Do the Tories really have it in for council staff? (rhetorical).

Edinburgh’s Evening News runs a story today that Tory councillor Susan Webber backed the public sector pay freeze (as did her party) but took an even more punitive lunge by saying of public service workers on WhatsApp: “I was thinking of a vote-winning policy called salary sacrifice where they only get 80 per cent and have to struggle like the others on furlough. Then they might want this sorry state to get resolved faster.” https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/edinburgh-tory-candidates-whatsapp-messages-spark-concerns-over-suitability-to-become-msp-3161957

I’m not sure many Edinburgh council workers will actually see that as a vote-winner.

A committee system fit for purpose?

Despite myself, and in the knowledge that there are no good guys here, I've been watching the Salmond evidence session to the Parliametary Committee.

With the media focussing on a personalised Salmond/Sturgeon spat, you'd be forgiven for missing the astonishing allegations of arrogance and abuse of power, legal processes, and Parliament itself (along with denying information to the committee) at the heart of the Scottish government establishment, some of which will of course be challenged in future evidence.

Neverthless it might chime with what we already know about this government's woeful record on Freedom of Information. 

A view from Gorgie, at Starks Park

For the Raith Rovers v Hearts match programme 26 January 2021

According to the wonderful London Hearts Supporters’ website, 60 players have played for both Raith Rovers and Hearts (at different times of course) since 1913.

And it goes beyond players to managers too. For almost 17 years from 1951, Hearts knew only one manager, Tommy Walker. He presided over two league titles and four runner-up spots along with four League Cups and a Scottish Cup final win that wouldn’t be repeated for 42 years.  

'22' get it wrong in gen sec election complaint

Rant alert! I note from the Returning Officer’s report on the UNISON general secretary election that ‘22 individual members’ wrongly blamed UNISON Scotland staff in their (not upheld) complaint about the Scotland in UNISON newspaper. As retired editor, I am happy to enlighten the ‘22’ that SiU is in fact proudly LAY edited and LAY produced and has been for 27 years.

A lay organisation that involves activists across Scotland in their own union’s communications may not be something familiar to their local organising but since UNISON’s inception in 1993, Scotland in UNISON has been published by a lay team six times a year and sent to every activist in Scotland. It has also been published online since 1998. 

Given the content of the complaint, it may also be important to point out that since at least 1998, the words "Use these stories in your branch newsletter or circulate the pdf version to members” had always appeared under the masthead as part of the normal strategy to cascade UNISON Scotland’s news to its broader membership in Scotland.

Corbyn's suspension is a disservice to anti-semitism report

As a UNISON member it is not usual for me to compliment my comrades in Unite very often. But Len McLuskey hit the nail on the head when he said: "This was a day for our party to move forward as one to defeat the evil of anti-semitism. However, the decision to suspend Jeremy Corbyn has threatened that opportunity.”

I wish my own union had made such a principled statement. Maybe it will follow.

It is also worth pointing out at the beginning that amidst many of the criticisms in the EHRC report, there is also a recognition that the problem had been recognised and attempts were being made under Corbyn’s leadership to improve disciplinary processes. See at least pages 36, 41, 71, 73 and 82. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/investigation-antisemitism-labour-party

UNISON general secretary election - change but what kind?

Oh to be a fly on the wall of UNISON national executive’s various cabals following the local government service group executive’s decision to nominate lay member Paul Holmes for general secretary of the union.

The backing of the leadership of the union’s largest occupational group must be a major boost for Paul’s campaign and one that, I suspect, will not be universally welcomed on the lay NEC (along with associated officers) as they approach decision time on their own nomination.

It would be foolish to just put the nomination down to the varying influences of the usual factions on the 40+ strong committee or a vote split between the two full-time officer candidates. That would ignore the disaffection many have felt over recent years due to the growing gulf between front line activists (of all politics and none) and the Euston Road bubble.

Denis Goldberg: Making life better for people. Is that not what the revolution was about?

Tributes poured in across the world last month on the news of the death of veteran anti-apartheid campaigner and honorary UNISON member Denis Goldberg.

UNISON Scotland had a long friendship with Denis and we were continually inspired by him.

A new resource to keep Rodney Bickerstaffe’s legacy alive for current and future generations

First published (edited) in the Morning Star April 2020: Legendary Scottish miner’s leader Michael McGahey famously and often reminded us that, "We are a movement not a monument".

It was a quote that the late Rodney Bickerstaffe, ex UNISON general secretary and president of the National Pensioners Convention, kept returning to in his wonderfully crafted speech at the unveiling of a memorial to McGahey in Bonnyrigg at the 2006 Midlothian TUC Workers’ Memorial Day.

The colours of edinburgh

A few years ago I published a booklet of my photos of Edinburgh to support the UNISON Edinburgh Welfare Fund and Community HEART. There are some left at only £3 a shot. Contact me for details via twitter .

Reviewed in Scotland in UNISON (by Kate Ramsden) "In its pages John's passion for the city of his birth and his life shines through, from the beautifully crafted photographs, to the quirky "interesting facts" to go with them, set out with John's usual humour and lightness of touch."

Socialist ideals must be nurtured, not allowed to dissipate

First published in the Morning Star on 24 December 2019: 
Labour has a job on its hands to claw back from the toxic image it seems to have with many voters in Scotland.

