Quiet As A Church Mouse
I'm told that the general secretary of the Scottish TUC, Grahame Smith, is set to retire after almost 14 years in the post.
Grahame has spent most of his working life at the STUC: a graduate of Strathclyde University, Grahame joined the STUC in 1986 as an NHS campaign coordinator before his appointment in 1988 as an STUC assistant secretary and then as deputy general secretary in 1998.
I can't say Grahame made much of an impression because the STUC used to be a household name in Scotland and played a pivotal part in the cross party campaign to establish the Scottish Parliament, for example.
In recent years the STUC has faded from public view and become a shadow of its former self, having nothing of any substance to say during the long fight for equal pay in Scotland's councils.
So while I wish Grahame well in his retirement I can't say he'll be sorely missed.
Quiet as a Church Mouse (15/04/19)
The Scottish TUC used to be the most important trade union voice in Scotland, but has been in the newspapers for all the wrong reasons recently after losing a long-running employment tribunal case.
Embarrassingly The Herald refers to the STUC general secretary Grahame Smith as an 'SNP adviser' before going on to report that the tribunal found his witness testimony to be 'not credible'.
The whole affair has been allowed to rumble on through the courts for an incredible four years which suggests to me that there should be an serious stewards' inquiry at the next meeting of the STUC General Council.
Because the job of the STUC is to be lead the way when it comes to good practice at the workplace instead of behaving like a rogue employer.
And regular readers will, of course, be aware that the STUC has been as quiet as a wee church mouse during the long fight for equal pay in Scotland's councils.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17568408.snp-adviser-under-fire-as-anti-racism-worker-wins-legal-battle/
SNP adviser under fire as anti-racism worker wins legal battle
By Victoria Weldon - The Herald
Anti-racism worker Zaffir Hakim, left, and STUC general secretary Grahame Smith.
Scotland’s most senior trade union figure is under pressure after an anti-racism worker was awarded almost £17,000 compensation for being unfairly dismissed and victimised after speaking out about discrimination.
Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and an adviser to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was repeatedly branded “not credible” by the judges who heard the case of Zaffir Hakim.
Mr Smith, who sits on the First Minister’s advisory council on Europe and other public bodies, made the key decisions leading to Mr Hakim being made redundant.
The final judgment in the long-running legal battle, which was prolonged by a failed STUC appeal, formally recommended the trade union umbrella body should review its redundancy procedures.
The group, which campaigns for fairness at work, said its failings had been “deeply regrettable” and would ensure there was no repeat of them.
Mr Hakim, 49, who is of Pakistani descent, worked for the STUC for 11 years, becoming a development officer on its anti-racism project One Workplace Equal Rights (OWER).
READ MORE: SNP equalities chief in row over trans rights comments
In May 2014 he raised a claim of race discrimination against the STUC which led to “tension” in the workplace and “soured” his relationship with Mr Smith.
A tribunal later said Mr Smith was worried the claim would make it harder for the STUC to secure public funding for tackling discrimination.
Indeed, it was the STUC’s own policy to encourage the Scottish Government not to fund any organisation found to operate discriminatory policies.
Although Mr Hakim withdrew his claim in December 2014, the relationship remained poor and he was made redundant in March 2015 when funding for his post came to an end.
He then raised an unfair dismissal action, claiming he had been discriminated against on the ground of race and victimised.
A tribunal agreed he had been unfairly dismissed and victimised, but not because of race.
Setting out her findings in November 2016, employment judge Claire McManus criticised the STUC for failing to follow correct redundancy procedures by not considering Mr Hakim for other vacancies, as well as failing to hold proper meetings or keep notes.
READ MORE: Schools urged to tackle Brexit-related rise in racist bullying
She described Mr Smith’s evidence in the case as “not credible” on a number of points - including his description of how he made the key decision.
The tribunal said Mr Smith decided other possible jobs in the STUC were unsuitable for Mr Hakim “without any discussions” with him, and without checking his skills and experience.
The STUC unsuccessfully appealed the 2016 findings and now, almost four years after Mr Hakim was dismissed, his former employer has been ordered to pay him £16,680.
The tribunal awarded him £12,880 for financial loss and £3,800 for injured feelings.
It said the money reflected “failures in respect of lack of proper consultation on the redundancy situation, lack of discussion in respect of the available vacancies and the unfair dismissal”.
