The Socialist - Scotland Feb / March

theSocialist

Makethe 1%pay for theircrisis paper of the socialist party scotland committee for a worker’s international (scotland)

950,000 is a hellavu lot of money. Especially when it comes on top off a salary of £1.2M. For a banker like Mr Stephen Hester, the Chief Executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) it is an obscene amount.

£

Ronnie Stevenson Against the background of families who will not receive anything like that income in their lifetimes and when they are on the sharp end of attacks on wages, pensions and welfare benefits, it is particularly obscene.

After pressure from all and sundry Mr Hester waived the bonus. He’ll just have to make do with his annual salary of £1.2M. Since he was parachuted in to run the bailed-out bank in October 2008 he has taken home more than £11m in shares and cash.

The complexity of Hester's pay package is typical of boardroom pay deals.

His basic salary is supplemented by annual bonuses and a long-term incentive plan linked to his three-year performance deal.

On top of that, he gets fringe benefits, which usually include perks such as private health cover, and an annual pension contribution paid in cash. These levels of remuneration are typical of the other senior executives within RBS which is 82% publicly owned.

A look at another chief banker’s package reveals the level of inequality between the bosses and the ordinary bank workers who receive about 1% of what Hester receives. Barclay Bank’s Bob Diamond is in line for £10 million!

Obscene pay does not just exist in banking. The average pay of the top executives of the Financial Times Stock Exchange quoted companies is £4.2 million.

The would-be pension thief and Unilever chief exec Paul Polman receives £3.5 million a year, including £300,000 into his own pension. Last year, the man who earns 285 times more than his workers, said: "What I want is a sustainable and equitable capitalism."

Obscene levels of pay, although not to the same extent, extends to the chief civil servants.

Recent publicity has been given to one who also was involved in tax avoidance. The Students Loans Company (SLC) chief executive, Ed Lester, is paid £182,000 a year through a private firm he has established, rather than being paid directly.

The arrangement with Lester, entered into in 2010, allowed him to save as much as £40,000 a year in tax, because he would pay corporation tax of 21% instead of up to 50% in income tax.

Mr Fred Goodwin, the man in charge of the RBS when it required bailing out has had his knighthood removed.

SNP First Minister, Alex Salmond a former RBS economist, encouraged the disastrous takeover of the Dutch bank ABN Amro, the very deal which led to the downfall of one of Scotland’s largest financial institutions and the humiliation of its subsequent £45 billion bailout by the UK taxpayer.

Of course it was welcomed by the then Labour Government, the rest of the political parties and the Financial Services Authority saw nothing wrong with it.

All parties are harping on about socially responsible capitalism but their actual actions have been pathetic.

Of course they won’t explain that social responsibility and capitalism are

Issue No 20 - Feb/March 2012

price: £1 (solidarity £2)

completely incompatible.

All are united in driving down the living standards of the working class whilst pretending to curb the vast incomes of the rich by offering up a few sacrificial lambs in the hope that the people will be fooled.

Concentrating their fire on one bank, The Royal Bank of Scotland and on two individuals within its story does nothing about the selfish get rich culture amongst the few thousand who are in control of the major levers of the British economy.

We need to build a mass movement to fight for genuine socialist nationalisation of the entire banking system and the big corporations, putting the levers of the economy in our hands - not those of the super-rich.

A democratic socialist plan that would replace profit-mad capitalism would be coordinated with workers internationally to end inequality and poverty once and for all.

Join the fight for socialism

email: info@socialistpartyscotland.org.uk website www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk website of the committee for a workers’ international: www.socialistworld.net

thesocialist

2 editorial

www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

EDITORIAL: The independence referendum

Independence from cuts needs a socialist Scotland SNP proposals for independence are a form of maximum devolution

The SNP’s social union

ne issue that is clear following the blundering intervention of David Cameron into the Scottish independence referendum debate – support for independence and the SNP has increased markedly.

O

Public support in Scotland for independence is still a minority, albeit a bigger minority that it was a few weeks ago. A plethora of polling evidence shows that backing for an independent Scotland has risen to around 40% currently.

They also indicate that support for independence is close to a majority among the working class and young people. Cameron’s “Thatcheresque” attempt to force an early referendum and to control the conduct and question to be asked backfired spectacularly. The SNP are polling around 50%, with Alex Salmond miles ahead of the other party leaders in terms of public standing.

The SNP government have, as of the end of January, published their proposals for an independence referendum in 2014. However, they have also made clear their preference for an option of “devolution max” to also be on the referendum ballot and have invited the STUC, and other organisations dubbed “civic Scotland”, to put forward such an option during the consultation period that runs until May. The Socialist Party Scotland fully

supports a multi-option referendum and we will campaign for a Scottish parliament with real powers and for those powers to be used in the interests of the majority.

A multi-option referendum would suit the SNP leadership.

They believe that even if independence was defeated, the current majority public support for “devo max” involving a major extension of powers over tax, benefits, the minimum wage etc would see them in a win-win situation.

“Devolution max” or "independence lite" is a safety net for the SNP which they would claim as another step towards independence at a future stage.

Ironically despite Cameron, Milliband and their Scottish equivalents insistence on a single question for or against independence, a multi-option referendum could under certain circumstances also be beneficial for the British ruling class as well. By allowing a question that would draw support away from outright independence it could help avoid the instability and loss of prestige that the break of the UK would mean for British capitalism.

If the run-up to 2014 saw a significant rise in support for independence they could back a third option in an effort to avoid a majority for independence.

The SNP leadership have long accepted a “gradualist” path to independence. They would happily settle for a form of extreme autonomy, within a newly designed federal UK state. In many ways the

Join the Socialist Party Scotland I’d like to find out more / join Socialist Party Scotland

(delete as appropriate)

Name.............................................................................................................................

Address........................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ .......................................................................Postcode...............................................

Telephone.................................................Email.......................................................

Send to Socialist Party Scotland 119 Gleneagles Avenue, Dundee DD2 3GH

Have you got some news for us?

The paper of Socialist Party Scotland E-mail: info@socialistpartyscotland.org.uk Website: www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk Editor: Philip Stott

“We will share a currency, we will share a monarch we will have a social union” Alex Salmond 22nd January 2012. Salmond has already made clear that an independent Scotland would maintain the Queen as head of state and Sterling as the Scottish currency with monetary policy run by the Bank of England. The previous SNP policy to hold a referendum on joining the crisis-ridden Euro has put back into the dim and distant. “I can’t foresee a set of circumstances that will see the economic conditions being correct for the euro for some considerable time,” John Swinney SNP finance secretary. 8th February 2012.

Fiscal independence, with all tax and spending decisions taken by the Scottish government including over welfare benefits, pensions etc is the aim of the SNP. But the SNP’s vision of an independent Scotland would also be as a safe haven for big business. Salmond wants to use powers over corporation tax to reduce the “burden” on big business and encourage a low tax enclave for inward investment. One where the interests of the rich and powerful would predominate over those of low paid workers, the unemployed and pensioners.

As John Swinney commented in a recent interview, “Whoever you are – Greece, Germany or an independent Scotland – you must have fiscal discipline,” In other words cuts and austerity would continue to be dictated by the banks, the bondholders and the policies of the Bank of England and the EU institutions. Swinney has also said that Scotland would have to demonstrate its credit worthiness to prove its AAA status to the rating agencies – who would demand savage cuts to public spending as a result.

Against the backdrop of an unprecedented economic crisis, which is likely to last for many years, it’s clear that the SNP would carry out the dictates of the market. In the firing line would not be the bankers, the oil companies and big business but instead would be the wages, pensions, jobs and public services of the working class of Scotland.

The SNP referendum document was dubbed “Our Scotland” and yet the nationalists can’t have it both ways. They either stand up in the interests of the majority of the people, made up overwhelmingly of the working class of Scotland alongside the increasingly insecure middles class, or they back the interests of a system intent on making us pay for a crisis created by the bankers and the billionaires.

There is a gaping chasm that separates ex-Sir Fred Goodwin, Sir Tom Farmer, Sir Tom Hunter and the rest of the Scottish elite and the lives of working class families across Scotland. Unfortunately, Salmond has shown whom he prefers by cosying up to Fred Goodwin, Rupert Murdoch and their ilk, while imposing wage freezes and attacks on pensions on public sector workers.

