{"id":2581,"date":"2022-05-01T11:18:37","date_gmt":"2022-05-01T10:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/?p=2581"},"modified":"2023-06-29T12:27:30","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T11:27:30","slug":"stuc-congress-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/stuc-congress-report\/","title":{"rendered":"STUC congress report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This April an EIS delegation returned to the first face to face STUC Congress for two years. Held in Aberdeen\u2019s Music Hall, 2022 also coincided with the 125th anniversary of the STUC\u2019s formation and celebrated the theme, \u201cProud of our Past, Organising for the Future.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As ever, our delegates represented the Institute in a wide range of motions, reflecting EIS policy and wider union interests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heather Hughes, EIS President, seconded a motion, \u201cpublic sector pay and pensions\u201d, describing the cost-of-living crisis caused by multiple factors such as rising energy bills and food price rises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Against this background Heather told congress, \u201cTeachers finally settled the 20\/21 pay claim after a full year of delay tactics and procrastination by COSLA for a mere 2.3% uplift in pay and 1% of that was only from January. The EIS has launched a campaign for a 10% pay raise for 22\/23. So far, our employers have failed to even respond to our claim. With inflation running at 9% it doesn\u2019t come close to the restorative pay rise that our members are calling for and so deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She outlined the crisis faced by public sector workers who are paying far more into their pension, whilst being asked to work for longer and receiving a third less. In a rallying call, Heather made the case for public sector pension retirement ages to be decoupled from state pension age, saying, \u201cworkers must be able to retire at a reasonable age\u201d and called for a major public sector campaign for better pay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following an address to Congress by First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, delegates returned to debating motions on public services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Secretary, Larry Flanagan, moved a statement on Ukraine on behalf of the STUC General Council. In an emotionally charged speech calling for peace, Larry described the senseless death of over 215 school children and young people. The STUC continues to oppose all wars of invasion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicola Fisher, Equality Convener and STUC General Council member, spoke movingly on a motion on Afghanistan. She focused on the effect of the plight of women and girls in the country following US withdrawal in 2021. Highlighting a harrowing example, where a midwife, attending a birth, was murdered alongside the new mother and child, Nicola said, \u201cMany midwives who have campaigned for women\u2019s rights in Afghanistan now find themselves targeted by the Taliban and have been forced into hiding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the second day of Congress, Adam Sutcliffe (Aberdeenshire) spoke in support of a motion, \u201cworkplace action post \u2013 COP26\u201d, advising all learners have an entitlement to learn about sustainability, \u201cIt is critical that educators and our associated unions push hard to green the curriculum, teaching the children well and allowing them to lead the way in tackling sustainability issues as future members of our workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the afternoon, Congress heard an address from Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader before the debate recommenced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alison Murphy (Edinburgh LA Secretary) spoke to a motion, \u201cright to disconnect & workplace surveillance\u201d raising the issue of school Whatsapp groups which took hold during the Covid pandemic and have resulted in a culture, in some instances, where teachers feel pressure to remain in the groups, and answer messages at all times of the day. She also highlighted the fact that often teachers are feeling under pressure to retain online delivery whilst still teaching classes face to face noting, \u201cI want to particularly highlight the issues of a minority of parents and carers who seem to think that they can email us at any time of day and night and that we should reply instantly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The composite motion, \u201chealth and safety and the pandemic\u201d, was seconded by EIS Vice President Andrene Bamford where she described how the pandemic has affected young people and how teachers went above and beyond to make sure they continued to thrive. \u201cAs teachers\u2019 homes became classrooms, the work life balance became obliterated.\u201d Robustly calling for teacher mental health to be taken seriously, and warning of the consequences of ignoring the issue, Andrene said, \u201cTeachers have been treated like an expendable, zombie workforce who just keep going, no matter what you throw at them. If this government values education, it must value teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking part in the debate on \u201cCovid and education recovery\u201d Anne-Marie Harley (EIS-FELA), who was that day taking strike action as part of a national dispute on pay, said, \u201cAs we begin to recover from the pandemic, we\u2019re told its back to business as usual, and everything is fine. Nothing can be further from the truth. Covid has disrupted learning for all age groups, but it is far from business as usual. We\u2019re at a mitigation stage in schools, colleges and universities. We need to give students and staff time, space and resources to recover.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paula McEwan (Inverclyde Local Association Secretary) moved, \u201cpoverty, equality and ending the needs for foodbanks\u201d, stating, \u201cPoverty doesn\u2019t happen by accident. It is the result of a series of political choices made in the full cognisance of the impact these choices will have.\u201d She went on to say, \u201cSchools are tackling the cost of the school day and are tasked with closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Ending poverty would go a long way to close that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tony Adams (STUC Black Workers\u2019 Committee, EIS-FELA) moved the motion, \u201crepeal the borders and nationality bill and support refugees and asylum seekers\u201d telling congress, \u201cWe need to keep up the pressure and achieve our aim of having in place a far better non-discriminatory system that treats all refugees equally. Whether they are fleeing from Ukraine, from Afghanistan, from Syria or from Yemen, we need safe routes for all. We need to drive home the message that no human being is illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assistant Secretary Andrea Bradley also spoke in the debate about the support EIS offers with \u2018Welcome to Scotland packs\u2019 for refugee and asylum seeker pupils in school. Congress heard a moving address from the Sheku Bayoh Family Justice campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final session in Aberdeen heard the remaining motions and a wide range of emergency motions on topics including public interest journalism, Ukraine, asylum seeker processing to Rwanda and DWP closures. Susan Quinn spoke in support of motion, \u201cmental health at work\u201d, \u201cStress at work beyond the pandemic was on the increase. Two years into the pandemic it is through the roof. It has to be addressed.\u201d She raised the recent EIS survey on mental health which revealed over 70% of EIS members felt stressed some or all of the time and called for training for managers to support teachers in the workplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the fringe <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EIS members continue to be well represented at fringe events during congress. Adam Sutcliffe (Aberdeenshire) led a delegation of local school pupils from the Gordon Schools, Grove Academy and Mackie Academy as part of the Union into Schools programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assistant Secretary Andrea Bradley, and member of the STUC Womens\u2019 Committee, contributed to the STUC equality fringe speaking about the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on women stating, \u201cGender discrimination is baked into the system. We have to work to change this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Susan Quinn (Education Convener, Glasgow LA Secretary) was a speaker at the Justice for Colombia fringe \u2013 a country that remains the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other well-kent, recently retired, EIS activists, Bill Ramsay (South Lanarkshire & East Kilbride Trades Union Council) and John Dennis (Dumfries and Galloway Trades Union Council) also made contributions at the 125th Congress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This April an EIS delegation returned to the first face to face STUC Congress for two years. Held in Aberdeen\u2019s Music Hall, 2022 also coincided with the 125th anniversary of the STUC\u2019s formation and celebrated the theme, \u201cProud of our Past, Organising for the Future.\u201d As ever, our delegates represented the Institute in a wide […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2581"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3043,"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581\/revisions\/3043"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sej.org.uk\/may2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}