Mr Hakim said he was pleased the tribunal was finally at an end, but disappointed with his pay award, which was massively reduced due to factors including his search for other work.
He told The Herald: “I don’t think it’s reflective of how I was treated. The case has gone on for so long too and it’s been really stressful, impacting on my health, so I’m a bit disappointed with the outcome. I just hope that the STUC now act on the recommendation and start to practice what they preach to ensure that this never happens to another worker.”
The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights urged the STUC to make a full public apology.
A spokeswoman said: “If the STUC of all organisations can be culpable of such action, it should be a wake up call for all organisations to review their policies and procedures and their treatment of their black minority ethnic staff.”
Equality charity PATH Scotland also said it was “disappointed” there had been no apology, especially as the STUC continues to “preach about employment rights to other employers”.
Director Najimee Parveen said: “Zaffir has gone through a huge amount of stress since winning his case for unfair discrimination and victimisation against the STUC.
“Sadly the STUC prolonged his stress by appealing the judgement and challenging Zaffir on the costs that they were willing to pay. We are disappointed that the STUC have not been willing to acknowledge the impact of their behaviour on Zaffir.”
READ MORE: Scots more likely to say sex discrimination is a problem – but we still won't call ourselves feminists
Lynn Welsh, head of legal in Scotland at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which stepped in to defend Mr Hakim when the STUC appealed the initial tribunal finding, said: “We particularly welcome the Tribunal’s recommendation in this case calling on the STUC to review their redundancy policies and procedures. It’s a good reminder to all employers that policies need to be constantly kept under review to ensure that they operate fairly.”
Mr Smith, whose salary is around £70,000, also earns around £11,000 a year sitting on two government quangos - the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Skills Development Scotland.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Members of public bodies are appointed on merit following a transparent process in which the posts are advertised widely.”
A spokesperson for the STUC said: “The judgement confirms that we were faced with a genuine redundancy situation. We have fully accepted that our processes and procedures were insufficiently robust to deem the redundancy fair.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/union-worker-wins-payout-for-dismissal-by-stuc-chief-grahame-smith-rcpz9fq3m
Union worker wins payout for dismissal by STUC chief Grahame Smith
Anti-racism worker Zaffir Hakim, left, and STUC general secretary Grahame Smith.
Scotland’s most senior trade union figure is under pressure after an anti-racism worker was awarded almost £17,000 compensation for being unfairly dismissed and victimised after speaking out about discrimination.
Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and an adviser to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was repeatedly branded “not credible” by the judges who heard the case of Zaffir Hakim.
Mr Smith, who sits on the First Minister’s advisory council on Europe and other public bodies, made the key decisions leading to Mr Hakim being made redundant.
The final judgment in the long-running legal battle, which was prolonged by a failed STUC appeal, formally recommended the trade union umbrella body should review its redundancy procedures.
The group, which campaigns for fairness at work, said its failings had been “deeply regrettable” and would ensure there was no repeat of them.
Mr Hakim, 49, who is of Pakistani descent, worked for the STUC for 11 years, becoming a development officer on its anti-racism project One Workplace Equal Rights (OWER).
READ MORE: SNP equalities chief in row over trans rights comments
In May 2014 he raised a claim of race discrimination against the STUC which led to “tension” in the workplace and “soured” his relationship with Mr Smith.
A tribunal later said Mr Smith was worried the claim would make it harder for the STUC to secure public funding for tackling discrimination.
Indeed, it was the STUC’s own policy to encourage the Scottish Government not to fund any organisation found to operate discriminatory policies.
Although Mr Hakim withdrew his claim in December 2014, the relationship remained poor and he was made redundant in March 2015 when funding for his post came to an end.
He then raised an unfair dismissal action, claiming he had been discriminated against on the ground of race and victimised.
A tribunal agreed he had been unfairly dismissed and victimised, but not because of race.
Setting out her findings in November 2016, employment judge Claire McManus criticised the STUC for failing to follow correct redundancy procedures by not considering Mr Hakim for other vacancies, as well as failing to hold proper meetings or keep notes.
READ MORE: Schools urged to tackle Brexit-related rise in racist bullying
She described Mr Smith’s evidence in the case as “not credible” on a number of points - including his description of how he made the key decision.
The tribunal said Mr Smith decided other possible jobs in the STUC were unsuitable for Mr Hakim “without any discussions” with him, and without checking his skills and experience.