“We will provide a secure, stable and inclusive society. And by doing so we will encourage talent and ambition. Doing this has required some difficult decisions – such as major efficiency savings and a freeze in public sector pay. But those are easier to implement if your policies clearly have fairness at their heart.” SNP statement www.snp.org What is fair about cutting the wages of low paid workers while wining and dining the bankers who precipitated the crisis in the first place? How to do you encourage “talent and ambition” by axing thousands of college places for young people and carrying out billions of pounds of ConDem cuts as the SNP government have done?

In contrast Socialist Party Scotland, while giving support to demands for more powers and even independence will expose the SNP’s pro big business agenda. An independent capitalist Scotland locked into a nightmare of cuts and austerity would neither be “secure”, “stable” or “inclusive”.

class interests Socialist Party Scotland will demand that the powers of devo max or independence are used for the interests of the majority.

For a start bringing the oil resources in the North Sea into democratic public ownership would create a real “oil fund” by releasing hundreds of billions in resources to invest in an emergency pro-

gramme of job creation. As well as increasing the minimum wage, improving schools and public services. Why should multi-national oil companies take over 70% of the revenue from the North Sea and salt it away for private profit ? And yet the SNP leadership would oppose even a penny of tax increases were threatened on the oil companies profits.

The Socialist Party Scotland stand for all major industry, including renewable energy projects and finance to be publicly owned under the democratic control of the working class and society as a whole. As well as demanding an end the ruinous policies of privatisation, which are draining millions from public services.

We fight for the minimum wage to be a living wage, not a guarantee of being locked into poverty pay.

We will demand the abolition of all the anti-union legislation being increasingly used against workers taking action to defend themselves against the austerity onslaught. We call for free education and a living grant for young people and all those studying at college or university - not a life of debt.

We will strive for a living income for all to end the scandal of poverty and welfare cuts. In short we stand for a socialist Scotland as the only sustainable answer to the nightmare of cuts and austerity.

In the debate over the future of Scotland we will fight for the interests of the working class and young people to be heard centre stage. We call on the trade union movement to help build a campaign, independent of the establishment parties, to fight for the necessary powers for the Scottish parliament and for those to be used in the interests of the working class. That also requires the building of a new mass party of the working class to fight for a socialist majority in the parliament.

Central to this is the need to stand implacably for the maximum unity of the working class across Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland and to oppose any attempts to divide the workers’ movement on national lines.

A socialist Scotland as part of a genuine voluntary and democratic socialist federation with England Wales and Ireland, as a step towards a socialist Europe, is the only way to end the nightmare of austerity and capitalism.

Keep up to date with the most comprehensive socialist news and analysis from around the world with the Committee For A Workers’ International www.socialistworld.net Recent highlights include ● SYRIA - Anti-regime protests facing ferocious response ● TUNISIA - “The mass of people continue to struggle” ● WORLD CRISIS - Capitalist chaos – class struggle sharpens ● BELGIUM - Mass general strike against cuts and austerity

......plus much much more

thesocialist

news 3

www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

Anti-cuts candidates to stand in May’s elections nti-cuts candidates will be standing in many areas of Scotland in May when all of Scotland’s councils are up for election. The Scottish Anti-Cuts Coalition (SACC), was launched in December 2011 after an appeal by prominent public sector trade unionists to stand in the May elections.

A

ike many disabled people, I have followed the course of the Con-Dems' Welfare Reform Bill (WRB) with dread.

L

Mark Wright

Philip Stott It has become obvious that main- Public sector workers facing cuts need a political voice stream parties have abandoned ordinary workers, existing only to pared to stand to offer an alterna- added to by candidates to reflect wider political demands. maintain their own positions and tive.”

SACC was formed to “appeal to A 5 point programme for the SACC protect the interests of big business and the wealthy in society. If we only has been agreed including opposi- groups of trade unionists, anti-cuts campaign industrially we fight with tion to all cuts, that SACC candidates activists, community campaigns one hand tied behind our backs. We would support no-cuts needs budg- and young people who are organisneed a political alternative. We need ets that defended jobs and public ing against the cuts to also stand in anti-cuts candidates who will vote services, opposition to privatisation the elections through this coalition.”

Local meetings of the coalition, against cuts, stand up against at- and support for taxation on the rich tacks on services, and ensure the as well as advocating public owner- with invitations to trade unionists and anti-cuts campaigners to take voices of ordinary workers, whether ship.

As well as leading trade unionists part are being held in different parts in the public or private sector, are heard." Cheryl Gedling PCS NEC from PCS and Unison among others of Scotland to discuss seats and canand anti-cuts campaigners, political didates. member (personal capacity) The participation of trade unionorganisations including Socialist Brian Smith, a Socialist Party Scotland member and the secretary of Party Scotland, the Socialist Workers ists and community activists facing the 11,000 strong Glasgow City Uni- Party and Solidarity are also partici- the sharp-end of the cuts is imporson branch “The need to stand anti- pating and have welcomed the idea tant in creating a wide challenge for next May. Socialist Party Scotland cuts candidates is clear and a of an anti-cuts coalition.

Political parties can stand under will be standing and giving our full recognition that all the main parties, including the SNP and Labour, are their own name, while making clear support for a major anti-cuts chalcarrying out savage cuts. It is essen- they are part of the SACC campaign. lenge to elect principled fighters tial that principled fighters be pre- The 5 point programme can also be against cuts in May.

END THE FUEL BILL RIP-OFF Nationalise the power companies ousehold fuel bills have been rocketing while the vast majority of people are struggling during the economic crisis.

H

Jim McFarlane Dundee Jobs losses, pay freezes and rising living costs are hitting ordinary people hard. Yet at the same time the “big six” suppliers British Gas, EdF, Npower, Eon, Scottish Power and Scottish & Southern Energy have pushed prices up by over 18% in some cases.

The average gas and electric dual energy bill has rocketed 117% since 2004 while median household income has only increased by 18%. By 2015 most households will be experiencing 'fuel poverty' ie spending 10% of their incomes or more on fuel bills.

Currently over five million households are experiencing fuel poverty.

The average household bill now stands at a record £1,345 a year.

These private profiteers continue to rake in massive profits and pay obscene salaries to their top bosses.

The widespread anger at the energy and utility companies is totally ignored by all the main parties. Their only advice to ordinary people is to shop around for better deals on their bills by changing suppliers.

Scrap the Welfare Reform Bill

This is a deliberately confusing and complicated process for most people evidenced by the fact that just 15% of households changed their supplier in the last year.

It is clear that the energy companies are operating an unofficial but effective cartel.

The recent “energy summit” convened by the ConDem government and attended by suppliers, self appointed consumer groups and the paper tiger watchdog Ofgem was a talking shop which effectively reinforced the energy companies right to continue profiteering regardless of the effect on households.

It is obscene that we have millions of people across the country struggling to pay for the basic need to power their own homes.

Thousands of mainly older people still die every winter due to the fear of being unable to pay for energy to fuel their homes through the cold

weather.

The continuing scandal of fuel poverty is only given lip service by politicians from the big business parties.

This scandal totally exposes the myth that capitalist competition means improved services and lower costs for consumers.

The bottom line for all these companies is that they exist to maximise profit regardless of the human misery they inflict on many ordinary people.

We do not accept that this is the way it has to be and that there is no alternative to the market and profiteering of big business.

We demand that the energy private energy companies are nationalised bringing them into democratic public ownership ensuring they are run for the benefit of society not to make profits for greedy bosses and shareholders.

As well as capping benefits to £500 a week which, it has been predicted, will make 800,000 children homeless, the bill would replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

DLA supports working disabled people, and has been a great help to me as I work part time on very low wages. I was granted DLA after being told that I may not see ever again following a traumatic loss of sight in 2004. PIP will be harder to claim with stricter tests.

For example, under PIP wheelchair users will be treated as having no trouble getting around at all, as if everywhere has good wheelchair access. DLA also provides supervision, for example, for people who may have fits and put themselves and others in danger. The draft PIP criteria does not mention such supervision!

