Greens back unions and a four-day week

The Scottish Government should require trade union recognition and end “precarious” employment practices on public contracts, Patrick Harvie has said.

Speaking on the first day of the Scottish Green Party conference, the party’s coleader set out a number of measures for a “green New Deal for Scotland’ s workers”.

Mr Har vie also said ministers should encourage a four- day working week and collective wage bargaining.

Speaking via an online livestream, he told the conference: “There is no doubt that we could do more in Scotland with our £11 billion of public procurement every year.

“We need to be innovative and to push the boundaries so that we can go beyond encouragement, and require trade union recognition, no use of tax havens or precarious employment practices, and fair pay.

“The evidence shows time and time again that reducing working hours while maintaining pay increases productivity and wellbeing,” he said.

“It’ s a win-win for workers and employers, and the only barrier to delivering it is habit, and in many workplaces a culture of presenteeism.

“For many, Covid is already forcing them to question this culture. Now is the time for us to deliver the change.”

Ahead of Holy rood elections next year, he said only the Scottish Greens are committed to “redressing the imbalance of power between employers and workers”.

He said Scottish Labour are “scrapping with the Tories for a shrinking share of a declining antiindependence vote”, while trade unions have argued for a second referendum.

He added: “While Nicola Sturgeon will give TED talks about creating a wellbeing economy, she has never come close to saying what that really means, and the SNP isn’t standing up to the vested interests, challenging the decadeslong dominance of a failed free-market economy.”

He said the SNP had failed to attach “fair work” conditions to publiclyfunded grants and loans offered to business.

Asked about new, smaller parties who intend to run next year, he said the Greens had shown a “track record” since devolution.

“Many people who support independence do think the SNP need to be pushed beyond their comfort zone,” he said.

CULTURE CHANGE: Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP wants a “New Deal”.