STUC backs UNISON’s call for Fair Work, Equalities and Human Rights

#STUC2016 UNISON Scotland convener Lilian Macer won STUC Congress support for UNISON’s call for a campaign against the repeal of the Human Rights Act. See all STUC reports here

The motion condemned the UK Government for its many direct and indirect attacks on human rights, including the Trade Union Bill, the proposed repeal of the Human Rights Act and its failure to implement its equality and human rights obligations under EU and UN equality and human rights instruments.

Simple Minds called to campaign for world cup workers in Qatar

Date: Friday 18 December 2015 UNISON, Scotland’s biggest trade union, has written to the Scottish band Simple Minds asking they speak out for migrant workers rights in Qatar. UNISON supports the TUC Fair Play for Qatar campaign which is highlighting the poor working conditions of migrant workers who are building football stadiums and infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup. Simple Minds are booked to play a gig in Qatar on 29 January Simon Macfarlane, UNISON international committee spokesperson, said “Workers are being drafted in mainly from India, Nepal and Bangladesh and forced to live in squalid conditions, paid as little as 45 pence an hour and work in a very dangerous environment. Almost 1000 workers have died in Qatar building infrastructure for the world cup and if nothing changes the death toll could be as much as 4000 by the time the World Cup starts in 2022. Simple Minds have an excellent record in supporting Human Rights across the world. They were leading campaigners against South African apartheid. And songs like Belfast Child and Mandela Day are loved for their message as much as anything else. It would be great if they highlighted the plight of migrant workers in Qatar”  END Notes TUC Fair Play Qatar campaign https://www.tuc.org.uk/international-issues/countries/qatar Letter from UNISON Scotland international committee to Simple Minds is online here:http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/international/

United Nations takes issue with UK government on human rights, says UNISON

Friday 23 October 2015

UNISON media release, with Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS)

The Westminster Government faces a series of awkward human rights questions following action by the United Nations. The UN has directed the Government to address a 'list of issues' ranging from welfare cuts and reliance on food banks to blacklisting and the erosion of trade union rights.

Members of the Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS), which includes representation from UNISON Scotland, gave evidence at the UN earlier this month and those concerns will now be the subject of formal dialogue between Geneva and London.  

These developments coincide with the UN celebrating its 70th anniversary on 24th October 2015 and promoting minimum human rights standards that people across the world should enjoy.   The 'list of issues' which the UK needs to answer includes how the UK will enshrine all the rights contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

HRCS spokesperson, Carole Ewart said 
"The UK has agreed with the UN that we would enjoy a minimum set of economic, social and cultural rights.  As so many people know from everyday life, there is a huge gap between the rhetoric and the reality so we highlighted the increase in poverty resulting from the government's austerity measures and welfare reform, the demonistaion of human rights by politicians and the UK undermining international human rights standards by abolishing The Human Rights Act 1998.  Our government has promised the UN that it will progressively realise economic and social rights to the maximum extent of available resources but has failed to do so and the poorest are suffering."

Peter Hunter, UNISON Regional Manager  and HRCS member said
"The Trade Union Bill is a direct attack on trade unions and the services we provide to members. Scottish industrial relations are particularly harmonious and CoSLA and the Scottish Government are standing shoulder to shoulder with us against this union-bashing law. Trade unions are key human rights defenders and there is widespread criticism of the Bill on Human Rights grounds so the UN intervention couldn't come at a better time" 

Notes

The Human Rights Consortium Scotland is a network of over 150 civil society organisations and individuals in Scotland.

UNISON Scotland is the public services union and the largest union in Scotland

The delegation to the UN in Geneva on 14th October included UNISON Scotland, Unite the union, Close the Gap, Engender and Nourish Scotland.

The UN list of issues can be found athttp://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/
Download.aspx?symbolno=E%2fC.12%2fGBR%2fQ%2f6&Lang=en

Details of the UN 70th Anniversary http://www.un.org/un70/en

Support public water services as a human right for all on #WorldWaterDay @right2water

22March 2013

UNISON today marked World Water Day with a call for water to be a human right and not for sale.

The public services union used today, March 22, to urge support for a European Citizens Initiative (ECI) that states water and sanitation are essential public services for all.

UNISON is encouraging people in Scotland to sign the water ECI’s online petition demanding that the European Commission stops plans to liberalise water services.

Andy Nisbet, secretary of UNISON’s Scottish Water branch, said: “In Scotland we enjoy the benefits of Scottish Water being publicly owned, a policy which has very, very strong public support.

“Today on World Water Day I encourage everyone who believes water is a human right to sign the petition at right2water.eu .

“We are calling on the European Commission to legislate to implement the human right to water and sanitation as recognised by the United Nations, and promoting the provision of water and sanitation as essential public services for all citizens."

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis is a member of the organising committee of the ECI, which will be formally launched on 1^st April.

Andy added: "The ECI is a new form of European action created by the Lisbon treaty.  It provides an opportunity to get the European Commission to listen to citizen views rather than just lobbyists in Brussels.

“Our petition has been the first to gather more than the required one million signatures, to submit the proposals as draft laws. This is a phenomenal achievement.

“But we want to have as many names as possible to deliver the message that water should not be privatised.

"Adding your name to this petition really can make a difference and you will be part of the historic first ECI to be launched.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing 160,000 members working in the public sector in Scotland. As the largest trade union in the Scottish water industry, UNISON members are both providers and users of water in Scotland.

2. UNISON and the other UK public service unions are members of one of the ECI’s supporting organisations – the European Federation of Public Services Unions, and the whole union movement supports it through ETUC.  See ETUC news release.

3. The petition is at www.right2water.eu

4. The objectives are:

“ The EU legislation should require governments to ensure and to provide all citizens with sufficient and clean drinking water and sanitation.

We urge that:

1. The EU institutions and Member States be obliged to ensure that all inhabitants enjoy the right to water and sanitation.

2. Water supply and management of water resources not be subject to ‘internal market rules’ and that water services are excluded from liberalisation.

3. The EU increases its efforts to achieve universal access to water and sanitation."

5. The UN World Water Day website is www.unwater.org/water-cooperation-2013/events/world-water-day/en/

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Developing the Scottish Human Rights Agenda: Compliance, good practice and legal challenge

The Scottish Government is developing a distinctive track record in giving effect to human rights in Scotland and that approach takes place against a broader context of the need to comply with human rights law. The publication of ‘Do the right thing’, work on the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UK and the consultation on a proposed Children and Young People Bill which will ‘embed the rights of children and young people across the public sector in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)’ are examples of just some of the relevant policy developments which are currently unfolding.

In practical terms the need to comply with the detail and spirit of human rights will present a significant challenge for those organisations which do not understand how legislation and case law is driving change in policy, practice and service delivery.

To explore these issues there is a conference on Tue 5th Feb 2013 at The Carlton Hotel, Edinburgh. The conference is organised by MacKay Hannah and can be booked here.

Speakers

Roseanna Cunningham MSP

Minister for Community Safety & Legal Affairs, Scottish Government

Juliet Harris National Development Officer, Together

Tressa Burke Chief Executive, Glasgow Disability Alliance

Emma Gray Head of Policy and External Communications, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Dave Watson Head of Bargaining & Campaigns – UNISON Scotland

Professor Alan Miller Chair, Scottish Human Rights Commission

Diane McGiffen Chief Operating Officer, Audit Scotland

Tam Baillie Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People

BDS Campaign: Israeli Democracy and Human Rights

In an open letter to The Herald newspaper in Scotland, Mike Kirby, Scottish Secretary questions potential attacks on the human rights organisation, B'Tselem, which has been supported by UNISON.