From April 2013 all DLA claimants aged between 18 and 65 will be reassessed for PIP. No doubt profiteers such as Atos will be carrying out the tests.

Atos is already being paid £100 million a year to question 11,000 Employment and Support Allowance (a benefit for people unable to work) claimants each week, with the aim of 'reducing the benefits bill'. Hundreds of thousands of people have appealed against their benefits being stopped. Two-fifths have been successful.

I know of many cases of people who have already been through such tough screening and have lost out.

They have missed out on benefits that help them live independently, while still not being able to find work. I fear for myself and others whose benefits could be slashed.

Socialists oppose the whole bill as it is a vicious attack on working class and disabled people. All three main capitalist parties, Tories, Lib Dems and Labour, agree with the principle of the bill - that benefits should be slashed to pay for the bankers' bailouts. It is time disabled people say enough is enough and stop attempts to divide us. The disabled, workers, the unemployed, students and young people must unite to fight all cuts.

Labour betrays the poor hen Douglas Alexander was a boy, he played bugle for a salvation army band. Now, as a top Labour Party politician, he plays bugle for a much dodgier group of people: Not so much: The Red Flag, more ‘I want to be a billionaire’.

W

Take his comment, for example about welfare benefit caps: “This is a difficult but necessary step but we support the principle, with the important caveat that it should not render people homeless.” Rarely, even in the field of lying modern politics, has so much been hidden behind so few words.

He says it’s a ‘difficult’ step – to put a cap on how much a family can receive for essential living costs through capping benefits at a fixed figure: say £26,000 per family as the government wants. Certainly, this will be difficult for those families with large families forced to pay most of their benefits to profiteering landlords.

In fact, it will not just be ‘difficult’ for these families to make up a shortfall in rent from such a cap. It will be impossible. They will go into arrears and be evicted – tens of thousands of families, particularly in London, but elsewhere too.

We know this, and Douglas Alexander knows it too, as it was the fear of mass unrest which caused the government to back off a year ago. It was only a postponement. Now, the wolves are back – howling at the doors of thousands of families.

He also says it is a “necessary step”. That has been the constant mantra of the government, and Labour’s only alternative was to promise at first slightly less cuts if they were elected, spread out over a few more years.

Now, they accept all the cuts and say nothing will fundamentally change under their rule! It costs too much, they say, waving around figures designed to scare and confuse voters: huge sums of money.

What is never mentioned by Douglas and his pals are the vastly larger figures for wealth wasted by their rich mates: the billions traded every day in speculative deals, the profits made by workers internationally but then stolen and never reinvested in society but hoarded by capitalists and their cronies.

All politicians know that welfare recipients live on very low incomes.

To cut what little they have means to cause suffering. One of the other cuts planned illustrates this reality: the proposal to make any unemployed tenant with a spare room pay around £13 a week for the privilege! £13 a week from £67.50 will inevitably lead to more arrears, more evictions. And none of this is ‘necessary’.

Anger at these crimes against humanity grows every day throughout society. The acceptance of all the cuts by Ed Miliband has led some trade union leaders who previously were slow to criticise Labour, to wonder publicly: why are we paying these chancers to attack us?

Why indeed?

In Scotland, Alex Salmond has claimed that an independent Scotland led by the SNP is the answer and would be a beacon of progressive values. Many workers facing cuts from Holyrood or from SNP councils will raise their eyebrows even further than Alex can at that one.

The referendum vote will hopefully provide one opportunity for socialists to raise ideas about an independent socialist Scotland, breaking from capitalism and maintaining an unbreakable bond with the working class of all countries, including millions of our brothers and sisters throughout these islands.

This is a shorter version of an article by Harvey Duke whose blog can be found at http://harvey1962.wordpress.com/

4 fighting the cuts

thesocialist www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

After N30 we need to reclaim our unions n November 29th, the Con-Dem Government continued to propose attacks on public sector pensions which would see workers paying more, working longer and getting less.

O

Diane Harvey Unison steward On November 30th, the ConDems got a response to this proposal from more than 2 million public sector workers, members of 29 trade unions, who took strike action across the country in what can only be described as the biggest show of workers strength in living memory.

Proposals rejected!

This historic strike gave the lie to claims that there was no mood amongst workers to fight back against the savage attacks of the bosses and the Government. And workers made it clear they were determined to continue the fight.

Three days after the momentous strike, the overwhelming mood of delegates attending UNISON Scottish Council was to maintain the momentum, to push on with further action early in the New Year, even calling for January 25th to be the next date for co-ordinated strike action.

But less than a month after N30, with many public sector unions like PCS, NIPSA, NUT and POA still rejecting the shabby proposal, others like Unison had raised the white flag and capitulated.

The UK Unison leadership shamefully agreed in principle to a deal they condemned as unacceptable only a month before!

So how have we got here? Why do we now find ourselves fighting this dispute on different fronts?

Even before the strike on November 30th Brendan Barbour and others made it clear they didn’t want a public sector strike.

As far back as spring last year, while Unison members were demanding to know why they weren’t on strike with the PCS on June 30th, Unison leader Dave Prentis was busy arguing against any co-ordinated action.

But even he couldn’t ignore the growing mood amongst the Unison membership. In the face of attacks on their pay, terms and conditions, and now on their pensions, Unison members, with Socialist Party activists playing an important role, together with rank and file organisations like the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN), kept up the pressure on Prentis to call a ballot.

Announcing the ballot at the TUC conference in September last year, Prentis said of co-ordinated action “We must stay strong, united. All of us shoulder to shoulder. No gesture politics, no hollow rhetoric”.

hollow words But hollow words are exactly what we got from Dave Prentis! He wasted no time in derailing the united action by agreeing to re-enter negotiations with the Government over the same rotten proposals that had been on the table before N30.

Prentis, Barbour and their ilk have no confidence in their members or the working class in general to fight back.

They, and others like them, don’t see any alternative to capitalism and accept the logic of cuts - albeit at a

Teachers marching in Glasgow on N30

slower pace.

They are totally out of step with the mood of workers to stay in this battle and fight on. They’ve become used to delivering defeat rather than leading a struggle to defend their members' interests.

reclaim our unions!

In the current pensions dispute, the Government could well be in retreat already if a further one or two day public sector shutdown had been called following N30.

In reality the right-wing trade union leaders are holding back struggles while left-led unions like the PCS - in which the Socialist Party plays an important role - are prepared to take action -and have the confidence of their membership.

But PCS was once controlled by a ruthless right-wing leadership. Only through the organisation and determination of left activists, with Socialist Party members playing a key role, was the PCS transformed into a fighting, democratic union prepared to defend its members - and not sell out.

So this fight is not only about pensions, it’s a fight for the trade unions themselves! We need to take these unions back into the hands of the membership and transform them into democratic and fighting bodies.

This means pressurising and campaigning to commit the trade union leaders to action and if necessary we need to replace those leaders that refuse to lead with those that will fight in their members' interests.

Left activists and members want-

ing a fighting leadership in Unison should nominate and vote for service group executive candidates prepared to oppose the Con-Dem rotten deals.

The trade union movement which organises over six million workers - has enormous potential power. But we need unions that are democratically controlled by their members, with full-time officials who are regularly elected and who receive the same wage as the average worker.

Socialist party members in Unison are fighting to transform that union.

We will continue to work in Unison and other unions to build powerful fighting trade union organisations.

November 30th must be the catalyst for a major campaign to reclaim our unions.

PCS rejects the sell-out Unison gives warning to SNP n Saturday 7 January Left Unity in the PCS civil service union hosted an emergency open organising meeting because our movement in defence of public sector pensions is at a critical point.

O

Janice Godrich PCS national president It was vital that the momentum generated by the fantastic strike on 30 November (N30) was not completely lost.

The government tried to force the unions to sign up to a rotten deal before Christmas. Unfortunately the leaders of some unions indicated they wished to sign this 'heads of agreement' which proposed exactly what N30 had been against: paying more, working longer and getting less.

December's events meant that members were in danger of being tragically let down and everything possible is needed to be done to prevent this happening. However, a number of unions have joined PCS among the 'rejectionists', refusing to sign up.

