Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee, 10 Jan 2006
10 Jan 2006 · S2 · Equal Opportunities Committee
Item of business
Disability Inquiry
We have taken a lot of evidence in the disability inquiry, and I find Des Loughney's evidence an interesting contrast to what we have heard in other parts of the inquiry. Lesley McCallum mentioned the need for cultural change; she mentioned the bullying and harassment awareness sessions called "the odd one out", which Pace Theatre Company ran. We have been told that staff training in disability equality is seen as a way of combating negative attitudes towards disabled people. Do you agree with that assumption? What other ways are there of combating negative attitudes towards disabled people?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Convener (Nora Radcliffe):
LD
Welcome to the first meeting of the Equal Opportunities Committee in 2006 and a happy new year to you all. We have apologies from Cathy Peattie, Marlyn Glen ...
Stephen Boyd (Scottish Trades Union Congress):
I will answer in the first instance, but colleagues might want to chip in after me. Obviously, it is helpful to draw a distinction between the STUC and our a...
Des Loughney (Scottish Trades Union Congress):
As a trade union official who represents many people who have impairments or disabilities, I will divide my answer into three.First, I try to influence the w...
The Deputy Convener:
LD
Not every member of the panel needs to answer every question but, if they wish, they may add to the answers that have been given.
James O’Rourke (Scottish Trades Union Congress):
If employers have staff who become disabled in any way—as can happen suddenly, with a click of the fingers—they are not always prepared to consider providing...
Lesley McCallum (Scottish Trades Union Congress):
As a senior representative and equality officer who works at the coalface, as it were, I would expect most employees with X years of employment to benefit fr...
The Deputy Convener:
LD
The committee is interested in the feedback that the STUC gets from its disabled members. Will you give us a feel for what percentage of your work in represe...
Stephen Boyd:
It would be difficult to give you a percentage, but perhaps I can give you a flavour of the STUC's activity at the moment. We have four main equalities commi...
Des Loughney:
Disabilities that are classified under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 happen rarely, although I have two or three on-going cases. More common are wha...
Lesley McCallum:
I work in the national health service and believe that the public sector does not do enough. The public sector should be championing the employment of disabl...
The Deputy Convener:
LD
Have individuals come to you with particular issues? Do you get a lot of feedback about the concerns of disabled workers?
Lesley McCallum:
I treat people as people, based on what they offer rather than focusing on their disabilities. It is a cultural thing—people look at others and put them in b...
James O'Rourke:
Some disabled people worry that when they have to attend hospital or doctor's appointments to make sure that their disability is not getting worse, their emp...
John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP):
SSCUP
I was very impressed with the STUC submission. Very often, it is the simple things that make life much easier for disabled people. James O'Rourke mentioned d...
The Deputy Convener:
LD
How do the STUC and its affiliated members consult disabled members to get from the horse's mouth the particular issues that they face? How do you establish ...
Stephen Boyd:
The STUC does that through our disabled workers committee—Jim O'Rourke and Lesley McCallum are members of that committee—and through our disabled workers con...
James O’Rourke:
As well as being on the STUC disabled workers committee, I am one of the two representatives of that committee on the STUC general council. All information i...
Lesley McCallum:
I am a member of the Transport and General Workers Union and sit on the national committee, which is chaired by Diana Holland. I am also active in the women'...
The Deputy Convener:
LD
That has been a strong message throughout the inquiry.
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab):
Lab
I should perhaps have declared an interest at the outset. I am a member of the TGWU and the Co-operative Party. My first questions are specifically for Steph...
Stephen Boyd:
That section of the report refers to work undertaken by Des Loughney, so I will pass over to him for the substantial answer. The contact issue has already be...
Des Loughney:
When we were carrying out the research that is referred to in the paper, one of the big surprises—I should have been aware of it—was the lack of contact betw...
Elaine Smith:
Lab
Lesley McCallum talked about the public sector leading the way, but there are examples of good and bad practice in all sectors. Would the STUC have the time,...
Des Loughney:
I have no specialist knowledge of that area.
Elaine Smith:
Lab
I had assumed that contradictory policies might be involved in that area as well.
Stephen Boyd:
I am more than happy to pick up on procurement. I will try to be brief. As coincidence would have it, the draft regulations for implementing the new public s...
Elaine Smith:
Lab
The committee has raised this issue in the past—for example, I raised it in relation to the women's agenda. Although we are in the middle of the inquiry, I s...
Stephen Boyd:
Perhaps I should have said that the directives have to be introduced and transposed into Scottish law by the end of January.One of the main issues for the ST...
The Deputy Convener:
LD
We could take that up with the Finance Committee. We have an interest in the issue. Do you want to come in on the point, Sandra?
Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
Yes. I have two points that I would like to pick up on, if Elaine Smith does not mind. The first is health and safety being used as a means of preventing dis...