Solidarity MSP Rosemary Byrne has joined Simclar workers on their sit-in at the company's Kilwinning factory.  30 workers who are occupying the factory invited Rosemary in to join them.  Other political parties sowed up for a short time for the cameras while Byrne and her Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan have been with the workers since early this morning. The occupation is against the announcement that all workers will receive only minimum state redundancy.  Rosemary Byrne said:

"The Simclar workers have taken a very brave step in securing what is rightfully their's to claim.  Solidarity and I will be with for as long as it takes."

Commenting on the employees' actions Willie Paterson, Scottish Regional Secretary of Community, who is inside the Kilwinning factory with the members, said:

'Over 200 Simclar employees attended a Community Branch meeting last night at which the strength of feeling of about how disgracefully Simclar have treated them was palpable. It was agreed that peaceful protests would be held outside the Irvine and Kilwinning factories this morning. During the process of the Kilwinning protest the factory gate was opened and the workforce took an instant decision to occupy the factory.

'Sam Russell, the Chair of the Simclar Group, appears to have no shame about how he is treating the loyal, highly-skilled workforce in Ayrshire, many of whom have up to 18 years service with the Company. Unlike the employees recently made redundant by NCR in Dundee - who were Simclar's biggest customer - the Simclar employees will not receive the redundancy pay and the consultation period that that they are contractually and legally entitled to, despite being the largest creditor of the business.

'Community believes that it is clear that Simclar has manipulated the situation in order to dump their responsibilities on to the taxpayer. We believe that co-called entrepreneurs like Mr Russell should be made to live up to their responsibilities to their employees and that tax-payers should be angry about another example of corporate greed for which they will end up picking up the bill.'

“Today's magnificent show of solidarity by PCS members across the UK is a clear example of their determination to defend their jobs, conditions and pay. The employer can be left in no doubt that this campaign will continue as long as necessary. The industrial demands put forward by PSC are reasonable and deliverable, if there is a political will to do so. PCS stand ready and willing to enter intonegotiations with our employer, to prevent further disruption and to address the real concerns and fears of our members.”

Janice Godrich PCS President and a member of Solidarity

Solidarity – Scotland’s Socialist Movement salutes the tremendous response by PCS members to yesterday’s strike action. It is clear that there was a massive response by civil servants who were on strike in huge numbers across the UK, including an estimated 90% in
Scotland. The burning anger at job cuts, low pay and the threat of privatisation was evident yesterday. And Solidarity pledges its 100% support for the demands of the PCS and civil service workers:

• A No compulsory redundancy agreement.
• A no compulsory relocation agreement.
• No further privatisation without negotiation and
consultation.
• No attack on Civil service Compensation Scheme
• Adequate resources and decent working conditions.
• A fair national pay system

Solidarity Co-Convenor Rosemary Byrne welcomed the latest candidates to be selected top of Solidarity's regional lists for the Scottish Elections in May.

Following the announcement that Rosemary will stand as the lead candidate for Solidarity in the South, Highlands and Islands Solidarity chose Anne McLeod to head the list of candidates in that region.  Later this week Mid Scotland and Fife Solidarity selected Kate Stewart as their number one candidate.  Rosemary said:

"We are puttting together an impressive list of candidates who have respect in their own communities as well as in the wider movement.  I am pleased to see that we now have five women topping election lists for Solidarity."

Of the seven regions declared so far, five have women candidates at the top of the lists.  As well as Anne, Kate and Rosemary, Solidarity members have selected Pat Smith in the Lothians region and Central Solidarity voted for Lynn Sheridan.

In a TNS/System Three poll carried out for the party recently, scots women were shown to be more likely to vote for Solidarity than men.  The survey showed that 8% of women asked said that they would be likely to vote Solidarity in the May elections.

Survey results published in the Herald today show that Tommy Sheridan, the Solidarity MSP, was named by students as the politician who most influenced them.  This poll comes after a recent survey carried out by TNS System Three showed 7% of scots voters likely to vote for Solidarity in May's Scottish Elections.  The Solidarity Co-Convenor welcomed the survey results and called for more support for students:

"There is a long way to go to the election but things are looking good.  Surveys and polls are not the best indication of support though.  What Solidarity members do in their local communities, on the picket lines, in their college, and the reaction we get when we campaign across the country is a better sign of how well we are doing.

"Students are struggling to work and study as they have little or no financial support, I am glad that so many of them see Solidarity as a party who would fight for them.  When I was at University I received a full grant, housing benefit, and was able to sign on during the holidays.  Jack McConnell, Education Minister Hugh Henry, and most of the Executive, got the same help and support to study, now they have pulled that support from today's students and have burdened them with financial worries and debt. 

"Instead of wasting £76 billion pounds on nuclear weapons over the next 30 years, we could spend this money, instead, on providing free education with full support for all young people, and not so young, who want to go to universities and colleges."

Tommy Sheridan, Glasgow's Solidarity MSP, has hailed the results of a poll that shows that 82% of Scots support his proposals to take air rifles and pistols off Scotland's streets.

Speaking at a press conference in his Glasgow constituency office, the Co-Convenor of Scotland's fastest growing political party said:

"Two years ago Cathy Jamieson promised to do something about this in the wake of the tragic killing of young Andrew Morton.  His mother, Sharon MacMillan, has campaigned tirelessly and raised 10,000 signatures on a petition.  All the Executive did was to raise the age limit for ownership from 17 to 18.  That is useless, the man who killed Andrew was 27.

"I hope that this poll, and my consultation, can show the Scottish Executive that the Scottish people agree with me and with Sharon MacMillan, that it is time for these dangerous weapons to go."

The poll, carried out by TNS System Three, shows 82% of respondents backed the ban on airguns outside of sports clubs and pest control.  The youngest group surveyed (18-24) and the oldest (over 65) showed the highest support for the ban at 85%, and in Tommy's Glasgow constituency over 93% were in favour.

Solidarity MSP Tommy Sheridan has uncovered what he has called a "black market" in PFI hospitals.  Last year, the Royal Bank of Scotland sold it's share in Consort Healthcare to Balfour Beatty. 

Consort won the original contract for the PFI at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.  The original make-up of the PFI consortium was 15% by Morrison Construction with the remainder held equally by RBS and Balfour Beatty. Now the Balfour Beatty has increased it's share to 73.9%, with the balance owned by Infrastructure Investors, a finance company described as Britain's largest equity fund in the secondary PFI market.

The sale was hidden by commericial confidentiality and only parliamentary questions by Solidarity's Co-Convenor led to the information coming out.  The Royal Bank refuse to comment on how much profit was made from the sale.  Tommy said:

"This shows that our hospitals are being bought and sold like commodities on the black market, with no public veto or rights of access to information. In the long run the public will have to foot the bill.

"I will be laying further questions and motions on this, demanding how much money the Royal Bank has made and insisting that any profits made in these deals are returned to the NHS."