with.

There is substantial and growing evidence that Kate’sefforts are challenging the organisational culture in herworkplace to benefit disabled colleagues, and at aGovernment level to inform and influence at policylevel.

STUC ORGANISING AWARDThis Award is sponsored by Thompsons Solicitors. The recipient of the 2020 STUC Organising Award is theUnite Branch at Glasgow University.

The Branch organised the formation of the CleanersCommittee as a collectivised group of workers whocame together within Unite to lead a dispute, whichresulted in multiple gains for hundreds of cleaningworkers employed across the campus.The cleaners were an under-represented group withinthe Branch and they built a campaign and formed theCleaners Committee, and were identified as the leadersamongst their peers.

In promoting the Unite survey, all involved usedtheir own time and contacts to maximise the surveyresponses. They took ownership of the survey and tookon the role of mapping their workplaces.

A petition was launched and the CleanersCommittee were committed to gathering signatures insupport of the campaign’s aims. They successfully gotover 200 cleaners to support the campaign.

Low paid, part time (many with second jobs) andpredominantly female workers, have organised aroundissues and won significant gains for their membershipand wider workforce. They continue to embrace thecollectivism of trade unionism and have shown realleadership against a management who disregardedmany of their concerns.

Members of Unite Branch, Glasgow University

Kate Sang


Public and Commercial Services Union | pcs.org.uk

Mark SerwotkaGeneral Secretary

Fran HeathcoteNational President

Cat BoydActing National

PCS sends solidarity greetings to all delegates attending the 123rd Annual Congress of the STUC

Organising for workers’ power Justice for Colombia would like to

thank the STUC and Scottish trade unionists for their unwavering support

and solidarity with trade unionism, human rights and peace in Colombia!

A�iliate your branch today.www.justiceforcolombia.org

locoorf.justicewww

gombia.or

CWU wishes all delegates at STUC 2020 a successful and enjoyable Congress.

Craig AndersonRegional Secretary Scotland

Pauline RourkeRegional Chair Scotland


CAMPAIGNING FOR PUBLIC

OWNERSHIP OF SCOTRAILwww.rmt.org.uk

General Secretary: Mick Cash President: Michelle Rodgers

CAMP

A AMPPAIGNING

AIGNING

AIGNING

OWNERSHIP OF

FOR PUBLIC

OWNERSHIP OF

FOR PUBLIC

OWNERSHIP OF

FOR PUBLIC

OWNERSHIP OF

FOR PUBLIC

Mick Cash President:y:General Secretar

SCOTRAIL Mick Cash President:

.rmt.orgwww

SCOTRAIL.uk.rmt.org

SCOTRAIL Michelle Rodger President: President: Michelle Rodgers

Michelle Rodgers


Report ofGeneral Council

to Annual Congress

2020

Jackson Cullinane, Unite the UnionSTUC President


22 |

GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2020

Introduction

By Rozanne Foyer, General Secretary

I am deeply honoured to be introducing the STUCGeneral Council’s Report to you as the first woman in our123-year history to hold the position of STUC GeneralSecretary. It should always be remembered however, thatwhen the STUC was established in 1897, its first Secretarywas a woman called Margaret Irwin and I stand on theshoulders of so many strong women who made animmeasurable contribution to the Trade UnionMovement over the generations. I see it as my job goingforward to do them all proud.

It is not an overstatement to say that the reportingperiod between the April 2019 Congress and thisrescheduled 2020 Congress, particularly in recentmonths, has been a period of unparalleled upheaval, crisismanagement and fast paced change for both the STUCand wider society as we have all faced up to the challengesof the COVID-19 pandemic.

e need for workers to seek the protection of a tradeunion has never been more relevant and the GeneralCouncil has ensured that the STUC has been front andcentre in defending working people at this crucial time.We have been in regular contact with both Scottish andUK Governments to raise our members concerns and wehave campaigned hard to encourage workers to cometogether as a collective in their workplaces and join aunion to ensure their rights are protected. Our aim hasbeen to increase trade union visibility, relevance andinfluence across Scotland and to support our affiliates togrow and win for their members.

We have been fighting hard as a Movement to addressimmediate concerns like our members safety at work,defended attacks on pay and conditions and mostimportantly highlighted the huge number of jobs that arethreatened and the need for urgent Governmentintervention.

But we are also fighting hard for a better future for ourkids, for a fairer more equal economy, greener industry,more high quality jobs, investment in public services andsignificant state intervention to build a Scotland fit for our

people. at is why we have launched e People’sRecovery – because we need a new track for Scotland’seconomy. e vision and actions set out in that documentare the key themes we will be pressing political parties foraction on in the run up to the Scottish Parliamentelections.

roughout this period effective governance andmanagement of the organisation has been key tomaintaining a high quality delivery of service to ouraffiliates at a crucial time. e General Council hasoverseen the appointment of a new senior team under theleadership of a new General Secretary; reviewed andundertaken a realignment of its staffing structures; andput in place the arrangements that will enable it to moveto a new, purpose built trade union centre that willsupport our work as a growing, modern and relevantMovement.

e impact of COVID-19 has also led to significantorganisational challenges such as the need to rapidlymove all our operations to a homeworking model inMarch 2020; to postpone all of our physical 2020Conferences and move Congress itself to a digital format,in addition to moving all of our Committee meetings andGeneral Council meetings to digital platforms. However,despite the challenges presented, the whole STUC teamhave proven to be highly committed, agile, and adaptableand have more than stepped up to the multiple changespresented. It has been a privilege to work alongside them.

I also want to take the opportunity here to pay tributeto my predecessor Grahame Smith, our former GeneralSecretary, and to thank him for a lifetime of outstandingservice to our Movement and for the work he hasundertaken to put the STUC on a firm financial footing,for his vision of moving us to a modern trade unioncentre, for his work to ensure that the STUC has become aformidable lobbying machine with both Scottish and UKGovernments, his development of the Fair Work agendaand also for his support and mentorship to me personallyand to many other young trade union activists who passedthrough the STUC Youth Committee when he served asits Secretary.



Having worked with the past three General Secretariesover the past 25 years, I know that great things can beachieved for working people in Scotland by the STUC andour Movement when we work together. I also know thatwe can rise once again to that challenge in these mostdifficult of times.


24 |

SECTION ONE

An Effective Organisation

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND OPERATINGPLANIt has been the practice of the General Council to set theSTUC's Strategic Objectives for the period of a ScottishParliamentary term. e Strategic Objectives set out, at ahigh level, outline how the STUC will fulfil its Statementof Purpose as prescribed in the Constitution.

e Strategic Objectives set by the General Council for2017–21 are:

1. Union Promotion and Engagemente STUC will work to support increased trade unionmembership and effective trade union representation inall sectors of employment.

e STUC will encourage and support effective co-operation between its affiliates, with UK trade unioncentres, and with appropriate European and internationaltrade union organisations.

e STUC will assist its affiliated members in fulfillingtheir objectives by supporting them in building theircapacity, capability and the union offer to current andfuture union members.

2. Campaigning and Communicatinge STUC will be an effective campaigning organisation,advancing the interests of its affiliated members by:

l sustaining and developing effective relationshipswith Government and its agencies, Parliament andthe Civil Service at Scottish, UK and EuropeanUnion levels;

l establishing, developing and sustaining effectiverelationships with the other social partnerorganisations within Scotland, the UK and theEuropean Union, and with key groups and networkswithin Scotland and internationally; and

l developing and sustaining an effective public profile,effective media relations with Scottish, UK andinternational media outlets, and an effective socialmedia presence.

3. Policy Developmente STUC will develop policy, driven by a commitment toeconomic and social equity, the credibility of which willcome from the experience of trade union members in theworkplace and community and its sound evidence base.

4. Fair Work and Equalitye STUC will promote fair work and equality for all andthe elimination of all forms of harassment, prejudice andunfair discrimination, both within its own structures andthrough all its activities.

5. Effective Organisatione STUC will employ effective governance arrangementsand optimise its operational effectiveness in fulfilling itsobjectives and activities.

2019–2020 OPERATING PLAN ANDCONGRESS 2021 AND 2022In line with these Strategic Objectives, and in the contextof the Decisions of the 2019 Congress and the prevailingeconomic, political and union environment, the GeneralCouncil held a planning session in June 2019 and agreedthat its priorities for the period ahead would beRebuilding Class Politics and Tackling Inequality. AnOperating Plan was then constructed around thesepriorities setting out key policy development goals andcampaigning actions through till June 2020.

is would be achieved through:l Driving the roll out of Fair Work Principles and

promoting the extension of collective bargaining.l Supporting the renewal of local democracy and

communities, adequate funding for Councils andsupport for the foundational economy.

l A focus on the public finances, the expanded use ofdevolved tax powers within a progressive andredistributive tax system.

l Influencing economic development/industrialpolicy, with a focus on key sectors, and the changingnature of work/automation, underpinned byprinciples of Fair Work and equality.



l A sector and spatially focused research programmethat draws on the experience of all workers.

l e implementation of new arrangements tosupport the STUC’s Equality Committees and tomore effectively implement equalitiesmainstreaming across the STUC.

l A range of public campaigning activities/eventswith a strong equality dimension.

l A range of specific activities to support unionorganising activity and industrial campaigns,including the Organising Group and Network andthe management of the Union Modernisation Fund.

l Supporting the Better than Zero campaign andinitiatives to organise precarious workers.

l e development andimplementation of a media andcommunications strategy thataims to raise the profile of theSTUC and affiliates in bothtraditional, mainstream andnew media.

l Union led learning activitiesthat contribute to collectiveprosperity, fairness andequality.

Despite the fact that due to COVID-19 the 2020Congress in April had to be postponed, the GeneralCouncil still held a planning session in June 2020 todetermine its immediate priorities in response to thepandemic and specifically focussed on the need toprioritise the safety of working people and their families,protect jobs and rebuild a fairer more equal economy. eGeneral Council Special Statement that we havecirculated for debate and amendment at our rescheduledone day digital Congress in November 2020 reflects thepriorities agreed by the General Council and theOperating Plan it has developed to take the STUCforward into 2021.

It is currently planned that the 2021 Congress will goahead in April 2021, as a motions based event, despite thefact that it too may have to be run on a digital platformrather than being a physical event, if it still remains unsafefor a physical Congress to proceed. Following on from thisCongress, a full planning and strategy session will takeplace in June 2021 to review the STUC’s strategic prioritiesfor the next 5 years and to agree the policy andcampaigning priorities for 2021–2022 that will form thebasis of the STUC’s Operating Plan for that period.

e General Council has agreed that should it go aheadin a physical venue, the 2021 Congress should be held atthe Caird Hall in Dundee, with the 2022 Congressproposed to be held in Perth at the Perth Concert Hall.

STAFFING MATTERSere has been a significant turnover of key staff duringthis reporting period with numerous posts being replaceddue to a range of retirements and resignations, not leastGrahame Smith, our former General Secretary, whoretired aer giving 34 years of outstanding service to theorganisation. He was replaced by Rozanne Foyer whojoined the team in March 2020 and is the first woman tohold the role of STUC General Secretary.

Others who have moved on during this period includeLiz Ferguson, Secretary to the General Secretary; EleanorAdam, SUL Highlands and Islands Project Officer; PollyJones, Policy Officer; Sarah Collins, Policy Officer; Yvonne

Stewart, AssistantGeneral SecretaryOperations & Equality;Helen Martin, DeputyGeneral Secretary forPolicy, Political Liaison& Equalities; and ClairePeden, Better than Zeroand Young Workers’Project.

e General Councilwould like to thank allof those who havemoved on for theirservice to the STUCduring their time withus.

General Council

General Council Virtual Meeting



In addition to our new General Secretary,appointments during this period have included JamesFoley, Campaigns & Communications Officer; TamWilson, Better than Zero and Young Workers’ Project;Sherene Nelson Cruddas, Secretary to the GeneralSecretary/Executive Assistant; Sarah Wiktorski, Directorof Operations; Eireann McAuley, Equalities PolicyOfficer; and Linda Somerville, Deputy General Secretaryfor Policy, Political Liaison & Equalities.

Working in consultation with the whole staff team andin partnership with the staff union GMB, the incomingGeneral Secretary led a review of the staffing structureimplemented in 2017. As a result of this it was agreed tocreate 3 new posts of Equalities Policy Officer, Director ofOperations, and Deputy General Secretary for Policy,Political Liaison & Equalities. ese posts replaced theprevious posts of Assistant General Secretary for Policy &Political Liaison, Assistant General Secretary forOperations & Equality, and Policy Officer. e existingDeputy General Secretary post was also reconfigured tobecome Deputy General Secretary for Organising,Communications & Campaigns. ere was also arealignment of teams and reporting lines in order to tryand ensure the structures could be more effective indelivering on the STUC’s priorities. is new structurewas implemented from 1st July 2020.

Please see on the opposite page the Organisation Chartfor the new staffing structure.

A staff training and development programme is alsobeing taken forward focusing on identified staff needsand strategic priorities. By Congress 2021 training willhave been undertaken on a range of people managementtopics, on project management, on media, on digitalplatforms, on equalities awareness and on mental healthawareness.

e review of internal staffingpolicies continues to ensure that theSTUC remains a best practiceemployer and following negotiationswith the GMB staff union the STUChas implemented a newcomprehensive leave policy, a newtemporary responsibility policy andis working on a home workingpolicy, a social media policy andnew TOIL policy. Talks are alsounderway to implement a JobEvaluation process covering all staff.

A new automated personneladministration system linked to ourpayroll is also currently beingestablished to ensure that all staffcan more easily access STUC staffpolicies, procedures, and their ownpersonnel information such as

recorded absence. is aim is to streamlineadministration systems, promote best practice, supportline management consistency and ensure all staff haveeasy access to the information they require as employees.

It should be noted that during this reporting period anEmployment Tribunal claim against the STUC by aformer employee for unfair dismissal and victimisationwas successful. e General Council has taken time toreflect on the outcome of this case and as a result it hasimplemented a range of measures that aim to ensure theprocedural discrepancies highlighted for the STUC, as anemployer, will not be repeated in future.

MOVE TO NEW SCOTTISH TRADES UNIONCENTRE2020 was the year the STUC should have been moving to anew, purpose built, headquarters in Glasgow’s Bridgetonarea. As previously reported the General Council hadaccepted an offer on their old building at 333 WoodlandsRoad and with the support of Clyde Gateway and theScottish Government had commissioned a new TradeUnion Centre due forcompletion in July2020.

As the sale of theold building hadoriginally beenscheduled for the firstquarter of 2020, theSTUC vacated thebuilding in Februaryand moved totemporary office

Roz on site at Landressy Street

New STUC CentreCredit: Keppie Design Ltd



Rozanne Foyer

General S

ecretary

Wendy B

urton

SUL D

irector

Dave M

oxham

Deputy G

eneral Secretary

Organising, C

om

municatio

ns

& C

ampaigns

Sarah W

iktorski

Directo

r of O

perations

Ann G

arscadden, Operations M

anager

Craig Finnie, D

evelopment O

fficer(H

ighlands & Islands)

Tommy Breslin, D

evelopment O

fficer

Catherine G

arvie, Developm

entOfficer

John Slaven, Developm

ent Officer

Patricia Gallagher, Funding &

PolicyOfficer

Euan McLaren, Project O

fficer

Catherine M

acdonald, Adm

in &Funding A

ssistant

Karina Liptrot, A

dmin &

Com

munications A

ssistant

Kirsten M

cTighe, A

dmin &

Com

munications A

ssistant

Fiona Corm

ack, Adm

in & Funding

Assistant (H

ighlands & Islands)

Francis Stuart, Policy Officer

Eireann McA

uley, Equalities Policy O

fficer

Pauline Walker, Events &

EqualitiesCo-ordinator

Shona Scott, Policy & Equality

Assistant

Helen C

arson, Policy & Equality

Assistant L

inda Som

erville

Deputy G

eneral Secretary

Policy, Po

litical Liaiso

n &

Equalities

Rachel T

homson, C

ampaigns &

Com

munications O

fficer

Cailean G

allagher, Cam

paigns &Com

munications O

fficer

James Foley, C

ampaigns &

Com

munications O

fficer

Terry Anderson, C

ommunity &

Union

Developm

ent Officer

Tam W

ilson, Project Adm

inistrator,Young W

orkers' Project/Better thanZero

Eileen Caw

ley,Adm

inistrator/Developm

ent Worker,

Scottish Pensioners' Forum

Sherene Nelson-C

ruddas, Secretary toGeneral Secretary/Executive A

ssistant

Suzanne Eden, IT Assistant

Julie McIntosh, Equality &

FacilitiesAssistant

Louise Ireland, Central O

ffice Assistant

Tariq Akhtar, Finance M

anager

Graham

Westw

ater, Finance Assistant

Sen Man M

cLean, FInance Assistant

Facilities & Janitorial staff



accommodation at the Red Tree Business Centre inRutherglen.

Due to the impact of COVID-19 however, both the saleof the old building and the completion of the newbuilding have been delayed, although all parties involvedremain fully committed to completing the transactionsand have renegotiated adapted arrangements. is meansthat construction of the new STUC Centre is now notexpected to be completed until December 2020 at thesoonest and with a new agreement in place that ensuresthe sale of the old building will be completed by May 2021at the latest, however a significant upfront deposit on thebuilding has also been agreed to enable the STUC to goahead with the purchase of their new building.

A staff project team has been established and it isplanned that the STUC will vacate its temporaryaccommodation and move into the new Scottish TradeUnion Centre in February 2021. It should be notedhowever that the STUC’s operations are homebased atthis stage and will remain so until a return to office workfor non-essential workers is considered by the GeneralCouncil to be safe. Once we have got through the currentsituation with COVID-19, the STUC very much looksforward to welcoming affiliates, Trades Union Councilsand other campaigning groups into what will be a state ofthe art conference and training venue, supportingcollective struggle and operating at the very heart of ourMovement here in Scotland.

STUC ANNUAL AFFILIATION FEEe 2015 Congress passed a resolution to amend theConstitution to give the General Council theresponsibility to set the percentage figure upon which theannual affiliation fee is set. e Constitution also enablesthe General Council to recommend an additionalaffiliation fee to be levied, over and above the annual fee,which requires to be agreed by the Annual Congress.

e General Council agreed to set the percentagefigure for 2020 at 47.5%. e application of the formulausing this percentage figure established an affiliation feefor 2020 of £1.61 per member.

