STUC elects its first Black President

At the 120th Congress in Aviemore, the STUC elected Satnam Ner from Prospect trade union as President. Satnam Ner, a Radiochemistry Manager at Babcock International Group and a long-serving member of the STUC Black Workers' Committee and the General Council, will be the first Black President of the STUC.

Satnam Ner with Grahame Smith. Fraser Band photography.

Grahame Smith, STUC, General Secretary said: “It is an absolute pleasure to welcome Satnam Ner as President of the STUC. He is a dedicated and extremely hard-working trade union representative who has given so much to the trade union movement in Scotland. It has been a long time coming but it gives me great pride to see a Black trade unionist hold the presidency, and reflects the diversity and strength of activism within our movement.”

Satnam Ner, STUC President said: “This is an important period for the trade union movement in Scotland. With the upcoming general election, and with the results of the Brexit negotiations putting further strain on our already struggling economy and with racism and anti-immigration sentiment on the rise, there has never been a more important time for trade unions in Scotland to have a strong voice.

“Precarious and insecure work scars our economy. Poverty is rising and real wages are stagnating. The austerity agenda is failing in its own terms and does nothing but dampen our economy and starve our public services of the funding they so desperately need. Decent work, fair pay, fair taxation, better resourcing for public services and a proper industrial strategy, all need to be prioritised in the coming period. Without a focus on these issues, workers could well see their living standards fall.”