Solidarity, Scotland’s Socialist Movement today announced their candidate for the forthcoming Glenrothes By-Election.
Louise McLeary
The decision to write a blank cheque to the banks and yet say nothing about protecting ordinary people from unemployment, loss of pensions or housing repossessions says so much about the priorities of Gordon Brown’s Labour Government. Solidarity will be standing in the Glenrothes by-election to demonstrate that there is an alternative way out of this crisis, one that puts people before profit.
Louise McLeary from Kirkcaldy, works as a volunteer for an Edinburgh based drugs agency and is on the management committee for the Fife Independent Disability Network. Louise has been a member of Solidarity from its inception and lives in the part of Kirkcaldy which is in the Glenrothes constituency. She is 30 years old and has been an activist since the age of 19.
Tuesday 7th October: Union members from The RMT today took part in strike action after their employer, Network Rail’s latest attempt to rip up agreements over rostering and shift working patterns. The union reported that the strike by 450 signallers and supervisors in Scotland was “rock solid.”
Solidarity Co-Convenor Rosemary Byrne pledged that the union could expect the full support of Solidarity, Scotland’s Socialist Movement in their latest battle.
Solidarity Co-Convenor, Tommy Sheridan will be writing a regular column for Big Issue Scotland. In the first of those, Tommy calls for the nationalisation of the whole finance and banking sector:
"Banks, insurance companies and big corporations are going to the wall. Real workers, the creators of all the wealth, should not be made to suffer. I like the idea of publicly-owned banks. I've argued for it all my adult life. But let's not just take over the sick and ailing ones. The whole sector should be socialised and run on the basis of maximum security and assistance to citizens, not maximum profits for the few."
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“The only way to gain significant concessions from the employers at this stage of the dispute is to escalate the all out action. We believe that the majority of members recognise that the current strategy has not forced the employers back.
Members, activists and stewards now need to pressurise their trade union leaderships if we are to win. We call on members to raise the idea of escalating the dispute within their workplaces, shop stewards committees and local branch by passing motions calling for two days of strike action in early October followed by a further three day strike if the employers fail to significantly increase their offer. Our dispute can be won.”
Wednesday 24th September will see another momentous day of unified industrial action across the three trade unions that represent local government workers in Scotland.
ALL SCOTLAND MARCH and RALLY
EDINBURGH WED 24 SEPTEMBER 2008 Assemble 12.30 outside City Chambers High Street March 13.00. Rally at Ross Bandstand, WestPrincesStreetGardens 13.45
Solidarity Strike Meeting after the Edinburgh Rally
St George’sWestChurch
58 Shandwick Place
Speakers:Duncan Smith (Chair Edinburgh UNISON (personal capacity))
Brian Smith (Glasgow UNISON Social Work Secretary (personal capacity))
Graeme McIver (National Secretary of Solidarity)
No pay cuts. 5% or £1,000 now. Pay rises must cover cost of living increases.
Escalate the action. Unions should call a 2 day strike in October and 3 days in November unless the employer agrees to our demands
For united action with other public sector workers to fight attacks on pay.
Events Calendar
Tuesday 7th October: Union members from The RMT today took part in strike action after their employer, Network Rail’s latest attempt to rip up agreements over rostering and shift working patterns. The union reported that the strike by 450 signallers and supervisors in Scotland was “rock solid.” 
Solidarity Co-Convenor, Tommy Sheridan will be writing a regular column for Big Issue Scotland. In the first of those, Tommy calls for the nationalisation of the whole finance and banking sector:
