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The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain

The Voice of Scotland

by New Worker correspondent

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) recently held its 127th Congress at what now seems be its permanent home at the Caird Hall, in Dundee on the banks of the beautiful silvery Tay. While the conference sees itself as the voice of Scottish workers it is seen by many others as the ‘Scotch TUC’ because it is one where the temperance advocated by Keir Hardie. who went on to found the Labour Party. and Willie Gallacher. who helped found the old Communist Party of Great Britain. is not greatly to the fore in the evenings. This is despite the city once electing a Prohibitionist MP who held the seat from1922 to 1931!

Nevertheless this annual meeting provides a useful occasion to take the pulse of trade unionism in Scotland. There were 288 delegates representing 34 of the 43 affiliated trade unions with a claimed membership of 546,869. When we stop and think that the total workforce in Scotland amounts to 2,637,000 people it is clear the STUC and its component unions have some way to go.

Last year there were 42 trade unions claiming a membership of 548,419, so it is clear the recent strike wave has not boosted union membership as hoped. But the drop is largely down to the posh Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, who abandoned their affiliation to the vulgar STUC or forgot to fill in the form, which accounts for the decline in the STUC’s overall numbers. The newly affiliated Society of Authors with 1,003 Scottish members and the mighty 435 strong Nationwide Group Staff Union did not make up for the departing SSTA which had 5,553 members last year.

Eighteen additional delegates represented the four specialist STUC conferences: Black, Disabled, LGTB+, and Young Workers, which gives just about anyone who wants to go a chance to be a delegate. Curiously, the Women’s STUC did not send anyone, but women do have reserved spaces on the General Council. In addition 36 delegates represented the 17 trade union councils which were in attendance out of the 19 officially registered with the STUC. The latter are now generally small and kept going by retired activists rather than the powerful organisations which united to form the STUC in 1897. One dedicated lefty OAP serves as Secretary of two neighbouring trades councils.

That makes 340 delegates in all which is an increase from recent years, but the numbers they represent continues to fall. This year’s STUC President is also President of Dundee TUC, a post he has held for 31 years, which implies he is either indispensable to that body or nobody else wants to do the job.

Highlighting the weakness in union density between the private and public sectors is the fact that the Bakers, Food & Allied Workers have only 375 members while the British Dietetic Association has 1,005 to counteract the effect of the cakes and burgers made by the former.

The unions range in size from the 25 claimed by the National Union of Mineworkers (despite a misprint which put the British & Irish Orthoptic Society on nine) to Unite, the largest union in Scotland with around 136,000 members (up from last year) and topping the more precise 127,984 belonging to Unison (down from last year).

It was useful to learn that one of the STUC’s affiliates is the National Association of Racing Staff with 328 members who alas were unrepresented at Dundee.

As result of mergers there are now only three affiliates to the STUC which are exclusively Scottish. The Scottish National Operatives Plasters’ Federal Union is now just a tiny fraction of Unite. The only serious solely Scottish player is the 57,274 strong Educational Institute of Scotland.

There are also two newish Scottish organisations: the 2,300 strong Scottish Artists Union and a 180 strong Scottish Society of Playwrights. Both fight each other for their share of Creative Scotland money with the established Equity & Musicians Union.

In stark contrast to decades past the Scottish print and broadcast media almost entirely ignored the event, apart from reporting the speeches by the leaders of the SNP and Labour parties. Only the Morning Star gave the event extensive coverage. Its evening reception has long been the highlight of the conference for many delegates. There are about 20 videos of the Congress on YouTube. At the time of typing most had less than 100 views, and none more than 250.

The level of media coverage does not really matter very much as what is decided at the STUC does not really cause many ripples beyond the hall. The SNP Government will only listen to what they want to hear and ignore what they don’t, while the Westminster Government will not be greatly disturbed by rousing speeches deploring their actions and inactions. Sir Keir Starmer is also unlikely to be greatly worried about his backsliding on workers’ rights.

The STUC is no place for significant debate. Two years ago a motion by GMB and Prospect supporting nuclear power as part of a “balanced energy policy” and supporting continued North Sea oil and gas extraction was cancelled because taking a stand one way or another would cause too much grief for the losing side. This year a motion on assisted dying was remitted by the General Council for exactly that reason. One way to get a motion passed is to call for support of a worthy cause but ensure there is no mention of demands for action or set any deadlines which might involve work for the STUC bureaucrats.

As with many unions the STUC leadership are masters at making sure that critical motions are composited to the point of meaningless. It cannot risk upsetting the SNP Government because it relies heavily on Scottish Government funding for STUC Training Limited. It has been said the STUC relies on this for over half its income, but its accounts are vague. STUC staff past and present also depend on Government patronage for their lucrative seats on various quangos. The previous General Secretary sat on three of them before he retired in 2019.

It was telling that this year’s Congress saw all next year’s General Council places and those for the Standing Orders Committee go uncontested. The only contests were for a place on the Disabled Workers committee and two on the LGBT Committee which must have been exciting.

There was some serious controversy on a motion urging councils to set needs budgets rather than administer cuts imposed by Holyrood and Westminster. This was supported by trades union councils but defeated by the bloc votes from local government unions worried about the potential effect on members jobs.

Military spending was another debatable issue. The STUC has to balance the dangers of possible nuclear Armageddon with maintaining the jobs represented by GMB, Prospect and Unite. It opposed greater military spending but said the recent growth made up for earlier cuts. A number of motions on Palestine were composited into one broadly favourable to Palestine, but which would avoid causing offence.

The vast majority of votes were fairly uncontroversial in trade union terms. The STUC is opposed to Cuts to Railway Infrastructure Jobs and Services, privatising Channel 4, cutting teachers’ jobs in Glasgow and other such matters. On a more positive note it favours Raising Taxes to Deliver for Scotland, a New Deal for Workers & Devolution of Employment Law, Combatting Fascism, Pharmacist Access to Patients Records and A Better Railway, generally being in favour of sugar and spice and all things nice. And predictably despite voting in favour of combatting fascism Conference voted to affiliate to the Ukrainian Solidarity Campaign Scotland.