Pensions have been fought for over generations. The Con-Dems' attacks mean all these gains could be lost. Our job is now to maintain

the pressure, unite across unions and not let the gains of the biggest action since the 1926 general strike be lost.

Our message is clear - reject the offer and organise for further action.

The conference, attended by over 500 trade union activists from across the public sector unions, unanimously agreed a statement which concluded with the following bullet points:

☛ The government's latest proposals on pensions must be rejected ☛ Press the TUC to set a date for a second day of coordinated national industrial action. This action is escalated by involving more public sector unions and unions from the private sector fighting for fair pensions or provision ☛ If the TUC does not call such action an urgent meeting is arranged by those unions prepared to consider continuing the campaign of industrial action against the pension deal ☛ The left organisations in the trade unions establish a temporary coordinating committee with the aim of coordinating activity, including lobbies etc, and material. To campaign together across the unions to build opposition to the deal and to work toward further coordinated action

government over pensions he level of participation in the N30 strike by workers in Scotland covered by the Local Government Pension Scheme was unprecedented.

T

Brian Smith Glasgow City Unison branch secretary (personal capacity) Council, college and voluntary sector workers stood alongside other UK public services workers in defence of pensions in a magnificent demonstration of trade union solidarity.

Workers covered by the Scottish LGPS are not facing the same attacks at the present time as local government colleagues in England and Wales or health workers, civil servants and teachers across the UK. However our pensions in retirement will be affected through the change to CPI uprating and possibility through the previously agreed “tripartite review” involving the Scottish Government, CoSLA and the trade unions planned for later this year.

In early February, a meeting of

Unison members striking on N30 in Glasgow

the 32 Scottish UNISON Local Government branches unanimously passed a motion from the Glasgow Branch which stated that “many UNISON members will agree that the move by our UK leaders to see the England and Wales LGPS “heads of agreement” as a basis for a just settlement without acceptable common concessions having been secured for all public sector pension schemes, particularly on working longer and paying more, was an abandonment of UNISON members interests and a serious tactical mistake.

Unless the deal which comes

from this “heads of agreement” is rejected by UNISON members in the forthcoming ballot then the potential that we saw on 30th November will have likely been squandered” The motion went on to commit UNISON Scotland to further strike action if the Scottish Government and/or CoSLA propose “any changes detrimental to members pensions” and concluded by offering solidarity and support to any public services trade unions in the other three pension schemes who decide to take more strike action in the coming months.

news 5

thesocialist www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

ConDem policies and cuts hit women hardest ouise Mensch, a rich, privileged Tory MP, is trying desperately to reinvent her party as supporters of feminism.

But put the microscope on her party's policies and you can see how they create barriers to equal opportunities, especially for working class women.

L

A big barrier to women's freedom is low income levels leading to poverty. The public sector pay freeze and planned pay cap will impact worst on women as the majority of public sector workers are women.

Ms Mensch expects us to applaud the fact that 80% of the lowest earners, exempted from the pay freeze, are women. But if the Con-Dem government really cared about women's welfare they wouldn't condemn them to poverty pay.

Many public sector workers, again primarily women, are already being displaced or made redundant as the Tories implement their agenda to shrink the welfare state and brutally attack public services.

Socialist agenda Socialists have an agenda of supporting and strengthening the 'welfare state' which not only employs many women, but offers financial safety nets for working class women and our children.

Working class women have no trust funds or rich parents to fall back on in a period of rising unemployment.

Tories also attack state provision of health and education that work-

ing class people rely on the most.

Tory child support agency reforms propose to charge single parents a fee for arranging support payments. This regressive idea is a blatant attack that will hit single mothers hard.

The ability to control our fertility, also crucial to women's liberation, came under attack by Tory MP Nadine Dorries who campaigned to reduce the legal time limit for abortion.

Dorries also proposed that 'independent' abortion providers provide counseling to women seeking a termination. This would have let pro-life and religious backed groups flood the 'market'.

When the Tories talk about 'sustainable funding cycles' for women's services, they want to farm out state provision of services to other sectors including faith groups with an abysmal track record.

This government's accelerated public service cuts also hit working class women and our children with the closure of one o'clock clubs and play schemes which all help to ease the daily task of childcare.

A new report shows that 31% of funding for domestic and sexual violence services has been scrapped by Tory cuts in England over the last year.

So now some women in abusive relationships will remain trapped and may even end up badly injured or dead.

Already these cuts have led to hundreds of vulnerable women being turned away from emergency shelter accommodation and directed to sleep in the Occupy camps, on night buses or in accident and emergency units.

Some Tory MPs talk positively about women's rights but their policies expose the lie that they are feminists.

The class divide A shell of a scheme A month ago Shell closed its final salary pension scheme meaning that future generations of workers will have a much less secure retirement.

The same is happening across both the private and public sectors as employers insist the economic crisis combined with an aging population mean these better schemes are unaffordable.

And yet a matter of weeks later Shell announced a 54% rise in profits. The company is now making £2 million every hour! £10.5 billion was paid to shareholders last year. Why can't that money be used to continue to provide decent pensions for future Shell workers - the people who do the work that makes the money in the first place?

The poor get poorer A report by Aviva Family Finances shows that the average family in the UK owes nearly £8,000 in unsecured borrowing (things like overdrafts and credit cards).

That's up 48% on this time last

year. So, are we all just getting greedier?

Well, a report by the TUC suggests some other answers. Workers are taking home £60 billion a year less in real terms than 30 years ago.

That's despite being more productive than ever.

The only group who don't seem to be following the same trend are top executives whose pay is still going up.

In fact, the ratio of executives' pay to workers' pay has gone from 47:1 in 2000 to 102:1 last year. The poorer we get, the richer the bosses get!

Recession - What ?

The average 25-64 year old American male earns about a quarter less than his 1969 equivalent.

And yet there doesn't seem to be much evidence of a crisis for big business - corporate profits in the US are higher (as a proportion of GDP) than at any time since the 1950s.

And there is $1.7 trillion sitting in the bank accounts of US companies rather than being invested that would make a start on those wages, surely!

End violence against women March 8th is International Women’s Day. In this article Sinead Daly examines the scale of violence against women in Scotland – and what needs to be done to challenge the nightmare that affects 1 in every 5 women in Scotland. In the article opposite Helen Riddet looks at the effect of Tory policies on women

very 10 seconds there is an incident of domestic abuse recorded by the police in Scotland – 82% of cases involve female victims and male perpetrators.

E

This shocking statistic is a harsh and depressing reminder that despite the strides forward that have taken place over the last 20 years, domestic and sexual violence remains a fact of life for many, many women.

There are loads of statistics that can be rhymed off about the scale of Violence Against Women in Scotland: These shocking figures can only shine a little light on the horrendous reality of living with domestic abuse on a day-to-day basis or of the trauma and hurt that sexual violence has on women. Apart from the obvious impact on women’s mental and physical health, women with experience of domestic abuse depend heavily on the public sector to provide support for them at these times.

Sylvia (her name has been changed to protect her identity) spoke about her experiences of domestic abuse she experienced over years.

One incident really stuck out for her “I was pushed against a concrete wall, and I actually was knocked out.

He pushed me by about 7 feet onto a concrete wall and I was knocked out.

And all my head... the blood was just unbelievable, and an ambulance had to come ... and I had to get all my head stapled together. I mean the scar still really itches.” On another occasion he repeatedly punched and kicked her in the stomach while she was pregnant…she lost the baby.

Sylvia who has young children suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and although she has managed to get away from her abuser a few years ago, she still has regular panic and anxiety attacks, has an eating disorder and has found it a real battle to recover from her experiences “you still feel like...you’re suffering a bit of domestic abuse and domestic violence…because you have all of these illnesses that you take away with you...and it’s just really sad... and it’s not right!”

Sylvia, however, is very much a survivor – she has got away from her abuser and is on the road to recover-

❏ There were almost 52,000 incidents of domestic abuse in Scotland last year ❏ 3 million women in the UK have experienced domestic or sexual abuse in the previous 12 months ❏ 2 women are killed every week at the hands of their partner or ex-partners in the UK ❏ 78-86% of stalking victims are women ❏ There were 6509 reported sex crimes in 2010/11, including rape, attempted rape and sexual assault ❏ Only 7% of all reported rapes in Scotland resulted in a conviction ❏ 26% of Scots surveyed blamed the woman’s behavior as contributing towards the abuse ing from her experiences of domestic abuse. Believe it or not, Sylvia is ‘lucky’ because she managed to secure refuge accommodation, support from Women’s Aid, other women however, have not been so ‘lucky’.

their physical and mental health.

