Nicola Sturgeon Election 2017

I was caught by surprise. That is what you call an own goal by a

politician. Thank you very much for your introduction. It is undoubtedly

a sign of the importance of the movement in Scotland that I am here

today. It is a real pleasure to be here today. Let me begin by

congratulating the award winners we have just celebrated. There is no

doubt that the achievements have made a real difference to people's

lives in workplaces across the country, but they have also helped

to further the values of the trade union movement. What we have just

celebrated today in handing out these awards are just a few of the

many outstanding examples of the important work that is done by

unions and by union Brett is right across the country. That work is one

of the many things that makes trade union so vital to our economy and

the kind of society that we are. Today, there are politicians, too

many politicians, and voices in the media, perhaps too many, who say

that politicians should shy away, the government should shy away from

building strong relationships with the trade union movement, that

somehow we should be embarrassed by those links. I think that is flatly

wrong. It is the relationships and partnerships we have that are so

essential to building the kind of country we want Scotland to be said

the relationships and partnerships between government and the trade

union movement is something we should be proud of in this country,

never, ever embarrassed by. APPLAUSE. That is relevant to what I

want to talk about today because I want to talk about some of the ways

that the Scottish Government is works with the S TUC to make

Scotland a fairer and more prosperous country to live in. But

first I want to talk, as you would expect me to do, but the important

decisions that Scotland faces in the weeks ahead because we are of course

at the start of a general election campaign, a campaign called by the

Prime Minister last week for one purpose and one purpose only, to

strengthen the grip of the Tory party and crush dissent and

opposition, and to do so before possible criminal prosecutions for

alleged expenses fraud at the last general election catches up with

her. Whatever else happens in this election, we should not allow the

Tory party to escape the accountability for any misdemeanours

that may have led to them buying the last general election. APPLAUSE. But

the question that confronts us today, and because of the general

election it is an urgent question, is what kind of country do we want

to be? Over the next few weeks, different parties will obviously set

out the competing visions for the future of the country and one of

those visions, the Tory vision, should be ringing alarm bells loudly

and clearly across Scotland right now because, make no mistake, and it

is obvious to see the hardliners have taken over the Tory party, and

now those Tory hardliners want to take over the country as well. It is

no surprise that Ukip right now is losing support to the Tories because

the Tories are threatening to take the UK in the direction that, a few

years ago, Ukip could only have dreamt about, but it should alarm

all of us, and whatever our politics, we should style up against

the rightward drift of the country that the Tories are determined to

affect. We know from long experience that there has always been a cost to

voting Tory, but the price this election has never been higher, and

it will be those that are least able it will be those that are least able

to pay that price who will be the biggest burden. The Tories will

impose a double hit on Scottish families and communities, they will

make Scotland a poorer country and more unfair, unequal society. You do

not have to just take my word for that, resolution foundation think

tank issued its annual audit of living standards and said this,

particularly tight squeeze poorer households will see incomes for and

is set to drive the biggest rise in inequality over the Parliament since

Margaret Thatcher's talent Downing Street. They go on to say the

unequal impact of the squeeze is a result of government policy of tax

and benefits. Much of the political debates in the UK right now is

dominated by Brexit and our relationship with Europe is of huge

importance to the kind of country we will be but the hardline Tory plans

for post-Brexit Britain are about more than our relationship with

Europe because they see many of them as a means to an end, and the end

that too many Tories, too many in the current UK Government is a low

tax, low-wage, low regulation UK. We already know that exit will hit

wages and jobs, leaving the single market will cause damage to our

exports, it would jeopardise the inward investment that creates jobs

and limit our ability to attract and retain those citizens that

contributes so much to our society in workforce. The Treasury has said

Brexit will leave the whole of the UK permanently poorer, but there is

more at stake. EU legislation currently guarantees rights, it sets

baseline standards when it comes to health and safety and treatment of

agency workers, provides important protection against discrimination

but now the Tories are threatening to walk away entirely. I changed

economic model is presumably what the former Chancellor will when he

said, Brexit gives us the opportunity to finish the job that

Margaret Thatcher started. That would be a catastrophe for

Scotland's communities, and even with a small majority, the Tories

have brought in the shameful rape clause.

