The Scottish Government has taken two steps which begin to open up a divergent path from that of how industrial relations are conducted elsewhere in Britain (especially in England). The first concerns the establishment of the Fair Work Convention and the second concerns renewing and expanding the Memorandum of Understanding with the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC). Both developments begin to replicate – albeit in a limited way – the kind of social partnership more commonly practiced in many continental European countries. But they also strain the traditional relationship between the unions and the Labour Party as both developments have been initiated by the Scottish National Party (SNP).
The Fair Work Convention was established following the report delivered by the Working Together Review which the Scottish Government commissioned. Membership of the Fair Work Convention comprises representatives from unions and private and public sector employers. Created as a stakeholder body to provide leadership on Scottish industrial relations and promote the principles behind fair work, it will encourage dialogue between unions, employers, public sector bodies and government. More specific
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