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Linda Somerville

@lindasomerville.bsky.social
862 followers 665 following 50 posts

Deputy General Secretary @ScottishTUC.bsky.social | building trade union power |enjoying new economics | organising in communities | all things Leith | fan of red lipstick and hot yoga - not at the same time

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Reposted by Linda Somerville
Stephen Boyd @stephenboydippr.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Looking forward to joining @lindasomerville.bsky.social @lmacfarlane.bsky.social and others on the panel for the @scottishtuc.bsky.social Public Services Webinar at 12.30 today. Register here events.teams.microsoft.com/event/98e687...
events.teams.microsoft.com
Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams
Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams
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Reposted by Linda Somerville
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 22/10/2025
Sheku Bayoh’s family accuses Scottish police of ‘sabotage’ after inquiry chair resigns
theguardian.com
Sheku Bayoh’s family accuses Scottish police of ‘sabotage’ after inquiry chair resigns
Relatives of man who died in police custody in 2015 say chair was ‘forced out’ amid claims inquiry was undermined The family of Sheku Bayoh has accused Scotland’s police and prosecutors of “a desperate final act of sabotage” after the chair of the inquiry into his death in custody resigned. At a hastily convened press conference after Lord Bracadale’s unexpected resignation on Tuesday, Bayoh’s family said the former high court judge had been “forced out” by what they called the “unholy trinity” of the solicitor general, Scotland’s deputy chief prosecutor and the chief constable of Police Scotland, led by the Scottish Police Federation, which represents the officers allegedly involved in his death. Continue reading...
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
The Employment Rights Bill from the UK Government could be the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation. It must be enacted fully. Today, we're bringing together workers from across the UK to ensure we empower our movement as the Bill becomes reality.
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Deputy General Secretary @lindasomerville.bsky.social spoke to striking @eisunion.bsky.social members at the UWS Paisley campus picket today, joining their fight against the threat of compulsory redundancies. EIS ULA members are on co-ordinated strike action today at UWS and Robert Gordon Uni.
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
STUC Deputy General Secretary @lindasomerville.bsky.social joined the PCS picket at OFGEM in Glasgow this morning sharing a strong message of solidarity with workers fighting to protect their jobs, pay, and conditions ✊ @pcsunion.bsky.social members at OFGEM are on strike on 26-28th August.
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Future Economy Scotland @futureeconscot.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
🏠 Scotland’s rents have surged by 32 % since May 2020. This means tenants are paying an average of £245 more per month - in a cost-of-living crisis. 🧵
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 24/06/2025
A strong showing by Mamdani would signal that Democratic voters in the nation’s biggest city are turning their backs on the party’s establishment, which could have big implications for primaries ahead of next year’s midterm elections. www.ft.com/content/792e...
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LabourStart @labourstart.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
CANADA: DHL stops deliveries in Canada amid strike, new law banning replacement workers www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
DHL stops deliveries in Canada amid strike, new law banning replacement workers | CBC News
More than 2,000 DHL workers have been on strike since June 8. Since then, DHL was using replacement workers to continue operations, but stopped deliveries Friday in light of new federal labour legisla...
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RMT Union @rmtunion.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
RMT: the only legal performance enhancer for your rights #JoinRMT www.rmt.org.uk/join
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
Oasis get the blame, the fans get the blame, everyone except the profiteers. "Supply and demand will always dictate a destination’s room rates around the world and we all have to accept that." No we don't #overtourism www.heraldscotland.com/news/2524661...
heraldscotland.com
Oasis concerts blamed for slump in Edinburgh Festival Fringe ticket sales
The staging of huge stadium shows at Murrayfield has been blamed for slow ticket sales at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
During #COVID19, the resilience of our public services failed. Failed due to austerity, due to public spending cuts, and due government inaction. 📺Today at the @covid19inquiry.scot STUC Deputy General Secretary, @lindasomerville.bsky.social, recognised the heroism of public sector workers.
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
10 years on and the fight for justice for Sheku Bayoh continues 💪🏽 STUC Deputy General Secretary @lindasomerville.bsky.social & Satman Ner from the STUC Black Workers' Committee joined trade unionists to demand #Justice4Sheku
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NASUWT Scotland @nasuwtscotland.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Policy Official & Vice Chair @scottishtucwc.bsky.social, @taralillis.bsky.social, addressed the vigil outside Capital House as the Sheku Bayoh public inquiry enters a critical point. NASUWT sends unwavering solidarity to Sheku's family in their fight for justice. #JusticeforSheku
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
Birmingham bin strikers rally support in Edinburgh with a warning that other councils could follow Birmingham's attack on workers. Solidarity with the strikers 💪🏽 @unitetheunion.bsky.social @scottishtuc.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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NASUWT Scotland @nasuwtscotland.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
It is May Day - international workers day. @lindasomerville.bsky.social reflecting on the outcomes of Congress #STUC25 and providing challenge to @kirstymcneill.bsky.social and the UK government to achieve a new deal for workers.