The STUC unsuccessfully appealed the 2016 findings and now, almost four years after Mr Hakim was dismissed, his former employer has been ordered to pay him £16,680.
The tribunal awarded him £12,880 for financial loss and £3,800 for injured feelings.
It said the money reflected “failures in respect of lack of proper consultation on the redundancy situation, lack of discussion in respect of the available vacancies and the unfair dismissal”.
Mr Hakim said he was pleased the tribunal was finally at an end, but disappointed with his pay award, which was massively reduced due to factors including his search for other work.
He told The Herald: “I don’t think it’s reflective of how I was treated. The case has gone on for so long too and it’s been really stressful, impacting on my health, so I’m a bit disappointed with the outcome. I just hope that the STUC now act on the recommendation and start to practice what they preach to ensure that this never happens to another worker.”
The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights urged the STUC to make a full public apology.
A spokeswoman said: “If the STUC of all organisations can be culpable of such action, it should be a wake up call for all organisations to review their policies and procedures and their treatment of their black minority ethnic staff.”
Equality charity PATH Scotland also said it was “disappointed” there had been no apology, especially as the STUC continues to “preach about employment rights to other employers”.
Director Najimee Parveen said: “Zaffir has gone through a huge amount of stress since winning his case for unfair discrimination and victimisation against the STUC.
“Sadly the STUC prolonged his stress by appealing the judgement and challenging Zaffir on the costs that they were willing to pay. We are disappointed that the STUC have not been willing to acknowledge the impact of their behaviour on Zaffir.”
READ MORE: Scots more likely to say sex discrimination is a problem – but we still won't call ourselves feminists
Lynn Welsh, head of legal in Scotland at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which stepped in to defend Mr Hakim when the STUC appealed the initial tribunal finding, said: “We particularly welcome the Tribunal’s recommendation in this case calling on the STUC to review their redundancy policies and procedures. It’s a good reminder to all employers that policies need to be constantly kept under review to ensure that they operate fairly.”
Mr Smith, whose salary is around £70,000, also earns around £11,000 a year sitting on two government quangos - the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Skills Development Scotland.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Members of public bodies are appointed on merit following a transparent process in which the posts are advertised widely.”
A spokesperson for the STUC said: “The judgement confirms that we were faced with a genuine redundancy situation. We have fully accepted that our processes and procedures were insufficiently robust to deem the redundancy fair.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/union-worker-wins-payout-for-dismissal-by-stuc-chief-grahame-smith-rcpz9fq3m
Union worker wins payout for dismissal by STUC chief Grahame Smith
By Paul Rodger, Victoria Weldon - The Times
Evidence by Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, was branded “not credible”ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
An anti-racism worker has been awarded £16,680 for being unfairly dismissed by Scotland’s leading trade unionist.
Zaffir Hakim, 49, lost his job in 2015 after speaking out about discrimination. Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), made the key decisions which led to his redundancy.
Parts of his evidence were branded “not credible” by the judges who heard Mr Hakim’s case. The tribunal awarded him £12,880 for financial loss and £3,800 for injured feelings.
Mr Hakim, 49, who is of Pakistani descent, worked for the STUC for 11 years on its anti-racism project One Workplace Equal Rights. In May 2014 he made a claim of racial discrimination which Mr Smith was said to have worried would hinder its ability to secure public funding for equality initiatives. The claim was dropped but Mr Hakim was made redundant four months later.
The tribunal ruled that Mr Hakim had been unfairly dismissed and victimised but not because of his race.
Mr Hakim said he was disappointed, urging the STUC to “practise what they preach to ensure this never happens to another worker”. Judges told the union to review its redundancy procedures.
An anti-racism worker has been awarded £16,680 for being unfairly dismissed by Scotland’s leading trade unionist.
Zaffir Hakim, 49, lost his job in 2015 after speaking out about discrimination. Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), made the key decisions which led to his redundancy.
Parts of his evidence were branded “not credible” by the judges who heard Mr Hakim’s case. The tribunal awarded him £12,880 for financial loss and £3,800 for injured feelings.
Mr Hakim, 49, who is of Pakistani descent, worked for the STUC for 11 years on its anti-racism project One Workplace Equal Rights. In May 2014 he made a claim of racial discrimination which Mr Smith was said to have worried would hinder its ability to secure public funding for equality initiatives. The claim was dropped but Mr Hakim was made redundant four months later.