Where do women go to get this support? The job centre, their local authority for housing or social services, specialists services, the police and so on.

lack of resources

lifeline

On September 20th 2011, Women’s Aid groups in Scotland (organisations who provide support and refuge accommodation) provided support to 1,267 women children and young people. On that day, one third of women who needed to flee their homes and get refuge accommodation were turned away due to lack of space.

Every year thousands of women and children leave their homes, their friends and family, their job, their school with perhaps a few black bags with their belongings and go into refuge and homeless accommodation and wait to be re-housed.

Of course, once you get your home then you've got to furnish it. If you've been forced to leave your belongings behind - your bed, fridge, cooker, washing machine, your carpets, TV, kids toys etc - then it's a very expensive time. You may get a ridiculously small grant or loan from the benefits agency or fall prey to the loan companies with criminal interest rates.

The main worries that women have about leaving abusive relationships are where will I live, how will I survive financially, will I be safe, how will my children cope and what if he finds me? Not to mention concerns about their ability to recover from the impact of sustained abuse on

These services that provide a real lifeline for women need to ensure they can gain access to justice or be protected which are the very services which are under attack and paying the price of bailing out this defunct, corrupt and unjust economic system.

While in Scotland we have not seen the level of cut backs to violence against women’s services as in England and Wales, the current budgets that have been announced will no doubt impact on essential support services for women.

As socialists we need provide an explanation about why women continue to experience low pay, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Socialist Party Scotland understand that the additional oppression that women face is firmly rooted in this profit driven system, which can only survive on the basis of gross inequality including the gender oppression faced by women.

We fight and struggle for a democratic socialist society. A society that meets the needs and aspirations of the 99%. Which can provide all with a decent living wage, free education, a home and access to good quality social provision. It is only on this basis will women and men begin to be totally free and personal relationships can be truly equal.

Europe in crisis

6 special feature

thesocialist

www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

Europe is a region racked by crisis. Recession has returned, the single currency may not survive, unemployment is over 10% across the 17 member Eurozone. Youth unemployment is over 50% in Spain, Portugal and Greece. The savage policies of austerity being pursued by all the major governments is creating a nightmare for tens of millions across the continent. In its wake, the social and economic crisis has provoked a wave of mass strikes, including general strikes in Belgium, Greece, Spain and Portugal over the past year. Young people have also mobilised in their tens of thousands to protest. In this feature Matt Dobson looks at what 2012 will mean for Europe.

he crisis in the Eurozone has become the epicentre of the global crisis of capitalism. The sovereign debt and banking crisis threatens to break up the monetary union that is only just over a decade old.

T

Even the fate of the wider area of political and economic co-operation, the European Union.

The banking group UBS, publicly warned, in a recent report on Europe, of the prospect of deep social crisis in the form of riots and revolutions, military and authoritarian government’s coming to power and even wars between nations, if the economic crisis in the Eurozone is not successfully managed.

Countries with large deficits such as Portugal, Greece, Ireland and Spain have seen the value of their bonds fall and have had their trading capability attacked by the speculators of the markets and bondholders.

Many are struggling to make repayments to their creditors, the private sector and other indebted Eurozone countries. European governments have to raise €1.6 trillion to refinance existing loans and finance their spending. Already the bailout fund of the EFSF has been stretched to its limit and there is a shortage of funds available for the next financial stability mechanism. A bail out of a larger economy like Spain or Italy is beyond the scope of the current funds.

A credit crunch has developed with banks refusing to lend to one another and to business which is exacerbating the lack of growth in the economy. A number of major banks are being forced to seek government bailouts.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has provided almost €500 billion to the banks at the end of December, in an attempt to counter the credit crunch.

However, it is expected that banks will demand two or three times as much when the next auction takes place at the end of February. The possibility is still posed of one or more banks collapsing, triggering a dramatic acceleration of the crisis.

A crash of the banking system in the Eurozone or a chain of defaults by Eurozone states may have an impact on the wider world economy even larger than the collapse of the banks and housing market in the US in 2008.

Despite being tied by a thousand threads to the fate of Europe, neither the Chinese nor US administrations want to prop up Europe’s economy with injections of funds as this would worsen imbalances in their own finances and force them to inflict further cuts in public spending and austerity on their populations that would have explosive political results.

no strategy nternationally, the capitalist classes, least of all in Europe, have no strategy or co-ordinated plan to deal with the likelihood of stagnation or even depression.

I

Having extolled the virtues of globalisation and integration of the economy at the time of boom, the interlocking of banks, governments and financial institutions has been their undoing in a time of crisis.

For their own survival, capitalist classes across the globe and particularly in Europe will be increasingly forced to abandon projects of economic integration and take up protectionist measures.

No government in Europe is secure as the policies of the capitalist class discredit the entire political establishment. Governments in Italy and Greece have fallen in the face of mass

opposition to the demands of the capitalist class and the baying requests for a balance of deficits from the markets.

Politicians have been replaced with temporary governments of bankers as the bourgeois in Europe resort to semi Bonapartist measures in order to hang onto political control.

New government’s in Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Belgium already face the wrath of workers and young people as they try to implement austerity packages.

Only the lack of an established mass left alternative based on the combativity of the working class and youth and articulating a socialist solution has prevented a political threat to the survival of the capitalist system.

Growing consciousness of the widening wealth gap and inequality is more and more evident as governments implement policies that are in effect condemning large sections of the working class and middle class to planned poverty that will last for over a decade, leading to radicalisation and a questioning of capitalism.

Revolutionary developments in North Africa have also sharpened the mood amongst youth and workers.

The mass movements of the occupied squares and repeated general strikes in Southern Europe, particularly in Greece could take on more revolutionary character.

Initially the attitude of sections of the capitalist class in Europe, particularly those in the stronger counties like Germany was to let the periphery countries default and get thrown out of the Eurozone. But as the crisis has deepened, awareness of the consequences of Greece which by itself represents a only small fraction of the Eurozone’s GDP, crashing out of the Eurozone and almost certainly bringing other weaker countries with it, increased.

Merkal , Sarkozy and Europe’s other top financiers and political leaders have tried to create a firewall around

Greece while trying to force it’s governments over the last six months to reduce the deficit and for its creditors in the private sector to take a “haircut” on debt repayments. This, they hope in vain, will stop a default or at least lead to managed withdrawal of Greece from the Eurozone.

At the time of writing, talks between the Greece’s technocrat government and its private sector and sovereign creditors, over the next installment of a bailout to stop a default had passed a deadline set by the EU commission.

Even if a deal is reached it is almost certain that a default by Greece can only be delayed.

The main obstacle to the quick conclusion of a deal was the precarious position of Greece’s political elite, trying to balance between the demands of the European bourgeois and rising domestic opposition. The coalition of all the main parties that prop up the Papademos banker administration will want to distance themselves from being seen to accept more austerity measures from the Troika in the coming elections.

While the talks took place a leaked memo from the German government declared that Greece’s "disappointing compliance so far" meant that the Greek government should be forced to hand over control of all tax and spending decisions to a eurozone ’commissioner’. This provoked huge anger raising the prospect of colonial like rule of Greece and was quickly dismissed publicly by EU politicians but in reality this in essence is already taking place with Troika officials present at every budgetary meeting.

The troika has had to recognise that Greece faces an impossible task in reducing debt when the economy is in such deep recession, and now accepts that the country's sovereign creditors will have to supplement the debt relief being provided by the private sector.

Spending cuts, tax increases and the general uncertainty of the crisis have already pushed Greece into a slump, which in turn has eliminated many of the debt relief from the austerity measures.

divisions he crisis has created divisions between the Eurozone’s strongest powers, France and Germany over the role of financial institutions such as the European Central Bank.

