Save the Charlie Reid Centre

#stuc14 The STUC congratulated the Save the Charile Reid Centre campaign and will call upon Glasgow City Council to continue its block funding for the centre.

The centre, which provides services to over 500 people who have experienced mental health difficulties, has temporarily been reprieved from closurebut the campaign needs to go on.

STUC slams police control centre cuts

#stuc14 In almost the last throw of the dice on Wednesday afternoon, Congress backed an emergency motion from the Aberdeen Trade Union Council, condemning Police Scotland’s decision to close the Control Centres at Aberdeen, Dumfries, Stirling and Glenrothes, without consultation and with the loss of over 450 jobs. The STUC General Council will formally express its concern to Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

UNISON warns that women may not be receiving the proper maternity pay

#stuc14 Congress backed moves to better inform women about their maternity rights amidst concerns that many women returning from maternity leave feel discriminated against by employers and colleagues.

The STUC Women’s Committee will also press the NHS to give women information on their employment rights at their first ante natal appointment, and will work with the STUC Unions into Schools team to improve awareness of maternity rights amongst young people.

STUC continues to push for answers on referendum issues

#stuc14 As the independence referendum approaches, the STUC today pledged to continue to push politicians for answers on key issues for the trade union movement.

The STUC will publish a new and accessible 'A Just Scotland' paper after the summer on progress on these key demands.

UNISON and STUC tackling Israeli apartheid

#stuc14 UNISON’s Sam Macartney spoke on the motion on solidarity with the Palestinian People. Sam drew on UNISON’s experience of hosting Palestinian footballer Mahood Sarack Mahood, who comes from the Occupied Territories had been arrested and interned for the ‘crime’ of trying to visit his family without the permission of the Israeli army.

Mandela Day in Glasgow will celebrate Madiba’s unique achievements

#stuc14 The STUC will celebrate Nelson Mandela’s “unsurpassable contribution to the causes of freedom, liberation and anti-racism” by working with ACTSA, Glasgow City Council, and the STUC Black Members’ Committee to celebrate Mandela Day and to enhance the celebrations to reflect Madiba’s unique achievements and inspiration.

Supporting, UNISON’s Paul Gupta told delegates that one of the earliest of many honours and awards which Nelson Mandela received in his long life was from UNISON’s predecessor , NALGO, who gave him Honorary Life Membership of the union.

High standards of elderly care need well paid, well trained staff

#stuc14 Congress once again condemned short-term cost “saving” practices which undermine the care of older people in Scotland and the STUC will press the Scottish Government and the Labour Party to take action to end such practices.

UNISON’s amendment highlighted the need for a well paid, well trained and secure workforce to achieve high standards of care, and pointed to the important role of trade unions in improving staff confidence and the quality of care.

Lack of openness on police and fire VAT leaves taxpayers with £30 million burden

#stuc14 The FBU and UNISON highlighted that the creation of a centralised Police and Fire Service has meant the Scottish taxpayer footing a bill of approximately £30 million pounds through the loss of VAT exemption – a burden that is unnecessary and unfair and impacts dramatically on both community and emergency worker safety.

The STUC will now call on the Scottish Government to take this up with the Westminster Government.

Austerity is 'an attack on human decency' - Call for house build programme

#stuc14 Congress threw its weight behind a wide ranging Composite, spearheaded by UNISON, and pledged to campaign for more social homes, especially for young people, through lobbying politicians and working to ensure young people and tenants know their rights.

The STUC will also press the UK and Scottish Government to reverse cuts in public spending, create jobs, invest in affordable and social housing and regulate the private rented sector.

Scotland should use powers to create fairer council funding now

#stuc14 The Council Tax freeze is benefitting the richest by £1,500 while disabled people can be £3,000 worse off. "That needs fixed and it can be done in Scotland now - we have all the powers we need", UNISON's Stephen Smellie told the STUC congress.

The UNISON Scotland motion called for politicians of all parties to 'stop hiding from difficult decisions and sort out fair tax for local services'.

