General Council Meetings - The STUC

Scottish Trades Union Congress
Report of
General Council to
Annual Congress
Inverness
2008
Phil McGarry
(RMT)
Grahame Smith, General Secretary
333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6NG
Price £6

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Contents
Chapter Title Page
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3
One Trade Union Organisation ................................................................................................... 5
Two Economy and Employment ................................................................................................. 10
Three Public Services .................................................................................................................... 17
Four Education and Lifelong Learning ......................................................................................... 21
Five Fairness at Work ................................................................................................................. 34
Six Government and Parliamentary Liaison ............................................................................... 41
Seven Equality and Social Justice .................................................................................................. 46
Eight Health and Safety ................................................................................................................ 60
Nine International ....................................................................................................................... 64
Appendices General Council Meetings ................................................................................................... 67
Contact the STUC ................................................................................................................ 68
STUC Affiliation 2007/2008 ................................................................................................. 69
Obituary .............................................................................................................................. 71
STUC Past Presidents .......................................................................................................... 72
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

General Council Report 2008
Introduction
The past year has been yet another of considerable
change and progress at the STUC.
The General Council’s work to ensure the long-term
stability of the STUC’s finances has continued to bear fruit,
with positive financial results to be reported to this year’s
Congress. The General Council continues to review the
STUC’s internal staffing structure and to consider our
future property requirements.
When the STUC met in Glasgow last April, we were, of
course, in the midst of the Scottish election campaign. If
few predicted the outcome, fewer still would have
predicted the state of Scottish politics a year on. At this
year’s Congress, Alex Salmond will become the first non-
Labour First Minister to address Congress. This will
provide the clearest signal, if one was needed, that the
STUC remains committed to engaging with Government at
whatever level and of whatever political colour, if we
believe this to be in the interest of Scotland’s workers and
their families.
As it did with the previous Administration, the General
Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the
new Government. This commits us to work together
where our interests converge, but it also recognises that
we won’t agree on everything and indeed may
fundamentally disagree on some key areas of policy.
At its first meeting with the First Minister, the General
Council agreed communiqués on Skills Utilisation and on
Poverty and Health Inequality, two areas on which we will
be working with the Government in the period ahead.
However, we remain opposed to the Government’s council
tax freeze, its local income tax ambitions and its business
tax cutting agenda.
We will, of course, engage in the Government’s National
Conversation and with the Constitutional Commission
established by the Scottish Parliament and the
Westminster Government, but on our terms.
Indeed, our last Congress, and well in advance of the
National Conversation and Constitutional Commission, we
agreed to undertake a process of consultation and debate
on the Powers of the Parliament and to make
recommendations if and when we decided they should be
extended. This process continues with an interim report
presented for Congress’s consideration as part of the
General Council Report.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
During the process of establishing effective relations with
the new Scottish Government, the General Council has
continued to promote effective relations with Labour at a
UK and Scottish level and with the Scottish Parliament’s
opposition parties. The second Scottish Parliament Trade
Union Week held in January 2008 was a highly successful
event.
The General Council continued the development of the
new relationship being built with EU politicians and
institutions through further engagement with Scotland
Europa, as well as organising and hosting a conference
on the EU Treaty in February 2008.
The General Council has continued to work to establish
the STUC as a major commentator on the Scottish
economy. In January 2008, it held a session The Scottish
Workplace and the Productivity Challenge jointly with
the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism
Committee and Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture
Committee, to explore why productivity in Scotland lags
behind other economies. In February 2008, the General
Council organised a major conference to promote a
better understanding of how climate change will impact
on the working lives of the people of Scotland. The
General Council also prioritised policy on the global
economy and, in October 2007, the STUC Women’s
Committee organised a major Conference on “Tackling
Trafficking of Women and Exploitation of Children”
securing funding for the event from the Big Lottery Fund
Awards for All.
The General Council fulfilled its commitment to reach out
to vulnerable workers by campaigning and lobbying for
fair treatment for agency workers and through the
organisation of joint roundtable events with the Migrant
Rights Network. The foundations have been laid for
enhanced campaigning on poverty and low pay in
Scotland through the formation of the Scottish Living
Wage Campaign.
Our Unions Work initiative continued to provide support
and assistance to unions in their recruitment and
organising activity. This year, the focus was on our
schools visits project, bringing the union message to our
future workforce, and in promoting the achievements of
the Support@Work project, run in partnership with the
Edinburgh TUC. Joint work between the Disabled
Workers’ Committee and community partners led to the
Advocating and Acting for Change initiative to promote
mental well-being in the workplace.
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Our One Workplace and Close the Gap partnership
initiatives continued to support workplace action to
tackle discrimination. The General Council is confident of
securing funding to continue these projects after June
2008.
In November 2007, the Scottish Government announced
further funding of £4.2m over the next three years for
the union led learning in Scotland. Through the Scottish
Union Learning Fund, this funding will support a range
of union learning projects. It will also enable the
creation of the Scottish Union Academy, to be launched
in May 2008.
The General Council maintained its focus on health and
safety and workplace justice; facilitating a joint lobby of
the Scottish Parliament with Families Against Corporate
Killing (FACK); providing support for the bereaved
Stockline families and organising a conference “Civil
Injustice in Scotland”, to examine the implications of
Lord Gill’s review on personal injury claims and the role
of the trade union movement. The General Council wishes
to record its appreciation to Thompsons Solicitors for its
support for our health and safety work.
The General Council has also played its part in
implementing the Scottish Health and Safety Action Plan,
agreed with the previous Administration and now being
taken forward with the new Government, particularly the
creation of Safety Development Advisers to develop
worker involvement in health and safety in small and
medium sized enterprises and voluntary sector
organisations.
On the international front, the General Council has
continued to offer solidarity to sister organisations
campaigning to advance union and workers’ rights.
Following the invitation to the Venezuelan Bolivarian
Workers’ Force and Cuba’s CTC to Congress in April
2007, the STUC welcomed the Venezuelan Ambassador,
Dr Samuel Moncada, to Glasgow in February 2008.
The General Council has also continued relations with the
Malawian Congress of Trades Unions, evidenced by their
attendance at this year’s Congress.
The General Council has participated actively in the
campaign against the replacement of Trident and is
represented on the Scottish Government’s Working Group
on a Scotland Without Nuclear Weapons.
The STUC’s Conferences and Committee’s for women,
Black, young and disabled workers have continued to
campaign and lobby effectively and, through effective
mainstreaming, to guide the equalities work of the
General Council. The General Council has also continued
to support the work, and aid the re-establishment of
Trades Union Councils.
Finally, the General Council, once again, wishes to record
its sincere thanks to the staff of the STUC. The General
Council appreciates their commitment, dedication and
expertise in advancing the work of the STUC and the
collective interests of working people in Scotland.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Chapter One
Trade Union Organisation
STUC STAFF RESOURCES
Dave Moxham, who joined the STUC in 2003, was
appointed Deputy General Secretary in October 2007.
Dave will deputise for Grahame Smith, General Secretary,
and will assist him in providing the STUC with strategic
leadership and represent it in its relationships with
Government, national and international trade unions and
other organisations.
Ian Tasker, Health & Safety Officer with STUC since August
2001, joined the Secretariat on a permanent basis as
Assistant Secretary on 1st August 2007. Ann Henderson
joined the Secretariat in October 2007 as Assistant
Secretary on a fixed term contract until 31 December
2008.
THE GENERAL COUNCIL AND
ITS COMMITTEES
The General Council has met on 11 occasions during the
year to implement the decisions of Congress and take
forward other matters on behalf of the STUC as described
in this report.
The General Council’s Administration and General
Purposes Committee has met on 10 occasions during the
year and the Economy and Employment Committee has
met on 3 occasions during the year to take forward
matters within their respective remits.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND WORK PLAN
Following the 2007 Congress, a two-day seminar was held
to allow the General Council the opportunity to consider
in some depth the role of the STUC in the context of
Scottish economic and social policy developments, in
particular the outcome of the Scottish elections, and to
assist in the consideration of its work plan for the year.
The activities contained in the work plan which the
General Council agreed were based on strategic
objectives agreed by the General Council for the period
2007–11, and reflected ongoing activity and decisions of
the 2007 Congress.
Progress in implementing the work plan was monitored
throughout the year by the General Council’s
Administration and General Purposes Committee, and
monitoring reports were presented to the General
Council. At its April meeting, the General Council
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
endorsed this report, which describes the action taken to
implement its work plan.
CONGRESS RESOLUTIONS
As referred to above, the decisions of the 2007 Congress
were taken on board in the preparation and
implementation of the 2007 General Council work plan.
The terms of the resolutions adopted at the 2007
Congress were also brought to the attention of
Government Ministers, politicians and a range of Scottish
civic organisations.
STUC CONSTITUTION
During the year the General Council has continued its
work in modernising the operation of the STUC. A motion
to amend the Constitution that removes the maximum
number of candidates that an affiliate can nominate for
election to the General Council, subject to the provision
that unions can nominate one candidate for every 25,000
members, was agreed by the General Council in
December 2007 and will be submitted for the agenda of
the 2008 Congress.
MEDIA RELATIONS
The General Council’s media agenda is influenced by the
decisions of Congress and the STUC operates both
reactively and proactively to publicise the case for
changes in public policy that meet the needs and
aspirations of the trade union movement in Scotland.
A specific priority for the General Council has continued
to be to use the media to widen the debate on the Scottish
economy. This has been achieved through a number of
newspaper feature articles, interviews with staff, regular
press statements and “letters page” correspondence.
The STUC continues to work closely with the TUC to coordinate
media activities on issues relevant to both trade
union centres, particularly in relation to campaigns for
improvements in employment practice and rights at work.
This was exemplified in the “work your proper hours
campaign” and in achieving publicity for the demand for
legislation on guaranteed rights for temporary and agency
workers.
Relationships with the media continue to develop and
constructive dialogue exists with the mainstream print
and broadcast organisations and their staff. The General
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Secretary continues to contribute a monthly article to the
Morning Star and has been a contributor to the Scottish
Left Review.
Our daily media monitoring e mail service which enables
staff to respond quickly and in an informed manner is
also widely read and used by affiliates.
The monthly ‘e-brief’ continues to be prepared and
circulated to affiliates and to an ever growing number of
media contacts and other interested parties. The ‘e-brief’
provides details of recent and planned STUC activities.
The STUC website (www.stuc.org.uk) continues to be
maintained and used as a resource for promoting the
work of the General Council and highlighting the
priorities of unions in Scotland.
STUC CENTRE
The STUC Centre, at 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow,
accommodates the STUC administration as well as a
number of tenants. Throughout the course of the year
various conferences and training events have taken place,
organised by the STUC, affiliates and a range of external
organisations. The General Council appreciates the
ongoing support of affiliates in utilising the facilities
available at the centre.
TRADES UNION COUNCILS
During the year under report twenty Trades Union
Councils affiliated to the STUC.
The General Council has been represented by the
secretariat at meetings of North Lanarkshire, Edinburgh
and Dumfries Trade Union Councils. Further engagement
with Trades Union Councils has been undertaken through
the STUC school visits programme, Skills and Lifelong
Learning Team and Scottish May Day events.
The General Council assisted with the organisation of a
number of May Day events including the Glasgow May
Day celebration.
Trades Union Councils continue to share the lead in the
organisation of Workers’ Memorial Day and the General
Council continues to support the ever growing number of
Councils with established events and memorials and to
work with other Trades Union Councils to establish events
and memorials in other areas of Scotland.
The annual Trades Union Council Conference will be held
on May 17th 2008 at the STUC Centre and is timed to take
place the day after the STUC Communities, Regeneration
and Democracy Conference in order to encourage Trades
Union Council attendance at that event.
The Trades Union Council Conference 2007 discussed a
range of issues including the ongoing campaign against
Trident and the STUC campaign to keep Scottish Water in
public hands. The Conference also agreed the text of an
updated Trades Union Council handbook which was
ratified by the General Council in April 2007.
SCOTTISH ONE FUND FOR ALL
The General Council has continued to give support to the
Scottish One Fund For All and to appoint members to
serve on its management committee. The STUC secretariat
continues to provide the necessary administrative support
for SOFFA though the longer-term administration and
operation of the fund remains under consideration by the
SOFFA Board.
EXTERNALLY FUNDED PROJECTS
The General Council has continued to seek external
funding from a range of sources to enable it to expand
the range of services it offers to affiliates.
During the year the General Council received substantial
funding from the Scottish Executive to enable the delivery
of the STUC Skills and Lifelong Learning Team’s business
plan, agreed between the General Council and Executive
Ministers. The General Council has also been successful
in obtaining funding through the EU EQUAL programme
to enable further expansion of the skills and learning
services it offers to affiliates and to develop the concept of
the Scottish Union Academy. The General Council’s skills
and learning activities have also been financially
supported during the year by learndirect Scotland.
The General Council wishes to record its thanks to
UNISON, who have continued to lease office space to
accommodate STUC Skills and Lifelong Learning Team
staff in Inverness.
The activities of the STUC Skills and Lifelong Learning
Team, which has largely carried out the General Councils
work in providing learning services to affiliates, are
detailed in the relevant chapter of this Report.
When addressing the STUC’s Lifelong Learning Conference
on 15 November 2007, Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary
for Education and Lifelong Learning, announced the
continuation of Scottish Government funding for union
learning. A budget of £4.2m has been allocated to union
learning for the period 2008–11. This allocation covers
the SULF; trade union education (as provided by the TUC
Education Service); and the STUC’s infrastructure and is
the same as the allocation for 2005–08. This funding
obtained Parliamentary approval when the Scottish
Government’s Budget was agreed in February 2008.
The funding will be allocated at present: £800k per
annum to SULF; £120k per annum to the TUC Education
Service; and £480k to the STUC.
The STUC has also submitted project proposals to the
Programme Management Committees for EU Structural
Funds (Lowland and Uplands Scotland and Highlands and
Islands) for ESF funding to establish a trade union
learning fund (in addition to SULF) that trade union
members can access, through their unions, to pay for
their learning.
Both funding proposals received first stage approval.
Revised second stage applications were submitted and, at
the time of reporting are progressing through the
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

assessment process. These proposals, if successful, will
generate approximately £1m over three years that will be
directly available to unions. A timescale for inviting bids
for this funding will take account of the progress of the
SULF7 bidding round that commenced in December
2007.
The Scottish Executive has continued to provide a grant to
assist in the headquarters administration of the STUC
education programme.
The Close the Gap Project, on tackling the gender pay
gap, and the One Workplace Project, on tackling race and
other forms of workplace discrimination have been
possible due to external funding. Both projects have been
awarded additional interim funding by the Scottish
Government until 30 June 2008 and it is hoped that
further funding will be awarded to allow these projects to
be extended thereafter.
The General Council has also been successful in obtaining
funding from the Scottish Executive for its Schools Visits
Project and for work to tackling sectarianism in the
workplace.
The General Council wishes to place on record its
appreciation to Thompsons Scotland for its continuing
provision of funding to support its work on health and
safety.
A substantial body of work has been undertaken by the
General Council through these externally funded
initiatives and this is detailed in various chapters of this
Report.
The General Council has been conscious of the
considerable growth in the external funding it has
generated in recent years and the impact this has on the
strategic and financial operation of the STUC. Procedures
have been introduced to ensure that all bids for external
funding are consistent with the policy priorities of the
General Council and limit the STUC’s financial risk.
HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS
CONFERENCE 2007
The 2007 STUC Highlands and Islands Conference was
held in the Town House, Inverness, on 16 June. The
Conference, Chaired by Linda Shanahan, STUC General
Council, was attended by 50 delegates representing
ASLEF; COMMUNITY; CWU; EIS; FBU; GMB; PCS;
PROSPECT; RMT; UNISON; UNITE; USDAW; Inverness &
District Trades Union Council; Moray Trades Union
Council and Thurso and Wick Trades Union Council.
The theme of the opening plenary session of the
Conference was “Sustainable Development in the
Highlands and Islands”.
Keynote presentations were made by Grahame Smith,
STUC General Secretary; William Roe, Chair of Highlands
& Islands Enterprise; Andrew Thin, Chair of Scottish
Natural Heritage. John Deighan, UNITE and Thurso &
Wick TUC also gave a keynote presentation on the
rundown of employment at Dounreay.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
Stewart Stevenson MSP, Scottish Government Minister for
Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, also
addressed the Conference on the new administration’s
priorities for sustainable development.
Workshops were held on: Organising Migrant Workers;
Discrimination in the Workplace; Sign Here; and Beyond
Dounreay.
The final plenary session of the Conference involved a
cross party panel of politicians – involving Mary Scanlon
MSP, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party; David
Stewart MSP, Scottish Labour Party; Liam McArthur MSP,
Scottish Liberal Democrats; and Councillor Drew Hendry,
Scottish National Party.
The General Council agreed to consider issues raised by
the delegates through the Conference evaluation when
making arrangements for the 2008 Conference and these
included:
● Affiliates being asked to disseminate Conference
paperwork earlier down to local branches (at least
one month before the Conference).
● Record of Conference to be published within 3
months rather than waiting until next year’s
Conference.
● More workshops.
● Increased number of women speakers.
Highland Council is again thanked for its assistance in the
organisation of the Conference and for the hospitality that
was very generously provided.
At the time of reporting, arrangements are in hand to
hold the 2008 Conference in the Town House, Inverness,
on Saturday 14th June.
LIAISON WITH THE TUC
Arrangements continue for formal and informal liaison
with the TUC secretariat on a wide range of issues. The
General Secretary participates in meetings of the TUC
Regional Secretaries and is a member of the unionlearn
Union Advisory Group. Stephen Boyd participates in the
meetings of the TUC’s Regional Development Agency
Network; Ian Tasker, participates in the TUC health and
safety specialists meetings and members of the Skills and
Lifelong Learning Team participate in the TUC Skills
Policy Network Meetings and in the TUC EU EQUAL
“Highroad” project meetings.
The General Secretary, attended the 2007 TUC Annual
Congress, held from 11–14 September in Brighton, on
behalf of the General Council.
LIAISON WITH THE WALES TUC
The General Council was represented at the 2007 Annual
Conference of the Wales TUC, held from 23–25 May in
Llandudno, by STUC President, Phil McGarry.
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LIAISON WITH THE
IRISH CONGRESS OF TRADES UNIONS
The General Council was represented at the 2007 Bi-
Annual Conference of the ICTU, held on 2/5 July in
Bundoran, by the General Secretary. The General
Secretary also represented the General Council at the
2008 Bi-Annual Conference Northern Ireland Committee
of the ICTU, held in Portrush on 15/16 April.
TRADE UNION ‘COUNCIL OF THE ISLES’
Arrangements continue for dialogue between the trade
union centres in the UK and Ireland, to exchange
information and experience of devolved government, as
well as common/cross border issues.
The 2007 Trade Union Council of the Isles meeting was
hosted by the Irish Congress of Trades Unions in Dublin
on 22/23 November 2007.
The STUC was represented by its President Phil McGarry, its
Vice President, Fiona Farmer, and the General Secretary.
The meeting offered the opportunity to exchange views
and share experiences on a range of issues high on the
agenda of union centres in Britain and Ireland, with the
agenda including: Working with Governments and
Partnership Agreements; Skills; Organisation &
Recruitment; Migrant Workers; and Palestine.
The main action point arising from the meeting was an
agreement to undertake a joint initiative on the EU Agency
Workers Directive. It was agreed that, in the first instance,
the four union centres would write collectively to the
British and Irish Governments to reinforce the trade
union view on their approach to the Directive.
At the time of reporting, the Wales TUC is making
arrangements for the 2008 Council of the Isles meeting to
be held in Cardiff in November.
SCOTTISH TRADE UNION
RESEARCH NETWORK
The General Council continues to support the Scottish
Trade Union Research Network as a means of enhancing
the opportunities for the trade union movement in
Scotland to utilise the product of research being
undertaken by academic researchers sympathetic to
unions, and of bringing together trade union officials in
Scotland who have research responsibilities with
researchers, mostly from academia, who have an interest
in working with the unions.
At the time of reporting, arrangements are being made to
hold the 2008 STURN Conference, the 6th STURN
Conference, in June.
TRADE UNIONS AND
PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS
The General Council has maintained a dialogue with
officials in the Scottish Executive Public Appointments
Unit to work together to encourage trade union
candidates to come forward for selection to public
bodies.
Congress office maintains a database of external bodies
on which members of the General Council and secretariat
serve and circulates advance schedules and notices of
forthcoming public appointments to affiliates, by
arrangement with the Scottish Executive.
JIMMY MILNE MEMORIAL TRUST
The Trustees of the Jimmy Milne Trust comprise Chair, Dr
Rita McAllister, Campbell Christie, Bill Sweeney, David
Cooper, Dave MacLennan, Alex Clark, Eddie McGuire,
Natasha Gerson, Liz Cameron and Rona Alexander.
The General Council has supported the Trustees in
promoting details of the Trust, and invitations to apply for
funding have been circulated to Universities, Music
Academies and the Scottish Arts Council.
At the time of reporting the Trustees are in the process of
considering the latest stream of applications for funding
with a view to providing awards to those meeting the
criteria.
AFFILIATIONS/AMALGAMATIONS
During the year, there have been no additional affiliations
to the STUC or union amalgamations to report.
The amalgamation of Amicus and the T&G to create Unite
is on-going and it is expected that the merged union will
affiliate to the STUC in 2009.
DISPUTES BETWEEN UNIONS
No formal disputes between unions have been registered
with the General Council during the year. In line with
established procedures the General Council continues to
facilitate discussions between unions where issues arise,
in order to resolve difficulties without need for recourse
to the formal procedures.
CLEARING HOUSE ARRANGEMENTS
The clearing house principles and procedures continue
to operate for promoting the development of trade
unionism across Scotland by seeking to increase cooperation
and minimise competitive trade union
recruitment and organisational activities. Clearing house
activities are outlined in more detail in the Fairness at
Work section of this Report.
INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES
During the course of the year, the General Council has
provided support to unions as requested in a number of
industrial disputes.
The General Council gave support to Unite T&G and
Amicus Sections in their dispute with Sunvic in
Uddingston, Lanarkshire. The General Council was
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

epresented at the march against the closure in
Uddingston, which was followed by a rally addressed by
the General Secretary.
During the year the General Council sent messages of
support and circulated calls for solidarity messages for a
range of affiliates involved in industrial disputes including
the NUJ in its dispute with Newsquest (The Herald); the
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
CWU in its dispute with Royal Mail; PCS in its ongoing
dispute with the DWP and other civil agencies and Unite
T&G in its dispute with Shelter. A number of media
interviews were given in support of striking workers
throughout the year. The General Council also gave
support to a number of affiliates which successfully
balloted for industrial action which was subsequently
averted including the POA and the FDA.
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Chapter Two
Economy and Employment
The General Council’s work on economic and
employment matters was guided throughout the year
under report by the terms of a range of resolutions
adopted at the 2007 Congress.
The General Council also responded to a number of
industrial developments, supported trade union
campaigns to secure jobs under threat and made the case
for a more proactive approach to industrial policy in
Scotland and the UK.
Representatives of the General Council met with a number
of Westminster and Scottish Government Ministers to
discuss a range of strategic economic and employment
policy matters, including: the Scottish Government’s new
Economic Strategy, proposed changes to the economic
development institutional infrastructure in Scotland, key
UK and Scottish Budget priorities, energy policy, skills
policy and implementation mechanisms, the role of the
public sector in economic development, sustainable
development and action to support manufacturing.
The General Council also responded to a range of
consultation exercises undertaken by the Scottish
Government, Scottish Parliament Committees and the
Westminster Government, promoting policy on economic
and employment matters as reported below.
Congress resolutions dealing with a range of economic
and employment matters were brought to the attention of
the main political parties, relevant Government Ministers
at Westminster and Holyrood and the key economic
development agencies in Scotland.
Positive working relationships were maintained with key
Scottish Government and Parliamentary officials and
briefing sessions were also arranged, as appropriate, for
MPs and MSPs with regard to specific issues.
NEW SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT
A priority for the General Council this year was to engage
with the new Scottish Government, in order to promote
STUC economic priorities.
The SNP minority administration immediately made clear
that its main purpose was to increase sustainable
economic growth in Scotland and, during the course of
the last year, a number of new policies and initiatives
have been introduced to this effect.
The General Council’s priority was to ensure that new
Ministers were made fully aware of the STUC’s policies in
relation to the Scottish economy and, therefore, the
economy was the key agenda item at meetings, involving
the First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and
Sustainable Growth and the Minister for Enterprise,
Energy and Tourism. Discussions were also regularly
undertaken on an ad hoc basis with senior Scottish
Government officials.
The General Council provided Scottish Ministers with a
comprehensive written submission in advance of the new
Economic Strategy. This covered issues, such as the
proposed new target regime for growth and equity,
changes to the economic development institutional
infrastructure, industrial strategy, investment, ownership,
science and innovation, business taxation, better
regulation and the role of trade unions in economic
development.
Following publication of the Strategy, the General Council
provided Scottish Ministers with a comprehensive written
response, welcoming its ambition, the focus on the
quality of the Scottish workplace, the balance between
growth and equity in the target regime and the reasonable
approach to better regulation. However, concerns were
raised over the long-term viability of the target regime,
commitments to reduce business taxation, the
membership and role of the Council of Economic
Advisers and the lack of a clear evidential base
underpinning the strategy.
The Economic Strategy and the General Council’s
response subsequently provided the basis for a very full
and frank discussion at the first formal Biannual meeting
of the General Council and First Minister in January 2008
as reported below.
The General Council was also engaged in discussions
about the Scottish Government’s plans to restructure the
enterprise networks by streamlining the Local Enterprise
Companies into regional development bodies. The
General Council raised specific concerns over the
potential loss of the link between support for business
growth and skills development and also the lack of trade
union representation on economic development
governance structures.
The General Council was supportive of the First Minister’s
plans to establish a Council of Economic Advisers, but
very critical of his subsequent decision to include
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

usiness people on the body. The General Council’s view
was that the body should have involved only academic
economists, but with a wide range of specialisms.
However, the General Council supported the Scottish
Government’s decision to establish a National Economic
Forum involving a range of stakeholders in the Scottish
economy. Although the General Council continues to have
some concerns over the size, role and remit of the
Forum, it found discussions at the first meeting held in
February 2008 to be constructive.
The General Council now looks forward to working with
the Scottish Government over the coming year to develop
the Forum into an effective mechanism for engaging key
stakeholders in the Scottish economy on a multilateral
basis.
The General Council was also represented at a number of
stakeholder seminars organised by the Scottish
Government to help inform policy development in key
areas, such as energy, the new economic strategy and
reform of the enterprise networks.
FIRST MINISTER’S BIANNUAL MEETING
The first Biannual meeting between the STUC General
Council and the new First Minister took place in January
2008. Reflecting the priorities of both parties, the Scottish
economy will continue to be a standing agenda item at
these meetings, thereby providing an opportunity for
discussion and debate on current issues and concerns.
Specific issues raised this year with the First Minister and
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Economic
Growth included:
● The new Economic Strategy and the STUC’s response;
● The lack of a compelling rationale to explain the
Government’s decision to cut business taxation;
● Role of the public sector in supporting economic
development; and
● Energy policy, specifically the forthcoming energy
gap and the Scottish Government’s decision not to
support new nuclear build.
BUDGET 2008
The STUC responded to the Pre-Budget report in October
2007, welcoming the increased spending on health and
early year’s education, but questioning once again the
failure to establish a transparent and genuinely
progressive taxation regime. The STUC submitted its
annual Budget Submission in February 2008 and this year
the submission had a specific focus on taxation. In
particular, the General Council was critical of the
concessions made to the employer lobby on Capital Gains
Tax and the taxation of non-domiciles, and the failure to
make a progressive case for the retention of a fair rate of
Inheritance Tax. The submission was sent to the
Chancellor, all Scottish MPs and other key stakeholders.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
Pre-Budget Briefing Session
Representatives of the General Council participated in a
Pre-Budget briefing session with Des Browne MP,
Secretary of State for Scotland, and Dave Ramsden, Head
of Macroeconomic Policy at the Treasury. A range of
business organisations and academics also attended this
event, and the opportunity was taken to appraise the hosts
of the STUC’s views on the Pre-Budget Report and the
Scottish economy in general.
Meeting with Des Browne MP, Secretary of State
for Scotland
A General Council delegation met with Des Browne MP,
Secretary of State for Scotland, in August 2007, to discuss
the Scottish economy. Specific issues raised included
manufacturing industry, the Energy White Paper,
comparative performance of the UK economy and the UK
Comprehensive Spending Review.
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
Trade Union Week
A range of events were held during Trade Union Week in
the Scottish Parliament. An event ‘The Productivity
Challenge and the Scottish Workplace’ was jointly
organised by the STUC, the Economy, Energy and Tourism
Committee and the Education and Skills Committee.
The event was intended to shift the debate over Scotland’s
productivity deficit from marginal issues, such as
business taxation and regulation to the factors that truly
determine how productive workplaces are. The event has
already proved influential and it is anticipated that the
Committee will use the discussions as the basis for a
future inquiry.
Committee Inquiries
Ferry Services In Scotland
The General Council provided the Transport,
Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee with oral
evidence and a comprehensive written submission in
March 2008. The opportunity was taken to, once again,
highlight the threat to workers, fragile rural communities
and the taxpayer from the tendering of Scotland’s lifeline
ferry services.
Tourism
The General Council provided the Economy, Energy and
Tourism Committee with oral evidence and a written
submission in February 2008. The submission focused on
issues around low pay, quality of employment and
migrant workers.
Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill
Representatives of the General Council and Unite
provided oral evidence in September 2007. The evidence
focused on the treatment of the workers being made
redundant and the lack of a coherent environmental or
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12
economic rationale for the abolition of tolls on the Forth
Bridge.
Transposition of European Directives
Representatives of the General Council provided written
and oral evidence in December 2007 to the European
and External Affairs Committee’s ongoing inquiry into the
transposition of EU Directives in Scotland. The
submission highlighted instances, such as the Pubic
Sector Procurement Directive, the Road Transport
Directive and the Asbestos Directive which, far from being
gold-plated, had been adopted on a minimal basis, in
order to minimise ‘burdens’ on business.
Finance Committee Budget Workshops
Representatives of the General Council participated in the
Finance Committee’s consideration of the Scottish Budget.
The sessions were held in Dundee, and the General
Council was represented in the economic development
and public services workshops.
Business in the Parliament Conference
The Business in the Parliament Conference is a joint
Parliament/Scottish Government event designed to
provide business with a forum, to engage with politicians
and policy makers on matters of interest and concern.
Although the General Council had participated in the
2004 and 2005 events, 2006 was the first year in which
the STUC participated on an equal footing with employer
organisations.
For the fourth Conference held in February 2008, the
General Council again participated on an equal basis with
the employer bodies. The General Council was
represented at breakout sessions on energy, quality of
management, and the tourism, food and drink industries.
General Council representatives again found the event
useful, but were in agreement that it continues to fall far
short of providing the type of regular, positive, multilateral
engagement between government and all
stakeholders for which the General Council has been
campaigning for a number of years. It is the General
Council’s view that the National Economic Forum will
provide a better means of pursuing this type of quality
debate.
BANK OF ENGLAND
The STUC continues to enjoy a constructive working
relationship with the Bank and its Scottish Agent. A
General Council delegation met with Rachel Lomax,
Deputy Governor of the Bank, in June 2007, and took the
opportunity to appraise her of STUC concerns about the
effect of interest rates on Scottish manufacturing industry.
Ms Lomax was also particularly interested in the impact
of rising rates on pay negotiations and the impact in
Scotland of slower growth in the public sector. An
interesting discussion also took place on the Bank’s
mandate and whether this should be amended to a ‘dual’
mandate, involving the targeting of employment levels as
well as inflation.
The STUC has kept the Bank’s Agent in Scotland informed
throughout the year by providing copies of all relevant
STUC materials and events.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES
FOR SCOTLAND
The STUC has continued to enjoy a constructive working
relationship with officials in the Scottish Government’s
Enterprise and Industry Division, Scottish Enterprise and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Scottish Enterprise
The General Secretary met with John Ward, Chairman,
Scottish Enterprise, in May 2007, to discuss current
General Council priorities and its relationship with key
stakeholders.
A General Council delegation met with Jack Perry, Chief
Executive, and Lena Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of
Scottish Enterprise, in June 2007. A range of issues were
discussed during a very constructive meeting: current
STUC and Scottish Enterprise priorities, workforce
development and the importance of ensuring that skills
and business growth strategies were properly aligned, the
priority industry strategy and the role of trade unions on
industry forums, the Scottish labour market and migrant
workers.
The General Council has also, through the secretariat,
attended Scottish Enterprise’s AGM in Dumfries, met
regularly with officials in Scottish Enterprise’s Strategic
Relationships team and senior officials, leading on
priority industries and metropolitan areas strategies.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Representatives of the General Council met with Sandy
Cumming, Chief Executive, Highlands and Islands
Enterprise, and his senior management team in May
2007. Issues discussed included potential reform of the
enterprise networks, renewable energy development,
skills and the future of the Caithness economy.
Willie Roe, Chair, Highlands and Islands Enterprise,
provided the keynote address to the STUC’s Highlands and
Islands Conference in June 2007.
Partnership Action for Continuing Employment
Job security and the development of the Scottish economy
remain central to the General Council’s agenda, and the
STUC continues to be engaged in activities to promote an
effective trade union input to the Scottish Executive’s
Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE)
initiative.
Trade union representatives make a direct input to the
PACE local response teams in Glasgow, Lothian, Fife,
Forth Valley, Tayside, Lanarkshire and Grampian. The
STUC regularly submits articles on trade union
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