T

Sarkozy, fearing the buildup of debt in the French banking system and also his electoral prospects has argued for the ECB to be more interventionist and bail out countries and banks, while Merkal facing domestic pressure from a rise in feeling that Germany shouldn’t pay for the problems of other states has argued for governments to take more responsibility in balancing their deficits. Merkal and the German capitalist class have also been reluctant to commit to issuing Eurobonds to protect the value of the

currency and stop the attacks by the markets on weaker countries but may be forced into taking this measure to attempt to ensure the Eurozone’s survival.

At the January summit, the Eurozone leaders agreed a new treaty containing further austerity to be inflicted on the working class and poor.

Cameron, under pressure from the Tory right, who raised their opposition to an undermining of budgetary sovereignty, may have kept Britain out of the treaty but will continue to push through cuts policies that will mirror the policies of the bourgeois in Europe.

The main element of the treaty includes ’debt brakes’ that are are supposed to be written into the constitution of every participating country - making it illegal to run a deficit, with countries facing fines of up to 0.25% of GDP if they do so. This could never be fully implemented, Estonia is currently the only country in the EU that has a budget surplus; all others, even Germany, have a deficit.

mass struggle he backdrop to this Brussels summit was the powerful general strike in Belgium that shut down the country, the first response of the organised working class to the new government’s unprecedented austerity plans that will be the music of the future across Europe.

T

This comes after the general strikes in Britain, Italy, Cyprus, Portugal and Spain in the winter of 2011, a year that saw ten general strikes, two for 48 hours in Greece.

No part of Europe is untouched by the crisis and rising political opposition to austerity. Eastern European countries outside of the Eurozone are affected by the position of the Greek and Italian banks. Hungary and Romania have run up huge sovereign debts. The first weeks of 2012 saw the biggest protests in Romania since the fall of Stalinism against a hike in VAT and cuts to public sector wages forcing the resignation of the prime minister.

A new treaty and framework for further centralisation of economic policy and control of national governments budgets would require the assent of a referendum in many countries. Mass opposition to a treaty, encompassing further austerity and privatisation measures is already developing, but this will be alongside a fear of the dire consequences of being isolated from the Eurozone, creating a polarised political situation that the labour movement will have to develop a coherent response too.

The growing popular hostility to the EU and it’s institutions is largely based on a reaction to the way it is run in the interests of the larger richer countries and major corporations (who mobilise

thesocialist

special feature 7

www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

obituary - Rob Windsor

On 14 January Rob Windsor, socialist fighter and previous Socialist Party councillor in Coventry lost his long struggle against liver disease and died at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth hospital. He was 47 years old.

The Greek working class have taken part in 16 general strikes in the past two years against EU/IMF/ECB austerity

large armies of lobbyists that dictate the legislation of the council, commission and parliament).

It’s bureaucratic elite politicians who never hide their opulent privileges rain down diktats of austerity on the European masses overriding national governments. In this atmosphere support for nationalism can develop which can be manipulated by the far right if the left does not put forward a coherent program and attempt to fill the political vacuum.

Socialists do not accept austerity measures amounting to misery for the masses, as a price worth paying for staying in the monetary union of the Euro or even the economic area of the EU. In Ireland the Socialist Party is calling for a no vote if a referendum takes place. However making the call in the situation of referendum to leave the Euro without putting forward a clear socialist alternative and the need to break decisively from capitalism is sowing false illusions that living stan-

dards could improve by exiting the Eurozone on a national capitalist basis.

As the UBS report highlights, the immediate prospects for a country like Greece leaving the Euro on a capitalist basis would be unprecedented economic misery for the majority of the population.

socialist alternative ocialists need to popularise a socialist internationalist alternative to the European Union - a project designed to benefit big business that lifted obstacles to driving down wages and conditions of the continent’s working class.

S

The political and economic unification of Europe would be a huge step forward but this cannot be achieved

on the basis of capitalism – a system based on the competition and continued inequality of nations.

A socialist or workers government in a single state, making the continent’s first break from capitalism would need to immediately adopt a socialist policy of nationalisation and democratic public ownership of the banking sector and major industries.

A state monopoly of foreign trade and capital controls would need to be implemented as protection against a flight of capital by big business and the super rich and downgrading attacks from international markets and bondholders.

These immediate measures would only be secured by the development of successful socialist revolutions in other states. On this basis genuine economic co-operation between states on a planned basis could take place using Europe’s economic resources for the benefit of all.

No to the debt! No to the austerity! No to the blackmail! ☛ End the dictatorship of the 1%! For real democracy now! Working people and the unemployed should decide, not the markets! ☛ No to the dead end of austerity! For massive investment in jobs, housing, education and society instead of cuts! End the nightmare of youth unemployment! ☛ For a way out based on international struggle! For co-ordinated general strikes! Towards a 24-hour all-European General strike! ☛ For democratic and fighting trade unions! Build struggles from below through assemblies and committees of action! Build genuine mass left political instruments of the working class and youth! ☛ Reject the blackmail of the Troika and markets! Only mass struggle can stop the straitjacket of austerity! No to the anti-democratic “technocrat” governments! Referenda to stop the EU’s new austerity deal! ☛ For a workers’ Europe! Oppose the capitalist EU! Fight for an alternative a socialist confederation of free and independent states.

Socialismo Revolucionario (CWI in Portugal) ControCorrente (CWI supporters in Italy) Socialist Party (CWI in Ireland) Xekinima (CWI in Greece) Socialismo Revolucionario (CWI in Spain) Read the full declaration from the CWI on Europe http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/5573

25 years ago a young lad walked into one of Dave Nellist's campaign rooms. He wanted to get involved writes Dave Griffiths At that time Rob Windsor was built like a human stick insect and worked helping the homeless. His cheerful, humorous and humble manner didn't hide the steely determination within to fight the injustices of capitalist society.

He had concluded that society must be fundamentally changed to improve working people's conditions. He had seen what Militant supporters had done in Coventry and nationwide and having checked we were serious, decided he would join us. Clearly a working class lad himself you could tell he was bright and meant business.

His job with Coventry Churches Housing was put in jeopardy when he supported our campaign to Save Whitley Hospital, the campaign that convinced him to join us.

It was no accident (having been fostered as a child) that he worked to help the homeless and most downtrodden and he passionately fought the abandonment by capitalist society of hundreds of thousands of people.

At 18 he went to London and ran a 900 bed homeless hostel and did soup runs while living in a Notting Hill squat.

He was an expert on housing and ran an inspired campaign against council house privatisation, denouncing it in a well used pamphlet, with the aid of Nicholas Parsons' photo, as the "Sale of the Century"

anti-poll tax leader Rob became a leader of the anti poll tax campaign and later a Socialist councillor in St Michaels, Coventry.

No-one who heard him could forget his wonderful and vivid way of explaining events and ideas. Almost like radio can, he could make the mind conjure up pictures.

He was one of the best 'ranters' we've known, whose use of humour always made ideas accessible to people. Many comrades say they never tired of hearing him speak.

The non-payment campaign that defeated Thatcher's hated poll tax between 1989 and 1992 revealed his huge talents.

He gave up his job to focus on it.

One day he went away with hundreds of pages of poll tax legislation.

Two days later he returned with a summary of what it was and how to fight it in a mere ten page campaigning pamphlet, and not a

word of it was ever found wanting.

Rob inspired many an anti poll tax meeting and the mass nonpayment campaign. Others of us who rushed around to address one packed meeting after another would worry what could happen to people who refused to pay the tax. We would consult Rob who always had the legal answer, and he was always right!

He was a tiger defending the non-paying army. He baffled magistrates around the country and drove them to distraction.

There was little as entertaining as Rob entangling them! And he taught others how to do it. Court after court was clogged up.

He bamboozled, beat and chased off bailiffs as he cut a swathe across the Midlands. A famous newspaper headline "Mr Windsor beats Mrs Windsor" reported how Rob beat off thousands of wage attachments in the courts.

Thatcher said the poll tax was "her flagship", Rob always said it would be her Titanic and he was a significant part in beating Thatcher (who he always called the 'tin woman' instead of the 'iron lady').

But he didn't stop there. He fought on to change the system itself. To his last he still led that fight and it is as good a measure of the man as his brilliant leadership of the anti poll tax unions, that he advanced Marxist ideas in a period of political retreat including in difficult environments like the council chamber.

