Dundee TUC
Talk by Mike Arnott
Local context
City of 150,000 people
Historically engineering and textiles, now biggest employers are local authority, health, and university (although they’ve announced 600 redundancies - struggle for local trade unions)
Glyphosate campaign 2020
2020 campaign with local Extinction Rebellion to lobby Dundee City Council to stop using glyphosate for spraying weeds and pests like Japanese knotweed
As well as killing plant life, it can cause irritation of the eyes, throat, skin and nose along with burns and digestive issues. Glyphosate has also been linked to cancer, kidney and liver damage, and disruption to the endocrine and reproductive systems. Its use is opposed by GMB, Unite and Unison.
Trades council sent out a press release pointing out that 3 major unions employed by council had policies opposing.
Didn’t get a ban but they reduced use by 90% and have to monitor it going forward
COP 2021 Dundee TUC Four Point Policy Document
Dundee TC is affiliated to Scottish TUC, document draws on STUC Environment Policies as well as own. Used as a challenge to themselves and to local government, but not getting much engagement now.
STUC Climate Policy: The climate crisis is a social justice issue. The climate emergency has been created by unregulated capitalism. Transport and energy are both pivotal to climate transition and must be particular targets for strategic public ownership.
Dundee TUC Policy Statement on Housing: Investing in new heating and insulation strategies. Improved insulation of roofs, walls and windows, retrofitting radiators, underfloor heating, air and ground source heat pumps and solar. Young people taking up apprenticeships and employment in the construction, electrical and heating trades. Dundee’s Construction Fair Work Charter. A preliminary estimate of the cost of this programme would be £250M over the next ten years.
STUC Policy on People’s Recovery: The private sector has shown itself woefully inadequate to meet the challenge of the crisis and there is no prospect of a green recovery without massive public sector intervention.
Dundee TUC Policy Statement on Free Public Transport: Powers for public control and delivery of bus services are contained in the 2019 Scottish Transport Act. For the first time since 1986, we have a chance to take control of our public transport but there is a fight to make sure that local authorities and both willing and able to make use of these in practice.
Green economy and transition campaigns
Oil a focus of concerns in Scotland. Recently started fabricating offshore wind turbines in Dundee harbour, but previously they were built elsewhere. Turbines erected in Fife were built in Thailand and shipped over despite having a suitable factory nearby because no licence was granted from Scottish government.
Grange Mouth chemical refinery closing with 400 job losses, using as a fuel importation facility. Unite campaigning for it to be used for green aviation fuel. No action from government.
Bus Campaign
Take Back Our Buses campaign video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy8e-2M24t0
2019 Scottish Transport Act gives the chance to take control of public transport for the first time since 1986, but there is a fight to make sure that local authorities are both willing and able to make use of those.
If you want to take over the buses, you have to purchase the buses, you have to set up your own infrastructure and management team and a management structure to be able to run the buses. But the Scottish government has been unwilling to facilitate even though that element exists within its own 2019 legislation.
COP 26 march and rally - 2021
COP 26 took place in Glasgow. Demand from environmental groups and COP Coalition Tayside to hold an event in Dundee. Held a march and rally the day before.
2024 Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Campaign, Dundee City Council
Campaign to get countries, organisations, local authorities, and parliaments to sign up to a fossil fuel, non-proliferation treaty.
Motion was passed by Trades Council
Teamed up with the local Dundee branch of the Global Action Network and lobbied the Council through a press campaign
In December, Dundee City Council took the decision to back the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Now trying to get Scottish government to back it
Key points from Q&A and discussion
Interested in comments re. Housing retrofitting; unsure if Westminster fuel poverty strategy is currently consulting on this and is considering raising the amount of emphasis placed on retrofitting. Idea of good green jobs and satisfied citizens with warm homes by contrast with reality. People in Burnley went for govt grants to get houses insulated but got a bad service, problems with damp, unable to sue and now faced with legal bills due to solicitor folding. Insufficient housing AND massive financial issues. Private sector market gets flooded with bad work, so public sector employees would be a much more secure bet for quality work. Any traction in Dundee? Other TCs raising this?
Yes - Edinburgh, Glasgow and some others based on STUC policy
Scottish & Southern Electricity said 40k properties in Dundee (more than half) required energy saving investment
Local direct labour organisations are democratic, in recognised trade unions, equal opportunities policies that allow for e.g. women to be encouraged into construction (private sector sucks at this)
No private investment in Orkney offshore power scheme?
Big channel between mainland and Orkney is the most potentially tidally productive channel in Europe and possibly the world
Investment very poor despite efficiency and unobtrusiveness of HEP
Danish government is the biggest investor
Could Dundee model of lobbying various levels of govt be effective elsewhere? LAs in e.g. Lancashire are worried about closing due to reorganisation of local govt. Ability to lobby local govt is limited. Blackpool was Tory until most recent election, now Labour, but Reform is now second party. National movement is against us; what can we do? Things to do with workforce? NHS hospital trust - high carbon footprint; potential impacts of climate change on service provision (e.g. no access for workers to get to work, power outages). Schools? LAs?
Horses for courses - a lot of STUC activity is directed at Holyrood not Westminster unless in cases of a UK-wide campaign
You don’t always have to ask councils to do something, only support it - you can then point at those agreeing that it’s a good idea. 3 years ago Dundee City Council recognised a state of Palestine. Tokenistic decision but you can say “they’ve done it, why can’t we”
What has been Dundee TUC’s relationship with climate groups, e.g. XR? Have there been any joint actions?
Fossil Fuel Treaty was a joint with Global Justice Now Dundee branch
Buses campaign - Dundee Pensioners Forum
Might be useful to remake those contacts and ask who’s doing what
Notts council is nearly all Labour but also nearly bankrupt so no resources, so TCs actually fighting the council to stop cuts. Carbon Neutral 28 was meant to make Nottingham the first carbon neutral city in the UK but this has been quietly rolled back. Energy Coop in Manchester has ideas about mobilising and empowering communities by bringing them into strategy and finding more resources. Used to have a public health group linking health and environment but now that groups have been migrated into local govt they get cut along with everything else.
Money for certain things in Dundee - lined up with Scotland’s Eden Project to redevelop an area near the city centre for some kind of ecological project, potential opportunity to leverage that investment to get more action
SNP doesn’t like criticism and won’t break ranks. No questions ever asked and all vote en bloc on every issue
Important to have debates around different issues like nuclear, arms factories. Build a culture where workers can discuss how society and production should be organised and where to place investment. Framed as being a debate about workers’ voices but it’s not always easy to get past union execs to rank and file workers. Can we support TCs with developing process and local plans?
Resources and links
Powerpoint Presentation by Mike Arnott