participation in PACE for the initiative’s quarterly
newsletter.
TUC Regional Development Network
The STUC is represented at meetings of the TUC’s
Regional Development Network (formerly the Regional
Development Agency Network). The purpose of these
meetings is to share knowledge and good practice
amongst all trade union representatives with a working
interest in regional development issues. The STUC
provides a perspective on economic development issues
and structures in Scotland. Issues of particular interest to
the Network this year included the UK Government’s
ongoing consultation on sub-national economic
development, climate change adaptation, sustainable
procurement and energy.
MANUFACTURING
The campaign to promote competitiveness, growth and
job security in Scotland’s manufacturing sector remained
high among the General Council’s priorities and was the
subject of discussions with the Enterprise Minister,
Secretary of State for Scotland and senior officials in the
Scottish Government’s Enterprise Department.
Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service
The General Council has maintained a positive working
relationship with the Scottish Manufacturing Service
(SMAS). This has been achieved through a series of
meetings with the Director and Harry Donaldson, GMB
Scotland and General Council member, was appointed to
the Board of SMAS. Grahame Smith, STUC General
Secretary provided a keynote address to the SMAS
organised Conference, Celebrating Scottish
Manufacturing, in October 2007.
Manufacturing Discussion Paper
As reported last year, the General Council published a
discussion paper, Manufacturing in Scotland: A Way
Forward, in March 2007, setting out a series of
recommendations for action by the Scottish and
Westminster administrations to stabilise and then grow
manufacturing industry in Scotland. The paper focused
on skills and productivity, public procurement, state aids,
the image of manufacturing and employment protection
legislation.
The General Council continued to promote the paper and
its recommendations during this Congress year. The
paper has been provided to all relevant Government
Ministers and officials, and provided the basis for a
meeting with the Scottish Government Enterprise Minister
in September 2007. The paper was also discussed with
Des Browne, Secretary of State for Scotland, in August
2007.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
Textiles Forum
The STUC continued to participate in the work of the
Scottish Textiles Forum, along with employers’
representatives and representatives of various public
agencies. The Forum oversees the work of Scottish
textiles, an arm of Scottish Enterprise, which is focused
on action to improve performance across the industry in
relation to training and skills development, branding and
marketing, design and innovation and operational
efficiency and competitiveness. The STUC has sought to
highlight issues around low pay and lack of training and
the failure to rebalance trade with emerging economies
and job security.
Through the General Council’s representative on the
Forum, a visit was organised to the Diageo bottling plant
in Leven, to observe the progressive employment
practices that have assisted in driving up productivity.
ENERGY
The General Council has worked closely with affiliates
with members in the energy sector over the last few years,
to promote a viable, balanced energy policy for Scotland
that seeks to improve affordability and security of supply,
whilst addressing the climate change challenge.
Meeting with Scottish Government Minister for
Enterprise, Energy and Tourism
Representatives of the General Council raised concerns
about the lack of a coherent, viable energy policy for
Scotland at a meeting with Jim Mather MSP in September
2007. Specific concerns included the decision not to
allow new nuclear build in Scotland and an undue
reliance on unproven technologies. These concerns were
subsequently raised with the First Minister and again at
the first meeting of the National Economic Forum.
Meeting with Malcolm Wicks, UK Minister of State
for Energy
A General Council delegation met with the UK Minister of
State for Energy in November 2007. During a constructive
discussion on the Energy White Paper, the following
specific issues were raised: Ofgem’s proposals on
transmission charging which would discriminate against
Scottish power generation, changes to the EU regulatory
framework, new nuclear build, STUC participation on the
Coal Forum and skills shortages.
Coal
At the Biannual meeting in January 2008, the First
Minister agreed to work with the STUC to establish a
Scottish Coal Forum, to consider ways in which
opportunities could be realised in indigenous coal
production, clean coal manufacturing and production,
carbon capture and storage and biomass co-firing.
Discussions are currently underway with Scottish
Government officials and industry representatives, in
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order that the Forum can be established during Congress
year 2008/09.
Forum for Renewable Energy Development in
Scotland
The General Council is represented on the Forum for
Renewable Energy Development in Scotland, which is
working to develop the industry and maximise the
economic benefits. Over the past year, the General
Council’s representative was keen to emphasise the
ongoing frustration of Scotland’s trade unions at the lack
of jobs feeding through from development of the various
renewable technologies.
CULTURE AND MEDIA INDUSTRIES
Over the last year, the General Council has worked very
closely with the Scottish Federation of Entertainment
Unions (SFEU) on a range of activity.
The main item of work was to co-ordinate STUC input
into the Broadcasting Commission, which was established
by the First Minister in 2007 to consider the economic,
cultural and democratic impacts of the broadcasting
industry in Scotland. In December 2007, an SFEU
delegation met with the Commission, to discuss the
economic strand of their work and a comprehensive
written submission covering all three strands was
provided to the Commission in March 2008.
An STUC delegation also met with Linda Fabiani MSP,
Minister for Culture, Scottish Government, in September
2007, to discuss a range of issues including:
● Sustainable, quality employment;
● Broadcasting Commission;
● Culture Bill/Creative Scotland;
● Theatre funding; and
● National companies.
The SFEU also hosted an event on broadcasting during
Trade Union Week, which was attended by representatives
of all the parties in the Parliament.
TRANSPORT
The General Council has continued to campaign on a
number of important transport issues.
Meeting with Transport Minister
In February 2008, a General Council delegation met with
Stewart Stevenson MSP, Scottish Government Minister for
Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, to discuss
transport policy. Specific issues raised included:
● The future of the Scotrail franchise;
● The indemnification of industrial disputes under the
Scotrail franchise;
● Scottish Government’s views on future tendering of
Scotland’s lifeline ferry services;
● Roadside facilities for HGV drivers;
● Bus quality contracts;
● Extension of the Emergency Workers’ Bill to cover
transport workers;
● Transport issues around the Commonwealth Games
2014;
● Access charges for rail freight; and
● Introduction of 60 tonne lorries.
Ferries
As reported above, an STUC delegation provided oral
evidence to the Parliament’s Transport Committee as part
of their Inquiry into ferry services in Scotland. This was
supplemented by an event during Trade Union Week, at
which representatives from all unions with membership
on Scotland’s ferry services met with MSPs, to discuss
current issues and concerns and trade union engagement
with the Inquiry.
Despite the trade union campaign, Caledonian
MacBrayne’s Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services were
finally tendered in 2007. However, as a result of the trade
union campaign, important safeguards on jobs and terms
and conditions were included in the tender document,
and it transpired that Calmac was the sole bidder. Calmac
trade unions subsequently met in October 2007, to
discuss the ongoing campaign against tendering.
STUC officials also met with European Transport
Federation officials in January 2008, to discuss how the
campaign against tendering might be pursued at the EU
level. It is anticipated that this will be followed up with
campaigning activity over the coming Congress year.
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
Public procurement is important for two main reasons: it
can provide a boost to manufacturing industry and it can
help to drive up standards across the economy.
The General Council continued its work aimed at
ensuring the flexibilities included in the 2006 EU Public
Procurement Directive are used in the best interests of
Scotland’s workers, communities and citizens. At the time
of writing, discussions are ongoing with Scottish
Government officials to examine ways in which the social
issues guidance, published in autumn 2007 to accompany
the new regulations, can be effectively promoted to
contracting authorities.
The General Council is also represented on the Scottish
Executive’s Public Procurement Advisory Group which
met on three occasions over the past year.
PLANNING
The General Council contributed to the Scottish Executive
consultations prior to the introduction of the Planning
Bill and has continued to make representations as the Bill
progressed through Parliament. The main thrust of the
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

General Council’s interventions has been to ensure that
sufficient resources are made available to Local Authority
Planning Departments to implement the provisions of the
Bill effectively.
The General Council was represented at a number of
events through this Congress year and liaison was
maintained with key Government officials.
THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The General Council has sought to positively promote the
role of the public sector in economic development
throughout the year and the issue was discussed at
meetings with a range of stakeholders. This action was
necessary to rebut spurious arguments about ‘crowding
out’, which continue to be promoted by the Conservative
party, employer organisations and sections of the media.
This issue was also raised in the STUC’s submission to the
Scottish Government’s new Economic Strategy.
EMPLOYER ORGANISATIONS
The STUC has continued to be represented on the Board
and Executive Committee of the Scottish Council for
Development and Industry.
Regular informal contact has also been maintained with
the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of
Small Business, Scottish Engineering and the Institute of
Directors.
EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY
The General Council has continued to take a leading role
in the ever expanding area of employment and
employability policy. Employability impacts a range of
STUC policy priorities, including education and skills,
health and safety, equality and fairness at work, and is
thus referred to in a number of areas in the General
Council Report.
The General Council continued to argue for action to
tackle economic inactivity in the context of increasing the
demand for quality employment through action on skills
utilisation, tackling barriers to sustainable employment
and using public sector procurement as a driver for
tackling worklessness.
The General Secretary continues to sit on the Workforce
Plus National Board and has represented that Board at a
range of events and as a “buddy” for the Dundee
Partnership employability strategy group.
Through the secretariat, the General Council has also
been represented on Workforce Plus employer
engagement groups at a regional and national level.
The General Council drafted an in-depth response to the
Freud Report, and has engaged with a range of UK bodies
and politicians on the wider Welfare Reform agenda
which impacts employability. Part of this engagement has
been consistent opposition to the policy of privatisation
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
and “voluntarisation” of aspects of the employment
service and opposition to increased conditionality for
benefits recipients.
Other initiatives undertaken include promoting an
employment rights response to employability through
Support@work, engaging with Scottish and local
government on the use of procurement to support
sheltered workplaces, and pressing government to
increase Access to Work to better empower disabled
workers to return to the workplace.
FUTURE SKILLS SCOTLAND
The General Council has maintained regular contact with
FSS officials, and has participated in a research project to
consider the trade union effect on skills training in the
workplace.
BETTER REGULATION
The General Council is represented on the Scottish
Government’s Regulatory Review Group (RRG). The
General Council’s representative endeavours to ensure
that the Group maintains a proportionate and evidencebased
approach to regulation, one that genuinely
promotes ‘better’ regulation rather than deregulation.
The RRG has met on five occasions over the last year.
Organisations represented on the group include CBI
Scotland, FSB, Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the
Office of Fair Trading. The Group has considered a
number of specific issues: the role and working practices
of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, the
impact of the Planning Bill, the Implementation of EU
Directives, Local Better Regulation Offices and the Climate
Change Bill.
The Group has been successful in resisting calls for an
approach based on arbitrary percentage targets for
reducing regulation. Proposals for the introduction of
such targets were included in all the main parties’
manifestos for the 2007 Scottish elections. However, the
new Government has been persuaded that an issues based
approach is a more sensible approach.
The General Council has continued to challenge the wild
claims of some employer bodies at both the UK and
Scottish levels in regard to the ‘burden’ of regulation.
CLIMATE CHANGE
In line with Congress policy, the General Council has
continued to address the Climate Change agenda,
particularly in relation to its work on energy policy.
The General Council also held a Conference, Climate
Change and the Scottish Workplace, on 15 February
2007. The purpose of the event was to consider the
impact of Climate Change on employment in Scotland, the
way people work, the regulatory framework and skills.
A number of high profile speakers addressed the
Conference, including John Swinney MSP, Cabinet
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Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth; David
Martin MEP; Paul Noon, General Secretary, Prospect;
Duncan McLaren, Chief Executive, Friends of the Earth,
Scotland; and Liz Bogie, Scottish Enterprise. The
Conference concluded with an MSP panel session.
The General Council has decided that a Conference
should now be held on an annual basis, and a range of
other activity related to Climate Change adaptation will be
pursued over the coming Congress year.
TRIDENT
In March 2007, the General Council published
‘Cancelling Trident’, a joint report with Scottish CND, as a
contribution to the UK Government’ s debate on the
replacement of the Trident system. The report considered
the economic and employment consequences for
Scotland of not replacing Trident.
This was followed up in January 2008 with a joint
Conference. Chaired by STUC President, Phil McGarry, the
Conference was attended by 50 delegates, and speakers
included Kate Hudson, CND, and Katy Clarke MP.
DOUNREAY
The General Council has taken an active interest in the
campaign to secure investment in the Caithness economy,
to ensure employment opportunities are provided in the
fragile local economies that will be affected by the
rundown of the Dounreay facility.
A presentation was provided by John Deighan, Thurso
and Wick TUC, to STUC’s Highlands and Islands
Conference in June 2007, and the General Council was
represented at the Beyond Dounreay Conference in
Thurso in September 2007. General Council
representatives also attended the Pentland Alliance’s
Conference in February 2008.
The future of the Caithness economy was also discussed
with the Chief Executive of Highlands and Islands and
raised at a meeting with Jim Mather MSP, Enterprise
Minister.
REGENERATION
In accordance with the resolution on Regeneration
passed at Congress 2007, the General Council will hold a
Communities, Regeneration and Democracy Conference
in May 2008. The event will be open to all affiliates,
community and campaigning organisations, and feature a
range of trade unions, academic and community
speakers. The Scottish One Fund For All has also
undertaken to support this event and a written report will
be published.
General Council representatives also met with the Scottish
Government’s Head of Housing and Regeneration in
October 2007, and a General Council representative
spoke at a Regeneration Conference held in Renton in
November 2007.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Chapter Three
Public Services
The General Council’s work on public services was
affected significantly by the change of government in
Scotland in May 2008, and the subsequent formulation of
government policy affecting the organisation and
financing of the public sector landscape.
PUBLIC SECTOR LANDSCAPE
The Scottish Government announced a wide ranging
review of the public sector landscape, including the
reduction in the number of devolved, national public
sector organisations. The non-regulatory functions of
Communities Scotland were brought within the Scottish
Government, the Enterprise Networks were reformed
replacing 21 LECs with 6 organisations; plans were set out
to create a single integrated, national sports organisation;
and the merging of a range of skills and careers functions
into Skills Development Scotland were announced.
VisitScotland was also rationalised, reducing from 14
offices to 6, aligned with the Enterprise Networks.
In October 2007, the Scottish Government announced its
intention to reduce the number of devolved, national
public sector organisations by 25% over the next three
years.
On January 30, 2008, the Scottish Government announced
a package of changes to “reshape” Scotland’s national
public service organisations. The government proposes to
deliver its 25% reduction through restructuring a range of
public sector bodies and through consulting with
stakeholders over a range of further rationalisations.
The General Council took a number of opportunities to
seek assurances from Ministers that reform of the public
sector landscape would not involve compulsory
redundancies and public statements were given to this
effect, both to members of the General Council and
individual public sector affiliates.
It is anticipated that discussions over further changes to
the public sector landscape (those in which ongoing
consultation will take place) will be discussed at a forum
with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, the detail of which
is yet to be agreed.
UK COMPREHENSIVE SPENDING REVIEW
AND SCOTTISH BUDGET
In its response to the Comprehensive Spending Review
(CSR) and in its media interventions following the
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
publication of the CSR, the General Council was critical of
the decision to cap public sector pay rises below the rate
of Retail Price Index inflation. Similarly, the General
Council opposed the arbitrary 2% efficiency savings
announced in the Scottish Budget.
The General Council provided a guarded response to the
announcement of Single Outcome Agreements with local
government contained within the Scottish Budget,
supporting in broad principle the return of powers and
fiscal responsibility to local councils, but concerned at
the potential effect on council services and a range of
services provided by voluntary organisations. This was
one of a number of concerns raised with First Minister in
the first bi-annual meeting held on 30th January 2008.
The General Council achieved media exposure for its
opposition to the imposition through the Scottish budget
of 2% across the board efficiency savings on the public
sector. These arguments were reiterated when the STUC
gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance
Committee as part of the Budget scrutiny process.
Unfortunately, the Government remains wedded to
unrealistic and potentially damaging requirements which
could lead to cuts in services, or reduction in service
quality.
SHARED SERVICES
The new Scottish Government affirmed that it intends to
pursue the shared services agenda as broadly outlined by
the former Scottish Executive.
The General Council has continued to make the case that,
whilst there is no, in principle, objection to shared
services being pursued, the evidence base for the strategy,
as a basis for savings to the public sector without
detriment to performance, is very limited. Aspects of the
shared service agenda risk running contrary to the
Government objective of devolving responsibility and to
maximizing local provision.
The General Council’s approach is, therefore, to reiterate
the key concerns outlined at the time of the publication of
the previous Scottish Executive’s consultation document
on a “National Strategy for Shared Services”.
Initiatives must:
● be achieved without recourse to compulsory
redundancies, or compulsory redeployment;
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● show an expansion in the range and quality of
services provided;
● be achieved following the full participation and
involvement of public service unions;
● guarantee that any savings are reinvested back into
that part of the public services from which they
derive;
● advance the application of fair employment practice
within public services;
● respect the important role of all public servants,
avoiding the irrelevant distinction between
“frontline” and “backroom” staff; and
● be achieved without resorting to outsourcing.
PUBLIC SERVICES FORUM
Following the election of the new Scottish Government
and the reorganisation of Cabinet responsibilities, the
STUC secretariat and STUC Treasurer met with the Cabinet
Secretary for Finance for discussions across his portfolio.
The Cabinet Secretary was pressed on the future of the
Public Services Forum as a means of engagement between
the Government and public service affiliates. The initial
view of the Government was that meetings should be held
across Cabinet portfolios and, therefore, not confined to
public service issues. At a subsequent meeting of public
sector affiliates, the view was expressed that an effective
forum be identified, which could concentrate on public
service issues. The General Secretary subsequently
agreed, in principle, with the Cabinet Secretary that such
a forum would be identified. Agreement on the detail will
be reached at a future meeting, the date of which is yet to
be agreed.
PPP/PFI AND SCOTTISH FUTURES TRUST
The General Council continued to use all opportunities to
advocate its ongoing opposition to PPP/PFI. A response
was submitted to the Scottish Parliament Finance
Committee Inquiry into the Funding of Public Sector
Capital Projects, in which the STUC’s opposition to
PPP/PFI was restated and concern raised at the
implications of other non-traditional funding methods,
such as the use of Not for Profit Trusts being considered
and employed by government at various levels.
UNISON Scotland has led a drive to obtain, through
Freedom of Information requests, details of PPP bids
currently denied to the public through commercial
confidentiality clauses. The General Council has
welcomed the partial exposure to public scrutiny
achieved through this initiative. The work of UNISON and
a number of academic experts has further exposed the
enormous transfer of resources from the public finances
to private profit exposed through analysis of PPP
schemes.
The General Council was disappointed at the detail of the
Scottish Government’s proposals on the Scottish Futures
Trust and responded to the consultation, to express its
concern at the severe limitations of the proposal,
including lack of democratic accountability, continued
support for the transferring out of services and staff, and
the contradictions in relation to “on and off balance
sheet” accounting of public services.
The General Council’s concerns were also related to the
SNP Trade Union Group and the Association of Nationalist
Councillors at an event in February 2008.
FAIR EMPLOYMENT
The General Council has continued to draw attention to
the levers available to the Scottish Government to
promote Fair Employment, identifying its employability
strategies through Workforce Plus, social issues guidance
on public sector procurement, and regeneration projects
as areas where positive action can be taken.
At a meeting between the General Secretary and Deputy
General Secretary with the Commonwealth Games 2014
Bid Director, assurances were received that expenditure
associated with the Commonwealth Games would be
subject to similar considerations as mainstream public
sector expenditure, increasing the opportunity to drive
forward fair employment. The General Council has agreed
to work with the Commonwealth Games organisers, to
ensure that agreements are reached over employment
opportunity, quality training equality and rates for the job.
It was also agreed that there should be a focus on the
role of sub contractors, particularly within construction,
and full union involvement on issues, such as transport,
volunteering and workplace safety issues.
PPP WORKFORCE PROTOCOL
The PPP Workforce Protocol has been in operation since
2002. The Protocol covers all Public Service
Organisations (PSO) in Scotland. It aims to eliminate the
scope for a “two-tier” workforce through ensuring
effective communication and consultation between PSOs
and the relevant trade unions, when considering
prospective PPP schemes and safeguarding the
employment terms and conditions of individual public
sector employees, who transfer to private sector “service
providers” as a consequence of PPPs.
Concerns have been raised by affiliates in respect of the
universal application of the Protocol and in relation to the
ongoing monitoring of the policy, which is a requirement
of the Protocol. The General Council has written to the
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, seeking the early inclusion
of the Protocol in a meeting between the Scottish
Government and public sector affiliates, in order that an
effective monitoring process can be agreed, and the
facility exists for the affiliates to raise specific concerns
on the operation of the Protocol as it applies to contracts
affecting their membership.
PUBLIC SECTOR CONTRACTING
The General Council raised concerns with both the First
Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance on the
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

