STUC backs constitution consultation

Published in the Morning Star

(Thursday 24 April 2008)

by MALCOLM BURNS in Inverness

The STUC believes that it is "vitally important" that "all options for Scotland's future remain included for consideration" - which would include the option of independence.

"We welcome the Scottish government's National Conversation and the proposed commission being set up by Labour, the Tories and Liberal Democrats," said general council member Eddie Reilly, speaking in the main debate on Wednesday afternoon.

"The SNP made a serious mistake in the 1990s by staying outside the constitutional convention and the united campaign to get the Scottish Parliament led by this congress," Mr Reilly argued.

"I say to the leadership of Labour: 'You are making a mistake by removing options from the debate and not recognising people's right to self determination.'

"There is still no settled will of the Scottish people," he added.

"It is a major political mistake to pose this debate as a battle between socialism and nationism."

UNISON delegate Mike Kirby said: "Devolution is a dynamic, not an event," supporting the convention's aim to "achieve the greatest possible consensus among the political parties and civic society."

Mr Kirby quoted Parnell: "No man has right to say to his country: 'Thus far shall you go and no further'."

Unite delegate Hugh Scullion delivered his union's support.

"We agree that devolution is a process and not an event," he said.

"It has been good for Scotland and we believe we should explore the potential benefits of increased powers."

But, he added, "ultimately we believe that we are stronger as part of the UK."

The STUC also supported a motion proposed by Kenny Ross of the FBU calling for unions to engage with the Scottish government.

"The FBU has enjoyed a very positive engagement with the present Scottish government, in stark contrast with our experience of the Labour administration," he said.

"In the last election, we were not affiliated to Labour. We developed a strategy to support individual candidates irrespective of party and we make no apologies for that.

"Not one single member criticised us for that."

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Congress pledges support for EU vote

Published in the Morning Star

(Thursday 24 April 2008)

CONGRESS pledged its support for a referendum on the proposed EU treaty in a strongly worded statement on Europe on Wednesday.

The statement "regrets the fact" that the House of Commons chose not to hold one and agrees that, if the opportunity arose, the STUC would "campaign and lobby in line with this view."

STUC general council member Jackson Cullinane said that it had taken account of the views of affiliated unions in recent conferences and at last year's TUC.

"We recognise the need to take action and campaign up to and beyond adoption of the treaty," Mr Cullinane said.

He argued that there were only three discernible differences between the treaty and the orginal neoliberal constitution, which had to be abandonded.

"One, the title has changed. Two, the proposed foreign minister is to be called something else. And three, the trappings of state - the flag, the national anthem and so on - have gone.

"But what we have left is of deep concern to this movement," he said.

"We have seen recently what the shift of democratic decision-making and power to the unelected European Court of Justice could mean, with the judgements in the Vaxholm and Viking cases."

While these decisions recognise the right to strike, they prioritise the employer's right to "establishment."

This makes it illegal for unions to take industrial action to defend collective bargaining agreements when a firm from another country seeks to employ workers on inferior conditions.

"It is trade unions and the left that are arguing for a vote on the treaty," Mr Cullinane argued.

"We should have a say on the direction of Europe, how our democracy is to develop and how our rights can be upheld."

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Scots show international solidarity

Published in the Morning Star

(Thursday 24 April 2008)

STUC delegates demonstrated their tradition of international solidarity on Tuesday, with policies of support for progressive forces in Ecuador, Malawi, Colombia, Myanmar, Iran, Iraq, Palestine and Zimbabwe.

Delegates honoured their predecessors by sending 90th birthday greetings to Nelson Mandela and remembering the Scottish International Brigaders of the Spanish Civil War.

Congress called on the Westminster government to stop military aid to Colombia and voiced support for the Justice for Colombia campaign to help stop the imprisonment, torture and murder of trade unionists.

The STUC will also press Scottish-based companies and union pension funds who have ties with Myanmar to withdraw investment.

