Solidarity with Local Government Workers on Strike
The strike action due to take place on August 20thwill involve over 200,000 Local Government workers right across Scotland.It is a huge show of strength from a group of workers who are members of 3 different trade unions, Unite, Unison and The GMB.Solidarity will be holding strike meetings immediately after the rallies in both towns.Details below;
Solidarity Strike Meetings
Step up The Action to defeat pay cuts
What is the socialist answer to economic crisis?
Glasgow
Time: Immediately after Rally approx 1.30pm
Venue: Dows Bar (opposite Dundass Street Enterence to Queens St Station.)
Speakers: Tommy Sheridan (Co-Convenor Solidarity) and Brian Smith (Glasgow Unison Secretary (Social Work Services) (personal capacity)
Speakers: Jim McFarlane (Co chair Dundee Unison) (personal capacity) and Luke Ivory Solidarity Dundee
Rally Details
EDINBURGH 07:15 - 08:00 - General Secretary to join pickets outside City of Edinburgh HQ City of Edinburgh Council HQ, Waverly Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG - Launch advertising of advertising trailer highlighting the action.
PAISLEY 10:30am - 11:15am - March and Rally, Brodie Park to County Square. Speakers: Mike Kirby Scottish Convenor UNISON, Mark Ferguson Renfrewshire UNISON. Other speakers to be announced Joint union balloon release at 11:15am INVERURIE 10.30 a.m. at British Legion Club, Victoria Buildings, Blackhall Road, Inverurie Speakers Dougie Black - Lead TU Negotiator, Bob Revie - Aberdeenshire UNISON
MOTHERWELL 10.30am Joint rally with GMB/UNITE in the morning, at the Civic Centre in Motherwell. Picket lines will be mounted at certain key workplaces including the Civic Centre, Education HQ in Coatbridge and Coates House, Social Work HQ.
DUNDEE 12 Noon - 1:00pm - Joint Union Rally at City Square. Speakers: Rory Malone UNISON, Richard Whyte Unite, John Begley GMB. Other speakers to be announced.
INVERNESS 11.00am - Joint union rally outside Inverness Castle with balloon launch. Speakers to be announced.
GLASGOW 12.30 pm - 2:00pm - Rally at George Square. Speakers to be confirmed - will include Dave Prentis - UNISONGeneral Secretary
Solidarity with Local Government Workers
The local government shutdown in Scotland on the 20th of August will see up to 200,000 workers taking action against an insult - masquerading as a pay offer.
The Employers (CoSLA) have offered a derisory 2.5% annual rise for the next 3 years. CoSLA is led by a coalition of SNP and Labour councillors. This action will be the biggest strike action in Scotland since the huge strike day in March 2006 in defence of pensions. The ballot for action across the unions, UNISON, GMB & Unite, returned big majorities of 70% to strike. Council workers have had enough of year upon year below inflation pay rises, in effect pay cuts.
Inflation Inflation is at 5% with the costs of food, fuel, rents and mortgages rising even faster. The current offer is a pay cut for all council workers and over the three years it could mean a real cut in wages of over 7%. A huge number of council workers are low paid with thousands earning less than £15,000. Politicians from all the big business parties like to make headlines in the media claiming they value public services and public sector workers yet when it comes to putting their money where their mouth they suddenly go quiet. We should not be taken in by the excuses of having no money. Last year, councils made at least £82 million in “efficiency savings”. Savings that council workers were forced to deliver. We demand that this money is invested in those that provide the vital services in our communities.
Escalate the action Only a big show of strength today and if necessary an escalation of the action can win a better deal. The politicians that hold the purse strings cannot be influenced or persuaded to give us what we deserve through negotiation. It is only determined united action that can force them into meaningful talks than can deliver. We should do all we can to coordinate our action with other trade unionists fighting the pay cut policy like the PCS?and others. A one-day national public sector shutdown would send a powerful message.
Break the link Union leaders cannot continue to maintain the illusion of influence with Labour. UNISON, GMB & Unite are amongst the biggest donors to the coffers of the Labour Party. Members quite rightly ask “what do we get for our money?” The answer is clear, more attacks on our pay and services. It is time to end the link with Labour and build a mass force that will stand up for workers and public services.
Jim McFarlane Chair Dundee City UNISON (personal capacity)
Solidarity will be organising meetings in areas across Scotland on Wednesday. Check the website in the coming days for more information
End The Siege of Gaza!