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EIS @eisunion.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Lecturing staff at Robert Gordon University have entered their second day of strike action today, in protest against proposed job cuts and compulsory redundancies
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
Tomorrow, #STUC25 begins. Our congress is united: we must drive out hatred, fascism and division from our communities and politics. Read more from @rozfoyer.bsky.social with @neilmackay.bsky.social in today's @heraldscotland.bsky.social. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2511835...
heraldscotland.com
'Scotland's needs a wake-up call' Why STUC chief fears a disturbing dystopian future
In a wide-ranging interview with our Writer at Large, Scotland’s leading trade unionist paints a dark vision of the future
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GMB Scotland @gmbscotland.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
As we approach #IWMD2025, we pledge to always remember the dead and fight for the living.
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David Bol @davidbol.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
Excl: Trade union bosses have accused Labour of leaving a "political vacuum" for Reform to exploit. "The people of Scotland voted for change. What the Labour UK government has served, thus far, has not delivered." www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
scotsman.com
Labour accused of leaving 'political vacuum' for Nigel Farage's Reform to exploit
The most senior union chief in Scotland has warned the Labour UK government has failed to deliver the change it promised - encouraging voters to turn to Reform.
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
‘Awful April’ is the culmination of governments failing to get to grips with the cost of living and of big business committing daylight robbery. @rozfoyer.bsky.social / @heraldscotland.bsky.social
heraldscotland.com
It's 'Awful April' and the cost of living crisis continues
Last week we all got poorer. I’m not talking about Trump’s tariffs, although that too risks price hikes for us all. But more immediately, last…
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Sharon Graham @unitesharon.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
These workers woke up one morning to be told they would be taking up to an £8,000 pay cut. They are being made to pay the price for austerity and bad decisions by Birmingham City Council. We will not stand by and watch workers and communities pay the price for government inaction.
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Tony Benn inspired so many people to stop, question, challenge, asking "What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you?”
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High Pay Centre @highpaycentre.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
The collective wealth of the world's 3,028 billionaires now exceeds the total GDP of all the countries in the world put together (excluding US and China). Such an extreme concentration of wealth is a threat both to living standards and democracy. www.forbes.com/sites/chasew...
forbes.com
Forbes Billionaires List 2025: World's Wealthiest Now Worth More Than Nearly All Nations' GDPs
The billionaires club has never been bigger—or richer. Here’s who’s up, who’s down, who’s off the list and why it matters more than ever.
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
Your energy prices are going up tomorrow. Enough is enough. The private ownership project for energy is failing us; it's time we own it instead. @rozfoyer.bsky.social / @heraldscotland.bsky.social
heraldscotland.com
Roz Foyer: Your energy bills are about to go up again. Time to take back control
On the 1st of April the price of heating your home will rise by 6.4. The cost of energy for a typical household will be £1,849, still sitting over…
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
5 years on and we honour care workers who died during the pandemic, while the fight for better pay and conditions goes on. @lindasomerville.bsky.social // @gmbscotland.bsky.social
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GMB Scotland @gmbscotland.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Care workers to rally at Holyrood after five years of broken promises: bit.ly/4bQLUui
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Thankfully the profit seekers have been stopped on this occasion from using public space to cash in on tourists. #Edinburgh @thecockburn.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2503345...
heraldscotland.com
'Monstrous carbuncle': Edinburgh's big wheel won't go up for summer after backlash
Edinburgh Council said the Ferris wheel will not be set up in June for a summer stint after the plan failed to attract support.