"Burma today is nothing less than a killing field," said UNISON delegate Hamid Rashid.

"The regime has implemented the most repressive anti-trade union laws on earth."

The STUC agreed on a broad-based campaign against war on Iran and to support Iranian trade unionists.

North Lanarkshire delegate Tommy Brennan said: "There can be just wars in certain rare circumstances, but the war in Iraq did not meet these criteria and war on Iran would be exactly the same.

"The STUC must be clear - never again will our country go to war on a parcel of lies and deceit."

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Delegates demand end to Scotrail franchise

Published in the Morning Star

(Thursday 24 April 2008)

THE Scottish TUC called on the Scottish government to immediately reverse its decision to extend the Scotrail franchise with privateer First Group on Wednesday.

"Alex Salmond is setting himself up for a fight with the decision over the Scotrail franchise," said ASLEF delegate Kevin Lindsay.

"Six weeks ago, the Scottish Transport Minister met with the STUC and promised to be open with us. Then he made a sneaky stroll down to the stock exchange to announce the franchise extension."

The STUC warned that the decision gives "a worse deal for Scotland, putting proft before passengers."

Congress reiterated its support for renationalisation of the railways and rejected proposals by the Conservatives for a break-up of Network Rail and transfer of responsibilities to private train-operating companies.

Congress slammed the European Commission and the Scottish government for initiating an inquiry into subsidies paid to Scottish ferry companies.

West coast lifeline ferry company CalMac has only just emerged from an EU-instigated tendering process which cost £17 million and resulted in no eventual bidder apart from the public operator.

"Just when we thought it was safe to go back into the water," said RMT delegate George Lonie, himself a CalMac worker, "the sharks are circling again."

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Unions vow to fight Fife's 'immoral' home-care charges

Published in the Morning Star

(Thursday 24 April 2008)

STUC delegates vowed on Wednesday to campaign against the "immoral and disgraceful charges" being imposed by Fife Council for home-care services.

Congress heard how the local authority had raised charges without any consultation.

Increases for essential services included home-care charges rising from nil weekly to £11 per hour on a means-tested assessment, shopping charges up from nil to £7 per weekly shop, alarm systems increased from nil to £52 per year and the Disabled Taxi Service slashed from 80 to 40 trips per year.

"These charges have been a knee jerk reaction to social-care budget cuts and it was forced through with no consultation, no debate - just a diktat," said Kircaldy TUC delegate Aileen Grieg.

UNISON delegate Steven Smellie said that the Fife cuts reflect a wider attack on investment in home-care services, including the threat of outsourcing.

"My own mother is now being charged £6.16 per month for a homecare alarm. If you are living on a pension, that is a lot out of a small budget."

Care workers were also being asked to cut back on time, he said.

"If they were spending an hour with someone, they are now being asked to spend half an hour. If it was half an hour, they are exepcted to do 20 or 15 minutes.

"There's not much care you can give in 15 minutes."

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Unite insists on integrated system of public transport

Published in the Morning Star

(Thursday 24 April 2008)

TRANSPORT union Unite demanded an integrated public-transport system and minimum standards for Scotland's transport workers at the Scottish TUC conference on Wednesday.

Unite regional secretary John Quigley told congress that the Scottish National Party government in Holyrood had "spectacularly U-turned" on its 2007 manifesto commitment in support of an integrated system.

The SNP received donations of £625,000 from right-wing transport tycoon and Stagecoach owner Brian Souter in the run-up to last years' Holyrood elections.

"In the interests of the Scottish people, we need an integrated public-transport system and Scotland's transport workers must have minimum working standards to improve the difficult conditions they are being forced to work under," Mr Quigley stormed.

The union said that there was still dissatisfaction with unreliability and a lack of services on key routes outside of peak hours in many areas of Scotland.

Unite called for increased pay and final salary pensions for transport workers and increased access to training and learning, plus an extension of Scotland's laws on protection of emergency workers to include transport workers.

