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.

Public money does not belong in the hands of tax dodgers, says UNISON

UNISON is calling for an end to tax dodgers winning public contracts ahead of today’s (Thursday) parliamentary debate on the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Bill.
   In a briefing issued to all MSPs prior to the stage 1 debate, the union asks them to decide if they are on the side of the tax dodgers or if they will take action to tackle them?
    Dave Watson, UNISON Scotland’s head of bargaining and campaigns, said: “It is entirely wrong that companies who dodge paying their fair share of tax should be awarded public contracts. Almost £10bn of public money, over a quarter of the Scottish Government budget, is spent on public procurement. It is an important lever to change the behaviour of big companies who do not play by the rules”
   The union also says the Bill does not go far enough to tackle the issue of low pay.