(Thursday 17 January 2008)
MALCOLM BURNS reports from Trade Union Week at the Scottish Parliament
WORKERS' concerns were taken to the heart of Scotland's democratic forum this week by the Scottish Trades Union Congress.
Trade Union Week at Holyrood aims to raise the profile of unions as a positive force in Scottish society. Developing a format introduced last year, a series of events, debates and meetings with MSPs highlighted issues such as young people in the wokplace, corporate killing, problems faced at work by people with deafness or dyslexia and the dangers of spurious savings through shared services in the public sector.
Warm words of support across the parties for the role of trade unions in ensuring the rights of young workers were expressed during a member's debate on Tuesday 15 January as part of the week.
The motion by Cathy Peattie, Labour MSP for Falkirk East, said that "younger people often experience poorer job security and pay and conditions of employment and are significantly more likely to be injured in the workplace than older workers."
It called on Parliament to recognise that "trade unions play a vital role in protecting and training young people, contributing to a safer working environment in all workplaces and promoting and supporting the learning and skills development of young people."
Ms Peattie said that "fatal and major injuries to young people at work are increasing," citing the example of a Falkirk FC apprentice footballer who was killed when training equipment that he was carrying touched a power cable.
Since the tragedy, the club has employed health and safety consultants and carries out risk assessments where their employees are working.
"That's welcome, but that should be the norm, not the response. A lot of young people face a lot of risk in workplaces," Ms Peattie stressed.
Tory Margaret Mitchell raised a laugh in the chamber when she said that she was a lifelong union member, "which is perhaps unusual for a Conservative MSP."
Ms Mitchell said that it was essential that young people who have found employment are not deterred by their first experience of work.
Ex-STUC official John Park, who is Labour MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, paid tribute to today's young trade union activists on the STUC youth committee for their work on issues of discrimination that affect young people.
Replying to criticism of the Westminster Labour government by SNP MSP John Wilson, Mr Park said that issues which the STUC has campaigned on are "beginning to be addressed as part of the draft Apprenticeship Reform Bill that is now making its way through Westminster."
SNP cabinet secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Fiona Hyslop expressed continuing government support for the Unions into Schools Project, which was initially funded under the previous Labour-Lib Dem executive.
She said: "Giving school pupils the opportunity to experience vocational learning is one of the 12 points agreed in the government's concordat with local authorities."
Ms Hyslop said that the Scottish government was supportive of the trade union role in delvering the Skills for Scotland agenda, claiming that the £4.25 million provided by the Scottish government for union learning was an "unprecedented level of funding" which would "baseline the STUC Lifelong Learning Unit and ensure it for three years."
Link: www.stuc.org.uk
Subscribe to the Morning Star online
For peace and socialism - the only socialist daily paper in the English language
Posts
