Public Sector Workers Fight For Us All!

The Herald Letters

Nothing better exposes the class nature of our society than the current pensions crisis. In a month when, yet again, the government has shown that it will go to any lengths to defend the interests of the rich, one million of Britain's lowest-paid workers have been forced to take strike action in defence of their pensions, which have come under attack from the same government.

The government says that it has no choice but to take this action; that the country cannot afford this level of pension provision. This is nonsense and just another example of government spin. All governments make choices; that's what governments do. This government chose not to impose the same pension settlement on other public-service workers, most notably teachers, because it didn't want a damaging industrial dispute in the run-up to the election.

As for funding, the government chooses to spend tens of billions of pounds each year in subsidising the rich and big business, in maintaining a useless nuclear arsenal and in fighting an illegal war. It also chooses to deny itself colossal revenues from the rich by refusing to change to a more progressive tax regime. In fact if the money isn't there it's because it is being diverted into these other areas.

The local government workers striking on Tuesday are in the front line of the fightback and as such represent the interests of all working people facing the same attack; particularly in the private sector. That's why they should be and are being supported. That widespread disruption took place is simply a reflection of the essential jobs these workers do. If those on fat-cat pensions went on strike would anyone notice?

There is a Woody Guthrie song, Whose Side Are You On? New Labour would have no problem answering this question. However, for the million workers on strike and the millions of others who supported them it is time to face reality. There is now no difference between New Labour and the Tories when it comes to attacking the interests of working people. On the demonstrations and rallies in Scotland on Tuesday the Scottish Socialist Party was the only party to stand shoulder to shoulder with those on strike.

William Bonnar,129 Ardmory Avenue, Glasgow.

Video Footage of the Edinburgh Demo

More Photos

Public Sector Strike

SSP members will be out participating in and supporting the massive public sector strike today. We have produced a series of bulletins and will be having rallies in many areas.

Carolyn Leckie, SSP MSP, UNISON and IWW member, will be asking the following question at First Minister's Question Time this Thursday, 30th March. FMQs is on at 12 o'clock and is usually shown on the BBC on Holyrood Live.

First Minister's Question Time - Thursday 30 March
6. Carolyn Leckie: To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Executive still intends to abolish the rule of 85 in the Local Government Pension Scheme. (S2F-2227)

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The Herald
Your Letters March 28 2006

Even the most vicious opponents of trade unionism cannot ignore the historic
strike of 1.5 million local government workers, 250,000 of them in Scotland.
This is a powerful display of the power of workers' unity, and a sharp
reminder that in the 21st century it is still the labour of working people
that makes society relatively civilised. Services grind to halt when workers
walk out in defence of their deferred wages, whereas nobody notices when the
country's bloated fat-cats sail off into the sunset.
March 28 will be at least the biggest strike in this country since the early
1970s, and the biggest ever strike of women. Such levels of rebellion cannot
be dismissed as a whim by the governments of either Westminster or Holyrood.
It is an outpouring of rage at workers' contracts being ripped up
unilaterally; their pensions stolen from them after decades of them
contributing 6% of their wages; their very lives being curtailed as the
government tries to make them work until they drop.
Tom McCabe, one of the Scottish ministers in Holyrood who can collect a
pension of about £14,500 a year after a mere eight years' service, has tried
to bamboozle strikers into delaying their action. In vain. Mr McCabe and the
Scottish Executive would be reflecting more accurately the widespread views
of the Scottish people if they stood up to Westminster for once, and
declared their readiness to retain the current pension rights of all
Scottish local government workers.
The Scottish Socialist Party has absolutely no hesitation in showing
solidarity with these strikers, joining their pickets, marches and rallies,
because we put people and pensions before profits. Contrary to the
government's propaganda juggernaut, we don't believe there is any real
pensions crisis – but there is a very serious crisis for pensioners, who,
after a lifetime contribution to society, frequently retire to a choice of
heating or eating.
Scotland is awash with wealth that could be poured into decent occupational
and state pensions for all. Ask the banks (£34bn profit between five of
them); the oil companies (£25bn between two); the companies who gained £28bn
from taking a "pensions holiday" at the height of the stockmarket boom – or
the multi-millionaires who give Labour loans for lordships.
Richie Venton,
Scottish Socialist Party national trade-union organiser,
70 Stanley Street, Glasgow.

A&E closure 'will cause huge delays at casualties'

Glasgow Evening Times

A CAMPAIGN group has warned casualty units in Glasgow and across Lanarkshire could be swamped if a controversial closure plan goes ahead.
Today the SNP's Alex Neil, SSP health spokeswoman Carolyn Leckie, and Gordon Martin, of the North Lanarkshire Trades Unions Council, joined forces to launch the alternative vision at a social club in Airdrie.
They are calling on the health board to retain all three Lanarkshire units - the third is at Wishaw General - and, if necessary, increase the number of patients each is able to treat.

