(Tuesday 14 October 2008)
MALCOLM BURNS reviews the latest goings-on in Scotland.
Proud day in Dundee
IT WAS moving to see 96-year-old international brigade veteran Jack Jones raise his fist in salute to fallen comrades as he rededicated Dundee's memorial to its Spanish civil war heroes on Saturday.It was a privilege to be able to introduce my two youngest children to Jones and Jack Edwards, a brigader from Manchester who also made the journey to Dundee.
They are among only eight international brigaders still living in Britain. Our last Scottish brigader Steve Fullarton died earlier this year.
Event organiser and general force of nature on Dundee Trades Union Council Mike Arnott spoke of his own inspiration for discovering and communicating the story of the Spanish civil war. Tom Clarke, one of the Dundee contingent who survived and returned, was Arnott's predecessor as minutes secretary of the trades council.
When Arnott moved to Dundee during the 1980s and joined the Young Communist League, he heard a tale that he thought was probably invented, as well as inspiring. It described a heroic secretary writing "Long live Dundee YCL" in the soil of Spain in his own blood as he lay there dying.
Arnott later discovered that the story was not total fiction.
Harry Pollitt's biography describes meeting William McGuire, a Dundee YCL member who was obviously dying of wounds sustained in battle, in a field hospital in Spain. Asking for a pencil and paper, McGuire wrote: "Give my watch to my mother. Long live the YCL!"
PCS member and former Scottish TUC youth committee stalwart Hamish Drummond read the roll call of Dundee's 17 fallen international brigaders on behalf of the Dundee TUC. As the busy Saturday traffic faded away, you could have heard a tear drop.
The rededication event had humorous moments too. Arnott recalled the story of Clarke en route to Spain via France with a pack of cigarettes to deliver to his contact in Paris. The Dundonian had smoked one of the fags on the ferry, only to discover on arrival in Paris that it had been the one with the secret message on it.
These and many other stories of Dundee's international brigade volunteers are contained in the pamphlet produced by Dundee TUC specially for the event. At only £2 each, they are well worth buying.
Pamphlets available from Dundee TUC. Email dundeetuc@hotmail.com, write to 141 Yarrow Terrace, Dundee DD2 4DY or phone 07951-443-656 or (01382) 434-386 for more details.
Time to get tough
AT THIS rate, it looks like the Scottish winter of discontent will follow the autumn and summer seasons of conflict.If you have been following the Scottish local government pay dispute, you will know that a below-inflation offer of 2.5 per cent each year over three years was chucked out by huge majorities in ballots by each of the three unions involved - UNISON, Unite and GMB. That was in July.
Working together in an unprecedented united front, the three unions held two hugely successful 24-hour mass strikes during days of action in August and September.
The employers first dropped the rejected three-year deal and offered the same 2.5 per cent for one year.
We were into October and heading for selective strike action by UNISON when the council bosses CoSLA repackaged the offer as 3 per cent this year and 2.5 per cent next year.
While technically an improvement for this year, striking workers would have done little better than barely recover the pay that they lost in the two days of action.
Conferences of each of the three unions considered this latest deal over the last week. They have all recommended rejection in further ballots of members.
It's hard to see the employers' offers as anything other than timewasting. The pay dispute is over an increase which should have started in April. Now, the unions are again balloting members on pretty much the same deal as they rejected in July, with further action on hold till the results.
It is looking more like a hokey-cokey than industrial action - in, out, shake it all about, but so far no further forward.
The employers appear happy enough to sustain the odd strike day over a matter of months without finding the extra resources to provide fair pay. Behind them, the governments at both Holyrood and Westminster continue to stick to the policy of squeezing workers' wages while bailing out the City fat cats.
UNISON local government group chairwoman Stephanie Herd correctly says: "We need to strengthen our industrial action strategy and members will need to be prepared to increase the level of their activity. There is no point simply voting to reject the offer - we have to intensify our industrial and political campaigning."
Council workers are still angry, but it must now be time to get tough.
More strange times in this era of crisis
STRANGE times indeed. Last week, Peter Mandelson reappeared in the Cabinet. This week, I find that, along with all other UK taxpayers, I am a part owner of both the Bank of Scotland and the Royal Bank of Scotland, not to mention Lloyds TSB.The Prime Minister and the Chancellor don't like to admit that they've partly nationalised the banks. It's called "recapitalisation," a clever formulation that suggests that capitalism hasn't really failed.
But it has. Stocks are crashing and banks collapsing everywhere amid toxic debts and imminent global recession.
Will Hutton calls the present crash "history's joke: the crisis of capitalism long predicted by communists and socialists who are no longer able to take advantage of it." But the erstwhile fans of globalisation such as Hutton and Blair, Mandelson and Brown can't offer a real solution.
More will be needed than papering the confidence cracks with money. The battle is now on for control of the commanding heights of the economy. Will it be forced towards democratic hands or will the private vested interests cling on?
That is really up to us on the pro-democratic, anti-capitalist left - the communists and socialists in Scotland, Britain and worldwide.
Fancy a laugh? Read Murphy's new Labour law
IF YOU want a laugh and an insight into how new Labour rhetoric works, check out the online blog of new Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy(www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/secretary-of-state-blog/."I will work with anyone who wants to advance our interests," the new Cabinet member writes. "In Europe, I worked with centre-right and centre-left governments, with conservative and nationalist. I even enjoyed working with the Communist president of Cyprus."
That's your laugh, by the way.
"I love Scotland," Murphy trills. "I am passionate about its past and optimistic about its future. No political party has a monopoly on patriotism and I will challenge anyone who says otherwise. We have a great diversity in Scotland but we can all be united by the Saltire."
Safely wrapped in the flag, he burbles on in this vein for bit. But the final paragraph denouement is approaching.
"I will listen, learn and act. I will passionately put the case for our current constitutional settlement."
Full marks for spin. Not just "listen" - remember the big conversation? Not just "listen and learn" - Glasgow East. Now, new Labour promises to "act" as well. But it will act to defend the status quo, the "current constitutional settlement." No mention of additional powers for the Scottish Parliament. No truck with referendums or reform.
It's Murphy's new Labour law. Whatever should happen won't, not if he has anything to do with it.
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