The tribunal ruled that Mr Hakim had been unfairly dismissed and victimised but not because of his race.
Mr Hakim said he was disappointed, urging the STUC to “practise what they preach to ensure this never happens to another worker”. Judges told the union to review its redundancy procedures.
STUC - Get Off Your Knees! (28/08/18)
Many years ago Scottish TUC was an influential campaigning body which played a big role in industrial disputes and on wider public issues such as devolution and the creation of a Scottish Parliament.
Nowadays the STUC is a mere shadow of its former-self and its voice has hardly been heard on some of the biggest issues of the day - the long fight for equal pay, for example, or the threat too Scotland's economy posed by Brexit.
The Sunday Herald carried a very interesting story the other day which might help explain why - the STUC relies on the Scottish Government for the majority of its funding.
Incredible if you ask me, because Scotland's once proud trade union movement cannot claim to be properly independent of the government of the day, regardless of its political colour, if the STUC is constantly looking over its shoulder to check who's paying its bills.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16599647.stuc-in-firing-line-over-relying-on-snp-government-for-60-of-funding/
STUC in firing line over "relying" on SNP Government for 60% of funding
By Paul Hutcheon -The Sunday Herald
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon speaks at the STUC conference in Aviemore. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday April 24, 2017. Ms Sturgeon cast the general election as a straight fight between her own party and the Conservatives north of the border
THE Scottish Trades Union Congress is facing questions about its independence after the scale of its reliance on SNP Government funding was revealed.
Leaked documents show that the STUC, which speaks for nearly 500,000 workers, received around 60 per cent of its income from Nicola Sturgeon’s Government last year.
The £2.6 million in public funding far exceeds the sum paid to the STUC in fees from its own members.
Meanwhile, the GMB union, one of the umbrella group’s biggest members, said in a statement that they had raised concerns about “transparency and accountability in the running of the STUC”.
Founded in 1897, the Glasgow-based STUC acts as the voice of the trade union movement and lobbies Government for policy changes. It represents the interests of members in 39 unions and 20 trades union councils, and is financed by affiliation fees.
Although the STUC is not aligned to a political party, the body had a high-profile role promoting devolution in the 1980s and 1990s.
However, senior trade union figures told this newspaper that the STUC, led by general secretary Grahame Smith, was too reliant on the Scottish Government and had lost its way.
The STUC is now facing questions about its relationship with the Government and the financial model on which the organisation is based.
Unlike the TUC – its UK sister organisation – the STUC is under no obligation to make its annual financial statements available outwith affiliated unions.
A spin-off firm, STUC Training Ltd, publishes accounts, but a detailed picture of the income of the body is not in the public domain.
According to documents presented to the annual congress in Aviemore this year, the STUC and its training arm had a combined income of around £4.3m in 2017. Of this sum, less than 25 per cent came in the form of affiliation fees from trade unionists.
The biggest chunk of cash, £2.3m, was given to STUC Training Ltd by the SNP Government for the “Scottish Union Learning” initiative, which promotes skills and lifelong learning. Funds through the scheme are provided to the STUC, which distributes resources for different projects to help union members.
Another budget line also shows that the STUC received £324,440 from the Government for the “Union Modernisation Fund”.
This new pot was announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as a way of mitigating what she described as Tory legislation that “threatens” the unions. For every pound received by the STUC in 2017, around 60p came from the SNP Government, whose policies the civic body attempts to influence.
One critic of Smith’s leadership said the STUC had offered occasional criticism of the SNP Government, such as questioning rates relief for small business.
However, Smith is a member of the First Minister’s Standing Council on Europe and he backed the SNP Government position in the row over a Brexit “power grab” of Holyrood powers. The STUC also provided a mild quote in response to the findings of the SNP Growth Commission, a report that was widely criticised by figures on the political Left.
Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The trade union movement is a vital part of public life and the defence of workers’ rights. They should always be utterly independent both of management and of Government. So to learn that the STUC gets the majority of funding from the Scottish Government puts that independence into question.
“They should be a champion for trade unions and of working people above all things, but many have been concerned that they have seemed to have pulled their punches recently over criticising the SNP Government on things like the austerity proposed by the Growth Commission.”
Scottish Tory MSP Bill Bowman said: “The STUC is curiously quiet when it comes to criticising the Scottish Government.
