AHEAD of a major trade union conference this Saturday, the STUC has revealed Scottish workers have won more than £4 billion in pay and pensions during the cost of living crisis.
Research from the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has revealed that workers throughout Scotland have secured more than £4bn in pay and pensions settlements in the past 18 months of industrial disputes.
The STUC further revealed that had trade unions accepted employers’ initial offers they would have been £3bn worse off, highlighting that balloting and taking industrial action have secured an uplift of cash into workers’ pockets.
Last month, the University and College Union (UCU) won around £1.9bn for workers in Scotland, after university employers offered to fully restore the value of the UK's largest private pension fund, following 69 days of strike action.
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Meanwhile, Unison, GMB and Unite the Union have negotiated a deal worth almost £500 million for local government workers – £100m of which was the direct result of balloting or taking strike action.
This comes on top of 2022-23 pay settlements in health, education, local government, the fire service, transport, and telecoms worth £2bn – £1.1bn of which was in uplifts over and above the first offer from the employers.
The STUC, Scotland’s largest trade union body, called the figures a “stunning indication of worker power”.
The news comes days after the Tory government announced attacks on the right to strike through minimum service legislation.
The STUC is to host a conference this Saturday to "learn the lessons from the recent strike wave".
The conference will bring together trade unionists across the country who have balloted, stood on picket lines, and won millions of pounds for workers in the last eighteen months.
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Commenting, STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “This is a testament to the determination and resolve of workers across Scotland who’ve stood up and said enough is enough.
"Unions across Scotland have scored a mighty victory for their members, securing over £4bn in pay and pensions settlements, three-quarters of which is a direct result of balloting or undertaking industrial action.
“I am proud of every single worker who has stood shoulder to shoulder on the picket lines, fighting and winning for their unions and showing a stunning indication of worker power. Our collective strength is a force to be reckoned with but with the Tory government attacking the right to strike, this is no time to rest on our laurels.
“Politicians, governments and employers should be in no doubt that the STUC will leave no worker behind. Saturday’s conference is an important milestone to share the lessons we have learned and build our movement for the struggle ahead.”
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