Scottish Demonstration
End UK support for Israel - Egypt - stand up to Israel
Sunday August 10th 2pm @ Mound Precinct on Princes Street
Supported by Scottish Friends of Palestine, Scottish Islamic Foundation, Solidarity.
Speakers include: Dr al Essi - in Gaza, awaiting delivery of medical supplies driven from Scotland by Linda and Khalil; Linda Willis - just returned from Rafah-Gaza border; Khalil al Niss - in Rafah-Gaza, still waiting to deliver medicines and medical supplies to waiting hospital
Vanesa Fuertes - member of Scottish PSC delegation attempting to deliver medicines to Gaza in March 2008, turned back by the Egyptian authorities; Aamer Anwar - human rights lawyer; Osama Saeed - Chief Executive of the Scottish Islamic Foundation Donnie Gluckstein - Ediburgh Solidarity
Tommy Sheridan said:
"Solidarity is affiliated to the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and fully supports Sunday’s demonstration to End the Siege of Gaza.
The people of Gaza are suffering untold misery as a result of this Israeli imposed blockade and it needs to end now. What makes it worse is that it could not happen without western complicity, and that very much includes the UK.
Whenever another child dies in Gaza through lack of food or medicine, or another Israeli missile obliterates a family home and with it the entire family, Gordon Brown should hang his head in shame.
This year, Palestinians are commemorating 60 years since the Nakbah, the catastrophe, where the first act of the newly formed Israeli state was massacre and ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population. Since then Israel has continued to act with impunity.
Enough impunity. It is time to End the Siege of Gaza and it is time for justice for the Palestinians."
Glasgow East: A Disaster for Gordon Brown and New Labour
Following New Labour’s catastrophic by-election defeat, Solidarity Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan said;
"This is a historic victory in Glasgow East for the SNP and I congratulate John Mason.Let us be clear it is a victory for a party to the left of Labour. It is also a disaster for Labour if they don’t learn the lessons and stop attacking the poor, end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and get rid of Trident then next time it wont just be in Glasgow East but in the whole of Scotland where they will suffer.
Of course in this close election the socialist vote was squeezed and many Solidarity voters no doubt voted SNP to help defeat Labour. However we ran a good campaign with an excellent local candidate and we will now prepare for the Council bye election where in last years Council elections we did very well."
Solidarity candidate Tricia McLeish said;"I would like to thank all those who voted Solidarity and I know many more socialists voted SNP to help defeat Labour. The media, who have descended on Glasgow East for the last three weeks will now leave the constituency and ignore the good people of the area just as they have always done.Solidarity and myself are here to stay however. Unlike any other party in Scotland we held our conference in Shettleston last year and with the new members that the party recruited during the campaign we will bolster and build a vibrant and campaigning Solidarity branch in the area campaigning on the issues that really matter and raising the banner of socialism.”
State Funeral for Thatcher is a National Disgrace
Coalfields Solidarity, the industrial branch of Scotland's largest socialist party formed by workers in Scotland's open-cast coal industry, have condemned the decision of New Labour leader Gordon Brown to grant a state funeral to Margaret Thatcher. In a statement, branch organiser Jim Monaghan:
"There will be a plenty of celebration in Cumnock and other former mining communities when Thatcher goes, but we wont be celebrating her achievements, we will be celebrating her end. She replaced coal with heroin and jobs with despair in this town and many others like it across the country. Gordon Brown should be ashamed that he choses to recognise Thacher's devastation as something to be rewarded, shame on him."
Tommy Sheridan, Solidarity's co-convenor also attacked the idea. In a radio interview he said:
"This is an insult to the millions of pensioners who were robbed when she ended the link to wage rises and prices, Thatcher shouldnt be given a state funeral, she should be burned at the stake, a private cremation would do."
for the full satement from Coalfields Solidarity click 'read more' below
Solidarity candidate Tricia Mcleish campaigns today in the Glasgow East by-election raising the issue of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Solidarity candidate Tricia McLeish with Tommy Sheridan
Tricia began her day by appearing in a live debate on Radio Scotland at 7.30 she said, " I shall be today highlighting how the poverty and deprivation in Glasgow East could be solved by a fraction of the money spent on illegal and unjust wars and the 100 billion Labour are spending on renewing Trident.I shall also point out that Scots troops are dying or being injured in large numbers as they make up one third of frontline troops.It is time we brought all the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan."
