The Red Paper on Scotland

The Red Paper on Scotland - about: "The Red Paper - now

The Red Paper on Scotland is edited by Vince Mills, Director of the Trade Union Research Unit at Glasgow Caledonian University. This collection of essays mimics the 1975 original (see below) in that it has assembled socialists from across the spectrum of radical thought – Communist Party, Green Party, Labour Party, Socialist Party and, of course, those from no Party at all. This publication is intended as a source of information that can be used to expose the lies of 21st century neo-liberalism with its policy of war against the poor at home and abroad, as well as a source of alternative ideas that will help us all build the better world envisioned in the Scottish socialist tradition embodied in the 1975 publication and the centuries of struggle that came before it."

willy's famous led zeppelin jacket

Last glimpse of a disappearing World - [Sunday Herald]: "Some of the images, and some of the people, I have grown up with. There’s Willie Burn’s Led Zeppelin embroidered jacket with an oil rig in the background. There’s Mona, as a young child, by a loch, alluring as ever. The big open sky of Lewis, the curling dampness of the shore, the dusting of snow on the moor. It was from Wylie that I learned what Skye would look like, and I was not disappointed when I arrived there."

Torcuil Crichton writing in sunday herald www.sundayherald.com yesterday... unfortunately i dont have a copy or copyright to show the gus wylie photo, but its only one amongst an amazing oeuvre...

quintron! that was fuckin amazing man!

down at optimo in the sub club last night to hear quintron and pussycat. a show like nothing else you'll see - puppetry and swamp-tech jive. these guys should be world stars; and not just q and p but the dancer too, she was hot.

and i spoke to quintron right after the show and said quintron! and he looked up and i said that was fucking amazing man! and he smiled a little bush doctor smile and shook my hand over the radiator grille and headlights of his organ.

Scottish TUC votes for reform

Published in the Morning Star

(Tuesday 06 December 2005)

MALCOLM BURNS in Glasgow

THE Scottish TUC agreed changes yesterday to the structure of its general council which will see fewer members and the end of industrial sections.

A proposal by public-sector UNISON which argued for a 50 - 50 gender balance was defeated, along with moves by former steel union Community and transport union RMT to ensure representation for smaller unions.

The success of the general council's motion will mean a reduction in members from 42 to 36 and replacement of the traditional industrial sectors with two as yet unspecified sections.
These sections, known only as Section A and Section B, each comprise 14 members.

Six seats in each of these sections will be reserved for women.
Representation of black workers, young workers, disabled workers and trades union councils will remain the same at two seats each, with one woman in each of those sections.

The general council will also continue to be elected by the STUC Annual Congress as a whole.

With the support of all the major unions apart from UNISON, the general council's own motion was never likely to fail.

Past president Ann Douglas, moving on behalf of the general council, referred to eight principles which had been involved in putting the proposal together.
These included relevance to new workplace and trade union structures, gender balance and inclusiveness of smaller unions.

UNISON chief Mike Kirby's claim that the consultation outcome had been decided by a "meeting of the heads of the families" resulted in unscripted responses on behalf of the other large unions by Amicus Scottish Secretary John Quigley and PCS offical Eddie Reilly.

Supporting the general council's position, Mr Quigley was forthright: "When Amicus came into being we saw our numbers on the general council reducing, but the bill going up.

"We swallowed that. This year, the existing structure would mean us leaving three seats vacant to an organisation with about 1,500 members.
"It defies logic. If the heads of the families met - well, that's right. If we're trying to find a way forward, that happens and I don't apologise for that."

And miners union NUM offical Nicky Wilson made an appeal for the smaller unions to trust the bigger ones.

"I understand the fears of RMT and Community, but we trust our sister unions and will work with them hand in hand."

However, trust appeared to be in short supply amongst representatives of other small affiliates.

Referring to the eight principles which Ms Douglas had mentioned, Community's Willie Paterson said: "We only need one principle: inclusion not exclusion."

But only seven out of the STUC's 24 local trades union councils were represented.

• Card votes were held on the ruling of STUC president John Keenan in the chair. The amendments by Community and RMT were defeated overwhelmingly. A UNISON amendment was defeated by 828 to 384. The general council motion was carried by 848 to 66, with the large unions Amicus, T&G, GMB, EIS, USDAW and PCS in support and UNISON abstaining.

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