Moray TUC

Talk by David Blair, Secretary of Moray Trades Council

About the area

  • Moray is in the Scottish North East lowlands as it transitions to the highlands.

  • Main industries: whisky distilling, offshore oil & gas, tourism, public sector, a large RAF base, farming, forestry, fishing, and a significant amount of small and medium enterprises.

  • Transition issues: It is an energy rich area; in Moray Firth there will be 4 GW of wind energy offshore which is enough to power the whole of Scotland on average day. It is privately owned or owned by state owned companies of other countries.

  • One of highest levels of fuel poverty: high number of off grid homes, low wages, draughty rural properties, cold winters, almost no local retrofit companies.

  • Oil and gas is reducing but it is death by a thousand cuts rather than one big hit.

Activities

  • Campaigned with the relevant unions against cuts to Moray college jobs. This qualifies as Just Transition as subjects such as construction, business and accounting, engineering, STEM subjects, are all needed for a just transition. A Just Transition research project to map future training needs locally was done at the college but the courses would no longer be available. This illustrates that bread and butter stuff often takes on a Just Transition element.

  • Participated in Climate Camp Scotland.

  • Partnered with Moray Climate Action Network to put on a screening of Everything Must Change.

  • Attended the first Moray Climate Conference with Unite’s No Ban Without a Plan material, etc.

  • Policy development responding to consultations, etc. For example they responded to the Moray Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy arguing for municipal owned local district heat networks rather than privately owned. This was included in the final document.

  • The Scottish Parliament Economy Committee held an enquiry into a just transition for the North East and Moray. Most of the evidence sessions in Edinburgh with one in Aberdeen and none in Moray. The Aberdeen evidence didn’t mention workers once. Moray TUC supplied a written response as they couldn’t attend any of the evidence sessions.

  • Proposed STUC congress motions. Unlike the rest of Great Britain, Trades Councils have full rights in Scottish TUC. Amended a GMB motion that was promoting hydrogen for home heating. They have a motion this year highlighting the importance of Trades Councils in Just Transition campaigning and planning and calling for regional plans to be developed by workers and communities.

  • Moray Climate Action Network is a bridge to getting people involved, but a barrier is getting branches to affiliate.

Key points from Q&A and discussion

  • Moray TUC has around 12 regular activists. 15-20 on good days plus some non affiliated people who assist, such as going in to high schools to talk about trade unions. This is not atypical for trades councils. Meetings are open to all trade unionists and not just affiliates.

  • Climate activists represent themselves but trades councils need to represent trade unions. There often is insufficient time to consult affiliates so they use trades council delegates to respond quickly. The delegates represent branches but not all branches meet regularly. Moray TUC also look at existing union policy and base replies on that.

  • There are sectors that are relevant to Just Transition but they are not all well organised in trade unions. There is also a problem as trade unions cannot organise in industries which do not yet exist, e.g. retrofit insulation. There is currently no recognition in offshore wind. Trades councils are currently arguing for recognition and that union recognition should be a condition for giving licenses.

Resources and links