difficulties experienced by both public and voluntary
sector organisations and unions in the operation of
public sector contracting procedures.
Clarification has been sought on the guidance issued to
local authorities on appropriate consultation with unions
and other safeguards negotiated with the STUC and public
sector unions, following the passing of the Local
Government Act 2003. This issue will be a substantive
matter for discussion with the Cabinet Secretary for
Finance.
Concerns have also been raised over the use of
inappropriate procurement methods by local authorities,
the emergence of cost driven contracting with voluntary
sector organisations, and its effect on terms and
conditions of frontline voluntary sector staff. To this
effect, meetings have been sought with the leaders of
Scotland’s largest councils, to discuss procurement and
contracting as it affects voluntary sector staff. A joint
statement between STUC, SCVO, Community Care
Providers Scotland, UNISON and UNITE has been agreed
and is being used to draw attention to our shared
concerns.
EQUAL PAY – SCOTTISH
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The issue of equal pay in local government is ongoing in
the context of the implementation of the Scottish Local
Authority Single Status Agreement. The issue continues to
be progressed through negotiation between the public
service unions and local government employers.
CIVIL SERVICE JOB CUTS
The General Council continued to support civil service
unions in their fight against job cuts in the civil service,
and provided support for PCS in a range of industrial
activities to protect the terms of conditions of its
membership.
A joint conference on the Freud Report was organised,
which highlighted the threat within the Government’s
Welfare Reform agenda to public sector jobs within the
DWP. The General Council has consistently argued in a
range of forums and consultation responses that no case
has been made for the privatisation and “voluntarisation”
of employment service jobs.
SCOTTISH CIVIL SERVICE
The General Council has been aware of suggestions that
the Scottish Civil Service function should be devolved to
Scotland, and took the decision that consideration and a
response to this aspect of the “National Conversation”
should follow discussions and negotiations taking place
between civil service unions and the Scottish Government.
This aspect is dealt with in greater detail in the annex to
the General Council Report “Powers of the Scottish
Parliament”.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
STUC WATER INDUSTRY CAMPAIGN
The General Council continues to have serious concerns
about the future of the Scottish Water Industry. Since the
creation of Scottish Water in 2002, the workforce has
halved and the industry is subject to persistent and illinformed
criticism from those who wish to see it
privatised.
In December 2003, the General Council agreed to run a
campaign aimed at ensuring Scottish Water remains
publicly owned, accountable and sufficiently resourced.
Specific action undertaken since included:
● the commissioning of two research reports on the
regulation and financing of Scottish Water; and
● the organisation of conferences in May 2004 and
October 2006.
During the Congress year under report, the STUC Water
affiliates met with the Chief Executive of Scottish Water in
June 2007, and liaised regularly with the trade union
representative on the Scottish Water Board.
The General Council is aware that the current political
balance within the Scottish Parliament means that the
threat of privatisation/mutualisation is bound to remain
throughout the course of the Parliamentary Session.
Therefore, the STUC Water Campaign will continue over
the coming Congress year and beyond.
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
The General Council met with the Cabinet Secretary for
Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, during the
year. Discussions focused on the NHS, health in the
workplace, violence against women and health
inequalities. The Scottish Government and the STUC
agreed that poverty is a key contributor to health and
social inequality and to reduced life expectancy. In order
to tackle these inequalities, health services must be
accessible to all, particularly to those in areas of
deprivation.
At the time of writing, the STUC is considering the
recommendations of the review of the health of Britain’s
working age population entitled “Working for a Healthier
Tomorrow”. Many of the recommendations support our
existing policy that occupational health provision should
be delivered by the NHS. While this review was carried
out jointly by the Department of Health and Department
of Work and Pensions, this clearly was a United Kingdom
wide review.
The General Council will be considering how we engage
with the Scottish Government on the implications of the
review on the NHS.
During Trade Union Week in the Parliament, members of
the Secretariat met with the Shadow Spokesperson on
Health, Margaret Curran MSP, to discuss issues in relation
to delivery of health services and the opposition’s
priorities in this area.
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PRISONS
The General Council warmly welcomed the Scottish
Government’s announcement that the planned new Low
Moss prison at Bishopbriggs would be built using
conventional, rather than PPP funding. It also welcomed
the announcement that no future prisons would be built
using private sector finance, or operated through private
sector contract. In a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary
for Justice, the General Council pressed the case for
further investigation on the potential to reverse the
previous Executive’s decision to build the new Addiewell
prison in West Lothian through PFI/PPP. The current view
of the Scottish Government is that penalty clauses
associated with the contract preclude the reversal of this
decision. The General Council continues to liaise with
academic experts in the field to investigate whether this is
the case.
The General Council was represented at a prisons’
symposium convened by Baroness Stern to investigate
policy in relation to prison building and levels of
incarceration in Scotland. A subsequent meeting was held
with the Prison Officers’ Association to discuss this and
other issues.
The General Council also welcomed the announcement of
the McLeish Review of Prisons and wider penal policy.
HOUSING
The General Council welcomed a number of proposals
within “Firm Foundations”, the Scottish Government’s
consultation on future Scottish housing policy and, in
particular, the proposal to end the right to buy for new
social housing and the review on the future of the whole
right to buy scheme.
The General Council continued to argue against stock
transfers and the arms length management of public
housing stock, and for clarification from the Treasury
regarding options, other than stock transfer, which could
see the write-off of local authority housing debt.
As part of its Communities Regeneration and Democracy
Conference to be held in May 2008, the General Council
will ensure a key focus on housing, bringing together
unions, academic and tenants’ organisations, to discuss
the next steps for promoting social housing under direct
democratic control, delivered by properly remunerated
and protected workers.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Chapter Four
Education and
Lifelong Learning
The General Council’s work on education and lifelong
learning was guided by the resolutions adopted at the
2007 Annual Congress, by the priorities of unions and by
initiatives taken by the Scottish Government, the Scottish
Parliament and other bodies.
SKILLS AND LEARNING POLICY
The STUC has for some time called for the development
of a Scottish Skills Strategy and, on 10 September 2007,
the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
published “Skills for Scotland: A Lifelong Skills Strategy”.
The Skills Strategy set out the Scottish Government’s
vision of developing a “cohesive lifelong learning system
centred upon the individual, but responsive to employer
needs”. The General Council has made representations at
a number of levels on the Skills Strategy, and is engaging
with a range of stakeholders to influence the development
and implementation of the Strategy in Scotland.
The STUC issued two press releases in response to the
publication of the Skills Strategy. The first welcomed the
Strategy, in particular its focus on the workplace along
with its support for trade union learning. The second
press release expressed concern at the creation of
another non departmental body, and set out our view that
a Careers Service operated through local authorities on a
regional basis would improve the service and strengthen
links with local government. Further dialogue with
stakeholders and Government on the Strategy continues
to reiterate these issues.
The General Secretary gave evidence on the Strategy at the
Scottish Parliament’s Education, Lifelong Learning and
Culture Committee, on 26 September 2007. A written
submission to the Committee outlined the STUC’s views on
the Strategy: highlighting STUC research on the demand
for union led learning; emphasising the importance of
unions’ roles in the development of Sector Skills
Agreements; arguing for the issue of skills utilisation to be
addressed; and underlining the central role of employers
in supporting the upskilling and development of workers.
In its representations to the Committee and to
Government, the STUC clearly stated that the Skills
Strategy must ensure that employers recognise their
obligations to developing workers, and support them to
do so. The STUC submission also urged the Scottish
Government to do more to address the underemployment
and structural disadvantage faced by sections of the
community, including women, disabled people and Black
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
and minority ethnic people. The STUC called for the
Strategy to incorporate actions for early years, school
education, further and higher education, and training and
lifelong learning, to address barriers and disadvantages
faced.
Representatives of the General Council discussed the
Skills Strategy with Fiona Hyslop MSP, the Cabinet
Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, on 26
September 2007. A useful discussion was had with the
Minister, where the STUC set out its concerns about the
voluntarist approach of the Strategy, the commitment of
employers meeting the challenges posed to them in the
Strategy and the Government’s response should these
challenges not be met, the extension of the Modern
Apprentice scheme to S/NVQ level 2 qualifications, and
the absence of specific actions to address employability
issues for BME workers, and women workers. The
Cabinet Secretary reported that she was engaging with the
UK Government on a forthcoming consultation on
employer levies to ensure a Scottish perspective is derived
from consultation responses.
In September 2007, the General Council expressed its
disappointment at the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and
Sustainable Growth’s announcement to remove the
enterprise network’s skills and training remit, and stating
our view that economic development should be closely
linked to skills provision.
The STUC has engaged with the Scottish Funding Council
(SFC) on the Skills Strategy. Education affiliates discussed
the strategy at the liaison meeting with the SFC on 3
October. A number of trade unionists participated in the
SFC Skills Committee’s Skills Conference on 1 October
2007, where Sylvia O’Grady, Manager of the Skills &
Learning Team, presented a workshop on the learner
perspective together with the National Union of Students.
The General Secretary gave a well-received presentation
on the STUC’s role in workplace skills development to the
Skills Committee on 6 September 2007. As noted
elsewhere in this Chapter, the General Secretary became a
member of the SFC’s Skills Committee in November 2007.
Following his application through the Public
Appointments procedures, the General Secretary was
appointed, in December 2007, as a Commissioner for the
new UK Commission for Employment and Skills. The
General Secretary has participated in two meetings of the
Commission, where a number of the issues, including
skills utilisation and the re-licensing of Sector Skills
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Councils, were discussed. The General Secretary has
liaised with the other union representatives on the
Commission, Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, and
Dave Prentis, the General Secretary of Unison.
At its bi-annual meeting with the First Minister in January
2008, the General Council discussed the issue of skills
utilisation and agreed a joint communiqué with the
Scottish Government on the issue. The communiqué
emphasises the importance of the quality of the
workplace environment in enabling workers to apply
their skills productively and commits the General Council
to work with the Government to address the issue of skills
utilisation.
Arising from discussions at the first meeting of the
Scottish Government’s National Economic Forum, the
General Secretary and a member of the Secretariat
accompanied the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary
for Education and Lifelong Learning on a visit to the
Republic of Ireland, to discuss with Irish Government
officials its National Workplace Strategy and the lessons it
might offer for Scotland in the context of skills utilisation.
The Scottish Government has given a commitment to
work with the STUC in this regard and, at the time of
reporting, discussions are on-going with Scottish
Ministers and Government officials.
UNION LEARNING SERVICES
In 2005, the General Council concluded negotiations with
the then Scottish Executive over the consolidation of
funding for union learning activity for the period until
March 2008. This funding of £1.4m over a three year
period is now in its final year. This has enabled the
General Council, through the STUC Skills & Lifelong
Learning Team, to address the needs of the STUC’s
affiliates by the continued development of a range of
learning services and partnerships across Scotland. In
November 2007, the Scottish Government announced
further funding of £4.2m over the next three years for the
STUC Scottish Union Academy and the continuation of the
Scottish Union Learning Fund.
STUC SKILLS & LIFELONG
LEARNING TEAM
During the year, the STUC Skills & Learning Team (SALLT)
has continued to build on the achievements of the
previous STUC Lifelong Learning Unit and to develop and
expand the learning services available to address the
needs of affiliates. The team has begun to finalise the
foundations for a Scottish Union Academy, paralleling the
creation, by the TUC, of unionlearn in England.
The team has been together now since January 2006 and
consists of:
Sylvia O’Grady Skills & Lifelong Learning Team
Manager
Wendy Burton Development Officer – Everyday
Skills
John Slaven Development Officer
Thomas Walker Development Officer
Pamela Urquhart Development Officer – Highlands &
Islands
Jennifer Payne Marketing Officer
Alice Fleeting Administrative Assistant
Victoria King Administrative Assistant – Highlands
& Islands
In addition to this, John Adams, who joined the STUC as
Finance Officer in January 2006, provides specific
support to the team and Ann Garscadden also provides
additional administrative support.
The team will finish year three of the Business Plan
agreed with the then Scottish Executive at the end of
March 2008. A Business Plan for 2008–2011 will be
agreed with the Scottish Government, corresponding to
the period of continued funding of union led learning in
Scotland.
The team’s top priority continues to be working with
unions to support and develop their work on skills and
learning. Since the General Council took over
administration of the Scottish Union Learning Fund
(SULF) in April 2006, the team has supported the
integration of everyday skills within union lifelong
learning activity, and has prompted further development
of lifelong learning initiatives specific to the Highlands
and Islands. Additionally, union members have benefited
from the funding provided to TUC Education in Scotland
to support its programme of union rep training.
The Business Plan identifies the specific services and
activities required of the General Council in the period to
March 2008. These activities were intended to achieve the
strategic development of the role of unions in supporting
learning and skills acquisition by members; development
of the capacity of trade unions to support learning and
skills acquisition; development and coordination of
everyday skills/literacy programmes through unions; and
focused support for trade unions in delivering support to
members, activists and officials.
Funding from the EU EQUAL project led by the TUC,
which tied in the ongoing development work of
unionlearn in England with developments in Scotland, has
now ceased. As well as bringing in additional funding to
the STUC, this project allowed for the sharing of
information and experience of work around
developments in lifelong learning in the UK and other
countries in Europe.
ACTIVITY IN THE
HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS
General Council activity on lifelong learning is now in its
sixth year in the Highlands and Islands. The key focus of
the STUC Highlands & Islands SALLT, based in Inverness,
is to work to sustain and develop the trade union learning
infrastructure in the area, while working with unions to
raise the profile of lifelong learning with trade union
members, key partners and employers.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Central to sustaining and developing the trade union
learning infrastructure is supporting and developing a
cross union learning representatives (ULRs) network. In
an area that covers 50% of the land mass of Scotland with
9% of the population, ULRs can feel isolated and remote
from their union and union activity. The establishment of
local cross union ULR forums are one way of tackling the
isolation and remoteness. The SALLT continues to
organise, support and develop local cross union ULR
forums in Inverness, Caithness, Orkney and Shetland
(both Orkney and Shetland forums meet with SALLT via a
video conference link from Inverness), as well as looking
to identify other areas where forums could be sustained.
Local forums provide local ULRs with opportunities to
share best practice, keep up to date with local and
national union led learning activities and meet local
learning providers, such as Inverness College and Orkney
Learning Centre. Forums have also recently organised
cross union learning opportunities for their local
members.
Since 2006, the STUC Highlands & Islands SALLT has been
working towards building a pan Highlands & Islands ULR
network and progress has been made in achieving that
aim. The four local established forums met together via a
multi link video conference in March 2008 and it is
intended that this will become an annual event.
Furthermore, ULRs in the Highlands and Islands have the
opportunity to come together in the now established STUC
Highlands & Islands Learning Conference. The third
conference is due to take place on 13 June 2008.
The STUC Highlands & Islands SALLT also provides
practical support to ULRs through the ULR Resource
Pack. The ULR Resource Pack, a pilot project by the
Highlands & Islands SALLT in 2005, was updated in 2006
and every ULR in the Highlands & Islands (known to the
Highlands & Islands SALLT) is provided with a ULR pack.
The pack provides Highlands & Islands ULRs with a host
of practical information, including area-specific learning
providers/courses, funding sources, ILAs, learning needs
questionnaires, information on local learning centres,
useful websites and more.
In raising the profile of lifelong learning with Highlands
and Islands trade union members, the Highland & Islands
SALLT has organised and/or supported a number of
learning awareness events across the area. In organising
these events, the STUC Highlands & Islands SALLT give
consideration to areas in the Highlands and Islands,
where there has been little or no trade union learning
activity with the aim of generating activity in these areas.
One such event was a learning awareness road show,
which took place in August 2007 aboard the MOLI
(Mobile Online Learning Initiative) bus. The Highlands &
Islands SALLT worked in partnership with Unison, RMT,
NUJ and USDAW to run a road show in Skye and the Outer
Hebrides. Union members in workplaces in Broadford,
Portree, Uig, Lochmaddy, Berneray, Leverburgh, Tarbert
and Stornoway took part in the road show.
Additionally, the road show met with workers in the mess
rooms aboard three ferries. Joint learning awareness
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
events were also held with CWU in Thurso, with USDAW in
Inverness and Fort William, the Rail Union Learning
project in Inverness and Unison, Unite: Amicus Section
and Unite: TGWU Section in Inverness during August 2007.
In November 2007, the Highlands & Islands SALLT also
completed delivery of the Sign Here project. Sign Here, a
cross-union project, involved Unison, FBU and the Rail
Union Learning project and was managed by the
Highlands & Islands SALLT. This project delivered 10hour,
21-hour, 31-hour and 51-hour BSL (British Sign
Language) accredited courses to 199 workers in
Stornoway, Inverness, Elgin, Fort William, Thurso and
Wick. This provided 3,821 hours of training.
The project was also supported by eight employer
partners: Highlands & Islands Fire & Rescue Service,
Highland Council, Caledonian MacBrayne, Grampian Fire
& Rescue Service, First ScotRail, NHS Highland,
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and the Scottish Ambulance
Service. Furthermore, the project received funding from
the Scottish Union Learning Fund and was successful in
gaining ESF (European Social Fund) funding. In February
2008, the Sign Here project also developed BSL videos
for the STUC and Scottish Union Learning websites.
In raising the profile of union led learning among key
partners, the Highlands & Islands SALLT works with a
number of partners including ILA Scotland, WEA
(Workers’ Education Association), HIE (Highlands &
Islands Enterprise), learning centres and local colleges,
such as Inverness College and North Highland College.
The Highlands & Islands SALLT also sits on three advisory
and strategy groups, the Learning Centre Strategy Group,
the WEA Women at Work Advisory Group and the WEA
Workplace Literacy & Numeracy Advisory Group, all of
which are working to develop joint strategies and
activities for lifelong learning across the Highlands and
Islands. The Highlands & Islands SALLT is also a partner
in the Hi Hopes (Highlands & Islands Harnessing
Opportunities for Partnership, Equality and Sustainability)
project, an Equal funded project to improve and
encourage learning in the Highlands and Islands.
In the last year, there has been an increase in SULF
(Scottish Union Learning Fund) project activity within the
Highlands and Islands, mainly due to the SALLT
identifying under spends in other projects and
encouraging unions to submit mini bids for additional
SULF activity within the area. A significant change to SULF
7 criteria means that a percentage of funding has been
allocated for specific activity in the Highlands and Islands.
The Highlands & Islands SALLT will continue to work with
unions engaged in SULF activity in the Highlands and
Islands.
EVERYDAY SKILLS (ADULT LITERACIES)
The General Council has continued to undertake a range
of activity on workplace literacy and numeracy through
the SALLT Everyday Skills Development Officer. The focus
of this work during the year has been the further
integration of everyday skills into all SALLT lifelong
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learning activities, particularly in relation to the SULF 6
projects. The objective in the longer term is to develop a
sustainability strategy for everyday skills activity by trade
unions to be implemented through the new Scottish
Union Academy.
Two different groups on everyday skills meet regularly.
The STUC SULF Everyday Skills Group has continued to
provide support to all SULF 6 projects. In addition, the
STUC Everyday Skills Strategy Group has continued to take
everyday skills issues forward through to the development
of the new Scottish Union Academy. Through meetings
with these groups, individual unions, the STUC Learning
Forum, the STUC Learning Conference and Local Learning
Forums, affiliated unions have continued to be informed
of the progress of the General Council’s work on everyday
skills.
The Everyday Skills events held in Glasgow in December
2005, Inverness in March 2006 and Dundee in March
2007 have been followed by a further event in Stirling in
February 2008. These events enable Union Learning Reps,
SULF Project Workers, Trade Union Education Officers
and others within the trade union movement with an
interest in everyday skills, to increase the profile of
everyday skills issues in the workplace and explore
methods of supporting those with everyday skills needs.
In addition to the ‘rusty’ skills learners identified during
activity in previous years, trade unions are now tackling
the challenges of supporting those with dyslexia and other
learning difficulties, and migrant workers who do not
have English as a first language.
Strategic links have continued with the WEA and
Community Learning and Development Partnerships. In
addition, links have been further developed with other
partners, in order to provide information and support to
a wide range of learners, including those with dyslexia
and other learning difficulties and disabilities, and those
who do not have English as their first language. The
SALLT has been working with Dyslexia Scotwest and
Dyslexia Scotland to increase awareness of dyslexia in the
workplace, and to enable ULRs to identify and support
learners with indications of dyslexia. A small working
group on dyslexia, with membership consisting of the
SALLT Everyday Skills Development Officer and
representatives from the BFAWU, Community, Glasgow
Adult Literacies Partnership and Dyslexia Scotwest, was
established to look at issues surrounding dyslexia in the
workplace. This led to the development of a Scottish
Trade Union Strategy to create a dyslexia-friendly
workplace, which was launched at the Scottish Parliament
during Trade Union Week in January 2008.
In addition, the very first Scottish Adult Dyslexia
Conference, funded by Learning Connections, took place
in October 2007 and was attended by representatives
from the STUC and trade unions. The STUC Everyday
Skills Development Officer sits on the Planning Committee
for the 2008 Conference, to prioritise the need to support
working adults with dyslexia. A new Professional
Development Award: ‘Working with Adults with Dyslexia’
has also been developed to help professional staff and
volunteers in learning and workplace environments to
provide more effective support to dyslexic adults in
Scotland. The STUC Everyday Skills Development Officer
was a member of the SQA Validation Panel for this award,
which was launched in November 2007, and there has
been great interest from ULRs who wish to obtain this
qualification.
The SALLT is continuing to raise awareness of everyday
skills in the workplace through the awareness-raising
training course delivered to trade unions by TUC
Education (Scotland). The TUC ‘Skills for Life’ course has
been adapted for use in Scotland and has received good
feedback. In addition, the new SQA Professional
Development Award: ‘Literacies in the Workplace’ has
been developed. This is the result of a multi-partnership
initiative on which the General Council is represented,
and is aimed at enabling adult literacy and numeracy
tutors to become aware of workplace literacies issues.
This award is being launched by the SQA in March 2008
and will be available in addition to the ITALL
(Introduction to Adult Literacies Learning) module for
those who wish to become trade union literacy and
numeracy tutors or tutor assistants.
The General Council’s working relationship with Learning
Connections has continued during the last year, during
which time Learning Connections became part of the
Scottish Government’s Directorate of General Education.
The SALLT has continued to work with the Workplace
Literacies Development Co-ordinator, as well as the
Development Co-ordinators for Specific Learning
Difficulties and ESOL. Through Local Learning Forums
and other union learning events and meetings, the SALLT
has continued to promote the Big Plus adult literacy and
numeracy campaign with support from Learning
Connections. The SALLT has also been promoting the BBC
‘RaW’ (Reading and Writing) campaign, the ‘Quick
Reads’ campaign and, more recently, the Scottish
publisher, Sandstone Press; all of which are aimed at
encouraging adults to read.
Everyday skills programmes in the workplace have been
facilitated by SULF 6 projects through collaboration with
unions, employers and providers and with the support of
the SALLT. Due to the success of previous Royal Mail and
the award-winning First Scotrail programmes, delivery to
new learners in these workplaces has continued
throughout the year. The First Scotrail course, ‘Brush up
your skills’, is delivered by Stow College and tackles
everyday skills, such as form filling, correspondence,
household finances and helping children with homework.
USDAW members have also benefited from similar
courses delivered by Stow College and the WEA. Literacy,
numeracy and ICT skills are being delivered jointly by an
Everyday Skills Tutor and a deaf signer to Unite: Amicus
Section learners in two Remploy sites, also by Stow
College. The Glasgow Adult Literacies Partnership
developed a pilot course with PCS and the Tribunals
Service. This course covered work-specific areas, such as
letter writing and minute taking, and has been an
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

excellent example of partnership working, in addition to
raising the role of ULRs within PCS.
ESOL classes have been delivered to Eastern European
workers in Firstbus, as well as shift-friendly literacy and
numeracy drop-in sessions in bus depots. ESOL provision
is also being delivered to UCATT learners in Glasgow and
Edinburgh. In addition, ESOL and dyslexia support have
been provided to CSEU learners by CLAN, West
Dunbartonshire Adult Literacies Partnership.
Discussions have continued with the Scottish Government
and Learning Connections to encourage the development
of appropriate funding arrangements and systems for
workplace literacies support. At the time of reporting,
The Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland (ALNIS)
Report is still being ‘refreshed’ and the General Council
was represented on the steering group and the sub-group
for workplace literacies. It is expected that a consultation
document will be published in 2008 and affiliates will be
encouraged to respond through the STUC.
THE SCOTTISH UNION ACADEMY
The paper agreed by the General Council “A Scottish
Union Academy: Adding Value to the Union Card”, in
2005 sets out in detail the case for the establishment of
the Academy, the menu of services it should provide, the
issues that needed further consideration, the development
work necessary to establish an SUA and a proposed
timetable. The General Council agreed an approach that
involved the establishment of the SALLT, and the
development of a range of services for unions that could
form the foundations of an Academy to be established in
the future. On this basis, the General Council agreed with
the then Scottish Executive funding for a Business Plan,
which contains a number of activities that will take
forward the SUA concept.
In June 2007, the General Council committed to ensuring
the long term development and sustainability of STUC
skills and union learning activity by completing the
development of the ‘Scottish Union Academy’, including
agreeing governance and financial management
arrangements for the ‘Academy’ that minimised the
financial risk to, and operational impact on, the STUC.
In December 2007, the General Council agreed, in
principle, to establish a formal structure to oversee the
operation of the Academy, including agreeing and
monitoring its business, operational and financial plans.
The agreed structure mirrored the successful governance
arrangements established by the TUC for unionlearn, and
will be serviced by the staff of the Academy.
The General Council has agreed that a Board be
established by the General Council to oversee the
operation of the Academy and that the Board will be
supported by two Advisory Groups: a union advisory
group and a Partners’ Advisory Group. Attendance at the
Union Advisory Group will be open to all affiliates as is
the case with the present STUC Learning Forum. It is
intended that members of the Partners’ Advisory Group
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
will include representatives from the new Scottish Skills
Agency, the Enterprise Agencies, IIP Scotland, the SQA,
the SCQF, Further and Higher Education, Community
Learning Partnerships and the Scottish Government.
The role of the Scottish Union Academy Board will be to
oversee the operation of the Academy, including:
● agreeing its strategic objectives and setting and
monitoring its business and operational plans;
● setting and monitoring the Academy’s annual budget
(at present £1.4m);
● approving funding applications;
● overseeing the allocation of the SULF and any other
funds obtained to support learning by union
members; and
● overseeing the allocation of funds to support the
trade union education provided by the TUC
Education service in Scotland.
It is intended that the 12 person Board, which would be
accountable to the General Council, will be made up as
follows:
● A Chairperson nominated by the General Council
from amongst its number;
● Three members appointed by the General Council
from amongst its number;
● Three members appointed by the General Council
from nominations made by unions with 30,000 or
more members;
● Three members appointed by the General Council
from nominations made by unions with 29,999 or
fewer members;
● The STUC General Secretary; and
● A nominee appointed by the TUC General Council.
The aim is to attract trade union leaders to serve on the
Board of the Academy. There will be the opportunity for
union officers/representatives, including union education
officers, learning managers and project workers, to
contribute to the work of the Academy through the Union
Advisory Group.
The General Council has invited nominations for the
Board with the intention of having it in place for the
launch of the Academy in May 2008.
During the year, through the SALLT, the General Council
has continued to work to develop the partnerships
required to develop the SUA with a range of
organisations, including individual unions, the Scottish
Government, economic development agencies, workforce
development organisations, colleges, universities,
guidance organisations and employers across Scotland.
The team has continued to provide support for trade
union led lifelong learning projects on the ground and to
develop the capacity of trade unions to support their
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members in accessing learning. In addition, the SALLT
took over and successfully managed the administration of
SULF 6 in April 2006.
The General Council recognises the importance of a UKwide
approach to union learning and, through the SALLT,
has liaised closely with the TUC and WTUC in relation to
Academy developments. The General Council is
represented by the General Secretary of the STUC on the
unionlearn Union Advisory Group. It was also an active
partner in the ‘High Road’ project, an EU EQUAL project
led by the TUC, which supported the development of
unionlearn in England. This allowed for the regular
sharing of best practice information, such as discussion
of joint working and common approaches.
At the time of reporting, no decisions have been reached,
regarding adopting the “unionlearn” branding agreed for
the Academy in England, for a Union Academy in
Scotland. A decision on this will be taken before the
launch of the Scottish Union Academy in May 2008. In the
meantime, the STUC’s activity on skills and learning will
continue to carry the SALLT brand.
The key priorities set out in the Business Plan for 2007 in
relation to the SUA were to:
● continue to integrate the Everyday Skills agenda into
the core work of the team;
● continue to develop and increase participation in
local learning forums, the STUC Learning Forum,
and the annual STUC Learning Conference;
● develop the branding for the Scottish Union
Academy;
● continue developing the Scottish Union Learning
website;
● successfully manage the administration of SULF 6;
● work closely with TUC Education to produce a more
coordinated approach to TUC Education
(unionlearn) courses in Scotland;
● determine union led learning demand for
2005–2015;
● continue to work closely with the TUC unionlearn
team;
● identify future funding post March 2008 and support
unions with their SULF 7 bids should SULF 7 funding
become available; and
● apply for ESF funding to complement the work of the
SULF and develop a fund for learning.
While a number of these objectives have been met, others
will continue to be key to the work of the new Scottish
Union Academy and, as such, will be reflected in the
Business Plan agreed with the Scottish Government for
the next three years.
The SALLT will continue to engage unions in discussions
about the development of the SUA and the services being
developed that will form the foundations of a future SUA.
ESF
Following a meeting with affiliates in October 2007, where
the General Secretary outlined the STUC proposal to apply
for ESF funding, the STUC submitted bids for the European
Social Fund in 2007. Two separate applications were made:
an application for ESF Priority 3 funding to cover the
Highlands and Islands geographical spread was submitted
to the Highlands and Islands Scotland Partnership, and an
additional application for ESF Priority 3 funding was also
made to cover Lowlands and Uplands Scotland. The
Highlands and Islands application was not successful,
however, there will be a follow up meeting in April 2008
and the STUC intends to resubmit. The STUC is still awaiting
the outcome of the Lowlands and Uplands bid and should
hear an outcome by the end of March 2008.
THE DEMAND FOR UNION LEARNING
In November 2006, the General Council commissioned
academics, Jeanette Findlay, Patricia Findlay and Chris
Warhurst, to undertake research into the demand for
union led learning, including trade union education, in
Scotland. The final report was published in May 2007. A
summary of the report is available on the SALLT website.
The results of this research were disseminated through
various mediums throughout the past year. The General
Secretary made a presentation of the findings to the
Scottish Funding Council Skills Committee on 6
September 2007. The research was also featured in the
Summer 2007 edition of the Scottish Union Learning
News and disseminated through the STUC Learning
Forum. Through joint working with the TUC, the demand
for learning findings were printed as part of the
unionlearn research series in November 2007. A brief on
the Scottish Union Learning Fund, which incorporated the
research findings, was sent to MSPs in early November.
SCOTTISH UNION LEARNING FUND (SULF)
In 2006, the General Council secured a total of £1.6m
funding for the financial years 2006/7 and 2007/8 from
the former Scottish Executive, to allow trade unions to bid
for financial support under round 6 of SULF. A total of 13
unions were successful in securing funding for projects
which commenced on 1 April 2006.
Through the SALLT, the General Council has provided
affiliates with support in delivering their projects. Due to
close monitoring of projects, the SALLT was able to
identify early under spends in SULF 6 and re-allocate this
money to existing and new projects, with specific work in
the Highlands and Islands and everyday skills. This reallocation
of monies was made in October 2006, bringing
the total number of funded projects to 15. As projects
reach the end of the final year of funding, early
indications suggest that all of the agreed targets will be
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