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Care workers, mostly women, struggle to make ends meet. Better pay, terms & conditions needed now. #JoinAUnion @scottishtuc.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2503029...
heraldscotland.com
'I had to take a zero hours social care contract as I can't afford childcare'
A care home worker says she was forced to take zero hours agency work as she couldn't afford childcare while working in the sector full-time
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Do you work in the creative industries? Help us build a Fair Work Charter and campaign for Fair Work in the creative sector - fill our survey!✍️ www.surveymonkey.com/r/WV8DNT3 #FairWorkForCulture #FairWork
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
This morning @rozfoyer.bsky.social offered support and solidarity to the @unitescotland.bsky.social members striking at the University of Strathclyde, fighting to protect their pensions. ✊
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
Solidarity to sisters everywhere #InternationalWomensDay
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
There's a cruelty in this particular harassment of women accessing health care & the staff who provide it www.heraldscotland.com/news/2498329...
heraldscotland.com
Anti-abortion campaigners branded ‘disgusting’ as they hold vigil near hospital
An anti-abortion group has been branded “disgusting” and told “you don’t care about the women” as it staged a vigil near a maternity…
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
💚💚 @thehibees.bsky.social 💚💚
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
Sunshine on #Leith
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Scottish Trades Union Congress @scottishtuc.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Tackling the far-right will require everyone. It's right that the First Minister will bring unions, civic society & political institutions to together against hatred and division. We've defeated fascism before. We can do it again. To do so, politicians must play their role too.
Graphic with quote from Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary about unity against the Far-Right
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
☀️🌞There sure was 🌞☀️ #Leith ##GGTTH
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Jobs lost, skills gone - Government must act now to Keep Grangemouth Working @unitetheunion.bsky.social @unitescotland.bsky.social @scottishtuc.bsky.social
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Searching beyond the relentless negative news from the US to find people power 💪🏽 Moving from protest to resistance wagingnonviolence.org/ipra/2025/02...
wagingnonviolence.org
'Tesla Takedown' underscores the importance of moving from protest to resistance
The viral pickets at Tesla showrooms are a necessary first step toward the kind of disruptive tactics that can force change.
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Gillian Mackay - Scottish Greens @gillianmackaygreen.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
This is shocking and shameless misinformation from Vice President JD Vance. He is one of the most powerful people in the world but he is peddling total nonsense about what my Act has done. Abortion rights are human rights and they are healthcare. news.stv.tv/scotland/us-...
news.stv.tv
US Vice President JD Vance attacks Scotland's anti-abortion buffer zones
Donald Trump's deputy was accused of spreading 'total nonsense and dangerous scaremongering'.
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Women challenging the far right - packed out room for @unison.org.uk women 💪🏽 #unwc25 @scottishtuc.bsky.social
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Zoe Gardner @zoejardiniere.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Good morning to this man, and this man only #bbcqt
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Excellent news as council forced to drop plans to cut teachers. Well done @eisunion.bsky.social Unions work 💪🏽
bbc.co.uk
Teacher strikes halted as council drop job cuts
Members of the EIS union were due to walk out on 20 February unless cuts were halted and reversed.
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Shocking failures in care & justice systems for children & young people. Thanks to @danigaravelli.bsky.social giving a voice to those who need it most.
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Edinburgh's housing crisis isn't just about lack of accommodation. Council cash for retrofitting is urgently needed. #Leith www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
The Edinburgh flats living in the shadow of Trainspotting
Tenants in Leith's "Banana Flats" claim they have been forgotten by City of Edinburgh Council.
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
‘It’s hard to survive’: why UK private hire drivers are striking on Valentine’s Day
About 200 drivers got in touch with the Guardian to share their views on the industrial action
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Punishing people who want to apply for asylum isn't the answer, it's a cruel decision that shames Labour. #RefugeesWelcomeHere www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
UK to refuse citizenship to refugees who have ‘made a dangerous journey’
Home Office accused of shutting out refugees, as new guidance says those applicants will ‘normally be refused’
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Roz Foyer @rozfoyer.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
#SocialistSunday Looking to connect with likeminded trade unionists and activists because unity is still our strength & solidarity is our superpower!✊
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Linda Somerville @lindasomerville.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Edinburgh's housing shortage leaves renters at the mercy of the market, rent controls offer some protection, affordable housing is desperately needed. Congratulations to @living-rent.bsky.social & Leithers on halting this development - a win for #Leith www.heraldscotland.com/news/2491993...
heraldscotland.com
Landmark move as 300 student flats rejected in favour of new housing
The plans were refused on the grounds more homes are needed in the area
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EIS @eisunion.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Teachers in Glasgow have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in opposition to Glasgow City Council’s ongoing programme of education cuts. #EISNews www.eis.org.uk/lates...
eis.org.uk
Glasgow Teachers vote Overwhelmingly in Favour of Strike Action over Education Cuts
Teachers in Glasgow have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in opposition to Glasgow City Council’s ongoing programme of education cuts.
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