THE leader of the UK's trade union movement has praised “brilliant” campaigns against zero-hours contracts by young Scottish workers.
Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Frances O’Grady said Better Than Zero had revitalised unions in Scotland.
The group campaigns against zero-hours contracts, particularly in sectors overrepresented by young people.
O’Grady said the Scottish Trades Union Congress-backed campaign gave a voice to “isolated” and exploited young workers.
O’Grady said: “The STUC’s Better than Zero campaign has brilliantly exposed the insecurity faced by so many young workers in Scotland, namely being at the sharp end of low pay and modern insecure work patterns.
“Using practical support for young workers, the campaign has engaged many who would otherwise have been isolated in today’s fragmented world of work.
“These issues came up time and time again in our work, too.
“While many would like to progress in their careers, workers in low-paid industries tend to have few opportunities to develop skills, gain a higher salary and increase job satisfaction. The barriers to young workers improving their lives at work are structural rather than individual. Supporting young workers to gain the confidence to organise collectively could help tackle some of these barriers.”
O’Grady made the remarks in the forthcoming edition of the Scottish Left Review - an influential labour movement publication.
She also praised the STUC for its participation in the Scottish Government's fair work convention aimed at boosting employment rights.
She said: "In Scotland, the STUC has been pivotal in establishing meaningful social dialogue and the fair work convention.
"Union membership in Scotland is the second highest in the UK nations and English regions, after Wales."
Meanwhile, it was announced that O'Grady will deliver the Jimmy Reid Foundation's annual speech this year. The foundation is a left-wing think tank set up in memory of the late trade union leader Jimmy Reid
O'Grady's lecture on September 27 at Glasgow City Chambers will be on whether Scandinavian-style social democracy represents a progressive future for the UK after Brexit.
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