met and the funding of £1.6m will have been fully
allocated.
The SULF 6 projects are:
● NUJ: Trade Union E-Learning Centre of Excellence
● SPFA (GMB): Contextualising Learning
● PCS: License to Skill
● Unite: Amicus Section: Learning for Change Network
● USDAW: Developing USDAW’s Strategic Approach
● FBU: Bridging the Gap – Addressing Skill Gaps in the
Scottish Fire & Rescue Services
● Rail Union Learning: Establishing a Lifelong Learning
Culture in the Travel & Tourism Sectors in Scotland
● Community: Enabling Learning in Supported
Workplaces
● RCN: Growing Union Branches
● UCATT: Building Healthy Learning & Lifestyle in the
Scottish Construction Industry
● Unite: T&G Section: Developing, Supporting &
Embedding Lifelong Learning as a Mainstream Union
Activity
● CSEU: SULF Project
● CWU: Bridging the Skills Gap in Scotland
● BFAWU: Foundation to Learning
● UNISON: Learning in UNISON (Highlands)
All of the current projects are due to end on 31 March
2008 with the end of the sixth round of the Scottish Union
Learning Fund.
SULF 7
At the STUC Learning Conference in November 2007, the
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning,
Fiona Hyslop MSP, announced continuation of SULF
funding for the financial years 2008/9, 2009/10 and
2010/1, £1.4m in each financial year, a total of £4.2m.
The criterion for SULF 7 was announced on 24 January
2008 during a bid workshop, which was held at the STUC
in Glasgow and conducted by the SALLT. Some changes
have been made by the Scottish Government to the
criteria for round SULF 7. The SALLT have been
supporting affiliates in the preparation of their SULF 7
bids.
The closing date for submissions to the Scottish
Government was 29 February 2008. The announcement
of successful projects was expected at the end of March
2008.
The General Secretary continues to serve as a member of
the SULF Advisory Committee, which advises the Cabinet
Secretary on the allocation of funding.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
TRADE UNION WORKING PARTY ON
LIFELONG LEARNING (TUWPLL)
The TUWPLL was established by the Scottish Executive in
2000 and has proven to be an effective forum for debate
and discussion on lifelong learning.
In the period since the 2007 Scottish Parliament
elections, discussions have taken place with the Cabinet
Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning about the
future of the TUWPLL.
The General Secretary agreed with the Cabinet Secretary
that a review of the role of TUWPLL should be undertaken
and, in this regard, the Secretariat held several
discussions with Scottish Government Officials.
The Cabinet Secretary wrote to the General Secretary in
February 2008, advising that she agrees that there would
be value in continuing with TUWPLL, and indicating that
she believes that, in future, it would be useful to focus the
meeting at a more strategic level in light of the
publication of the Government’s “Skills for Scotland”
Strategy.
She has also suggested that, with the sharper focus on
workplace learning in the Skills Strategy, consideration be
given to changing the name of TUWPLL to reflect this.
The Cabinet Secretary has invited the General Council to
reconstitute the union membership of the TUWPLL, with a
view to it meeting on 27 May 2008 in Edinburgh.
Since its inception, appointments to the TUWPLL have
been made by Ministers, following consultation with the
STUC General Council. The General Council has made
suggestions to Ministers based on nominations received
from affiliates.
Given the suggestion that the meetings be focused at a
more strategic level, the General Council agreed that, in
future, it would nominate members from amongst its
number and will do so following the election of the
General Council at Congress.
STUC LEARNING FORUM
The STUC Learning Forum was established to advise the
General Council on learning matters and to provide a
means by which unions can network on learning issues.
The forum met four times during the year and continues
to attract a core attendance from over 20 STUC affiliates.
The Forum has met three times in Glasgow and once in
Inverness.
There have been a number of lifelong learning subgroups
and working groups established since the
inception of the Forum. The SALLT supports the following
groups which feed into the Forum: The Website Group;
The ILA Users Group; The Everyday Skills (Strategic
Planning) Group; The Everyday Skills (SULF) Group; and
The SULF 6 Operational Group. Newly formed in 2007
were the Communications Group; Trade Union Group on
Working with Sector Skills Councils; and the Joint Trade
Union/Sector Skills Councils Group. These working
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groups will be reviewed, in order to determine the role
they will have in the new Scottish Union Academy.
In the new Scottish Union Academy structure, in addition
to the Board and a Partners’ Advisory Group, there will
be a Union Advisory Group. This will be a forum for
affiliates to contribute to the work of the Academy. It is
envisaged that this Group will replace the STUC Learning
Forum.
LOCAL LEARNING FORUMS
Local Learning Forums meet regularly in several areas of
the country, including Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow,
Lanarkshire, Aberdeen, Fife, Inverness, Orkney, Caithness
and Shetland. Due to workplace closures and other
issues, a forum in Fort William is no longer viable at this
time. The purpose of the forums is to provide support to
local ULRs and to encourage cross union work in areas
of promotion, joint provision and engagement with local
organisations involved in learning.
Through the forums, ULRs engage in wider trade union
campaigns and issues, such as the General Council’s
“Unions into Schools” programme. The NUJ’s Local Union
History course, launched in April 2007, is also supported
by the forums. An event on Migrant Workers was held by
the Lanarkshire forum in June 2007. Through the Scottish
Union Academy, the SALLT will continue to support the
established forums in the coming year.
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING
ACCOUNTS SCOTLAND
The General Council, through the SALLT, has continued to
support the take up of Individual Learning Accounts
(ILAs). Those affiliates with SULF projects have, over the
last two years, arranged for several hundred union
members to take out ILAs. Joint branded promotional
materials, between ILA Scotland, the STUC and affiliates,
continue to be produced, and a union specific newsletter
was produced by ILA Scotland in November and
December 2007.
The General Council welcomes the changes made to the
ILA Scotland scheme in 2007, as it means more choice
for learners. The range of courses eligible for the £100
ILA Scotland scheme has been extended to include all
subject areas, not just computer courses. The extension,
which was prompted by feedback from learning providers
and learners, is a pilot scheme which will be reviewed
regularly. It has a particular focus on the soft skills, such
as communication, customer handling and problem
solving skills.
The £100 scheme extension applies to:
● courses up to and including Scottish Credit and
Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 6 (Scottish
Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) Level 3); and
● courses leading to qualifications with SCQF or to
recognised certification, or to accredited units, or
modules within such qualifications or certification.
Changes have also been made to the £200 ILA Scotland
scheme. The existing restriction that Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) courses must lead to
formal qualifications, or recognised certification, has
been removed.
The General Council, whilst welcoming the increase in the
income threshold to £18,000, is still concerned that this
cut off point does not recognise the educational needs of
many union members.
During the year, through the SALLT, some affiliates took
part in a pilot project with ILA Scotland to widen the
access to the ILA database. The pilot project lasted three
months, and early indications are that those affiliates who
took part found it beneficial. A full report is expected
form ILA in mid April 2008.
STUC HELEN DOWIE AWARD FOR
LIFELONG LEARNING
The STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning was
established by the General Council in 2006, to recognise
the contribution to lifelong learning of trade union
activists. The nomination process for the award asks
unions to identify a lay activist, who has excelled in the
promotion of the workplace learning agenda within their
organisation, workplace or community.
As part the re-branding of the three union rep awards as
the STUC Union Rep Awards, a new Adjudication Panel for
the STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning was
established. The Panel considers the nominations
received from affiliates and will recommend to the
General Council, for its approval, the recipient of each
Award.
The STUC Helen Dowie Award for Lifelong Learning
Adjudication Panel consists of five people: three General
Council members, the STUC Deputy General Secretary and
the TUC Education Officer for Scotland. The SALLT
continues to provide administration and recipient
support. The 2006 and 2007 awards were sponsored by
the Scottish Executive and learndirect scotland. The
recipient of the 2007 award was Rachael Bonner, a PCS
Regional Learning Officer employed at the HMRC in
Cumbernauld.
At the time of reporting, consideration is being given to
the applications submitted for the 2008 award. It is also a
key objective of the General Council to plan a strategy to
ensure the effective funding of all the STUC Union Rep
Awards each year.
The General Council would like to acknowledge the
continued support for the award given by the Prime
Minister, Gordon Brown MP.
SCOTTISH UNION LEARNING CONFERENCE
The 7th Annual STUC Learning Conference was held at
Hampden Park, Glasgow on 15 November 2007. The
theme of the Conference was “Reaching Out: Union
Learning” and the main sponsor of the event was ILA
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Scotland. The conference was opened by Phil McGarry,
STUC President, and 160 delegates attended the one-day
event.
The Conference was addressed by Fiona Hyslop MSP, the
Cabinet Secretary for Skills & Lifelong Learning, who
announced continued SULF funding of £4.2m over the
next three years. The keynote speaker was Grahame
Smith, STUC General Secretary, who focussed on the
Scottish Government’s Skills Strategy. The Conference was
also addressed by Rachael Bonner, PCS Regional Learning
Officer and the 2007 STUC Helen Dowie Award for
Lifelong Learning recipient.
The Conference provided participants with practical
information and skills through workshops and
presentations, and also allowed ULRs from across the
country to come together and discuss the future shape of
union learning across Scotland, both nationally and
regionally. The Conference structure was workshop based
rather than keynote speakers, a format very well received
by participants. Delegates participated in four workshops:
“ULRs Connect: Migrant Workers and the Learning
Agenda in the Workplace”; “Everyday Skills: ESOL in the
Workplace”; “Funding: ULRs Engage with ILA Scotland”;
and “Everyday Skills: BBC RaW”.
Exhibitors supplemented the Conference and came from
Forth Valley College, ILA Scotland, Open University,
Financial Services Authority, TUC Education, Stow College,
South Lanarkshire College, Langside College, SSASCOT,
Careers Scotland, Cumbernauld College, and John
Wheatley College.
The provisional date for the 8th Annual Conference is 13
November 2008.
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
TRADE UNION WEEK
ULRs from across Scotland travelled to the Scottish
Parliament to take part in lifelong learning events on Deaf
Awareness, Dyslexia and Lifelong Learning as part of
Trade Union Week.
MSPs Cathie Craigie, Marlyn Glenn, Peter Peacock, John
Park, Sandra White, Karen Gillon and David Stewart met
with FBU, TSSA and RMT Union Learning Reps from the
Highlands and Islands, to discuss deaf awareness issues
in Scotland. The meeting centred on the ‘Sign Here’
initiative, a deaf awareness project for union members
across the Highlands and Islands.
The ‘Dyslexia in the Workplace’ session launched the
development of a Scottish Trade Union Strategy to support
working adults with dyslexia. MSPs who attended were
Elaine Smith, Peter Peacock, John Farquhar Munro, Joe
Fitzpatrick, Marlyn Glen and Keith Brown. Union Learning
Reps from the FBU, PCS, BFAWU and RMT engaged with
MSPs on a multitude of dyslexia-related issues.
The third session looked at the centrality of lifelong
learning in the trade union movement. MSP Cathy
Jamieson attended the session, which was facilitated by
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
TUC Education in Scotland. Members from Unite: Amicus
Section gave examples of successful union learning in the
workplace, and the SALLT is taking forward a series of
meetings with MSPs to raise the political profile of the
trade union lifelong learning agenda with all political
parties.
SCOTTISH UNION LEARNING WEBSITE
The purpose of the website,
http://www.scottishunionlearning.com, is to provide ULRs
and union members with information on union learning
activity, or on initiatives that might be of interest to union
learners. The site also contains a facility to allow
individual unions and partners to create and populate
their own sections. The SALLT updates the site on a
regular basis. The site is currently testing an interactive
learning forum online, where users can post and respond
to topics surrounding skills and lifelong learning in
Scotland.
Individual affiliates have also been encouraged to develop
their parts of the site and future SULF 7 projects will be
encouraged to use the site to share good practice.
SCOTTISH UNION LEARNING NEWS
To increase awareness of the General Council’s activity on
skills and lifelong learning, the SALLT developed a
quarterly newsletter called the “Scottish Union Learning
News” in 2006. The newsletter was produced in February,
May and August 2007 and in February 2008, and covers a
variety of topics, including a spotlight article on specific
unions, updates on provision, events, everyday skills
information and much more. The newsletter is circulated
with the STUC e-brief and is complemented by the bimonthly
e-newsletter published by the Highlands &
Islands SALLT, which is designed to keep local union
members and SULF project workers up to date with local
learning activities that would be of interest to their
members.
SECTOR SKILLS COUNCILS
During the year, the SALLT has continued to work with the
25 Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). These are the industryled
bodies that have taken over the role of the National
Training Organisations (NTOs).
The General Council has been represented on the Sector
Skills Project Board by the Skills & Lifelong Learning
Manager. As a result of national changes, this Board will
have its final meeting in March 2008 .The new UK
Commission for Employment and Skills has now been
established and, in December 2007, the General Council
was appointed as a Commissioner.
The General Council has continued to liaise closely with
the TUC and unionlearn over the development of SSCs.
The General Council is keen to ensure that the SSCs take
account of the role of unions and union-led learning in
their work, particularly the development of Sector Skills
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Agreements and that the Agreements contain effective
strategies for union engagement.
There are now 20 Sector Skills Councils who have
completed and launched Sector Skills Agreements. The
final five are nearing completion, with an end date of
approximately March 2008.
Through the Trade Union Group on Working with Sector
Skills Councils, the General Council has initiated a
programme to review Sector Skills Agreements. So far,
three SSAs have been reviewed, and it is intended that this
activity will continue as part of the work of the SUA. The
new SUA will look at developing a Skills Network in
Scotland to look at taking forward engagement with SSCs,
and to provide the opportunity for unions to be involved
and influence the SSC network.
CO-OPERATION WITH THE TUC
The General Council continues to work closely with the
TUC, to ensure a comprehensive range of support is
available to affiliates in Scotland. There has continued to
be close cooperation on Sector Skills Councils and the
developing Sector Skills Agreements.
The General Secretary was appointed to the Union
Advisory Group of unionlearn in February 2007. The
General Council was also a partner in the TUC’s EU
EQUAL “High Road” Project, which supported the
development of unionlearn in England. Members of the
SALLT regularly attended the unionlearn Implementation
Group meetings and TUC Skills Policy Network meetings.
The General Council was represented at a number of
unionlearn events over the year. While the EQUAL ‘High
Road’ Project finished in December 2007, the close
relationship established with unionlearn, as a result of the
Project, continues to inform the development of the SUA
in Scotland.
The General Council continues to work in partnership
with the TUC on the structure and governance of the
Scottish Union Academy, and the TUC General Council will
be invited to nominate a representative to serve on the
Board of the Academy. The SALLT and TUC Education in
Scotland will work together under agreed common
branding to provide the services of the new Academy.
TUC EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND
The General Council and the TUC have supported joint
working and greater co-ordination of activity between the
TUC’s Scottish Education Officer and the SALLT as part of
the dialogue aimed at establishing a joint strategy for
trade union education and learning services in Scotland.
As a result of the General Council’s success in persuading
Ministers to restore public funding for the TUC Education
Programme in Scotland, funding continues to be
channelled through the STUC’s SALLT budget. TUC
Education received £120,000 in funding in 2007. The
funding will continue at this level for the next three years
as part of the overall allocation of £4.2m to union
learning in Scotland.
The SALLT has worked with the TUC’s Scottish Education
Officer to promote trade union education, offered
through the TUC supported programme of courses,
provided by the network of further education college
trade union studies departments. The SALLT has been
working closely with the TUC, colleges and providers to
anticipate and coordinate demand, in order to ensure a
greater uptake of available courses throughout Scotland.
ENGAGEMENT WITH LECS
Regular contact was maintained with Scottish and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise during the year on
learning and skills issues. The General Secretary
delivered a presentation to the SE Skills Managers in
August 2007 on the work of union learning. It is
anticipated that new arrangements will now be developed
with the new skills agency, Skills Development Scotland.
LIAISON WITH PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
During the year, the General Council has maintained
contact with a number of organisations operating in the
lifelong learning field.
Regular contact has been maintained with learndirect
scotland, ILA Scotland, the Scottish Qualifications
Authority, Future Skills Scotland, Careers Scotland,
Communities Scotland, the Scottish Credit and
Qualifications Framework, the Sector Skills Development
Board, the Funding Council, the Open University, Scottish
Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the
Further Education Colleges through SFEU.
The General Council is represented on the Modern
Apprenticeship Group by the Skills & Lifelong Learning
Manager. In October 2007, the General Secretary
accepted an invitation to become a member of the
Scottish Funding Council’s Skills Committee.
OPEN UNIVERSITY
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with The
Open University in Scotland in May 2007. The agreement
was signed by the General Secretary and Peter Syme,
Scottish Director of The Open University in Rolls Royce,
Inchinnan, a workplace that has a successful history of
trade union and employer partnership in learning
opportunities.
The MOU does not replace current procedures individual
unions have in working with the OU. The agreement
outlines how the two organisations will work together to
ensure that those, who have previously benefited least
from education and training, can develop their skills,
confidence and careers through access to higher
education. A key element of the agreement was to offer a
10% discount on a wide range of courses to union
members, who are new to studying with the OU.
Through the SALLT, the General Council began
collaborating with the Open University to develop a
strategic approach in promoting OU learning
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

opportunities to union members. However, difficulties
have arisen during negotiations, as OU courses are not
currently eligible for ILA Scotland funding. The SALLT
plans to continue to work with the OU to overcome these
barriers and provide a better package for unions to offer
to their members in the coming months.
The STUC is currently producing a joint leaflet with the
OU, which outlines the learning opportunities available to
union members. A further meeting is planned in April
2008 between the STUC and the OU, to discuss a joint
approach to learning and skills. Additionally, the STUC
and the OU are beginning joint work on promoting
learning within the voluntary sector early in 2008.
FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION
The General Council objectives for the college sector over
the past year have been to improve pay and conditions,
promote continuous professional development, and to
ensure transparency and accountability within the sector.
For universities, work has focussed on promoting fair
employment, and securing decent funding levels for
Scotland’s higher education institutions (HEIs). The
General Council has pursued these aims through
engagement with a number of partners, including the
Scottish Government, the Scottish Funding Council, the
Association of Scotland’s Colleges and Universities
Scotland.
STUC Further and Higher Education Forum
The STUC’s Further and Higher Education Forum meets
twice a year to facilitate liaison between affiliates within
the sectors, and to give strategic direction to policy and
engagement with external stakeholders. The Forum met
on 11 October 2007 and again on 9 April 2008. The
autumn meeting received a presentation from Suzanne
Marshall of Equality Forward, and considered a number
of matters, including the Review of Scotland’s Colleges,
Charitable Status and our engagement with the Scottish
Funding Council (SFC). Veronica Rankin represents the
STUC on the board of Equality Forward, and provides
regular updates on its work, at the FE-HE Forum. All
affiliates now receive regular email updates from Equality
Forward to enable them to engage in its activities.
The FE-HE Forum receives reports from the Secretariat
on the work of the CHASTE (Co-ordinating Health and
Safety in Tertiary Education) initiative. Together with the
ASC, the STUC wrote to the SFC, endorsing the work of
CHASTE, and encouraging it to provide continued funding
for the project, which has provided vital support on
health and safety for institutions.
The STUC responded to the Scottish Government’s
consultation on the abolishment of the Graduate
Endowment in September 2007, reiterating longstanding
STUC policy to abolish the Endowment.
The General Council continues to enjoy a positive
relationship with the National Union of Students in
Scotland, sharing information and experiences on issues
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
that affect both staff and students. We have continued to
liaise on the Review of Scotland’s Colleges, and on our
views in relation to the Scottish Government’s HE
Taskforce.
Review of Scotland’s Colleges
The Review of Scotland’s Colleges (RoSCo) report was
made public at the end of June 2007. The STUC
welcomed its publication, in particular its
recommendations for a minimum six days continuing
professional development for all staff, and for making an
effective case on the difference colleges make to
Scotland’s economy and society. However, the STUC was
clear that RoSCo had missed an opportunity to make a
meaningful difference to the sector, and had failed to
make recommendations to improve accountability and
governance within the sector.
The STUC strongly articulated this view to the new
Scottish Government, and to the Cabinet Secretary for
Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop MSP,
through correspondence and in a useful and frank
meeting with her on 26 September 2007.
The General Council participated in the Scottish
Government’s event to launch its response to the RoSCo
recommendations at Lauder College, Dunfermline on 30
October 2007. In her response, the Cabinet Secretary
agreed with those recommendations that the STUC
supported, and went further, calling for a number of
actions to take place which will be of real benefit to staff
in Scotland’s colleges.
The Cabinet Secretary wants a Staff Governance Standard
for the sector, and has invited the STUC and Association
of Scotland’s Colleges (ASC) to work together to develop
such a Standard and to report progress to the RoSCo core
group by June 2008. Colleges will be invited to adopt the
Standard once it is developed. Fiona Hyslop has invited
the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to work with colleges,
the ASC, and the STUC to co-ordinate a sectoral approach
to equal pay. In addition, the Cabinet Secretary wants the
SFC, ASC, STUC and National Union of Students to work
on a number of issues relating to guidance, training and
the sharing of good practice for College Board members.
The full response from the Scottish Government,
“Promoting Excellence”, outlining the Cabinet Secretary’s
position on RoSCo, is available at http://www.scotland.gov.
uk/Publications/2007/10/24101814/0.
The STUC gave a warm welcome to the Cabinet Secretary’s
response to RoSCo, expressing particular delight at her
desire for a Staff Governance Standard, and a coordinated
approach to equal pay in the sector. Both of
these were issues that the STUC has attempted to raise,
with little success, with the ASC, and during the RoSCo
process.
Nevertheless, “Promoting Excellence” creates
considerable work for the STUC and its affiliates within
the sector, and the General Council has spent the last few
months liaising with key stakeholders, including its
affiliates, the ASC, SFC, Scottish Government, and Scottish
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Further Education Unit (SFEU), on progressing the
recommendations of the Cabinet Secretary. Preliminary
meetings to consider a co-ordinated approach to equal
pay, taking forward annual staff surveys, and support for
staff board members, have been held with Close the Gap,
the ASC and SFEU. The STUC has developed a draft
proposal on equal pay within colleges. The Secretariat
has also addressed a UNISON FE reps meeting to update
them on progress. Given the forthcoming merger between
ASC, SFEU, COLEG and Scotland’s Colleges International,
the sector has expressed a desire for the Shadow Board
of the emerging new body to lead on taking forward a
number of these issues. The General Council will
continue to vigorously pursue the interests of our
members to take forward the “Promoting Excellence”
recommendations.
Colleges Charitable Status
In July 2007, the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator
(OSCR) ruled that John Wheatley College had failed the
Charities Test in that Ministers still retained order making
powers to intervene in colleges. John Wheatley College
was taken as a test case, and OSCR gave the college sector
until July 2009 to sort this issue or be struck off the
Charities Register.
Scottish Ministers have given clear commitments to
address this matter, to ensure that colleges can retain
their charitable status. STUC has made a number of
representations on this matter, to the Trade Union Group
of Labour MSPs, to Government officials, and to the
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning.
The STUC is clear that it wants the Scottish Government to
amend the Charities Act and exempt colleges from the
Charities Test. Colleges are a vital lifelong learning public
service and receive considerable funding from the
Scottish Government. Therefore, in the interests of
democracy and accountability, it is important that
Ministers retain powers over the sector. The General
Council welcomed the announcement from the Cabinet
Secretary in January 2008 that she intends to exempt
colleges from the need to fully comply with the Charities
legislation. The STUC is currently urging all political
parties to support the Cabinet Secretary’s proposal as it
goes to the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Funding Council
The General Council continues to support affiliates in
regular liaison with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).
Formal meetings were held with the SFC on 9 May 2007
and 3 October 2007. The May meeting gave the STUC
opportunities to make representations on HRM
Modernisation in Higher Education Institutions; the SFC
consultation on monitoring, evaluation and
accountability; and estates developments. In October,
useful discussions were held on the SFC’s priority action
on Benchmarking HRM, and on the Scottish budget
process. Regular liaison has taken place between SFC
officials and the Secretariat, over the past year, to forward
key objectives for affiliates. The STUC responded to the
SFC’s consultation on the collection of individual data on
college staff in April 2007.
Liaison has taken place between the General Council and
the Skills Committee of the SFC, with meetings between
the Secretariat and the Skills Committee Chair, Dr Janet
Lowe, in August 2007, discussing the work of the
Committee and STUC involvement. The General Secretary
gave a presentation to the Skills Committee in September
2007, emphasising the importance of upskilling the
current workforce, and outlining the demand for union
led learning. In October 2007, a formal invitation was
issued to the STUC to join the SFC’s Skills Committee. The
invitation was accepted, and the General Secretary is now
a member of the Skills Committee to particularly
represent the voice of the workplace learner.
Roundtable Forum
The General Council has supported affiliates to participate
in the Scottish Government’s Roundtable Forum for
Further and Higher Education. The STUC participated in
meetings on 6 June 2007, 23 October 2007, and 25
March 2008. All of these meetings were chaired by the
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning,
Fiona Hyslop MSP. The Roundtable has proved a useful
forum for the STUC to air its views on RoSCo, and
Charitable Status of colleges, and to call for a
comprehensive review for the Higher Education Sector.
Meetings have received useful updates from the Cabinet
Secretary on the Scottish budget, the Skills Strategy and
RoSCo. Higher Education affiliates followed up
discussions in the Roundtable to meet with Scottish
Government Officials in February 2008, to express our
dismay at our exclusion from the HE Taskforce, and to
discuss the budget settlement for HEIs in more detail.
Universities Scotland
The General Council met with Universities Scotland on 10
August 2007. A useful meeting enabled the exchange of
information on the implementation of the Framework
Agreement, and Universities Scotland provided affiliates
with informative briefings on the Spending Review.
Lifelong Learning UK
Affiliates in the further and higher education sectors have
engaged with Lifelong Learning UK, as the Sector Skills
Council covering staff within these sectors. The
Secretariat participated in a Lifelong Learning UK scoping
meeting on the Sector Skills Agreement in August 2007.
Lifelong Learning UK followed this up with meetings with
affiliates in September 2007, and the STUC provided a
submission on what it wished to see within the Sector
Skills Agreement in the autumn of 2007.
SCHOOL EDUCATION
The General Council has engaged with the new Scottish
Government on a range of school education issues. The
General Council welcomed the Scottish Government’s
piloting of free, nutritional, school meals in primary 1–3
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

in five local authority areas. The STUC continues to
support the provision of free, nutritional, school meals
for all pupils in Scottish schools. The STUC has urged the
Scottish Government to address gender stereotyping in
education, and raised this issue with the Cabinet Secretary
for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop MSP, in
the context of the Government’s Skills Strategy.
A school education affiliates’ meeting was held on 13
March 2008. This meeting gave affiliates within the sector
an opportunity to raise issues of concern to them. The
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
meeting considered the role of school education within
the Scottish Government’s Skills Strategy; discussed term
time working; and enabled affiliates to exchange views on
progress in supporting school education staff in relation
to staff and pupils operating in healthy and safe
environments.
The STUC continues to be represented on the Scottish
Government’s Schools and Colleges Stakeholder Forum,
participating in meetings on 26 September 2007 and 18
March 2008.
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Chapter Five
Fairness at Work
Over the past year, the General Council has continued to
strongly promote Fairness at Work.
This section of the report details the ways in which the
General Council has been able to pursue the fair
employment agenda through campaigning and lobbying
activity, through the work of partnership projects, such as
Close the Gap and One workplace Equal Rights, and
through promoting the wider benefits of trade unionism
under the Unions Work Campaign.
UNIONS WORK CAMPAIGN
The General Council has continued to promote the
Unions Work Campaign to promote a positive image of
trade unionism, whilst internally promoting an organising
culture, supporting a shift of focus and resources from
affiliates towards organising strategies, contributing to a
steady rise in membership and recognition.
The new strategies towards organising and more active
recruitment continues to be rewarded with modest but
incremental gains in membership, evidenced by the
continuing increase in STUC affiliated membership; a rise
in the number of recognition agreements in Scotland; and
the number of workers in Scotland covered by
recognition agreements.
The General Council has continued to use the media to
promote the fundamental role of trade unions in securing
better terms and conditions. Whilst achieving positive
media coverage for trade unionism continues to be a
challenge, a significant number of positive press instances
have been achieved and the number of negative instances
has fallen.
The Unions Work logo continues to be used by a number
of affiliates and it is regularly featured as part of the
toolkits, briefings and newsletters and other publicity
produced by the General Council.
Following the initial phase of the Campaign, the General
Council was able to report last year the mainstreaming of
an organising culture throughout the activities and
projects of the STUC. The General Council has provided
political and campaigning support for affiliates which
have used campaigning initiatives to widen trade union
appeal and promote activism.
The General Council has also identified a number of key
campaigning initiatives beneficial to general organising
initiatives which are detailed later in this report. The
General Council has also continued to broaden and give
depth to its engagement with Scottish community and
campaigning organisations and to support existing
projects aimed at extending the reach of trade unionism
in Scotland.
School Visits – Unions into Schools
The General Council has continued, in partnership with
the Scottish Government Determined to Succeed
department and TUC Education, to extend the school
visits programme. In addition to the 24 School visit reps
trained in 2006-2007, a further 50 have now been
trained, providing a significant body of active trade
unionists able to deliver training on rights at work and
the role of trade unions in Scottish schools.
The number of participating schools is expanding weekly
and limit to the extent of the project is likely to be a
matter of resources, rather than demand or the
willingness of Scottish reps to become involved.
In addition to providing visits for schools in Edinburgh,
Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, East and West Renfrewshire,
South Lanarkshire and Fife, the geographical spread of
the project has increased to include schools in the
Highlands and Islands.
After a rigorous process of testing the materials used for
school visits, the finalised school visits packs - a resource
suitable for teachers as well as trade union tutors – will
have been launched prior to Congress 2008.
The School Visits project has received warm praise at a
parliamentary level. A session promoting the initiative was
held as part of Trade Union Week in Scottish Parliament
(January 2008). The project was supported through a
Member’s Motion in the name of Cathy Peattie MSP
during this Week and speakers of all parties, including
the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, welcomed
the intitiative on the floor of the Parliament during the
subsequent debate.
Following the launch of the pack, the General Council
expects to enter detailed discussions with the Scottish
Government on future funding for the initiative.
One positive feature of the initiative is the holding of a
fringe event at Congress 2008, including a schools
debate, which was previously a feature of Congress, but
which has not been undertaken for some years.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

The General Council wishes to place on record its thanks
to the Scottish Government, TUC Education, school
teachers and affiliates, which have played such a key role
in developing the project and, in particular, to the trained
school reps, who have already delivered the trade union
and rights at work message to many school pupils, who
would not otherwise have heard it.
Support@Work
The General Council has worked closely with the
Edinburgh TUC as a partner in the Support@work
project, which is partly funded by Edinburgh Capital City
Partnership.
Support@work provides pre-employment support in a
range of employment rights areas, as well as promoting
the benefits of trade unionism to those returning to work
on employability schemes, as well as providing training to
those delivering the support.
Support@work has continued to undertake a detailed
and ambitious work programme including:
● Delivering pre-employment training on rights at
work to general groups, as well as groups of
individuals which are specifically disadvantaged
through disability, former drugs dependency,
homelessness, etc.
● Providing 6 months support for individuals in nonunionised
workplaces following a successful job
appointment, through a telephone advice line or
face-to-face support. After 6 months individuals are
encouraged to join a trade union.
● Working in conjunction with affiliates to build
capacity to support employability returnees in the
workplace and provide a bridge for union
membership.
● Providing training for key workers, case workers,
employability advisers, etc, on general employment
issues, as well as hot topics, such as Health and
Safety.
The Support@work project recently held a high profile
event on an employment rights approach to employability
which was oversubscribed, attracting a range of key
partners, including employability partnerships, Scottish
Government, local authorities, voluntary sector
organisations and trade unions. The event was addressed
by Grahame Smith, General Secretary, STUC; Fiona Hyslop
MSP; and Sarah Veale of the TUC, as well as hearing from
Edinburgh TUC on the Support@work model.
Discussions are currently underway with the Scottish
Government on how the general ‘employment rights
approach to employability’ can be mainstreamed and how
the Support@work model can be rolled out to other
areas.
Advocating and Acting for Change
With the support of the TUC High Road project and
guided by the Disabled Workers’ Committee of the STUC,
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
the General Council announced a major project on
mental well-being in the workplace.
The project is a response to the recognition that mental
illness is often caused by poor working conditions and
can also be a significant cause of dismissal. The project
also recognises that mental ill-health is one of the largest
drivers of worklessness through ill-health.
Advocating and Acting for Change brings together a range
of partners, to discuss strategies for improving workplace
support for both existing and returning employees and
highlights three main levels of activity.
● Increasing workplace awareness of mental health
and removing stigma;
● Increasing capacity within trade unions and HR
managers to negotiate effective procedures and
provide individual support; and
● Promote innovative partnership workplace
arrangements for maximising mental well-being and
supporting returnees, including possible mentoring
schemes.
The first Conference associated with the project was
successfully held in December 2007, and launched an
interim report written by the Strathclyde University
Business School. A further Conference and a substantive
report is being planned at the time of writing.
The General Council has entered into discussions with the
Scottish Government on how the recommendations of the
project can be implemented.
Migrant Workers
The General Council identified the ongoing campaign to
support and organise migrant workers as a key priority
for the Unions Work Campaign.
It has been encouraging to note the increasing extent to
which Union Learning and joint initiatives on Health and
Safety have concentrated on the needs and challenges for
migrant workers, with a number of successful SULF
projects explicitly aiming to support and raise capacity to
support migrant workers’ learning needs. The Health and
Safety Action Plan (reported elsewhere in the General
Council Report) has a key focus on migrant workers and
joint work has been undertaken with the HSE.
A joint initiative with the Migrant Rights Network has seen
the holding of two successful roundtable events at which
a range of affiliates were represented. The first
roundtable event, attended by over forty different
organisations, was primarily to discuss the Managed
Migration strategy of the UK Government, but also
provided an important networking opportunity.
The second event concentrated on the provision of health
services to migrant workers and the threats to equality of
service for non-documented migrants. It is anticipated
that a third roundtable event will be held in 2008,
culminating in a major Conference towards the end of the
year.
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Over the past year, the General Council has accepted
representation on a range of Scottish and UK bodies
focusing on migrant workers, including the COSLA
Strategic Migration Working Group and the UK-wide
Managed Migration Forum. The General Council has also
raised key policy concerns in relation to migrant workers
on a range of forums, including the biannual meeting
with the First Minster, the Scottish Council for
Development and Industry and with the Bank of England
Monetary Policy Committee.
The General Council also ensured that the STUC
continued to be a major media commentator in relation
to the rights of migrant workers, with a large number of
articles and interviews undertaken.
Voluntary Sector
The General Council continued to promote an
engagement with Scottish Council for Voluntary
Organisations and Third Sector employers through the
STUC/SCVO Partnership Forum.
Through the Forum, the General Council ensured ongoing
support for a number of its initiatives, including the
voluntary sector aspects of Health and Safety Action Plan
and the SALLT initiative, promoting STUC/Open University
Openings Courses in the Voluntary Sector.
The main area of joint work undertaken by the Forum
has been the campaign for fair conditions and an end to
the two tier workforce for frontline workers.
A number of voluntary sector disputes in the past year
have highlighted the continued pressure on the wages and
terms and conditions of the Third Sector workers, and
the General Council issued press statements in support of
both the Quarriers and One Plus workers.
The General Council agreed a joint statement along with
SCVO, Community Care Providers Scotland, UNITE and
UNISON on fair funding and fair employment in the
sector, and this has been used as a campaigning tool in
the media and amongst voluntary sector employers. A
series of meetings will be organised with local
government and the Scottish Government to press the
case for better funding linked to guarantees on better
employment in the sector.
Agency Workers
The General Council was involved in intense lobbying on
the issue of temporary and agency workers.
In December 2007, the General Secretary along with the
General Secretary of the TUC, Wales TUC and Irish
Congess of Trade Unions agreed a joint statement and
signed a joint letter, which was sent to the Prime
Ministers and First Ministers of the four Parliaments,
arguing for urgent action to protect temporary and
agency workers, and pressing the Prime Minister to
change the UK Government’s position to ensure the
passage of the Temporary and Agency Workers’ Directive
at European level.
The General Council was involved in intensive lobbying to
maximise the turnout of Scottish MPs to attend Parliament
on 22 February 2008, to support a second reading of the
Temporary and Agency Workers’ (Equal Rights) Bill. 147
MPs attended the second reading, with the vast majority
voting to support a second reading. The Bill will now go
to the committee stage, increasing the pressure on the
government to introduce new legislation. The General
Council organised a photocall on the Friday preceding the
second reading, in which a large number of Scottish MPs
and MSPs joined Scottish union leaders to support the
Bill.
Living Wage Campaign
The General Council has supported the formation of a
Living Wage Steering Group in Scotland, involving STUC
and a range of community and anti-poverty campaigning
organisations.
The Steering Group was launched following a discussion
event at which a number of affiliates were present.
The Steering Group is currently undertaking the academic
and consultation work needed to agree a living wage level
for Scotland, as well as contacting a range of
organisations in local areas to evaluate general support
and the potential for sectoral or local campaigns. Early
targets identified include:
● The Glasgow Commonwealth Games;
● Companies receiving any form of public subsidy;
● Companies operating in key sectors, such as finance,
hospitality, etc; and
● Certain groups of workers in the public sector. Some
successes have been recorded in England with some
groups of staff in universities.
It is anticipated, at the time of writing, that an event for
affiliates will be held prior to Congress, to investigate the
formation of living wage initiatives.
RIGHTS AT WORK
Pensions
The STUC continues to liaise with the TUC in relation to
pensions activity, including the passage of the Pensions
Bill 2007. We continue to support the Scottish
Pensioner’s Forum and have engaged with other
organisations in the past year to promote fairness and
equality in pension provision.
Women and Pensions Conference
On the 31 May, the STUC held a Conference, examining
the discrimination women face in both state and
occupational pension provision. Speakers included
representatives from the Equal Opportunities
Commission, the Pensions Policy Institute, the Scottish
Pensioners’ Forum and the Poverty Alliance. The event,
chaired by Tricia McLaren, Chair of the Women’s
Committee, concluded that, despite improvements in
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