GAIL SHERIDAN REINSTATED - BRITISH AIRWAYS DROP ALL CHARGES
After almost 5 months suspension from her job as a British Airways stewardess Gail Sheridan has today been reinstated and cleared of any theft and misconduct charges.
Gail had an unblemished record over her 23 year career with BA before being suspended on basic pay pending an investigation into theft and misconduct charges arising from a Lothian and Borders police decision to charge her with theft after removing a number of alcoholic minatures during an 8 hour raid and search of the Sheridan home on the 16th December last year. Gail Sheridan was subsequently charged with theft and perjury on Feb. 19th this year and suspended from her job on Feb. 22nd. The theft charge was dropped when Gail and husband Tommy appeared at Edinburgh high court to be charged with perjury on 27th March.
After a detailed and thorough investigation by BA over the last 5 months, with which Gail fully cooperated, the Company have now dismissed all charges against her and fully reinstated her in her senior purser role.
Gail Sheridan said today;
"I am obviously relieved to be reinstated to the job I have loved for the last 23 years. The relief is however tarnished with anger that I have had to endure the stress and shame of being accused of theft over that period. An accusation which was always malicious but without foundation from the start. Those who initially threw this muck at me should hold their heads in shame.
"I want to thank my family, friends, trade union representative, Tracy Jervis and solicitor, John Paul Mowberry, for being so supportive and helpful during this difficult time. I also want to thank the thousands of ordinary people and trade unionists who have expressed their solidarity with me throughout. Such solidarity has been uplifting and inspiring."
Gail attended a disciplinary hearing this morning in a Paisley hotel and was informed of her reinstatement after less than 10 minutes of the meeting starting.
Gail is a member of the cabin crew union BASSA which is part of UNITE.
Solidarity Launch Glasgow East Campaign
Glasgow Solidarity members have selected their candidate for the Glasgow East by-election on 24 July. Tricia McLeish, of the party's Shettleston branch, was appointed unopposed with the unianimous support of the Glasgow region of Scotland's largest socialist party.
Tricia said: "I am honoured to be selected as Solidarity's candidate. Living in the area and working for the council, I see the results of New Labour's failed agenda first hand. The SNP offer no answers for the people of the East end, just more of the same under a different flag. The East End will not be saved by shopping centes or by a Donald Trump. We need real jobs and real futures.
"Solidarity are AGAINST the renewal of trident, but FOR spending the billions on houses and pensioners instead. We stand AGAINST the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and FOR the withdrawal of Brirish and all other foreign troops."
Tricia McLeish & Tommy Sheridan
Profile - Tricia McLeish
Tricia McLeish is a founding member of Solidarity and has been an active socialist for over 20 years. She is 44, and works as a technical officer for Glasgow City Council's Land and Environmantal Services and was a Unison (and previously NALGO) shop steward in the council's housing department for 15 years.
Tricia was born, bred and still lives in Shettleston, the eldest of six children, all of whom still live in the East end of Glasgow, as do her parents. She was educated at St Andrews in Greenfield.
Tricia joined the Labour Party Young Socialists and then Militant in the early 1980's when she was on a youth opportunities scheme and since then has been at the forefront of many political campaigns in Scotland. After being suspended from the Labour Party for her involvement in the Anti-Poll Tax Federation, she went to be a founder member of The Scottish Socialist Alliance, the Scottish Socialist Party and then Solidarity. She is a member of the party's National Steering Committee and still an active trade unionist, leading campaigns against privatisation of services, most notably the back-door privatisation of housing stock through the GHA.
Terry Fields dies, aged 71
Former Labour MP Terry Fields died at his home in Liverpool on Saturday 28th June. Solidarity wish to express our deepest sympathy to his family and comrades. Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan said:
"I am deeply saddened by this news. Terry was a wonderful man who inspired many to get involved in the fight for a fairer society. He will be missed by all of us."
Belfast Airport Workers Victory
The Court of Appeal has issued its judgement on the case of the Belfast airport shop stewards who were sacked in 2002 by airport security firm, ICTS, after they had organised a strike over pay.
The judgement upholds the Fair Employment Tribunal 2007 ruling that ICTS discriminated against the shop stewards on political grounds, sacking them for their trade union and socialist political beliefs. The Court of Appeal judgement reinforces the original decision and means that this case has now set new law which can be used to the benefit of millions of workers throughout Britain.
Events Calendar
Scottish Demonstration
