THE STUC has overwhelmingly backed a move to a biennial Congress from next year, despite concerns expressed by trade councils.

Although a similar motion was defeated last year, 89.9 per cent of Congress backed the change today as part of a wider constitutional overhaul.

An STUC spokesperson said: “Moving to a biennial Congress not only follows best practice within our movement, it allows the STUC the space and scope to fully campaign on the demands of Scotland’s workers, including delivering high-quality jobs, investment in public services and building a proper industrial strategy for Scotland.”

Trades councils had voiced concerns that no longer meeting annually could diminish their influence at Congress, with North Lanarkshire TUC delegate Drew Gilchrist branding it a “retreat.”

He said: “It creates a large democratic deficit within our structure that disproportionately affects trades councils and smaller unions.

“Promises from the general council to hold more conferences and engagement events are not concrete. They create an advisory system within the STUC, where once we could annually hold the movement to account and push policy on peace, anti-fascism, housing and other issues.”