Asking difficult referendum questions is essential

Despite some recent press coverage, UNISON's position on the referendum remains one of challenging both sides of the referendum debate on how their plans will create social justice, bring an end to austerity, poverty and health inequality. We want to know what they will do about building social cohesion, a more equal society and a world without nuclear weapons.

The referendum differs from the devolution campaign of the 1990s. There is no 'settled will of the Scottish people'. There is a divide. So, more important that taking positions of Yes or No, is pushing home the difficult questions for both camps and getting answers for our members.

And we need to be clear what the camps are...

Glasgow Girls and inspiration to campaign in UNISON

I challenge anyone not to have been moved by the Glasgow Girls story on BBC Scotland last week. The way that these young women, girls at the time, campaigned, organised and made a real difference to how asylum seeker children were treated, was nothing short of inspirational. (Still available for 6 days at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b049n0js/glasgow-girls)

Union organised trams roll out in Edinburgh

The first trams for 60 years rolled out in Edinburgh this morning with 95 per cent of their workers members of a union.

The success was recognised by the STUC in April when it awarded Unite reps at Lothian Buses the first STUC organising award. The reps were praised for helping tram colleagues set up union structures long before the first passenger was carried.

Local authorities on the brink

Published in Morning Star 18/3/14:
I once received a letter which said: "Like you, we believe local services are more important than frozen poultry."

I was mildly puzzled because I couldn't recall ever having made such a profound analysis.

It turns out it was a reply to something a colleague had sent out contrasting the local paper's silence about 1,500 council job cuts with its campaign against 547 job losses at a chicken factory.

Currency options: the facts behind the debate

The major hoo-ha about the pound in an independent Scotland has generated a mass of confusing debate. Thankfully the STUC’s ‘A JustScotland’ paper at last shines some light on what the real currency issues are.

What is clear is that no option for currency is without problems.  Here we try to distil some of the issues from the STUC report.

When looking at these options it is important to keep in mind that the status quo (without independence or enhanced devolution) brings its own problems and restrictions too.

STUC independence study everyone should read

The Herald newspaper has, well, heralded the STUC's 'A Just Scotland' comprehensive analysis of the key referendum issues. http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/union-study-on-union-everyone-should-read.23486896

"It bypasses the entrenched positions, debunks the overblown rhetoric and provides a realistic assessment of various possible outcomes following a Yes or No vote", writes political editor Magnus Gardham. "Refreshingly, it comes at the whole question of independence with a genuinely open mind."

On social justice, currency, Europe and economic policy, the Herald says the report "doesn't make entirely happy reading for either side. That alone should be enough to commend it to all open-minded, undecided or downright confused voters."
See the full report at http://www.stuc.org.uk/news/1053/stuc-publish-second-just-scotland-report

People's Assembly Scotland Launch

Speech at launch of the People's Assembly Scotland 25 January 2014
Ricky Tomlinson did a great job in rousing the anger in this hall against austerity. But is anybody like me in wondering why people we represent and organise out there are not more angry?

Why so many don’t think there is an alternative to austerity?

crannachan

Serves 24 in small portions

Approx 2k /4-6lb raspberries or mixed berries

100 fl oz/ 4 pint double cream

8 tablespoons good quality honey

8 tablespoons single malt whisky.

450g or 15 oz of pinhead oatmeal.

The day the Glasgow police saluted Mandela

There will be thousands upon thousands of stories about Mandela today. Rightly, they will and should focus on the political legacy. But so many people mourning today will have forgotten the politics and the struggle, barely heard of them, or like Cameron, conveniently forgotten their university group's vile attacks on him.

But let me share something personal about the man. It was 1993, Glasgow, pissing rain. Thousands welcomed Nelson Mandela to Glasgow. A chance meeting with Lothian Region convener Keith Geddes and UNISON/NALGO general secretary Alan Jinkinson led to me being in the line-up to meet Mandela. I was in a red nylon hoodie and soaked to the skin.

The price of humanity and public service

#clutha When the helicopter came down on the pub in Glasgow I was about 800 yards away. I heard nothing. I saw nothing. But a few minutes later on the train the tweets started coming through. A sad end to a wonderful meal with treasured long-time comrades.

Such as is life these days, the conventional media were playing catch up with people on the ground who were already tweeting. It didn't take a genius to realise that, at the very least, hopes for those in the police helicopter must be dim. What must their families have been going through? What about the friends and relatives that knew their folk would be in that pub? The people celebrating a well-earned Friday. The locals in their usual seats.

Political awakening at the newsagent's

Our local newsagent today said the attack on unions was about creating a low wage economy. He praised UNISON for backing workers and not being afraid to speak up on Palestine.

