STUC health and safety award for UNISON’s Scott Donohoe

Scott Donohoe
Scott Donohoe receives the award from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon along with STUC general secretary Grahame Smith

#STUC16 Scott Donohoe, UNISON Scotland health and safety chair, has been presented with this year’s STUC Frank Maguire Award for Health and Safety.

Scott has been health and safety officer for Glasgow City UNISON for 14 years and is seconded from his employer, Glasgow City Council and is passionate about health and safety, an interest that has seen him play a leading role in his union’s work on health and safety as well participating in the Hazards movement in Scotland, the United Kingdom and Europe in his own time.

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary said: “Scott Donohoe is an outstanding example of the difference trade union members can make in delivering safer and healthier workplaces. However, in Scott’s case he takes it a step further, playing a leading role in the Hazards movement at home and abroad.

“Scott ensures that he supports UNISON health and safety representatives in Glasgow City Council developing campaign helping Unison organise around health and safety, such as his work to protect workers and seek trade union recognition in the SECC using health and safety failures as leverage to recruit and grow membership.

“Scott provides support and advice for workplace reps to resolve issues at the earliest possible stage avoiding harm members and costly damages actions for employers.

“However, he is never afraid to challenge employers particularly around stress at work and has developed a specialism in challenging adverse ill health retiral decisions for UNISON members. At a time when the United Kingdom is attacking facility time for trade union reps Scott provides a perfect example of why agreed trade union facility time is vital for unions and employers”.

On receiving the award, Scott spoke of the respect for Frank Maguire who the award commemorates. He thanked the union for its support and rounded on the potential effects on union rights and freedoms in the Anti-union Bill. Delegates applauded as he said: “This is a fight we must win.”

Patrick McGuire, Thompsons Solicitors said: “Scott is a great ambassador for health and safety and his work for his union, UNISON, and the wider health and safety movement is immense. He fully deserves this credit and Thompsons is proud to support the work of Scott and his colleagues in setting up the Scottish Hazards Centre to assist injured workers disenfranchised from the protections afforded by trade union membership while at the same time encouraging in them to join”.

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