"Perhaps it’s a case of not biting the hand that feeds you.
“If the SNP Government is bankrolling the STUC, that explains why the organisation is so reluctant to question SNP decisions. No such problem seems to exist in relation to the UK Government.
“There’s a blatant conflict of interest here, and one which raises serious questions about the STUC’s ability to function transparently and responsibly.”
A senior trade union figure said: “This is a serious situation for the STUC. Relying on external funding from the Scottish Government not only undermines the future sustainability of the organisation, it places a significant question mark over their ability to scrutinise and challenge Scottish Government policy making.”
Separately, the STUC also faced criticism after an employment tribunal ruled that a staff member had been victimised by selecting him for redundancy.
The STUC failed to have the ruling overturned in an appeal and is in line for a hefty legal bill.
The Sunday Herald asked some of the STUC’s biggest affiliates for a comment on the tribunal case, but most did not provide a comment.
However, a spokesperson for GMB Scotland, one of the country’s biggest unions, said: “The judgment is troubling – victimisation in the workplace isn’t acceptable.
The statement added: “On numerous occasions we have raised our concerns about transparency and accountability in the running of the STUC, to defend the jobs and conditions of the staff we represent within the STUC and for the organisation’s ability to campaign effectively on behalf of all its affiliate members in future.
“GMB Scotland will continue to seek to address those concerns through the internal processes of the STUC.”
An STUC spokesperson said: “The funds received by the STUC from the Scottish Government are to fund learning and development projects run by our affiliated unions that provide learning opportunities for over 9,000 trade union members every year.
“These projects make a significant contribution to upskilling and reskilling the workforce and to our shared objective with the Scottish Government of achieving a more inclusive economy.
“The STUC is not dependent on Scottish Government funding. If this funding was not provided, thousands of low-paid, low-skilled workers would be deprived of the opportunity for personal and professional development.”
On the GMB criticism, the spokesperson said: “There are multiple opportunities available to all of our affiliates to ensure we remain transparent and accountable, principally our Annual Congress which elects and holds to account our General Council on which members of the GMB serve.
“Concerns raised by the GMB, which align with the specific issues mentioned above, have already been addressed directly with its Scottish secretary.”
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon speaks at the STUC conference in Aviemore. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday April 24, 2017. Ms Sturgeon cast the general election as a straight fight between her own party and the Conservatives north of the border
THE Scottish Trades Union Congress is facing questions about its independence after the scale of its reliance on SNP Government funding was revealed.
Leaked documents show that the STUC, which speaks for nearly 500,000 workers, received around 60 per cent of its income from Nicola Sturgeon’s Government last year.
The £2.6 million in public funding far exceeds the sum paid to the STUC in fees from its own members.
Meanwhile, the GMB union, one of the umbrella group’s biggest members, said in a statement that they had raised concerns about “transparency and accountability in the running of the STUC”.
Founded in 1897, the Glasgow-based STUC acts as the voice of the trade union movement and lobbies Government for policy changes. It represents the interests of members in 39 unions and 20 trades union councils, and is financed by affiliation fees.
Although the STUC is not aligned to a political party, the body had a high-profile role promoting devolution in the 1980s and 1990s.
However, senior trade union figures told this newspaper that the STUC, led by general secretary Grahame Smith, was too reliant on the Scottish Government and had lost its way.
The STUC is now facing questions about its relationship with the Government and the financial model on which the organisation is based.
Unlike the TUC – its UK sister organisation – the STUC is under no obligation to make its annual financial statements available outwith affiliated unions.
A spin-off firm, STUC Training Ltd, publishes accounts, but a detailed picture of the income of the body is not in the public domain.
According to documents presented to the annual congress in Aviemore this year, the STUC and its training arm had a combined income of around £4.3m in 2017. Of this sum, less than 25 per cent came in the form of affiliation fees from trade unionists.
The biggest chunk of cash, £2.3m, was given to STUC Training Ltd by the SNP Government for the “Scottish Union Learning” initiative, which promotes skills and lifelong learning. Funds through the scheme are provided to the STUC, which distributes resources for different projects to help union members.
Another budget line also shows that the STUC received £324,440 from the Government for the “Union Modernisation Fund”.
This new pot was announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as a way of mitigating what she described as Tory legislation that “threatens” the unions. For every pound received by the STUC in 2017, around 60p came from the SNP Government, whose policies the civic body attempts to influence.
