The severe weather experienced across Scotland early in 2018 had a severe and prolonged impact on workers and businesses. Many workers were unable to get to work; some were prevented from working; and those with caring responsibilities were also affected. This Charter has been developed jointly by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), providing a set of guiding principles to support employers and workers to plan for and manage the impact of severe weather.
November 2018
This report by Professor Phil Taylor analyses the responses of 510 contact centre workers in Scotland and the hazards they face from exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the disease Covid19. Extensive evidence of serious dangers, including no or inadequate social distancing, face-to-face contact, hotdesking, problems with HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems. The report combines primary evidence with a critical review of including an extensive literature consisting of reports, academic articles, practitioner and government guidance. It concludes with an extended discussion section exploring the implications, Finally, a recommendations' chapter identifies important steps that should be taken to ensure contact workers' safety.
June 2020
More than 1400 people completed STUC’s survey about travelling to work in adverse weather conditions during the ‘Beast from the East’ between 1-6 March 2018. The results show that respondents who had a trade union representative to speak to were more likely to be satisfied by their employer’s response; there is a lack of clarity about essential services; and ‘non-direct’ public sector staff, such as cleaning, catering, and support staff were badly impacted. This suggests a disjoint between what different levels of Government are saying publicly and what is happening in practice.
March 2018
The Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council Bill was introduced to Parliament by Mark Griffin MSP on 8 June 2023. If passed, the private members bill would create the Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council (SEIAC) to advise Scottish Ministers on Employment Injuries Assistance (EIA).
September 2023
