Scotland’s Workers Demand Better: A six-point plan for change
Strengthen worker’s rights
The UK is one of the worst violators of worker’s rights in Europe. The result is more than 1 in 10 workers in insecure work, rising in-work poverty and low productivity.
The next UK Government should: repeal all anti-trade union legislation and fully implement a New Deal for Workers, including worker’s rights from day one, the end of fire and hire, a ban on zero-hour contracts, and sectoral Fair Pay Agreements across the economy.
Invest in public services
For 14 years the Conservative party have starved public sector workers and services from funding under the pretext of austerity. In real terms, public sector pay is lower than it was in 2007. 50,000 public sector jobs have been lost in Scotland. Public investment in arts and culture has been cut.
The next UK Government should increase public spending in key public services resulting in increased budgets, through Barnett consequentials, for public services in Scotland enabling better service delivery and pay restoration.
Invest in the green economy
With the right policies and funding in place Scotland could see up to 367,000 jobs created as it decarbonises the economy. However, our current market-led approach supported by the Scottish and UK Government, has led to our resources being sold off to multinational companies with no benefit to workers and local communities. Between 2021 and 2022, there was a £4 billion increase in turnover by companies involved in the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy economy in Scotland, yet employment fell by 4,000. If more of this wealth was retained in the UK, we could invest in the green economy to meet climate targets.
The next UK Government should: invest tens of billions in renewable energy, retrofitting and public transport, nationalise the energy grid, require renewable energy developers to recognise trade unions and support local supply chains, and support the workers plan for a Just Transition at Grangemouth.
Tax wealth
The UK is the sixth wealthiest country in the world. But that wealth is in too few hands. Scotland’s ten richest families are worth £23 billion. A modest 2% tax on those ten families alone could fund 10,000 public sector workers. While the Scottish Government must take action to replace the council tax with a proportional property tax, the UK Government must also take action to redistribute income and wealth.
The next UK Government should: levy a windfall tax, introduce a wealth tax, equalise capital gains and income tax, close tax avoidance loopholes, reduce inheritance tax reliefs, implement a tax on share buybacks, invest in a fully resourced cadre of HMRC staff and civil servants to tackle tax avoidance and work with devolved institutions to support a property valuation.
Devolve power to Scotland
As part of the Scottish Constitutional Convention, the STUC was instrumental in the campaign for a Scottish Parliament. Recent UK Government interference in previously devolved matters has highlighted the need to renew the devolution settlement, expand the economic powers of the Scottish Parliament and for the UK Government to improve partnership with the Scottish Government to deliver better cross-border decision-making.
The next UK Government should devolve employment law, migration and further borrowing, tax and energy powers to the Scottish Parliament and include the Scottish Government in important cross-border institutions and decision-making bodies.
Support for Palestine
Thousands of Palestinians – mainly women and children, have been killed and many more are injured, because of Israeli military operations. Public infrastructure including hospitals and education settings have been targeted, and almost the entire population of the Gaza strip has been forcibly displaced at least once. Action to prevent this genocide and uphold international law is urgently needed.
The next UK Government should: support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, end arms sales to Israel, suspend diplomatic relations with Israel, end UK trade which sustains illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and recognise the state of Palestine.
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