Unite welcomes Forestry Commission announcement
13th March 2009
Unite the union which represents hundreds of Foresty Commission
workers has today welcomed the Scottish government's announcement
to abandon proposals to lease up to 25 per cent of Scottish
woodlands to private companies.
Unite, the UK’s largest trade union, has also reiterated its
call for the Scottish government to also abandon its proposals to
scarp the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) which protects
the terms and conditions and sets the wage levels for 25,000
workers in Scotland's agricultural sector.
The campaign to preserve the SAWB has further intensified
following the UK government's decision to consolidate its support
for the retention and continued development of the Agricultural
Wages Board in England and Wales.
Unite Scottish regional secretary, John Quigley, said: “We
welcome the announcement of the Scottish government to abandon the
proposal to privatise Scotland's forests. This will provide a
greater degree of security for those working in the industry
particularly in this difficult economic period. However, the
Scottish government worryingly only realised the folly of the
proposal after a long and sustained trade union campaign.
“Unite urges the Scottish government to also drop the proposal
to abolish the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board which protects
25,000 workers particularly in our rural communities.
“The UK government recognises the unique conditions facing
agricultural workers and the need for a collective negotiating body
- so why is Alex Salmond intent on driving down the pay and
conditions of Scottish agricultural workers to the absolute
minimum? We ask the Scottish government on this issue to also think
again.”
ENDS
For further information contact Andrew Brady on 0141 248 7131 or
Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420 8914 or
07980 224761
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