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STUC demands end to anti-union laws

Published in the Morning Star

(Wednesday 23 April 2008)

by MALCOLM BURNS in Inverness

THE Scottish TUC unanimously backed demands for the repeal of all anti-union laws and the introduction of a trade union freedom Bill on Monday afternoon.

Unite T&G assistant general secretary Len McLuskey noted that, after 11 years of a Labour government, "we have the most restrictive trade union laws in Europe.

"Not only was the government not helping, but they have been putting obstacles in the way of progress," he said, pointing out that "the agency workers directive was held up by our government in Europe."

He argued that there should be "no more fudge, no more delay" in repealing the anti-union laws and delivering a trade union freedom Bill to allow solidarity action.

"It's the very lifeblood of our movement, solidarity. It's what we do," Mr McLuskey said.

"Gordon Brown spoke about South African workers taking action to stop a shipment of arms from China reaching Zimbabwe," he observed.

"But British dockers couldn't take that same action because it would be illegal."

Supporting the resolution, RMT general secretary Bob Crow had congress laughing when he described Prime Minister Gordon Brown "marching up and down this platform like a Home Guard," in reference to the Prime Minister's fashionably unscripted speech earlier in the day.

He warned the hapless premier that "you can't win if you hammer workers. You can't win if you hammer pensioners. You can't win if you hammer the worst off in society by nicking money off them with this 10p tax scam."

Mr Crow raised an even bigger laugh when his RMT colleague Phil McGarry, presiding over congress, tried to point out the time alloted to speakers.

He urged the RMT leader: "Wind up, comrade," only for Mr Crow to respond: "Wind up? I am wound up!" before concluding: "The anti-trade union laws were opposed by Labour MPs in opposition and we should praise them for it. But it's time to take action now. Repeal them all and bring in a trade union freedom Bill."

Irvine and North Ayrshire Trades Union Council delegate Gordon Mackay agreed.

"It's time for the Labour government to treat unions and big business even-handedly - that's all we're asking for, a level playing field," he said.

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Delegates praise Salmond's vow to find PFI alternative

Published in the Morning Star

(Wednesday 23 April 2008)


SCOTTISH First Minister Alex Salmond and his Labour counterpart Wendy Alexander both made a bid for the hearts and minds of the Scottish trade union movement at congress on Tuesday.

Mr Salmond said that his new SNP government had decided to find a new and more cost-effective way to fund public capital expenditure than the discredited Private Finance Initiative.

He defended the government's proposed Scottish Futures Trust, which has been criticised by several unions, notably by UNISON.

Then, to applause, Mr Salmond announced that the planned £842 million Southern General hospital in Glasgow would not only be the biggest-ever single NHS project, but that it would be completely funded by public finance.

Mr Salmond won his largest round of applause when he said that the contribution that he would most like to see Scotland make would be to "international peacekeeping rather than illegal invasions."

Speaking later, Ms Alexander reiterated her claim to be pursuing "socialist" policies.

She promised that unions would be heard at the heart of the Calman Commission, which she has initiated to counter the SNP National Conversation.

"The SNP economic policy rests on the same myths as Tories, that Scotland is a low-growth economy and that cutting business tax is the answer," Ms Alexander stated.

"I tell you, cutting business taxes is not the answer."

Ms Alexander also claimed that the Scottish government was failing to provide sufficient places for young people to take up modern apprenticeships.

"Our policy is now to provide subsidies to small employers to take on apprentices. Labour would guarantee every young person who wants it the right to a modern apprenticeship," she said.

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Congress slams 'epidemic of violence' against women

Published in the Morning Star

(Wednesday 23 April 2008)

STUC general secretary Grahame Smith condemned the "epidemic of violence against women" at congress on Tuesday as male delegates sported white ribbons to show their solidarity.

He expressed pride that the STUC was highlighting the threat faced by many women "that results in the tragic deaths of two women each year in this country" and insisted that "women in Scotland deserve to live free of the threat of stalking, rape and domestic violence."

