Harvie to kick off Greens conference with workers’ rights call

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie will kick off the party’s conference with a call to improve workers’ rights.

At the launch of the conference in Edinburgh on Friday, he will set out his vision for a “green New Deal for Scotland’s workers”.

Harvie will call for all companies who receive public grants in Scotland to recognise trade unions, eliminate precarious contracts and pay at least the real living wage.

The conference is being streamed online and takes place between Friday and Sunday.

Harvie will say: “As we rebuild from the pandemic, and as we approach our last chance to avoid a climate catastrophe, we need to tackle poverty and build an economy that supports people and planet, not those who hoard their wealth in tax havens.

“To do that, we need to ensure workers get their fair share. We need to create and retain skilled and high-quality jobs in Scotland.

“Our New Deal for workers would rebuild the public sector to reverse the erosion of rights, restore wages and the dignity of work and end zero-hour contracts.

“It would put workers and unions centre stage in driving a transition to a zero-carbon economy and creating quality, unionised and well-paid green jobs.”