Trades Union Councils

Trades Union Councils are local groups of trade unionists. They are elected from trade union branches whose members live and/or work in the area. Trades Union Councils are often referred to simply as Trades Councils (TCs).

Trades Councils promote effective solidarity in disputes, joint campaigns on issues such as health, education, welfare and transport, and, in general, provide the vital link between the workplace and the wider working-class community. Trade union branches affiliate to their local TC on the basis of a small annual fee per member. Trades Councils are affiliated to the STUC, send delegates to its Congress and are represented on the STUC General Council.

19 Trades Councils are affiliated to the STUC for session 2024/5.

What do Trades Councils do?

Trades Councils campaign locally, often organising May Day and International Workers Memorial Day events.

Trades Councils promote effective solidarity in disputes, joint campaigns on issues such as health, council budgets and cuts, education, welfare and transport, and, in general, provide the vital link between the workplace and the wider working-class community.

For example, in 2023, local Trade Union councils, led by the Paisley Trades Council, and union members from across the region travelled to Erskine in a show of solidarity with asylum seekers living in the area. The asylum seekers had been subject to harassment and protests from various far-right groups who tried to develop a base in the community. In May 2023, over four hundred trade unionists and activists were present at a community event. Other events have included community barbeques, sports sessions and demonstrations in support of refugees and asylum seekers.

Following this, we supported local union activists and Trades Councils to successfully campaign against the far right who were planning a demonstration in Elgin. An excellent response from the Moray Trades Council ensured that a small number of far-right activists, from outside the town, were massively outnumbered and swiftly sent packing.

Trades Councils and the Trade Union Movement

Trades councils are the local trade union movement! They can be called upon by any trade union branch to show strike or other dispute solidarity, which could be via a picket line, media publicity or a financial appeal. National Trade Unions can promote their priority issues more effectively when local Trades Councils assist with publicity, leaflet distribution, recruitment, and speakers at meetings.