Disabled workers are to be consulted about their views on assisted dying legislation —  with a view to establish a “clear policy position”.

The Scottish Trade Unions Council (STUC) will discuss the issue at their Disabled Workers’ Conference in Clydebank today. 

A motion submitted by UNISON calls on the STUC to “develop and conduct a study of disabled workers’ views in Scotland to foster an informed discussion.” 

An estimated 436,400 disabled people were employed across Scotland in 2022. 

STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer believes trade unions must tackle assisted dying head on, and commit to being informed by their disabled members.

“The introduction of assisted dying legislation raises profound ethical, social, and moral questions but this is an issue the trade union movement shouldn’t shy away from,” she noted.

“It is imperative we amplify the voices of disabled workers whose personal experiences must be front and centre of any legislation regarding assisted dying."

Roz FoyerRoz Foyer (Image: Andrew Milligan) Carol Wood, Chair of the STUC Disabled Workers’ Committee, said that disabled workers “continue to face systemic discrimination and societal bias.”

She noted: “The discussion around assisted dying legislation must overcome this bias and be approached with care and diligence. Our utmost priority is the safety, dignity, and autonomy of disabled people and their views must be heard.

“Our committee is determined to ensure this debate reflects the values of equality and justice, ensuring that no one is left vulnerable to coercion or neglect. We will bring forward the voices of our conference and ensure Parliaments do not rush through life-changing legislation without the explicit input of our disabled workers’ movement.”

Foyer added: “The trade union movement will fight to ensure that no abuse, harm, or undue pressure befalls disabled workers because of any legislative changes. This is an emotive subject but it’s one our movement must shape. 

“We pledge to do so with respect, courtesy and candour but never forgetting the rights and voices of disabled workers’ must be central within the debate.”

The discussion comes as the UK Parliament is poised to vote on an assisted dying bill proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. The House of Commons will consider the bill’s second reading on the 29th of November, the first vote on such legislation in nearly a decade. 

The government has declined to take a position on the legislation, and MPs have been instructed to vote their conscience.

Leadbeater told the BBC that the bill, which will require those applying for assisted dying to gain approval from two doctors and a judge, has "the strictest safeguards anywhere in the world".

Those seeking assisted dying would be permitted to change their mind at any time, and crucially, must administer the lethal substance themselves.

It would also become illegal to pressure anyone to end their life.

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However, opponents fear the legislation would create serious unintended consequences for vulnerable communities, including those with disabilities. 

In a rare show of cross-bench solidarity, the two longest serving MPs, Labour’s Diane Abbott and the Conservative’s Edward Leigh, have urged their colleagues to vote against Leadbeater’s bill, expressing fears that there has not been enough time to properly scrutinise the proposed legislation.

Abbott and Leigh wrote in The Guardian: “Evidence from elsewhere suggests those most at risk when assisted suicide is legalised are vulnerable minorities.

“Such people, unlike privileged elites who are used to exercising autonomy over every part of their lives and who can afford good-quality social and palliative care, are most likely to resign themselves to an assisted death against their will because they are unable to access the support they require."

Similar legislation is set to be debated in the Scottish Parliament in 2025, after Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur submitted an assisted dying bill earlier this year.

If UNISON’s motion is approved at today’s conference, STUC’s Disabled Workers Committee will contribute the findings of their study to McArthur’s bill. 

“The debate on assisted dying continues, whether or not we engage,” the text of the motion reads.

“Disabled people are among those most vulnerable to potential abuse of legalised assisted dying. As such, isn’t it crucial that disabled members have a clear policy position and that our voices shape the public debate?”