An alliance of Scottish human rights campaigners is to tell the United Nations that the British Government is guilty of multiple breaches of rules on economic, social and cultural rights.
The UK Government's plan to abolish the Human Rights Act is strongly criticised. Scotland is criticised too, for breaches including the alleged awarding of public contracts to firms which have been found guilty of blacklisting employees who raised safety concerns or were trade union members.
However the group says the Scottish Government can take a lead using devolved powers, and calls for a human rights committee to be established at Holyrood.
The group represents more than 150 organisations and individuals including unions, charities, academics and faith groups, and is in Geneva to present a report on the Scottish and UK Governments’ records, ahead of a formal hearing next year at a UN Committee responsible for an international covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The covenant lacks legal backing in the UK, and the group warns that Westminster is moving in the wrong direction over the human rights act and a bill to further restrict trade unions.
The report says: “There is a climate developing in the UK which is increasingly hostile to human rights being enjoyed by us all equally and that creates an environment where injustice, poverty and exclusion grow."
It adds: “There is a leadership role for the Scottish Government and Scottish parliament to be ambitious and establish a Human Rights Committee at Holyrood.”
The group is calling for the Scottish Government to ensure judges, sheriffs, medical staff and public servants are trained to take account of human rights, and says the Scottish Human Rights Commission should be given powers of investigation.
It suggest the UN examine the lobbying act which it says has had a 'chilling' effect on charity campaigning and and amend bill attacking the unions. The UK Government should abolish fees for employment tribunals and UK Government should assess all welfare cuts on human rights terms, to ensure members of the public have access to rights to justice and social security, it adds.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government should ensure public contracts are not given to companies which have blakclisted employees for raising health and safety concerns, and both governments should do more to improve pay and working conditions.
The meeting in Geneva is expected to discuss topics including children's rights, benefit sanctions and union rules, as part of an ongoing assessment of Britain's compliance on human rights.
Mary Alexander, Deputy Scottish Secretary of Unite said: “The right to strike and to protest are fundamental human rights which should be respected in a free and democratic society. The UK Government’s Trade Union Bill will impose severe restrictions on trade unions.
“We are confident after presenting our case that the UK Government will be found guilty of multiple breaches contained in the UN Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural rights."
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