That’s not all Labour’s fault. For the Scottish National Party to deliver on its raison d’etre of independence it had to destroy what had been the dominant force in Scottish politics. Any other issue was secondary.

If you are being asked to ditch Labour for Tories and Lib-Dems, you should surely be asking questions of the people asking.

It is an indictment of the depths today’s politics have sunk to that people can bizarrely display banners and t-shirts claiming Jeremy Corbyn is a racist despite 40 years of hard evidence - publicly available - that he is not.

It is even more bizarre that the same people appear to be telling us that the positive alternative is Johnson - someone who has amassed a host of publicly available evidence over the years of racially charged sound-bites drooling off his tongue at will.

What to think about the ‘named person’ scheme?

(First published in the Morning Star on 3 Sept 2019)
In a 40 year social work career, I don’t think I’ve come across legislation more controversial than the Named Person scheme in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act. 

 You know it’s controversial when it is attacked jointly by a Christian group that’s anti-abortion, the Manifesto Club, and a left wing social work writer, all under same NO2NP banner.

To be fair, part of the controversy is the complexity of sharing information about a child, a key criticism in most inquiries into the deaths of children.

Inequality is the most pressing issue of our time

First published in the Morning Star on 21 May 2019. I am of an age when younger comrades (and indeed offspring) feel free to berate me about the mess my generation is leaving them in. While it makes for lively conversation, I have to quietly, and often silently, admit they might be right.

They have a case when it comes to “levels of inequality that disfigure our society” cited by the Institute of Employment Rights at the launch of a consultation on a Charter of Workers’ Rights for Scotland at the Scottish Trades Union Congress in April.

On the occasion of retiring from social work

Beautifully written by my daughter Seonaid Stevenson on her train journey through to my social work leaving party on 15 March 2019 - and much appreciated.

When I was wee
My Dad asked me what I wanted to be
When I grew up.

I said I wanted to work in a cafe,
And if I couldn’t do that… then I’d just be a Social Worker.

Like Dad.

Retirement speech UNISON Edinburgh AGM 2019

Can I just say thank you to a few people who have been important to me since I first became a branch officer in NALGO in 1982.

I need to mention figures like John Wilson, NUPE branch secretary that went on to be Depute Lord Provost.

And Rab Amos who became active in UNISON but who I first met working to support him and his comrades in the NUM during the miners' strike of 1984/85.

From huge figures like Michael McGahey who I never managed to persuade I wasn't called Tom.

Leave or remain, our goal must be a socialist government

(First appeared in the Morning Star 22 Jan 2019) In the topsy-turvy world that is Scottish politics we have a left that wants to leave the EU and stay in the UK, one that wants to leave the UK and stay in the EU, one that wants Brexit and independence, and another that wants to stay in both Europe and the UK.

Strangely, elements of the right have many of these positions too, albeit for different reasons.

Celebrate the legacy of Nelson Mandela

(Morning Star 28 Aug 2018) The new confidence of the racist right, emboldened and legitimised by mainstream political demagogues, has added energy to a Scottish campaign to celebrate Nelson Mandela and ensure the lessons of the anti-apartheid struggle are not forgotten.

The campaign stepped up a gear on Saturday with a fundraising dinner graced by a virtuoso performance from Marah Louw, the South African singer and actor who famously sang and danced on stage with Mandela at the 1993 rally in Glasgow’s George Square. She even wore the same dress that she wore that day.

The Great May Day Cabaret - A night for Chris Bartter

My contribution at tonight's event. Thanks to Stephen Wright, Dave Anderson, Rab Noakes, Fraser Speirs, Maeve Mackinnon, Susan Morrison, Jim Monaghan and Richard Leonard for making it a great night.

It’s a great honour for UNISON to be part of this fantastic event as a celebration of our comrade Chris Bartter.

This tribute in many ways is no surprise given the massive contribution Chris made to the arts and the labour and trade union movement.

A £1 tourist tax could help mitigate the cuts

First published in the Morning Star 9/1/18. Despite all the campaigning, it can still be hard to convince people of just how savage local government cuts have been in Scotland.

You can try giving them the figures. Nine out of ten austerity job losses have been in councils. Despite Holyrood getting a £180 million budget increase from Westminster, councils in Scotland will get nothing this year.

Even a 3% increase in the council tax is a £135 million real terms cut even with the lowest inflation projection. Councils estimate they need an extra £545 million to stand still without even starting to repair the damage done by the years of silent slaughter of local services.

Yet many people remain unconvinced. That is, unless they have had a personal experience of the cuts.

Chris Bartter

For comrades who were unable to attend, here is my contribution delivered at Chris's funeral on 13 November.

This is the speech I didn’t want to have to make.

Mind you, Chris and Doreen and I had a history of speeches. Many years ago, when I used to get up to speak at NALGO’s Scottish District in front of 300 people, Chris would be behind me on the platform and Doreen would be sitting in the front row with the Glasgow District delegation – a row of faces with all the welcoming look of a Friday night audience at the Glasgow Empire.

Doreen would nod supportively throughout the speech but at a random moment she’d suddenly shake her head – totally throwing me and leaving me wondering where the hec I’d got the line wrong.

Not today, Doreen, please.