2016 TUC AGREEMENT AND ADDITIONALFUNDING LEVYIn April 2016, following lengthy discussions with affiliatesand the TUC, agreement was reached on the balance offunding to be allocated by union affiliates between theSTUC and TUC. Under the terms of the agreement:

l there has been an ‘effective transfer’ of resourcesfrom the TUC to the STUC equivalent to theamount of £200k per annum;

l in 2016, the TUC transferred £50k to the STUC bycash transfer;

l in 2017, the STUC amended its affiliation fee togenerate an additional £150k and the TUC reduced

its fees paid by affiliates by £150k;l in 2018, the STUC amended its affiliation fee to

generate an additional £200k and the TUC reducedits fees paid by affiliates by £200k;

l taken as a whole, the STUC’s income increased by£50k in 2016; £150k in 2017; and £200k in 2018 andeach year thereaer until 2021; and

l there will be a review of ‘the effective transfer ofresources from the TUC to the STUC’ aer 5 years(aer 2021).

In order to generate the additional £200k for 2020, theGeneral Council agreed to set the percentage figure asnormal at 47.5% and generate the additional £200kthrough the use of the levy provision in the STUCConstitution.

Based on a confirmed membership of 544,553 for 2020,the General Council has agreed to recommend to the2020 Congress that an additional affiliation fee of £0.37pper member should be levied to generate the extra £200kas agreed with affiliates and the TUC. It should be notedthat, in setting its affiliation fee for 2020, the TUC tookinto account the agreement reached, and its income fromaffiliation fees for 2020 will reduce by £200k.

is was the same approach adopted in 2017, 2018 and2019 as it would guarantee that the full £200k would begenerated, since the levy would be based on actual 2020membership numbers, and that there would be additionaltransparency as the levy requires to be agreed byCongress. However since Congress was delayed due toCOVID-19 this year, the General Council agreed to writeto affiliates in May asking them to pay the levy voluntarilyin advance of the re-arranged November Congress as towait until aer would have created potential cash flowrisks to the STUC.

Congress is invited to approve the General Council’srecommendation.

STUC PENSION SCHEMEe General Council remains committed to providing adefined benefits Pension Scheme for STUC employeesand will continue to review options for future pensionarrangements with staff and the recognised trade union.

General Council members, Denise Christie andSatnam Ner, continue to serve as Employer NominatedTrustees (ENT), and Satnam as the Chair of the Board ofTrustees.

Pauline Walker and Liz Ferguson have resigned fromthe Board as Member Nominated Trustees. TommyBreslin continues to serve as a Member NominatedTrustee and new Trustees are currently being identified.

Grahame Smith, former General Secretary, steppeddown and has been replaced by Rozanne Foyer, GeneralSecretary, as an ex officio Trustee.



Yvonne Stewart has stepped down as Secretary to theBoard of Trustees and has been replaced by the newDirector of Operations, Sarah Wiktorski.

Mercers continue to provide actuarial services to theScheme; the Scheme continues to be administered byRoyal London; and Anderson Strathern continues toprovide legal services to the Board of Trustees.

e Board of Trustees has put in place a range ofmeasures to enhance Scheme governance: a PensionScheme Risk Register; GDPR Policy, Privacy Notice andSubject Access Request Forms; a Conflicts of InterestPolicy and form; and a Schedule of Annual Events. eemployer covenant has also been reviewed and ratified bythe General Council in 2020.

e Scheme Trustees continue to hold StandardSecurity over the STUC Centre to the value of £1.026m.e Trustees have continued to liaise with the GeneralCouncil over the implications for the Standard Securityheld by the Trustees to cover a proportion of the Schemedeficit of the sale of the STUC Centre and the relocationof the STUC to a new property. e Trustees havecommissioned the necessary legal advice and have put inplace arrangements to ensure that it continues to hold anappropriate Standard Security following the sale and thepurchase of new property.

e triennial actuarial valuation as at 31 December2018, undertaken by Mercers, reported in 2019 that theassets of the Scheme were in good order and that thepayment plan set up in 2017 for the STUC was on track toeliminate the Scheme’s deficit. e General Councilcontinues to make annual contributions of £150k to meetthe Scheme deficit over a 30 year Recovery Plan period.e Scheme’s next asset valuation is due to be undertakenon 31st December 2021. e impact of COVID-19 hasbeen noted as a risk, but it remains to be seen whatimpact this will have on the Scheme’s future valuation.e General Council continues to liaise with the Trusteesin preparation for any action required in response to theoutcome of the valuation.

EXTERNAL AND PUBLIC APPOINTMENTSTo support the creation of a voluntary Register ofInterests and strategic consideration of the STUC’srelationship with external bodies, the General Councilhas undertaken an initial exercise to map currentappointments. e General Council has agreed thatdetails of these appointments will be published in theGeneral Council Report to Congress and on the STUCwebsite. is can be found in an Appendix to this Report.

e General Council has maintained a dialogue withScottish Government Ministers and officials over howtrade union candidates can be encouraged to comeforward for selection to public bodies.

e General Council continued to circulate advanceschedules and notices of forthcoming public

appointments to affiliates, by arrangement with theScottish Government.

At the time of reporting, the General Council isinvolved in dialogue with the First Minister and CabinetSecretary for Health, on the need for a trade union voiceon the Review body that has been appointed to write areport on adult social care, and make recommendations inJanuary 2021 for the establishment of a National CareService.

CLEARING HOUSE PROCEDUREe STUC Clearing House principles and proceduresexist to promote the development of trade unionismacross Scotland. ey aim to encourage increased co-operation, and minimise competition, in trade unionrecruitment and organising activities. In the year underreport, three applications were made and at the time ofreporting these are being processed.

DISPUTES PROCEDUREe General Council adjudicated in a dispute betweenGMB and Community in relation to the GEO Ameycontract. It found in favour of Community and GMB wasinstructed to undertake a number of actions tocompensate Community. At the time of reporting, theGeneral Council is facilitating informal discussionsbetween both unions on the same contract following afurther complaint received from Community.

TRADES UNION COUNCILSDuring the year under report, 20 Trades Union Councils(TUCs) continued to be affiliated to the STUC.

e Secretariat liaised with Falkirk TUC to agree arelaunch meeting which was addressed by the DeputyGeneral Secretary on 18th November 2019. ere werealso preliminary discussions with affiliates with respect toInverclyde TUC, though these have not yet resulted in arelaunch event.

e Trades Union Councils Conference scheduled forDecember 2019 was postponed due to the GeneralElection. At the time of reporting, a new date inDecember 2020 is being canvassed. A special TradesUnion Councils fringe meeting was held at Congress2019.

e General Council was in the process of organising aone-day Conference in Glasgow, featuring the anti-austerity and campaigning work undertaken by TradesUnion Councils during the year, but this had to becancelled due to the outbreak of the pandemic.

e General Council worked closely with Fife TUC inthe organisation of the Fife is Ready for RenewalCampaign and the demonstration held in September2019, as well as a lobby of the EDF office in Edinburgh inJune 2019.



A joint campaign was launched with Dumfries TUCwith the aim of increasing support for the Safe PassageCampaign.

Over the past year, Trades Union Councils havecontinued a range of activities which are reported in theCampaigns and Support for Organising Section of thisReport.

ese have included:l Organisation of annual May Day 2019 activities in

Aberdeen, Ayrshire, Dumfries, Dundee, Edinburgh,Fife, Glasgow and Inverness.

l A wide range of activities were also organised tomark International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28thApril 2019, which are covered elsewhere in thisReport.

l Campaigning against local budget cuts, includingdelegations and demonstrations.

l Support for industrial action undertaken byaffiliates.

l A range of anti-racism activities.l Support for schools’ climate strikers including major

events in Edinburgh and Glasgow.Most International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD)

and May Day 2020 events were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the STUC supported thedelivery of virtual events for IWMD 2020 and GlasgowMay Day 2020 as detailed in the Campaigns and Supportfor Organising Section of this Report.

COUNCIL OF THE ISLES AND WOMEN’SCOUNCIL OF THE ISLESe Women’s Council of the Isles was hosted by the TradesUnion Congress in London on Tuesday 5th andWednesday 6th November 2019.

e STUC Women’s Committee was represented byJoyce Stevenson (Chair of the STUC Women’sCommittee/CWU); Davena Rankin (UNISON); FionaSteele (Aegis); and Mandie Walton (RMT).

ICTUNI, ICTU, Wales TUC and the TUC were wellrepresented with over 40 delegates in attendance.

e meeting was opened with a welcoming messagefrom Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, TUC, whospoke about the upcoming General Election, the GlasgowWomen’s Equal Pay Strike, Abortion Rights in Ireland andRenationalisation of Rail, Water, Electricity and the NHS.e meeting was also addressed by a number of guestspeakers.

e TUC spoke to its report about their recent visit toPalestine.

e ICTUNI spoke to its report “A Year of Activism:e Struggle for Women's Rights – Challenge, Changeand Celebration”.

e Wales TUC spoke to its report about combattingthe far-right.

e STUC spoke to its report “Women’s Leadership inthe Trade Union Movement”. A video clip was also shownof the strikers’ march in Glasgow.

e ICTU spoke to its presentation entitled: “Enough isEnough: Ending Sexual Harassment in the World ofWork”.

e 2020 Women’s Council of the Isles meeting was dueto be hosted by the STUC Women’s Committee inGlasgow on ursday 1st and Friday 2nd October.However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event waspostponed and will be rescheduled to take place in 2021.

e STUC was scheduled to host the 19th Council ofthe Isles in Glasgow on ursday 14th and Friday 15thMay 2020, but due to COVID-19 restrictions it was movedto a virtual one-day event and held on 28th May 2020,Chaired by the STUC President and Vice-President. eagenda and contributions were understandably shaped byCOVID-19 and the challenges this has brought for the UKand Irish Trade Union Movements.

e STUC spoke to its report on economic recoveryand renewal following the pandemic and the jointstatement by the Scottish Government and STUC on FairWork through the crisis.

e ICTU presented their comprehensive economicrecovery plan for ROI, with demands on socialprotections, housing, effective worker voice, health,education, poverty and childcare. A paper on a roadmapfor safely re-opening the economy in NI post-COVID-19was discussed, along with guidance for employers andworkplace reps.

e Wales TUC spoke to its report on their potentialpriority policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis and itsequality impact assessment. A joint paper with the CBImaking a series of demands on the Welsh Governmentaround sectorial guidance, PPE, testing and the JobRetention Scheme was also presented.

e TUC presented papers on safe return to workoutside the home, demands for a jobs guarantee schemeand the TUC view on economic recovery post COVID-19.

EXTERNALLY FUNDED ACTIVITYe General Council uses external funding from a rangeof sources to enable it to expand the range of services itoffers to affiliates.

e General Council is grateful to the ScottishGovernment for its continued support for Union Learningactivity. e Scottish Government has confirmed fundingfor Scottish Union Learning (SUL) for 2020/21. Inaddition, the General Council received funding from theScottish Government’s Fair Work Directorate for aLeadership and Equality Programme, and from theScottish Government’s Cyber Resilience Unit to continueto improve the cyber security skills of union reps andworkers. is funding is managed by SUL.



e General Council also received funding from theScottish Government for the Trade Union Fair Work andModernisation Fund, established to support activities byunions focused on fair work and organising. e ScottishGovernment confirmed the Government’s continuedcommitment to support the continuation of the Fund.

e General Council’s union/community organisingwork makes a significant contribution to the STUC’sstrategic objective on union promotion and engagement.e Support@Work element of this work was supportedby external funding from Edinburgh City Council and

NHS Lothian. e Unions into Schools Project, theactivities of which are covered in the Campaigns andSupport for Organising Section of this Report, receivedfunding from the Scottish Government.

e STUC continues to host the Scottish Pensioners’Forum’s Development Worker/Administrator.

e General Council wishes to place on record itsappreciation to ompsons Solicitors for its continuedprovision of funding to support its work on a range of civiljustice issues.


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SECTION TWO

Policy Development and Political Relations

THEGeneral Council has set Strategic Objectives to applybetween 2017/21. ese objectives, with the theme ofpromoting equality and fair work emphasised in each,are:

1. public services/public pay;2. the economy/key sectors; and3. the changing nature of the labour market

(including precarious work/gig economy and automation).

e role of policy development is to support thecampaigning and political influencing functions of theSTUC by developing a clear policy foundation thatfacilitates an evidence-based approach to the STUC’swork. In this respect the role of the research function iskey, as is the day to day work of preparing briefings andsupporting affiliates in developing positions, along withmaintaining relationships with Government, businessorganisations and civil society organisations.

1. PUBLIC SERVICES / PUBLIC PAYe General Council’s work in this area across 2019/20follows on from the successful public sector paycampaign, and recognises that affiliates have agreed multi-year pay deals, where the issue of restorative pay will betaken forward. e focus of the General Council for2019/20 was therefore the proper resourcing of publicservices while making the case for an effective publicownership strategy.

In this respect policy development work focused on thefollowing key areas:

l e Scottish Budgetl Public Ownership, with a particular focus on energy

and transportl Making the case for a publicly owned infrastructure

companyl TaxKey achievements in these areas include influencing the

Scottish Government to use the break clause in theScotRail Abellio contract, and gaining the commitmentthat a public sector bid for the ScotRail franchise will bebrought forward in March 2022.

In order to widen the focus on the tax debate inScotland and to support wider narratives on localism andthe re-democratisation of local tax policy, the STUCsupported IPPR Scotland to undertake the research:‘inking Bigger on Tax in Scotland’. is thought piecewas published in October 2019 and explored theadditional options for raising tax at a local level and howthese could be exploited to raise additional revenue forlocal services or to promote behaviour change thatdisincentivises low pay business models. Optionsconsidered include a local inheritance tax, a low pay levyand Fair Work bonus; a Fair Work supplement on businessrates; local income tax assignation; and a local carbon tax.

e research was well received and the General Counciland IPPR Scotland will continue to promote the researchin the policy debate and seek opportunities to widen thetax base in Scotland.

2. THE ECONOMY / KEY SECTORSBuilding on the approach taken in previous years, theGeneral Council has sought to shape and influence keyinstitutions within the economy to promote the values ofthe Trade Union Movement. e Fair Work agenda alsoprovides an opportunity to push for trade union prioritieslike the expansion of collective bargaining coverage, theeradication of precarious work and the payment of theLiving Wage.

Key priorities with regard to Fair Work were:l Expanding collective bargaining coveragel Support sectorial bargaining in social care, childcare

and hospitalityl Embedding Fair Work in key economic agenciesl Driving Fair Work through procurement and

commissioningKey achievements in this area include embedding Fair

Work principles within the Act and establishing theScottish National Investment Bank. e Act now includesa Fair Work direction, consultation with trade unions onthe criteria for appointing Board positions, an AdvisoryCouncil which includes a dedicated Trade Union seat, anda requirement that all companies in receipt of funds from



the Scottish National Investment Bank pay the LivingWage. e inclusion of the Living Wage provision is animportant achievement and creates a significant precedentfor legislation in Scotland.

e General Council also secured funding from theScottish Government to conduct a mapping study oncollective bargaining coverage to support expansion inline with the National Performance Framework. e studyis being conducted by the Labour Research Departmentand will report by January 2021.

In addition to promoting Fair Work, the GeneralCouncil has focused on supporting the following keysectors:

l Energy and a Just Transitionl Constructionl Childcarel Education, including Further and Higher Educationl Skills PolicyKey pieces of work in this area include the Energy

Conference held by the General Council in November2019, which considered different models of publicownership and emphasised the importance of a nationallyowned grid as key to unlocking positive results for publicownership in other parts of the energy system.

e General Council also commissioned a piece ofresearch with Strathclyde University looking at Fair Workoutcomes in the construction industry. is research nowforms part of the Fair Work Convention’s enquiry intoFair Work and procurement.

A research piece ‘Investing our Pensions’ wascommissioned and completed. e purpose of theresearch was to allow the General Council to make policyrecommendations to Congress 2020 following a failure toagree a position at Congress 2018. e research outlines indetail the current context and provides a picture ofcurrent approaches, with the greatest focus being on thelocal government pensions schemes. It explores variousapproaches on investment and divestment with examplesbeyond the issue of climate change. It then explorespotential trade union strategies providing a range ofoptions. Although the pandemic has set back plans in

relation to this piece of work, it will still prove highlyuseful in the future.

e General Council also released update researchfrom our policy team on the Renewables Jobs Crisisi andcommissioned research from Transition Economics ongreen infrastructure investmentii. It also supportedaffiliates successfully with the nationalisation of FergusonMarine.

3. THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE LABOURMARKETe General Council has continued to make the caseagainst precarious work and has sought to shine a light onpoor working practices and support workers’ voices to beheard across a range of sectors. e General Council’swork in this area has focused on the following threeissues:

l e impact of precarious workl Automationl e protection of Workers Rights’ throughout the

Brexit process.Research was also undertaken to explore the changing

nature of the labour market from the perspective of theworker. is included research into precarious work,which explored the relationship between precarious workand inequality and looked at a range of sectors, includinghospitality, arts and culture, retail and logistics. e finalreport ‘Time Control Trust’ was published in October2019.iii

Research was also conducted into the Aberdeen andAberdeenshire economies which looked at how workersacross the region had been impacted by the 2008 crashand the oil price crash.

e General Council is also concerned about how theimmigration system is being reformed in the wake of theBrexit process. e General Council has worked closelywith the TUC and the ITUC to make the case for a fairsystem which supports long term and settled migration,facilitating migrant workers to organise and access theirrights.

As the transition period comes to an end the need tofocus on the defence of workers’ rights, trade union rightsand human rights is likely to grow.

Political EngagementA key element in promoting STUC policy and campaignobjectives were supported by a wide-ranging engagementwith Government and opposition parties at all levels.

Two meetings with the First Minister have been held aswell as meetings with Cabinet Secretaries and Ministersacross a wide breadth of policy portfolios. A full list ofthese meetings, as well as details of meetings with the UKGovernment and opposition parties, can be found athttp://www.stuc.org.uk/policy/meetings-with-government-and-parliament.

Energy Conference



e General Council maintains good relations with theleadership of all major opposition parties and backbenchMSPs across all parties with particular focus on theLabour Party and the Green Party.

In the Scottish Parliament, the General Council andaffiliates participated in meetings of the BackbenchLabour Trade Union Group, convened by Neil FindlayMSP.

e General Council and affiliates also participated inmeetings of the SNP Backbench Trade Union Group,convened by Tom Arthur MSP.

e General Council has also strengthened its relationswith the Scottish Green Party Trade Union Group.

e General Council has participated in a number ofCross Party Groups (CPG) in the Scottish Parliament,including: the CPG on Disability; the CPG on VisualImpairment; and the CPG on Race Equality. e GeneralCouncil met with Neil Findlay MSP in July 2019 to discussthe establishment of a Cross Party Group on Colombia.

During the year, the General Council held a number ofmeetings with Westminster politicians, including LesleyLaird MP, then Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland andwith Ian Blackford MP, Leader of the SNP at Westminster.

e General Council was represented on the ScottishBusiness Growth Group, co-Chaired by the Secretary ofState for Scotland and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance,Economy and Fair Work.

e General Council met with members of theEuropean Economic and Social Committee, in September2019, for a discussion on Brexit.

