It’s the biggest week in Scotland’s trade union calendar – the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) annual congress is taking place in Dundee.
We’ve been reporting live from Caird Hall, where trade unionists have been discussing a wide range of motions and reaffirming their longstanding solidarity with Palestine.
On Monday, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar took to the main stage, where he reiterated calls for an immediate end to UK arms sales to Israel, marking a clear difference from UK Labour’s position.
And on Tuesday, First Minister Humza Yousaf (above) was the keynote speaker, as he announced he would be confirming the Scottish Government’s position on the devolution of employment law in the coming weeks.
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We also spoke to the First Minister about his own experience with the trade union movement, as he encouraged all workers in Scotland to join a union.
So why should workers join a union?
The STUC’s general secretary, Roz Foyer (below), told The National why she believes people should join a trade union.
“Unions work. If you want to get positive change in your workplace, the best way to do that is by being part of a collective and joining a trade union,” Foyer said.
We also caught up with Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman (below), a member of Unite.
“Trade unions are really important,” Chapman told The National.
“The labour movement has won significant gains for workers across Scotland, indeed across the world.”
She continued: “I would urge everybody to join their local trade union, to get involved, to get active, to organise and to deliver better conditions, better pay and better pensions for your colleagues.
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Meanwhile, Derek Thomson, Unite Scotland regional officer, said that joining a union would help to create “a fairer and better society”.
“Everybody should join the trade union movement – it's important to be a part of the collective,” Thomson told The National.
“It can help to build collective strength, help people with their terms and conditions, make them safer at the workplace and make sure that we’re building a fairer and better society.”
If there’s one lesson we’re going to be taking away from this year’s congress, it’s that trade unions seem more determined than ever to improve the lives of working people in Scotland.
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