Accord joined forces with South Lanarkshire and East Kilbride Trades Union Council to endorse a motion calling on male trade unionists to challenge the acceptance of domestic abuse and sexual violence, which affects a third of women worldwide.

Scottish Women's Convention development manager Isabelle Gray insisted: "Male violence against women and children can only be eradicated if men become involved in campaigning and speaking out."

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Post offices 'barrier to financial apartheid'

Published in the Morning Star

(Wednesday 23 April 2008)


CONGRESS agreed with postal delegates on Tuesday when they argued that local post offices form a barrier against encroaching "financial apartheid" for many communities.

Communication Workers Union delegate Liam Murphy said that such divisions only became obvious when post offices are closed.

Mr Murphy argued for a sustainable future for the Post Office, which meant "increased funding for the entire network, including greater financial support from the Scottish government to support all post offices, whether they be in town, urban, suburban or rural locations."

He called for a commitment by the Westminster government to support the Post Office financially beyond 2011, to limit closure based on a social evaluation of the impact on local communities and to establish a replacement for the Post Office card account based on the concept of a "universal people's bank" operated by and through the Post Office.

But RMT delegate John Leach said that, once again and "with a heavy heart," his union would have to vote against a motion which included "lots with which we completely agree.

"There is one part we just can't accept - and that is the call for affiliated unions and all public bodies to use Royal Mail only for bulk mailings.

"RMT has members in other bulk mail operations," he pointed out, "and we use Citylink ourselves."

However, the motion was carried overwhelmingly.

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Brown ducks the big issue in STUC speech

Published in the Morning Star

(Tuesday 22 April 2008)

by MALCOLM BURNS in Inverness

PRIME Minister Gordon Brown spoke for nearly half an hour without a script at the Scottish TUC congress on Monday without directly addressing the biggest issue dogging his government.

His only reference to the tax change hitting those on the lowest incomes was to observe that there has been a "debate" on the 10p tax band.

Instead, Brown congratulated the STUC on its partnership with the Labour government and declared that this had been important in addressing poverty.

"As a result of what we've done since 1997, three million families with children are £80 a week better off. And two million pensioners are £40 a week better off," he boasted.

On the global economic crisis, Brown argued that the £50 billion bail-out for the banks announced on Monday would get markets working again.

"We will make sure there is enough liquidity in the economy so we can continue to lend money for businesses and lend money for people to buy their own houses," he claimed.

On two issues of specific importance to the STUC, Mr Brown had warm words.

"Because exploitation is unacceptable in any form, I want an agreement for agency workers. Because any form of asbestos and mesothelioma is unacceptable, we will take action on pleural plaques," the Prime Minister pledged.

Without mentioning the SNP government in Scotland or First Minister Alex Salmond, who is due to address congress on Tuesday, in his speech, Mr Brown went on to make the case for the union.

He insisted that he believed in solidarity between Scotland, England, Wales and across the whole of Britain.

"We achieve more working together across the UK than we would achieve by splitting ouselves apart," he argued.

Saying that he was determined that orders for aircraft carriers would come to the Clyde and Rosyth, Mr Brown asked: "Are we held back by being part of Britain? Shipbuilding is stronger in Scotland because we are part of Britain."

The Prime Minister also argued that 100,000 of Scotland's 120,000 financial services jobs depended on selling services to England.

"Take that away and you would lose thousands of jobs," the Prime Minister warned.

Mr Brown was received politely by delegates, though, as expected, there was no standing ovation.

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Serwotka demands support for 'penalised workers'

Published in the Morning Star

(Tuesday 22 April 2008)

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka moved a motion in support of workers in the national dispute over job cuts, outsourcing and privatisation in the civil and public services.

"The Prime Minister told us of some Labour achievements this morning," Mr Serwotka told Congress.

"This motion deals with things he regrettably had nothing whatsoever to say about."

Some 77,000 public-sector jobs were under threat in an "orgy of privatisation" he said.