In September 2019, the General Council met withCOSLA to discuss the issue of resourcing for ScottishLocal Authorities in the context of the Scottish Budget.Resilience and planning around a no-deal Brexit andpromotion of Fair Work were also discussed.

A wide range of responses to Governmentconsultations were submitted.iv

COVID-19The STUC continues to work closely with affiliates toensure the issues that have arisen during the COVID-19crisis are properly addressed. An STUC COVID-19

Response Group was established to enable the STUC toengage with key affiliates, to support policy, politicalengagement and communications work and to ensurethe STUC is able to respond quickly to newdevelopments as they arise. This Group met twiceweekly in the early part of the crisis and continues tomeet weekly.

At the outset of the crisis, the STUC agreed a jointStatement with the Scottish Government on ‘Fair Workduring the COVID-19 Crisis.’v The Statement sets outthe high expectations that the STUC and ScottishGovernment have that Fair Work principles should beapplied during the crisis. It emphasises that Fair Workinvolves an approach where workers, trade unions andemployers work together constructively to reach theright decisions on all workplace issues. An updated FairWork Statement was then agreed as lockdown was easedand the economy began to restart. This Statement wassigned by the STUC, the Scottish Government, COSLA,SCVO, Institute of Directors and SCDI.

Following extensive discussions with affiliates, apaper on relaxing the lockdown was produced, whichsets out the STUC’s key principles on the measures thatrequire to be in place to achieve a safe ‘re-start’ of theeconomy. This has been used to engage with the Scottishand the UK Governments on their approach and tosupport workers to return safely to workplaces.

A key focus throughout the period was on health andsafety. Strategic engagement with both Government andemployers was undertaken to develop safety guidanceacross a range of economic sectors in Scotland inpreparation for sectors being brought out of lockdownin a phased manner.

The General Council has also been engaged withshaping the economic recovery. The outgoing GeneralSecretary was a member of the Advisory Group on theEconomic Recovery, which included recommendationson Fair Work and the need for a green recovery. TheGeneral Council continues to defend jobs and make thecase that Fair Work, sectoral bargaining and sectoralforums, and strategic public ownership should be core tothe economic recovery.


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wind turbines for the Neart na Goaithe development beawarded to BiFab yards in Methil and Burntisland.

e campaign was driven by the GMB and Unite unionsalong with the Fife Trades Union Council and received wide-spread political support. A major public meeting was held inMethil, a demonstration and rally in Dunfermline and a protestoutside the EDF offices in Edinburgh. e then CabinetSecretary was persuaded to hold two crisis summits.Campaigning continues around work for the BiFab yards inArnish, Burntisland and Methil, now focussing also on theSeagreen offshore contract owned by SSE.

SUPPORT FOR AFFILIATES’ INDUSTRIALACTIONe General Council provided support for affiliates takingindustrial action and action short of strike in a number ofdifferent areas. is included support for UCU and EIS inprotracted strike action in higher education with attendance atmany picket lines and speaking at rallies. Support for EIS actionin further education, action by the GMB union at Diageo andpotential industrial action by the CWU which was subject tolegal challenge before a second decisive mandate was received.Support was also given to striking Unite workers at BritishAirways in Glasgow; Prospect members at Highlands andIslands Airports Limited; local government union membersstriking in West Dunbartonshire, and GMB members strikingat Burtons Biscuits in Edinburgh.

THEGeneral Council built campaigns around its keypriorities, those identified by groups of affiliates, industrialaction undertaken by affiliates and through key events such asInternational Workers’ Memorial Day, May Day and the StAndrew’s Day March and Rally. It also supported trade unionorganising through the work of the STUC Organising Groupand the administration of the Trade Union Fair WorkModernisation Fund.

UK GENERAL ELECTIONEquality and Social Justice was a key campaigning theme in2019–2020. In November 2019, the STUC wrote to theLeaders of Scotland’s five political parties seeking formalendorsement of its Manifesto for Social Justice.

Direct contact to the Prospective Parliamentary Candidates(PPCs) of SNP, Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats andGreen parties was also undertaken utilising social media.Richard Leonard MSP, Scottish Labour Leader, endorsed theManifesto stating Labour’s full support; the SNPParliamentary Leader, Ian Blackford MP, wrote to the STUCon 3rd December 2019 indicating ‘broad support’ for theManifesto and detailing a number of SNP manifesto andadditional commitments to substantiate this. No response wasreceived from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats or Greenparties.

A range of Labour, SNP and Green PPCs respondeddirectly and positively to the Manifesto. ere were also twoConservative PPCs and one Liberal Democrat PPCresponding positively.

e UK General Election took place on ursday 12thDecember 2019. e result was an overall Conservative Partymajority of 80 seats in the House of Commons. In Scotland,the SNP won 48 of the 59 Constituencies.

FIFE IS READY FOR RENEWALFollowing the publication of the STUC research paper‘Scotland’s Renewables Jobs Crisis’ in June 2019, the GeneralCouncil supported the establishment of the ‘Fife is Ready forRenewal’ campaign to persuade energy giant EDF to makegood on promises that contracts for the fabrication of offshore

SECTION THREE

Campaigns and Support for Organising

UCU Rally



CLIMATE STRIKESe General Council provided support for the Youth ClimateStrikes and the call for a symbolic 30-minute workday stoppagein solidarity with the global school student strike on 20thSeptember 2019. Scottish youth climate strikers were invited tospeak at an STUC Youth Committee fringe meeting atCongress 2019, at which a representative of the Gilets Jaunesmovement from France also spoke.

CALL IT OUTCall it Out is a campaign against anti-Catholic bigotry and anti-Irish racism. It was established in the wake of the assault on aCatholic priest during a parade organised by the Orange Orderin Glasgow. Call it Out has been involved in the organisation ofprotests against the decision of Glasgow City Council to allowOrange Order parades to pass by St Alphonsus Church in theeast end of Glasgow (and St Mary’s in the same area of the City)where the assault on the priest took place. e STUC met withrepresentatives of Call it Out, voiced its concerns about therouting of Orange Order parades past St Alphonsus Churchand met with Glasgow City Council to press for a resolution tobe found, balancing the right to march against the very realconcerns of the communities who are affected by marches.

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY2019Trades Union Councils and affiliates organised InternationalWorkers’ Memorial Day events across Scotland, including inAberdeen, Alexandria, Alloa, Bathgate, Bishopbriggs,Bonnyrigg, Clydebank, Coatbridge, Dundee, Edinburgh,Falkirk, Fife, Greenock, Glasgow, Hamilton, Inverness, Irvine,Kilmarnock and Paisley.

e General Council accepted invitations to speak at anumber of events as well as organising the Glasgow event.

MAY DAY EVENTS 2019Six May Day events were held over the weekend of 4th and 5thMay, with the largest in Glasgow on Sunday 5th May. Otherevents were held in Aberdeen, Dumfries, Dundee, Edinburgh,Inverness and Kilmarnock.

ST ANDREW’S DAY MARCH AND RALLY 2019e St Andrew’s Day March and Rally took place on Saturday30th November 2019. e March mustered at Glasgow Greenand proceeded to Adelaide’s in Bath Street, where the Rally washeld.

Posters and leaflets were distributed to affiliates andsupportive organisations and a programme for the event wasproduced, which included details of the event, articles writtenby members of the Black Workers’ Committee and supportiveadverts from affiliates.

e event was judged to be a success with around 1,000attending, including Leaders of the Scottish Labour Party andGreen Party, as well as various other politicians. Equally, theRally was well attended. A question and answer sessionengaged the audience aer the main speakers had contributed.

INTERNATIONALe General Council continued to offer support to a wide rangeof international campaign organisations. In January 2018Justice for Colombia (JFC) launched the JFC Peace Monitorwith the objective of facilitating international accompanimentto the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement signedbetween the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP. eGeneral Council agreed that the General Secretary shouldparticipate in the JFC Peace Monitor delegation to Colombiabetween 25th May and 1st June 2019.

e General Council is continuing to work with JFC to plana fringe event to highlight the situation in Colombia at the 2020Congress.

We organised a successful Solidarity for PalestineConference in June 2019 with around 70 attendees from 13different affiliates. e event focused on promoting solidarityfor the FBU Palestinian Firefighters Project, the SUSPS projectand for the relaunch of an updated STUC Boycott Divestmentand Sanctions resource. In June 2020, the STUC signed a jointcivil society letter condemning recent events in Palestine andrecommitting to the BDS campaign.

Continuing support was provided for the Scottish CubaSolidarity Campaign, including the holding of an eventbetween the STUC Youth Committee and young Cuban tradeunionists. We also supported and promoted the NelsonMandela Scottish Memorial Foundation, which was formed tocreate a statue of Nelson Mandela in Glasgow. We publicised

Burton’s Biscuits

St Andrew’s Day March and Rally 2019



and spoke at various events organised by Scottish Solidaritywith Kurdistan.

FAIR WORK AND SUPPORT FOR ORGANISING

Fair Work in Social CareIn Spring 2019, the STUC released and promoted its researchreport ‘Scotland’s Care Crisis’ highlighting poor employmentoutcomes in the sector. It also consistently promoted the FairWork Convention’s Social Care Report. Among its fiverecommendations is a call for the Scottish Government tosupport the creation of a new sector body that establishesminimum standards for Fair Work terms and conditions, andto reform social care commissioning. e General Councilsecured trade union representation on the Living Wage in CareNational Implementation Group (LWICNIG), tasked withachieving the Government’s Living Wage objectives for thisworkforce. Mike Kirby, Scottish Secretary of UNISON and amember of the General Council, was nominated as the STUCrepresentative on the Group.

Better than Zero CampaignBetter than Zero is predominantly a campaigning group whichhas continued to achieve prominence, and it is arguable that theattitude amongst many workers towards precarious work inhospitality and other sectors has undergone a shi as aconsequence. e STUC is now training significant numbers ofyoung people through the creation of Fair Work tools and theoutputs of the Young Workers’ project organising. eCampaign has allowed discussions to begin with workers in theso-called collaborative economy, the non-organised areas of theeconomy which is being driven by data and digitalisation. Ajoint project funded by Edinburgh University is seeking to drilldown into this area.

Better than Zero continues to publicise bad workingpractices and pressure employers and Government to improvepractice, support Better than Zero local hubs and create anddistribute guidance on local campaigning and use of socialmedia.

Key campaigns included the Better than Zero ‘Safe Home’campaign and ‘Cat Calling it Out’ campaign on sexualharassment in the hospitality sector as articulated andorganised by young women workers.

Work undertaken by the Young Workers’ Project ofparticular relevance to the Better than Zero Campaignincluded running ‘Take Control’ courses for young workersand the organisation of a weekend summer school for youngtrade union activists in August 2019.

Better than Zero was also a key partner in the promotionand support of the Ken Loach Film ‘Sorry We Missed You.’

Union Promotion and Support for OrganisingIn May 2019, the STUC hosted in the STUC centre a one-daycourse for 36 organisers and activists and 6 return organisers,tutored by US organiser Jane McAlevey, who also spoke that

year at the Edinburgh and Glasgow May Day events.Outcomes from the training and organising tools werethereaer presented by the Secretariat to a range of affiliategatherings. Represented by Jennifer McCarey of the GeneralCouncil, the STUC supported the creation of an internationalonline training series of seminars ‘Organising for Power’ whichhad 40 Scottish participants. More recently, ‘Organising forPower’ has an advanced course ‘Strike School’ with a range ofScottish organisers acting as tutors.

e last physical event the STUC was able to hold beforelockdown was ‘Organise 2020’ on Friday 13th March. A daydedicated to learning, sharing and developing skills andstrategies. It was attended by 80 staff and reps involved inorganising, union learning, branch-building, and campaigningacross 13 different affiliates and Trades Union Councils.

e programme included: Ways of Organising: Six ShortIntensive Lessons by Union Organisers from Across theSectors; Delivering Power: the CWU's unique approach totheir 2020 postal strike; Learning for Collective Ends: ARadical Agenda for Union Learning and Skills; Politics andOrganising in Scotland: the new STUC Strategy for 2020 andBeyond; and Time, Control, Trust: Ways of Responding to theChanging Nature of Work.

Only three meetings of the STUC Organising Network wereheld in 2019, with the most notable being a large eventaddressed by Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of PCS, andRozanne Foyer, then Head of Organising of Unite the Union.

UNIONS INTO SCHOOLSBetween April 2019 and March 2020, the STUC conducted 161classroom visits. It further developed the Unions into SchoolsPack, incorporating UK legal changes and the ScottishGovernment Fair Work agenda. Unions into Schools attendedthe Highlands and Islands Scottish Union Learning Conferenceon 14th June 2019 in Inverness and delivered a presentation onUnions into Schools and announced its plans to target visits inHighlands and Islands during 2019/20. Unions into Schoolscontinues to promote and sponsor the Dundee Modern StudiesAssociation annual PowerPoint Challenge for secondary schoolstudents. ree rep training sessions have been organised: arefresher course for reps; a course for new reps; and a youngtrade union activists reps session. Forty school studentsparticipated in a visit and lunchtime fringe at the 92nd AnnualSTUC Women's Conference held in Perth on Tuesday 29thOctober, 2019.

UiS Dunblane High School Pupils, 2019 Women’s Conference



UNION MODERNISATION FUNDIn 2019–2020, the Fund supported seven projects deliveringon the promotion of Fair Work and organising. ese werefrom GMB, EIS, Better than Zero Unite Hospitality, NUJ,AEGIS and Prospect. e project bids were aligned tomeeting Fair Work Framework objectives and the ScottishGovernment’s Fair Work Action Plan with an emphasis onprecarious workers generally as well as workers in hospitality,care and early years.

UNION REP AWARDSe winners of the STUC Union Rep Awards in 2019 were:

STUC Equality Award: Khadija Mohammed, EISSTUC Organising Award: James Richards, UCUSTUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning: Chris McGill, BFAWUSTUC Health and Safety Award: John Brown, GMB

e winners of the 2020 Union Rep Awards are:STUC Equality Award: Kate Sang, UCUSTUC Organising Award: Unite Glasgow University BranchSTUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning: Shenaz Boyce, Unite the UnionSTUC Health and Safety Award: Paul Mooney, Unite the Union

SCOTTISH PENSIONERS’ FORUMe Scottish Pensioners’ Forum has continued to play anactive and campaigning role as the leading advocate for olderpeople in Scotland. Its wide-ranging activities have includedthe TV license campaign for over 75s, and campaigning forthe retention of free transport for elderly people. It created amanifesto for the UK General Election and held andpromoted hustings events. More detail of its response to thepandemic is contained in Section Six: COVID-19 of thisReport.

2019 Union Rep Award Winners with Rt HonNicola Sturgeon MSP, First Minister


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UNION LEARNING is taken forward through ScottishUnion Learning (SUL). SUL was established to promoteand develop trade union-led learning and skillsdevelopment in line with STUC policy. SUL receives afunding package of over £2.3 million each year from theScottish Government’s Fair Work Directorate, plusadditional funding and sponsorship from other partners.

SUL has continued to work closely with unions todevelop the union learning infrastructure through theDevelopment Fund, delivery of learning opportunitiesthrough the Learning Fund, and the facilitation ofEveryday Skills, digital skills, cyber resilience, and tradeunion leadership and equality. As a result of investment inunion-led learning, 10,377 learning outcomes werereported from April 2019-March 2020. is enabledworkers to improve their skills and enhance theiremployability and resilience in an ever changing labourmarket.

COVID-19 RESPONSESUL had to adapt in response to COVID-19 to ensure thecontinued delivery of learning opportunities for workers.SUL has worked with unions and providers to furtherdevelop online and cross-union learning opportunitiesand to streamline processes wherever possible. To helpsupport economic recovery, SUL has expanded its remit toinclude workers who have lost their jobs due to thepandemic.

SUL STRUCTURESUL is governed by a Board, appointed by the GeneralCouncil. e SUL Board meets quarterly and hasresponsibility for agreeing strategic objectives andmonitoring business and operational plans and budgets,in line with STUC policy.

e Union Advisory Group supports the Board’sdevelopment of future strategy and provides insights onunion learning strategies, examples of good practice, andguidance on SUL’s operational arrangements. e Groupmeets quarterly and is Chaired by the SUL Director.

THE SUL DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNINGFUNDS

The Development Funde Development Fund supports trade unions to increasetheir capacity to deliver work-based learning throughoutScotland. e SUL Board allocated funding to 16 unionsin the Lowlands and Uplands area of Scotland and five inthe Highlands and Islands through the 2019/20Development Fund.

Funding has supported ongoing engagement betweenunions and employers to secure workplace learning acrossa wide range of industries and sectors, includingtelecommunications; financial services; transport; retail;engineering; media, film and television; emergencyservices; oil and gas; construction; and public services.

The Learning FundFunding was allocated to unions in 2019/20 to support theparticipation of more than 3,000 workers across Scotland.e Learning Fund enabled a range of opportunities,including employability, leadership and managementskills; awareness sessions to recognise and support mentalhealth, autism, menopause, dementia, and dyslexia;English Language; digital and IT skills; and trade andvocational skills. Courses supported learners to improvetheir existing skills or develop new and transferable skills.Learners gained increased confidence in their ability tolearn and to perform at a higher level.

EVERYDAY SKILLSSUL works with Education Scotland, Dyslexia Scotland,Scottish Book Trust, WEA and other national partners toraise awareness of Everyday Skills needs and providesupport for unions through the Everyday Skills Group.e Group continues to contribute to the planning of theannual Everyday Skills Event. SUL engages in the NationalNumeracy Practitioners’ Network, Maths Week Scotland,Dyslexia Awareness Week, and Book Week Scotland, andis working with partners to develop a new Adult LearningStrategy for Scotland.

SECTION FOUR

Union Learning



DIGITAL UNIONS/ CYBER RESILIENCEFunded by Scottish Government’s Cyber Resilience Unitduring 2019/20, SUL, in partnership with Digital SkillsEducation Ltd, provided cyber resilience workshops for500 reps and workers including Staying Safe on SocialMedia, When Working from Home, and in VirtualMeetings. ‘Train the Trainer’ sessions have been deliveredto 150 reps to cascade the necessary skills withinworkplaces.

FAIR WORK: LEADERSHIP AND EQUALITYPROGRAMME

Fair Work Dissemination Event 2020e Fair Work: Leadership and Equality Programme aimsto develop leadership capacity at all levels of the tradeunion movement, with a focus on under-representedgroups. During 2019–20, 224 learners took part in theProgramme.

A dissemination event in January 2020 enabled unionfeedback on leadership activities and outlined the wider

impact. Activities wereextensive and wide-ranging,tackling issues around equalityand diversity in the workplaceand in union leadershipstructures.

In addition, the NationalEquality Rep Network hasbeen further developed.Information and resources arecommunicated through a newSUL website section, Facebookgroup and newsletter.

WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT

A key area of SUL activity is workforce development,with support provided to unions to influence employerbehaviour in relation to skills, training and development.rough this support:

l Unite continued to develop work in theconstruction sector; the focus has been withlearners employed by small contractors andrequiring skills cards to access employmentopportunities;

l UNISON supported social care workers whorequire qualifications for Scotland’s Social ServicesCouncil (SSSC) registration;

l EIS experienced significant growth in capacitywhich is having a positive impact on professionallearning opportunities;

l Prospect’s BECTU Vision project has seen asignificant growth in capacity through fundingfrom the BBC, Skills Development Scotland, ScreenScotland and Screenskills; and

l NUJ has continued to support members at risk ofredundancy through the promotion of Foundation

and Modern Apprenticeships inDigital Journalism and deliveringcourses in line with the demandsof the industry and workers.

APPRENTICESHIPSEngagement with unions andexternal agencies onapprenticeships has increasedsignificantly in recent years andSUL is engaged in various ScottishApprenticeship Advisory Boardgroups: Employer Engagementand Standards and FrameworksGroups, and also theApprenticeship Approvals andTechnical Expert Groups, toensure unions have an effective

Everyday Skills

Fair Work



voice in the development and governance ofapprenticeship frameworks and standards. SUL is alsofacilitating a working group on apprenticeships and FairWork to ensure effective union engagement onapprenticeships.

STUC HELEN DOWIE AWARD FOR LIFELONGLEARNING

Chris McGill, 2019 Helen Dowie Award recipient,with Wendy Burton, SUL Director

e recipient of the 2019 Award was Chris McGill, aBFAWU ULR at Warburtons Bakery in Bellshill.

Sponsored by e Open University in Scotland, theAward was presented at the 2019 STUC Annual Congressby First Minister, Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP.

e recipient of the 2020 Award is Shenaz Boyce ofUnite the Union. Shenaz will receive the Award at the2020 Congress.

LEARNER OF THE YEAR AWARDJena Hunter, 2019 Learner of the Yeare recipient of the 2019 Learner of the Year Award isJena Hunter, a member of the BECTU Sector of Prospect.Jena was chosen because of her commitment to hercontinuing learning journey through union learning andreceived her Award at the 2019 SUL Conference.

SUL CONFERENCES AND EVENTSA number of events were organised by SUL during 2019and early 2020, including the SUL Highlands and IslandsULR Conference, Annual SUL Conference, Fair Work:Leadership and Equality Event, and the SUL EverydaySkills Event. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19,Conferences planned for the remainder of 2020 werecancelled.

WORK WITH PARTNERSe Partners’ Advisory Groups are chaired by the SULDirector, and include representatives from SkillsDevelopment Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Highlandsand Islands Enterprise, e Open University in Scotland,Newbattle Abbey College, Learning Link Scotland, ZeroWaste Scotland, Scottish Book Trust and various otherlearning and skills organisations.

CO-OPERATION WITH THE TUCSUL has continued to work with the TUC and TUCEducation in Scotland to ensure that a comprehensiverange of union education is available to affiliates inScotland. e TUC is represented on the SUL Board andSUL staff continued to attend TUC and unionlearnmeetings and events during 2019 and early 2020.

SUL COMMUNICATIONSAn Annual Report covering the work of SUL whichexpands upon the activities described in this Section canbe accessed by visiting the SUL website atwww.scottishunionlearning.com.

Further information can be found on SUL SocialMedia:

Facebook:www.facebook.com/scottishunionlearningTwitter:www.twitter.com/unionlearning hashtag

#unionlearning

Chris McGill

Scottish Union Learning Conference


42 |

SECTION FIVE

Equalities

KEY elements of the General Council strategy onequalities are mainstreamed through its overalldelivery. This includes ensuring that equalitiesperspectives are reflected in policy development andcampaigns. The General Council has sought to ensurethat in its presentation of its work, in the delegationsthat represent it and in the events that it organises itreflects the full diversity of our Movement.

JOINT EQUALITY COMMITTEE ACTIVITYA fresh approach is being taken to the administrationand the work of the Equality Committees – thisapproach which prioritised joint working betweenCommittees had led to several successfulevents/training sessions, including: workshops inInverness and Glasgow on Dementia Awareness; asuccessful one day joint event on mental health held inJune; joint work between the LGBT+ and Women’sCommittees which dealt sensitively with the issue ofGender Recognition and Trans Rights; and a joint

fringe meeting which was over-subscribed at the STUCAnnual Congress on ‘Dementia as a Workplace Issue’.

EQUALITY AUDITIn 2018, Congress passed a General Council Statementcommitting the STUC to undertake an Equality Audit.The Statement mandated the STUC to conduct anAudit, which would explore equality outcomes in arange of union structures and the profile of union staffin terms of protected characteristics.

It was recognised from the outset that there werelikely to be issues around the disaggregation of data at aScottish level and the Audit was likely to producelimited results. The Equality Audit was therefore seen asa benchmark and a starting point from which it wouldbe necessary to build.

In August 2020, the General Council agreed that theExecutive Summary of this Audit should be publishedand shared with all STUC Equality Committees. Its keyrecommendations are that:

l The STUC Equality Committees should be invitedto provide reflections and recommendations inlight of this report, which should be considered ata future General Council meeting.

l All affiliates should be encouraged to undertake areview of their systems for the collection anddisaggregation of equality data at a Scottish level,with the aim of being able to respond to allelements of the survey in its next iteration.

l All affiliates should be encouraged to haveScottish specific targets within their equalityaction plans, which should also consider issuesaround staffing.

l The STUC should hold a virtual monthly meetingfor union equality officers, to support betterengagement with STUC equality structures andraise the profile of Scottish specific work withinaffiliates.

l Affiliates, Scottish Union Learning and STUCEquality Committees should be encouraged toconsider opportunities to set up positive action



training to encourage greater take-up of unionpositions by equality groups.

l The Equality Audit should be repeated in threeyears to monitor progress.

COVID-19Throughout our response and recovery demands,equality is mainstreamed, there should be nothing we dothat does not include an equality perspective. But overand above this we will promote high profile campaignswhich challenge institutional inequality. The underrepresentation in work and wider society, caused bydirect and indirect discrimination all too often preventsfull participation in public life. Our EqualityCommittees will drive this work, based on prioritiesidentified at their Conferences and regular meetings.

All Committees reviewed their Work Plans in light ofthe Covid crisis, focussing their efforts into keycampaign areas. Following on from their series of verysuccessful Webinar events, a joint Committee onlinehustings is planned for early 2021 to challengecandidates in the Scottish Parliament elections on theircommitment to these key priorities.

The STUC Equality Committees launched a jointnational online survey in September to assess the impactof COVID-19 on workers with protected characteristics.The responses to the survey will shape the STUC’ssubmission to the Scottish Parliament’s Equality andHuman Rights Committee Enquiry into the Equality andHuman Rights Impact of COVID-19, as well asinforming our campaigning and communicationsmessaging for the next 6 months and beyond. Initialresponses show that mental health will remain a highcampaign priority for all our Equality Committees as theimpacts of COVID-19, Brexit and austerity on workers’wellbeing are revealed.

In August, our General Secretary wrote, frompersonal experience, of the pressing need to challengesexual harassment in the workplace and in the home, weknow that the crisis has exacerbated the serious problemof domestic violence. Led by the Women’s Committee,the General Council will continue to campaign for moresupport for women experiencing gender-based violencein all spheres of life.

The STUC Black Workers’ Committee will play anactive role in the BEMIS Ethnic Minority NationalResilience Network, whilst campaigning for morepermanent and long-term solutions to the challengesfaced by Black and Ethnic Minority Workers in Scotland,such as influencing the Scottish Government’s Fair WorkStatement on Race Equality and continuing to presstheir Break the Race Ceiling campaign. It has alsoproduced a range of media statements and releases.

COVID-19 AND EQUALITIES’ WEBINARSERIESHosted by the STUC Equality Committees, Webinarsexplored the impact of the virus on protectedcharacteristics and equality in the workplace and society.Each Webinar had a panel of dedicated and inspiringspeakers and a question and answer session. eWebinars were open to all and also streamed live fromthe STUC Facebook Page. Topics covered were RacialJustice at Work (Black Workers' Committee); Fighting forOur Futures, Fight to be Heard (Disabled Workers’Committee); Mental Health and the Lives of LGBT+People during Lockdown (LGBT+ Workers' Committee);and Power to the Wumin (Women's Committee); YoungPeople, Industry and Climate Change and WorkInsecurity; and Housing and Social Security (YouthCommittee).

STUC WOMEN’S COMMITTEE 2019The 92nd Annual STUC Women’s Conference was heldat the Perth Concert Hall on Monday 28th and Tuesday29th October 2019, around the theme “Fighting toEradicate Child Poverty”.

Joyce Stevenson, Communication Workers’ Union,Chaired the Conference. 154 delegates (representing 24trade unions and 3 Trades Union Councils) and over 50visitors, including stallholders and school studentsattended Conference, with 15 organisations exhibiting.

A wide range of motions and emergency motionswere debated and carried at Conference, and theDecisions of Conference are available on the STUCwebsite.

The Meritorious Award was presented to EileenDinning, UNISON.

The undernoted were elected to serve on the Women’sCommittee and the Standing Orders Committee for2019/20:

STUC Women’s CommitteeAndrea Bradley, Educational Institute of ScotlandBrenda Carson, GMB ScotlandTricia Donnelly, Glasgow TUCAnnette Drylie, GMB ScotlandSharon Edwards, Public & Commercial Services

UnionLorna Glen, Unite the Union



Sarah Hughes, ProspectJennifer McCarey, UNISON ScotlandJane Peckham, NASUWTDavena Rankin, UNISON ScotlandRachel Rogers, Fire Brigades UnionFiona Steele, Aegis the UnionJoyce Stevenson, Communication Workers’ UnionAgnes Tolmie, Unite the UnionAmanda Walton, National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport WorkersAnne Will, Union of Shop, Distributive & Allied

WorkersMargaret, Wotherspoon Community

Standing Orders CommitteeMary Finn, GMB ScotlandHeather Gilfillan, Unite the UnionKatrina Murray, UNISON Scotland

Work PlanThe Women’s Committee reviewed its Work Plan andreprioritised activities due to COVID-19 and thecancellation of the 2020 Conference, and severalpriorities were identified for action over theSummer/Autumn 2020 with timelines adjustedaccordingly to reflect the Conference cancellation. TheCommittee also agreed to work closely with otherEquality Committees in the period ahead.

The Committee agreed that its priorities and WorkPlan be kept under review as the pandemic unfolds andas trade union responses to the industrial mattersdevelop.

The STUC and the Committee, together with a rangeof affiliates and campaign groups, successfully lobbiedsupport for the Period Products (Free Provision)(Scotland) Bill lodged by Monica Lennon MSP, debatedin the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 25 February, 2020.

In response to COVID-19, the Committee cancelledthe Women’s Council of the Isles which it was due to hostin Glasgow on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd October,2020. At the time of reporting, dates and a venue arebeing considered for the rescheduled event in November2021.

STUC YOUTH COMMITTEE 2019The 79th Annual STUC Youth Conference was held atthe Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, Clydebank, overthe weekend of Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June,2019. The Conference theme was “Building YoungWorkers’ Power”.

The Conference was Chaired by Anthea Koon, Unitethe Union. 35 delegates, representing 7 Trade Unionsand 1 Trades Union Council (Aberdeen) were appointedto attend the Conference: 33 delegates were registeredand in attendance. The Conference was also attended byvisitors from the Associated Society of LocomotiveEngineers and Firemen; the Communication Workers’Union; the IrishCongress of TradeUnions YouthCommittee; and theTUC Young Members’Forum; and ScottishUnion Learning.

Throughout theweekend, theConference focussed onbuilding a future foryoung trade unionmembers and theimportance of providingopportunities for youngmembers to develop skills in organising andcommunication, as well as debating motions on issuesthat affect young people in the workplace and our widersociety.

The undernoted were elected to serve on the YouthCommittee for 2019/20:

General SeatsJordan Carroll, UNISONJohn Carson, Communication Workers’ UnionTommy Wilson, Unite the Union

Women’s SeatsStella Rooney, Unite the Union

Young Workers’ Seats on the STUC General CouncilGeneral SeatKyle Scott, Unite the UnionWoman’s SeatMorgan Horn, Unite the Union

Youth Conference Delegation to the STUC AnnualCongress 2020

General PlacesKyle Scott, Unite the UnionWomen’s PlacesMorgan Horn, Unite the Union

STUC Women’s Committee

Anthea Koon



Stella Rooney, Unite the UnionThe following were subsequently co-opted to the

CommitteeLiam Callaghan, GMBRowan Martin, USDAWJonathan Rimmer, NUJAbigail Wood, PCSElsie Greenwood, GMBSasha Brydon, Aberdeen Trades Union CouncilThe General Council appointed Susan Quinn and Rab

Noakes as its representatives on the Youth Committee.The Committee undertook a Work Plan which

included holding a successful event as part of ChallengePoverty Week, which highlighted the impact on youngpeople of high rents, insecure work, discriminatory pay,employability schemes and unfair social security rules. Italso held a joint event with Young Friends of the EarthScotland and supported the Youth Climate Strike.

The Youth Committee reviewed its Work Plan toreprioritise planned activities due to COVID-19 and thecancellation of the 2020 Conference.

The Committee agreed that the Work Plan be keptunder review as the pandemic unfolds and as trade unionresponses to the industrial matters develop.

At the time of reporting the Committee is planning anevent on the Young Person’s Guarantee.

BLACK WORKERS’ COMMITTEE 2019The 23rd Annual STUC Black Workers’ Conference washeld in the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel,Clydebank, over the weekend of Saturday 5 and Sunday6 October, 2019. The theme of Conference was “Black isBlack, Disrupt Capitalism, Dismantle Anti-Blacknessand Defy Imperialism”.

The Conference was Chaired by Layla-Roxanne Hill,Chair of the STUC Black Workers’ Committee /National Union of Journalists. 69 delegates, representing15 Trade Unions were appointed to attend theConference, with 55 delegates registered and inattendance on the day.

Throughout the weekend, a wide range of motionswere debated.

The undernoted were elected to serve on the BlackWorkers’ Committeefor 2019/20:

Open SeatsAnthony Adams,

National Union ofJournalists

Sani Reuben Akoh,UNISON

Usman Ali, GMBScotland

Satnam Ner, ProspectMelina Valdelievre, NASUWT

Women’s SeatsKemi Adensia, GMB ScotlandGozie Joe Adigwe, CommunityDiljeet Bhachu, Musicians’ UnionLayla-Roxanne Hill, National Union of JournalistsTina Makedenge, UNISON

General Council SeatsGeneral PlaceSatnam Ner, ProspectWoman’s PlaceLayla-Roxanne Hill, National Union of Journalists

Black Workers’ Conference Delegation to the STUCAnnual Congress 2020

Open SeatsUsman Ali, GMB Scotland*Satnam Ner, ProspectWomen’s PlacesKemi Adensia, GMB ScotlandGozie Joe Adigwe, Community*Layla-Roxanne Hill, National Union of Journalists*Satnam Ner, Prospect, and Layla-Roxanne Hill as the

nominees for General Council, are part of the Delegationto the STUC Annual Congress in 2020.

Satnam Ner, Prospect and Tina Makendenge, UNISONas sitting Black Workers’ Conference Representatives onthe General Council are automatically also members ofthe Black Workers’ Committee until Congress 2020.

e General Council appointed Rab Noakes and RozFoyer as its representatives on the Black Workers’Committee. Roz Foyer subsequently resigned followingher appointment of STUC General Secretary and theGeneral Council will appoint a replacementrepresentative following Congress.

e Committee agreed that the Work Plan be keptunder review as the pandemic unfolds and as trade unionresponses to the industrial matters develop.

e Committee responded to a number of tragicdevelopments and fully supported the Black Lives Mattermovement emphasising its ongoing support for theJustice for Sheku Bayoh Campaign. It published aStatement on the tragic incident at the Park Inn Hotel andon the merger of the Department for InternationalDevelopment and Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

It actively intervened in the debate over the impact ofCOVID-19 on BAME people; pressed Government onFair Work and employment for BAME workers andconducted a Break the Race Ceiling campaign. It iscurrently bringing forward its proposals for the StAndrew’s Day March and Rally 2020.

Layla-Roxanne Hill



LGBT+ WORKERS’ COMMITTEE 2019The 8th Annual STUC LGBT+ Workers’ Conferencewas held in the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel,Clydebank, Glasgow, over the weekend of Saturday 25thand Sunday 26th May 2019.

The theme of the Conference this year was ‘50 yearson from Stonewall: Furthering LGBT+ Equality’ inrecognition of the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

The Conference was chaired by Gillian Donaldson-Selby, Chair of the STUC LGBT+ Workers’ Committee /Prospect. 53 delegates, representing 14 trade unions,were appointed to attend the Conference, with 49delegates registered and in attendance on the day.

Throughout the weekend, a wide range of motionswere debated.

The undernoted were elected to serve on the LGBT+Workers’ Committee for 2019/20:

General SeatsWillie Docherty, UNISONScott Gorman-Cochrane, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied WorkersThomas Granger, GMB ScotlandKris Hendry, Public and Commercial Services UnionSteven Sorley, Educational Institute of Scotland

Women’s SeatsEileen Allardyce, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied WorkersJenny Douglas, Unite the UnionChrissy McKeag, UNISONSally Wilson-Logue, Communication Workers’ Union

Trans SeatKate Wells, GMB Scotland

“Following Conference, the LGBT+ Workers’Committee agreed the co-option of Sylvia Morgan(UCU Scotland) to the vacant Women’s seat andThomas Queen (Glasgow Trades Union Council) to thevacant Trades Union Council seat on the Committee.”

LGBT+ Workers’ Seats on the STUC General Council2020/21

General SeatStewart Wakelam-Munro, Unite the UnionWoman’s SeatJenny Douglas, Unite the Union

LGBT+ Workers’ Conference Delegation to the 2020STUC Annual Congress

General PlacesScott Gorman-Cochrane, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied WorkersWomen’s PlacesEileen Allardyce, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied WorkersSally Wilson-Logue, Communication Workers’ UnionKate Wells, GMB ScotlandStewart Wakelam Munro and Jenny Douglas, Unite the Union, will also be part of the LGBT+ Delegation to Congress 2020 as the nominees to the General Council.

The General Council appointed Graham Menziesand Agnes Tolmie as its representatives on the LGBT+Workers’ Committee.

Eileen Allardyce, USDAW, and Sally Wilson-Logue,CWU, resigned from the Committee in January 2020;Kate Wells, GMB, and Steven Sorley, EIS, both resignedin August 2020.



The Committee agreed that the Work Plan be keptunder review as the pandemic unfolds and as tradeunion responses to the industrial matters develop.