One critic of Smith’s leadership said the STUC had offered occasional criticism of the SNP Government, such as questioning rates relief for small business.
However, Smith is a member of the First Minister’s Standing Council on Europe and he backed the SNP Government position in the row over a Brexit “power grab” of Holyrood powers. The STUC also provided a mild quote in response to the findings of the SNP Growth Commission, a report that was widely criticised by figures on the political Left.
Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The trade union movement is a vital part of public life and the defence of workers’ rights. They should always be utterly independent both of management and of Government. So to learn that the STUC gets the majority of funding from the Scottish Government puts that independence into question.
“They should be a champion for trade unions and of working people above all things, but many have been concerned that they have seemed to have pulled their punches recently over criticising the SNP Government on things like the austerity proposed by the Growth Commission.”
Scottish Tory MSP Bill Bowman said: “The STUC is curiously quiet when it comes to criticising the Scottish Government.
"Perhaps it’s a case of not biting the hand that feeds you.
“If the SNP Government is bankrolling the STUC, that explains why the organisation is so reluctant to question SNP decisions. No such problem seems to exist in relation to the UK Government.
“There’s a blatant conflict of interest here, and one which raises serious questions about the STUC’s ability to function transparently and responsibly.”
A senior trade union figure said: “This is a serious situation for the STUC. Relying on external funding from the Scottish Government not only undermines the future sustainability of the organisation, it places a significant question mark over their ability to scrutinise and challenge Scottish Government policy making.”
Separately, the STUC also faced criticism after an employment tribunal ruled that a staff member had been victimised by selecting him for redundancy.
The STUC failed to have the ruling overturned in an appeal and is in line for a hefty legal bill.
The Sunday Herald asked some of the STUC’s biggest affiliates for a comment on the tribunal case, but most did not provide a comment.
However, a spokesperson for GMB Scotland, one of the country’s biggest unions, said: “The judgment is troubling – victimisation in the workplace isn’t acceptable.
The statement added: “On numerous occasions we have raised our concerns about transparency and accountability in the running of the STUC, to defend the jobs and conditions of the staff we represent within the STUC and for the organisation’s ability to campaign effectively on behalf of all its affiliate members in future.
“GMB Scotland will continue to seek to address those concerns through the internal processes of the STUC.”
An STUC spokesperson said: “The funds received by the STUC from the Scottish Government are to fund learning and development projects run by our affiliated unions that provide learning opportunities for over 9,000 trade union members every year.
“These projects make a significant contribution to upskilling and reskilling the workforce and to our shared objective with the Scottish Government of achieving a more inclusive economy.
“The STUC is not dependent on Scottish Government funding. If this funding was not provided, thousands of low-paid, low-skilled workers would be deprived of the opportunity for personal and professional development.”
On the GMB criticism, the spokesperson said: “There are multiple opportunities available to all of our affiliates to ensure we remain transparent and accountable, principally our Annual Congress which elects and holds to account our General Council on which members of the GMB serve.
“Concerns raised by the GMB, which align with the specific issues mentioned above, have already been addressed directly with its Scottish secretary.”
Giz A Job! (28/08/18)
The Sunday Herald ran a rather embarrassing story about the Scottish TUC recently with a report that its general secretary Grahame Smith, who has had very little to say about the fight for equal pay in Scotland over the past 12 years, has enough time on his hands to hold down not one, not two - but three extra jobs.
Now I don't know if Grahame is having three Weetabix every day for breakfast, but who cares because it's a terrible look for Scotland's trade union movement.
So the time has come to 'Step aside, brother' - if you ask me.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16599644.stuc-general-secretary-in-row-over-extra-three-jobs-on-top-of-union-role/
STUC general secretary in row over extra three jobs on top of union role
By Paul Hutcheon The Sunday Herald
SCOTLAND’s most senior trade union figure is topping up his salary with three paid posts in the public sector.
Grahame Smith, whose salary package at the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is believed to be close to £70,000, earns extra on account of sitting on Government-linked boards.
He took on one of the jobs after the organisation’s then vice-president backed a campaign calling on male trade unionists to stop occupying multiple positions.
Smith became STUC general secretary in 2006 and leads a body that acts as the voice for hundreds of thousands of trade unionists. Over the decades, the STUC has been at the forefront of campaigns for equality, redistribution and social justice.
