As Scotland continues to ease lockdown restrictions, organisations including the Institute of Directors (IoD), Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI), Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC), Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) have signed a statement underlining the collaborative approach needed between employers, unions and workers to ensure workplaces can operate safely.

The Fair Work Statement ensures that organisations will commit to work that offers all individuals an effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment and respect. It balances the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers and generated benefits for individuals organisations and society as a whole.

Jamie Hepburn, fair work minister, said: “There is no doubt that Scotland’s economy faces an enormous challenge as we emerge from the coronavirus crisis. However, I firmly believe that with employers across all sectors of the economy working in partnership with unions and workers we can use the crisis as an opportunity to build fairer and more inclusive workplaces.

“In March we published a statement of Fair Work Principles, setting out our high expectation for keeping fair work at the heart of our national response to COVID-19 during lockdown. Now, as these restrictions continue to ease, we must maintain the momentum we have started to build, ensuring collaboration between workers, employers, representative groups and trades unions.

“This new statement will help employers and employees make decisions that are in everyone’s interest as we carefully reopen the economy. I have been deeply impressed by the work already done in this area, and I want to offer my sincere gratitude to workers and employers for reacting with such agility and dynamism to the challenges thrown up by the pandemic.”

Malcolm Cannon, IoD national director, Scotland, added: “It is absolutely critical for the recovery of the Scottish economy that the Government works closely with Business Organisations, and the IOD is happy to support this fair work initiative.”

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