e-brief STUC, 333 Woodlands Rd Glasgow G3 01413378100 www.stuc.org.uk 23 March 2004 Contents: Contents: Some forthcoming events ... for ev P2 Recent activity On 29th March the STUC will see the launch of the One On 29th One Workplace Equal Rights campaign. Page 6 kplace P 3 The month ahead 19th April sees the start of this Annual Congress and the launch of start launch (23-31 Mar 04) Unions Wor a major STUC campaign - Unions Work. A special e-brief will be Year planner produced to coincide with Congress.
P4 The month 28th April is International Workers Memorial Day, the STUC will International Wor Day ahead commemorate IWMD with an event in Glasgow on Saturday 24th (31 Mar-16 Apr 04) April. Page 7 April. Page Current 19 June 2004 - Black Workers' Network Meeting. Page 7 Black Wor Netw Meeting. Consultations The Policy and Campaigns Team are keen to hear your comments on P5 The month the format of this e-brief, along with any suggestions you have for ahead improvements or additions.You can can send your comments to the (16-29 Apr 04) STUC at dmoxham@stuc.org.uk or lwilson@stuc.org.uk Current Consultations To contact the STUC: General Secretary: Bill Speirs bspeirs@stuc.org.uk P6 One workplace D.G. Secretary: Grahame Smith gsmith@stuc.org.uk D. G. Secretary: Ronnie McDonald rmcdonald@stuc.org.uk Equal Rights Assistant Secretary: Rozanne Foyer rfoyer@stuc.org.uk Campaign Assistant Secretary: Stephen Boyd sboyd@stuc.org.uk Launch Assistant Secretary: Mary Senior msenior@stuc.org.uk Current Assistant Secretary: Ian Tasker itasker@stuc.org.uk Consultations Research: Lorraine Wilson lwilson@stuc.org.uk Research: David Moxham dmoxham@stuc.org.uk P 7 Black Workers Lifelong Learning Unit: Network & Declan McGrath: dmcgrath@stuc.org.uk International Jacqueline McGuigan: jkmcguigan@stuc.org.uk Workers Memorial Adult Literacy Co-ordinator: Day Wendy Burton: wburton@stuc.org.uk Consultations Close the Gap Project: Evelyn Fraser efraser@stuc.org.uk submitted in March One Workplace Project: Zaffir Hakim zhakim@stuc.org.uk Scottish One Fund for All: Mike McNicholl: mmcnicholl@stuc.org.uk P 8 Media activity in Scottish Pensioners Forum: March Doreen Kean: doreenk@stuc.org.uk Further Education Learning Project: P 9 In the parliaments ... Ann Garscadden: agarscadden@stuc.org.uk
In March ... In An STUC General Council delegation met The final recommendations of the working with First Minister, Jack McConnell MSP and First Minister Jack MSP, group set up by the Scottish Executive to a number of his Cabinet colleagues, on 9 March, look at non legislative measures that could be for the latest in a series of discussions focussing taken to combat work related violence have been on strategically important issues of shared prior- sent to Andy Kerr, Minister for Finance and ity. Agenda items included: developments in the Public Services for his approval. The Executive Scottish economy; the forthcoming Scottish had seconded Linda Shanahan from the Fire spending review; the trade union imput to the Brigades Union to assist in this work and this First Minister's `Fresh Talent' initiative; and joint arrangement has been extended for a further action to promote health and safety and fair three months to take this work forward. employment in Scotland. Announcements on the latter issues are anticipated shortly. The STUC facilitated a meeting of Voluntary facilitated meeting Voluntar Sector unions on 2 March 2004 to bring Tracey White, Assistant Secretary, White, Secretar together the unions represented on the STUC/ announced that she will be leaving the STUC SCVO Partnership Forum to discuss how to take up a post as a Senior Assistant Clerk at affiliates want to see the Forum develop over the the Scottish Parliament. Tracey has been an coming year, and to take stock of the key issues invaluable member of the STUC team for over 7 facing the sector. It was concluded that the years and will be greatly missed. All at the Forum should now move on to address the more STUC wish her the very best for the future. difficult issues of pay and conditions within the sector. These trade union views were fed into An STUC delegation met with Nicol Stephen the Forum meeting of 18 March. The proposed Minister for Transport to discuss the ongoing for Transpor work plan for the Forum for the coming year is uncertainty over Calmac, implications of the UK to link the issues of sustainable funding and Rail Review for Scotland, proposals for a new improved pay and conditions, with plans to transport agency and seafarers' employment. engage with key partners including CoSLA.
