Glasgow City Council and Unite the Union Local Government Pledge

That the Parliament welcomes the announcement that Glasgow City Council’s leader, Gordon Matheson, has become the first Scottish council leader to sign Unite the Union’s local government pledge; understands that the pledge demonstrates Glasgow City Council’s continuing commitment to engage and work in partnership with its trades unions to protect jobs and public services and welcomes the efforts of both council and unions to avoid compulsory redundancies in the face of budgetary cuts and financial pressures; considers Glasgow City Council to already have a strong reputation of working with trades unions to safeguard high quality public services, promote secure and stable jobs and fair employment; recognises that Glasgow City Council was the first local authority to guarantee the living wage for its employees and to promote payment of the Glasgow living wage as well as showing opposition to blacklisting and to exploitative zero-hours contracts when awarding contracts; congratulates Glasgow City Council and Unite the Union on the agreement of the pledge, and encourages Scottish local government to work in partnership with the trade union movement to protect the local and vital public services on which so many Scots rely.