STUC Youth Conference 2024: Usdaw seeks support for parents and carers

Union highlights need to address the challenges of automation and skills

Retail trade union Usdaw has a delegation of young reps attending the annual Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) Youth Conference, taking place in Glasgow this weekend (13 and 14 July).

Usdaw is calling for action to support young working parents and carers, along with addressing the reskilling challenges for workers whose jobs are changing because of automation.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, says: “We are deeply concerned by the vast developments in workplace technology and automation in Scotland, which disproportionately impact young workers. 

“The acceleration in automation means that an estimated nine in ten employees need to retrain by 2030. 

“The Flexible Workforce Development Fund offered an opportunity to deliver the skills necessary to adapt to these changes, but it is regrettable that the Scottish Government withdrew funding. We are concerned that the delivery of quality apprenticeships and training programmes for young workers will suffer as a result.”

Usdaw is calling on the STUC to urgently campaign for the immediate implementation of the following provisions, to ensure young workers are adequately trained to take advantage of the future world of work:

• Significant and long-term investment in skills funding, including coordination of skills and education budgets across Scotland.
• Review retail modern apprenticeships to ensure more accessible and transparent access to training and skills.
• Promote positive action to tackle under-representation, including calling on employers to report on actions they are taking to promote inclusive training and skills provisions.
• The development of robust sectoral plans to support skills development across the whole of Scotland.
• Deliver a legal right to paid time off for retraining, to encourage not just specialised skills such as data science, but greater overall digital literacy as well as broader skills development across the workforce.
• Support a requirement under UK legislation for employers to consult on new technology, including the use of equality impact assessments, which employers must act upon. 

Paddy Lillis continues: “The pressures young parents and carers experience balancing their work life and caring responsibilities need to be addressed.

“We are concerned that young mothers are more likely to experience discrimination in the workplace related to their pregnancy or childcare.

“More worryingly, Usdaw’s own research shows 16 to 24-year-olds were least likely to know of their legal right to request flexible working, which could relieve some of the pressures young parents and carers face.

“Furthermore, many young people may not be aware of their rights to financial support such as the Young Carer Grant, which could provide some relief during the cost of living crisis.”

Usdaw is calling on trade unions and the STUC to:

• Give a voice to young parents and carers so that their experience informs our work to win them a better deal at work and in society.
• Develop campaign materials for young parents and carers about their legal rights and the financial support available to them.
• Ensure campaigning, political and bargaining agendas reflect the distinct concerns of young parents and carers.
• Continue to promote the value and importance of distinct young workers’ structures in encouraging young workers’ involvement in the trade union movement.