The STUC were represented at the The STUC engaged in a programme of Wor Conference Scotland's Health at Work Conference and media activity around this year's budget, wor to promo participated in a workshop to promote the welcoming the Chancellor's commitment to "See Me" campaign. The next strand of the borrow to invest in public services but campaign will focus on issues relating to mental highlighting concerns over proposed civil service wellbeing in the workplace including the job losses and further deregulation in the discrimination and stigma suffered by those with construction, chemicals and retail industries. mental health problems. For more information about the campaign go to the campaign website Ian Tasker, STUC Health and Safety Officer Task Safe Off www.seemescotland.org or contact Ian Tasker. spoke at a Conference arranged by North Ayrshire NHS Trust on the effect of passive The Women's Committee held a meeting Women's Committee meeting smoking in the workplace and how existing with Scotland Office Minister Anne McGuire legislation including the duty of care extended to on International Women's Day, 8 March. The workers under the Health and Safety can be used WC pressed the Minister on the need for compul- to protect workers from the harmful effects of sory equal pay audits and legislation on bullying environmental tobacco smoke. and harassment. The WC were robust in their criticisms of current UK Government asylum The Scottish Pensioners Forum gave a Scottish Pensioner Forum policy. They were assured that the Minister presentation of their work to the Dounreay would express their concerns to the various UK Retirement Fellowship. The meeting was Government departments, in particular to the attended by Amicus, PCS, Prospect & TGWU. DTI that the voluntary approach to equal pay Discussions are underway to set up a local SPF audits is not working. group.
Year planner The month ahead The Marc 31st Marc ( 2 3 r d Mar c h - 31 s t Mar c h ) MARCH
29 LAUNCH OF ONE 23/03/04 Grahame Smith attending TUC W ORKPLACE regional staff meeting CAMPAIGN 23/03/04 Hazards office bearers meeting 23/03/04 Bill Speirs addressing TGWU/ APRIL ASLEF violence at work event 7 GENERAL COUNCIL 19-22 STUC CONGRESS 24/03/04 Meeting Bridges/New 2 4 STUC Glaswegians to take forward INTERNATIONAL asylum-workplace initiative WORKERS MEMORIAL DAY 25/03/04 Meeting with Scottish Executive REMEMBRANCE IN officials on Local Government GLASGOW 2 8 INTERNATIONAL workforce guidance WORKERS 25/03/04 Scottish Council for MEMORIAL DAY Development & Industry International Forum MAY 29/03/04 Launch of the One Workplace 8-9 YOUTH WEEKEND SCHOOL Equal Rights Campaign at the STUC. Includes speakers JUNE Margaret Curran & Bill Speirs 12 STUC HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS 30/03/04 Scottish Women's Convention CONFERENCE 30/03/04 Scottish Arts Council Meeting 15 SCOTTISH PENSIONERS' FORUM ANNUAL 31/03/04 Spending review seminar with CONFERENCE Andy Kerr and Jim Wallace at 19 BLACK WORKERS' SCDI Edinburgh NETWORK 31/03/04 HSC/HSE Corporate Social MEETING Responsibility and Health and Safety Conference JULY 31/03/04 Grahame Smith and Stephen Boyd 3-4 YOUTH giving presentation to Public CONFERENCE Appointments Unit Workshop
NOVEMBER 16-17 WOMEN'S CONFERENCE
Current The month ahead The Consultations Consultations (31st March - 16th April)
31/03/04 Learning Needs Analysis Seminar by the WEA: Craigmonie Hotel, Annfield Road, Inverness, Wednesday 31st March from 10am until Scottish Executive: 4pm. Venue TBC. For union Modernising NHS learners in the Highlands and dental services Islands, to gain experience of Closing date for affiliate comments undertaking a learning needs 19-Mar-04 analysis in the workplace. Closing date for Further details: consultation Jacqueline McGuigan 02-Apr-04 jkmcguigan@stuc.org.uk
05/04/04 STUC/TUC and ACAS briefing session on the new equality Scottish Executive: laws at AMICUS offices A New Complaints Landscape for FE/HE 06/04/04 Meeting with Judith Swift TUC in Scotland re Adult Learning and Closing date for Numeracy strategy affiliate comments 06/04/04 Inverness meetings with 19-Mar-04 Highland & Islands Closing date for Enterprise on Broadband, consultation 01-Apr-04 renewables and demographics. 06/04/04 General Secretary addressing Danish trade unionists in Pitlochry
07/04/04 General Council Meeting
08/04/04 Grahame Smith addressing launch of Rail Learning Centre SULF project
16/04/04 Scottish Funding Council
