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The UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch is affiliated
to the Scottish Hazards Campaign. The Aims
of the Scottish Hazards Campaign are to:
• To campaign for improved worker health
and safety throughout Scotland;
• To join internationally with others to campaign
for improved working conditions throughout
the world;
• To be an active part of the UK Hazards
Campaign and the European Work Hazards Network,
and
to campaign for the demands contained in the
European Health and Safety Charter.
The Scottish
Hazards AGM will take place on Saturday 16
February 2013 and the Branch will
be represented.
On 29 February 2012 a public
meeting was held at the UNISON Office at Belford
Road on the
topic of "Danger. Stop the tories killing
us at work. Defend free access to justice."
The event was interesting but less well attended
than it may have been. If we can improve attendance
then we will be able to hold more Safety events
in Edinburgh.
Andrew Watterson (Stirling University) spoke
eloquently about how this government views
working people. Government money into Public
Sector is described as a subsidy while into
the private sector is an investment.
Rory O'Neill
describes the deregulatory attacks on Safety
law as Lawlessness. Louise Taggart
from Families Against Corporate Killers spoke
movingly about the burden that families bear
when employers kill their loved ones, about
the financial problems they face, about how
the Courts fail them and specifically about
the systematic failings that killed her brother.
Des Loughney spoke authoritatively about
how the disadvantaged (low paid, migrant workers,
disabled workers) are protected by the Employment
Tribunal System, about the problems appellants
face if they have a good case but no representation
and about the problems that law changes such
as the reduction from three to one person
Tribunals, lengthening of employment required
to appeal
and charging appellants will create.
A representative
of the striking Unite electricians spoke
passionately about how a relatively
small group of activists have fought a
successful campaign against a powerful block
of 7 construction
industry giants trying to drastically reduce
workers terms and conditions.
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