"This government has a pay policy that penalises all who work in the public sector.

"We are expected to accept pay rises which are less than inflation," he added.

Congress unanimously passed the resolution which also supports teachers, university staff and civil servants in the joint national strike on Friday and endorses the Public Services not Private Profit Campaign.

Delegates also called for the Westminster government to abandon attempts to restrict public-sector pay by means of annual percentage targets.

Moving the resolution on behalf of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, Noel Guthrie quipped: "If you want to write manifestos on how not to get elected, the UK government must get 10 out of 10 for that.

"I thought that suicide was illegal," he added.

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Grangemouth owners 'are economic terrorists'

Published in the Morning Star

(Tuesday 22 April 2008)

A TOP union official at the Grangemouth oil complex branded the plant's owners "economic terrorists" in an impassioned speech at the STUC on Monday.

Unite Amicus convener at the complex Mark Lyon moved an emergency motion calling for support for the strike at the refinery over pension rights.

He set the record straight for delegates in the face of what he called a "despicable smear campaign" against the unions in the mainstream media.

"This is an attempt by Ineos to rob our members of pension benefits and condemn future members to a retirement of abject poverty," said Mr Lyon.

"We've been accused of acting in an unsafe way in a chemical plant and nothing could be further from the truth.

"Yet who is it smearing us? Ineos - a billionaire's lunch club, aggressors in handmade suits, led by Jim Ratcliffe, the declared 'entrepreneur of the year'."

Mr Lyon pledged: "Our members will make a stand.

"We had a 98 per cent vote for strike action in a postal ballot. Hands off our pensions!" he concluded, to a standing ovation.

STUC general secretary Grahame Smith supported the motion on behalf of the general council.

He said that both the dispute - and media reporting of it - highlighted much of what was wrong in British society.

"It reveals the shameless greed of billionaires masquerading as the cutting edge of efficient management," he said.

"We are not prepared to accept the super-rich continuing to accrue wealth while the wages and conditions of our members are continually undermined."

The motion was carried unanimously.

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RMT official's fighting talk wins standing ovation

Published in the Morning Star

(Tuesday 22 April 2008)

IN stark contrast to the cool reception for hapless Premier Gordon Brown, RMT Scottish secretary Phil McGarry won a standing ovation for a speech covering the extensive agenda of action taken by the STUC over the last year.

Mr McGarry was warmly received when he defended public-sector pay, attacked private finance and called for return of trade union rights in accordance with International Labour Organisation conventions.

He expressed the STUC anger and disbelief at the decision "out of the blue" by SNP Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson to extend the private Scotrail franchise with no public or stakeholder consultation.

"I give a warning to Stewart Stevenson - if that's the way you're going to conduct your business, you'll get a fight from the Scottish trade union movement," he said.

Mr McGarry also expressed anger that, "in 2008 under a Labour government, we still do not have fair treatment for agency workers. Our whole movement is united in fighting for this."

He paid tribute to 120 Labour MPs who voted for a second reading for the Agency Workers Bill, adding: "I was pleased with the commitment of the Prime Minister in that regard this morning."

Criticising the illegal attack on Iraq, Mr McGarry won yet more applause when he said that it was time to bring the troops home.

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We must revitalise our services, says UNISON

Published in the Morning Star

(Tuesday 22 April 2008)

PUBLIC-sector union UNISON Scottish secretary Matt Smith called on the STUC to engage with the Scottish government and others on Monday to ensure that public service reform did not undermine essential services.

He also urged the STUC to campaign on a positive agenda of revitalising these services.

"The people of Scotland expect us to speak for the public services," Mr Smith said.

"These services are not a drain on resources, but a major economic generator, providing jobs in the public and also the private sectors."

Noting problems with shared service plans by local authorities like Glasgow Council, the UNISON official also expressed concerns that progress may go into reverse.

"We welcome the commitment to no compulsory redundacies from the Socttish government," he said. "But that only applies to those directly employed and the threat to many remains."

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