The proposed reform of the Gender Recognition Acthas seen the rise in transphobic activity throughoutsociety. As part of work being undertaken by theLGBT+ Workers’ Committee to challenge transphobia,the STUC LGBT+ Workers’ Committee received apresentation from the Scottish Trans Alliance regarding‘appropriate’ census questions relative to gender. TheCommittee is opposed to any requirement that transpeople who do not have GRCs (Gender RecognitionCertificates) should be effectively compelled to formallyidentify as the sex on their birth certificate. In January2020, the General Council agreed to support the STUCLGBT+ Workers’ Committee’s decision to support theScottish Trans Alliance’s position in relation toquestions on sex and gender included within theCensus.

In the final weeks before the outbreak of thepandemic the LGBT+ Committee held a successful andwell-attended screening of film during LGBT+ HistoryWeek of ‘Coming Oot’.

DISABLED WORKERS’ COMMITTEE 2019The 16th Annual STUC Disabled Workers’ Conferencewas held at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel,Clydebank, Glasgow, over the weekend of Saturday 16and Sunday 17 November 2019. The Conference themewas ‘Not All Disabilities Are Visible’.

The Conference was Chaired by Tony Sneddon,Communication Workers’ Union. Out of 73 registereddelegates, representing 14 trade unions and 1 TradesUnion Council, 63 attended Conference.

The Conference debated a wide range of motions.

The undernoted were elected to serve on theDisabled Workers’ Committee for 2019/20:

General SeatsPat Duffy, GMB ScotlandLinda Ford, ProspectTony Slaven, UNISONTony Sneddon, Communication Workers’ UnionIrene Trench, Unite the Union

Women’s SeatsMargaret Anslow, Unite the UnionMargaret Boyd, GMB ScotlandBarbra Farmer, Public and Commercial Services UnionJulie Ferguson, Educational Institute of ScotlandMargaret Gilmurray, UNISON

Trades Union Council SeatSteve West, Edinburgh Trades Union Council

Disabled Workers’ Conference Representatives on theSTUC General Council

General PlaceVacantWoman’s PlaceSharon Sweeney, University and College Union

Disabled Workers’ Conference Delegation to theSTUC Annual Congress 2020

General PlacesPat Duffy, GMB ScotlandWomen’s PlacesMargaret Boyd, GMB ScotlandSharon Sweeney, University and College Unione General Council appointed Annette Drylie and

Shirley Johnston as its representatives on the DisabledWorkers’ Committee.

e Committee agreed that the Work Plan be keptunder review as the pandemic unfolds and as trade unionresponses to the industrial matters develop.

It has pressed for recognition of the impact of COVID-19 on disabled workers and for jobs initiatives such as theYoung Persons Guarantee to have 10% reserved places fordisabled workers. It has also pressed Government onaccessibility of transport and the importance of socialdistancing and other safety measures during the crisis to besensitive and adaptable to the needs of Disabled Workers.

LGBT+ History Month Lecture


48 |

SECTION SIX

COVID-19

THIS Section of the Report largely covers the activitiesduring the past six months in response to the outbreak ofthe pandemic. It also covers some activities which wereimpacted by these new circumstances. In other Sections ofthe Report, some references are also made to activity overthe past six months.

POLICY AND POLITICAL RELATIONSe STUC has established clear structures for affiliates toreport and co-ordinate on issues of concern andmechanisms to influence the work of the ScottishGovernment.

Bi-weekly meetings with Fiona Hyslop MSP, CabinetSecretary for the Economy, Fair Work and Culture, wereestablished and sustained until late June when they werereplaced by weekly meetings with Fair Work Minister,Jamie Hepburn MSP, alongside a wide range of bilateralmeetings with Ministers and Government officials. emeetings are preceded by meetings of the STUC COVID-19 Response Group which brings together affiliates toprovide evidence and insight on issues at a workplace leveland to shape the agenda for the meeting with theGovernment. e meetings with Government are used toelevate key issues from affiliates including sectors such ashealth, education, civil service and local governmentwhere collective bargaining arrangements have allowed foraffiliates to lead negotiations over safety and otherconcerns along with sectors where this is less practicable.rough these meetings, the STUC has been able to take aview on and seek to influence, all the major public healthinterventions during the pandemic. Appropriate structureswere put in place on social care to support effectiveengagement between unions, employers and local andcentral government. is work supported the developmentof clear and appropriate guidance around PPE for socialcare workers and had helped ensure that issues can beescalated when necessary and resolved rapidly.

At the outset of the crisis, the STUC agreed a jointStatement with the Scottish Government on ‘Fair WorkDuring the COVID-19 Crisis’. is was subsequentlyupdated with a Statement signed by a broader range of

stakeholders including COSLA and private and voluntarysector employer organisations.v

e Statement sets out the high expectations that theSTUC and Scottish Government have that fair workprinciples should be applied during the crisis. Itemphasises that fair work involves an approach whereworkers, trade unions and employers work togetherconstructively to reach the right decisions on all workplaceissues that arise throughout this crisis and that thedimensions of fair work as defined by the Fair WorkConvention: effective voice; security; respect; opportunityand fulfilment, applied to the current context, offer aframework for taking these decisions. e Statement hasbeen an important reference point for levering unioninfluence at a political and workplace level.

Safety and Closure of WorkplacesAlongside the intense campaigning activity of affiliatedunions, the STUC’s approach was to focus on the need forthe abandonment of non-essential work. e twinapproach was to leverage for stronger Governmentguidance alongside publicly calling out employers failingto protect their workers. is achieved enhanced ScottishGovernment guidance on essential and non-essentialwork, stronger than produced by the UK Government, andextensive coverage in all major Scottish broadcast andprint outlets. Alongside this work, as reported later in thisreport, the General Council pressed for adequate financialsupport to be paid to workers required to leave theworkplace.

e STUC consistently pressed Government foradequate supplies of PPE, initially for essential workplaces,but subsequently for all work. It also raised early thecentral importance of contact tracing and for testing to bequickly and effectively implemented. At the time ofwriting, while some improvements are in place, thiscontinues to be a major priority looking forward.

We pressed successfully for the inclusion of trade unionsin all industry groups creating specific sectoral guidancefor essential and non-essential workplaces. e STUCand/or affiliates are represented on over 30 sectoral groups.



Crucially, the General Council is also represented on thejoint enforcement body alongside the ScottishGovernment, Police Scotland, HSE and local authorityenvironmental health. is body brought forwardoverarching guidance which includes the centrality oftrade union and promoted the role of union health andsafety reps.

Beyond the negotiation of sectoral guidance we haveconvened or attended a range of regular industry sectormeetings with the Government and industry bodiesincluding Offshore Oil and Gas, Transport and, for theculture sector, with 'Creative' Unions which have regularfortnightly meetings with Culture Civil Servants andCreative Scotland. In a range of other sectors, particularlythe public sector, engagement with government is led byaffiliated unions and supported where required by theSTUC.

e General Council is also represented on the RestartGroup which brings together Government, business,health and safety professionals and others to oversee theproduction and communication of workplace guidance. Ithas regular bilateral meetings with the HSE and attendsthe regular meetings of the Partnership for Health andSafety in Scotland.

As the situation progressed and the ScottishGovernment introduced a phased plan for emerging fromlockdown, the STUC was a consistent voice of caution,arguing that slower emergence from lockdown wasoptimal both with respect to public health, worker safetyand sustained economic recovery.

In June 2020, we published our Five Red Lines whichdetail the five demands which must be adhered to beforemoving through the plan for re-opening workplaces.

1. Capacity for greater testing and a return to contacttracing.

2. Capacity to supply PPE to non-essential workplaces.3. Sectoral Guidance needs to be agreed between

unions and employers.4. Effective enforcement measures must be in place.5. A continuation of the job retention scheme and

other support for those who cannot work.At the time of reporting, the principles of the Five Red

Lines remain highly relevant and it is expected that, withsome adaptation, they will continue to provide the basisfor our approach.

Alongside meetings with the Scottish Government,regular engagement has taken place with Ministers of theScotland Office, including a range of one to onediscussions between the General Secretary and theSecretary of State for Scotland, stakeholder meetingsconvened by the Scotland Office and two meetingsbetween Scotland Office Ministers and affiliated unions.ese meetings have been used to press the case for a rangeof interventions including on the issue of the FurloughScheme, Job retention schemes, pay for key workers, the

need for green infrastructure investment and support forkey non-devolved sectors such as oil and gas and aviation.

Regular meetings have been held with senior politiciansat both Westminster and Scottish Parliament levelincluding with Richard Leonard MSP, Leader of theScottish Labour Party; Patrick Harvie MSP, Leader of theScottish Green Party; Ian Blackford MP, Leader of the SNPat Westminster; and Ian Murray MP, Shadow Secretary ofState for Scotland. e STUC has co-operated with theseparties to progress key policy demands of Westminsterand Holyrood including on issues such as financialsupport for workers, job retention schemes, investment inGreen Growth, safe return to workplaces and housingpolicy.

Sick Pay, Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employed Support SchemeAn immediate demand pressed for by the STUC was for anincrease in sick pay. As a reserved issue, the case forimmediate change was led by the TUC, but the STUC alsopressed the case with the UK Government and throughthe Scottish Government. Statistics were publicisedcomparing sick pay across comparable Europeaneconomies. We had some success in pushing for full wagesupport for self-isolating workers and various packages ofsupport in key sectors. However, the central issue of lowsick pay remains a key issue.

Following the announcement of the UK Government’sWage Support Scheme (which the STUC broadlywelcomed) the strategy adopted focused on arguing thatemployers should provide a top up of the 80% guaranteedwage; highlighting the potential gaps in the schemes; andthe need to ensure coverage for all workers including thosein precarious work and the self-employed. It also focusedon the demand that employers top up pay to achieve 100%support for workers and for employers to re-employworkers laid off in the two weeks previously.

As detail emerged of the Government Scheme, theSTUC published guidance ahead of any other bodycombining the best available information with an actionguide focusing on steps workers should take collectively toensure their employer acted appropriately. is guidancewas widely promoted leading to a high level of mediaattention and an unprecedented spike in social mediaimpressions. Hundreds of direct requests for assistancewere received, with enquiries being channelled to affiliates,a special ompsons Solicitors Advice line, by the STUCitself or through Better than Zero. rough this work astrong link has been established with Scottish MPs andMSPs with consistent dialogue taking place between theSTUC and various elected representatives. e advice onthe STUC website continues to be regularly updated andhas been widely praised.



Alongside pressing for further detail and closing theloopholes within the Job Retention Scheme, the prioritywas established of pushing hard publicly for a scheme toprotect the self-employed, both in support of self-employed union members and for the benefit of the widereconomy. Again, guidance was published quickly aer theScheme was announced and the STUC’s position receivedsimilar levels of public attention as with the Job RetentionScheme analysis.

During the summer, focus shied towards the need toextend the Scheme. e General Council broadlywelcomed the extension but warned that the increasingreliance on employers to contribute would lead to agrowing number of redundancies, warnings that wereborne out by events.

In late September, the Chancellor’s third majorannouncement saw a new Job Support schemeintroduced. Bearing similarities to the German Kurzarbeitscheme, it requires employees to be working for at least33% of time, and for the employer to pay this and for 22%of non-working hours, with the Government paying 22%also, adding up to a three quarter salary. Whilstrecognising that the new scheme would save some jobs,the STUC was critical of the Scheme and fears it will beinsufficient to significantly stem a wave of redundancies.

e STUC also consistently made the case to theScottish Government for additional support for jobs inkey sectors of the economy with high numbers of workersnot covered by the various Schemes and was successful inarguing for more support in the culture sector.

Key Workers Campaignroughout the early phases of the pandemic, the GeneralCouncil sought to promote the role and value of essentialworkers, whether working in the workplace or workingfrom home.

We launched the Key Workers Campaign on May Day.Various affiliates also launched their own campaigns orpublic statements around that time. Details of theCampaign call were presented to the Scottish Governmenton May 1st. e Campaign received significant mediaattention. e Key Workers Campaign is an STUC call fora universal upli of at least £2 per wage demand for all‘key workers’. It seeks to highlight the historicundervaluation of many key worker jobs and to pushbeyond the ‘clap for key workers’.

e Campaign draws a wide definition of ‘key worker’as outlined by the UK Government. It is also underpinnedby a call for a £10 minimum wage for all workers. Care hasbeen taken not to allow these aims to be confused. e £2is a demand of employers and the public purse. e £10 ademand of the UK Government for an underpinning forall workers. Some affiliates have sought to highlight thispart of the Campaign, in particular, that the £2+ is auniversal demand of employers in all sectors, including

Government, local government and procurement bodies.e increase is not described as temporary. Indeed, theneed for a permanent upli in wages is a key theme.Workers were undervalued before this crisis and theCampaign is to correct a wrong rather than make atemporary change. is argument applies to a wider cohortof workers and sits within the wider union strategy of ajourney towards pay restitution through furthernegotiations with employers.

Unsurprisingly, the Campaign highlights those in lowpay and those earning less than the average pay but is notconfined to them. In the context of increasingly negativemessages from the UK Government around a public sectorpay freeze, key strands of the Campaign is thatGovernment should not repeat the mistakes of 2010 andshould instead by promoting bottom up recovery byputting money in workers’ pockets.

Social CareSupporting the work of key affiliates in the sector, theGeneral Council consistently made the case for greatersafety and support for Care Workers, highlighting concernsover PPE and self-isolation and scandalous low pay in thesector. We successfully argued for a Governmentcommitment in the programme for an inquiry into adultsocial care, with a view to achieving our aim of a NationalCare Service free from profit motives, deliveringstandardised and improved terms and conditions throughsectoral bargaining. At the time of writing, we are stronglymaking the case for trade union representation on theCommission taking forward that inquiry.

JobsAs the potential impact of the pandemic on jobs becameclear, the STUC aligned its case for continuing wagesupport with interventions to support jobs in key sectors ofthe economy. is included supporting affiliatesundertaking intensive engagement in sectors such asCulture, Tourism, Higher and Further Education, Aviation,Renewables and Green manufacturing and offshore oil andgas.

roughout the summer we pressed for the introductionat both UK and Scottish Government levels of a JobGuarantee Scheme. is was a key feature of the STUCevidence to the Scottish Government’s Advisory Group on



Economic Recovery (AGER). e Group had been createdin April and included outgoing General Secretary,Grahame Smith. One of the more positive elements of thatreport was the commitment to a Youth Guarantee scheme.e Youth Guarantee proposes the creation of 100,000work or educational opportunities for out of work youngpeople in Scotland in which employers and Governmentshare the cost of employment. It will be designed tocomplement the UK-wide ‘Kickstarter’ scheme whichproposes support for 25 hours per week employment. eSTUC is represented on the Youth Guarantee strategicbody and intends to fully engage in the design and deliveryof the Scheme. We have however voiced concerns that thejobs proposed will not adhere to the Scottish Living Wage,as well as having continuing concerns about jobreplacement and non-union rates for the job.

Economic Recoverye General Council submitted a response to the AGER inJune and responded to its report and the Governmentresponse during July and August. Whilst welcoming someof the measures proposed, we called on Government topublish a more ambitious response. Key demandsincluded: urgently publishing proposals for the JobGuarantee Scheme; commitment to an ambitious plan forcapital investment in construction, transport and theenergy supply chain to drive green growth driven by apublic infrastructure company; boosting funding for FEand HE sectors to help drive the recovery; £2 an hour payrise for key workers; a commitment to the creation of anational care service; and increased investment in publicservices. ese demands were also reflected in ourresponse to the Programme for Government.

In late September, the General Council published ePeople’s Recovery: A Different Track for the ScottishEconomy.vi is paper combines short-term measures torebuild our economy with medium and longer-termmeasures to create a democratic and green economy and asociety in which workers and their families have fair work,decent housing and a proper safety net. It calls for afundamental rethink on the purposes of growth and theintroduction of urgent measures such as a National CareService, a green stimulus package, sectoral collectivebargaining and democratic public ownership. e reportgained support across political parties including Labourand Green Party Leaders, Richard Leonard MSP andPatrick Harvie MSP; and SNP Westminster ShadowSpokesperson on Fair Work, Chris Stephens MP.

CAMPAIGNING AND SUPPORT FORORGANISINGe key purposes of the campaign and support fororganising strategy has been to elevate STUC keypriorities, support and promote affiliate campaigns, buildcapacity to meet the challenges of the pandemic and

promote trade union membership and organising andensure an outward facing equalities dimension is loudlyheard. Alongside this, we have sought to maintain even indifferent formats key annual campaign events such asInternational Workers’ Memorial Day and May Day, aswell as responding to key developments such as theincrease in prominence of Black Lives Matter.

We acted to establish effective systems forcommunication in the adjusted work setting, includingthe transfer of some staff resources for delivery of this. Wehave established a clear public leadership profile for thenew General Secretary. Over the past 6 months, theGeneral Secretary has posted a dozen short videos on keyissues, with a recent example, promoting unionmembership exceeding 30,000 organic views.

Workers Safety, Rep Capacity and OrganisingAdditional resources were secured to provide a linkbetween the sectoral safety guidance negotiated with theScottish Government, enforcement agencies andemployers and on the ground delivery from affiliates.Early in the pandemic, a range of online guidance andsocial media short messages established the STUC as a goto agency for support. In the first week of lockdown, weprocessed hundreds of requests for support,predominantly from workers fearful of the actions ofemployers in keeping non-essential workplaces open.Where possible these enquiries were passed onto affiliates,with a significant volume also being passed to the Betterthan Zero Campaign. Short sharp tools for organisingwere produced, effective links established with MSPs andMPs who were also dealing cases and a ‘name and shame’publicity strategy pursued for the worst offendingemployers.

As Government began to contemplate a return to workfor some, political negotiation with Government securedthe publication in guidance of a discreet STUC contactpoint [email protected] and the publication of generalguidance highlighting the role of unions and advocatingthe use by non-union employers of roving health andsafety reps. We designed and promoted a new websitewww.workerssafetyscotland and including advice onorganising around health and safety, publicising our 5 redlines and creating a health and safety community of reps.We commenced a series of health and safety Webinarsalong three general themes; general information;organising in non-recognised workplaces and rovinghealth and safety reps. A triaging system was put in placeto deal with enquiries with redirection to affiliated unions,Scottish Hazards/Healthy Working Lives andSTUC/Better than Zero. A list of volunteer roving healthand safety reps was created and this was mirrored byactions among a number of affiliates who did the samething.



Off the back of particular concerns relating to CallCentre Safety, we supported the production anddissemination of a questionnaire and special report on callcentres which sparked the creation of the Call CentreCollective, initiated by the CWU and Better than Zero, butwith the ambition of involving all affiliates withmembership in call centres and promoting a consolidatedcross-affiliate organising response.