Current The month ahead The Consultations ( 1 8 t h April - 29th April)
18/04/04 STUC Standing Orders Scottish Parliament Committee Health Committee: Inquiry into 18/04/04 Pre-Congress General Council Breastfeeding etc Meeting (Scotland) Bill Closing date for 19/04/04 Annual Congress SECC affiliate comments 27-Mar-04 20/04/04 Annual Congress SECC Closing date for consultation 21/04/04 Annual Congress SECC 05-Apr-04 22/04/04 Annual Congress SECC Scottish Executive: 23/04/04 Business in the parliament Consultation on Hate conference - A partnership Crime event between the Executive Closing date for and the Parliament - aim is to affiliate comments engage with Scottish 16-Apr-04 Business in continuing to Closing date for consultation grow Scotland's economy 30-Apr-04 23/04/04 Bill Speirs giving Annual Workers' Memorial Day Safety Lecture in Dundee Scottish Executive: Medical Standards 24/04/04 International Workers Memorial Consultation (for Day Event in George Square, teacher training) Glasgow - further details Closing date for affiliate comments 26/04/04 Scottish Euro Preparations 19-Apr-04 Committee Closing date for consultation 28/04/04 GrahameAddressing launch of 26-Apr-04 East Dumbartonshire Council's Partnership at work forum 28/04/04 STUC/TUC Secretariat Meeting
29/04/04 Scottish Textiles Forum
Current Consultations O n e Wo r k p l a c e E q u a l R i g h t s L a u n ch E ve n t Scottish Executive: Use of Joint Ventures 9.30am 11.30am 29 March to deliver primary/joint S T U C Offices care premises Closing date for The One Wor project to promo The One Workplace Equal Rights project aims to promote equality affiliate comments and tackle racism in workplaces throughout Scotland. 07-May-04 Closing date for Launching the event will be Minister for Communities Margaret Curran, STUC General Secretary Bill Speirs and One Workplace Development consultation Manager, Zaffir Hakim. The launch will include: 14-May-04 · First sight of new poster campaign to challenge inequality in the workplace to be distributed around Scottish workplaces Scottish Executive: · Launch of new One Workplace website providing accessible information for trade unions, employers and employees Schools/Further · Launch of freephone advice line for employers, employees Education and trade union representatives Collaboration · "Racism is hard to swallow": Launch of One Workplace Watercooler promotional cups to be Closing date for distributed around workplaces in Scotland. affiliate comments 21-May-04 The project will also promote and develop the new phase of the Scottish Closing date for Executive's One Scotland Many Cultures campaign which aims to tackle consultation racism at workplace level. The project also comes under the umbrella 07-Jun-04 of the Scottish Workforce Empowerment for Lifelong Learning (SWELL) project.
The main aim is to challenge discrimination and inequalities in the labour HM Treasury: market by offering advice and support to trade union representatives Productivity Indicators and officials on promoting, and bargaining for, inclusive work practices and protection for marginalized workers across all equality areas. Closing date for affiliate comments One Workplace will promote and raise awareness about the new rights 21-May-04 for employees in the areas of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, Closing date for religion, and age and how to access these rights to both unions and consultation employers. 04-Jun-04 One Workplace Equal Rights has formed a project advisory group which includes: Commission for Racial Equality, Equal Opportunities Commission, Disability Rights Commission, Stonewall, Age Concern, Scottish Inter Faith Council, Scottish Employment Rights Network, TUC Education and Unison.
www.oneworkplace.org.uk Freephone number 0800 027 6655
B l a ck Wo rk e rs ' N e t wo r k Consultation Meeting Responses in March 11.00 am. Saturday 19 June 2004, STUC Centre, Saturday Reponses to Woodlands Road Glasgow 333 Woodlands Road Glasgow consultations are held on the STUC website The meeting is open to all Black trade union members, and aims to bring together Black workers from across Scotland to click "Full STUC share experiences and provide mutual support in an environ- reponse" to access ment which makes them most comfortable. Black Workers' the full text Network Meetings are an important part of the Black Workers' Committee's work plan for the year, and give crucial support to Black workers in Scotland.