Fox tops SSP election list

Evening News

SCOTTISH Socialist leader Colin Fox has been selected to head the party's Lothians top-up list at next year's Scottish Parliament elections.

Activists gave Mr Fox around 80 per cent of first preferences in the internal selection process.

The Socialists secured 5.4 per cent of the vote in Lothians in 2003 to get Mr Fox elected as one of the region's list MSPs.

The other candidates who will feature on the SSP Lothians list are childcare worker Pat Smith, retired teacher Shirley Gibb, electrician Willie Black, party organiser Steve Nimmo, social worker Catriona Grant and student Nick Eardley.

Sheridan denies asylum centre charges

Scotsman
TOMMY Sheridan, the Scottish Socialist MSP, yesterday denied causing a breach of the peace during a protest at an asylum centre.

Sheridan, 42, who is representing himself, appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court over his part in the blockade of UK immigration offices in the city last November.

He was among up to 50 campaigners who took part in the demonstration against the use of dawn raids to deport failed asylum seekers.

His two co-accused, David Reilly and Stuart Kerr, who were arrested with Mr Sheridan outside the premises in Brand Street, also pled not guilty.

PRESCRIPTION FEES RISE ON THE CARDS

Daily Record PRESCRIPTION charges are set to rise in Scotland.

It was announced yesterday that prices south of the Border would go up by 15p to £6.65 from April 1.

Scotland has kept rises in line with England for the past five years and sources said the policy would continue.

The Scottish increases are likely to be announced within days.

Prescription prepayment certificates will also be hit.

In England, they will go up to £34.65 for four months or £95.30 for 12 months.

A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: "We will be making an announcement on prescription item charges shortly."

Scottish Socialist Party leader Colin Fox introduced a Bill into the Scottish parliament earlier this year which would have ended prescription charges.

Health Minister Andy Kerr said that although nine out of 10 prescriptions are free, scrapping charges could cost up to £245million a year.

In January, MSPs voted against scrapping the charges. Instead, they backed plans for an overhaul of NHS drugs policy.

Colin Fox's Address to SSP Conference

Watch Colin Fox's address to the SSP Conference 2006 here.

SSP Conference 2006

Conference Reports: The Herald Press Association
BBC (with video clip)

The Courier:

SCOTTISH SOCIALIST Party leader Colin Fox told his party's national conference in Dundee it has overcome its difficulties and is ready to build upon past electoral success.
The party's national co-convener accused the Labour Party of deserting ordinary working people and called for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Mr Fox was speaking at the SSP's annual conference, held in the Caird Hall at the weekend.
He was elected last year after the abrupt resignation of predecessor Tommy Sheridan.
Since then, four of the party's MSPs were suspended from the Scottish Parliament and fined £30,000 after protesting on the right to demonstrate outside the G8 summit at Gleneagles Hotel.
Mr Fox said the SSP is now the only political party of the left remaining in Scotland and the only one supporting workers' rights.
Opening his speech by mocking Tony Blair's revelation his faith had helped him in the decision to invade Iraq, Mr Fox said, "I spoke to God yesterday and he wrote most of my speech.
"If anyone has any problems with this, they will have to take it up with God."
Mr Fox told of how Labour Party founder James Keir Hardie visited Dundee a century ago as he sought to create a party that fought for workers' rights.
The SSP national convener told delegates—many of whom battled through wintry conditions from all corners of Scotland to attend—that Labour has abandoned Scotland's workers and pensioners.
The Lothians MSP said it was wrong the Executive had refused to intervene to try to curb soaring gas prices, which he said are forcing hundreds more pensioners into fuel poverty.
He called for the gas standing charge to be dropped for pensioners, asking, "How many more times must they pay for the pipe connecting the mains to their house?"
He also criticised First Minister Jack McConnell's decision to meet Tory leader David Cameron at the Scottish Parliament when, in the same week, he refused to meet anti-war protestor Cindy Sheehan, whose son died while serving with the US forces in Iraq.
On Iraq, he said all troops should be removed and regime change is the sole province of Iraq's people.
Arguing against those who say withdrawing troops would cause the country to fall into civil war, he said, "1400 people have been murdered in Iraq over the last six days in a civil war caused in part by the occupation of the country by troops who should not be there."
Mr Fox also dismissed David Cameron's claim that the Conservative Party supported the Make Poverty History campaign.
"At the Tory conference they have come out in favour of the Make Poverty History campaign.
"That is all you need to know that a phrase has lost all of its meaning.
He said, "As Malcolm X said, `You cannot have capitalism without racism and you cannot have capitalism without poverty.'
"It will be great to hear Cameron say `Make capitalism history.' "
The SSP currently has six MSPs and he said they hope to secure more seats in next year's Scottish Parliament elections.
The SSP's membership is on the rise and he said it is the only party that has fulfilled its pledges from the last election, such as introducing bills in parliament calling for the abolition of council tax.
Mr Fox also celebrated the success of the campaign to prevent the stock transfer of council housing in Edinburgh.
"Last year when I was elected national convener I said the best days of the SSP were ahead of us and that remains true today," he concluded.

