General Council Meetings - The STUC

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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