Within months of beating the poll tax, Rob faced expulsion from the Labour Party, his opposition to the poll tax 'proving' he was a Militant! The Labour Party was moving to the right and abandoning any talk of socialism.

But while many were abandoning socialism and Marxism, Rob fought on to help establish the support and organisation we have today that will advance the struggle for change.

It is the greatest compliment to say that in his two terms as a Socialist Party councillor (2000-4 and 2006-10) he was utterly politically reliable and down the line.

He explained and advanced our ideas unflinchingly, be it in the Council House or anywhere else.

His honesty and grasp of issues always shone through.

And anyone under attack could rely on Rob to be on their side.

From school students on strike or pickets at Wapping (where he got a personal object lesson in the brutality of the state) or travelling to support Vestas workers on the Isle of Wight or to speak in support of Tommy Sheridan in Glasgow.

He was 'a politician', not because he wanted to be one, but because he knew we had to fight back. He could analyse issues in seconds, he was brilliant, but with no pretentions.

Rob lived for his politics but also loved walking hills (returning to supply many of us with oatcakes) and he'd planned to combine walking with visiting branches of the Socialist Party to speak.

It is so hard to grasp that this won't happen, that at only 47 he is lost to so many people who appreciated him.

But we'll have to work to make up for it, and as Rob did many times, rededicate ourselves to the fight he carried so well and try to find people with the strengths and talents to advance ideas in the way he did.

8 international

thesocialist www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

Irish establishment faces poll tax-style revolt n Tuesday 7th February, Socialist Party and United Left Alliance TD (MP), Joe Higgins, made his way to Waterford, a small city on the south coast of Ireland, to speak at yet another public meeting of the Campaign Against Household and Water Charges.

O

Matthew Waine Socialist Party councillor, Dublin

As he arrived at the hotel, he found hotel staff running around feverishly. As he made his way into the meeting room, he saw what the fuss was about. The room was packed to the rafters as over 700 people had turned out to the monster meeting.

The huge turnout, replicated in similar sized meetings the length and breadth of the country, is an indicator that something is changing in Irish society. For four years working class people have been slaughtered with vicious austerity measures. Pay has been slashed, taxes increased and public services decimated. And it has been the most vulnerable who have suffered the most. Children with learning difficulties have lost their Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), families of those with intellectual or physical disabilities have had their respite services cut. Some families reported that the health board authorities asked them to weigh incontinent pads to ensure they were being used sparingly!

Meanwhile, the Fine Gael/Labour

coalition government has bowed before the diktats of the EU and the financial markets who demand their pound of flesh.

A one-sided civil war has been waged against ordinary working class people. But at each turn, as people sought to fight back and resist, they have found their way barred by a treacherous trade union leadership.

The household tax campaign, established by the Socialist Party last year and now supported by 9 TDs, represents a watershed in the history of the crisis, an opportunity to resist the Governments austerity policies and deal a blow against the dictatorship of the so-called troika – the ECB, the EU and the IMF. Fine Gael Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, introduced the Household Tax in December’s budget, demanding €100 from every household in the country.

gateway tax But as the campaign has pointed out, and as people instinctively understand, this is a gateway tax, merely an initial means to establish a database of households which can then be levied substantially higher local taxes in the future. Indeed the Government has admitted as much.

In 2013, the Household tax will be replaced with a property tax of between €400 and €600 per annum on a modest family home.

That will be followed in 2014 with the reintroduction of water charges of up to €600 per annum. Within two years, hard pressed households will be faced with annual bills of over €1,000.

The Government understand that

they face a tsunami of opposition to this tax. They have therefore introduced draconian fines and threats for those who do not pay. According to the legislation, every household is legally required to register their property by March 31st and registration must be accompanied by payment.

Failure to pay the tax would mean that by the end of this year, a household would owe €142 in late payment charges. However, if a household hasn’t registered, they could be summonsed to court and, after a conviction, could face a fine of up to €2,500.

It is incredible that while not a single banker, developer or speculator, whose greed wrecked the economy causing untold misery, has darkened the doorway of a court room, this government is prepared to drag innocent workers before the courts like common criminals.

After 40 days, a mere 5% of people have actually registered. This, alongside the massive meetings which have taken place to date, show the enormous potential for a campaign of mass boycott and non-payment.

However, such a campaign cannot be wished into existence, it must be consciously worked for through painstaking work in every community in the country.

Clearly, a significant section of people have already decided they will not pay. But, given the defeats and blows suffered by working class people over the last four years and the yellow role played by the trade union leaders, there are a layer of people who are understandably nervous and fearful of the Governments threats.

The Campaign, drawing on the lessons of the Water Charges battle

Anti-household tax campaigners protest outside government ministers office

in Dublin in the 90s and the titanic Poll Tax struggle in Scotland and Britain in the late 80s/early 90s, advocates organised mass non-payment as the only way to defeat the tax. We are calling on people to hold firm and not to pay. We have set St Patrick’s Day 17th March as the date where we will have assembled a huge volume of people who will have refused to register. From there, we will approach the government’s deadline of March 31st, in a united movement of maybe up to 1 million households, and go over the line in an act of mass defiance. That volume of people would deal a massive blow to the Government, to their austerity policies, but it would also render their threats of fines and deductions unworkable.

The campaign unfolds in a climate fraught with crisis and insta-

bility. A recent survey conducted by the Irish League of Credit Unions found that 64% of people (2.24 million) have less than €70 left per month after essential bills are paid.

But in their Global Wealth Report, Credit Suisse revealed that the top 5% of the population own 48.6% of the wealth.

This inequality is actually growing, alongside the anger as the government continue to defend the interests of the super rich at the expense of everyone else. And all this as the economic situation continues to slip. The Central Bank of Ireland slashed their growth forecasts for the year from 1.8% to 0.6%. A mass movement of resistance is building in Ireland that could also place on the agenda the prospect of building a mass socialist movement in Ireland against capitalist austerity.

Greek government’s support in freefall over austerity s we go to press the Greek government coalition have agreed to another round of savage austerity, including 20% wage cuts in the private sector and an immediate slaughter of 15,000 public sector job as part of the destruction of 150,000 jobs by 2015.

A

CWI / Xekinima (CWI in Greece) The vote in the parliament was met by a massive 48-hour general strike and huge demonstrations in towns and cities across the country.

At the same time, support for the parties supporting the technocrat government of Papademos is in sharp decline. In one recent poll, Pasok, the now neo-liberal former social democratic party, is down to 8%, from 44% in 2009, when it returned to power!

The anger and fury about the cuts is now reflected in the hesitancy that ND, the traditional conservative party, and Laos, a right-wing populist force, - in alliance with Pasok behind the Papademos government - are trying to present to the public, before again surrendering to the demands of the markets. “I will not contribute to a revolution out of misery that will then burn the whole of Europe”, Georgios Karatzaferis, the leader of Laos, Laos have noe left

the government.

The former banker, Lucas Papademos, was presented in November as a ‘neutral’ technocrat, above the different parties to save Greece after the fall of the Pasok government. On taking over the job of Prime Minister, he had approval rates of 60% or more. Now his support is shattered, and the parties supporting him – Pasok, ND and Laos – have fallen from 83% combined in October 2009 to less than 45% today, with ND on 31% (from 33.4% in 2009) and Laos 5% (5.6%).

This new bailout has been agreed bit it won’t necessarily prevent Greece from exiting the euro. On 20 March, Greece has to repay bonds worth €14.5 billion. After recent austerity measures, unemployment has officially reached 19% and is quickly rising, especially among young people.

general strike The general strikes of 7, 9/10th Feb showed again the will of the working class to stop all these cuts.

It was announced by the trade union confederations ADEDY and GSEE only one day in advance, as it became more than clear that the government was prepared to give in to the decisive demands of the creditors and the European powers. However, this was widely expected, but the trade union leaders did nothing to prepare for this situation and no serious efforts were made to mobilise the workers and youth followed the announcement of another

one day general strike.

There is some feeling of despair and frustration following the setbacks after the peaks of the movement in June and October last year with 48 hour general strikes and mass movements trying actively to change the course of events. The retreats led to some confusion. The rage about austerity and the crisis is more reflected in anger of everybody against the whole establishment, but without a clear direction of how to fight back.