However, a senior union figure told this newspaper there is unhappiness over the additional roles Smith has accepted on top of his day job. Smith has numerous unpaid positions, such as serving as chairperson of Scotland Europa, but he has also agreed to various remunerated roles.
Sitting on the board of Skills Development Scotland (SDS), a quango, the Strathclyde Universitygraduate is entitled to another £6,240 a year for two days a month. He can also claim a daily rate of up to £250, plus appropriate expenses, for time devoted to duties associated with membership of the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board.
In July, Smith was appointed by Cabinet Secretary John Swinney to the board of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, which pays him £4,739 a year for 23 days per annum.
Months earlier, Public and Commercial Services Union national officer Lynn Henderson, who at that point was also vice-president of the STUC, issued a “step aside, brother” call to male trade unionists.
In an article on International Women’s Day, she wrote: “Are you a man occupying multiple union positions? Are you a man that has held leading officer posts for years? Are you a man who is a regular union conference delegate?
“Are you a man who is always first to sign up to a union activity? Hand up first to speak at meetings, Brother? Yes? Then I am asking you to Step Aside, Brother.”
She called on males to ask themselves: “Is it really necessary or in the best interest of our movement that I hold all these offices? Is there, perhaps, by stepping aside from just one of my positions, I can create space for and bring on someone on?”
Henderson, who is now STUC president, added: “Step Aside, Brother does not seek to subvert union democracy, undermine political leadership or ‘take out’ individuals.
“Step Aside Brother is a big ask to men in our movement to make an individual and conscious act to grow the movement for the future.” Scottish Tory MSP Annie Wells said: “Perhaps the STUC president needs to start her campaign right at the top of the organisation.”
An STUC spokesperson said: “All members of public bodies are appointed in a personal capacity by Scottish ministers, following a transparent public appointments process and in line with the Scottish Government’s requirements for gender balance on public bodies.”
SCOTLAND’s most senior trade union figure is topping up his salary with three paid posts in the public sector.
Grahame Smith, whose salary package at the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is believed to be close to £70,000, earns extra on account of sitting on Government-linked boards.
He took on one of the jobs after the organisation’s then vice-president backed a campaign calling on male trade unionists to stop occupying multiple positions.
Smith became STUC general secretary in 2006 and leads a body that acts as the voice for hundreds of thousands of trade unionists. Over the decades, the STUC has been at the forefront of campaigns for equality, redistribution and social justice.
However, a senior union figure told this newspaper there is unhappiness over the additional roles Smith has accepted on top of his day job. Smith has numerous unpaid positions, such as serving as chairperson of Scotland Europa, but he has also agreed to various remunerated roles.
Sitting on the board of Skills Development Scotland (SDS), a quango, the Strathclyde Universitygraduate is entitled to another £6,240 a year for two days a month. He can also claim a daily rate of up to £250, plus appropriate expenses, for time devoted to duties associated with membership of the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board.
In July, Smith was appointed by Cabinet Secretary John Swinney to the board of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, which pays him £4,739 a year for 23 days per annum.
Months earlier, Public and Commercial Services Union national officer Lynn Henderson, who at that point was also vice-president of the STUC, issued a “step aside, brother” call to male trade unionists.
In an article on International Women’s Day, she wrote: “Are you a man occupying multiple union positions? Are you a man that has held leading officer posts for years? Are you a man who is a regular union conference delegate?
“Are you a man who is always first to sign up to a union activity? Hand up first to speak at meetings, Brother? Yes? Then I am asking you to Step Aside, Brother.”
She called on males to ask themselves: “Is it really necessary or in the best interest of our movement that I hold all these offices? Is there, perhaps, by stepping aside from just one of my positions, I can create space for and bring on someone on?”
Henderson, who is now STUC president, added: “Step Aside, Brother does not seek to subvert union democracy, undermine political leadership or ‘take out’ individuals.
“Step Aside Brother is a big ask to men in our movement to make an individual and conscious act to grow the movement for the future.” Scottish Tory MSP Annie Wells said: “Perhaps the STUC president needs to start her campaign right at the top of the organisation.”
An STUC spokesperson said: “All members of public bodies are appointed in a personal capacity by Scottish ministers, following a transparent public appointments process and in line with the Scottish Government’s requirements for gender balance on public bodies.”
