Solidarity receives warm response

Over 200,000 Scottish Local Government workers took strike action on 20th August against proposals to cut the pay of council staff for the next three years.

It was the biggest local government strike ever as services were brought to a halt as the three trades unions, Unison, Unite and GMB organised united action that produced a massive response from the membership.

Judging by initial media stories, the Labour and SNP led employer, CoSLA, seems ready to admit that in hindsight 2.5% for each of the next three years is well behind the current rate of inflation and needs looking at.

It is vital that the unions agree to an escalation of the action and at least name the dates for a nationwide two day strike in September to maintain the pressure on the employer.

For reports of the rallies in Glasgow, Dundee and Inverness please click below

Glasgow

In Glasgow pickets assembled in the early hours of the morning in conditions more akin to a monsoon so poor has been this summer’s weather. Schools, care homes, bin and parking collections, libraries and social work offices were all closed in a demonstration of collective trades union action. Outside Glasgow the ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne cancelled sailings due to action by council staff in Argyle and Bute.

Despite the fact that workers are feeling the squeeze in their pay packets, brought about by rising household and other costs, they committed themselves to fighting against this derisory pay offer which would be worth as little as 15 pence and hour to many low paid staff. During the day 1300 strikers gathered in Glasgow’s George Square to hear speeches from trades union leaders including Dave Prentice, Unison General Secretary and messages of solidarity from Public Commercial Services Union (PSC). Despite the rain, the mood was upbeat and defiant as some danced to the tune ‘singing in the rain’ being played over the public address system.

During the rally Solidarity members distributed leaflets, written by striking workers, about the dispute that advertised a Solidarity meeting to take place afterwards. 60 people attended the meeting, including 50 strikers, and listened to Brian Smith (Unison secretary of Glasgow Social Work Services) and Tommy Sheridan speak about the way forward for the action. Brian raised the need for the leadership to announce the days for consecutive action to take place and give a clear message to both the membership and the employers that the union means business. Tommy too stated that “there is no point in taking a day here and a day there over a long period of time” that consecutive days of action would force the employer to retreat.

At the meeting where union stewards were well represented, two people agreed to join Solidarity and another eight asked for more information.

In the run up to the strike day it was interesting to note that we received the verbal support of candidates in the forthcoming Scottish Labour leadership election. Both Cathy Jamieson and Andy Kerr expressed their support and understanding of the action given the rate of inflation and demanded that the SNP government step in and settle the dispute. This announcement has not fooled any striking staff. We’re all aware that Labour has done nothing over our pay during the past ten years in power in Scotland and that Labour prime minister Gordon Brown was the architect of the public sector pay cuts policy .

Ian Leech
Unison Steward
Glasgow


Dundee

Even the right wing DC Thomson’s produced local evening newspaper was forced to report on its front page with the headline “Strike Solid” as thousands of local government workers took strike action in Dundee along with their colleagues across Scotland .

 

Pickets had been out in force from early morning forcing a virtual closedown of the council.  The number of members out picketing for the first time was encouraging as members showed they were serious about fighting this pay cut.  Despite the usual misinformation from some senior management members of the 3 unions involved backed up the ballot with strike action. Nearly all schools, nurseries, libraries, community centres, refuse collection, council offices & social work services were closed down for the day. Even in some Social Work care services that had been exempt from the action, members wanted to show their support and came out on strike.

 

Pickets reported the turning away of non-union members, deliveries and as usual workers in the postal service showed their solidarity by refusing to cross picket lines.  Over 300 attended and heard speakers from UNISON, GMB and Unite at lunch time rally in the city square. The mood of most members at the rally and on the picket lines was that this was just the start of the campaign for decent pay.

 

Around 25 people attended a Solidarity fringe meeting afterwards, including a number of stewards & activists from different council departments. There was a very good discussion around “where now for this dispute?”  There was general agreement with the idea put forward that that if the employers would not back down then the strike action would have to be escalated into further days of action including where possible with other workers taking action such as the PCS. There was unanimous agreement to the idea put forward by Solidarity members of needing to break the union link with Labour and for the trade unions to help build a mass force that genuinely represents the interests of workers. A lot of those stewards were attending their first Solidarity meeting and a number have now either joined or have asked for further discussion and information.


Jim McFarlane
Chair Dundee City UNISON (personal capacity)

Inverness