SCOTLAND’S largest trade union body has urged politicians to “take the shackles off workers” if far-right populism is to be defeated. 

Kicking off their annual Congress in Dundee today, the STUC’s general council has submitted a motion calling on the union body to “commit campaigning and staffing resources” on tackling the far right.

It also calls on it to “hold a specific trade union wide event during 2025 to further build these strategies.”

STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “If we ever hope to defeat the far-right populism that has infected our politics and our communities, then we must take the shackles off workers. To do so, we must raise standards: the standard of living, the standard of our public services and the standard of our political discourse. 

“Political parties espousing the messages of the far right have gained a foothold in our communities and unions are ideally placed to counter their racism disguised as populism.”

Ms Foyer said that the union body “will commit the full weight of Scotland’s trade union movement behind strategies to counter the far right,” if the Congress approves. 

“That means organising in workplaces and communities across the country, defeating the divisive, damaging rhetoric of fascism and ensuring that we build an economy that represents the interests of working people, not those with privilege or wealth,“ she said.

“Simultaneously, we will be taking a hard and critical look at whether we are doing enough to challenge these ideas within our own ranks and calling on other civil society and community organisations to do the same.

“Collective action is key. We can lead but others — the politicians, parties, community groups and others — must follow. It’s a fight we don’t intend on losing and our Congress today will make that message loud and clear.”

The strategy call comes after the unions, civic groups and politicians met last week in a summit called by the Scottish government on democratic resilience.

STUC Congress, the largest gathering of trade unions throughout Scotland, is expected to discuss further motions regarding building on Labour’s New Deal for Working People and rebuilding Scotland’s public services. 

The Congress is set to hear from First Minister John Swinney later today.