With the Tory government with a bigger majority, our social security

system, so many depend upon, will never have been in greater danger.

We see, just over the last weekend, even the triple lock pension

protection is under threat. The Tories are starting the think they

can do whatever they want and get away with it. Despite saying she

would seek UK approach to triggering Article 50, the Prime Minister

rejected the Scottish Government's plan. She announced unilaterally

with no consultation that the UK would leave the single market, no

matter the cost of that. As a result, Scotland faces the prospect

of being taken out of the EU against our will. I know that we share the

same concerns as the S TUC and want to see many of the same solutions.

How many of us could honestly look at workers in the eye and say we

trust Theresa May's Tories with a minimum wage, employment rights or

equalities law? I know I couldn't. Far from seeing an overdue crackdown

on zero hour 's contracts, for example, that we should see from the

UK Government, we would be more likely to see a erosion of workers'

rights in a way that is dangerous and unacceptable. When it comes to

migration, of course there are challenges that must be addressed,

but we cannot stand by and watch EU citizens living here in Scotland,

deprived of their rights, nor can we allow the Tories to shut the door of

this country to a valued workforce in a way that would risk shutting

the doors with many of our businesses or driving away workers

from our public services. That would be an act of economic self harm and

would damage all of us. But more than that, it is wrong, and

politicians need to have the courage to stand up and say so. I can tell

you that the SNP and the Scottish Government supports the six key

demands the S TUC is making today, and we will keep fighting to bring

those powers to Scotland at the earliest opportunity. It has never

been more important. For people to think clearly and ask ourselves this

question, how can we best protect Scotland from the hard-line Tories?

That is why the next few weeks will be so important for our future.

Faced with the prospect of a Prime Minister who, in her own words,

wants to strengthen her own hand to deliver the Brexit that she wants,

it is more important than ever that we have strong voices in Westminster

and once the terms of Brexit are clear, the people of Scotland should

have a choice about our own future. In addition to protecting our

relationship with Europe, the Scottish Government is also working

with the trade union movement to meet the other challenges our

country faces. We are still recovering from the global downturn

and the implications of that we saw in the video earlier on. UK cuts to

public spending have armed growth, our public services and our social

security system and, as a result of that, too many people find

themselves in jobs that of the two little stability or security. There

are other longer term issues facing our economy. The need to raise

productivity, to adapt to the requirements of a knee jerk

population, to ensure everyone can earn a decent living as more jobs

become automated and to manage the move to a more low carbon economy.