Key Workers and Key Worker PayA media and social media strategy was devised to promotethe key demand of £2 for key workers and a £10 MinimumWage for all. is was supported by range of videoshighlighting the heroism of key workers and a campaign toelevate our messages around the applause for key workerweekly events. Although the key worker video project wasless effective than hoped for, it provided the basis for arange of online events and sparked similar projects whichare continuing. We also promoted the campaignsundertaken by various affiliates over key worker paythrough regular social media interventions.

Support for OrganisingIn late February, the last physical event held by the STUCwas an Organising Conference in Glasgow. is wasattended by 80 organisers, officers and senior lay reps.

Precarious WorkersAs outlined earlier in this Report, a high proportion of theenquiries we have received were from workers inprecarious employment situations and were concerned atsafety or financial support or both. In addition to elevatingthe key demands on safety guidance and workers support,workers were referred to affiliates for support or givenorganising advice from Better than Zero. Alongsidepressing for further detail and closing the loopholes withinthe Job Retention Scheme, the priority was established ofpushing hard publicly for a scheme to protect the self-employed, both in support of self-employed unionmembers and for the benefit of the wider economy. Again,guidance was published quickly aer the scheme wasannounced and the STUC’s position received similar levelsof public attention as on safety issues. e Better than ZeroCampaign has continued to work as a discreet entity butwith a high degree of cross-over with the generalcampaigning work of the STUC. All the key issuesprioritised by the STUC have also been those addressed bythe Campaign. e Campaign has received an incrediblyhigh volume of enquiries from workers in non-unionisedworkplaces. It has also multiplied its social media imprint,including reaching over a million impressions onFacebook over a two-week period. e Campaign’sstrategy, in the face of hundreds of contacts from workers,has been to encourage workers to act together throughusing communications platforms such as WhatsApp and

to make collective written approaches to employers inrelation to the two priority areas of safety and employmentretention/pay. Two notable successes were that of the‘Silverburn Suffragettes’ (as coined by the Herald) whosuccessfully fought off their employers attempts to changetheir contacts to Zero Hours and were featured along withBetter than Zero on Good Morning Scotland and Coia’scafé workers who received similar media attentionfollowing their win. e STUC also highlighted in a majorSunday news feature the role of public sector contractors infailing to secure the jobs of agency workers.

When the furlough scheme was announced, Better thanZero was struggling with hundreds of enquiries. At thispoint, capacity was developed through EdinburghUniversity Covid Rapid Response Fund to support aproject looking at the relationship between COVID-19 andorganising strategies in precarious work.

Unions into Schoolse coronavirus crisis has forced Unions into Schools toadapt to delivering sessions online and develop an entirelydigital session plan as physical visits to schools areprohibited whilst schools settle back to some form ofnormality. is is an opportunity for reps who are usuallybound geographically to have a chance to deliver sessions,and for schools to have more flexibility with dates as thereare no travel commitments for reps. Planning time withschools and reps has increased but reps/affiliate unionshave continued to participate in STUC Unions intoSchools and reps are adapting skills with STUC mentoringto enable continued support for Scottish school pupils.STUC and Unions into Schools has been busy liaising withschools, we have had contact with a wide range of schoolsabout delivering sessions online and possibly in person atlater stages aer an online introduction session.

Economy Series WebinarsAlongside the response to the immediate threats to safety,income and jobs, the General Council organised a series offive Webinars exploring key elements of what a trade unionrecovery should look like.

Beginning on 1st July and running to 29th July, we werejoined by leading economists and trade unionists todiscuss how to rebuild our economy to improve workerslives and the planet. e subjects covered were: A JustGreen Recovery?, Community Wealth Building,Democratic Public Ownership, Paying for Coronavirusand Social Security and the Labour Market. e Webinarsattracted fairly large and diverse audiences and areavailable to listen to again at http://www.stuc.org.uk/policy/seminar-series-catch-up-on-previous-events. eoutcomes of the Webinars played a role informing thepolicy document e People’s Recovery: A different trackfor the Scottish Economy published at the end ofSeptember.



Equalities WebinarsDuring September and October, we organised andpromoted four COVID-19 themed Webinars relating tothe impact of the virus and the Government response onequality strands. ese are detailed in the EqualitiesSection of this Report.

Trades Union Councils and Local ActionTrades Union Councils were able to operate at differentlevels of activity during the first months of the crisis.Edinburgh TUC maintained a series of regular meetings todiscuss local responses and put pressure on the CityCouncil and other key agencies. Glasgow Trades UnionCouncil also met regularly and through the GeneralCouncil achieved representation on the Glasgow CityCouncil Recovery Group as well as running a number ofhigh-profile activities. e STUC supported a GlasgowTUC live Webinar in conjunction with Keep GlasgowMoving on free public transport. A range of other TradesUnion Councils, including Dundee, Aberdeen, North andSouth Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Moray, madeinterventions in debate around the response to COVID-19. More still were present in the local media and socialmedia supporting STUC and affiliate campaigns.

International Workers’ Memorial Day 28th AprilTrades Union Councils were for the most part unable tohold their normal events, but came up with a range ofinnovative ways to mark the event, including smallceremonies and online events. e STUC held an onlineInternational Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD) eventfeaturing a short thirty-minute online ceremony Chairedby STUC Vice-President, Mary Senior, with speakers:Jackson Cullinane, STUC President and Unite; ScottDonohoe, UNISON and Scottish Hazards; Ross McArthur,GMB; and Louise Taggart, Families Against CorporateKilling. e event finished with the one minute’s silence forworkers who have lost their lives caring for others duringthe coronavirus crisis. An important part of thecommunications strategy was to raise awareness thatIWMD takes place every year and that death and injury atwork is a regular occurrence. Clearly though additionalpoignancy and focus was attached to this year’s event. e

event and our key messages receivedsignificant media and social media focus.Two hundred trade unionists watched theevent through Zoom, but it attracted a farwider audience on the STUC Facebookpage with over 2,000 viewing the event liveand a further 2,500 watching the recordedevent.

May DayWe organised a Scotland-wide online MayDay event on 1st May with three

subsequent events being held by Glasgow Trades UnionCouncil, Dundee and Aberdeen Trades Union Councilsand by Edinburgh and the Lothians Trades UnionCouncils. STUC Vice-President, Mary Senior, was a guestspeaker at the latter. e Scotland-wide event featuredcontributions from Valentina Cappelleti of CGILLombardia, solidarity messages to the STUC from Cubantrade union leaders, musical performance, a film by Betterthan Zero and a keynote address from Roz Foyer. eevent was Chaired by Jennifer McCarey of Glasgow TradesUnion Council. e event was watched live by around2,500 people with a further 2,000 watching the recording.ree excellent events were then held by the Trades UnionCouncils with a focus on the voices of frontline workersbut also widened to include community and campaignorganisations and messages of international solidarity. eSecretariat provided technical and logistical support forboth the Glasgow and north east Scotland events.

Black Lives MatterIn response to the death of George Floyd and the protestsacross the US and the world, at 48 hours-notice, the STUCorganised a VIRTUAL PROTEST & RALLY on Sunday 7thJune. e event was live streamed to the STUC FacebookPage and was Chaired by Gozie Joe Adigwe of the STUCBlack Workers’ Committee. Speakers at the event wereKadie Johnson, Sister of Sheku Bayoh; Aamer Anwar,Lawyer for the Sheku Bayoh Family; Cllr GrahamCampbell, SNP NEC BAME Convener; Usman Ali, Chair,STUC Black Workers’ Committee; Anas Sarwar MSP;Hannah Lavery, Playwright; Kirsten Oswald MP; and

Rozanne Foyer, STUC General Secretary Designate. Incalling for support for the event Rozanne Foyer said:

“e events over the past weeks have shone a light not onlyupon the ingrained racism in the US, but across the world,not least in Scotland and the UK. e STUC fullyunderstands the depth of anger and desire to show solidaritythat is moving people to attend the physical rally in GlasgowGreen on Sunday. However, given the threat to ourcommunities of coronavirus, we cannot in all conscienceadvise people to attend that event. A fresh light has beenshone on the death and injury of black and minority ethnicpeople in the Scottish and UK justice systems. It is a violent



and sickening symptom of a deeper and wider problem whichposes questions for all of our institutions. ese are questionsthat the STUC Black Workers’ Committee has consistentlysought to address, but all too oen their voices and the voicesof all black workers in Scotland have not been heard. eimperative to recognise our own privilege and challengeourselves at this time extends to the trade union movement.is moment demands that we never be satisfied with ourresponses thus far. It is our duty to ensure that what ishappening now is not just a moment of anger and solidarity.Rather our duty is to make this a beginning of anexamination of our response to racism and our commitmentto stamp it out. e STUC begins that process, followingconsultation with BAME trade unionists and other activists,by recommitting to the Justice for Sheku Bayoh Campaign.Sheku’s family have fought for justice for over five years. Eachand every one of us has a duty to right that wrong. In rightingthat wrong we can begin a journey to challenging a thousandinjustices and rooting out the deep-seated racism within oursociety.”

Scottish Pensioners’ Forume Scottish Pensioners’ Forum (SPF) has redoubled itscampaigning efforts on behalf of older people includingthe Free TV Licence for All Over 75 campaign. Along withtheir Older People's Strategic Action Forum (OPSAF)colleagues in Age Scotland, the SPF called on the Ministerfor Equalities and Older People, Christina McKelvie MSP,to throw her support behind our campaign.

e Triple Lock continues to hit the headlines and theSPF are preparing for another potential attack on StatePension provision.

Due to the continued guidelines on social distancingset out by the Scottish Government, the ScottishPensioners’ Forum hosted an online event to helpcelebrate UN International Day of Older Persons onursday 1st October. It also hosted an event as part ofthe Challenge Poverty Week on 7th October.

Footnotesi http://www.stuc.org.uk/files/Policy/Research-papers/Renewable_Jobs_Crisis_COVID-19.pdf ii http://www.stuc.org.uk/files/Scotland_Report.pdfiii http://www.stuc.org.uk/files/Policy/Research-papers/precarityreport.pdfiv http://www.stuc.org.uk/policy/recent-consultationsv https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-fair-work-statement/vi http://www.stuc.org.uk/files/Policy/Research-papers/peoples-recovery-full.pdf


| 55

Draft Order of Business

TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER 202010.00 am – 4.30 pm

SESSIONS OF CONGRESS

Tuesday: Assemble at 10.00 amAdjourn at 12.15 pmReassemble at 1.05 pmAdjourn at 4.30 pm(Scheduled Breaks: 11.05 am – 11.25 am; 2.30 pm – 2.45 pm; 3.25 pm – 3.40 pm)

9.45 am – 10.00 aml STUC campaign videos

10.00 am – 10.25 am l Address to Congress: Jackson Cullinane, STUC President

l Vote of Thanks: Pat Rafferty, Scottish Secretary,Unite the Union

l SOC Report: Willie Docherty, Chair, SOCl Endorsement of Tellersl Obituary

10.25 am – 10.35 aml Private Sessionl Presentation of Financial Statement: Pat Rafferty, STUC Treasurer

l Contributions from the floor on the FinancialStatement

10.35 am – 10.50 am l Video: STUC Union Reps Award Winners l Video: Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP, First Minister

10.50 am – 11.05 am l Presentation of General Council Report: Rozanne Foyer, STUC General Secretary

11.05 am – 11.25 aml Comfort Break and video

11.25 am – 12.05 pml Contributions from the Floor on the GeneralCouncil Report

l General Council Responsel Endorsement of General Council Report andFinancial Statement

l Announcement of Election Results

12.05 pm – 12.15 pml Video: Richard Leonard MSP, Leader, ScottishLabour Party

12.15 pm – 1.05 pml Lunch Break

1.05 pm – 1.45 pml Presentation of Special General CouncilStatement

1.45 pm – 2.00 pml STUC campaign video

2.00 pm – 2.30 pml Debate Session: Response to the Crisis

2.30 pm – 2.45 pml Comfort Break

2.45 pm – 2.50 pm l STUC campaign video

2.50 pm – 3.20 pm l Debate Session: The People’s Recovery

3.20 pm – 3.25 pm l STUC campaign video

3.25 pm – 3.40 pm l Comfort Break

3.40 pm – 4.10 pm l Debate Session: A Scotland Fit for the Futurel Vote on General Council Special Statement

4.10 pm – 4.30 pml Vote of Thanks & Close of Congress


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| 57

List of Delegates

ACCORD*G Nichols(1 male / 0 female)

Aegis the Union*S Easson(0 male / 1 female)

Associated Society ofLocomotive Engineers andFiremenJ BaxterD Lappin*K LindsayG Mitchell (4 male / 0 female)

Bakers, Food and AlliedWorkers’ Union*M McHugh(1 male / 0 female)

British Dietetic Association*V BennettS FevreS Keir(2 male / 1 female)

Chartered Society ofPhysiotherapy *C CraigF McKellerP McNally (0 male / 3 female)

Communication Workers’UnionH GaffneyS HartlesL MacAskill*P RourkeP Shears(3 male / 2 female)

CommunityP Abernathy*R ClarkS McGregorS McGurkR Mooney (4 male / 1 female)

Educational Institute ofScotlandN AndersonA BamfordD BelseyA BradleyE BurnsF CurranM DolanN FisherL FlanaganH Hughes

H KilgourD MatthewM McClureK MohammedS QuinnJ RussellS SorleyA Thornton*C Thorpe(7 male / 12 female)

Equity*A AdnyanaN GersonS LagoK McCallS McCardie(2 male / 3 female)

FDA *A Sampson(1 male / 0 female)

Fire Brigades UnionB Cameron*D ChristieS HartC McGloneI MurrayM Wrack(4 male / 2 female)

GMB P BreslinB CarsonJ Dolan*A DrylieM FinnJ LennoxC MurphyD SmithG SmithD Walker (6 male / 4 female)

Hospital Consultants andSpecialists Association*P Paxton(0 male / 1 female)

Musicians' UnionD BhachuG Campbell*R Noakes (2 male / 1 female)

NASUWTH AuldS BrownP CurrieN JamesT LillisAN Other*J PeckhamK RaeburnD Wapplington(4 male / 4 female)

National Union of Journalists C Sawers*J Toner (1 male / 1 female)

National Union of Rail,Maritime & Transport WorkersM BoyleG BuchananM CashC DaleM DuncanD HaineyT HendersonA JossJ KirbyR MachanziG Martin*J MolloyM NothardAN OtherAN OtherAN OtherAN OtherM RodgersG WallaceR Wyness(13 male / 3 female)

Nautilus International*M Smyth(1 male / 0 female)

POAJ DevineK Ewen*P Fairlie J McCabe(3 male / 1 female)

ProspectM ClancyL DavidsonS DicksonC GallK GilesG GrahamK HamiltonR HardyS HughesG KilgourD McGillD NasilowskiAN OtherS OwsnettM SaundersK SossvilleJ SwaneyM Wilson (9 male / 8 female)

Public & Commercial ServicesUnionC BoydS EdwardsJ Green*F HeathcoteL HendersonS KingL McGacheyT RiachM Serwotka(1 male / 8 female)

Scottish Artists’ Union*L GrahamF Mwakutuya Hamburgh J Nicoll(0 male / 3 female)

Scottish Secondary Teachers’Association F DalzielJ GuidiC Nicol *S Searson(2 male / 2 female)`

Society of RadiographersAN OtherY Stewart(0 male / 1 female)

The College of PodiatryA HancockR Little*G Pirie (1 male / 2 female)

The Royal College of Midwives*K Jackson(0 male / 1 female)



Transport Salaried Staffs’Association *M Hartley(1 male / 0 female)

Union of Shop, Distributive &Allied WorkersL BarrN Donaldson*S ForrestS FultonT GilbertP HerschellJ HessionW KeoghR KillinP LillisD McCrossenJ McFadyenS McKeanJ McKenzieA MurphyR VentonD WatsonF Wilson (11 male / 7 female)

UNISON B AitchisonC Blaize-LacailleW DochertyP Hunter*M KirbyL MacerT MakedengeK RamsdenD Rankin(3 male / 6 female)

Unite the UnionM AlexanderA BarclayH BeckettS BlackburnC BowenJ BrownE CairnsG CairnsE CassionJ CullinaneK CurrieC DavieJ DeighanE DougallS DougallS DoyleH GilfillanJ GillespieM GrayE HopeP HughesM InnesS JohnstonA KennedyR LieserJ MannL McCluskeyH McFarlaneD McKenzieG McNabT MitchellP MooneyA Murray

J NeilJ Pollock*P RaffertyM RiceB RobertsonL RobertsonD SmithS StewartP StewartI SutherlandS TaylorR TobiasA TolmieC WalkerA WilsonM Wood T Woodhouse (30 male / 20 female)

University & College UnionScotlandD ChalmersA GowM HershM MathesonC MorelliJ RichardsK SangV SantayanaE Scandrett*M SeniorA SwinneyL Wanggren(5 male / 6 female / 1 non-binary)

TRADES UNION COUNCILS

Aberdeen Trades UnionCouncil*S Brydon(1 male / 0 female)

Clydebank Trades UnionCouncilJ Cassidy H Maguiness*T Morrison(2 male / 1 female)

Cumbernauld & Kilsyth TradesUnion Council*A LockeE WattsW Wheatley (1 male / 2 female)

Dumfries Trades UnionCouncil*J DennisI Gasse(2 male / 0 female)

Dundee Trades Union Council *M ArnottS FairweatherJ Malone(3 male / 0 female)

Edinburgh Trades UnionCouncil*D LoughneyC SimonS West(2 male / 1 female)

Falkirk Trades Union CouncilG Clark*C FinlayM PatersonI Peattie(4 male / 0 female)

Fife Trades Union Council*T Kirby(1 male / 0 female)

Glasgow Trades UnionCouncilS Graham*J McCareyT Queen ( 2 male / 1 female)

Irvine & North Ayrshire TradesUnion CouncilJ Gibson*J McDaid(1 male / 1 female)

Kilmarnock & Loudoun TradesUnion CouncilAN OtherP Mabon*A West(2 male / 0 female)

Midlothian Trades UnionCouncil*P MoonieR Paterson(2 male / 0 female)

North Lanarkshire TradesUnion Council*J Stark(1 male / 0 female)

Paisley and District TradesUnion CouncilC Mack*R ParkerK Patterson(2 male / 1 female)

South Lanarkshire and EastKilbride Trades Union Council*J ClarkH MarshallJ Morris(2 male / 1 female)

Thurso and Wick Trades UnionCouncil*D AlexanderD Milnes(2 male / 0 female)

STUC CONFERENCES

BLACK WORKERS K Adensia *G Adigwe U AliL HillS Ner(2 male / 3 female)

DISABLED WORKERSP Duffy*S Sweeney (1 male / 1 female)

LGBT+ WORKERS*J Douglas S Gorman-CochraneS Wakelam-Munro(2 male / 1 female)

YOUNG WORKERSS RooneyK Scott(1 male / 1 female)

* Leader of Delegation


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60 |

STUC Affiliates by Section and MembershipIncluding total membership and percentage women’s membership

The following Trades Unions (39) and Trades Union Councils (20) have affiliated to the Scottish Trades UnionCongress for the year 2020/21. The total affiliated membership is 544,553.

