Motion 13
Defence Sector – Skills, Diversity and Inclusion
"That this Congress recognises the opportunities that the Defence sector in Scotland provides for long-term investment in skills and good quality employment. This is a well unionised industry. Additionally, many former workers go on to use the transferable skills they receive from Defence sector work to bolster Scotland’s wider economic prospects.
“But Congress also notes that the Defence sector is the least diverse in terms of representation of workers with protected characteristics. This is evidenced by the dominating demographic of white able-bodied males at all levels of defence businesses. Similarly, trade unions must take a hard look at themselves and recognise that this is, in some considerable measure, due to their own failures in putting equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) at the centre of their bargaining agendas.
“Sustained leadership is lacking. Reps within defence sector branches mirror their organisations and, in many cases, their own trade unions. Progress is sporadic and rarely sustained. Often short-lived initiatives are followed by an equivalent period of regression as the lack of inclusion and increased attrition cause workplace diversity to revert to historical levels.
“Whilst action is required at all levels, the greatest opportunity is presented at the career entry stages. The talent pipelines for the future will come from the apprenticeship and graduate intakes. So that is where there must be targeted interventions to disrupt the status quo.
“Congress calls on General Council to adopt a multi-agency approach to:
- better equip branch reps to enable them to bargain for workplace equality and tackle un-inclusive practices;
- engage with Skills Development Scotland to ensure apprenticeship programmes reach beyond the traditional cohorts;
- introduce criteria that mirror Fair Work conditionality to incentivise ED&I in recruitment; and
- work with employers to better partner with further and higher education providers, and to agree board level goals for diversifying recruitment.”
Mover: Prospect
RSS