The Scottish Government has taken steps to meet those challenges and

seize the opportunities. We have supported the establishment of

innovation centres, bringing together universities and businesses

to make sure we remain at the forefront in areas of huge and

growing economic importance, biotechnology, oil and gas and data

science. We made investment in infrastructure, transport projects,

the Aberdeen bypass and the Edinburgh Glasgow rail improvements

to our broadband programme which is on track to deliver broadband access

to 100% of homes and businesses by 2021. We have taken every

opportunity to sport a vibrant green economy and that has helped us

become a world leader in renewable energy. But we know that one of the

most important thing is any of us can do to build a stronger economy

is to tackle inequality. The evidence is clear the greater

inequality has a negative impact on economic growth and that is why

creating a more equal society is and always will be at the heart of our

economic policy, and we know from experience and evidence and research

that strong trade unions play is hugely important roles in helping to

achieve that. The research is clear, that more levels of union membership

reduces pay and it weakens health and safety protection, not just for

union members, but for society as a whole. That is why we value trade

unions and the contribution you make to our economy. It is why we were so

opposed to the UK trade union act. That legislation represents a direct

threat to unions, the fundamental rights of workers and the

collaborative approach we seek to take here in Scotland. Let me

reiterate again today, the SNP's support the immediate repeal of the

trade union act. In the meantime, we have sought to

limit the negative impact of the act and over the next year we will

provide an additional ?250,000 to that found. It will ensure trade

union reps are not needlessly diverted from their most important

role, supporting members and promoting fair work practices. Where

the Scottish Government has the power or the discretion as an

employer, we will not invoke the provisions of the act against trade

unions. We will ensure... We will ensure that Chekhov remains and is

not delivered at a cost which were penalised trade unions and we will

ensure as an employer the minimum notice for industrial action is

required. We should be in no doubt at all. The Tories' legislation is

designed deliberately to trade unions. It is designed to cast you

as the enemy. You are not the enemy. You are our partners. At times you

are critical partners, at times you are very critical partners, and that

are vital partners. So my pledge to are vital partners. So my pledge to

you is that we will always stand with you because working together we

can build a better society and that is our objective. It is because of

that, just mitigating the trade union act is not enough. We want to

work with you to build a fairer country. For example, the government

and the ST UC have agreed to work together on a project examining the

impact of technological advances in the labour market because we know

that will be one of the key issues affecting the workforce in coming

years. It is vital that government, unions and employers work together

to understand and adapt to the implications. That kind of

partnership approach underpins our fair work convention. The convention

brings together representatives from unions and the public, private and

third sectors to help shape and drive our agenda for fair work. The

living wage is a big part of that agenda. The Scottish Government was

the first government anywhere in the UK to pay the fare living wage and

wherever we can we use procurement to extend its use in public service

contracts. More and more Scottish organisations

are becoming living wage employees. When I spoke at this Congress two

years ago there were hundreds of 50 companies signed up to the

accreditation scheme, today more than 780 organisations are signed up

and we intend to get that to a thousand by the autumn of this year.

-- to 1000. We also have got 350 companies signed up to our business

pledge, companies committing themselves to good employment

practices. One of the values, that the pledge sheet is to encourage, is

gender equality in the workplace. That is a major focus of the fair

work agenda. We know that we need to close the gap between the proportion

of men and the proportion of women in the workforce. Our commitment to

double free childcare will help achieve that by removing what we

know is one of the main barriers that prevents women returning to

work. We also want to address the lack of women in senior positions,

which is wily to this year we will legislate to enjoy gender balance on

public sector boards. -- which is why later this year.

APPLAUSE As you all know, there are

employment inequalities across all the protected characteristics as

well, like race and disability, I can announce today that through our

new workplace quality bond we will provide an additional half ?1

disparities. That money will go to disparities. That money will go to

groups who can demonstrate that their efforts will help people

overcome barriers to employment. That is quite a small, but

potentially hugely significant way in which we can address a major

economic and social issue. It is in keeping with the broader

principles of the trade union movement by ensuring that everyone

in society is able to flourish everybody in Scotland will benefit.

Since the very outset of devolution, since the establishment of the

Scottish Parliament in 1999 D has worked to make Scotland a more equal

country, you have helped the country, you have helped the

Scottish Parliament legislate the social progress and you have been at

the vanguard of making workplaces more productive and protecting

people in Scotland from the worst effects of posterity. As I said at

the outset of this speech, this is a challenging time for Scotland, we

just faced the prospect of a Brexit implemented by an out-of-control

hardline Tory government, but through all of the challenges we

have faced and all of the challenges we will face, our trade union

movement remains a source of huge strength to our country, not just to

the thousands and thousands of trade union members, but to the country as

the hole. I want to end by blue where I started the thanking you for

all you do, you make a hugely positive contribution to this

country of our analyst to pledge that as long as I leave the Scottish

Government we will continue to work with you to make Scotland a fairer,

more prosperous and more equal nation. I wish you every success for

the rest of Congress. Thank you very much, indeed.

APPLAUSE