SECTION A Members % Women MembersAccord 3,976 69Aegis the Union 1,501 55Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen 1,866 0.04Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union 416 38BALPA 250 10Community 2,460 33.2Equity 2,906 53.6GMB 51,000 49.95Musicians’ Union 2,364 32.78National Association of Racing Staff 189 -National Union of Journalists 1,805 38.89National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers 10,100 15Nautilus International 3,239 3.18NUM (Scotland Area) 25 -Scottish Artists Union 1,519 76.3Scottish Society of Playwrights 138 53Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association 1,500 32Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers 41,635 56.58Unite the Union 135,500United Road Transport Union 501 -

SECTION BAssociation of Educational Psychologists 25 84British and Irish Orthoptic Society 88 97British Dietetic Association 1,191 95Chartered Society of Physiotherapy 2,582 89.9Communication Workers’ Union 16,318 18.64Educational Institute of Scotland 55,149 77.1FDA 1,405 59Fire Brigades Union 4,387 9.3Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association 119 39.5NASUWT 6,967 74.7Prison Officers’ Association Scotland 3,024 30Prospect 12,560 35.1Public and Commercial Services Union 22,183 60Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association 6,021 64.5Society of Radiographers 2,249 88The College of Podiatry 1,019 82The Royal College of Midwives 3,933 99.8UNISON 133,500 72University and College Union Scotland 8,943 50.2



SECTION C – TRADES UNION COUNCILSAberdeen Trades Union Council Clydebank Trades Union CouncilCumbernauld and Kilsyth District Trades Union CouncilDumfries and District Trades Union CouncilDundee Trades Union CouncilEdinburgh Trades Union CouncilFalkirk Trades Union CouncilFife Trades Union CouncilGlasgow Trades Union CouncilGreenock and District Trades Union CouncilInverness and District Trades Union Council

Irvine and North Ayrshire Trades Union CouncilKilmarnock and Loudoun Trades Union CouncilMidlothian Trades Union CouncilMoray Trades Union CouncilNorth Lanarkshire Trades Union CouncilPaisley and District Trades Union CouncilSouth Lanarkshire and East Kilbride Trades UnionCouncilThurso and Wick Trades Union CouncilWest Lothian Trades Union Council


62 |

Nominations for STUC General Council andStanding Orders Committee for 2020/21

NOMINATIONS FOR THE GENERAL COUNCILFOR 2020/21Section A - Trade Union Places - NO CONTEST14 places – 14 nominees (8 male nominees, 6 womennominees) - 6 places reserved for women nominees receivingthe highest vote.e following are elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:CULLINANE, JACKSON Unite the UnionDOLAN, JOHN GMB ScotlandDOUGALL, ELAINE Unite the UnionDRYLIE, ANNETTE GMB ScotlandFORREST, STEWART Union of Shop,

Distributive and Allied Workers

GERSON, NATASHA EquityGILLESPIE, JOHN Unite the UnionHESSION, JEAN Union of Shop,

Distributive and Allied Workers

MOLLOY, JAKE National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers

NOAKES, RAB Musicians’ UnionRAFFERTY, PAT Unite the UnionSMITH, GARY GMB ScotlandSUTHERLAND, ISABELLA Unite the UnionWOOD, MARGARET Unite the Union

SECTION B - Trade Union Places - NO CONTEST14 places – 14 nominees (5 male nominees, 9 womennominees) - 6 places reserved for women nominees receivingthe highest vote.e following are elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:AITCHISON, BRENDA UNISONCHRISTIE, DENISE Fire Brigades UnionFISHER, NICOLA Educational Institute

of ScotlandFLANAGAN, LARRY Educational Institute

of ScotlandHARDY, RICHARD Prospect

HENDERSON, LYNN Public and Commercial Services Union

HUNTER, PETER UNISONKIRBY, MIKE UNISONMACER, LILIAN UNISONPECKHAM, JANE NASUWTQUINN, SUSAN Educational Institute

of ScotlandROURKE, PAULINE Communication

Workers’ UnionSEARSON, SEAMUS Scottish Secondary

Teachers’ AssociationSENIOR, MARY University and

College Union Scotland

Section C – Trades Union Council Reserved PlacesOpen Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:ARNOTT, MIKE Dundee Trades Union Council

Woman’s Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:McCAREY, JENNIFER Glasgow Trades Union

Council

Section D – Young Workers’ Reserved PlacesOpen Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:SCOTT, KYLE Annual STUC Youth

Conference

Woman’s Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:HORN, MORGAN Annual STUC Youth

Conference



Section E – Black Workers’ Reserved PlacesOpen Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:NER, SATNAM Annual STUC Black Workers’

Conference

Woman’s Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:HILL, LAYLA-ROXANNE Annual STUC Black Workers’

Conference

Section F – Disabled Workers’ Reserved PlacesOpen Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:MOONEY, ROBERT Community

Woman’s Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:SWEENEY, SHARON Annual STUC Disabled

Workers’ Conference

Section G – LGBT+ Workers’ Reserved PlacesOpen Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:WAKELAM-MUNRO, Annual STUC LGBT+STEWART Workers’ Conference

Woman’s Place – 1 place – 1 nominee – NO CONTESTe following is elected to the General Council for 2020/2021:DOUGLAS, JENNY Annual STUC LGBT+

Workers’ Conference

NOMINATIONS FOR STANDING ORDERSCOMMITTEE FOR 2020/213 places – 3 nominees – NO CONTESTe following are elected to the Standing Orders Committeefor 2020/21:ALEXANDER, MARY Unite the UnionDOCHERTY, WILLIE UNISONWALKER, DUNCAN GMB Scotland

are proud to support the STUC with the transportation ofmaterial to its Annual Congress and Equality Conferences


64 |

Affiliated Organisations

AccordGeneral Secretary –Ged NicholsSimmons House, 46 Old Bath Road, Charvil, Reading RG10 9QRTel: 01189 341808Email: [email protected]: www.accord-myunion.org

Aegis the UnionGeneral Secretary –Brian LinnAegis Office, Aegon, Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh EH12 9SETel: 0131 549 5665 Tel: 07718 122850Email: [email protected]: www.aegistheunion.co.uk

Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF)General Secretary –Mick Whelan77 St John Street, London EC1M 4NNTel: 0207 324 2400Email: [email protected]: www.aslef.org.uk

District Organiser #2–Kevin Lindsay59 Kirkfield View, Livingston Village, Livingston EH54 7BS Tel: 07789 276746Email: [email protected]

Association of Educational PsychologistsGeneral Secretary –Kate Fallon4 The Riverside Centre, Frankland Lane, Durham DH1 5TATel: 0191 384 9512Email: [email protected]: www.aep.org.uk

Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union (BFAWU)General Secretary –Ronnie DraperStanborough House, Great North Road, Welwyn Garden City,Herts AL8 7TATel: 01707 260150Email: [email protected]: www.bfawu.org

Regional Officer –Mark McHugh10 Greenside, Pudsey, West Yorks LS28 8PUTel: 01132 565925Email: [email protected]

BALPAGeneral Secretary –Brian StruttonBALPA House, 5 Heathrow Boulevard, 278 Bath Road, WestDrayton UB7 0DQTel: 0208 476 4000Email: [email protected]: www.balpa.org

British and Irish Orthoptic Society National Advisor –Samantha Aitkenhead3rd Floor, Interchange Place, 151-165 Edmund Street, BirminghamB3 2TATel: 0121 728 5633Email: [email protected]: www.orthoptics.org.uk

British Dietetic AssociationGeneral Secretary –Andy Burman3rd Floor, Interchange Place, 151-165 Edmund Street, BirminghamB3 2TATel: 0121 200 8021Email: [email protected]: www.bda.uk.com

Chartered Society of PhysiotherapyGeneral Secretary – Claire Sullivan14 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4EDTel: 0207 306 6666Email: [email protected]: www.csp.org.uk

Senior Negotiating Officers – Claire Ronald / Julie Collinsc/o Spaces, One Lochrin Square, 2 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh EH39QATel: 0131 226 1441Email: [email protected]

Communication Workers’ Union (CWU)General Secretary –Dave Ward150 The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1RXTel: 0208 971 7200Email: [email protected]: www.cwu.org

Regional Secretary –Craig AndersonCWU Office, PP2ADH, BT Dial House, 57 Bishop Street, GlasgowG3 8UETel: 0141 220 7642Mob: 07701 397348Email: [email protected]

Community General Secretary –Roy Rickhuss465c Caledonian Road, London N7 9GXTel: 0207 420 4000Email: [email protected]: www.community-tu.org

Regional Secretary – Steve Farrell183 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5QDTel: 01698 304567Email: [email protected]

Educational Institute of Scotland General Secretary –Larry Flanagan46-48 Moray Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BH

Tel: 0131 225 6244Email: [email protected]: www.eis.org.uk



Equity General Secretary – Christine Payne Guild House, Upper St. Martin’s Lane, London WC2H 9EGTel: 0207 379 6000Email: [email protected]: www.equity.org.uk

Scotland and Northern Ireland – 4th Floor, Cambridge House, 8 Cambridge Street, Glasgow G2 3DZTel: 0141 248 2472Email: [email protected]

FDAGeneral Secretary –Dave PenmanCentenary House, 93-95 Borough High Street, London SE1 1NLTel: 0207 401 5555

National Officer –Allan SampsonFDA Scotland, 46 Moray Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BHTel: 0131 226 4708Email: [email protected]: www.fda.org.uk

Fire Brigades UnionGeneral Secretary –Matt WrackBradley House, 68 Coombe Road, Kingston upon Thames, SurreyKT2 7AETel: 0208 541 1765Web: www.fbu.org.uk

Secretary – Denise Christie4th Floor, 52 St. Enoch Square, Glasgow G1 4AATel: 0141 221 2309Email: [email protected]: www.fbuscotland.org.uk

GMBGeneral Secretary –Tim RoacheMary Turner House, 22 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HDTel: 0207 391 6700Email: [email protected]: www.gmb.org.uk

Scottish Secretary – Gary SmithFountain House, 1/3 Woodside Crescent, Glasgow G3 7UJTel: 0141 332 8641Email: [email protected]: www.gmbscotland.org.uk

Hospital Consultants and Specialists AssociationGeneral Secretary –Joe Chattin1 Kingsclere Road, Overton, Basingstoke RG25 3JATel: 01256 771777Email: [email protected]: www.hcsa.com

Musicians’ UnionGeneral Secretary –Horace Trubridge60-62 Clapham Road, London SW9 0JJTel: 0207 840 5502Web: www.themu.org

Scotland Organiser – Caroline Sewell2 Woodside Place, Glasgow G3 7QFTel: 0141 341 2960Email: [email protected]

NASUWTGeneral Secretary –Ms Chris KeatesHillscourt, Rose Hill, Rednal, Birmingham B45 8RSTel: 0121 453 6150Email: [email protected]: www.nasuwt.org.uk

National Official Scotland –Jane Peckham35 Young Street North Lane, Edinburgh EH2 4JDTel: 0131 226 8480Email: [email protected]

National Association of Racing StaffChief Executive -George McGrathThe Racing Centre, Fred Archer Way, Newmarket CB8 8NTTel 01638 663411Email: [email protected]: www.naors.co.uk

National Union of JournalistsGeneral Secretary - Michelle StanistreetHeadland House, 72 Acton Street, London WC1X 9NBTel: 0207 843 3700Email: [email protected]: www.nuj.org.uk

National Organiser - John Toner2nd Floor, 177 West George Street, Glasgow G2 2LBTel: 0141 251 0360Email: [email protected]

National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT)General Secretary –Mick CashUnity House, 39 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JDTel: 0207 387 4771 Email: [email protected]: www.rmt.org.uk

Regional Organiser –Jake Molloy180 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 2UETel: 01224 582688Email: [email protected]

Nautilus International General Secretary – Anthony Mark Dickinson1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E181BDTel: 0208 989 6677Email: [email protected]: www.nautilusint.org

NUM (Scotland Area)President / General Secretary –Nicolas WilsonScottish Mining Trust, Blair Castle, Culross, Fife KY12 8JWTel: 01383 882158Email: [email protected]

POA ScotlandGeneral Secretary –Steve GillanCronin House, 245 Church Street, Edmonton, London N9 9HWTel: 0208 803 0255

Assistant General Secretary –Phil Fairlie21 Calder Road, Edinburgh EH11 3PFTel: 0131 443 8105Email: [email protected]: www.poauk.org.uk



Prospect General Secretary – Mike ClancyNew Prospect House, 8 Leake Street, London SE1 7NNTel: 0207 902 2254Email: [email protected]: www.prospect.org.uk

National Secretary –Richard HardySuite G1, Cairncross House, 25 Union Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LRTel: 0131 558 2660Email: [email protected]

Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)General Secretary –Mark Serwotka160 Falcon Road, London SW11 2LNTel: 0207 924 2727Email: [email protected]: www.pcs.org.uk

National Officer – Lynn Henderson145 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 2SGTel: 0141 225 5150Email: [email protected]: www.pcs.org.uk/scotland

Scottish Artists UnionPresident –Lynda GrahamOffice 231, The Briggait, 141 Bridgegate, Glasgow G1 5HZTel: 0141 559 4999Email: [email protected]: www.artistsunion.scot

Scottish Secondary Teachers’ AssociationGeneral Secretary –Seamus SearsonWest End House, 14 West End Place, Edinburgh EH11 2EDTel: 0131 313 7300Email: [email protected]: www.ssta.org.uk

Scottish Society of PlaywrightsCo-Chairs –Linda McLaughlin / John McCannCCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JDEmail: [email protected]: www.scottishsocietyofplaywrights.co.uk

Society of RadiographersGeneral Secretary –Richard EvansScottish Regional Officer (Acting) – Tony Axon 207 Providence Square, Mill Street, London SE1 2EWTel: 0207 740 7200Email: [email protected]: [email protected]: www.sor.org

The College of Podiatry General Secretary –Steve JamiesonScottish Employment Relations Officer – Graham PirieQuartz House, 207 Providence Square, Mill Street, London SE12EWTel: 0207 234 8620Email: [email protected]: [email protected]: www.cop.org.uk

The Royal College of MidwivesGeneral Secretary –Gill Walton15 Mansfield Street, London W1G 9NHTel: 0300 303 0444Email: [email protected]: www.rcm.org.uk

RCM Director for Scotland –Dr Mary Ross-Davie37 Frederick Street, Edinburgh EH2 1EPTel: 0300 303 0444Email: [email protected]

Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA)General Secretary –Manuel CortesWalkden House, 16-17 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4SQTel: 0207 387 2101

Scottish Officer –180 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 2UETel: 0207 387 8316Email: [email protected]: [email protected]: www.tssa.org.uk

Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW)General Secretary –Paddy Lillis188 Wilmslow Road, Manchester M14 6LJTel: 0161 224 2804 Email: [email protected]: www.usdaw.org.uk

Divisional Officer –Stewart ForrestMuirfield, 342 Albert Drive, Glasgow G41 5PGTel: 0141 427 6561Email: [email protected]

UNISONGeneral Secretary –Dave PrentisUNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London NW1 2AYTel: 0207 121 5301Email: [email protected]: www.unison.org.uk

Scottish Secretary –Mike KirbyUNISON House, 14 West Campbell Street, Glasgow G2 6RXTel: 0141 342 2816Email: [email protected]: www.unison-scotland.org.uk

Unite the UnionGeneral Secretary –Len McCluskey128 Theobalds Road, Holborn, London WC1X 8TN Tel: 0207 611 2000

Regional Secretary –Pat RaffertyJohn Smith House, 145-165 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 4RZ Tel: 0141 404 5424Email: [email protected] Web: www.unitetheunion.org

United Road Transport UnionGeneral Secretary –Robert F Monks‘Almond House’, Oak Green, Stanley Green Business Park, CheadleHulme SK8 6QLTel: 0161 486 2100Email: [email protected]: www.urtu.com



Regional Officer –Neil Hunter3 Spinney Terrace, Walker, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE6 4JDTel: 07876 594524Email: [email protected]

University and C ollege UnionGeneral Secretary - Jo GradyCarlow Street, London NW1 7LHTel: 0207 756 2500Web: www.ucu.org.uk

Scotland Official –Mary Senior4th Floor, Ingram House, 227 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1DATel: 0141 225 8160Email: [email protected]: www.ucu.org.uk/scotland

TRADES UNION COUNCILS

Aberdeen Fiona Napier38 Baxter Street, Aberdeen AB11 9QETel: 07834 772435Email: [email protected]

ClydebankThomas Morrison105 Alderman Road, Glasgow G13 3BPTel: 07986 706290Email: [email protected]

Cumbernauld and Kilsyth DistrictJohn Miller7B Mossgiel Road, Kildrum, Cumbernauld G67 2EZTel: 07913 225999Email: [email protected]

Dumfries and DistrictJohn Dennis31 Glencaple Avenue, Dumfries DG1 4SHTel: 01387 261590 Email: [email protected]

DundeeMike Arnott141 Yarrow Terrace, Dundee DD2 4DYTel: 07951 443656Email: [email protected]

EdinburghDes Loughneyc/o Unite, 22 York Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EPTel: 0131 556 3006Email: [email protected]

FalkirkDuncan McCallum6 Dochart Crescent, Polmont, Stirlingshire FK2 0RETel: 01324 712185Mobile: 07913 608784Email: [email protected]

FifeAnnette Drylie170 Cocklaw Street, Kelty, Fife KY4 0DHTel: 07717 215348Email: [email protected]

GlasgowPatricia Donnellyc/o STUC, Red Tree Business Unit, Suite 11, 1st Floor, 24 StonelawRoadRutherglen, Glasgow G73 3TWTel:07900 318380Email: [email protected]

Greenock and DistrictEdward Macdonaldc/o IAERC, The Westburn Centre, 175 Dalrymple Street, GreenockPA15 1JZ

Tel: 01475 888039Email: [email protected]

Inverness and DistrictKen MacMillanTigh Beag, Easter Tulloch, By Nethybridge, Inverness-shire PH253EFTel: 01479 831335Email: [email protected]

Irvine and North AyrshireCatriona Mulhern3 Plann Square, Knockentiber KA2 0EDMobile: 07973 548875Email: [email protected]

Kilmarnock and LoudounArthur West16 Annandale Way, Irvine KA11 1RATel: 07826 127759Email: [email protected]

MidlothianRab Paterson34 De Quincey Road, Lasswade, Midlothian EH18 1DGTel: 0131 663 4011Email: [email protected]

MorayBarry Jarvis14 North Street, Bishopmill, Elgin IV30 4EFTel: 07811 785817Email: [email protected]

North LanarkshireDavid Hainey3 Ellisland Wynd, Newarthill, Motherwell ML1 5HFTel: 07920 521076Email: [email protected]

Paisley and DistrictBrenda Aitchison38 Raeburn Avenue, Paisley PA1 1SZTel: 07734 595139Email: [email protected]

South Lanarkshire and East Kilbride Jason Clark13 Hope Road, Kirkmuirhill ML11 9QYTel: 07384 907569Email: [email protected]

Thurso and WickJohn Deighan3 Millers Terrace, Thurso, Caithness KW14 8AYTel: 01847 893438Email: [email protected]

West LothianJim Swan44 Gareloch Way, Whitburn, West Lothian EH47 0RRTel: 01501 743140Email: [email protected]


68 |

APPENDIX

General Council Meetings

General Council Possible ActualMember Attendance AttendanceJackson Cullinane 12 12Mary Senior 12 11Pat Rafferty 12 7Brenda Aitchison 12 9Eileen Allardyce 12 2Mike Arnott 12 7Denise Christie 12 8John Dolan 12 8Annette Drylie 12 11Maria Feeney 12 8Nicola Fisher 12 8Larry Flanagan 12 8Daniel Forrest 12 1Stewart Forrest 12 9Rozanne Foyer 12 9Natasha Gerson 12 1John Gillespie 12 10Richard Hardy 12 12Lynn Henderson 12 11

General Council Possible ActualMember Attendance AttendanceJean Hession 12 7Peter Hunter 12 7Shirley Johnston 12 8Mike Kirby 12 3Lilian Macer 12 9Tina Makedenge 12 5Jennifer McCarey 12 9Graham Menzies 12 3Jake Molloy 12 4Robert Mooney 12 11Satnam Ner 12 7Rab Noakes 12 8Jane Peckham 12 5Susan Quinn 12 10Pauline Rourke 12 9Seamus Searson 12 10Gary Smith 12 5Sharon Sweeney 12 7Agnes Tolmie 12 4


| 69

STUC Staff can be contacted by e-mail at the undernoted addresses.

