One of Scotland’s most successful supported businesses has made their commitment to fair employment official as they mark a milestone anniversary.
Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (RSBi) has signed up to the Scottish Business Pledge – a commitment to paying staff the Living Wage and fulfilling other equality enablers.
The company manufactures quality furnishings for major contracts and has over 50% staff with disabilities, including Forces veterans.
It has enrolled alongside over 150 other firms on the Business Pledge roster on the day it marked 30 years in its custom-built fully-accessible Glasgow factory.
Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown joined workers at the factory for the celebration on what was also the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Mr Brown said:
“Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries is a fantastic example of a business that recognises how an inclusive, fair and progressive approach to employment doesn’t just benefit the workers – it results in a committed and productive workforce.
“Of the 240 people employed by RSBi, 145 have a disability. The company has an agreement in place to take on veterans who leave the Army on a medical grounds, and it trains and takes on pupils from local supported learning schools. It works hard at being an inclusive employer – and its turnover this year is £25million.
“RSBi has also gone from strength to strength, including through use of the Scottish Government’s procurement framework, and is now completing huge contracts with public sector organisations – local authorities, the Scottish Prison Service, universities, the health service – throughout Scotland.
“Blindcraft, as it’s still known by many, has become almost a household name in the west of Scotland and it can be rightly proud of what it has achieved.
“They have built up an enviable business base that many entrepreneurs will look to for inspiration, as well as attributing to our goal of a fairer, more inclusive and more productive Scotland.”
Cllr James Adams, Chair of the RSBi board, said:
“We are delighted at RSBi to recognise the value of signing up to the Scottish Business Pledge for our workforce, our clients and our communities.
“Despite the current economic challenges it is important we build a strong and fairer society, recognising one of our strongest communities our disabled workers.”
Background
Known at the time as Blindcraft, the company moved to its purpose built factory for people with disabilities following a fatality at its previous building in the city’s Saracen Street. At Saracen Street the factory was a six-storey building which, as well as slowing production was awkward for the disabled workforce to move around. The fire in 1974 focused attention on the safety for the disabled employees and it moved to Springburn in 1985.
The Scottish Business Pledge commits businesses to fair and progressive policies that boost productivity, recognise fairness and increase diversity.
Launched in May, the Pledge is a voluntary code for companies to commit to the best of modern business practices.
More here: https://scottishbusinesspledge.scot/
UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities – www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1637