national insurance contribution arrangements to reflect
the working patterns of women workers, the long lead-in
time to implementation of these changes will result in
many women continuing to face poverty in retirement.
This discrimination is also evident in many occupational
schemes, where pay inequality results in less favourable
benefits for women in occupational schemes.
Pensions Bill 2007
The General Council supports compulsory enrolment and
contributions to pension schemes as a method of
ensuring that workers save for their retirement. The STUC
gave a cautious welcome to the proposed National
Pension Savings Scheme (NPSS). Despite the low levels of
employer contribution of 3%; workers will pay 4% and
the Government 1% through tax relief. The latest reading
of the Pensions Bill included arrangements to ensure that
employers do not use recruitment processes to coerce
prospective employees to opt out of the NPSS. The STUC
remains concerned that many workers on the minimum
wage, and earning over the threshold of £5000, will be
worse off financially as a result of compulsion. We will
continue to work with the TUC to ensure that the
Government makes improvement to the Scheme.
Furthermore, we have made it clear the NPSS can only be
successful if the regulations are enforced. Employers,
who pressurise workers to opt out, or fail to pay
contributions, have to be accountable to the Courts.
Young Workers and Pensions
The STUC remains concerned that many young workers
are not saving for retirement. While many of the reasons
for this relate to competing priorities, such as student
debt, there is a lack of awareness in young workers of the
importance of planning for retirement. Through the Youth
Committee, we are engaging with other stakeholders to
identify opportunities to promote retirement planning at
an early age.
One Workplace Equal Rights
Reflecting the STUC’s commitment, the award-winning
One Workplace Equal Rights Project aims to mainstream
equality and tackle racism in the workplace, by building
the capacity of trade union representatives and officials
on promoting and bargaining for fairer work practices.
The Project has worked across the six identified strands
of equality by developing a series of activities and
resources, including targeted training and campaigning
materials; innovative learning activities; web-based
resources; research and information, policy/best practice
development; support and advice.
The Project has formed part of the Scottish Government’s
One Scotland Campaign, promoting it on a workplace
level, and has been a development partner of EU Equal
under an inclusion theme. A number of sustainable
outcomes have been achieved that have benefited trade
unions, employers and employees throughout Scotland in
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
public, private, education and voluntary sectors, by fairer
practices at work by:
Raising awareness of equality issues and rights at
work via:
● delivering over 5000 campaign packs and materials
promoting race equality and equal opportunities
throughout workplaces in Scotland and at various
conferences and events, both nationally and transnationally
across Europe;
● developing and maintaining the One Workplace
Website and Hotline offering advice, information,
resources and best practice guidance publication for
trade unions, employers and employees;
● organising and delivering seminars and workshops
across Scotland for trade unionists on equal
opportunities best practice and raising awareness of
legal rights for members; and
● use of the arts to communicate equality issues
between equality groups, trade unions and
employers, by commissioning live theatre scenarios,
exploring discrimination at work and the role of
trade unions.
Research and learning activities
● Mapping Research was commissioned to explore the
operation of equal opportunities policies and
practice, which has resulted in a number of findings,
identifying both gaps and opportunities in Scottish
trade unions’ approaches to equality in terms of
membership diversity, bargaining priorities and
employment practices.
● An innovative programme for capacity building via
practice-based research and learning was developed
and commissioned. A two year action research
programme for trade union lay representatives
resulted in nine completed projects, leading to a
number of lasting changes in both union and
employer practices on equality issues, including
positive action to recruit more women and ethnic
minorities in Fire Service; establishing a flat rate for
Distant Island Allowance for all NHS Orkney
employees to eliminate discriminatory practice; and
the introduction of a mentoring and induction
scheme to encourage more young people to become
union members.
● A Strategic Action Learning Group was also
established for trade union officials. Seven projects
were initiated with a policy development / strategic
focus. Projects sought to review and mainstream
current equalities practice, identify areas for
improvement, and implement innovative solutions.
Results included the development of learning and
awareness raising materials to promote equality
duties for Unison, establishing a Scotland-level
Equalities Advisory Group for NASUWT, and activities
to integrate migrant workers into workplaces.
Training was also provided for equality impact
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assessments, monitoring and other processes to
develop learning for best practice in equalities.
Training: A number of training initiatives and
models for trade unionists and employers have
been established:
● Residential training in partnership with TUC
Education to establish 100 Equality Reps across
Scotland. A toolkit was also developed to support the
training and act as a practical guide to tackle
discrimination and inspire action to promote
equality in the workplace.
● A training DVD based on the live theatre
performance was produced with commentaries from
trade unionists, equality organisations and a user
guide. This has been used by both trade unions and
several employers for their diversity training.
● An accredited TUC Module has been developed to
support future action research projects.
Trade union /employer partnerships
This activity has focused on delivering better equal
opportunity practices within organisations by tackling
structural and institutional barriers to change, so that
employers can be assisted to develop new approaches to
equalities issues.
To enable this, the Project has facilitated and supported
the introduction of NHS Diversity Champions pilot
programme in partnership with SG, NHSS employers,
trade unions and professional bodies to achieve cultural
change in employment and service delivery.
Approximately 200 Diversity Champions are being
introduced in two NHS Health Boards, with the possibility
of a national roll-out of the scheme following evaluation.
One Workplace Equality Award
The Project has successfully established an Annual Award
for TU lay rep/member(s), to recognise and acknowledge
good practice in promoting equality and tackling
discrimination; and encourage trade unions to recognise
and take forward equalities issues via training and
learning.
Take up and adoption of these activities and resources
have resulted in trade unions offering a better service to
their diverse members, enhanced employers’ ability to
promote equality more effectively, and have assisted
employees to better tackle discrimination in the
workplace.
Other significant achievements of the Project include
winning the Scottish Empowerment Award in 2004, and
Wales TUC have established a similar project based on the
One Workplace model. A recent Conference organised by
the Project ( Scottish Trade Unions and Equality: The Way
Forward), to disseminate Project resources and assess its
impact on equality policy and practice for Scottish trade
unions, brought together a wide range of STUC affiliated
trade unions, representatives from equality organisations
and agencies; relevant policy and government officials,
including MSPs; and community and employer
organisations. Workshops and plenary discussions
provided a forum to identify ways in which the Project
can inform future equality policy and practice.
Following on from this, the Project will continue to
promote fairness at work by building the capacity of
Scottish trade unions to mainstream equality and tackle
discrimination by:
● sustaining and mainstreaming existing work of the
Project on a wider scale; and
● developing activities and resources to further build
trade union capacity across equality strands in
respect of employability and social inclusion via
community links and partnership working.
To this end, work has been progressing to develop an
accredited TUC Module on the action research for trade
unionists; investigate possibilities for further training for
equality reps; more trade union employer partnerships;
mainstreaming the Equality Award as part of the STUC
Union Rep Awards; scoping and planning of community
links with diverse groups; and strategic involvement in
other STUC initiatives e.g. mental health and other strand
specific initiatives, including a focus on equality issues
facing workers in rural areas.
Close the Gap
The STUC continues to play a leading role in the Close the
Gap partnership project that works with those who can
influence the gender pay gap, and those who are affected
by it. The project currently receives core funding from the
Scottish Government and programme funding from
project partners, including Scottish Enterprise. The
General Council is working with other partners to secure
funding to continue the project after June 2008.
Project partners for the second phase of activity include
the STUC, the Equality and Human Rights Commission
(and formerly the Equal Opportunities Commission), the
Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise
and Scottish Enterprise. The STUC is the host for the
project in its second phase, providing office space,
personnel and management functions for the project’s
three staff.
Gender Equality Duty
The Gender Equality Duty places a positive duty on public
sector employers across the UK to eliminate
discrimination and harassment in their functions as
employers and service providers and to promote equality
between women and men.
Close the Gap, in partnership with the Equal
Opportunities Commission, wrote and published guidance
to employers on meeting the Scottish specific duty on
equal pay. The project has also worked with individual
large employers to provide additional support on meeting
the specific duty on equal pay, and carrying forward
action within their equal pay statements.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Bargaining for Equal Pay
The Bargaining for Equal Pay toolkit was launched at
Congress 2006, and the project has worked to distribute
and disseminate the guide through STUC-affiliated unions.
The toolkit provides information and guidance on
including equal pay within the bargaining agenda, a
checklist for negotiators, and sample letters that can be
used to ask small employers to carry out pay reviews.
Copies of the toolkit are available at the Close the Gap
stand at Congress, and from the project directly.
Equal pay has been a critical issue for many STUCaffiliated
unions in the past year, and the Bargaining for
Equal Pay guide complements unions’ individual
strategies for addressing unfair and unequal pay.
Equal pay, equal value, and job evaluation
Close the Gap has commissioned TUC Education to
deliver two two-day schools for TU reps and officials
around equal pay, equal value, and job evaluation.
These two schools were delivered in March 2008 and
were attended by reps and officials from a number of
STUC-affiliated trade unions.
Close the Gap will be holding its annual legal update in
coming months, at which a range of speakers from trade
union lawyers and equalities bodies will seek to address
some of the current legal and policy issues for reps and
officials around equal pay.
Occupational Segregation
Occupational segregation, where men and women are
grouped into different types of work, or where women
are prevented from reaching the most senior levels by a
“glass ceiling”, is one of the key causes of the pay gap.
The project has carried out a number of pieces of
partnership work with employers and STUC-affiliated
trade unions to identify barriers to women’s progression
and to address these barriers.
Close the Gap was also represented on the advisory group
of the current EOC General Formal Investigation into
Classroom Assistants and the Scottish Government crossdirectorate
working group on occupational segregation.
Close the Gap has also worked with employers in large
finance sector organisations, and sits on the Financial
Services Strategy implementation group on equal pay. The
project held a business breakfast event in March 2008,
which was addressed by John Swinney MSP, Cabinet
Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, and
disseminated some of the good practice of private sector
companies that have taken action to address gender gaps
within their organisations.
Raising Awareness to Tackle the Gender Pay Gap
Close the Gap has had a presence at STUC Congress and
all of the STUC equalities conferences, and has provided
materials to a range of affiliates’ conferences and events.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
The project has also taken forward a range of awarenessraising
work with employers and employer
representatives from public and private sector
organisations.
Small business guide
Close the Gap’s work with small businesses identified a
need for an accessible source of information and
guidance on making equal value comparisons.
Consequently, the project commissioned Kay Gilbert, an
equal value expert based at Strathclyde University, to
produce an equal value toolkit aimed at small and
medium enterprises.
The pilot of ‘Different But Equal’ revealed a need for
good quality HR resources for small and medium
enterprises, with an equalities perspective mainstreamed
within them. Close the Gap produced a guide for such
employers around pay structures, recruitment and
selection, retention and flexibility, and parental and
maternity provisions. This was accompanied by training
for SMEs in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Equality at work
Working in partnership with the One Workplace Equal
Rights project, Close the Gap developed a wallchart and
accessible introductory guide to equality law across all six
equalities strands and including trans.
These have been disseminated to affiliates over the past
year and are available from the joint Close the Gap / One
Workplace Equal Rights stall at Congress.
Low Pay and the Minimum Wage
The General Council continued to argue for an increase
in the minimum wage and the ending of discriminatory
wage rates. The General Council responded to the annual
consultation on the Minimum Wage.
A significant number of media instances were achieved in
publicising the STUC position on the minimum wage.
The General Council has worked closely with the Scottish
Low Pay Unit, the Scottish Poverty Alliance and the Child
Poverty Action Group to highlight the issue of low pay and
its link to poverty. The case for fair pay has also been
raised on numerous occasions through the General
Council’s work on migrant workers and welfare reform.
The issue of low pay in the tourism sector was the central
argument in the STUC’s evidence to the Economy, Energy
and Tourism Committee Inquiry into Scottish Tourism.
STUC made a clear case that a number of failures within
the sector can be attributed to low pay and poor terms
and conditions. The final report of the Committee is
awaited.
The General Council has also sought to raise the links
between poverty and low pay through support for a Living
Wage Campaign, through highlighting the two tier
workforce in the voluntary sector and through
highlighting the issue as it affects migrant workers.
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A body of work has been undertaken by the Close the Gap
Campaign on Low Pay and the Pay Gap, which is reported
separately.
Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal
Tribunals
The General Council continued to be represented on the
Scottish Employment Tribunals User Group and Scottish
Employment Panel Members Group.
A number of meetings were held throughout the year with
trade union panel members to discuss, amongst other
matters, the issue of “judges sitting alone” on Tribunal
and Tribunal Appeals.
As a consequence of these discussions, detailed figures
were sought from the Tribunals Service and the (then)
Department for Constitutional Affairs on the incidence of
judges sitting alone in Scotland. Following a detailed and
difficult correspondence, some figures were received, but
were not as enlightening as had been hoped.
Subsequently, a meeting was held with officials of the
Tribunal Service in Scotland in which concerns were
expressed and an explanation received. The situation
remains under review.
The General Council also consulted affiliates on the
appetite for a Trade Union Employment Tribunal Users’
Group in Scotland and concluded that, whilst a standing
committee would not be appropriate, occasional meetings
would be, in order to discuss shared concern both in
relation to the operation of the Tribunal System and
potential future alterations to Employment Law as it
affects Tribunals.
Statutory minimum holiday entitlement
The General Council welcomed the decision of the
Government to implement its commitment to make paid
time off for bank holidays additional to the current four
week holiday entitlement under the Working Time
Regulations 1998. Whilst arguing for a swifter
implementation of the full entitlement, the General
Council was able to give a strong welcome to the
announcement enacting the proposal when it was made.
Statutory annual leave entitlement increased from 20 to
24 days on 1 October 2007 and will increase further
from 24 to 28 days on 1 October 2008.
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Opening
The General Council was sharply critical of the decision
by the incoming Scottish Government to discontinue
research into the effects of confirming a ban on New
Year’s Day Opening.
The issue was raised at a meeting with the Cabinet
Secretary for Justice in October 2007 and the General
Council will continue to campaign, along with affiliates,
for New Year’s Day to be protected.
Trade Union Freedom
During the year under report, the General Council took
every available opportunity to highlight the issues
surrounding the lack of trade union rights to organise,
and supported the United Campaign to repeal anti-trade
union laws.
The General Council intensively lobbied Scottish MPs in
the run-up to the second reading of the TU Freedom Bill
on 19 October 2007. The lobby of the Parliament on 18
October 2007 was widely publicised, and the STUC
President addressed the rally in London on 18 October.
Following the failure of Parliament to progress the TU
Freedom Bill, efforts were made to bring back the Bill,
but an MP, high enough in the poll for a Private Member’s
Bill, could not be identified.
A the time of writing, preparations are underway for the
calling of an STUC event for affiliates to discuss future
activities to promote trade union freedom, and close
liaison with the United Campaign and the TUC will
continue.
Commonwealth Games and Fair Employment
Practice
In the context of Glasgow’s successful bid for the
Commonwealth Games 2014, an early meeting was held
with the Games’ Bid Director in which avenues were
identified for General Council and affiliate engagement on
issues, including Fair Employment, Procurement,
Transport, Construction and the role of volunteers.
Clearing House
The General Council has continued to operate effective
Clearing House procedures and has processed 9 formal
requests from affiliates for free runs, as well as providing
informal advice on a number of other occasions.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Chapter Six
Government and
Parliamentary Liaison
INTRODUCTION
Since May 2007, the STUC has ensured dialogue has been
established with the new Scottish Government, having met
with each of the Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers across
the whole range of portfolios. A slightly revised
Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the First
Minister and the STUC President on 5 December 2007,
and on 31 January 2008, the General Council met with
Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister, at the first of our Biannual
meetings.
In the Scottish Parliament, the General Council has met
with the Shadow Cabinet and established a series of
meetings with the Shadow Ministers and their teams. An
interest is maintained with a number of Cross Party
Groups in the Scottish Parliament. Regular meetings
continue with the Scottish Parliament Labour Trade Union
Group, and Cathy Peattie MSP again sponsored a highly
successful Trade Union Week in the Scottish Parliament
14–17 January 2008. Trade Union Week involved most of
the STUC affiliates and Projects, providing the opportunity
for engagement with MSPs from all the political parties.
Members of the Westminster Labour Trade Union Group
met with Members of the SPLP in February 2008, and
with a number of members of the STUC General Council.
Joint initiatives are under discussion, and the STUC
attended a meeting of the Westminster Labour Trade
Union Group on 18 March 2008.
The General Council continued its engagement with
Europe. In particular, building on the constructive
relationship with Scotland Europa, a visit was arranged to
Brussels in February 2008, allowing for more detailed
discussions with General Council members and with
Scotland’s MEPs.
The General Council has also maintained a strategic
dialogue with individual government ministers and
officials, with MSPs, with Scottish politicians at
Westminster and with politicians at European level.
As in previous years, to aid the promotion of Congress
policies, the General Council has responded to a range of
government and parliamentary consultation exercises,
and submitted written and oral evidence to various
parliamentary committees. These activities are detailed in
the relevant chapters of the General Council report.
However, for ease of reference, a number of written
submissions are listed later in this Chapter.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
Some of the activities are also described in more detail
below.
THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT
Memorandum of Understanding
Following on from the May 2007 elections, a meeting was
held on 1 August 2007, between Alex Salmond MSP, First
Minister, and an STUC delegation. That meeting
considered the Memorandum of Understanding,
continuation of Bi-annual meetings, and the National
Economic Forum. Subsequently, work continued on
revising the Memorandum of Understanding to reflect the
changed government structures and to achieve a better
balance in the Agreement on Shared Strategic Priorities.
The MoU was first signed under the previous
administration in 2002, and has been of benefit to policy
development and implementation, by ensuring that the
Government has access to the representative views,
knowledge, expertise and experience of trade unionists as
both workers and citizens. The General Council,
therefore, wished to continue with the agreement.
Following discussion, the section in the MoU on shared
priorities was amended and expanded to include
reference to the new Government’s strategic objectives:
Wealthier and Fairer; Healthier; Safer and Stronger;
Smarter; Greener.
The shared priorities are now listed as:
● Solidarity, Cohesion and Sustainability within the
context of Economic Growth;
● Social Partnership; and
● Partnership Working with Civic Scotland.
The commitment to review and revise these shared
priorities at the FM Bi-annual meetings remains, as does
a commitment to regular dialogue with the Cabinet
Secretaries, their teams, and government officials, and
this is reflected in the revised Memorandum of
Understanding.
On 5th December 2007, First Minister, Alex Salmond
MSP, attended the General Council meeting and, after
some discussion with members, the First Minister, Alex
Salmond MSP and Phil McGarry, STUC President, signed
the revised Memorandum of Understanding.
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Bi-annual Meetings
The first Bi-annual meeting between the STUC General
Council and the First Minister took place on Wednesday,
30 January 2008, in St Andrews House, Edinburgh. The
STUC delegation comprised:
Phil McGarry Eddie Reilly
Fiona Farmer Linda Shanahan
Matt Smith Ronnie Smith
David Bleiman Lawrence Wason
Harry Donaldson Grahame Smith
Anne Douglas Dave Moxham
Joy Dunn Stephen Boyd
Harry Frew Ann Henderson
John Quigley
Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister, was accompanied by
John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy,
Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change.
Agenda items included: Government’s Economic Strategy;
Skills Utilisation, Health Inequalities and Poverty; and the
National Conversation.
There was a wide ranging discussion on the Economic
Strategy and the STUC response, including some
consideration of energy policy issues.
The First Minister indicated that progress would be made
on convening a forum to explore issues facing the Coal
Industry. In addition, consideration would be given to
developing proposals on a workplace strategy. The
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth,
John Swinney MSP, agreed to respond to the STUC
regarding regional priorities.
A discussion paper on Skills Utilisation and a briefing
paper on Poverty and Health Inequalities had been tabled
by the Government, along with responses from the STUC
on Poverty and Health Inequalities. Following on from
discussion on both topics, joint communiqués were
agreed. These were issued immediately following the
meeting. Both are now published on the STUC and the
Scottish Government websites.
The First Minister updated the meeting on the next stage
of the National Conversation, outlining proposals for
specific engagement with various Scottish institutions,
including the STUC, with a view to a referendum on
feasible identifiable options, in 2010. The STUC President
reiterated the 2007 Congress position on the Powers of
the Parliament, and the STUC’s ongoing discussions.
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
TRADE UNION WEEK
Trade Union Week took place week commencing 14
January 2008. Building on the success of the December
2006 event, a more extensive programme of events was
arranged, with input from many affiliates, the STUC
projects, and the STUC Equalities Committees. The
exhibition space available to us outside the Parliament
Chamber was used to display a range of trade union
materials, reflecting work on Skills and Lifelong Learning,
Equality issues, and on Health and Safety in the
workplace.
More than fifteen events were organised, including for the
first time a special Parliamentary Committee session on
15 January; Cathy Peattie MSP’s Business debate in the
Parliament Chamber on ‘Young People in the Workplace’
on 16 January; and a lobby of the Scottish Parliament
with FACK (Families Against Corporate Killing) on 17
January, which received good press coverage, and was
very well supported by MSPs from across the political
spectrum.
Topics discussed at the events sponsored by affiliates
included:
‘The Future of Scottish Broadcasting’ (Scottish Federation
of Entertainment Unions); ‘Class Sizes in Scotland’s
Schools’ (EIS); ‘Shared Services – the Trade Union
Response’ (UNISON); ‘A Scottish Civil Service’ (PCS);
‘Prospect Scotland – Added Value’ (Prospect); ‘The
Extension to the Emergency Workers’ Act – Safety of
Betting Shop Workers’ (Community); ‘Scotland’s Ferry
Services and the Island Communities’ (RMT, NAUTILUS,
Unite: T&G Section, TSSA).
The work of the STUC Skills & Lifelong Learning Team
was showcased on 16 January with a drop-in session,
with specific presentations on the Deaf Awareness Project
‘Sign Here’; Dyslexia in the Workplace; and a session with
the TUC Education team.
Young people were involved throughout the Week. On
Tuesday 15 January, students from Leith Academy in
Edinburgh participated in a presentation to MSPs, with
trade union learning representatives to demonstrate the
‘Trades Unions Into Schools’ project. On Wednesday 16
January, the STUC Youth Committee facilitated a
delegation visiting the Parliament, and affiliates were
asked to nominate young workers to participate. The
delegation was also able to attend the debate in the
Parliament Chamber on ‘Young People in the Workplace’.
The Scottish Parliament Economy, Energy and Tourism
Committee and the Education, Lifelong Learning and
Culture Committee held a joint session with the STUC on
15 January, the theme of which was ‘The Scottish
Workplace and the Productivity Challenge’. This is
covered in more detail elsewhere in this report, but it
should be noted that it was a constructive and wellreceived
session.
The Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee has
expressed interest in repeating this format for discussion
with the STUC, on a range of topics, in future years. More
information is available on the Scottish Parliament
website.
Subsequently, a wider discussion has moved forward
considering the development of a ‘workplace strategy’ for
Scotland. During the Committee session, it was also
possible to pick up on an earlier STUC contribution to an
Equal Opportunities Committee session in November
2007 on the challenges of mainstreaming equalities in the
workplace.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

An invitation to the Trade Union Week events had been
extended to all staff working in the Parliament building.
The Scottish Parliament staff working on equalities issues
participated in some of the sessions during Trade Union
Week, and the other Committee support staff also
attended some events. MSP staff also participated, and
their support with some of the practical arrangements
was appreciated. Scottish Parliament staff side unions
(FDA and PCS) provided materials for part of the Trade
Union Week display, and representatives were present
each day.
The STUC Reception in the Garden Lobby on 16 January
was extremely successful, with most affiliates, STUC
guests, journalists, MSPs and Parliament staff
represented. More than half of the MSPs were either in
attendance or were represented by a staff member.
Sponsorship for the Reception came, in part, from the
STUC Skills & Lifelong Learning Team; the Holyrood
Magazine; and Unity Trust Bank; and support for events
during the Week also came from a number of affiliates.
The sponsorship by Cathy Peattie MSP and support from
her staff member, Dave Smith, was much appreciated.
The STUC also ran an advertisement in the Holyrood
Magazine; contributed to a supplement on Lifelong
Learning; and the General Secretary was interviewed with
regard to the UK Commission on Skills. National media
covered the FACK Lobby well, profiling the experiences of
the families and examining the trade union movement’s
views on the legislation. National media also covered
some of the topics raised by affiliates at their events
during the Week. Subsequently, a number of union
journals have carried favourable reports of Trade Union
Week, as have a number of MSPs’ local newsletters.
The STUC Secretariat is currently in discussion with the
TUC Parliamentary Officer to consider how to assist in
taking forward the TUC Congress policy on developing a
similar initiative at Westminster. Katy Clark MP’s Early Day
Motion tabled at Westminster, commending the 2006
Scottish Parliament Trade Union Week, had received the
support of 176 MPs, a very high number, and indicative
of the interest in trade union experience and views being
taken into Westminster in a similar way.
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT AND MSPS
Over the last year, the work of the STUC and affiliates has
been recognised in a number of Members’ motions
submitted in the Scottish Parliament, all of which have
received cross party support:
– S3M-01280 Access to Work for Young Deaf People:
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Scottish
Labour)
– S3M-00993 STUC Memorandum of Understanding:
John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Labour)
– S3M-00806 80th STUC Women’s Conference: Elaine
Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Scottish Labour)
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
– S3M-00678 One Workplace Equal Rights: Marlyn
Glen (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour)
– S3M-00374 ICL Factory Explosion – Call For Public
Inquiry: Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill)
(Scottish Labour)
– S3M-01074 Young People in the Workplace: Cathy
Peattie (Falkirk East) (Scottish Labour)
– S3M-00899 Say No to Racism: Sandra White
(Glasgow) (Scottish National Party)
– Motion S3M-00374 on the ‘ICL Factory Explosion –
Call for a Public Inquiry’ was debated in Parliament
on 20 September 2007,
– and motion S3M-01074 on ‘Young People in the
Workplace’ was debated in Parliament on 16 January
2008. More information is available on the Scottish
Parliament website www.scottish.parliament.uk
ENGAGEMENT WITH POLITICAL PARTIES
Within the Scottish Parliament, one meeting was held with
the Shadow Cabinet in January during Trade Union Week,
and it has been agreed that there will be one such
meeting during each term.
The General Secretary met with Wendy Alexander MSP,
the Labour Leader in the Scottish Parliament, in
December. The Secretariat met with Patrick Harvie MSP,
Green Party, on 15 May 2007. During Trade Union Week,
the General Secretary met with Annabel Goldie MSP, the
Leader of the Conservatives in the Scottish Parliament,
and a subsequent meeting is being arranged with
members of the Secretariat and representatives of the
General Council. The General Secretary also met with
Nicol Stephen MSP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats in
the Scottish Parliament, in January 2008.
The STUC was represented at Scottish Labour Party
Conference in Aviemore, 28–30 March, with Phil
McGarry, STUC President, invited to address Conference.
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
LABOUR TRADE UNION GROUP
The Scottish Parliament Labour Trade Union Group
continues to meet regularly, with various affiliates, STUC
officials and members of the STUC secretariat
represented. Since May 2007, agenda items discussed
have included: the aftermath of the Scottish Parliament
elections; STUC priorities for Congress year 2007/08; the
Powers of the Parliament; ICL Stockline; the Living Wage
Campaign; ongoing discussion on the Skills Strategy/ New
Economic Strategy for Scotland; FE/HE funding; Pleural
Plagues; a PCS presentation on public service issues; FDA
industrial dispute; charitable status for colleges; the
Budget, and the Parliamentary Commission on the
Constitution. Reports are also taken from Labour
Members from the various Scottish Parliamentary
Committees.
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There was significant involvement of Labour MSPs in the
Trade Union Week events and in following matters up
with affiliates. This is ongoing.
WESTMINSTER LABOUR
TRADE UNION GROUP
On 15 May 2007, Grahame Smith, STUC General
Secretary, attended a meeting of the Westminster Labour
Trade Union Group.
The Chair and Secretary of the Westminster Labour Trade
Union Group, Frank Doran MP, and Ann McKechin MP,
attended a meeting of the Scottish Parliament Labour
Trade Union Group with members of the STUC General
Council, on 6 February 2008. This meeting considered a
number of issues of shared concern, and agreed to
establish more regular contact. Subsequently, a joint
photocall was arranged in Glasgow in support of Andrew
Miller MP’s Private Member’s Bill ‘The Temporary and
Agency Workers (Equal Treatment) Bill’, prior to its
second reading in Westminster on 22 February 2008.
On 18 March 2008, Grahame Smith, STUC General
Secretary, along with Dave Moxham, STUC Deputy General
Secretary, and Matt Smith and Martin Keenan from the
General Council, attended a meeting of the Westminster
Labour Trade Union Group. Matters discussed included
Temporary and Agency Workers; Constitutional
Commission; concerns to resist any restrictions in the
provisions of the 1967 Abortion Act; and the STUC
Congress agenda. Members of the secretariat are also in
discussion with the office of Frank Doran MSP, with a
view to establishing regular STUC briefings and Scottish
Parliamentary news for MPs.
Katy Clark MP has lodged an Early Day Motion welcoming
Trade Union Week in the Scottish Parliament and calling
for a similar event at Westminster. EDM 1072 ‘That this
House recognises that free and independent trade unions
are a force for good in UK society and around the world;
further notes that workplaces with organised trade unions
have better pay and conditions and health and safety
protection than non-trade union workplaces; therefore
welcomes the success of the second Scottish Parliament
Trade Union Week organised with the Scottish TUC, which
was an excellent showcase for trade union values and
policies; and hopes that a similar event can be held in the
Westminster Parliament in the near future.’
WESTMINSTER GOVERNMENT
AND MINISTERS
Meetings with Government Ministers have included:
On 22 August, members of the General Council and
members of the Secretariat met with Des Browne MP,
Secretary of State for Scotland. Items discussed included:
the Energy White Paper; the Economy; Constitutional
Reform; and the Comprehensive Spending Review.
In September 2007, members of the Secretariat met with
Peter Hain MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,
to discuss the call for a full Public Inquiry into the ICL
Stockline explosion and, later that month, members of
the Secretariat participated in a video conference with
Des Browne MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, on the
same topic.
On 8 November 2007, an STUC delegation met with
Malcolm Wicks MP, Minister of State for Energy, for a
discussion on issues raised in the Energy White Paper.
On 11 January 2008, Grahame Smith, STUC General
Secretary and Stephen Boyd, STUC Assistant Secretary
attended a Budget Seminar with Des Browne MP and
Dave Ramsden, Head of Macroeconomic Policy, HM
Treasury.
In February 2008, representatives of the STUC attended a
meeting with Harriet Harman MP, Minister for Women, in
Edinburgh. Topics discussed included: equal pay audits;
violence against women; women asylum seekers and
homelessness; and women’s representation in public and
political life. Members of the STUC Women’s Committee
were subsequently invited to attend a reception for trade
union women at 11 Downing Street, London.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Regular meetings have taken place between the STUC
Secretariat and Scottish Government officials. This has
assisted with the preparation of meetings with the First
Minister and with the Cabinet Secretaries and their teams.
A member of the Secretariat attends meetings of the
Scottish Executive’s Regulation Review Group.
Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary, has attended a
meeting with Scottish Government officials and trade
union representatives from the Public Services Forum,
has met with Sir John Elvidge, Permanent Secretary, and
with officials from the Scottish Government, to discuss the
Scottish Union Learning Fund.
POWERS OF THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
The question of the future governance of Scotland and the
powers of the Scottish Parliament were a major area of
policy concern for the General Council. Following the
election of the new Scottish Government, the “National
Conversation” was announced, accompanied by a
consultation document.
In November 2007, the Scottish Parliament agreed the
formation of a Constitutional Commission – a joint
initiative with the Westminster Government – to
investigate the existing constitutional arrangement and
consider proposals for new powers for the Scottish
Parliament. At the time of writing, details are still awaited
on the format and membership of the Commission. The
General Council is assured that the Commission will
include trade union representation.
Congress 2007 agreed that the General Council should
undertake consultation with affiliates on the potential for
the devolution of additional powers to the Scottish
Parliament. The detail of this wide-ranging consultation
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