STUC STAFF [email protected] Foyer, General Secretary rfoyerDave Moxham, Deputy General Secretary for Organising, Communications & Campaigns dmoxhamLinda Somerville, Deputy General Secretary for Policy, Political Liaison & Equalities lsomervilleSarah Wiktorski, Director of Operations swiktorskiTariq Akhtar, Finance Manager takhtarGraham Westwater, Finance Assistant gwestwaterSen Man McLean, Finance Assistant smmcleanCailean Gallagher, Campaigns & Communications Officer cgallagherJames Foley, Campaigns & Communications Officer jfoleyRachel omson, Campaigns & Communications Officer rthomsonFrancis Stuart, Policy Officer fstuartEireann McAuley, Equalities Policy Officer emcauleyTam Wilson, Young Workers’ Project/Better than Zero Project Administrator twilsonSherene Nelson-Cruddas, Secretary to the General Secretary/Executive Assistant snelson-cruddasPauline Walker, Events & Equalities Co-ordinator pwalkerHelen Carson, Policy & Equality Assistant hcarsonSuzanne Eden, IT Assistant sedenJulie McIntosh, Equality & Facilities Assistant jmcintoshShona Scott, Policy & Equality Assistant sscottLouise Ireland, Central Office Assistant lirelandTerry Anderson, Community/Union Development Officer & Support@Work Manager tandersonEileen Cawley, Administrator/Development Worker, Scottish Pensioners’ Forum ecawleyWendy Burton, Director, Scottish Union Learning wburtonAnn Garscadden, Operations Manager, Scottish Union Learning agarscaddenCraig Finnie, Development Officer (H&I), Scottish Union Learning cfinnieTommy Breslin, Development Officer, Scottish Union Learning tbreslinCatherine Garvie, Development Officer, Scottish Union Learning cgarvieJohn Slaven, Development Officer, Scottish Union Learning jslavenPatricia Gallagher, Funding & Policy Officer, Scottish Union Learning pgallagherEuan McLaren, Project Officer, Scottish Union Learning emclarenFiona Cormack, Admin & Funding Assistant (H&I), Scottish Union Learning fcormackCatherine Macdonald, Admin & Funding Assistant, Scottish Union Learning cmacdonaldKirsten McTighe, Admin & Communications Assistant, Scottish Union Learning kmctigheKarina Liptrot, Admin & Communications Assistant, Scottish Union Learning kliptrot

APPENDIX

Contact the STUC


70 |

e following Trades Unions (39) and Trades Union Councils (20) have affiliated to the Scottish Trades Union Congress for theyear 2019/20. e total affiliated membership is 543,868.

SECTION A Members % Women MembersAccord 4,315 71%Aegis the Union 1,319 -Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen 1,710 4%Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union 502 33%BALPA 240 8%Community 2,460 33.2%Equity 2,360 51.6%GMB 50,100 48.75%Musicians’ Union 2,200 30%National Association of Racing Staff 211 48.2%National Union of Journalists 1,797 38%National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers 10,435 14%Nautilus International 2,969 3.37%NUM (Scotland Area) 25 0%Scottish Artists’ Union 1,300 66%Scottish Society of Playwrights 108 55%Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association 1,535 33.4%Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers 44,444 57%Unite the Union 135,500 36%United Road Transport Union 501 -

SECTION BAssociation of Educational Psychologists 26 85%British and Irish Orthoptic Society 74 97%British Dietetic Association 1,164 95%Chartered Society of Physiotherapy 2,582 89.9%Communication Workers’ Union 16,160 18.5%Educational Institute of Scotland 53,660 70.6%FDA 1,346 58%Fire Brigades Union 4,572 -Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association 115 33%NASUWT 6,967 -Prison Officers’ Association Scotland 3,058 27%Prospect 12,098 32.8%Public and Commercial Services Union 23,053 60.5%Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association 6,118 35.3%Society of Radiographers 2,150 90%

APPENDIX

STUC Affiliates by Section and Membership

Including total membership and percentage women’s membership.



e College of Podiatry 1,081 79%e Royal College of Midwives 3,851 99.8%UNISON 133,500 72%University and College Union Scotland 8,262 48%

SECTION C – TRADES UNION COUNCILSAberdeen Trades Union Council Clydebank Trades Union CouncilCumbernauld and Kilsyth District Trades Union CouncilDumfries and District Trades Union CouncilDundee Trades Union CouncilEdinburgh Trades Union CouncilFalkirk Trades Union CouncilFife Trades Union CouncilGlasgow Trades Union Council

Greenock and District Trades Union CouncilInverness and District Trades Union CouncilIrvine and North Ayrshire Trades Union CouncilKilmarnock and Loudoun Trades Union CouncilMidlothian Trades Union CouncilMoray Trades Union CouncilNorth Lanarkshire Trades Union CouncilPaisley and District Trades Union CouncilSouth Lanarkshire and East Kilbride Trades Union Councilurso and Wick Trades Union CouncilWest Lothian Trades Union Council

With the continuation of polls showing increased public support for a furtherreferendum as well as increased support for the option of independence itself,there’s never been a better time to read Professor James Mitchell’s 'The ScottishQuestion Revisited' pamphlet. Published by the Jimmy Reid Foundation, withoutfear or favour, it examines the contending options in a careful and critical manner.Priced £3 for the pdf version and £5 (including P&P) for the hard copy, it can bepurchased at:

http://reidfoundation.org/2020/09/purchase-the-scottish-question-revisited-constitutional-options-for-scotland-pamphlet/


72 |

APPENDIX

Obituary

George Bolton National Union of Mineworkers: Scotland Area Bob Bowie Inverness Trades Union CouncilMartin Boyle Public and Commercial Services UnionMargaret Burns Unite the UnionEddie Burrows Public and Commercial Services UnionHarry Bygate National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport WorkersJim Caldwell FDAWillie Clarke National Union of Mineworkers: Scotland Area/Fife Trades Union CouncilGeorge Corbett GMB / Kilmarnock and Loudoun Trades Union CouncilAnne Curran Public and Commercial Services UnionDavid Cuthbertson UNISONNeil Davidson University and College UnionAlan Denney ProspectDonald Dinnie National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport WorkersMike Dyer Unite the UnionSteve Ferrier Dundee Trades Union Council / Public and Commercial Services UnionJimmy Friel Unite the UnionPhil Harrison Public and Commercial Services UnionJohn Holroyd Unite the UnionDavid Hughes Public and Commercial Services UnionAngi Lamb University and College UnionSteve Lewis Unite the UnionDenise Lightbody UNISONIan Ludbrook UNISONBrett McCullough Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and FiremenBobby McGill National Union of Mineworkers: Scotland AreaPaul McGowan Educational Institute of ScotlandAnn McIntyre Aegis the Union (formerly Scottish Equitable Staff Association)Francis McNeill GMB George Miller Unite the UnionStuart Powell Unite the Union Steve Quigley Public and Commercial Services UnionMargaret Reid Former STUC StaffNita Sanghera University and College UnionDr Val Smith University and College UnionHelen Stevens ProspectAdrienne Stone Former STUC StaffJenny Webb Unite the Union


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APPENDIX

STUC Past Presidents

1897 D McPherson (Glasgow TUC)1898 John Keir (Aberdeen TUC)1899 T McBurney (Dundee TUC)1900 T Wilson (Edinburgh Bakers)1901 Councillor J Ken (Typographical)1902 Councillor W Muirhead (Ironmoulders)1903 Robert Smillie (Miners)1904 George Murdoch (Perth TUC)1905 Robert Smillie (Miners)1906 Bailie W Johnstone (Aberdeen TUC)1907 John T Howden (Joiners)1908 James Gavin (Ironworkers)1909 James Gavin (Ironworkers)1910 J C Hendry (Brechin Mill Workers)1911 James Brown (Miners)1912 D Palmer (Aberdeen TUC)1913 Councillor A R Turner (Glasgow TUC)1914 Bailie R Climie (Ayrshire TUC)1915 NO CONGRESS HELD1916 David Gilmour (Miners)1917 Robert Allan (Edinburgh TUC)1918 Hugh Lyon (Horse and Motormen)1919 Neil S Beaton (Shop Assistants)1920 William Shaw (G.T and L.C)1921 Bailie J Walker (I and S.T.C)1922 C N Gallie (Railway Clerks)1923 J Murdoch (Scottish Mineworkers)1924 Tom Wilson (Shop Assistants)1925 W Leonard (Furnishing Trades)1926 J F Duncan (Scottish Farm Servants)1927 P Webster (Horse and Motormen)1928 J Nairns (Textile Workers, Kirkcaldy)1929 George Kerr (Workers’ Union)1930 R Watson (Scottish Typographical Association)1931 C N Gallie (Railway Clerks)1932 W Leonard (Furnishing Trades)1933 James Crawford (Printers’ Assistants)1934 omas Scollan (Glasgow TUC)1935 omas Brown (Shop Assistants)1936 James Young (A.E.S.D)1937 Bell Jobson (Scottish Farm Servants)

1938 H Ellison (National Union of Railwaymen)1939 R Talor (Scottish Horse and Motormen)1940 W Quin (N.U.G and M.W)1941 J Watson (N.U.D and A.W)1942 C Murdoch (Scottish Miners)1943 P Henderson (Scottish Miners)1944 J Crawford (Printers’ Assistants)1945 J Young (A.E and S.D)1946 Councillor J Campbell (N.U.R)1947 Councillor J Duncan (Cons. Engineers)1948 J Sullivan (T and GWU)1949 Councillor W McGinniss (G. and M. W.)1950 W Pearson (National Union of Mineworkers)1951 J Lang OBE (I. And S.T.C)1952 J Brannigan MBE (S.H.M.A)1953 A.D. McKeller OBE (A.E.S.D)1954 J G Bothwell (T.S.S.A.)1955 T B Meikle OBE (T and GWU)1956 D Currie (C and AWU)1957 F Donachy (National Union of Railwaymen)1958 W Mowbray (Scottish Union of Bakers)1959 A Moffat (National Union of Mineworkers)1960 James Milne (Aberdeen Trades Council)1961 Edward W King (USDAW)1962 Patrick Connor (AEU)1963 David Lauder (NUR)1964 Frank H Stephen (DATA)1965 William Scholes (T and GWU)1966 Alex H. Kitson (SCMU)1967 W McLean (National Union of Mineworkers)1968 J Irvine (ISTC)1969 Enoch Humphries (FBU)1970 J A Matheson (NUR)1971 A M Donnet (NUGMW)1972 R MacDonald (T and GWU)1973 A W Day (ASTMS)1974 Miss E McIntyre (NUH&KW)1975 J H Dollan (NUJ)1976 Andrew Forman (USDAW)1977 Hugh D’arcy (UCATT)1978 Arthur Bell (ISTC)



1979 Charles C. Drury (NALGO)1980 Bill Dougan (A.S.B.S.B.S.W.)1981 Jimmy Morrell (General and Municipal Workers

Union)1982 John D Pollock (Educational Institute of Scotland)1983 Andy Barr (National Union of Railwaymen)1984 John Langan (Association of Scientific, Technical

and Managerial Staffs (ASTMS))1985 Tom Dougan (A.U.E.W:E.F.C.)1986 Hugh Wyper (Transport and General Workers

Union)1987 Ron Curran (National Union of Public Employees)1988 Charles Gallagher (National and Local

Government Officers Association (NALGO))1989 Ronnie Webster (Aberdeen Trades Council)1990 George Bolton (National Union of Mineworkers:

Scottish Area)1991 Clive Lewis (Iron and Steel Trades Confederation)1992 Jane McKay (Glasgow Trades Council)1993 Chris Binks (Confederation of Health Service

Employees)1994 Harry McLevy (Amalgamated Engineering &

Electrical Union)1995 Willie Queen (Transport and General Workers

Union)1996 Pat McCormick (Union of Shop, Distributive and

Allied Workers)

1997 Mary Harrison (GMB: Scotland)1998 Pat Kelly (National Union of Civil & Public

Servants)1999 Anne Middleton (UNISON)2000 Matt Smith (UNISON)2001 Liz Elkind (Edinburgh Trades Union Council)2002 David Bleiman (Association of University

Teachers: Scotland)2003 Pauline Frazer (AEEU)2004 Sandy Boyle (UNIFI (Banking Union))2005 Anne Douglas (PROSPECT)2006 John Keenan (South Lanarkshire and East Kilbride

TUC)2007 Katrina Purcell (UNISON)2008 Phil McGarry (RMT)2009 Fiona Farmer (Unite)2010 Martin Keenan (Communication Workers’ Union)2011 Joy Dunn (PCS)2012 Mike Kirby (UNISON)2013 Agnes Tolmie (Unite)2014 Harry Frew (UCATT)2015 June Minnery (GMB Scotland)2016 Lawrence Wason (USDAW)2017 Helen Connor (EIS)2018 Satnam Ner (Prospect)2019 Lynn Henderson (PCS)


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APPENDIX

External Organisations

Body Serving members(STUC staff member where no organisation stated)

Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) Rozanne FoyerSCDI Policy Committee Linda SomervilleScottish National War Memorial Rozanne FoyerPartnership for Health and Safety in Scotland (PHASS) Scot Walker, Unite the Union; Lilian Macer, UNISON; and

Dave MoxhamWorkplace Chaplaincy Scotland Mary Senior, UCU and Sharon Sweeney, UCUScottish Pensioners’ Forum Executive Committee Dave Edwards, Unite the Union; Rose Jackson, UNISON;

Allan MacKenzie, PCS Scotland; and Alastair Hunter, UCU Glasgow Building Preservation Trust Board Scott Donohoe, UNISONScottish Business Growth Group Pat Rafferty, Unite the Union and Rozanne Foyer Skills Development Scotland Equality Advisory Group Eireann McAuleyScottish Government Youth Guarantee Working Group Dave MoxhamJust Transition Commission Dave MoxhamHealth and Work Review Advisory Board Linda SomervilleStrategic Labour Market Group Peter Hunter, UNISON and Francis Stuart Fair Work Convention Mary Alexander, Unite the Union; Lilian Macer, UNISON;

and Satnam Ner, ProspectFirst Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Sharon Edwards, PCS and STUC Women’s CommitteeGirlsOil and Gas ILG and MER Forum Jake Molloy, RMTOil and Gas Energy Transition Industry Leadership Group Jake Molloy, RMT; John Boland, Unite the Union; and

Rozanne Foyer Scottish Energy Advisory Board Rozanne FoyerEnergy Skills Alliance Leadership Group Pat Rafferty, Unite the UnionRenewable Energy Strategic Leadership Group Dave MoxhamFirst Minister’s Advisory Reference Group on Human Rights Linda SomervilleEarly Learning and Childcare Strategic Group Linda Somerville Early Learning and Childcare Workforce Project Board Linda Somerville Transport Strategy Review Group Linda SomervilleScottish Apprenticeships Advisory Board (SAAB)Employer Engagement Group Wendy BurtonSAAB Standards and Frameworks Group Tommy BreslinSAAB Equalities Group Linda SomervilleSDS / SQA Future Standards Architecture Advisory Forum Tommy BreslinSDS Engineering Skills Leadership Group Tommy BreslinSQA Advisory Council Wendy BurtonMinisterial PACE Partnership Wendy BurtonPACE Glasgow Partnership Tommy BreslinSQA Qualification Development Team Catherine GarvieSQA Strategic Sector Panel for Computing Catherine GarvieSCQF Forum Wendy BurtonProject Ability Board Wendy Burton Modern Apprenticeship Group Tommy BreslinFair Work in Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships – Research Advisory Group Tommy BreslinApprenticeship Approvals Group Tommy Breslin



Body Serving members(STUC staff member where no organisation stated)

Open University/UnionLearn Steering Group Tommy BreslinScottish Government Cyber Resilience Learning Network Catherine GarvieScottish Government National Numeracy Practitioners Network Catherine GarvieZero Waste Scotland SWITCH (Scottish Waste Industry Training, Competency, Health & Safety) Forum Catherine GarvieEuropean Economic and Social Committee Agnes Tolmie, Unite the UnionLearning Link Board Wendy BurtonNational Strategic Forum for Adult Learning Wendy Burton FW in Social Care Advisory Group Mike Kirby, UNISONPregnancy and Maternity Discrimination Group Lorna Glen, Unite the Union and STUC Women’s Committee Gender Pay Gap Working Group Francis StuartFirst Minister's National Advisory Council on Women and Girls Circle Eireann McAuleyEqually Safe Strategic Board Eireann McAuleyScottish Poverty Alliance Dave MoxhamScottish Living Wage Campaign Dave MoxhamScottish Government Employability Leadership Group Rozanne FoyerScottish Procurement Supply Group Dave MoxhamNorth Ayrshire Community Wealth Building Advisory Group Rozanne FoyerGlasgow City Council Recovery Group Jennifer McCarey, Glasgow TUCMorning Star Campaign Committee Cailean Gallagher Regulatory Review Group Linda Somerville


STUC Congress Programme Cover 2020 29/10/2020 09:58 Page 3

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