Affiliation to Scotland’s largest trade union body has grown this past year as the Scottish Trades Union Congress embed their national project for trade union organising within local trades councils.
The number of trade unionists in Scotland affiliated to the STUC has grown by 14,000 in a move General Secretary Roz Foyer said showed “vindication for trade union organising within workplaces and communities”.
The news comes as the Employment Rights Act, the biggest “generational upgrade” to workers’ rights starts to come into full force. Recent enhancements to trade union recognition, industrial action ballots and protection from unfair dismissal have all been enacted with further legislative changes on fire and rehire and reducing exploitative work forthcoming.
The STUC ‘Our Rights in Action’ project from the trade union body is the national campaign to strengthen the resources and reach of local trades councils, embedding trade union organising and education within communities and networks.
The project seeks to enhance the work of existing schemes, such as the Inverclyde Advice & Employment Rights Centre, Edinburgh Support at Work and the newly emergent Trade Unions in the Community initiatives as avenues to promote cohesion and unity within communities.
The news was announced on day two of the STUC Annual Congress in Dundee this week.
Commenting, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “We’re pleased that affiliation numbers to the STUC have grown by 14,000. This is vindication for trade union organising within the workplace and within our communities, showing how working people are united against injustice and intolerance.
“Providing enhanced rights at work is one of the core focuses of our movement. The full swathe of the Employment Rights Act, promised to trade unionists, must be enacted quickly if we’re to turn the tide against bad bosses and poor employers.
“It’s through intensive work at community level – through our trades councils with our Rights in Action project and alongside existing schemes – will we ensure workers value the strength of our unity rather and choose to unite around commonality rather than gravitate towards those preaching division.
“Our Congress will make clear that trade unions are at the heart of inclusive, thriving communities. We will take that message both across the country and directly to the politicians all too content on stoking tropes and undermining worker solidarity.”