and interim recommendations will be presented as an
annex to the General Council report for ratification by
Congress 2008.
The General Council took a range of opportunities to
discuss both the National Conversation and Constitutional
Commission with Government and opposition MSPs,
including at the bi-annual meeting with the First Minister,
in a meeting with the Minister for Parliament, Bruce
Crawford MSP, with the Leader of the Labour Party in the
Scottish Parliament, Wendy Alexander MSP, and with the
Labour Shadow Cabinet. The General Secretary convened
an informal meeting with the leaders of Scottish civic
institutions and addressed a Church of Scotland
symposium on the subject.
The General Council approach, detailed more fully in the
annex to this report, is to engage with both the National
Conversation and Constitutional Commission, whilst
prioritising its own consultation process and arguing for
the fullest engagement with wider Scottish civic society
and all of Scotland’s communities.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
On 5 July 2007, a member of the Secretariat met with
Catherine Stihler MEP, to discuss matters of mutual
interest, including Calmac, Services Directive, better
regulation and flexicurity.
A delegation from the General Council undertook a visit
to Brussels facilitated by Scotland Europa on 25 February
2008. A very constructive day was spent at Scotland
Europa at Scotland House in Brussels. Scotland Europa
officials and a number of outside speakers provided
presentations on the role and functions of the EU
institutions, how to influence EU policy development and
decision-making, the EU priorities of the Scottish
Government, trade union priorities at EU level and the
future of the Lisbon Agenda and implications for
Scotland.
The General Council delegation then hosted a dinner with
five of the seven Scottish MEPs based in the European
Parliament: Ian Hudghton (SNP), Struan Stevenson
(Conservative) John Purvis (Conservative), Catherine
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
Stihler (Labour) and David Martin (Labour). The dinner
provided an opportunity for an informal exchange of
views on a number issues, and gave the MEPs an
opportunity to highlight their own areas of interest.
On 29 February 2008, the STUC hosted an event that
considered the new Lisbon Treaty, and the implications of
the European Court of Justice Viking and Laval rulings.
David Martin MEP and Ian Davidson MP participated,
along with John Monks, General Secretary, ETUC;
Kathleen Walker-Shaw, the GMB’s European Officer; and
Richard Arthur of Thompsons Solicitors.
RESPONSES TO CONSULTATIONS
During the last year, General Council responses have been
submitted to a number of public consultations. These
have included:
● In Work, Better Off: next steps to full employment
– DWP
● Independent Asylum Commission – Independent
Asylum Commission
● Abolition of the Graduate Endowment Fee –
Scottish Executive
● Discrimination Law Review – A Framework for
Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for
Great Britain – Communities and Local
Government
● Industrial Injuries Benefit Scheme – a
Consultation – DWP
● Equal Opportunities Strategy – Diversity Delivers
– Office of Commissioner for Public
Appointments in Scotland
● International Development Strategy – Scottish
Government
● Inquiry into Ferry Services in Scotland –
Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change
Committee
● Working for a Healthier Tomorrow –
DWP/Department of Health
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Chapter Seven
Equality and Social Justice
Women’s Committee
The Women’s Committee carries out a wide range of work
on promoting the women’s agenda, and tackling gender
discrimination and inequality. The Women’s Committee is
elected at the Annual STUC Women’s Conference. The
motion-based Conference sets a campaigning agenda for
the Women’s Committee, and the Committee’s liaison with
the General Council allows for gender issues to be
mainstreamed into the wider work of the STUC.
2007 ANNUAL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
The 80th Annual STUC Women’s Conference was held in
the City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow on 13/14
November 2007, the theme of which was Violence Against
Women and Children. Conference was chaired by Tricia
McLaren, Glasgow TUC, and 133 delegates (representing
18 trade unions and 2 trades union councils) and 47
observers were in attendance.
Conference was addressed by a range of speakers,
including Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Deputy First Minister and
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing; Morag
Alexander, Scotland Commissioner, Equality and Human
Rights Commission; and Nel Whiting, Scottish Women’s
Aid. A number of trade union and sororal guests also
addressed the Conference, including the STUC General
Secretary, Grahame Smith.
A special session was held on the afternoon of Tuesday 13
November, to celebrate the 80th Women’s Conference,
and acknowledge the significant contribution of trade
union women over the years. This session was addressed
by Elaine C Smith; Phil McGarry, President STUC; and
Committee member, Agnes Tolmie. Students of the Royal
Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the Oran Mor
Choir performed “The World Turned Upside Down”, a
play about people’s movements in Latin America. The
Lone Rangers group performed a number of songs on
women’s issues. The Women’s Committee would wish to
thank Equity for assisting in the organisation of the
theatre performance, and EIS for providing financial
support for the Lone Rangers’ performance.
A lively Conference heard debates on domestic abuse,
trafficking of women and children, abortion rights,
ovarian cancer, closing the gender pay gap, and maternity
rights. The Women’s Meritorious Award was this year
presented to Linda Shanahan of the Fire Brigades Union,
for her work in supporting women in the workplace and
with trade union women. As with previous years, all
women MSPs and Scottish women MPs were invited to
attend Conference, and the Women’s Committee was
pleased to welcome a number of them to Conference. The
Committee would like to thank Glasgow City Council for
hosting a civic reception on the Monday evening, where
an 80th birthday cake was cut and shared amongst
participants.
DECISIONS OF CONFERENCE 2007
Full details of all decisions and reports adopted at
Conference are available from Congress Office.
Conference elected the following to serve on the Women’s
Committee 2007/8:
Margaret Boyd, GMB: Scotland
Janet Cassidy, National Union of Rail, Maritime and
Transport Workers
Denise Christie, Fire Brigades Union
Eileen Dinning, Unison: Scotland
Elaine Dougall, Unite: T&G Section
Margaret Fleming, Union of Shop, Distributive & Allied
Workers
Cheryl Gedling, Public & Commercial Services Union
Natasha Gerson, Equity
Patricia McLaren, Glasgow TUC
Veronica Rankin, Educational Institute of Scotland
Pauline Rourke, Communication Workers’ Union
Tina Taylor, Unite: Amicus Section
Cheryl Gedling, Public & Commercial Services Union, was
elected as Chair of the Women’s Committee for 2007/8,
with Pauline Rourke, Communication Workers’ Union, as
Vice Chair.
WOMEN’S COMMITTEE
PRIORITIES 2007/08
The Women’s Committee has continued to pursue work
on a wide range of issues over the past year. The key
priorities for the Committee for the 2007/08 period were
developed following detailed consideration of the
decisions of Conference 2007, the continuing priorities
for the Committee, and the work plan of the General
Council. The Women’s Committee’s work incorporates a
number of cross-cutting themes of tackling poverty,
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

challenging exploitation of women and promoting
equality. The key priorities for the Committee are:
● Supporting Women in the Workplace
● Women’s Representation
● Health and Wellbeing
● Combating Violence against Women and Children.
Supporting Women in the Workplace
The Committee has undertaken substantial activity to
support women at work and in the trade union
movement, emphasising how unions work for women.
Closing the Gender Pay Gap
Closing the gender pay gap continues to be a key priority
for the Committee, and it continues to support the work
of the Close the Gap Project, ensuring it has an effective
trade union focus. The Committee was pleased to join
with Close the Gap to host a successful Women and
Pensions Conference on 30 May 2007. The then Chair of
the Committee, Tricia McLaren, chaired proceedings, and
the Conference was addressed by speakers from the
Equal Opportunities Commission, the Pensions Policy
Institute, the Poverty Alliance, and the Scottish
Pensioners’ Forum. The STUC now chairs the Close the
Gap Partnership, which has secured funding until end of
June 2008, and hopes to persuade Ministers to continue
these resources for a third phase of the initiative.
The STUC supported and helped to distribute the
innovative Scottish Women’s Convention Equal Pay Guide
to women trade unionists over the past year. Further
campaign work on closing the pay gap is planned for this
year.
Following the Secretary’s participation in an Equal
Opportunities Roundtable event with the new Minister for
Communities and Sport, Stewart Maxwell MSP, in August
2007, the STUC, Scottish Women’s Convention, and
Scottish Women’s Budget Group met the Minister on 6
December 2007, to urge the Scottish Government to
consider further action to tackle the gender pay gap. At a
Scottish Women’s Budget Group meeting at the Scottish
Parliament on 23 January 2008, the General Council
pressed the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable
Growth, to ensure gender pay is on the agenda of the
National Economic Forum, and queried progress of the
Cross Directorate Group on Occupational Segregation.
Tackling Discrimination and Promoting
Equality in the Workplace
The Women’s Committee has continued to monitor
progress with the establishment of the Equality and
Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and was delighted
that its Scotland Commissioner, Morag Alexander,
addressed the Women’s Conference.
The Committee engaged with the Health and Safety
Executive, expressing the concerns of a 2006 Women’s
Conference motion on how the menopause is considered
as a workplace issue.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
The Committee participated in a meeting with the
Westminster Minister for Women and Equality, Harriet
Harman MP, on Friday 1 February. The meeting provided
an opportunity to argue for statutory rights for equality
reps, and strengthened legislation on equal pay.
The Gender Equality Duty
The General Council was represented on the EOC’s
Scottish Advisory Board on the Public Sector Gender
Equality Duty, inputting into the consultation on the Code
of Practice, and advising on sectoral guidance for the
Gender Duty. The STUC has since circulated the EOC’s
approach to enforcement and its sectoral guidance to
trade unions, to assist in their bargaining approaches.
The Gender Equality Duty was debated at last year’s
Congress, and a General Council statement on Equal Pay
incorporated Gender Equality Duty requirements for
public bodies to publish an equal pay statement. The
Women’s Committee was pleased to support an STUC
Conference on all three Equality Duties, including Gender,
which is reported on later in this chapter.
Supporting and Developing Women in the Trade
Union Movement
The Committee organised two women’s weekend schools
in 2007, unfortunately the May school in Perth was not
able to go ahead, due to a lack of delegates, however, a
very well attended school on presentation skills and
assertiveness took place in Glasgow on 27–28 October
2007. Given the lack of interest in the Spring schools, the
Committee is this year planning to host a school in the
Autumn, and another early in 2009. The Committee
would wish to formally record its thanks to all those
women who have given their time, knowledge and
experience to tutor at the schools.
To mark the 80th Anniversary of the STUC Women’s
Conference, the Committee invited the Women’s
Committees’ Council of the Isles to meet in Glasgow on 2
November 2007. A lively and informative meeting debated
devolution and political developments in the different
nations and their implications for trade unionists. The
meeting also considered the trafficking of women, closing
the gender pay gap, and the TUC’s Equality Audit.
Over the past year, the Women’s Committee has been
considering the Women’s Conference Constitution, to
ensure that it is appropriate for the Scottish trade union
movement in the 21st Century.
The Committee has proposed a number of amendments
to the Women’s Conference Constitution to the General
Council, which aim to clarify Conference arrangements,
and to ensure a Women’s Committee is elected that is
fully representative of Scottish women trade unionists.
Women’s Representation
Representing Trade Union Women
The Committee continues to ensure that trade union
women and their families are effectively represented in
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48
appropriate trade union, civic and political forums. The
Committee has actively participated in the Scottish
Women’s Convention’s (SWC) Steering Group and inputs
into its policy groups. Women’s Committee member,
Agnes Tolmie, continues to Chair the SWC Steering Group,
and has overseen the transition of the Convention from its
host organisation Engender, to become an entity in its
own right, as a company limited by guarantee. Tricia
McLaren and the Secretary both sit on the newly
convened Steering Group. The SWC has continued to take
forward its work plan over the past year, with a vibrant
International Women’s Day at the Scottish Parliament and
Edinburgh Castle on Saturday 8 March 2008; the
development and launch of its Equal Pay Guide for
Women; a series of consultation events throughout
Scotland, including in Stornoway, Ullapool, Dunoon and
Rothesay; and the establishment of a BME advisory group.
The Committee continues to support the General Council
in ensuring gender balanced delegations and the
mainstreaming of gender issues. The Committee was
delighted that one of its members, Katrina Murray,
chaired the STUC General Council for the period 2006/7
and successfully Presided over Annual Congress 2007.
Members of the Committee participated in a Women’s
Trade Union Reception held at 11 Downing Street, hosted
by the UK Minister for Women and Equality, Harriet
Harman MP, on Monday 18 February 2008. The meeting
provided a useful opportunity for the Committee to raise
issues of concern with some of the Westminster Ministers
who were present.
Over the past year, the Committee has considered how
best to take forward its agenda on women’s
representation in public and political life. An information
leaflet re-launching the 50=50 Campaign was published
for Women’s Conference 2007. The Committee is, in
particular, concerned at the lack of women
representatives within local government and on public
bodies. The STUC responded to the Office of the
Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland
consultation in March 2008, articulating some of the
arguments of the 50=50 Campaign.
Combating Violence Against Women and Children
Raising awareness of and tackling trafficking of
women and exploitation of children
A key priority for the Committee over the past year has
been raising awareness of the trafficking of women and
exploitation of children. At Congress 2007, the Committee
held an informative fringe meeting, chaired by Tricia
McLaren, with sponsorship from Amicus, which raised
these issues. Speakers from Amnesty International and
the Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust spoke of their work
to support the victims of trafficking and exploitation, and
the campaigning work they are undertaking.
The fringe meeting led to a large scale, day long
Conference held on 5 October 2007 entitled “Tackling
Trafficking of Women and Exploitation of Children”. The
Committee was pleased to secure funding to hold this event
from the Big Lottery Fund Awards for All initiative. Over 80
delegates registered for the event, which was chaired by the
Women’s Committee Chairperson, Tricia McLaren, and
addressed by experts working on the issues of sexual
exploitation of children and trafficking of women.
The first session of the Conference considered the
exploitation of Children. Tam Baillie of Barnardos
Scotland gave an overview of the situation in Scotland,
identifying three types of child sexual exploitation and
outlining service provision and potential actions for trade
unions. Susan Arnold of the Fighting Against Child
Exploitation (FACE) spoke of the innovative work of her
organisation in Tayside, and showed the very moving “Nae
Danger” FACE film.
During the second session on trafficking, Glasgow
Community and Safety Services Manager, Ann Hamilton,
spoke of the appalling plight of trafficked women working
in the sex industry in Glasgow. The Poppy Project Film
showed women’s own horrific experiences of being
trafficked into the sex industry in the UK. Eaves Housing
Chief Executive, Denise Marshall, then spoke on the work
of the Poppy Project in providing support for women who
were trapped into a cycle of trafficking, abuse and
exploitation. Naomi McAuliffe of Amnesty International
spoke on Amnesty’s campaigns to support trafficked
women by joining up service provision, and changing
immigration laws. Linda Shanahan of Zero Tolerance
(ZT) presented on the campaigning work of ZT in
challenging male violence against women and urged that
men join the fight against exploitation and trafficking.
The subsequent workshop discussions came up with a
range of action points for trade unions, service providers
and government to take forward. These included working
with the British Transport Police and transport unions;
using the Unions into Schools initiative and education
unions to disseminate the “Nae Danger” message; raising
greater awareness through union structures; and taking
direct action with marches and rallies against trafficking
and prostitution.
The Conference fulfilled its brief of raising awareness
amongst trade unions and other organisations on these
issues, and identified a number of action points and
campaigning initiatives for trade unions to take forward.
A full report of the Conference is available from Congress
Office.
Supporting initiatives to raise awareness of and
combat domestic abuse
The Women’s Committee has continued to liaise with and
support organisations working directly on combating
domestic abuse. Mary Lockhart of Scottish Women’s Aid
addressed a Committee meeting on 8 May 2007, and the
Secretary met with Women’s Aid Manager, Lily Greenan,
on 31 August 2007. The General Council was able to raise
some of the Committee’s concerns on future funding,
sentencing policy and women’s experiences of the justice
system at its meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Health
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, on 19 September
2007.
The General Council impressed upon the Cabinet
Secretary the need to ensure continued funding for the
work that has been pursued by the previous
Administration. The Women’s Committee welcomed the
Cabinet Secretary’s assurances on the Scottish
Government’s commitment to tackling domestic abuse,
when she addressed Women’s Conference. However, the
Committee is closely monitoring these issues.
The General Council was pleased to sign up to The
Women’s Coalition Statement of Intent in October 2007.
The Statement urges the Scottish Government to pledge its
commitment to addressing violence against women over
the next four years. At Congress 2008, the Committee will
hold a White Ribbon Day, to highlight men’s violence
against women, and to unite trade unionists in support of
zero tolerance to violence against women.
OTHER COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
As part of its work programme, the Committee has been
involved in a range of other activities and has maintained
and developed links with many organisations to take
forward its agenda. The Committee continues to be
represented on a number of outside bodies and has made
representations at events, including:
● TUC Women’s Conference 2008
● Scottish Women’s Convention
● Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland
● STUC Congress 2007
● STUC Youth Conference 2007
● STUC Black Workers’ Conference 2007
● STUC Disabled Workers’ Conference 2007
● Scottish Labour Women’s Network
● Scottish Women’s Aid
● Wales TUC Women’s Conference 2007
The Black Workers’
Committee
The Black Workers’ Committee carries out a wide range of
work on tackling racial discrimination and promoting race
equality. The Black Workers’ Committee is elected at the
Annual STUC Black Workers’ Conference. The motionbased
Conference helps determine the priorities of the
Black Workers’ Committee for its work plan for the coming
year. The Committee’s liaison with the General Council, and
Black Workers’ representation through two seats on the
General Council, allows for race equality issues to be
mainstreamed into the wider work of the STUC.
ANNUAL BLACK WORKERS’
CONFERENCE 2007
The 11th Annual STUC Black Workers’ Conference was
held in the Salutation Hotel, Perth, on Saturday/Sunday,
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
20/21 October 2007, and was chaired by Habib Hashmi,
Educational Institute of Scotland. 45 delegates,
representing 13 trade unions and 3 visitors attended the
Conference. The theme of this year’s Conference was a
commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition
of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, and a number of guest
speakers and Conference debates made reference to
Scotland’s links to the Slave Trade, along with the legacy
of racism and discrimination which remains with us
today.
Provost John Hulbert, Perth & Kinross Council, delivered
the Civic Welcome to open Conference, and Professor
Geoff Palmer, Honorary President, Edinburgh & Lothians
Race Equality Council, gave a lively contribution on
Scotland and the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. Delegates
were pleased to welcome Morag Alexander, Scotland
Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission,
and Bashir Ahmad MSP, the first Asian member of the
Scottish Parliament. A number of trade union and sororal
speakers also addressed Conference.
A Special Session was held on the Saturday afternoon of
Conference, with the showing of the arts dissemination
DVD production “One For All?” of the One Workplace
Equal Rights Project. Discussion groups held after the
film showing gauged delegates reactions to the scenarios
shown, and a discussion on how trade unions can
respond and organise on the issues raised.
Debates at Conference were wide-ranging on issues,
including Modern Day Slavery, the BNP and the Media,
Civil and Public Services, Black Pride, and Migrant
Workers.
The Committee would like to record its thanks to the staff
at the Salutation Hotel, and to the staff of the Auchnacraig
Family Centre, Faifley, Clydebank, who provided a crèche
during Conference.
DECISIONS OF CONFERENCE 2007
Full details of all decisions and reports adopted at
Conference are available from Congress Office.
Conference elected the following to serve on the Black
Workers’ Committee 2007/08:
Caroline Campbell, GMB: Scotland
Georgia Cruickshank, GMB: Scotland
Tamara Mhura, Unison: Scotland
Satnam Ner, Prospect
David Olwa, Unison: Scotland
Paul Patmore, Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers
and Firemen
Nazerin Wardrop, Unite T&G Section Scotland
The Black Workers’ Committee elected Nazerin Wardrop,
Unite: T&G Section, as its Chairperson for the year
2007/08, with Caroline Campbell, GMB: Scotland, as Vice
Chairperson.
Conference elected the following to go forward as
nominations for the Black Workers’ Seats on the STUC
General Council 2008/09:
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General Seat
Satnam Ner, Prospect
Woman’s Seat
Georgia Cruickshank, GMB: Scotland
Conference elected the following to the Black Workers’
Conference Delegation to 2008 STUC Annual Congress:
Georgia Cruickshank, GMB: Scotland
Ismail Donmez, Unison: Scotland
Satnam Ner, Prospect
BLACK WORKERS’ COMMITTEE
PRIORITIES 2007/08
The priorities of the Committee for its work plan were
agreed following discussions on the Conference
resolutions, consideration of ongoing work, and taking
into account General Council priorities, in particular the
Unions Work Campaign.
The key priorities for 2007/08 for the Committee are:
● Tackling racism in the workplace and supporting
Black workers;
● Increasing the active and meaningful participation of
Black people; and
● Tackling racism in society and promoting intercommunity
engagement.
Tackling Racism in the Workplace and Supporting
Black Workers
The Committee has an important role in supporting Black
workers across Scotland and in promoting trade
unionism to Black workers, and in ensuring trade unions
are accessible to Black people. The Committee continues
to take forward substantial work in tackling racism in the
workplace and in promoting equality.
One Workplace Equal Rights
Over the past year, the Committee has continued to input
into the development and activity of the One Workplace
Equal Rights Project, ensuring there is a strong race
perspective. Members of the Committee have participated
in the Project Advisory Group, inputted into Project
activities, such as the DVD, supported the 30 October
2007 Dissemination Conference, and have been involved
in the development of the One Workplace Equality Rep
Award.
The 2006–7 Chair of the Committee, Habib Hashmi,
provided commentary for the Project’s “One for All?”
DVD, and all members of the Committee have been
actively promoting and disseminating this work.
Committee member, Satnam Ner, is participating in this
year’s Advisory Group for the Equality Rep Award. Project
Manager, Zaffir Hakim, provides regular updates and
contributions to Black Workers’ Committee meetings,
giving the Committee an additional opportunity to input
into the Project activity.
Black and Minority Ethnic Women at Work
The Committee was represented on the Advisory Group
for the Equal Opportunities Commission’s (EOC) General
Formal Investigation on pay and progression of Black and
minority ethnic (BME) women in Scotland. This
investigation aimed to give Visible Minority Ethnic (VME)
women in Scotland a voice on the issue of employment
and labour market policy and practice. The final report
made recommendations on joining up race and gender
strategies, on improving intelligence and data, so as
strategies to address inequality can be developed,
improving support mechanisms, and on tackling a
workplace culture which discourages and excludes VME
women. The STUC has ensured the final report has been
circulated widely within the trade union movement.
Former Committee member, Anita Shelton, along with the
Secretary, represented the STUC on this body which
reported in May 2007.
The Steering Group will reconvene for an update on
implementing its recommendations on 31 March 2008,
and the Black Workers’ Committee intends to raise a
number of these matters at its forthcoming meeting with
the Communities Minister, Stewart Maxwell MSP.
Scottish Executive Race Equality Strategy
Given the extensive involvement of the Committee in 2006
in the previous administration’s short life strategic group
to look at ethnic minorities and the labour market, the
Committee has, over the past year, been pursuing the
Scottish Executive and now Scottish Government on when
the conclusions, and the Race Equality Strategy will be
launched.
The change in Administration has no doubt affected the
publication of the report and the wider Race Equality
Strategy. The General Council raised this issue with the
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola
Sturgeon MSP, in September 2007; and the Communities
Minister, Stewart Maxwell MSP, has agreed to a meeting
with the Committee and this will be one of the agenda
items. The STUC will continue to pursue the new Scottish
Government on race equality issues, ensuring it develops
and implements policy which do make a meaningful
difference to the lives of Black people in Scotland.
The Committee has continued to engage with the Scottish
Government on its One Scotland Anti Racism Campaign.
In February 2008, the Committee responded to a
consultation on the initiative, where it called for the
continuation of a strong, public Anti Racism Campaign;
and the Secretariat participated in publicity to support the
One Scotland Rock Against Racism initiative.
Black Workers’ Network
The development of the Black Workers’ Network remains
an important part of the Committee’s work. The Network
is open to all Black workers, whether union members or
not, and is key to ensuring those from Black and minority
ethnic groups are not isolated and can gain solidarity,
advice and support from other Black workers. A very well
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

