THE STUC annual Congress meets in Aberdeen this week to celebrate its 125th anniversary at a deeply dangerous moment for Europe as we all witness the heart-breaking situation facing the people of Ukraine.

Political scandal also engulfs the Prime Minister here at home due to his downright lies and denials of parties taking place in 10 Downing Street.

The disgraceful behaviour has resulted in Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak becoming the first sitting Prime Minister and Chancellor to be found to have broken the law after they were fined by police over “partygate.”

These “cheese and wine” get-togethers took place as their government was telling us all to abide by the rules for our own safety and for the safety of the public.

While they were dancing the night away, people were unable to spend their last moments with loved ones at their hospital beds — or hug vulnerable friends and family.

Just to top it off, we have the revelations that the Chancellor is now under scrutiny over his green card US citizenship and the tax-avoidance implications that may bring.

The Chancellor’s wife has also been avoiding overseas tax through her status in Britain, while around 700 highly skilled manufacturing jobs have been lost at Inchinnan Rolls-Royce.

The Chancellor’s wife directly benefited from the work Rolls-Royce outsourced to Infosys through her shares while enjoying non-domicile status here.

She would not have had to pay tax on the dividend payment from Infosys while British manufacturing jobs were being decimated and the incomes of former Rolls-Royce workers were being slashed to the point where many of them remain unemployed.

There is no doubting the truth in the old maxim that there is one rule for the rich and powerful and another rule for us.

The scandal of corporate greed and contempt for workers has also been taken to a new gutter level by the disgraceful actions of P&O in sacking 800 workers by Zoom — and then to engage unqualified agency workers to do their jobs for as little as £1.80 an hour. This is not even “fire and rehire” but “fire and replace.”

The despicable action by P&O has brought trade unionists from across the country together in a show of solidarity.

We have witnessed workers in ports boycotting P&O ferries, others taking part in demonstrations in support, and dockers in Rotterdam refusing to load freight onto a P&O ferry set for Hull.

There should be no place for employers that choose to conduct industrial relations in this way.

There is something seriously wrong with our society when a company CEO, like P&O’s Peter Hebblethwaite, can brazenly admit to a Westminster parliamentary committee that the company deliberately and consciously chose to break the law.

What this tragic episode clearly demonstrates is how utterly useless the current law is because it’s no deterrent to companies like P&O which are getting away with destroying lives.

As we call out scandal, injustice and inhumanity in Aberdeen we will also rightly celebrate the very best of what people do for others.

We saw workers in health and social care make a choice to remove themselves from their own families to care for the sick and most vulnerable.

We saw staff living in camper vans, or sleeping on a sofa in a care home for weeks — key workers risking their lives for the sake of others, keeping vital services running.

We saw unions and their branches donated thousands of pounds to foodbanks, delivered food parcels and medicines to those shielding.

The last two years has shown us the best of people and who really matters. It’s not hedge fund managers or millionaires — it’s the cleaners, carers, nurses, supermarket workers, cleansing workers, delivery workers, transport workers, teachers and school support staff and postal workers — to name but a few who have kept our society going.

We have witnessed the power, resolve and humanity of trade unions during two very difficult and painful years. As we come together on the 125th anniversary of the STUC, that’s something to cherish and proudly celebrate.

Pat Rafferty is Unite Scottish secretary and president of the STUC.