Richard Baker MSP

Speech in the Scottish Parliament 

Supported Workplaces

28 January 2010

That the Parliament recognises the fundamental importance of supported employment of disabled people in Scotland; notes the challenges faced by supported businesses as they look to secure a long-term future; notes, in particular, efforts to establish a long-term, sustainable enterprise in Aberdeen to carry on the excellent reputation and achievements of the Glencraft factory, which sadly closed in November 2009 after over 150 years of operation, resulting in 52 workers losing their jobs before Christmas; pays tribute to the tenacity shown by the former workforce of Glencraft and Community Union, which have campaigned tirelessly, with the support of thousands of people locally, to see Glencraft re-open and restore sustainable employment for the workforce; congratulates local businesses for helping develop a sustainable enterprise in Aberdeen, while recognising the crucial role to be played by the Scottish Government, local authorities and appropriate agencies in ensuring that any supported business is sustainable, and would welcome greater awareness and use of Article 19 of the EU public procurement directive, which allows public sector contracts to be reserved for workplaces where more than 50% of the workforce is disabled, to ensure procurement through supported businesses wherever possible.

Richard Baker : Scotland has a proud history of providing supported employment.

Tonight's debate is about how we can ensure that supported employment has a bright future.

If, in the 19^th century, we could offer employment opportunities to the blind and disabled, we must continue to do so today, in 21^st century Scotland.

I welcome to the Scottish Parliament workers from Blindcraft in Edinburgh, Dovetail Enterprises in Dundee, Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries, and Glencraft in Aberdeen.

I thank them for being here and I thank their trade union, Community, which has done so much on their behalf—Joe Mann, the deputy general secretary, is also here tonight. [Applause.]

Along with Lewis Macdonald and our local MPs Anne Begg and Frank Doran, I was with the workers at the Glencraft factory on 13 November when the doors were closed.

It was a traumatic time after all the efforts that the workers had made to turn their business around and keep their jobs.

There had been a workshop for the blind in Aberdeen since 1843, as a result of a bequest by two local women.

The decision by the administration of Aberdeen City Council to withdraw funding and precipitate the factory's closure dismayed not just the workers but everyone in the city and the north-east.

Families and businesses had supported Glencraft over the years by buying their beds and mattresses there, given its excellent reputation for workmanship.

They have backed the Glencraft workers: thousands have signed the petition calling for the factory to be saved.

What has been particularly inspiring to me is how the Glencraft workers have responded and fought for their factory.

They have had an agonising Christmas not knowing what the future holds, but they have campaigned hard to save Glencraft by coming to Parliament in December to bring their petition to the party leaders and to the First Minister.

The issue has been politically contentious in Aberdeen, but I emphasise that members from across the political spectrum have supported the motion—for which I thank them—because we all want to move forward and to have sustainable supported workplaces.

Despite the closure of Glencraft and the real challenges faced by Dovetail in Dundee and Blindcraft in Edinburgh, we must realise that there are great opportunities for supported workplaces.

Local authorities in those areas must realise that, too.

The intervention of the business community in Aberdeen in looking to create a new sustainable social enterprise from the old Glencraft justifies the confidence that there can be a successful future for such workplaces.

There is still much to be done in taking forward the planned successor to Glencraft.

We await clarity on how the business model will work, how local and national Government will support it, and how many of the Glencraft workers will be employed.

However, there is an important ray of hope.

I hope that the involvement of Bob Keiller and Duncan Skinner of Production Services Network will help make the venture a success, and that Aberdeen City Council backs their ambition by confirming a rent waiver for the new factory, as has been indicated.

However, we cannot always ask business to step in, and there needs to be leadership from the Scottish Government to support supported workplaces.

Iain Gray has called for a Scottish Government champion for disabled workers; I hope that the Scottish Government gives that proposal serious consideration.

Community has campaigned for such a champion to ensure that officials involved in public procurement apply article 19 of the European Union public services directive.

David Stewart : Richard Baker makes an important point about article 19 of the directive, which allows public sector contracts to be reserved for workforces where more than 50 per cent of the workers have a disability. Does he share my view that supported workforces such as that of Highland Blindcraft in Inverness are looking for a hand up rather than a handout and that, by using article 19, local authorities throughout Scotland can allow supported workplaces to trade out of their financial difficulties?

Richard Baker: I agree. Article 19 states clearly:

"Member States may reserve the right to participate in public contract award procedures to sheltered workshops or provide for such contracts to be performed in the context of sheltered employment programmes where most of the employees concerned are"

disabled persons.

As David Stewart says, there is massive potential for use of that directive, which was implemented in Scottish law in 2006.

There is not enough awareness among local authorities of that.

When I wrote to Aberdeen City Council to ask whether it had ever made use of article 19 in procurement, it replied that it was not aware of the article having been used. It then stated that it had not been asked to use it.

I am pretty sure that it has been asked to do that locally, but its reply shows the need for the Scottish Government to promote the use of article 19 by Scotland's public agencies and local authorities.

That would not only help supported workplaces but be of great value to Remploy workplaces.

My colleague Helen Eadie, in particular, has worked on Remploy issues.

As David Stewart says, the ambition at supported workplaces is not simply to continue on the basis of subsidy but to be able to win contracts for work.

There is evidence of the success that can be achieved in Scotland at Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft, which has been greatly supported by local agencies and businesses, and of course by local councils.

When Glasgow City Council formed City Building from its former building services department, a link was established with Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft that sees major contracts for work going to the organisation. That enables it to employ 250 employees, more than half of whom are disabled, and to offer a wide range of furniture products.

City Building's website highlights its reserved contracts and the use of article 19.

Glencraft's experience is evidence that this has been—and indeed still is—a difficult time for our supported workplaces, but with the right support and through the promotion and use of article 19, in which I believe the Scottish Government can play a leading role, more organisations can benefit from the high-quality products of the factories and their workers can be given the opportunity that they seek to work.

Every day, the workers overcome obstacles in their lives to achieve that goal.

They do not deserve to have further barriers put in their way.

They richly deserve greater support from all of us.

I look forward to hearing from the minister what the Scottish Government can do to help to ensure that supported workplaces in Scotland have not only a rich history but a confident future. [Applause.]

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