attended Network meeting took place at the STUC Centre
on Saturday 8 September, where the agenda included
mobilising for the Annual St Andrew’s Day Anti Racism
March and Rally and a discussion on recent equality
development, including the opening of the Commission
for Equality and Human Rights, and the Discrimination
Law Review Green Paper. A further meeting was held on
Saturday 1 March at the STUC, where participants were
pleased to welcome Osama Saeed of the Muslim Council
of Scotland, to discuss a range of issues with the Network.
Liaison with the Commission for Racial
Equality – Supporting Best Practice
The Secretariat participated in a Commission for Racial
Equality roundtable meeting in September 2007, which
considered the future for race equality in Scotland post-
CRE.
The Black Workers’ Committee’s continued concerns on
compliance with the Race Relations Amendment Act
resulted in the Committee’s involvement in the STUC
training Conference on the Public Sector Equality Duties,
chaired by Committee Chair, Habib Hashmi, on 29 August
2007. The Committee intends to pursue its concerns on
the RRA at its meeting with Stewart Maxwell MSP later this
year.
Black Workers’ Newsletter
The Committee compiled and distributed a newsletter in
June 2007 as a way of communicating with Black
workers between Conference and Network meetings, and
to inform people of the activity of the Committee. The
Chair, Habib Hashmi, provided an introduction, and the
newsletter promoted future events, including the
Conference, Network meeting and St Andrew’s Day, along
with informing of past events, such as the election
hustings.
A further newsletter was produced and distributed in
February 2007, which reported on recent events,
promoted the Network meeting, Black Network Visitors’
Day at Congress and other events.
Increasing the Active and Meaningful Participation
of Black People
Promoting positive images of Black people and Black
workers remains an important part of the work of the
Committee. Committee member, Satnam Ner, is
participating in the STUC’s Schools Visits Pilot, helping to
promote positive images of Black people, along with race
equality issues in education.
Black People in Political Life
The Committee remains extremely concerned over the
lack of BME representation in public and political life.
The Committee monitored progress with Black candidates
in the run up to the 2007 Scottish Parliament and local
government elections, and held a successful Hustings
event on 24 April 2007, to promote Black candidates and
to debate issues of importance to Black people in
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
Scotland. The mainstream political parties were
represented at the debate by the following candidates:
Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour Party Glasgow List; Chris
Stephens, Scottish National Party Candidate in Glasgow
Pollock; Davena Rankin, Scottish Conservative Party in
Glasgow South; Rosemary Burnett, Scottish Green Party
Glasgow List Candidate; and Abdul Khan, Scottish Liberal
Democrats Council Candidate in Glasgow. Whilst none of
those participating in the hustings were elected to the
Scottish Parliament or Local Government, the Committee
has welcomed the election of the first Asian MSP, Bashir
Ahmed. Mr Ahmed also addressed the Black Workers’
Conference in October.
The Black Workers’ Committee participated in events
around Scottish Parliament Trade Union Week in January
2008, and some of its concerns on representation were
articulated in the STUC response to the Office for the
Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland
consultation in March 2008.
Challenging Racism in Society and Promoting
Inter-Community Engagement
Standing Up To Racism
The Black Workers’ Committee continues to inform the
STUC’s strategy in tackling racism in society. The STUC
takes a leading role in challenging racism and fascism
wherever and whenever it occurs. The St Andrew’s Day
Anti Racism event is an important activity for the
Committee and it carried out considerable work and
mobilisation in planning and taking forward
arrangements for 2007. Working with the Secretariat and
General Council, it evaluated the outcomes of 2007 and is
in the process of organising for St Andrew’s Day 2008,
Saturday 29 November 2008.
In the run up to the Scottish Parliament elections, the
Committee was alert to the threat of the BNP and fascist
elements. The STUC promoted and attended Searchlight’s
‘Hope not Hate’ tour in Glasgow on 6 April, and the
Secretariat chaired Unite Against Fascism’s mobilising
meeting the following week, bringing together political
parties, human rights’ activists, trade unions, students,
faith groups and prominent anti racist campaigners to
warn of the dangers of the fascist BNP.
A particular concern was the fact that the BNP fielded
candidates in every regional list area, which entitled them
to an election broadcast. A swiftly convened
demonstration outside BBC Scotland’s Queen Margaret
Drive Headquarters on Friday 13 April, at which the STUC
spoke, ensured BBC managers were in no doubt at the
strength of feeling against their decision to broadcast the
BNP election film. The STUC, UAF and the NUS, along with
MSPs Sandra White and Pauline McNeill, were invited in
to speak directly with BBC managers about the matter.
The availability of Unite Against Fascism leaflets at STUC
Congress, along with campaign materials from UNISON,
all assisted in getting the message to voters that the BNP
are racist thugs and their politics must never be
legitimised at the ballot box. The Committee is now
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52
looking at how it can challenge the current provision that
allows the BNP to have a party election broadcast if it
fields candidates in one sixth of Scottish seats.
Working with Anti Racist Organisations
The Committee continues to engage with the Glasgow Anti
Racist Alliance, and welcomes GARA’s support for St
Andrew’s Day. The STUC continues to provide support to
Show Racism the Red Card in Scotland. Conference room
facilities were provided to SRTRC in August 2007, and the
STUC assists the organisation in distributing its message
and material to affiliates.
Abolition of Slavery Bi-Centenary
Committee members and the STUC Secretariat have
represented the STUC at a number of events over the last
year to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the
abolition of slavery in the UK. As Chair of the Committee
to October 2007, Habib Hashmi attended events in
Edinburgh earlier in 2007, and the Secretary participated
in a Scottish Executive event in Glasgow in August 2007.
The Committee agreed that the theme of its Conference in
October 2007, as well as that of the St Andrew’s Day
March, should be anti slavery and challenging slavery’s
legacy of racism.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
The Committee has participated in a number of events
and is represented on a wide range of outside bodies, as
listed below:
● 2007 TUC Black Workers’ Conference
● 2007 STUC Annual Congress
● 2007 STUC Youth Conference
● 2007 STUC Women’s Conference
● STUC General Council, and the Economy and
Employment Committee
● Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance
● Equal Opportunities Commission General Formal
Investigation on Visible Minority Ethnic Women in
the Workplace
● One Workplace Project Advisory Group
The Committee would wish to record its thanks to a
number of its members who have departed from the
Committee over the past year. In particular, the Committee
expresses its thanks to Namasiku Liandu, Anita Shelton
and its outgoing Chairperson, Habib Hashmi, who have
made significant contributions to the work of the
Committee and STUC over a number of years.
ST ANDREW’S DAY 2007
“NO SLAVERY! NO RACISM!”
The STUC’s Annual St Andrew’s Day Anti Racism event was
held on Saturday, 24 November 2007. This year’s event
took the format of an anti-racist march through the
streets of Glasgow, culminating with a rally with speakers
in the Glasgow Film Theatre, Rose Street, Glasgow. The
STUC would like to record its thanks to the Glasgow Anti
Racist Alliance for once again sponsoring and supporting
this important event, and to affiliates for their ongoing
support.
This year’s theme commemorated the 200th Anniversary
of the passing of the Act to abolish the Trans Atlantic slave
trade, and the legacy of racism and discrimination of this
brutal trade in humans: “No Slavery! No Racism!”. Posters
and leaflets for the march and rally were produced in
early October and widely distributed to all affiliates, the
Black Workers’ and Women’s Conference delegates,
equality groups, solidarity/community/faith groups,
political parties, local authorities, and MSPs/Scottish MPs.
The event was advertised in Positive Action in Housing’s
Quickmail ebulletin, the GCVS Equality Update, through
the STUC’s own electronic mailings, and at STUC events.
As in previous years, a solidarity programme was
produced to mark the event, and was circulated to key
stakeholders in advance of the march and rally. An
additional flyer, explaining the purpose of the march and
including brief supportive comments from all of those
contributing to the programme, was produced to hand
out during the march.
The STUC invited contributions from all the mainstream
political party leaders, the STUC Black Workers’
Committee, the Equality and Human Rights Commission,
the Scottish Refugee Council’s Policy Forum, the Scottish
Council of Jewish Communities, the NUS (Scotland),
Muslim Council of Scotland, Scottish Jews for a Just
Peace, and the Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance. Thanks are
due to affiliates, the Scottish Women’s Convention,
Thompsons Solicitors, the Scottish Co-op, and the
Workers’ Beer Company, who provided advertisements
for the programme.
The Secretariat was involved in a number of meetings
with Strathclyde Police and Glasgow City Council to agree
the route of the anti racist march. The march assembled
at Blythswood Square marching off at 11am, on a visible
route which included George Square, St Vincent Place
and Sauchiehall Street. Over 800 people marched
through Glasgow’s streets, including a large number of
trade unions, political parties, student and community
groups. The march was accompanied by She-Boom and
the GMB’s Pipe Band. The General Council would wish to
record its thanks to the volunteer stewards, and to
Strathclyde Police, who assisted the march to proceed
safely. The march and rally was widely covered by BBC
Scotland radio and TV, STV, Real Radio, Kingdom FM,
local radio stations, Scotland on Sunday, the Sunday
Herald, and the Sunday Mail, amongst others.
As marchers arrived at the Glasgow Film Theatre, the
prologue and first scenario “Omar’s Story” of the One
Workplace Equal Rights DVD “One For All?” was shown.
Black Workers’ Committee member, Georgia
Cruickshank, chaired the anti racist rally, which featured
contributions from campaigner, Humza Yousaf; STUC
President, Phil McGarry; GARA Youth Participation Officer,
Kainde Manji; Human Rights Lawyer, Aamer Anwar; and
Anas Sarwar. A bucket collection for the Disasters
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Emergency Committee Bangladesh Cyclone Appeal
collected £97.03.
The Black Workers’ Committee and General Council,
together with the Secretariat, reviewed the success of the
2007 event, and is planning a similar format for the 2008
march and rally, which will take place on Saturday 29
November 2008.
Disabled Workers’
Committee
The Disabled Workers’ Committee carries out the STUC’s
work in relation to disabled people. The Committee is
elected at the Annual Disabled Workers’ Conference.
The motion-based Conference sets a campaigning agenda
for the Disabled Workers’ Committee, and the
Committee’s liaison with the General Council allows for
disability issues to be mainstreamed into the wider work
of the STUC.
ANNUAL DISABLED WORKERS’
CONFERENCE 2007
The 4th Annual STUC Disabled Workers’ Conference was
held in the Apex Hotel, Dundee, on Saturday/Sunday,
29–30 September 2007, and was chaired by Gina Hay,
Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association. Fifty-one
delegates, representing 13 trade unions and one trades
union council attended Conference, the theme of which
was “Unions Work for Disabled Workers”.
Key speakers who addressed the Conference included
Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Public Health; John
Mitchell, Dundee Citizen of the Year; Fiona Farmer, Vice
Chairperson, STUC General Council; Grahame Smith,
STUC General Secretary; Ian Tasker, on behalf of the STUC
Youth Committee; and Tricia McLaren, Chair, STUC
Women’s Committee.
A plenary session entitled ‘Mental Well-being and the
Workplace’ took place on the Saturday morning. Panel
members consisted Ron Coleman, Talking Voices; Judith
MacKinnon, Scottish Association for Mental Health
(SAMH); Ian Tasker, STUC Assistant Secretary, and
member of Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives. The
discussion was chaired by Lesley McCallum, Disabled
Workers’ Committee member. Panel members were asked
to give a ten minute speech to inform delegates of what
they do within their organisation. This was followed by
discussion and questions from delegates.
A presentation on the ‘Hidden History of Disability’ was
given by Sasha Callaghan, UCU Delegate and UCU
President Elect, on the Saturday of Conference, and a
presentation on Dyslexia was given by Derek Kennedy of
the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union on the
Sunday morning of Conference.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
Motions were debated and agreed on both the Saturday
and Sunday on a range of issues, including the Single
Equality Act, the Disability Equality Duty, Disability
Discrimination, Equality Representatives, Delivering
Training on Disability in the Workplace, Access to Work,
Remploy, Civil and Public Services, Commission for
Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning, UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Union Services,
Dyslexia, Travel by Train, Disabled People and Sex, and
Aiming High for Disabled Children.
DECISIONS OF CONFERENCE 2007
Full details of all decisions and reports adopted at
Conference are available from Congress Office.
Conference elected the following to serve on the STUC
Disabled Workers’ Committee for the period 2007–08:
Elspeth Bettany, Communication Workers’ Union
Gina Hay, Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association
Lesley McCallum, Unite: T&G Section
Turlough MacDaid, Broadcasting, Entertainment,
Cinematograph and Theatre Union
Alan Mackay, Educational Institute of Scotland
Ken MacMillan, Inverness Trades Union Council
Duncan Miller, Unite: Amicus Section
Robert Mooney, Community (General Council
Representative)
Jimmy O’Rourke, Community
Barbra Sneddon, Public and Commercial Services Union
Steven Taylor, Communication Workers’ Union
The Disabled Workers’ Committee elected Ken MacMillan,
Inverness TUC, as its Chair for the year 2007/8, with
Lesley McCallum, Unite: T&G Section, as Vice Chair.
Conference elected the following to go forward as
nominations for the Disabled Workers’ Seats on the STUC
General Council 2008/09:
General Seat
Robert Mooney, Community
Woman’s Seat
Elspeth Bettany, Communication Workers’ Union
Conference elected the following to the Disabled Workers’
Conference Delegation to 2008 STUC Annual Congress:
Jimmy O’Rourke, Community
Duncan Miller, Unite: Amicus Section
Gina Hay, Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association
It was agreed to co-opt Lesley McCallum, Unite: T&G
Section, to the Delegation.
DISABLED WORKERS’ COMMITTEE
PRIORITIES 2007/08
Following discussion, it was agreed that the key priorities
for the Disabled Workers’ Committee for the year ahead
would be to:
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1. Build effective relationships with government and
agencies to promote the rights of disabled within
and outwith the workplace.
2. Campaign against discrimination and for genuine
opportunity of employment for disabled people.
3. Build capacity to ensure that Unions Work for
Disabled People.
The Committee has worked to pursue these priorities
through a range of strategic activity.
Political Engagement
The Disabled Workers’ Committee meeting with the
former Minister for Communities was unable to take
place, due to elections. However, a meeting has been
sought and agreed, in principle, with the new
Communities Minister, Stewart Maxwell MSP. Disabled
Workers’ Conference 2007 was addressed by Shona
Robison MSP, Minister for Health.
The Committee has established a relationship with the
Cross Party Group on Mental Health, and Alan McKay of
the Committee, along with the STUC secretariat, made a
presentation at a meeting of the Cross Party Group in
December 2007.
Consultation Responses
The Disabled Workers’ Committee participated in the
formulation of the STUC General Council response to the
Discrimination Law Review – A Framework for Fairness:
Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain (UK
Government) Consultation. It argued for the inclusion of
a number of points relating to general equalities and the
disability strand in particular. All of the points raised by
the Committee were included in the final submission.
The Committee also responded to the Department of
Work and Pensions consultation into the provision of
Specialist Employment Services.
Advocating and Acting for Change Project
The Committee conceived and played a key role in
promoting the STUC’s Advocating and Acting for Change
project, exploring positive activities to promote mental
well-being in the workplace through joint union employer
action.
The Advocating and Acting for Change project was
launched at STUC Disabled Workers’ Conference 2007,
and the Committee went on to play a role in organising
the first Conference held under the initiative in December
2007. Lesley McCallum, Vice Chair, made a keynote
presentation to the event, which attracted a wide range of
participants, including trade unions, employers,
government officials, voluntary sector and peer support
organisations. The Conference featured STUC research on
mental well-being in the workplace and is part of an
ongoing process of consultation and discussion aimed at
taking forward a defined programme of activity, to
improve workplace support and partnership working on
mental well-being.
Remploy
The Disabled Workers’ Committee continued to provide
strong support for the campaign to save Remploy
factories through media comment and speaking at rallies
and public meetings.
The Committee provided practical support to the
organisers of the Remploy Crusade through organising
meeting venues and providing links to MPs, MSPs and
local councillors in Scotland. Letters were also written to
a range of elected representatives, urging their support
for the campaign.
The STUC widely advertised the Remploy Crusade, lobbied
MPs, MSPs and councillors, and provided media support.
Remploy rallies in Edinburgh and Glasgow were addressed
by the Secretary to the Disabled Workers’ Committee and
the STUC General Secretary. Messages of support were
conveyed from the Disabled Workers’ Committee.
Procurement
The issue of the use of the Public Sector Procurement to
promote equalities was a standing agenda item for the
Disabled Workers’ Committee, which argued successfully
for the STUC to lobby for a specific reference to be made
to the Disability Equality Duty within the Scottish
Executive Guidance on the Directive.
The Committee was represented at a roundtable event
convened by Jim Mather MSP, Minister for Enterprise
Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, to discuss the role of
procurement in the promotion of sheltered and
supported employment. The Committee made a clear case
for the use of procurement to promote equality and, in
particular, to ensure that sheltered and supported
employment continued.
Employability Access to Work
The Committee has continued to inform the STUC’s input
into the Westminster and Scottish Government’s
employability initiatives, including the STUC response to
the Freud Report.
The Committee has continued to highlight an employment
rights based approach to employability and has, in
particular, concentrated on the need to remove barriers
to work, and to address negative employer attitudes to
disabled workers.
Through engagement with the Department of Work and
Pensions Customer Insight initiative, the Committee has
highlighted the ongoing lack of advertisement of the
Access to Work Scheme, and the need for additional
funding.
Dyslexia in the Workplace
The Committee has promoted the issue of dyslexia in the
workplace through holding a special session at Disabled
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Workers’ Conference 2007, and through supporting the
work of the STUC Skills and Lifelong Learning Team,
including at the special event held during Scottish
Parliament Trade Union Week in January 2008.
NUS Scotland Disabled Committee – Decent Work
in the 21st Century
The Committee was represented at the NUS “Decent Work
in the 21st Century” event. Here, the Committee provided
a practical session on the barriers faced by disabled
workers in the workplace, and the positive role of trade
unions in combating discrimination and providing paths
to employment.
Disability Equality Duty
The Committee organised a joint event with the Disability
Rights Commission “Organising and the Disability Equality
Duty”, however, take-up was not strong enough for the
event to go ahead. The Committee, therefore, co-operated
with the other STUC Equality Committees in organising a
One Day Event, entitled “The Equality Agenda for Scottish
Trade Unions: The Public Sector Equality Duties and the
CEHR”, at which Lesley McCallum, on behalf of the
Committee, provided a workshop on practical workplace
applications of the Disability Equality Duty.
Briefing Papers for Affiliates
At the time of writing, the Committee is in the process of
producing two briefing papers for affiliates. The first is a
briefing document on the social model of disability and
the second a briefing on the Access to Work Scheme and
model disability leave agreements and fact sheet.
Youth Committee
The STUC Youth Committee, which celebrates its 70th
anniversary in 2008, brings together young trade
unionists to campaign on key issues for young workers
throughout Scotland. The Youth Committee is elected at
the Annual Youth Conference, which this year will be held
over the weekend 28–29 June 2008.
ANNUAL YOUTH CONFERENCE
The 67th Annual STUC Youth Conference was held at the
Premier Travel Inn, Glasgow, on Saturday 30 June and
Sunday 1 July, 2007. The Conference was chaired by
Hamish Drummond, PCS. The Conference was attended
by 35 delegates, representing ten trade unions and one
trades union council.
One of the aims of the Conference was to encourage
everyone to participate, especially delegates attending for
the first time. In order to achieve this, two workshops
were held, one entitled “An Introduction to Conference”,
the other “Unions Work – Organising in the Workplace
and Community”. The level of presentation and calibre of
debate throughout Conference was excellent. Delegates
left the event more aware of issues experienced in
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
different employment sectors, in international issues, in
public policy and in young workers’ lives more generally.
A number of key speakers addressed Conference over the
weekend, including Grahame Smith, General Secretary,
STUC; Jamie Jenkins, Wales TUC; Emma Ritch, Project
Manager, Close the Gap; James Alexander, President, NUS
(Scotland); Oriol Torrent, Avalot UGT; Kirsty Connell,
Scottish Young Labour; Lucinda Yeadon, TUC Young
Members’ Forum; Gina Hay, Chairperson, STUC Disabled
Workers’ Committee; Tricia McLaren, Chairperson, STUC
Women’s Committee; Anna Cooper, Education and
Solidarity Officer, Banana Link; Katrina Murray, General
Council and UNISON; and Habib Hashmi, Chairperson,
STUC Black Workers’ Committee.
An informative “Unions into Schools” Session was held
during the Saturday afternoon of the Conference with the
following School Visits Reps: Loraine Barkley, UNISON
Scotland; John Battles, PCS; Tom Clark, UNISON Scotland;
Ann Gallacher, PCS; Satnam Ner, Prospect; and Michael
Saunders, PCS. Fatima Uygun of Strathclyde University
conducted a focus group with Conference delegates on
the Saturday evening, as part of STUC commissioned
research on sectarianism, on the joint initiative with the
Scottish Executive.
A lively Open Panel Debate “How Young People Engage”,
was held during the Sunday morning session of the
Conference, Chaired by Hamish Drummond, Chairperson,
STUC Youth Committee. Panellists included: Anne
Douglas, National Secretary, Prospect; John Quigley,
Scottish Regional Secretary, Unite: Amicus Section; Eddie
Reilly, Scottish Secretary, PCS; and Matt Smith, Scottish
Secretary, UNISON Scotland.
Hamish Drummond, PCS, was awarded the Jimmy Waugh
Memorial Trophy, which is presented each year at the
Conference to an outstanding young trade unionist.
The Committee would like to thank PCS for hosting a Pre
Dinner Drinks Reception for delegates and visitors on the
Saturday evening. This was followed by Dinner and the
Conference Social, which was very enjoyable and
entertaining. The Committee would wish to record its
thanks to Glasgow City Council for hosting a Civic
Reception on Friday 29 June for all delegates
participating in the Conference.
DECISIONS OF CONGRESS 2007
Full details of all decisions and reports adopted at
Conference are available from the Congress Office.
The following were elected to serve on the STUC Youth
Committee for the period 2007/08:
Jenny Duncan, Unite: Amicus Section
Josh MacAlister, Unite: Amicus Section
Angela Nicoll, UNISON Scotland
Drew Smith, GMB: Scotland
Graham Smith, UNISON Scotland.
A number of delegates at the Conference also volunteered
to be co-opted to fill vacancies on the Youth Committee
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and enquiries were pursued with affiliates. The following
people were subsequently co-opted to the Committee by
their respective organisations:
Kirsty Connell, GMB Scotland
Eiran Cooper, Unite: T&G Section
Damian Etherington, EIS
Georgina Wardrop, Unite: T&G Section.
The Youth Committee elected Jenny Duncan (Unite:
Amicus Section) as Chair for the period 2007–08, with
Drew Smith (GMB Scotland) as Vice-Chair.
Conference elected the following to go forward as
nominations for the Young Workers’ Seats on the STUC
General Council 2008/09:
General Seat:
Drew Smith, GMB Scotland
Woman’s Seat:
Jenny Duncan, Unite: Amicus Section
Conference elected the following to the Youth Conference
Delegation to the STUC Annual Congress 2008:
Jenny Duncan, Unite: Amicus Section
Josh MacAlister, Unite: Amicus Section
Drew Smith, GMB Scotland
STUC YOUTH COMMITTEE
PRIORITIES 2007/08
At the meeting of the General Council in September, the
Youth Committee presented its Work Plan for the current
year, and the following key areas of activity were agreed:
● Promotion of Young Workers’ Rights
● Building an Active Network of Young Members
● Promotion of Trade Union Membership to Young
People.
These priorities were the same as previous years, but the
Committee wished to develop the work carried out in
these key areas, which were agreed at the first meeting of
the new Youth Committee on 18 August 2007.
Promotion of Young Workers’ Rights
The Committee raised a number of issues with
Government Ministers in Holyrood and Westminster,
particularly in relation to Modern Apprenticeships, the
National Minimum Wage, youth poverty, transport and
young people, student debts and fair treatment for young
people at work.
The Committee launched a petition on the No. 10
Downing Street website, highlighting the discriminatory
element of the lower development rate in the minimum
wage for under 22 year old workers, similar anomalies in
the benefits system and the effect this has on youth
poverty. This petition can be accessed at
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/YouthPoverty1/ . The petition
will be on the site until June and any assistance that
delegates can provide in attracting support for this
petition would be appreciated by the Youth Committee.
In addition, as part of the Trade Union Week in the
Scottish Parliament, Cathy Peattie MSP secured a debate
on “Young People in the Workplace”. Members of the
Youth Committee attended the debate as did members
from individual affiliated organisations. The Youth
Committee would wish to record its thanks to Cathy
Peattie for her efforts in raising this issue in the Scottish
Parliament.
Unionlink
The Youth Committee met with the National Union of
Students Scotland to discuss the possibility of developing
a joint protocol setting out joint working arrangements,
including the possibility of developing the Unionlink
Project. Many of the NUS Scotland campaigns not only
impact on students, but also on the wider Scottish youth
population, such as their “Brick by Brick” Campaign,
which is raising awareness of the poor standards of
privately rented student accommodation. The Youth
Committee feel that this problem extends to all young
workers leaving home, and the Committee is keen to
support work in this area. The Committee will also be
having further discussions with NUS Scotland, regarding
Unionlink and developing a sustainable model that can
provide employment rights advice to students and, at the
same time, promote trade union membership.
Building an Active Network of Young Members
The Youth Committee believes that the future of the trade
union movement is dependent on attracting young
workers, not only into trade union membership, but
becoming active in the wider union movement.
At last year’s Conference, following the Panel Discussion
with Regional Secretaries, the Youth Committee examined
the possibility for using social networking to engage with
young people and, at the same time, promote the STUC
and the work of the Committee. Activity has focused on
two initiatives: a Facebook site for the Committee and a
Bebo site for wider promotion of the trade union
movement. The development of the latter was an action
point in the current Work Plan and the site can be
accessed at http://www.bebo.com/unionswork .
It was also agreed, at a later stage, to open a Facebook
site to young workers throughout Scotland and the
address is:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4968216508.
Young Muslim Communities
The Committee continues to identify opportunities to
work with young Muslim groups to tackle the
discrimination that many Muslims face in the workplace
and in their communities. The Youth Committee is now
represented by Kirsty Connell, GMB: Scotland, on the
Scottish Youth Panel of Scotland UnLtd, an organisation
funding projects that aim to break down such barriers
through sport. The Committee is aiming to set up a
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

network with members from community groups, trade
unions and voluntary sector organisations providing
support in this area.
2008 YOUTH CONFERENCE
The Youth Committee, as part of its work, has identified
that developing skills within the workplace can reduce
the likelihood of young people being exploited by
employers. The Committee also wants to increase the
involvement of young workers in the wider trade union
movement and particularly help young people develop
skills that will help them avoid exploitation in the
workplace. The STUC Skills and Lifelong Learning Team
has agreed to sponsor the Youth Conference in June, with
a view to developing relationships with the Youth
Committee and promoting lifelong learning and the skills
agenda to young workers. The theme of the Conference
will be “Unions Work, Empowering Young Workers
Through Learning”. The Skills and Lifelong Learning
Team and the Youth Committee hope to attract young
Union Learner representatives to attend Conference and
encourage greater participation of young workers on the
skills and lifelong learning agenda.
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY
The Youth Committee has a long established relationship
with the Youth Section, Avalot UGT, and young trade
unionists from Catalonia attend the Youth Conference
annually. Over the past year, we have identified
opportunities to work with other international youth
sections to promote young workers’ rights. Through the
Committee’s work with solidarity organisation, Banana
Link, it is hoped that a young worker from the
Ecuadorian Trade Union Federation, Fenacle, will be in a
position to attend the Youth Conference in June.
Following a meeting between the STUC and the
Venezuelan Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the
Committee is investigating developing contacts among
young oil workers from Venezuela studying in Scotland.
STUC Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and
Transgender Workers’
Network
It was agreed by the General Council in 1999 to establish
a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Workers’
Network, in order to assist with its work in relation to
discrimination facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender trade union members.
The group was established in 2001 and has met
infrequently since. It has worked in partnership with the
Equality Network and has been involved in organising
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
three Conferences at the STUC on LGBT issues. It has also
helped promote the Pride Scotia event to trade unions.
However, the LGBT network has struggled to gain critical
mass and previous consultative processes with affiliates
have failed to encourage adequate participation.
Therefore, a new consultation is now underway to
examine ways in which the Network might be
strengthened, and how the STUC can better support the
campaigning activities of other organisations working in
this area. It is envisaged that this should lead to a
reinvigoration of the Network during Congress year
2008/09.
Scottish Pensioners’
Forum
The General Council has continued to promote the issues
facing retired trade unionists in Scotland by working in
partnership with the Scottish Pensioners’ Forum.
Since the Congress in 2007, the Scottish Pensioners’
Forum has continued to campaign on many issues of
importance to older people, and representatives from the
Executive Committee have met with a range of politicians
to articulate their concerns.
The Scottish Pensioners’ Forum hosted a Scottish
Parliament Election Hustings, the third such event held
over the years, but very different from the previous two
and held in the City Chambers in Glasgow. Lesley
Riddoch, freelance broadcaster, chaired the hustings, and
the event became one of her “Big Debate” series,
“Scottish Votepods”, covering several issues, such as
health and housing, and was available as a “podcast”
throughout Scotland.
The 2007 Annual Conference was held in Perth in June
and was addressed by Nicola Sturgeon MSP, new Deputy
First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and
Wellbeing, and was one of her first engagements in the
post. She spoke on government policies on health,
transport and fuel poverty, and dealt well with the lively
question and answer session, which followed her speech.
The newly appointed Executive Committee held its first
meeting in July, when Elinor McKenzie was elected
Chairperson and Enoch Humphries was re-elected as Vice
Chairperson. Elections were also held for the Publicity &
Media Committee, one of several sub-committees, which
is responsible for the publication of the quarterly
newsletter “Scottish Seniors”, now at Issue 18, and for
organisation of the Annual Conference. The Scottish
Pensioners’ Forum also elected members to a Funding
and Development Committee, and a Constitution
Committee.
An important meeting took place in November 2007,
when the Scottish Pensioners’ Forum met with Shona
Robison MSP, Minister for Public Health. The Pensioners’
Forum raised the obvious topic of free personal care and
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the problems and anomalies there. In addition, it
discussed with the Minister issues in other health areas,
such as hearing tests, foot care, housing and central
heating, or the lack of it. The Forum has also met with
other MSPs: Keith Brown, Bob Doris, Wendy Alexander,
and George Foulkes. In January 2008, the Forum met
with Peter Hain MP, then Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions, and Mike O’Brien MP, Minister of State for
Pensions Reform. A meeting date with Des Browne MP,
Secretary of State for Scotland, is yet to be confirmed.
Several Forum members attended a Lobby at Westminster
and took the opportunity to speak with various MPs.
The Forum is beginning to develop a new Pensions
Campaign, in the centenary year of the State Pension,
based on our “Robin’ the Pensioner” initiative, and will
be bringing this Campaign to Congress. The Forum is also
involved in intergenerational work with both the STUC
and Unions into Schools, and the newly formed Scottish
Centre for Intergenerational Practice.
The Scottish Pensioners’ Forum has had an information
stall, or presence, at various Conferences, including the
STUC Women’s Conference, and members of the Executive
Committee attended many events, always taking the
opportunity to promote the Forum.
The Forum continues to be represented on the Scottish
Executive Older People’s Consultative Forum; Cross Party
Group on Older People; Age Concern Assembly; SCVO
Policy Committee and the Scottish Helpline for Older
People (SHOP) Consortium.
The Scottish Pensioners’ Forum would wish to record its
thanks to all affiliates for their continued support.
Promoting Equality
and Social Justice
The General Council continues to pursue its equality and
social justice agenda by engaging with a number of
organisations, responding to government consultations,
and articulating agreed STUC policy at many levels. The
General Council also provides support and information to
affiliates on equalities and social justice matters.
The Secretariat gave evidence at the Scottish Parliament’s
Equal Opportunities Committee meeting on 27 November
2007, highlighting issues of workplace discrimination,
barriers to equality and the need to enforce existing
equality legislation.
The STUC held a most informative and well attended
Conference on all three Equality Duties: Race, Gender and
Disability, on Wednesday 29 August 2007. The Conference
heard presentations from the Legal Officers of the Equal
Opportunities Commission, Commission for Racial
Equality and the Disability Rights Commission, on the
General and Specific Duties for the Race, Disability and
Gender Duties. The Policy Officers of the Commissions
led delegates in discussions on case studies and the
practical application of the Duties. The Close the Gap
project provided invaluable input into the Conference,
presenting on its guidance on meeting the equal pay
requirements of the Gender Duty. The afternoon of
Conference incorporated a presentation from Rosemarie
McIlwhan on the role and activity of the incoming
Commission for Equality and Human Rights.
In early 2008, the General Council agreed to work with
the Runnymede Trust to enable them to facilitate antidiscrimination
training at the STUC Centre for trade
unionists and members of non-governmental
organisations. The two day seminar is planned for 8–9
April 2008.
The General Council submitted a response to the UK
Government’s Consultation on the Discrimination Law
Green Paper in September 2007, expressing concerns at
the current proposals and our desire to see a
harmonising up of equality laws. A response was also
submitted to the Office of the Commissioner for Public
Appointments in Scotland on its Equality and Diversity
Strategy in March 2008. The Secretariat has participated
in meetings of the reconvened Cross Party Group on
Human Rights & Civil Liberties.
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE NEW EQUALITY
AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
The STUC has participated in a number Scottish events,
assisting to shape the Equality and Human Rights
Commission. The General Council was pleased to
welcome Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Commission, to its
Annual Congress in 2007, and has engaged with the
Scotland Commissioner, Morag Alexander, since her
appointment last Spring. The Secretariat has held a
number of meetings with officials of the EHRC, including
a meeting with the Scotland Director, Ros Micklem, to
articulate issues for trade unions. The General Council
participated in an EHRC stakeholder event in February
2008, which gave the STUC an opportunity to input into
the development of the Commission’s strategy and
priorities, and in its Single Equality Scheme.
SOLIDARITY WITH ASYLUM SEEKERS
AND REFUGEES
The General Council continues to monitor asylum and
immigration policy, and work with organisations
providing support and solidarity to asylum seekers,
including the Scottish Refugee Council, Positive Action in
Housing and New Roots Scotland. The STUC was
particularly pleased to welcome the Independent Asylum
Commission to Scotland on 5 June 2007, where UNISON
and EIS members gave evidence. The Secretariat
welcomed all participants to the STUC during a special
Asylum Commission Roadshow event which followed the
official proceedings. The STUC gave a written submission
to the Independent Asylum Commission in November
2007.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