Bedroom tax: Stop this 'vicious, outrageous attack on the poorest'

#stuc14 Delegates condemned the bedroom tax as a “vicious, outrageous attack on the poorest” and called for it to be scrapped immediately.

Congress demanded that there should be no evictions as a result of the bedroom tax, and that Scottish law be enacted to underpin this position. It also called for a campaign across councils, politicians, the Scottish Government and tenants groups to demand back the £billions stolen by Westminster, and that Labour MPs take motions to parliament demanding a repeal of this “economically unjustified, socially destructive” measure.

Deliver affordable and flexible childcare now

#stuc14 The Scottish Government should deliver on its post referendum plans for more affordable childcare now, reform the market to upskill staff and improve their pay; and recognise that accessibility and flexibility are just as important as affordability to working women.

Backing the Community motion, UNISON's Carol Ball laid out the benefits of providing high quality, flexible and affordable childcare to children, families and the economy.

Fund the deficit by tackling tax avoiders not by attacking the welfare state

#stuc14 The STUC will step up its campaign against austerity, as delegates expressed their real anger about the impact of the cuts which has seen the biggest fall in living standards on record.

The STUC will organise a day of action for trade unions and community groups working for social justice; alongside co-ordination and support for unions taking industrial action. There was a passionate call for unions to participate in and affiliate to the People’s Assembly Against Austerity in Scotland and to campaign for tax justice at a time when uncollected tax and tax avoidance amounts to over £120 billion.

Rally against Dundee University job cuts 22 April

#stuc14 The STUC has thrown its weight behind a rally on 22 April against job cuts at Dundee University and is calling on the government to commit to no compulsory redunfancies in higher education.

Backing the motion, UNISON's Davena Rankin offered the full support of UNISON to UCU in fighting the proposed cuts at Dundee University.

Union learning – Making a difference to people’s lives

#stuc14 The First Minister, Alex Salmond, in his speech to Congress, answered delegates’ call and promised three year funding for union learning, to make sure that trade unions can continue to develop and provide workplace learning. Congress had earlier commended the “invaluable contribution” of workplace learning for both workers and the employers and called for improved funding as well as a three year funding cycle.

University review on diversity must be implemented

#stuc14 The STUC slammed the new Code of Governance from university chairs as a missed opportunity making very limited change, failing to address issues on senior managers’ pay, and failing to ensure representation on the governing bodies reflects the diversity of Scotland’s population.

This failure is due to a lack of proper consultation with staff, students and trade unions. Congress also re-iterated its opposition to undergraduate tuition fees, and rejects the rest of the UK tuition fees for students.

Face to face careers guidance critical to attainment

#stuc14 The STUC today warned the Scottish Government that the successful implementation of the Wood Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce depends on adequate resources to properly invest in the future skills of young people, to fully support the Modern Apprenticeship programme, and to engage with Scotland’s employers.

It will also call on the Scottish Government to endorse the STUC Youth Committee’s work to develop an industrial strategy for young people in Scotland, once the final report is available.

You've given us children's law - now give us the resources

#stuc14 The Scottish Government must provide the funding for the new 'named person' placed upon all childcare and child welfare professionals by the Children and Young People’s Act, the STUC was told.

The act will see the formalisation and statutory provision for “the named person”, a concept introduced but not legislated for in the Scottish Government’s framework Getting it Right for Every Child.

Taking profit out of energy would benefit us all

#stuc14 Shifting away from a profit driven big business model for energy supply could move us towards a system geared at efficient energy use rather than shareholder value – which would benefit all of us, and the planet, UNISON's Willie Docherty told the STUC.

He was backing a North Lanarkshire TUC motion calling for public ownership of the big six energy companies due to "successive governments' failure to control them."

Austerity 'a political choice, not an economic necessity'

#stuc14 Congress pledged to continue its high profile campaign against welfare cuts and austerity and will press the UK and Scottish governments to take steps to improve employment protections, including the abolition of employment tribunal fees, and an end to poverty pay.

UNISON’s Susan Kennedy condemned austerity as a “a political choice, not an economic necessity” as she supported a call from USDAW, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and Aberdeen TUC for a range of measures to tackle poverty and the cost of living crisis in Scotland.