Joint Communiqué on Health Inequalities from the Scottish Government and the Scottish Trades Union Congress
We agree that:
- There are too many people in Scotland living in relative poverty
- Poverty is a key contributor to health and social inequality, and to reduced life expectancy and more years in poorer health
- Reducing inequalities in health between the most and least affluent areas of Scotland must be a priority
- Individuals must take responsibility for making choices that impact on their health, particularly around smoking, drinking alcohol, healthy eating and taking exercise
However, it is recognised that life circumstances, such as employment, housing and environment, also play a role in the health that people will experience and in their health behaviour choices
- For most people of working age work is a good route out of poverty, improving household income;
- For most people work is good for health, improving self-confidence and self-esteem, building social networks, and giving people a sense of place in society
- While work is, generally, good for health, good work is better
- Employers need to recognise that making provision for promoting the health and wellbeing of their workforce is good business sense as well as being good for the workers, improving attendance, motivations, productivity and profitability
Together we agree to:
- Identify how we can work together to successfully implement the recommendations of the Ministerial Task Force on Health Inequalities
- Continue to work in partnership to promote workplaces that promote health, safety and wellbeing, in particular to implement the Scottish Action plan on Health & Safety
- Work with the Partnership on Health and Safety in Scotland
- Develop policies that will keep the Scottish workforce safe and healthy, provide access to services to prevent loss of work through illness or injury and will support back into work those who are currently unable to do so because of illness or injury