Tracy Gilbert – Usdaw Regional Secretary for Scotland says: “We are deeply concerned by the vast developments in workplace technology and automation in Scotland in recent years. Prior to the pandemic, automation was expected to cost Scotland 230,000 jobs over the next decade. Recent figures highlight the acceleration in automation with an estimated nine in ten employees needing to retrain by 2030.
“The Scottish Government’s Flexible Workforce Development Fund offers an opportunity to deliver the skills necessary to adapt to these changes. However, we are clear that in its current form the Fund is failing to help employers access a much higher portion of their Apprenticeship Levy contributions.
“We are clear that we need a new deal for workers based on comprehensive skills training, strengthening trade union rights and high quality, secure employment. At the moment it is too easy and too cheap for employers to make workers redundant as a result of the introduction of automation systems; this needs to change. We are looking for the support of conference delegates for this proposition.”
Usdaw is calling on the Scottish Labour Party to commit to:
- Significant and long-term investment in skills funding, including coordination of skills and adult education budgets across Scotland.
- Removal of the current single site restrictions and an increase to the cap placed on individual firms.
- A review of the Retail Modern Apprenticeship to ensure a more agile and adult friendly system that fully supports adult apprenticeships.
- Promote positive action to tackle under-representation, including calling on employers to report on what actions they are taking to promote inclusive training and skills provisions.
- Supporting a legal right to paid time off for retraining to encourage greater digital skills.
- Supporting a requirement under UK legislation for employers to consult on new technology, including the use of Equality Impact Assessments which employers must act upon.
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
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