Tony Doonan – Usdaw regional secretary for Scotland says: “We are deeply concerned by the vast developments in workplace technology and automation in Scotland, coupled with the lack of the introduction of safeguards to protect workers. Prior to the pandemic, it was predicted that automation could result in 230,000 job losses across Scotland during this decade. More recent figures highlight the acceleration in automation, with an estimated nine in ten employees needing to retrain by 2030. The Flexible Workforce Development Fund offered an opportunity to deliver the skills necessary to adapt to these changes. Regrettably, the Scottish Government’s withdrawal of funding to this programme will result in reduced delivery of quality apprenticeships and training programmes for workers.”
Usdaw is calling for the immediate implementation of the following provisions, to ensure workers are adequately trained to take advantage of the future world of work:
- Significant and long-term investment in skills funding, including coordination of skills and education budgets across Scotland.
- A review of the Retail Modern Apprenticeship to ensure more accessible and transparent access to training and skills.
- Positive action to tackle under-representation of disadvantaged groups, including calling on employers to report on what actions they are taking to promote inclusive training and skills provisions.
- The development of robust sectoral plans to support skills development across the whole of Scotland.
- A legal right to paid time off for retraining to encourage not just specialised skills such as data science, but greater overall digital literacy as well as broader skills development across the workforce.
- Support a requirement under UK legislation for employers to consult on new technology, including the use of Equality Impact Assessments which employers must act upon.
Tony Doonan continues: “We welcome the new legal duty requiring employers to prevent sexual harassment arising in the workplace. Recent research into the scale and extent of sexual harassment in workplaces in Scotland demonstrates the necessity of the new legislation. We also welcome the inclusion by the Westminster Labour Government in the Employment Rights Bill of the requirement for employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment, and the reintroduction of specific protection from third-party harassment. These are measures trade unions and women’s rights organisations have long campaigned for. Standalone protection from third-party harassment is vital as studies show that where the perpetrator is a third party, workers, predominantly women, are even more reluctant to report incidents. The EHRC have a crucial role in monitoring and enforcing the new preventative duty. Without their scrutiny and intervention, the new duty could be limited in scope and success, as currently a worker cannot bring a standalone claim for either third-party harassment or for a failure to take preventative steps. Trade unions together with other key stakeholders also have a key role in establishing what preventative steps employers are taking now that the duty has come into effect, and monitoring their effectiveness.
Usdaw is asking Congress delegates to call on the STUC to:
- Continue to give the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace a high priority, recognising that sexual harassment is a form of violence against women and girls, and to share best practice.
- Work with affiliates and employers to build a broad understanding of what sexual harassment is, the traumatic impact it has on those who experience it, and on society more generally, the scale of the problem, and its causes – so that we can reduce and prevent the harms together.
Tony Doonan concluded: “We are deeply concerned about the challenges facing retail and high streets in Scotland. Last year, several major national retailers permanently closed stores and cut jobs. The retail sector is the largest private sector employer in Scotland, providing 241,000 jobs and 9.5% of employment. We are calling for consistent and sustainable funding for Scottish local authorities, so they can invest in their local economy, transport networks and high streets. This includes supporting the high street as a key element of town centres.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
For further information please contact Usdaw’s Media Officer, David Williams on: 0161 249 2469, 07798 696 603 or by e-mail to [email protected]
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion