STUC general secretary Roz Foyer called on Scotland’s labour movement today to “be unapologetic” in its demands for a “fairer nation.”

Ms Foyer opened her address to the annual STUC Congress by pointing to the role of trade unionists in facing down the far-right threat in communities and the workplace.

“I want to pay tribute to the work being led by our fantastic trades councils across Scotland,” she said.

“Our movement has been out in communities, having conversations and showing people that by uniting and coming together, we can build positive change locally.

“Whenever equality and diversity come under attack, our movement is there to defend it.”

Turning to the theme of this year’s gathering, Workers United: Demanding Better, she continued: “We know that when we stand united with communities across Scotland, as we did last October in our march and rally with the Poverty Alliance, that trade unions, faith groups, community groups, anti-poverty campaigners and front-line providers form a very powerful coalition.

“Because every cut made, every promise broken, every missed opportunity to act kills off people’s hope and trust in politics.

“It poisons our democracy and is a gift to the far right.”

Accusing the Scottish and British governments of “dodging the difficult questions and the radical decisions on public ownership, on tax, on wealth and on income,” she added: “For too long, political cowardice has been allowed to rule and, for too long, our communities have been failed by those unwilling to deliver the change that ordinary people need.

“That means raising the taxes needed to close the £5 billion funding gap, not cutting 20,000 public-sector jobs and calling it efficiency savings.

“We have the resources to build a fairer nation, one that offers real security for our people. We call on the politicians to make that their mission. 

“Not through flag-waving, not through scapegoating, not vague promises, not nostalgia for a past that never was. We demand better than that. 

“So let’s be proud, let’s be loud, let’s be unapologetic in our demands to build a fairer nation. We’re no longer going to accept the script being written for us by the bosses, the billionaires.

“We, the workers of Scotland, need to be the authors of our own destiny and now is the time to start writing our story.”