Greens will ensure trade unions on board of every company getting public money
The Scottish Greens will mandate worker and union representation on the boards of companies receiving significant public funding.
This is part of a raft of measures the party will introduce to advance worker’s rights, including new mandatory conditions for companies who receive public contracts, grants or economic development funding.
These conditions would include ending the use of exploitative zero-hours contracts and ‘fire & rehire’ practices, action to close gender pay gaps and investing in workforce development.
Green MSPs recently secured changes which make these actions mandatory for colleges and universities in Scotland. Now the party is working to expand this to all organisations who receive large amounts of public money.
The Scottish Greens have also previously ensured that companies who receive public sector grants and support are required to pay their workers at least the Real Living Wage. This has boosted the pay of many workers across Scotland.
Party co-leader Ross Greer said:
“If there is one thing that dodgy employers are terrified of, it is unionised workers who know their rights.
“Unions have been the single most important force for improving the pay and conditions of generations of workers and forcing an end to some of the worst employment practices in our history. That's why the Scottish Greens would make sure their voices are heard in boardrooms across Scotland.
“Democracy shouldn’t stop at the door of the workplace. Decisions about wages, working conditions, and company strategy should all have workers’ voices at their heart. That needs workers to be in the room in the first place. When workers have a voice things change for the better.
“The Scottish Government may not have power over employment laws, but it does have power over how it spends public money.
“With the Scottish Greens every major contract and penny of public money would be used to boost workers rights."
Ross added:
“It was the Green MSPs who secured a real living wage for all public sector contractors.
“We will build on that to ensure that public funding only goes to companies who value their workers and who will drive up terms and conditions. Giving those workers a seat at the table is the least that their employer can do.”
