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The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain

Scottish TUC

by New Worker correspondent

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) recently held its 126th annual meeting at the Caird Hall in Dundee, on the banks of the beautiful silvery Tay. This event largely passed without notice in the Scottish print and broadcast media except for reports on the speeches from the Scottish Labour leader and the new First Minister, who was doubtless relieved to have a temporary distraction from his many other problems. The only exception to media indifference was the Morning Star, whose evening reception is for many delegates the highlight of the conference.

I am sadly unable to inform readers about the complete results of the Congress. This is entirely the fault of the STUC who (unlike previous years) failed to provide the news about how motions fared on their website. This does not really matter very much because what is decided at the STUC does not really matter very much these days. The SNP Government will only listen to what they want to hear and ignore what they don’t like, whilst the Westminster Government will not be greatly disturbed by rousing speeches deploring their actions and inactions.

As with the TUC and Labour Party, the STUC leadership make sure that any critical motions are composited to the point of meaninglessness. This is important because the STUC depends heavily on Government funding for STUC Training Limited, whose accounts are remarkably vague about where exactly most of it come from. Additionally, the SNP Government is a valued source of patronage for STUC staff past and present who sit on various quangos.

Masterly inaction is another STUC tradition, so delegates know it is best to avoid inserting any specific demands for action into their motions. This year the Tories’ latest anti-union laws were deplored, as might be expected, but there will be no action organised by the STUC to back up the resolutions.

Last year the STUC cancelled a debate in favour of nuclear power as part of a “balanced energy policy” and another on the future of North Sea oil and gas industries because taking a stand in favour or against would cause too many grumbles on the losing sides.

The STUC (which is separate from the TUC) has a total affiliated membership 548,419 precisely, from 42 trade unions, which is a small increase from last year’s figure of 545,840. This suggests that the present strike wave has not boosted membership very much; but it will be best to see what next year’s figures are to measure the impact of recent events. There are also 20 local trades union councils affiliated to the STUC, of which 14 made it to Dundee. The latter are largely small and kept going by retired activists rather than the powerful organisations that formed the STUC in 1897.

There were about 300 delegates at Dundee. They range from the single delegate representing the last 25 surviving members of the National Union of Mineworkers, to 37 delegates from Unite the Union representing 130,500 members, which just puts them ahead of the 129,508 Unison members. Curiously, there are only 347 Scottish members of the Bakers union BFAWU, but 981 members of the British Dietetic Association. A recent planning application for new branch of McDonalds in this correspondent’s home town claimed it would bring 150 jobs, so it suggests that there is some room for increasing union density.

There are some exotica at the STUC. It was surprising to discover the existence of the Society of Scottish Playwrights (which did not make it to Dundee to capture the drama of the occasion), whose 163 members will be anxious for their proper share of Creative Scotland grants in competition against the 2,589 members of actors’ union Equity.

Keeping the Scottish workforce on its feet are the 1,243 members of the Royal College of Podiatry. The Royal College of Midwives has 3,992 Scottish members, and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association 160 members. It is nice to know that anyone arrested on the picket line could be later looked after by some of the 3,517 members of the Prison Officers Association.

Less vital roles are played by the 324 members of the National Association of Racing Staff and the 1,440 strong Professional Footballers Association.

There is no separate union for funeral workers.

A century of mergers means that only four STUC affiliates are exclusively Scottish, only two of which are serious players, both in the education sector: the Educational Institute of Scotland and its rival the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association.

As in the rest of the UK, unions are stronger in the public sector than the private sector.

Speeches and Big Decisions

General Secretary Roz Foyer boasted that STUC unions had won £2.1 billion as a result of recent strike action in local government, the NHS and schools, and described striking workers as superheroes.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said he would not implement the Tories Minimum Service Levels Bill – but this might be because his tenure in office might not be all that long. In any case, his writ does not apply to private sector employers.

Whilst this earned him a round of applause, delegates were less impressed with the SNP’s flagship plans to introduce a National Care Service, which the new SNP leader vaguely indicated he would drastically amend. The STUC made the same point last year, but the message has yet to sink in with the SNP. Unions still suspect it will remove control of social services from councils to a new body that will do nothing but manage external contracts.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar won his brownie points by saying he would support striking workers, even making the bold claim that: “I expect my shadow cabinet, my MSPs and many MPs to join the front line, to join picket lines.” Let’s hope Sir Keir Starmer doesn’t notice.

The STUC General Council’s policy on Ukraine was one of continuing to supply arms to the puppet regime and was accepted by delegates (Unite and GMB in particular) despite a counter-motion. On another military related matter, it voted to oppose the anti-China AUKUS agreement over building nuclear submarines, perhaps because none are actually built in Scotland. This came about despite opposition from Unite and GMB, who normally get their way on such matters, but it is unlikely the Minister of Defence will take any notice of the STUC’s opposition.