Fair Play

Politicians join calls for Cup semi in Capital: "Politicians join calls for Cup semi in Capital

THE campaign for Murrayfield to host the Scottish Cup semi-final clash between Hearts and Hibs has spread to Holyrood.

MSPs from across the political spectrum have given their backing to motions calling for the match to be held in Edinburgh, rather than have thousands of fans from the Capital causing traffic chaos trying to get to Hampden.

Scottish Socialist leader and Lothians MSP Colin Fox tabled a motion describing Murrayfield as the 'ideal venue' for the first all-Edinburgh semi-final for more than 100 years. He claimed the money saved by 60,000 people not having to travel to Glasgow would be better spent in making the day a truly remarkable one for fans.

And he appealed to fellow MSPs to urge the SFA to 'take into account the views of the people who matter most, the fans of Hearts and Hibs'."

Unions Say "Back Free School Meals and Scrapping Prescription Charges"

The Herald

Scotland's main trade unions have joined forces and told Labour party comrades that they want a commission to look at new powers at Holyrood to handle energy, immigration, and consumer protection.
The unions held a private meeting with Jack McConnell during the party conference in Aviemore at the weekend, and set out their case for a radical, left-wing manifesto.
The unprecedented joint strategy, called A Workplace Agenda 2007, is intended to influence Labour's thinking as it draws up plans for next year's Holyrood elections, and carries considerable weight, given the clout unions have in party affairs and funding.
It includes an extensive wish list to protect union members' interests, but also ranges across other policy areas.
The proposed commission on extra powers for the Scottish Parliament is also to look at the potential for control over equal opportunities, health and safety, broadcasting, drugs, firearms, council tax benefit, and gaming.
While the first minister and Scottish Labour leader has also suggested the party looks at additional powers, he has run into firm opposition from colleagues at Westminster, who would make the decision on changes to the Scotland Act.

The unions – led by Unison, which represents public sector workers – want Labour MSPs to reverse their opposition to free school meals and free prescription charges.

Their most expensive proposals are for free full-time childcare and renationalisation of the railways.
Unions also want employers to be forced to take out a skills and training bond and pay a lifelong learning levy, providing a statutory minimum amount of training each year for all employees.
There is a challenge to the thrust of the Scottish Executive's current moves towards council reform, undermining local authorities' autonomy with the threat of wholesale re-organisation after next year's election.
"There should be parity of esteem between the executive and local government, through the development of a new concordat that recognises the democratic legitimacy of both," says the document.
The unions are also calling for quangos such as health boards to have directly-elected boards. Where that cannot be achieved, they want councillors and staff representatives to become board members.
In response to dirty hospitals, they want cleaning contracts brought in-house.


Herald Letters

According to Douglas Fraser (February 28), the leaders of Scottish trade unions have gone cap in hand to wee Jack to ask for more. And Jack has turned to them and said: "I'd like ti help ye, brothers, but the lads at the Big Hoose, doon London, willnae let me."
Interesting how among the bureaucrats' demands is support for "free school meals and free prescription charges" which the Scottish Socialists have laid down bills for in this parliament and will continue to do so in the next, I assume. Are these the same Socialists that Douglas Fraser dismissed, in December, as "yet to establish whether they can be taken seriously "? Seems that the trade-union leaders do take the SSP seriously, even if the Fourth Estate once again pile in to proclaim their premature demise.
I pray for the day when the scales fall from the unions' eyes and they refuse to continue to bankroll such a rotten organisation that pays no heed to their concerns but perpetuates the continued immiseration of people, young and old, the length and breadth of the country.
Sean Hurl, 17 Roffey Park Road, Oldhall, Paisley.

I am glad to hear that unions are at last uniting behind a radical manifesto. This programme of free childcare, school meals and prescription charges, as well as the renationalisation of the railways, is exactly my domestic priority that I campaign on as a member of the Scottish Socialist Party.
As a member of Unison, I am looking forward to notification that it is about to follow the example of the RMT – affliating to the SSP, rather than the Labour Party, which is currently trying to get rid of the pension rights of Unison members.
Mhairi McAlpine, 225 Lomond Drive, Langlees, Falkirk.