UNISON branches are taking part in Green UNISON Day activities on 13 September.
The initiative comes at a crucial time following a summer of growing evidence of the impact of climate change around the world, including heatwaves, flooding, wildfires and ice loss.
Meanwhile, MSPs will soon begin scrutiny of the new Climate Bill. UNISON, with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and many others, wants to see major improvements to the Bill.
In particular, we want it to put the new Just Transition Commission onto a statutory basis and UNISON is working on this with the Just Transition Partnership.
Local, national and international work on tackling global warming and the importance of Just Transition will be discussed by UNISON members for Green UNISON Day. A range of different branch action on climate change and green workplaces will be on offer, with individual ‘Green Workplace Pledges’ for use at work and on social media.
Branches can use the guide, already circulated, for ideas, and perhaps hold a Ten Minute Talk at a meeting or on a stall, to kickstart conversations with members. There is a PowerPoint presentation to use, if helpful, with notes. (See Resources below.)
On social media, please share pledges you make, using the hashtag #GreenUNISON and let us know what your branch is doing.
If you are a member reading this who doesn’t know what your branch is doing, ask them! And/or download a pledge to print off, write your pledge in, and share on social media.
All members are welcome at our informal Green Network meetings. The next is in the UNISON Scotland office in Glasgow at 12.45pm on Saturday 15 September. We have a speaker Kathrin Hartmann, who is a German journalist and author, in Scotland this month speaking about the film The Green Lie, which she worked on. It looks at ‘greenwashing’ and corporate hypocrisy and is one of the films that UNISON is supporting in the Take One Action Film Festival.
One of many other things members reading this can do to support action on climate change is email your MSPs to strengthen the Climate Bill.
Resources for Green UNISON Day:
Green UNISON Day Guide
Poster (can print A3 or A4)
Blank poster for adding branch info
Blank Green Workplace Pledge
Sample Pledge (Cycle to Work)
Ten Minute Talk PP (can print notes pages from this if req’d)
Ten Minute Talk notes
Image for FB/Twitter