DTI: Employment Contact Mary Senior msenior@stuc.org.uk Mary Tribunals: Consultation on Draft Revised I n t e r n at i o n a l Wo r k e rs Regulations and Rules Memorial Day Full STUC reponse The STUC will commemorate International Workers commemorate International Wor Memorial day on Saturday 24th April beginning at 11.00 Home Office: memory hav lives hav am, in memory of those who have lost their lives or have Proposals to Amend been seriously injured as a result of workplace related accidents. the Criminal Injuries Compensation The General Secretary will lay a wreath on behalf of the STUC Scheme and other speakers that have been invited include, Alex Mosson, Full STUC reponse fromer Lord Provost of Glasgow, Cathy Peattie MSP, Des McNulty MSP and Andrew Watterson from Stirling University. It is also hoped to have contribution from victims families. Scottish Parliament: Following the formal event it is planned to raise public Enterprise and Culture awareness of the importance of trade union membership and Committee Inquiry into the impact trade union organisation can have on preventing Renewable Energy workplace accidents. This separate event will be the first Full STUC reponse Unions Work event following the launch of the campaign on the preceding Monday and it is important we have a large display of banners, stands and publicity materials to take forward the unions work message. Any official or safety representatives who would be willing to attend and speak to members and potential members would also be welcome.
Contact Ian Tasker itasker@stuc.org.uk Tasker
M e d i a Activity Media
"We share the Chancellor's commitment to the Excerpts from some of the press releases issued importance of early years' education. We look by the STUC in March. For full press releases go to the Scottish Executive and COSLA to show to the stuc website. similar judgment and act to ensure a fair, national settlement for the Nursery Nurses who 15/03/04 welcomes victor S T U C w e l c o m e s as a victo r y, play such a key role in the future life chances t h e principle of a minimum of our children. for 16-1 year w a g e fo r 16 - 17 y e a r olds but w i l l redouble campaign for a "We are concerned at the proposed cuts in civil d e c e n t rate service jobs. At first sight these workers may appear easy targets, but it is hard to "This announcement is a success both for young understand how slashing 10,500 jobs in the trade unionists and the whole movement. It is new Customs and Excise/Inland Revenue a vindication of the campaigning and lobbying Department will help block illegal drug work we have undertaken since the first imports, detect terrorists or cut down on fat-cat minimum wage was introduced in 1997. We are tax evaders. There seems to be a lack of glad that the principle of pay protection for joined up thinking here. young workers has finally been established.
"We are also concerned at the proposed tax "However, our priority now will be to campaign stamps on the whisky industry and will look to raise the wage to a decent level. At the carefully at the assistance which is being proposed £3 level, a 17 year old could be offered to the industry to ensure that jobs are earning almost £10 per day less than an 18 not lost through this new measure. year old work colleague and this is unacceptable." "Finally, but of great importance, the apparent commitment to remove `unnecessary 17/03/04 S T U C welcomes regulation' will give rise to concern from Chancellor's workers in the chemicals, construction and c o m m i t m e n t to borrow to retail industries. We will be seeking early c o n t i n u e to invest in assurances that health and safety will not be p u b l i c services and adversely affected by these proposals." r e s e a r c h and development.
18/03/04 D o n ' t let British Nazis Bill Speirs General Secretary said: d i v i d e Glasgow Scots says STUC "We welcome the commitment to maintain sensible levels of public borrowing to fund "The effort by the British Nazi Party to exploit the investment in vital public services and research horrendous death of young Kriss Donald by and development. sending their Fuhrer, Nick Britten, to Pollokshields is disgusting but typical. "We also support the decision to relocate civil service jobs to Scotland and throughout the UK. "We don't know how or why Kriss died, but we Full consultation and no compulsory certainly do know this those responsible redundancies must be a precondition of any must be brought to justice." such move.
In the parliaments ... In
Committee evidence from unions...
Enterprise and Culture Committee Committee Broadband in Scotland Inquiry Written submissions received (including STUC's response) http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/enterprise/inquiries/b_band/evidence/ec04-bri-00.htm
Finance Committee Relocation of Public Sector Jobs Inquiry - Oral evidence from PCS, Prospect, Unison and STUC http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/finance/or/fi04-0602.htm#Col1031
Local Government and Transport Committee Gov Transpor Committee Prostitution Tolerance Zones (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1 Written submissions received (including STUC Women's Committee response) http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/lg/evidence/lg04-ptz-res-index.htm
Enterprise and Culture Committee Committee Renewable Energy in Scotland Inquiry Written submissions received (including STUC and UNISON Scotland responses) http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/enterprise/inquiries/rei/ec04-reis-res000.htm
Scottish Executive publications...
Partnership Working Research Report: Social and Economic Partnership Project Wor Resear Repor Par Project Research report on partnership working between the Executive and business, trades unions, the third and other sectors http://www.scotland.gov.uk/librar y5/government/supwr-00.asp
S c o t t i s h Economic Report: March 2004 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/finance/ser04-00.asp
New Scots: Attracting Fresh Talent to meet the Challenge of Growth Scots: Attracting Fresh Talent to meet Gro Scottish Executive's Fresh Talent initiative http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/government/afttm-00.asp