LIAISON WITH FAITH COMMUNITIES
The General Council was pleased to welcome Morag
Mylne, Convener of the Church of Scotland’s Church and
Society Council, to its Strategy Meeting in June 2007,
where informative discussion was had on a range of
issues.
Regular liaison continues to take place between the
General Council and the Scottish Council of Jewish
Communities (SCJC). The STUC hosted a meeting on 29
January 2008, where a number of issues, including anti
Semitic incidents and the situation in the Middle East,
were discussed. It is hoped to arrange a further meeting
following Congress, which can focus on issues for Jewish
workers in Scotland.
The Secretariat continues to liaise with representatives of
the Muslim Council of Scotland, and the General
Secretary addressed a Muslim Council of Scotland
Conference “Weaving the Tartan” in East Renfrewshire in
August 2007. Osama Saeed of the Muslim Council of
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
Scotland held useful discussions with the Black Workers’
Network in March 2008.
JUSTICE AND PEACE
The General Council has an ongoing liaison with the
peace movement in Scotland, working with Scottish CND,
Scotland’s for Peace and Stop the War Coalition. The
STUC has been securing signatures to the Scotland’s For
Peace “Peace Covenant” book which pledges that: “We
desire that Scotland should be known for its contribution
to peace and justice rather than waging war”. The
General Council would urge all delegates to Congress to
sign up to the Peace Covenant.
STUC President, Phil McGarry, addressed the Scotland’s
for Peace Demonstration in Edinburgh on 3 November
2007, and the STUC supported the 15 March 2008
“World Against War” demonstration in Glasgow, which
marked the fifth anniversary of the illegal invasion of Iraq.
Linda Shanahan addressed participants of the rally in
Glasgow Green on behalf of the General Council.
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Chapter Eight
Health and Safety
Over the past year, the General Council has remained
committed to protecting Scottish workers form workplace
injury and ill health. We continue to work with the
Scottish and Westminster Governments, the TUC and the
HSE to promote health and safety in Scottish wokplaces.
The STUC continues to be grateful for the help and
support from Thompsons Solicitors, particularly the
invaluable assistance given to the Campaign for a Public
Inquiry into the ICL/Stockline disaster in which 9 workers
died.
The key areas of activity that the General Council has
been pursuing include:
CORPORATE HOMICIDE
The General Council continues to believe that the
offence of culpable homicide needs to be reviewed, to
ensure that it applies equally across the whole of
Scottish society, irrespective of where the act of
homicide occurs. Currently, not one individual director
in Scotland has been charged, let alone prosecuted,
following a workplace death. Although the situation is
little better in England and Wales, there have been
successful prosecutions with terms of imprisonment
imposed, sending a strong deterrent message to other
employers.
The STUC does not believe that the new offence of
Culpable Homicide, to be brought into effect on the 6th
April, will have any significant impact of the levels of
work related death in Scotland. The Scottish Government
wishes to review the implementation of the new
legislation before committing to Scottish specific
legislation. The General Council is concerned that, in the
meantime, Scottish workers will continue to lose their
lives and those responsible will continue to be protected
behind the corporate identity, with little hope of justice
for bereaved families.
The STUC continues to work with Karen Gillon MSP, with
a view to supporting reintroducing her proposals for a
Private Member’s Bill to review the law of Culpable
Homicide.
The General Council is also aware that the Scottish
Government intends to introduce a Criminal Justice Bill
later this year and opportunities exist to lobby
Government to have a review of Culpable Homicide
legislation included.
CIVIL JUSTICE
The General Council has actively fought proposals by the
last Scottish Executive, and now the current Scottish
Government, to make any legislative changes that deny
trade unions access to justice. It is becoming clear that
there is an attack on our civil justice system, currently
based on the rights of the individual, and rightly so, to
one where monetary value of any claim dictates where or
whether an individual can access the justice system. In
addition, there have been moves by both administrations
to move towards full cost recovery of court fees for those
wishing to take claims. The General Council feels that this
amounts to privatisation of the justice system, whereby
litigants can only proceed with cases, if they can meet
these fees, including payments for the judiciary time as
the case proceeds.
Shortly before the last elections, Lord Gill was appointed
to carry out a review of the Civil Justice system. His report
failed to recognise the role of trade unions as a major
user of the Courts in securing justice and reparation for
members, mentioning trade unions only once, albeit
erroneously.
The General Council, with the support of Thompsons,
organised a Conference “Civil Injustice in Scotland”, to
examine Lord Gill’s report, its effect on personal injury
claims and the implications for the trade union
movement. It was evident from those attending that the
piecemeal approach to civil justice reform will also
impact on the most vulnerable in society as a result of the
increase in the small claims limit to £3000. As an
example, individuals with housing dispute cases, such as
dampness, will no longer be entitled to legal aid to fight
their cases.
Given the wide range of organisations and individuals that
may be affected by changes, it was proposed that a
campaign be launched involving other interested parties,
such as asbestos groups and community law centres.
DIRECTOR’S DUTIES
On 29 October the Health and Safety Commission
launched new guidance on duties of individual directors
to protect the health, safety and welfare of their
employees. The STUC are concerned that this guidance
entitled “Leading Health and Safety at Work”, described
as being written by directors for directors, will be largely
ignored, especially by irresponsible employers.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

The position of the STUC is that there is an urgent
requirement for legislation to place legal duties on
directors and this guidance is a distraction from this
reality. There is a commitment by the new Chair of the
Health and Safety Commission, Judith Hackitt, to review
this guidance in the future but, in the meantime, health
and safety failures will continue, injuries will continue
and only responsible employers will follow this guidance.
ICL STOCKLINE SUPPORT GROUP
The past twelve months have witnessed significant
milestones for the families and survivors affected by the
tragedy at the ICL/Stockline factory in Maryhill on 11 May
2004. The General Council has continued to provide
support for bereaved families in their quest for answers,
many of which remain unanswered, despite conclusion of
the court proceedings. On 28 August, two companies, ICL
Plastics Limited and ICL Tech Limited, were fined
£400,000 each after pleading guilty to health and safety
offences.
The STUC co-ordinated media activity and supported the
families during the hearing and following press
conferences. There was substantial and positive coverage,
including support for the calls for a Public Inquiry.
Working with the local MP and MSP, Ann McKechin and
Patricia Ferguson, together with Thompsons, the STUC
arranged a serious of meetings with Ministers in both
Governments, in addition to the Lord Advocate, to press
for a Public Inquiry.
Family members met Peter Hain MP, then Secretary of
State for Work and Pensions; Alex Salmond MP/MSP, First
Minister; and Des Browne MP, Secretary of State for
Scotland, and, as a result, on 1 October 2007, it was
announced that there would be a Public Inquiry into the
disaster.
Lord Gill, the Lord Justice Clerk, has been appointed
Chair of the Inquiry and the remit is identical to the areas
agreed upon by the families at the meeting with Peter
Hain MP, ie:
● to inquire into the circumstances leading up to the
incident on 11 May 2004 at the premises occupied
by the ICL group of companies, Grovepark Mills,
Maryhill, Glasgow;
● to consider the safety and related issues arising from
such an Inquiry, including the regulation of the
activities at Grovepark Mills;
● to make recommendations in the light of the lessons
identified from the causation and circumstances
leading up to the incident; and
● to report as soon as practicable.
This is the first Inquiry of its kind to be held across
reserved and devolved powers, and is a mark of the
strength and resilience of the families of those killed and
represented in the support group, facilitated by the STUC,
that this has been achieved.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
At the time of writing, the venue and date for the Inquiry
to commence have still to confirmed, however, a further
preliminary hearing is planned for 8 April. The families
have acknowledged the support they have received from
the General Council, Thompsons, Ann McKechin MP and
Patricia Ferguson MSP and the local politicians, and this
will continue until the Inquiry has reported its findings.
FAMILIES AGAINST
CORPORATE KILLERS (FACK)
The STUC facilitated a joint lobby with FACK and MSPs as
part of Trade Union Week in the Parliament. The lobby
was attended by 20 MSPs and the families sent a powerful
message to the politicians as to why change was
necessary.
Currently, at the time of writing, FACK members are
involved with a health and safety prosecution due to be
heard in Dundee Sheriff Court in March, a Fatal Accident
Inquiry to be heard in Glasgow Sheriff Court at the same
time, and the ICL/Stockline Public Inquiry later this year.
The STUC feels that it is unacceptable that bereaved
families have to wait three years, four in the case of those
killed in Maryhill, to get answers. The General Council
will be giving further consideration as to how we address
this issue in the context of the recently announced review
of Fatal Accident Inquiries and their effectiveness.
STUC HEALTH AND SAFETY FORUM
The purpose of the Health and Safety Forum is to inform
the General Council on health and safety matters and
provide an opportunity for affiliates to highlight issues
and campaigns within their own organisations.
At the General Council meeting in March, it was agreed
that affiliates be consulted on Health and Safety in the
context of the Scottish Government’s National
Conversation. At the time of writing, this consultation
process has just been launched and the findings will be
reported to the General Council at a future date.
Issues, such as the future of health and safety in Scotland,
the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, STUC
involvement in the Partnership for Health and Safety in
Scotland, and the Scottish Health and Safety Action Plan
are all issues for discussion by the Forum. It is intended
in the coming months to increase the profile of the body
and increase the involvement of the Forum in setting our
health and safety agenda.
STUC HEALTH AND SAFETY AWARD
As reported in the Congress programme, the STUC is, for
the first year, presenting an award for health and safety as
part of the STUC Union Rep Awards. There are joint
recipients of the inaugural award, Bob Dow and Cyril
Clements, EIS members from St Margaret Mary’s
Secondary School and Drumchapel High School
respectively.
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The General Council would like to thank Thompsons
Solicitors for supporting this award, which will be
presented annually at Congress.
PARTNERSHIP FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY
IN SCOTLAND (PHASS)
The General Secretary continues to be represented on
PHASS by Linda Shanahan, FBU; Harry Frew, UCATT
Scottish Regional Secretary; and Ian Tasker, STUC
Assistant Secretary.
The purpose of PHASS is to bring key stakeholders
together to identify priorities for Scotland in relation to
current Health and Safety Commission priorities and
strategies. In addition to the trade union movement,
stakeholders include public and private sector employers,
health and safety professionals, the HSE, local authority
enforcement representatives, the Scottish Government and
the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives. At the
suggestion of the STUC, Scottish Hazards Campaign Group
and the SCVO were invited to participate in the work of
the committee.
During the year, Danny Carrigan, former Assistant General
Secretary of Unite and a Health and Safety Commissioner,
was appointed Chair of PHASS.
Further information on the work of PHASS can be found
on the HSE website http://www.hse.gov.uk/scotland/ .
SCOTTISH HEALTH AND SAFETY
ACTION PLAN
The STUC reached agreement with the last administration
on a package of non-legislative measures that could be
taken to improve health and safety in Scotland, while
giving cognisance to the reserved nature of health and
safety legislation. Following discussion with other
stakeholders, the Scottish Health and Safety action plan
was presented to the General Council, who agreed to
support the initiative.
Some of the specific areas of work we have been involved
in connected with the action plan are:
● Safety Development Advisers – developing workers
involvement in small and medium sized enterprises
and voluntary sector organisations, based on the
model of the HSE funded Worker Safety Adviser
project hosted by the STUC in 2005. Martin Gaughan
and John Keenan were appointed as Safety
Development Advisers and have sought to engage
with employers in both sectors. The role of the SDA
is to encourage dialogue between workers and
employers on all health and safety matters and
develop consultation processes suitable for small
and medium enterprises. Online basic health and
safety training is also provided for managers,
workers and service users and this is, once again,
proving popular to participants.
● Occupational Road Risk – the STUC is currently
considering opportunities to carry out work in this
area as part of the action plan. Figures suggest that
up to 100 Scottish workers may lose their lives as a
result of work-related road traffic accidents every
year, over and above other work-related fatalities. It
is planned to have further discussions with affiliates
before considering specific activity in this area. One
suggestion has been for the STUC to participate in an
Occupational Road Safety Alliance, under the
auspices of the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working
Lives, and this proposal will be considered in the
coming months.
● Scottish Health and Safety Campaign – this year’s
Congress will see the launch of the first Scottish
Health and Safety Campaign and, as part of the
action plan, a number of events are planned for the
four weeks after Congress. A number of seminars on
occupational health and safety, hosted by the Scottish
Council for Development of Industry, have been
arranged around the country as part of this
campaign.
SCOTTISH CENTRE FOR HEALTHY
WORKING LIVES
The STUC continues to develop a positive working
relationship with the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working
Lives. In addition to the two Safety Development Advisers
mentioned, Linda Shanahan, a General Council member
from the FBU, was seconded to the SCHWL during the
year. Linda has been on secondment since 2004, initially
to the Justice Department of the last Scottish Executive, to
take forward the non-legislative measures to protect
workers serving the public from physical and verbal
abuse.
This has been a significant piece of work, supported by
and developed in conjunction with the last
administration, and specific initiatives completed this year
include:
● the transfer of the work to the SCHWL, with a view to
the successes achieved so far being developed into
the core activity of the centre, and a full-time
resource being allocated to take this work forward;
● in conjunction with the Student Loan Company,
developing a CD-Rom based tool kit to assist
employers set up systems to protect staff from verbal
and physical abuse. Although primarily aimed at
phone rage, much of the material is adaptable to
deal with all forms of abuse. To-date, copies of the
package have been provided to PCS for Job Centre
Plus call centres, and Unite: Amicus Section for
HBOS and Norwich Union;
● making materials available to affiliates to be adapted
to meet their own campaign. Community developed
the campaigns existing material to use as part of
their parliamentary lobby to protect workers in the
betting industry; and
● a number of high profile awareness raising events,
including a four page feature in the Metro
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

newspaper to coincide with a conference organised
by Public Sector Partnership. Rail passengers
passing through Glasgow Central, Queen Street and
Edinburgh Waverley Stations were shown an advert
on large screens, relaying a strong message that
violence against public service workers is
unacceptable. This has subsequently been used by
Strathclyde Police.
In the future, we will be looking to develop other work in
this area, identifying best practice and organisations
willing to allow their own materials to be shared, using
the work carried out with the Student Loan Company as
an example.
The STUC continues to be represented on the SCHWL
National Advisory and Advocacy Group and the
Partnership Implementation Group, and plan to develop
other key areas of activity with the SCHWL in the coming
months.
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
CALL FOR EVIDENCE – HEALTH, WORK
AND WELLBEING
The General Council responded to the Call for Evidence
launched by Dame Carol Black, National Director for
Health and Work, in addition to being represented at
round table discussions in November. The STUC position
was made clear in the discussion and reiterated in our
written response to the Call for Evidence. We believe that
occupational ill health should remain the responsibility of
the employer, with comprehensive treatment and
rehabilitation services being developed and delivered by
the National Health Service.
At the time of writing, the findings of the jointly
sponsored Department of Health and Department of Work
and Pensions review are imminent. Although this work is
being carried out by two Westminster departments, the
Scottish Government will consider the findings as will the
General Council.
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Chapter Nine
International
The General Council’s work on international issues aims
to provide solidarity and support to trade unionists and
workers across the world, focussing particularly on those
facing attacks on their human rights. The General Council
regularly liaises with Scottish-based, non-governmental
organisations, and relevant Embassies and Consuls in
Scotland and the UK, to support their work and make
appropriate interventions. This year’s work has been
informed by last year’s Congress resolutions, on fair trade
matters, and on the situation in Palestine, and further
links are being developed with the Malawi Congress of
Trades Unions.
PROVIDING SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT
TO TRADE UNIONISTS AND WORKERS
ACROSS THE WORLD
Whilst pursuing specific activities to provide support to
Malawian trade unions and the Palestinian people, the
General Council has been involved in a range of initiatives
to support trade unionists and workers across the globe.
The General Council continues to keep a watching brief
on the TUC’s Iraq Solidarity Committee, and to show
solidarity to the Zimbabwean Congress of Trades Unions,
welcoming Lucia Matibenga, Vice President of the ZCTU,
to Congress in 2007. The Secretariat continues to keep in
touch with Burmalink UK, and sent a message of support
to a Burma vigil held in Edinburgh in October 2007. The
STUC responded to the Scottish Government’s
consultation on International Development Policy in
October 2007, and participated in a roundtable
discussion on the policy in March 2008.
The General Council was pleased to host delegations from
the Venezuelan Bolivarian Workers’ Force and Cuba’s CTC
to Congress in April 2007. These Latin American links
were further developed when the STUC welcomed the
Venezuelan Ambassador, Dr Samuel Moncada, to Glasgow
in February 2008, and engaged in a fascinating and
productive discussion on Venezuela. Following this
meeting, the General Council made representations to the
UK Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw MP, on the
validity of an English Court ruling against the Venezuelan
state oil firm, PDVSA, in favour of the US multinational oil
company Exxon Mobil.
The STUC has also signed up to a Venezuelan Information
Centre statement in support of the right of Venezuela to
decide to use its oil and natural resources to redistribute
wealth to its people, rather than in the interests of
multinational companies.
In July 2007, Banana Link representative, Anna Cooper,
addressed Youth Conference, and the STUC supported a
Banana Link application to DFID, with a view to
developing our engagement with the organisation that
supports Latin American banana workers. Working with
the Scottish Cuba Solidarity Campaign, the General
Council is assisting in the hosting of a Latin America
seminar at the STUC on Friday 4 April 2008. The seminar
will hear speakers from Venezuela and Cuba, and will
help develop new opportunities for solidarity between
Scottish trade unionists, and workers and unions in Latin
America.
SUPPORTING PALESTINE AND
WORKING FOR PEACE
Representations have been made to the UK Government
and to Officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
on policy positions agreed at Congress 2007, underlining
the STUC’s long held commitment to the States of
Palestine and Israel co-existing peacefully.
The General Council has begun a process to consider the
call made at last year’s Congress to explore the issue of
boycott, disinvestments and sanctions (BDS) against
Israel. The aims of the BDS call would be to get the State
of Israel to change its policies towards Palestine and
uphold international human rights; and to express
solidarity with the Palestinian people. The General
Council is very clear that this work is being pursued,
because of frustration at the failure of the international
community to address the Israeli-Palestine situation, and
because of the Israeli State’s treatment of Palestinian
people. The General Council is clear that its problem is
with the Israeli State. The General Council is not in
dispute with Jewish people, and is building on positive
alliances with Jewish communities living in Scotland.
Boycott, disinvestment and sanctions is a complex matter,
and involves a number of steps, including verifying the
authenticity of the Palestine General Federation of Trade
Unions BDS call; seeking the views of affiliates and other
interested stakeholders; and gathering information on the
effectiveness and potential impact, particularly
establishing if pursuing BDS could achieve the established
aims. Information on BDS has been provided to affiliates,
and affiliates in turn have been encouraged to debate the
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

matter within their own networks, and to forward any
agreed policy positions to the STUC.
To-date, four affiliates have provided policy positions,
including two of our larger affiliates. Three of those
affiliates, expressing views at the time of writing, have
policy positions that recognise that to get Israel to change
its policies towards Palestine, and end its occupation of
Palestine territories, concerted pressure must be applied
to Israel which includes some aspects of BDS. Another
affiliate at UK level has sought advice on the legality of it,
calling for a boycott of Israeli universities and academic
institutions, concluding that to call for such a boycott
goes beyond the union’s powers.
The General Council has held discussions on BDS with a
range of different organisations, including the Scottish
Friends of Palestine, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign,
Trade Union Friends of Israel and the Scottish Council of
Jewish Communities. All of these discussions have been
very helpful in shaping our thinking. The Scottish Council
of Jewish Communities raised serious concerns of rising
anti-Semitism, and is concerned that the STUC discussion
on BDS has the potential to fuel anti-Semitism. This is an
issue the General Council takes very seriously, and wishes
to underline that the matter is under consideration as a
result of the actions of the Israeli State, and is in no way
connected with the wider Jewish community. The General
Council will continue its liaison with the Scottish Council
of Jewish Communities on this matter, and do what it can
to allay its concerns.
General Council representatives discussed the issue of
Palestine with colleagues form the TUC, the Wales TUC
and the Irish Congress of Trades Unions (ICTU) at the
2007 Trade Union Council of the Isles meeting in Dublin
in November, and received a report of an ICTU delegation
to Palestine and Israel.
It is hoped to be able to facilitate an STUC delegation to
Palestine later in 2008, to enable Scottish trade unionists
to see the situation in Palestine and Israel, and to meet
with representatives of the PGFTU and the Histadrut. The
General Council is also aware of a planned Scottish
interfaith delegation to the region, and hopes also to gain
any views and information from this delegation. A further
report on this serious issue will be presented to Congress
2009, where it is hoped that conclusions can be reached.
DEVELOPING LINKS WITH THE MALAWIAN
CONGRESS OF TRADES UNION
In May 2007, the Secretariat met with officials of the then
Scottish Executive’s Scotland-Malawi Development Team.
The change in administration has meant that the STUC
has not been able to pursue the Scottish Government
funding route as yet, but the Secretariat continues to keep
in touch with officials on this matter.
In June 2007, the Secretariat welcomed Malawian
student, Sophie Mwanza, to Glasgow, who provided useful
briefing on Malawi and its trade union structures. The
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
General Council has since been successful in putting
together a bid to the TUC/DFID small grants scheme, to
secure funding to cover the transport costs of two
delegates from the Malawian Congress of Trades Unions
to attend Congress 2008. The visit will facilitate
discussions on how the STUC can build further links and
provide development support to the Malawian Congress
of Trade Unions. It will also provide for exchanges of
information between Scottish and Malawian trade
unionists, and visits to Scottish workplaces. The General
Secretary of the MCTU, Austin Kilimanjira, and Denis
Kalekeni, General Secretary of the Malawian Teachers’
Union, are both due to travel to Scotland.
SUPPORTING SCOTTISH NGOS
IN THEIR WORK TO FIGHT POVERTY
AND INJUSTICE
The General Council continues to support a number of
Scottish-based, non-governmental organisations in their
work to provide solidarity to people in other parts of the
world. Liz Elkind and Anne Douglas represent the General
Council on the ACTSA Scotland Committee, and the
General Council continues to liaise closely with ACTSA.
Delegates to Congress 2007 showed practical solidarity to
the people of Southern Africa through the book and 10p
collection initiative, and a lorry laden with books
departed for South Africa from last year’s Congress. It is
intended that the opportunity will be taken at the 2008
Congress to mark Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday, and
the General Council is liaising with ACTSA in this regard.
The General Council has worked with Amnesty
International on international trafficking issues, as
reported in the Equality and Social Justice Section of the
report, and with Oxfam on the Scottish Fair Trade Forum.
SUPPORTING THE FAIR
TRADE MOVEMENT
In September 2007, the General Council agreed to
become involved in the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. The
Secretariat and Unite T&G’s, Peter Welsh, have
participated in the Forum’s working group and activity,
continually emphasising the importance of decent labour
standards as central to Fair Trade. The Secretariat
participated in the Scottish Fair Trade Forum’s launch at
the Scottish Parliament in October 2007, and also
attended its first AGM at Glasgow City Chambers in
February 2008. Issues raised on Fair Trade and on the
Maritime Labour Convention 2006 were articulated to the
UK Government following Congress 2007.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION ISSUES
The STUC continues to develop relationships with trade
union centres at sub state levels. Young trade unionists
from Catalonia’s UGT were welcomed to STUC Youth
Conference at the end of June 2007, building on good
relations between the Youth Committee and UGT. The
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STUC assisted in welcoming representatives of trade
union centre, LO Sweden, to Scotland in October 2007,
facilitating meetings for them on economic and industrial
policy, public services and education and skills. The
session on education and skills was facilitated by John
Park MSP in the Scottish Parliament. A workplace visit, a
tour of the Scottish Parliament and meetings with
Parliamentarians were also arranged.
The General Council is looking forward to welcoming its
neighbouring trade union centre, LO Norway, to Congress
in April.
A productive meeting was held in November 2007
between the Secretariat and the Russian Consul, enabling
a useful change of views on Scottish and international
political and economic issues.
A lively meeting on the European Union Reform Treaty
(Lisbon Treaty) in February 2008 saw the General
Secretary of the European Trades Union Confederation,
John Monks, give the ETUC view of the new Lisbon Treaty.
The Conference also discussed the merits of a UK
referendum on the Treaty’s ratification, and discussed the
implications of the European Court of Justice Viking and
Laval rulings. Chaired by current STUC President, Phil
McGarry, the Conference was also addressed by Scottish
Euro MP, David Martin; Westminster MP, Ian Davidson;
the GMB’s European Officer, Kathleen Walker-Shaw; and
Richard Arthur of Thompsons Solicitors.
The General Council has continued to engage with
Scotland Europa on a range of European issues, details of
which are covered elsewhere in the report.
The General Council has continued to make
representations to the UK Government on its opposition to
the continued presence of British troops in Iraq, and its
opposition to any military action in Iran.
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Appendix
General Council Meetings
General Council Member Possible Attendance Actual Attendance
Phil McGarry 11 10
Fiona Farmer 11 11
Matt Smith 11 8
Elspeth Bettany 11 6
David Bleiman 11 6
Mike Brider 11 2
Helen Connor 11 2
Georgia Cruickshank 11 5
Jackson Cullinane 11 10
Harry Donaldson 11 7
Anne Douglas 11 8
Jenny Duncan 11 9
Joy Dunn 11 8
Liz Elkind 11 9
Margaret Fleming 11 6
Pauline Frazer 11 6
Harry Frew 11 11
John Keenan 11 11
Martin Keenan 11 9
Mike Kirby 11 4
Jim Lennox 11 3
June Minnery 11 4
Katrina Murray 11 7
Satnam Ner 11 6
Jimmy O’Rourke 11 5
John Quigley 11 8
Eddie Reilly 11 7
Hugh Scullion 11 10
Linda Shanahan 11 8
Drew Smith 11 7
Fiona Smith 11 6
Ronnie Smith 11 6
Agnes Tolmie 11 8
Marie Vannet 11 3
Lawrence Wason 11 9
Ken Wimbor 11 9
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
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Appendix
Contact the STUC
STUC staff can be contacted by e-mail at the undernoted addresses.
STUC STAFF
Grahame Smith, General Secretary gsmith@stuc.org.uk
Dave Moxham, Deputy General Secretary dmoxham@stuc.org.uk
Margaret A Reid, Head of Administration mreid@stuc.org.uk
Stephen Boyd, Assistant Secretary sboyd@stuc.org.uk
Ann Henderson, Assistant Secretary ahenderson@stuc.org.uk
Mary Senior, Assistant Secretary msenior@stuc.org.uk
Ian Tasker, Assistant Secretary itasker@stuc.org.uk
John Adams, Finance Officer jadams@stuc.org.uk
Graham Westwater, Finance Administrator gwestwater@stuc.org.uk
Kevin Buchanan, Research Assistant kbuchanan@stuc.org.uk
Liz Ferguson, Secretary to the General Secretary lferguson@stuc.org.uk
Sandra Walker, Facilities & Conference Centre Administrator swalker@stuc.org.uk
Helen Carson, Administrative Assistant hcarson@stuc.org.uk
Suzanne Eden, Administrative Assistant seden@stuc.org.uk
Ann Garscadden, Administrative Assistant agarscadden@stuc.org.uk
Shona Roberts, Administrative Assistant sroberts@stuc.org.uk
Pauline Walker, Administrative Assistant pwalker@stuc.org.uk
Lorraine Sanderson, Central Office Assistant lsanderson@stuc.org.uk
Emma Ritch, Project Manager, Close the Gap eritch@stuc.org.uk
Anna Ritchie, Development Officer, Close the Gap aritchie@stuc.org.uk
Shona Roberts, Administrative Assistant, Close the Gap sroberts@stuc.org.uk
Zaffir Hakim, Development Officer, One Workplace Equal Rights zhakim@stuc.org.uk
Liza Greig, Administrative Assistant, One Workplace Equal Rights lgreig@stuc.org.uk
Doreen Kean, Administrator, Scottish Pensioners Forum dkean@stuc.org.uk
Terry Anderson, Community/Union Development Officer tanderson@stuc.org.uk
Martin Gaughan, Worker Safety Adviser mgaughan@stuc.org.uk
John Keenan, Worker Safety Adviser jkeenan@stuc.org.uk
Sylvia O’Grady, Manager, Skills & Lifelong Learning Team so’grady@stuc.org.uk
John Slaven, Development Officer, Skills & Lifelong Learning Team jslaven@stuc.org.uk
Pamela Urquhart, Development Officer, Highlands & Islands Skills and Lifelong Learning Team purquhart@stuc.org.uk
Thomas Walker, Development Officer, Skills & Lifelong Learning Team twalker@stuc.org.uk
Wendy Burton, Development Officer – Everyday Skills, Skills & Lifelong Learning Team wburton@stuc.org.uk
Jennifer Payne, Marketing Officer, Skills & Lifelong Learning Team jpayne@stuc.org.uk
Victoria King, Administrative Assistant, Highlands & Islands Skills & Lifelong Learning Team vking@stuc.org.uk
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Appendix
STUC Affiliations 2007/2008
The following Trades Unions 39 and Trades Union Councils 20 have affiliated to the Scottish Trades Union Congress for the
year 2007/08. The total affiliated membership is 633,462.
SECTION A
Members % women members
Accord 3,502 75.20
Amicus 110,828 –
Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen 1,501 1.47
Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union 417 –
British Airline Pilots’ Association 664
Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union 1,863 40.10
Colliery Officials and Staff Area: NUM 36 8.30
Community 3,017 –
Equity 1,563 48.18
GMB 60,000 45.15
Musicians Union 2,109 26.00
National Union of Journalists 3,184 33.00
National Union of Mineworkers: Scotland Area 501 –
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers 7,513 12.00
Nautilus UK 2,103 0.02
Scottish Society of Playwrights 55 33.00
Transport and General Workers’ Union 60,000 28.38
Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association 2,746 30.00
Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers 36,036 59.00
United Road Transport Union 885 3.73
SECTION B
British Dietetic Association 742 97.84
British and Irish Orthoptic Society 85 99.00
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy 2,532 89.90
Community and District Nursing Association 662 –
Connect 987 23.30
Communication Workers Union 20,037 20.50
Educational Institute of Scotland 58,829 75.40
FDA 1,255 43.00
Fire Brigades Union 6,140 6.07
National Association of Schoolmasters / Union of Women Teachers 3,373 –
Prison Officers Association (Scotland) 2,776 14.00
Prospect 10,902 21.51
Public and Commercial Services Union 35,350 61.32
Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association 7,976 61.00
Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists 1,043 –
Society of Radiographers 2,583 88.80
Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians 18,000 –
Unison 155,000 71.00
University and College Union 6,667 39.00
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
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70
SECTION SEVEN – TRADES UNION COUNCILS
Aberdeen
*Clackmannanshire
Clydebank
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
Dumbarton
Dumfries and District
Dundee
Dunfermline and Cowdenbeath
* to be confirmed
*East Dunbartonshire
Edinburgh
Falkirk
Glasgow
Greenock and District
Inverness
Irvine and North Ayrshire
Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Kirkcaldy & District
Midlothian
Moray
North Lanarkshire
Paisley
South Lanarkshire and East Kilbride
Thurso and Wick
West Lothian
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Appendix
Obituary
Graham Arbuckle RMT
John Cameron CWU
Frank Cochrane RMT
Betty Condie North Lanarkshire TUC
Thomas Coulter NUM: Scotland Area
Alec Craigie Dundee TUC (NLBD)
Ronnie Culbert RMT
John Gallacher Aberdeen TUC
Mary Harrison GMB
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
Eddie Kelly UCATT
James Lamond Aberdeen TUC
Tom McCondochie RMT
Robert McGregor GMB
Lawrie McMenamy CWU
George Montgomery NUM: Scotland Area
David Murray UCATT
Bill Morrice Aberdeen TUC
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72
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 HELD
1916 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 Thomas Scollan (Glasgow TUC)
1935 Thomas 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))
SCOTTISH TRADES UNION CONGRESS

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)
GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT 2008
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)
73