Contents 27/5/03:

• Fireworkers Dispute
• Scottish Employment Rights Network
• Scottish Parliament
• New Employment Rights - Employment Tribunal representation
• Anti War Campaign - Images of Protest
• Connections: Scotland - Ireland
• International Worker's Memorial Day - 28/4/03
• Ray Wolff Memorial Trust

Scottish Employment Rights Network (SERN)

The Network is serviced by Edinburgh TUC. For the network a Newsletter for May 2003 has just been published. The articles are:

* New Holiday Pay Rights

* Redundancies and employers use of ' skills matrices '

* Dependant Care Leave - EAT Decision

* Risk Assessments and Disability Discrimination

* Tribunal costs of £ 3,000 awarded against applicant

The Fireworkers Dispute

Edinburgh Trade Union Council has fully supported the Fireworkers in their fight for a decent wage settlement and was represented on many marches and rallies. Here are two images from a march and rally earlier this year in Glasgow.

EMPLOYMENT LAW

The Employment Appeal Tribunal has its own website that lists all its decisions.

INFORMATION ON EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS

The National Association of Citizen Advice Bureaux have set an information web site that covers the full range of advice that is offered by CABs. It includes a useful section on employment law/ rights.

EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL REPESENTATION

Edinburgh TUC can now offer advice, support and representation to the public on Employment Tribunal applications. Representation is usually on a no win - no fee basis. For further information contact Edinburgh TUC on 0131 556 3006 or email.

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

The Scottish Parliament is on line. There is a news section. All the MSPs ( Members of the Scottish Parliament) have individual email addresses.

Edinburgh TUC has written to the Edinburgh MSP's calling for a dialogue between our local MSP's and local trade unionists and their organisations.

Edinburgh TUC has suggested that the dialogue take place at a public meeting during the second half of September 2003.

THE ANTI WAR CAMPAIGN - IMAGES OF PROTEST

- assembling in Glasgow Green for the monster march and rally on 15th February

- peace campaigners assemble in Glasgow Green

- on the march the Edinburgh Stop the War Campaign banner & the EIS banner

- the campaign continued after war started in March. Here there is an image of the mass sit down protest
in Princes Street, Edinburgh

- looking in the other direction during the sit down protest

Connections: - Scotland and Ireland

On a recent visit to Dublin the Secretary of Edinburgh TUC made a point of visiting the Memorial
to James Connolly, the Irish trade union and labour movement leader. The Memorial is situated across
the street from Liberty Hall which used to be the headquarters of the Irish Transport & General Workers Union.

James Connolly was brought up in Edinburgh and, at the turn of the century, was a delegate to Edinburgh Trade Union
Council.

International Workers Memorial Day - 28th April 2003

The Day was marked in Edinburgh by a ceremony around the Memorial Tree in West Princes Street Gardens.

The purpose of the Day and the ceremony is to remember all those who have been killed and injured in accidents at work over the last year. Participants also pledge to continue to campaign for better health and safety conditions at work.

The Ray Wolff Memorial Trust

Edinburgh TUC has received a bequest from the estate of Ray Wolff to set up a charitable Trust to promote education and training amongst trade unionists. This purpose includes health and safety education and training. It also includes the development of international links between trade union organisations.

Edinburgh TUC will shortly be circulating a leaflet about the Trust around the local trade union and labour movement. The leaflet will invite people and organisations to make contributions to top up the Trust and to remember it when people consider their legacies.

* Ray Wolff came to Edinburgh as a refugee from Nazi Germany. Many of his relatives died in concentration camps. Ray served as a delegate to Edinburgh TUC from his union branch ( now AMICUS -MSF Edinburgh General Branch ) for over forty years. He served for a long time as a member of the Council's Executive Committee and as a Trustee. He served as the President of Council.

He made a great contribution to the local trade union and labour movement.

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