Another customer chipped in on the low wage economy. “Why can’t people see that is what it is about? Forcing though a low wage, low skill economy”. He went on to extol the Scandanavian approach, creating quality jobs and taxes to fund good public services. “You get what you pay for”, he said.

Unions must focus on social justice in constitution debate

It is a bit of a leap to extrapolate that less intense opposition means Scottish trade unions are ‘shifting in favour of independence’. Nevertheless James Maxwell’s New Statesman article does, perhaps inadvertantly, put a finger on the difficulty trade unions face in getting their issues across when both referendum camps might be happier with a more simplistic debate.

Austerity and cuts: Why isn't everybody furious?

Speech to UNISON Edinburgh AGM 2013
Since this government came to power, this union and this branch have been banging out the message that there is a better way, there is an alternative to the cuts, to their privatisation, to their demonising of the unemployed and working poor, their demonising of young people, their labelling the elderly and disabled as scroungers, their pitiful argument that we can’t afford care for our most vulnerable.

Putting the dignity (and radicalism) back into social care

A UNISON seminar of members working in social care and home care has called for dignity for service users and dignity for the staff who serve them.
The call came 24 hours before UNISON warned that the home care system is in crisis following a Care Quality Commission Report into homecare services in England which found that as many as a quarter are failing to meet quality and safety standards.

Members from across the UK attending the seminar in Birmingham on 12 February heard harrowing stories of service users condemned to brief 15 minute visits to provide care, Alzheimer’s sufferers subjected to regular changes of carer and welfare cuts taking away the independence of disabled people.

They heard of the widespread exploitation of outsourced home care workers on zero hours contracts, paid on or less than the minimum wage, not paid or reimbursed for travelling between service users and having to do the job with precious little training.

Leadership and South Africa beyond Marikana

It’s one thing winning the revolution. It is another thing implementing its vision. That was the theme of veteran ANC activist Denis Goldberg at a meeting of ACTSA Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Billed as a speech about the Marikana massacre, it turned into a disarmingly honest and at times painful analysis of the challenges of building a fair and just South Africa in just 18 years after centuries of constitutional oppression.

Denis’s right to do that comes with provenance. Twenty two years in jail for fighting apartheid wins you that privilege. But that analysis is also a prerequisite to understanding Marikana.

Equal Pay Victory: Behind the Headlines

Equal pay hit the headlines big style last week culminating in Friday’s announcement that UNISON had won a settlement for 3,000 workers in Edinburgh. http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/
news/content/view/full/125431

As UNISON Scotland mounts an autumn recruitment campaign, what better advert is there for being a member of a union? But amidst the celebrations, it is worth taking a look at the years of work behind the headlines that brought a deal for these mainly low-paid women.

Organising for a future that works

Stephanie Herd

Organising to break the pay freeze, organising to protect our NHS and our public services and organising to turn back the vicious impact of ConDem policies on our members, on the poorest in society, on the disabled, elderly and our children. A daunting list of tasks but one UNISON’s National Conference was up for.
 

This year's conference was all about equality and social justice. It was about communicating, organising, campaigning to get our message to our members, prospective members and to the public at large. There is an alternative!

Neville Lawrence: ‘'UNISON has stayed with us'

Interview with Neville Lawrence before his moving speech to UNISON Conference on 21/6/12:
It's a question you dread asking Neville Lawrence. He must have been asked it a million times yet he answered with the thoughtful respect and honesty we've come to know over an inspirational and dignified 18 year campaign.
It is horrific enough for a parent to lose a child. To lose a child in the circumstances in which he lost Stephen is unthinkable. What keeps him going?

"To be honest, I don't know", said Neville. "When I came to this country I had the belief that if you were in trouble you would be helped... It was wrong that something can happen like this just because of the colour of someone's skin."

Celebrating 'Our City's Not For Sale'

May Day 2012 Rally speech from John Stevenson, UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch President.
Last year, and the year before, we came here saying ‘Our City’s Not For Sale’. Then it was an aspiration, now it’s a reality. We won. You won. But most of all we won together.

Adventures of an activist called Tom

Michael McGahey

As STUC Congress approaches I always reflect on the characters of the past and the bits of fun I remember in or around the movement over the years. So sit back and enjoy some unashamed name-dropping from a back-office publicist who happened to be in the right place at the right time – from time to time.
Not strictly the STUC but let's start with the biggest first. 1993, Glasgow, pissing rain. Thousands welcome Nelson Mandela. A chance meeting with Lothian Region convener Keith Geddes and UNISON general secretary Alan Jinkinson led to me being in the line-up to meet Mandela. I was in a red nylon hoodie and soaked to the skin.

I’ll never forget Mandela’s moving words, full of political significance, as he shook my hand. “You are very wet”, he said.