JOHN Swinney will call on the UK Government to fully support Scottish industry when he addresses the STUC Congress.
The First Minister will tell delegates in Dundee on Monday that UK industrial interventions cannot stop at the Border, and UK ministers must show “willingness to intervene” on key Scottish sites.
Referencing the nationalisation of British Steel, but reluctance from Westminster to save the Grangemouth oil refinery, Swinney will tell the conference: “Put bluntly, UK industrial support cannot stop at the Border.”
It comes as the STUC will call for a unionwide strategy to tackle the far-right, and urge politicians to “take the shackles off workers” to defeat far-right populism.
Roz Foyer, STUC general secretary, will say that standards need to be raised in living conditions, public services and political discourse, to tackle the threat from the right wing.
It comes after Swinney convened a cross-party summit to discuss tackling the rise of the far-right in Scotland.
Speaking at the congress, Swinney is set to say: “At a recent roundtable I hosted with business and trade union leaders, I welcomed the recognition that we need to adapt to the changing economic landscape.
“We must ensure we have the highly-qualified and skilled workforce needed to make Scotland an attractive place to invest - and investors need to know what we expect in terms of fair work and workers’ voice. My government will do its utmost to make that happen.”
He is expected to say that the UK Government must “also play its part” and develop industrial strategy for the whole of the UK.
“Stepping in to save British Steel in Scunthorpe – an industrial site of national significance – is commendable,” Swinney is understood to tell the conference.
“The Scottish Government is committed to securing a just transition for Grangemouth, with the workforce at its heart. So, if British Steel is to be nationalised to protect its future, there must be a willingness to intervene to secure the future of Grangemouth.
“We need the UK Government to take action to minimise the potential harms from the current volatile economic situation. This includes the removal of the self-imposed economic straitjacket of the chancellor’s fiscal rules, working more closely with the EU and reversing the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions.
"And there must be a willingness to intervene to protect key Scottish industrial sites. My Government recognises the importance of doing so and we will be willing partners in acting to protect Scottish industry in tough times."
Swinney will address the congress on Monday, with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar giving a speech on Tuesday.
Ahead of the event, Foyer (below) has said that “collective action is key” to tackling the rise of the far-right.
“To do so, we must raise standards: the standard of living, the standard of our public services and the standard of our political discourse.
“Political parties espousing the messages of the far right have gained a foothold in our communities and unions are ideally placed to counter their racism disguised as populism. Subject to Congress approval, we will commit the full weight of Scotland’s trade union movement behind strategies to counter the far-right.
“That means organising in workplaces and communities across the country, defeating the divisive, damaging rhetoric of fascism and ensuring that we build an economy that represents the interests of working people, not those with privilege or wealth.
“Simultaneously, we will be taking a hard and critical look at whether we are doing enough to challenge these ideas within our own ranks and calling on other civil society and community organisations to do the same
“Collective action is key. We can lead but others – the politicians, parties, community groups and others – must follow. It’s a fight we don’t intend on losing and our Congress today will make that message loud and clear.”
