As the Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Scotland today, the Scottish Trades Union Congress warns of further constitutional unrest if economic issues are not faced

July 23rd 2020

As the Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Scotland today, the Scottish Trades Union Congress warns of further constitutional unrest if economic issues are not faced

July 23rd 2020

Roz Foyer, General Secretary of the STUC stated:

“Johnson's jolly to Scotland won't dispel the gloom that's setting in as thousands hear the news that they have lost their work.

“The scale of the economic crisis we are facing is huge. Rather than insult the people of Scotland with his ignorance, he should focus his effort onto announcing concrete plans to rebuild our economy.

“He knows that economic unrest will find a channel in constitutional demands, and he is right to be worried. People in Scotland know how closely politics and the economy are interlinked, as the slump starts setting in across the sectors in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

“Extending the furlough scheme, all across the UK, would massively help many industrial sectors such as hospitality weather the coming storm.

“Investment in a proper Green New Deal would create the environmentally friendly jobs and economic boost that our workers and hard-struck communities are desperate for.

“For far too long, the government and employers have undervalued the kind of work that coronavirus has shown to be of utmost importance. An increase in the minimum wage to £10 an hour, and an additional £2 an hour for all key workers who have kept us safe during this catastrophic pandemic, would be a start in righting the wrongs of the past.

“Boris won't be so jolly once he starts to see how workers in Scotland respond in the wake of his woeful response.”

ENDS

For more information, please contact Rachel Thomson, Campaigns & Communications Officer, on 07974966227 or rthomson@stuc.org.uk.