Organising and protecting migrant workers
rights
 UNISON
will build upon the good practice already evident in Scotland
engaging with and recruiting migrant workers and will support
a program of ratification of International labour Organisation
Convention 143 and United Nations Convention 1990 on the protection
of the rights of all migrant workers and their families regardless
of status.
Scotland has been at the forefront on leading campaigns to welcome
migrants to our country - Overseas Nurses Network; a refugee learning
project funded by Home Office supported and mentored by UNISON
stewards; and leading campaigns against racism.
Pat Rowland, said "The UK relies on migrant workers. Far from
being the scroungers and the criminals which the prejudiced would
have you believe, they make a valuable contribution to our economy
and ethnic and cultural diversity to our society. They fill vacancies
in skilled jobs such as doctors and nurses and a plethora of less
skilled manual posts."
"Scotland has an acute interest in migrant workers as for years
it has suffered from trickling emigration which threatened to
see the population fall below 5 million. In the last couple of
years Scotland has encouraged and enjoyed a net influx of people,
many from the former countries of Eastern Europe, who have come
to work and pay taxes if the economic health of Scotland is to
improve further, more new Scots are needed and the need is recognised
by the Scottish Executive through its Fresh Talent policy."
"Unfortunately this policy seems at odds with the UK Government
being hell bent on meeting targets to discourage immigrants and
forcefully remove those seeking asylum or who come in by the backdoor.
We should welcome migrants as an enhancement to our workforce
and grant them the same legal rights as every other worker in
the UK."
Hamid Rasheed, Perth & Kinross Local Government, said "Labour
migration is a natural phenomena - it's not an immigration issue
- it is time to shift the debate to set focus on migrant workers'
rights.
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Workers memorial day
UNISON is to push for recognition of 28th April, Workers' Memorial
Day as a National Day of Remembrance of workers who have died.
In Britain, more than 250 are killed at work and thousands seriously
injured each year.
Tom Clark, South Lanarkshire Local Government said "In Scotland,
we particularly remember the men young and old killed in the Piper
Alpha Rig in the North Sea, commemorated on a plaque in Strathclyde
Park. We say a silent prayer as we walk past."
"We commemorate the mainly women of Stockline Plastics, blown
up at their work leaving many kids without a mum or dad. We go
back in history and remember the Blantyre miners killed in the
pits of South Lanarkshire."
"Let us every year commemorate our dead. But let us continue
our struggle to make workplaces safe for our living."
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