trade union interest – Unite CEC Branch

Unite Executive Council Elections

Postal ballots are being sent to all Unite members on Monday 27th March and the election period will end on 25th April. You will receive, along with your ballot paper and pre-paid envelope, a booklet containing a full list of candidates, their statements and branch nominations

All members are urged to vote in this election to decide who runs our union.

There are over 70 seats on our executive committee and you will be able to vote for Territorial reps (Scotland), Sectoral reps (mostly Local Authorities but some can vote in other sectors like construction) and equalities reps (Young members, LGBTQ+, Disabled members, Ethnic Minority members).

A new economic model — Our branch secretary Brian Robertson is standing for the Local Authority seat

Brian is standing for Workers, Public Service and Decency in the economy. We ask you to vote for someone you can talk to and you can hold to account. If you want to learn more about Brian’s views check out his blog.

There is a powerful contingent from Scotland and our Public Sector seeking to ensure our union is effectively run for the good of our members:

Sylvia Stewart (NHS) seeking election as Territorial rep
Eddie Cassidy (Glasgow City Council) seeking election as Territorial rep
Jenny Douglas (Dundee City Council) seeking election as LGBTQ+ rep
Carolanne Watson (Finance) seeking election as Finance and Legal rep
Brian Robertson (City of Edinburgh Council) seeking election as Local Authorities’ rep

If you wish to have more information on this election the members first website has information that may help you decide. Alternatively, you may contact branch rep Marilyn Moore on 07388928540 to ask any questions and discuss the issues important to you.

May Day celebrations

Come celebration International Workers Day in Edinburgh at two events.

May Day Cabaret on 1 May

The May Day cabaret on is Sunday 1 May at 7:30pm at the Southside Community Centre, featuring performances from:

Rab Noakes
Becci Wallace
Susan Morrison
Calum Baird
Ghazi Hussein
Iona Lee plus more guests.

Buy tickets for the May Day Cabaret

May Day March and Rally on 7 May

The May Day march and rally is on Saturday 7 May, assembling at 11:30am at the top end of Johnson Terrace to march at 12 midday and rally at the Pleasance Theatre at 12:30pm, where there will be music from Penny Stone and Calum Baird.

Speakers include:

HeartUnions week is 14 to 20 February

What have the unions ever done for us?

Apart from the 5-day work week, the 40 hour week—and continuing reduction, paid annual leave, sick pay, paid maternity leave, flexible working, improvements to pay, health and safety at work, the right to accompaniment in formal proceedings, protection against unfair dismissal, bullying, victimisation…

Unions are vital to ensuring the rights of workers and that their voices are heard. Unions make sure that employers see workers as people with a life beyond their job—and that how they are treated and valued at their job has a huge impact on their life.

The week of 14 February is the TUC’s HeartUnions week—a time to celebrate the value of trade unions in the workplace and in society as a whole and to encourage as many people as possible to join a union.

Find out more about HeartUnions week and register for the online events to learn more about unions and how they win for workers.

What does your union mean to you?

As part of this week we would welcome comments—either using the box below or by contacting a rep directly—on what your union means to you.

Has being part of the union helped you at work? Have you felt supported by other reps and members? Do you have ideas about how you’d like your union to work? Let us know!

Branch AGM and elections for 2022-2025

Elect your reps and branch officials for the next 3 year term

The Unite CEC Branch annual general meeting (AGM) will take place on 24 March 2022 at 4pm.

At this meeting, we will elect all representatives and officials for the next three year term (2022-2025). All members are welcome to nominate and to attend the meeting. This is an important event, as the elections can steer the direction of the branch for the coming three years.

Watch Frances O’Grady’s lecture ‘A Future after Brexit?…’

Frances O’Grady, the General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), gave the sixth annual Jimmy Reid memorial lecture on Thursday 27 September. 180 attendees filled Glasgow’s City Chambers to hear her lecture: A Future after Brexit? Unions and the Scandinavian model of social democracy.

You can now watch it below or read the transcript, courtesy of the Jimmy Reid Foundation.

Jimmy Reid memorial lecture on 27 September

Frances O’ Grady, the General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), will give the sixth annual Jimmy Reid memorial lecture in Glasgow’s City Chambers on Thursday 27 September. Doors open at 6pm with the lecture beginning at 7pm. The lecture is titled A Future after Brexit? Unions and the Scandinavian model of social democracy.

Scottish Affairs Select Committee report on the future of work

In March, the Scottish Affairs Select Committee published The future of working practices in Scotland. This report reflects on the Taylor review on modern working practices, which covered the gig economy and precarious work, and looks at changes in the traditional workplace, and the particular impact of these developments on Scotland.

The report contains recommendations for the UK Government:

Extend a written statement of terms and conditions to all workers.
Clarify employment status in primary legislation.
Give workers who have been on zero hours contracts for 12 months the right to request a contract which reflects actual hours worked.
Consider a higher minimum wage for hours which are not guaranteed.
Assess the extent of unfair and illegal employment practices in Scotland.
Stronger penalties, including fines, for repeat or serious breaches of employment legislation, and expand “naming and shaming” to all non-accidental breaches of employment rights.
Work with unions to establish the extent of blacklisting and stop it.

The report was informed by evidence given by Robin McAlpine, Director of the Common Weal, and Professor Mike Danson of the Jimmy Reid Foundation.