Scottish Museums Federation Conference 2022
Focus on the Workforce: Health & Wellness in Heritage
Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries Monday 16 May 2022, 09:30 - 16:30
£15 members, £30 non-members, £5 digital access only
Presentation @ 12:00pm
How Trade Unions are acting to address Wellbeing Issues across the Sector
Improving the wellbeing of the workers who make up our membership through fighting unfairness, supporting members through workplace processes and advocating for more progressive and supportive policies is the central aim of the Trade Union movement. From paid holidays to maternity leave, equal pay to health and safety at work, unions have been the driving force behind many of the benefits that we all enjoy.
Today, many employers talk a good game on ‘improving wellbeing’ but their actions often fall short, addressing the symptoms of stress and mental health issues rather than looking at the root causes, and how working environments are exacerbating and creating these. Many of these issues, such as our ‘always on’ culture and financial pressures leading to fewer staff having to do more things, have been aggravated the pandemic.
Independent trade unions within workplaces remain the best vehicle to address the root causes of these issues. A strong collective voice ensures that staff are meaningfully engaged and have to be listened to. This is vital to ensuring that this ‘new’ world of work that is emerging is one that empowers staff rather than adding to our issues. This talk will look at the issues that we know are prevalent within the sector and what we are already doing, both in individual workplaces and across society, to highlight and address these issues and why, when faced with big issues that affect us all, there is no real alternative to a member led, independent trade union, working with employers to create environments that work for us, and where we can focus on our work.
Speaker’s Bio
Philip Brooks, Trade Union Organiser, Prospect
Based out of our Edinburgh office, and work with members to build and strengthen trade union representation and activity withing their workplace, with the aim of strengthening their voice to highlight and addressing the issues that matter to them. Prior to working for Prospect, I worked for Historic Environment Scotland in their archive, and was the convener of HES’ Prospect branch.
Prospect is a politically independent trade union with 150,000 members across a range of sectors including energy, defence, aviation, science, public services and heritage. Within the sector in Scotland we are a recognised trade union (this means the employer has to negotiate with our members on issues such as pay, terms and conditions) at HES, National Museums Scotland, the National Library Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland and Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, and we also have members in many other heritage organisations across the country. If you work in heritage, museums or galleries then Prospect is the union for you. If you would like to talk about what we can do to help your workplace, please contact me on philip.brooks@prospect.org.uk or scotland@prospect.org.uk.
@ProspectScot / @prospectunion