AT A TIME when communities across Scotland are feeling the strain of a cost-of-living crisis, pay that doesn’t make ends meet and a political climate that feels increasingly polarised, it has never been more vital that we stand together against racism and the growing threat of the far right.

That’s because when folk are facing economic precarity with resource scarcity, the poisonous claws of those who wish to divide us on race, religion, ethnicity and more, start to gain a hold.

The STUC St Andrew’s Day March and Rally has always served one purpose above all: to show that Scotland’s working people reject division, hate and scapegoating. It is a day rooted in solidarity.

The origins lie in the struggle against fascism and the virulent racism of groups like the National Front, who tried to weaponise Scotland’s national day in the 1980s.

Their narrative and story are the same one as is told today: to turn neighbours against one another and to push a warped vision of our nation being desecrated by those not originally from our shores.

Trade unionists, black and Asian community campaigners and ordinary working people refused to let that go unchallenged. They organised, they marched and together they reclaimed St Andrew’s Day as a celebration of working-class unity.

It’s been that way ever since.

Sadly, the threats we still face are real. We have to be clear that this isn’t just a battle for our online spaces – we’ve arguably lost that battle.

On an almost daily basis, we’re seeing the right stoke fear around migration and around conspiracy theories and division masquerading as “patriotism.”

We’re seeing active Facebook groups talking about raising flags but in doing so lowering societal standards on acceptance and respect for their fellow neighbour.

These standards are especially lowered when economic hardship is exploited to pit workers against one another instead of against the unjust system that keeps so many struggling.

But just as we have done before, Scotland’s trade union movement is organising, not only nationally but in every community where racism and far-right activity threaten to take root.

Across the country, local people are refusing to be silent. In Falkirk, Inverness, Clydebank, Dumfries, Dundee and beyond, trades union councils and community groups are building the networks that push back against hate. They are leafleting, rallying, educating and offering the most powerful antidote to division: solidarity in action.

That includes the newly announced United Workplaces fund from the Scottish government and the STUC. The project aims to support trade unions to promote equality and diversity in the workplace, tackle discrimination at work and looks set to reach over 1,000 participants across 10 trade union initiatives.

These efforts often go unreported, but they reflect the true spirit of Scotland. It is not found in slogans or on the shoulders of those who seek notoriety through hatred.

It is found in ordinary people who show up to protect their neighbours. It is found in workers who stand side by side in defence of dignity and equality. It is found in trade unionists who know that unity is not just a slogan for a march, but a way of life.

When people feel powerless, the far right grows stronger. The trade union movement offers another path: one based on hope, collectivism and the understanding that we all do better when everyone does better.

That is why our message this St Andrew’s Day must be loud and clear — racism will never have a place in Scotland. We will not tolerate attempts to divide us by colour, faith, nationality, or immigration status.

We will fight for a Scotland where everyone who lives here — everyone who contributes, cares, works, learns and grows here — belongs here.

To our political leaders, we say: join us in that fight. Not just in words, not just on platforms, but through action.

First Minister John Swinney, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and all others attending the rally: your presence matters. As does your commitment.

We implore you to stand firmly behind our calls for stronger anti-racist action in workplaces, in schools, in legislation and in community investment that fosters unity rather than neglect.

Scotland has a proud tradition of resisting hate, but traditions mean nothing if they are not renewed by each generation. The responsibility now lies with all of us - trade unionists, politicians, communities, and every person who believes that humanity is stronger than hostility.

This St Andrew’s Day, let us march to defend that belief.

Roz Foyer is general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress.