Friday, 26 February 2010 13:41

Fight for a socialist Scotland

The SNP government in Scotland have published their plans for a referendum on Scotland’s future relationship with the rest of the UK. The referendum would take the form of two separate questions.

The first question would ask if the people of Scotland wish the devolved powers of the Scottish parliament to be extended. The second would ask whether the extension of powers should be such as to allow Scotland to move to becoming an independent country. Currently, public support for strengthening the powers of the Scottish parliament is running at over 60%, while backing for independence is supported by 25-30%.

However, the first question is not clear because what would the proposed new devolved powers for the Scottish parliament, short of independence, be? Will they be the very limited powers outlined in the Calman Commission, which is supported by Labour, the Lib Dems and the Tories? Or, alternatively, the option of “devolution max” – which would see control over taxes and benefits, and all other powers passed to the Scottish parliament except defence, foreign affairs and financial regulation. Another possible variant would fall somewhere between these two options and would come on the basis of negotiation with one or more of the other main parties.

Wednesday, 24 February 2010 20:05

Bring the media monsters into public ownership

Rupert Murdoch’s News International has been lacerated by a report from a House of Commons select committee into the News of the World's phone hacking activities. Chris Huhne, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, in no sense an anti-establishment figure, has demanded a judicial inquiry. Ben Bradshaw, New Labour’s media secretary said the report raised “extremely serious questions” for the Murdoch empire. Even Gordon Brown’s official spokesperson described the revelations in the report as “absolutely breathtaking and an extreme cause for concern.”

Philip Stott

The culture and media committee’s investigation followed reports in the Guardian newspaper in 2009 that exposed News International’s, and specifically the News of the World’s, use of illegal phone hacking of high profile figures. Those targeted included members of the royal family’s household – for which the News of the World’s royal editor, Clive Goodman, was jailed in 2007 and Gordon Taylor, head of the Professional Footballers Association, who won £400,000 in damages from News International in 2007.

Despite denials from News International, this new report touches on just how widespread the use of illegal phone hacking by its journalists was. The Metropolitan Police found 91 pin numbers (used to gain access to mobile phone messages) during their investigation. The Met did not reveal to this select committee but were forced to disclose this information through a Freedom of Information request by the Guardian newspaper. One MP described News of the World’s actions as, “hacking on a near industrial scale.”

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 09:13

Following the example set by Glasgow City Unison branch to launch a trade union and community groups fight back against cuts in jobs and services in the city, UNISON, GMB, UNITE, EIS, both Clydebank and Dumbarton TUC and local community groups have joined the fight in West Dunbartonshire. 

By a West Dunbartonshire worker

A series of public meetings have been organised to develop a campaign against the £2.6 million budget cuts made by West Dunbartonshire Council. It is believed that compulsory redundancies for staff, ongoing savage cuts and privatisation of services are a very real threat.  Even before these cuts many services are threadbare while staff are continually expected to take on extra work without the required resources. With a £24million cut over the following two years the Council has made clear that this is just the beginning of "budget savings" which will be ongoing for years to come.

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 09:01

The attempts by the Scottish Defence League to carry out a major show of strength in Edinburgh on Saturday ended in farce and humiliation for the fascists and racists.

The SDL claimed their number would be boosted by members of the English and Welsh equivalents, who would be joining them in Edinburgh, but in the end no more than 50 managed to make the pub that they were meeting at.

More than 300 anti –fascists, many organised through the Edinburgh anti-fascist alliance, and including members of the International Socialists and the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign, went to the Royal Mile where the SDL were holed up in a pub, a few yards from the Scottish parliament.

A huge police mobilisation spent over 5 hours providing a protective cordon – before eventually the SDL were put in a bus and forced to leave under police protection. They were not even able to show themselves in public – a major setback for the SDL after their boasts in the run up to their mobilisation. This is the second major defeat for the SDL in Scotland following their attempts in Glasgow in November last year.

Thursday, 11 February 2010 15:52

Working class people need their own alternative

On the 5th February the DUP and Sinn Fein agreed a deal on policing, justice and parades. The deal was announced in triumph as a "historic breakthrough" by First Minister Peter Robinson of the DUP and his deputy Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein, sitting alongside Gordon Brown and the Irish Taoiseach (PM) Brian Cowen.

Ciaran Mulholland, Socialist Party, Belfast 

Policing and justice will be transferred to local control by 12 April and the issue of contentious parades will be reviewed over the next three weeks by a "working party". On 9 March an Assembly vote will be required to agree the package.

Is it a "breakthrough"? The signs are that the DUP is split on the merits of the deal. Five days before it was agreed 14 DUP MLAs (members of the legislative assembly) reportedly voted against a very similar proposal and there were even rumours of resignations from the Assembly party if it went through.

It is not clear what changes were made in the intervening five days but it is clear that key issues, particularly the issue of parades, were fudged. The DUP were clearly under huge pressure to sign up, and were fearful of an early Assembly election. The nightmare scenario for Peter Robinson now is that he becomes a new David Trimble, (the protestant former UUP leader whose association with 'power sharing' led to his political demise) desperately trying to sell the deal as unionist support ebbs away.

This new deal changes nothing of substance. The system of government in the North will remain dysfunctional, incapable of delivering and prone to breakdown.

Thursday, 11 February 2010 15:37

Nominate Roger Bannister

Whoever wins the general election, members of Britain's largest public sector union Unison, like all other public service workers, are in for a hard time. All three capitalist parties have declared their intention to make the working class pay for the financial crisis through attacks on jobs, pay, pensions and public services.

Roger Bannister, with over 33 years of trade union experience and activity, is standing for general secretary of Unison. If elected he will lead Unison members, along with other public sector workers to fight against these attacks.

The union's leadership has to date failed to use the union's full strength to maximum effect. In fact it has signed disastrous deals, such as the Single Status Agreement, instead of fighting for decent pay. Now thousands of Unison members, mainly women, face pay cuts in the name of equal pay!

Roger has an outstanding record of supporting workers in struggle. In 2001 he led a strike of 1,500 council workers, successfully defending the 35-hour week, in Knowsley, where he is Unison branch secretary.

Wednesday, 10 February 2010 14:37

Fight for a socialist alternative

Top bankers worldwide are awarding themselves obscene 'bonuses' to feed their greed-fuelled, decadent lifestyles. Goldman Sachs in the US have announced $160 billion in pay and bonuses for their top earners.

Here, in Britain, Stephen Hester, the boss of RBS, will earn almost £10 million for three years “work”. And this is at a bank that is 84% publicly owned and had to be bailed out with tax-payers money. Even Stephen Hester’s mum and dad have expressed their opposition to this blatant greed.  

RBS are reported to be planning to hand out £1.3 billion to their investment bankers later this month. Dozens of banks, the same ones that are largely responsible for the economic crisis that we are in today, are planning to do the same.

They have taken our money in bailouts and are now using that money to speculate and make massive profits, salaries and bonuses as a result.  

Ian Leech and Philip Stott

Wednesday, 10 February 2010 13:31

Peter Taaffe, Socialist Party general secretary, reviews Michael Moore's 'Capitalism: A Love Story

Karl Marx likened capitalism to a vampire which lives and expands by sucking "living labour" from the worker by extracting "surplus value", "unpaid labour".

But that is while the worker lives. Now we learn through Michael Moore, the US radical film-maker, that the biggest vampire, Wal-Mart - "a company with revenue larger than any other in the world" - actually bets on its "workers dying.

"It takes out life insurance policies on its 350,000 shopfloor workers without their knowledge and approval" [Chris McGreal, The Guardian, 30 January 2010].

Moreover: "When one of them dies, Wal-Mart claims on the policy. Not a cent of the payout, which sometimes runs to $1 million (£620,000) or more goes to the family of the dead worker, often struggling with expensive funeral bills.

"Wal-Mart keeps the lot. If a worker dies, the company profits."

Wednesday, 03 February 2010 16:38

To all Unison members: Nominate Roger Bannister

 Dear Colleague

I have decided to canvas for nominations for the General Secretary election, to argue for radical change at the top of UNISON.

I fought this election in 2005, obtaining over 41,000 votes. Since then I have continued to campaign as an NEC member for the North West Region, for fighting policies to defend jobs and conditions of service. I am currently about to ballot members for strike action in defence of our 35 Hour Week Agreement, and against the imposition of a redeployment policy by the employer that will lead to compulsory redundancies. It is my belief that UNISON needs a General Secretary with this Hands On experience of  dealing with the problems faced by ordinary members.

My election programme would be based on:

•    A General Secretary on a Worker's Wage

•    Fighting policies against spending cuts – defend all jobs – fight the pay freeze – not a penny off our pensions!

•    UNISON members first - Break the link with New Labour, use our Political Fund to support candidates whose policies are best for UNISON members

•    End low pay amongst UNISON members

•    Oppose all privatisation

•    Oppose the BNP & the Racist right

•    Election of all officials

•    For the right of all members to campaign under rule within the union without fear of attack

Yours sincerely


Roger Bannister (Membership Number 1318436)

Thursday, 28 January 2010 14:28

Over 120 people, members of community groups and trade unions, attended a meeting called by the Glasgow City Unison branch. The meeting was organised to begin the fight back against cuts in jobs and services in the city.

Ian Leech, Glasgow Unison

At its January budget meeting, Glasgow City council will vote in favour of cuts totalling £66 million for the year 2010 alone. This massive cut will see 600 job losses and the slashing of funds to voluntary sector projects and to council budgets.

In response, Glasgow City Unison has devised an anti-cuts strategy that involves building links with community groups across the city.

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 09:27

 A real alternative for working people is needed

One year ago, on 20 January 2009, the largest gathering of people in US history witnessed the inauguration in Washington DC of Barack Obama as president of the United States. For many older African-American workers, this was viewed as the most important political event of their lives. Millions of young people gained a renewed sense of optimism after growing up with an instilled hatred against Bush and the Republicans.

Bryan Koulouris, Socialist Alternative (CWI, USA)

After eight years of a widening wealth gap, adventurist wars, declining civil liberties and an increasingly embarrassing circus in the halls of power, people deeply desired a sharp shift away from Bush and company. With Cheney, Rove and Bush on their way out, big business needed to restore credibility to an important institution of US power and prestige, the presidency.

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 09:08

Disaster has struck the impoverished people of Haiti once again; a powerful earthquake, early on 13 January, toppled buildings in the capital Port-au-Prince. The 7.0 magnitude quake - the biggest recorded in this part of the Caribbean - left the capital’s 3 million people who live on hillside slums made of wood, tin and cheap concrete, particularly vulnerable. Up to 200,000 people have died, with many more badly injured or missing. According to the Reuters news agency, “Bloodied and dazed survivors gathered in the open and corpses were pinned by debris.” Many buildings were destroyed, including the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission (around 9,000 UN police and troops are stationed there to “maintain order”) and the presidential palace.

Niall Mullholland

Power supplies and communications have also been disrupted. The desperately poor country has few resources to deal with the catastrophe, lacking heavy equipment to move debris and sufficient emergency personnel. Local people are reduced to trying to rescue victims from rubble with their bare hands.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010 09:04

January 7th saw the culmination of a series of discussions by participants in the ‘No2EU-Yes to Democracy’ European election coalition to see whether another alliance could be constructed for the forthcoming general election.  The result is that there will now be an election challenge, under the newly-registered electoral banner, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC).

No2EU was an alliance for a specific election, registered as a party as required by electoral law, involving the RMT transport workers’ union, the Socialist Party of England and Wales, the Communist Party of Britain, Solidarity – Scotland’s Socialist Movement, and others.  This time the RMT is not formally backing the coalition.  However, RMT branches and regional councils will be able to apply to the union’s national executive to support, politically and financially, individual candidates in their area.  And Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, is supporting TUSC in a personal capacity, and will serve on its steering committee.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010 08:52

Defend Glasgow's services campaign meeting 

Saturday 23 January @ 11am
UNISON Branch, 4th Floor (lift)
18 Albion Street, Candleriggs

A meeting for Trades Unions, public service workers, community
organisations and the citizens of Glasgow 

Speakers from Unison, FBU, PCS and the local community

 We won't pay for this crisis

It is estimated that Scotland ’s councils could face a loss of income of up to 15% over the next three years. Glasgow City Council has indicated that it intends to cut it’s workforce by at least 10% over the next few years, make cuts in grants to community and voluntary sectors organisations of 20% and force its arms length organisations to implement “efficiencies”.

Brian Smith - Glasgow Unison branch secretary (personal capacity)

Overall, this will mean the loss of thousands of jobs in the city and less services for local people. If one in ten council jobs in Scotland were lost then that could mean a cut of around 20,000 jobs across the country. Jobs cuts in the community and voluntary sector would be on top of this figure. So much for the warm words of the pro - capitalist politicians to fight unemployment!

Sunday, 03 January 2010 14:55

2010 – Savage social cuts, workers’ resistance and growth of socialist ideas

The Committee for a Workers' International (CWI) extends warm New Year greetings to the members of its sections and groups worldwide and to supporters and readers of socialistworld.net

We thank all those who have given assistance – large and small – to the CWI over the past year. We call on all readers of socialistworld.net to join us today to meet the challenges for the international workers’ movement in 2010 and to help in the struggle for a socialist world, a new society free of the diseases of capitalism - mass unemployment, poverty, wars and environmental catastrophe.

Below, Peter Taaffe (General Secretary, Socialist Party (CWI England and Wales) looks at the main events of 2009 and perspectives for 2010.

Socialistworld.net

The British capitalists, together with their counterparts worldwide, have unleashed a barrage of propaganda – disguised as “irrefutable facts” – to soften up working class people for an unparalleled assault on their living standards. The International Monetary Fund says this will mean “ten years of austerity”. Like their previous Tory ideologue, Margaret Thatcher, they wish to create the impression that “there is no alternative”.

Friday, 18 December 2009 09:14

On the decision of one judge and at the behest of British Airways bosses, the workers of Britain and their trade unions have been told that the democratic right to strike has been cancelled.

This "disgraceful legal judgment" as the union Unite correctly called it, makes voting in any union ballot almost irrelevant if it does not suit the wishes of the bosses and their friends in the judiciary. Any strike can be declared 'illegal'.

Every commentator has admitted that the so-called ballot irregularities would not have made a blind bit of difference to the outcome of the strike ballot. Unless the whole trade union movement faces up to what is required then the unions face the danger of being put back in legal terms to the infamous Taff Vale judgment of 1906 which made unions liable for commercial damages following the effect of any strikes they organised.

Monday, 14 December 2009 12:08

Defend Glasgow Services campaign to be launched

Glasgow City Council has announced 600 job losses with more planned in the next few years.The Council has said that they want to cut the workforce by at least 10%. The 2010 cuts include the closure of twelve community centres, a library and a swimming pool. Charges are to be made for school breakfast clubs and sports centres will have reduced opening times. Cuts will made in home care services and support to people with disabilities. Three of the city's 10 centres for people with leaning disability will go under the heading of "service reform". Welfare rights workers will be lost and community worker jobs cut by 50%. Grants to community organisations are also to be slashed by 20% over the next three years.

Brian Smith - Glasgow Unison branch secretary

Wednesday, 09 December 2009 17:55

Weeks before the mid-December UN summit in Copenhagen was due to convene, Barack Obama killed any lingering hopes that it would deliver a new treaty on global warming to replace the one agreed at Kyoto in 1997. PETE DICKENSON looks at the sticking points that led to failure and the prospects for the 'political framework' that now appears to be the likely outcome in Copenhagen.

The main controversies in the pre-Copenhagen talks have been the nature of US participation in a new treaty, the help that would be given to 'developing' countries to reduce greenhouse gases and the level and timing of the cuts needed in carbon dioxide emissions, the main culprit in global warming. Another key question was the type and extent of so-called offsetting arrangements, ie firms in industrialised countries being allowed to pollute more in return for sponsoring green projects in poor nations.

Wednesday, 09 December 2009 17:47

While the capitalist world leaders argue about figures in Copenhagen, climate change is already affecting billions of lives across the world.

As with the banking meltdown, ordinary people are being made to pay for a crisis caused by the capitalist system and by the bosses' greed. From those suffering from crop failures in the developing world to the victims of flooding in Britain, it is mainly working class and poor people who are paying for this crisis.

Tom Baldwin

Monday, 07 December 2009 11:26

Joe Owens 1964 - 2009

Joe Owens was a young 18-year-old miner from Blackburn in West Lothian when he joined Militant (the forerunner of the International Socialists in Scotland and the Socialist Party of England and Wales) in 1983. Joe was a leading figure in Militant in the East of Scotland in the 1980’s – playing a key role at all levels of the organisation. We first met him at a public meeting in Edinburgh in support of the print workers who were on strike against Eddie Shah’s attempts at the Messenger Group in Warrington to smash the print unions. From the first Joe stood out as an outstanding public speaker, full of passion, anger and not a little humour, as well as an incredible depth of knowledge for someone so young.  As was to be the case throughout his too short a life, Joe, who was a force of nature, made a huge impact on all those who had the privilege to know him.

Joe, like his father, worked in the Polkemmet colliery in West Lothian where he was elected as the youth delegate for the NUM. When the miners strike began in 1984 he was already a committed Marxist and used all of his abilities to emerge as a leading figure in the year long dispute. I vividly recall Joe Owens speaking in 1984 at the Labour Party Young Socialists summer camp in the Forest Of Dean. Hundreds of young socialists had packed into the marquee to hear the opening rally on the miners strike. Joe Owens was billed to speak as a young miner, perhaps for 5 or 10 minutes, with Ian Isaacs from the South Wales NUM planning to develop the wider political issues of the strike and the strategy to win. Joe, being Joe, spoke for over half and hour covering everything from the strike, to the crisis of British capitalism, the importance of a fighting trade union leadership by the TUC and the need for socialist society. After a prolonged standing ovation, Ian Issacs got up to speak commented; “well after listening to Joe there is really nothing left for me to say.”

Monday, 30 November 2009 18:26

The SNP government in Scotland has marked St Andrew’s day by presenting a “white paper’ which sets out its case for a fully independent Scotland. This is to be followed in early 2010 by a parliamentary bill allowing for a referendum on Scotland’s constitutional future, which will include a question on independence.

However, the majority of MSPs, at this stage, are opposed to a referendum on independence and there is little chance of a referendum bill being passed by the Scottish parliament before the next Scottish elections in 2011. The SNP have therefore made it clear that they are not opposed to a third question in a referendum that gives the option of extending the powers of the parliament – but which falls short of full independence. This option has majority public support according to all opinion polls at the moment.

Thursday, 26 November 2009 19:00

From the Socialist - paper of the Socialist Party in England and Wales

The first convention of the People's Charter took place on Saturday 21 November. Speakers included Matt Wrack, general secretary of the FBU, Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, and John McDonnell MP. The Charter has the support of eight national trade unions and of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Hannah Sell

The Socialist Party supports the demands outlined in the People's Charter. The Charter's demands include restructuring the tax system so big business pays more and the working class less; stopping house repossessions; increasing the minimum wage; bringing the privatised utilities back into public ownership - demands that all socialists should support and which are popular with the vast majority of working class people.

Wednesday, 18 November 2009 15:03

Monday, 16 November 2009 13:57

Thousands march against racism and fascism

Over 3,000 anti-racist protesters achieved their stated aim of keeping the far right-wing Scottish Defence League (SDL) from marching in Glasgow on 14 November. Aamer Anwar, one of the main organisers of the counter protest, described the day as " a victory over racism, fascism and the Scottish Defence League". An important factor in the size of the counter protest was the creation of a broad coalition of trade unions, socialists, anti-racists and anti-fascist groups brought together under the banner of Scotland United.

Brian Smith - Glasgow

Monday, 16 November 2009 13:25

Tommy Sheridan clearly seen as main left alternative

Tommy Sheridan stood for Solidarity in the Glasgow North East election. Standing as a workers’ MP on a worker’s wage, Tommy came 5th out of 13 candidates, winning 794 votes which was 3.9% of the poll. He came well ahead of the Lib Dems, polling almost double their vote, and won more than double the vote of the Greens. Unfortunately, despite Solidarity supporting left unity discussions to try and avoid more than one socialist candidate both the Scottish Socialist Party and the Socialist Labour Party rejected any idea of a united left candidate and also stood in the election.

Monday, 16 November 2009 13:13

But no enthusiasm for New Labour policies

Labour’s victory in the Glasgow North East by election last week by more than 8,000 votes over the SNP seems, on the face of it, to be a surprise. The by election was, after all, triggered by the forced resignation of the longstanding right wing Labour MP and Commons speaker, Michael Martin - a consequence of his role in the MPs expenses scandal. Gordon Brown’s New Labour government at Westminster are also presiding over the deepest recession in generations, while their electoral support is draining away.

Wednesday, 04 November 2009 14:21

Support the Postal Workers - Stop Royal Mail’s scabbing operation

Monday 9th November 12 noon

Bathgate Delivery Office, Inchmuir Road, Whitehill Industrial Estate

March to scab mail centre in Bathgate

Speakers at rally include:
Billy Hayes (CWU general secretary), Bob Crow (RMT general secretary), Janice Godrich (PCS national president)


Time to plan for all-out postal strike

Editorial from the Socialist - The paper of the Socialist Party England and Wales

The third week of national strike action at Royal Mail has seen the bosses on the run. They fear the disruption of mail in the pre-Christmas period when over two billion letters, cards and parcels are processed through the system.

They thought they could force the union into making more concessions just as they did in the 2007 deal, which many postal workers (and how right they were) feared was the thin edge of the wedge. The plans of Royal Mail to cut jobs, intensify workloads and drive working conditions back into the Victorian age have been completely exposed by their actions since the 2007 deal.

Monday, 02 November 2009 14:15

SNP, New Labour & Tories - All pro-capitalist parties threaten major cuts in jobs and services

Philip Stott, International Socialists (CWI in Scotland)

The Scottish government is set to table a bill for a referendum on independence on St Andrew’s day, on 30 November. At the recent Scottish National Party (SNP) conference, SNP leader, Alex Salmond (see picture opposite), claimed that any political party that voted to deny the people of Scotland the democratic right to a say on their constitutional future could not survive for long. The SNP also set a target of winning an unprecedented 20 MP’s at the forthcoming Westminster election. This would, according to Alex Salmond, mean that in the event of the SNP’s favoured option of a ‘hung parliament’, Westminster would be forced to, “dance to a Scottish jig.”

Tuesday, 27 October 2009 10:31

Gary Clark, Sub area rep.
Scotland No.2 CWU 

Postal workers across the country are getting ready for a second round of strike action. These are not strikes, as is being put forward by the Royal Mail management, against modernisation or a workforce who just don’t want to work.This is a strike to defend a national service which we can be proud of.

Wednesday, 21 October 2009 08:05

Glasgow North East by-election

Ray Gunnion

Tommy Sheridan is standing in the Glasgow North East by election on November 12th. Standing as a “Workers’ M.P. on a Workers Wage” for Solidarity - Scotland’s Socialist Movement, Tommy contrasts strongly with the disgraced former incumbent, Michael Martin (now Lord Martin of Springburn), whose resignation as Speaker and as an MP, triggered this by-election in an area that has been represented by a Labour MP since 1935.

Friday, 16 October 2009 06:43

Defend Union rights
 
Bill Mullins and Philip Stott