Practice what you preach

The Church of Scotland is being urged to think again before ratifying a report which would break official links with Unite at its General Assembly in Edinburgh today (May 22).

The Central Service Committee of the Church has moved to terminate a long-standing union recognition agreement, covering around 230 members of staff.

A staff association would then be introduced in its place, though Unite have called on the Kirk to ‘practice what it preaches’, given its clear call for trade unions to lead the fight against austerity.

Employment relations deteriorated last year when the CSC walked-out of collective bargaining negotiations and imposed a flat rate pay award for every employee from an ÂŁ80,000 budget.

Unite has long argued the Church’s lowest paid employees should be the main beneficiaries of the modest pay proposals.

The Church now intends to allow the long-standing agreement with the union to expire next Monday (May 25).

“In these times of economic fragility where austerity has hit low-paid workers extremely hard, civic Scotland needs to work in an interdependent manner,” said Unite deputy Scottish secretary Mary Alexander in response to the developments.

“Indeed, the Church’s blue book calls for a collaborative effort with trade unions to respond to the challenges of austerity.

“Our message to the General Assembly is clear,” Alexander added. “Trade union de-recognition is not the act of a progressive organisation or employer and it is incompatible with a genuine social justice agenda.

“If we are to build a fairer, more equal and more just nation then we need to practice what we preach and the Church of Scotland can do this by restoring trade union recognition and collective bargaining arrangements for its staff.”