Therefore, the numbers of demonstrators on the streets in Athens on the general strike on 7 February did not reach the full scale of previous mobilisations.

Still, the ruling class and their politicians can feel that the mood is explosive.

The failure of two years of severe austerity after decades of stagnation

and crisis in Greece is now obvious.

The capitalist media and TV channels openly discuss the vicious circle of cuts and further economic decline.

It’s widely acknowledged now, that this policy of austerity is a blind alley and capitalist commentators now raise the idea of limiting austerity to allow some limited measures promoting growth. The Troika is more and more criticised for imposing their policies and making the situation worse.

Still no significant part of the Greek capitalists wants Greece to leave the Euro-zone, but the debate is in full swing now on what would happen if Greece is kicked out of the Euro or leaves the common currency itself. Parts of the Greek capitalists are trying to use this as a tool to demand more concessions from the Troika.

After the waves of mass mobilisations and strikes in 2011, at the moment the focus is more on party politics and the coming elections.

They had been first announced for 19 February, but then were postponed and delayed.

ND demands for them to be held on 8 April at the latest, as they hope to win the elections before they are too closely associated with the attacks. However they might have missed their chance already and their rapid decline might be on the way. Nothing is certain on the timing of these elections.

Given the urgent need to find a way out of the crisis, the anger is reflected in growing support for the left parties. The polls indicate, that the Communist Party (KKE) and Syriza together share around 25% or more of the support of all voters.

Taking out the non-valid votes and abstentions, this results in a projected 30 to 35% result for both parties together in the coming parliament. In addition, a right-wing split from Syriza, the Left Democrats who are hoping for an alliance or even coalition with Pasok, are on an estimated 18%.

At the same time, the Greek neofascists, the Golden Dawn, are now on 3% and able to enter parliament.

Golden Dawn openly praises Hitler, calling him a revolutionary.

This would be the first time ever that they get members elected to parliament. This shows the dangers in the present situation, if the left is not able to offer a way out to end the misery of capitalism.

youth and students 9

thesocialist www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

1 million reasons to fight for jobs he Con-Dem government now officially presides over one million young unemployed people.

That’s 20% of all young people, of which I am one.

T

Jamie Cocozza Glasgow Youth Fight For Jobs This is a multi-faceted attack, with many more unable to afford to go university or college, stung by a lack of decent, affordable housing and youth services slashed across the board.

In response, the Youth Fight For Jobs (YFJ) campaign - of which the Socialist Party Scotland is an initiator - decided to re-enact the historic Jarrow Crusade - when 200 unemployed men marched to London demanding work in the 1936 - as a rallying cry for young people against this government and the capitalist crisis. We demand that there is no return to the 1930s.

Three YFJS members, from Glasgow, Dundee and Brora respectively, participated in the march. It was imperative for Youth Fight For Jobs Scotland (YFJS) to send members to represent young workers and unemployed youth.

Scotland’s young people are facing a desperate future, particularly in its former industrial heartlands; Glasgow East and Glasgow North-East have the highest rate of male unemployment in Scotland, while the number of claimants in the Inverclyde region alone has risen by 26.5% in the past year, the second highest in the whole of the UK. At public events held during the march, YFJS members pointed out that attacks on public sector workers’ jobs, wages and pensions passed on by local authorities and the SNP Holyrood administration will have a catastrophic effect on

young people. As wages in realterms decrease, older workers are forced to work longer for less of a pension and public sector jobs continue to be shed, young people face a future in the doldrums.

However, the participants in the ‘Jarrow March For Jobs’ (YMFJ) were under no illusions about this government. We do not believe that the political representatives of the capitalist class, the Con-Dem administration, have any intention of ever meeting the five core demands of the YFJ campaign, and in fact, would much rather denigrate our efforts.

lazy During the first week of the march, Tory MP Robert Goodwill branded the marchers as lazy, claiming that, “it must have been a big shock having to get up in the morning rather than watch Jeremy Kyle”.

In 2008/09 Goodwill claimed £145,387 of taxpayers’ money in expenses, and in 2000 he went as far as to say that, “as a capitalist, [and] also as a British Conservative, I see it as a challenge to buy cheap [plane] tickets and make some profit on the system”!

On the penultimate day of the march, a delegation of six marchers met up with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Ian Duncan Smith (IDS), to quiz him on Tory ‘reforms’ over issues such as pensions, housing and the hated work programme.

IDS was unable to answer our questions with any substance.

Firstly, he claimed that workers he had spoken to accept the need to work longer and for pension reform.

Then, when challenged on the work programme, he appeared to have very little knowledge of what it actually involves, a plan dreamt up and implemented by him! This was a clear notice if ever one was needed that the Tories have no real solution to the problems the youth of today

The Jarrow marchers reach London

face.

Instead, we believe that only a mass campaign of struggle is capable of bringing about the changes needed. The March for Jobs concentrated on mobilising young people, anti-cuts groups and the trade union movement in each and every area we passed through, highlighting the issues and developing stronger and deeper links.

However, we do not believe that our long-term needs can ever be met by the arbitrary nature of the capitalist system, and ultimately we will require the installation of a democratic socialist government based on the need of the many rather than profits of the few.

On the opening demonstration in Jarrow, five hundred people turned out to support the marchers and wish them well on their journey.

Some of the locals were even moved to tears by the occasion.

Furthermore, in a great show of

Our education under attack he ConDem government are attacking our hard won right to an education through vicious cuts to our schools, colleges and universities.

T

Wayne Scott Dundee Youth Fight For Jobs

Despite the claims of the SNP government to be protecting students from the attacks from Westminster, they have done nothing to fight these attacks.

The Scottish government has let 16-19 year olds keep the EMA but college cuts mean thousands may miss out on a place in education as thousands of course places are under threat.

They initially proposed a cut of more than 20% ( £74 million) to colleges across Scotland over the next three years including a cut £11 million in support bursaries.

Under a deluge of protest from students and others the SNP have been forced to stump up some more cash, but will still make £54 million in cuts.

Both the SNP government and

Labour in opposition in the Scottish Parliament agree that colleges should be merged across regions leaving students with fewer places and further to travel for education.

Cuts in teaching time are also leading to lecturers working ridiculous amounts of unpaid overtime. As a construction student at Dundee College, one of my lecturers has recently left his job for this very reason.

Both students and workers will suffer the effects of such severe austerity.

The mainstream political parties tell us that there is no alternative but to cut away our right to a future. However this is a complete falsehood.

Bankers who caused this economic crisis are still being paid millions of pounds in bonuses while ordinary people are being made to pay. This completely exposes the lie that we must “tighten our belts”.

Youth Fight for Jobs and Education is a campaign made up of young people. The only way these cuts can be defeated is through a mass campaign of the youth, which we seek to build. We seek to build a campaign that will actively fight all cuts and attacks. Also a campaign that will link up the

solidarity from the labour movement that was to continue over the whole of the march, the Railway, Maritime and Transport Workers’ Union (RMT) donated their brass brand to the proceedings.

solidarity We garnered excellent support in many working class towns and cities on our way. Leeds and Hull both provided demonstrations of hundreds of people, and we were greeted very warmly in the latter by the demonstrating BAE workers when we spoke of linking up the struggle of young people and workers in struggle.

Furthermore, we found that when we put forward our programme in areas where the far-right operate, the basic class-demands were strong enough to cut across racism and bigotry. In those areas such as Luton, where deindustrialisation has left

Youth need a future oung people are among the hardest hit by the brutal austerity measures of the Con-Dem’s and often passed on to us by the SNP government.

Y

Ryan Stuart Glasgow Youth Fight For Jobs

struggles of the youth with the struggles of workers who are fighting to defend their jobs and their pensions.

We do not have to accept these measures. Only through struggle can we stop the cuts. Only through the tactics of demonstrations, occupations and strikes by both workers and students can we bring down this government of millionaires and the system that they represent.

devastation in its wake and allowed the English Defence League to build a base, the demands of decent housing, jobs and a living wage proved appealing to many.

The culmination of the march was a march through London and rally in Trafalgar Square, which attracted three thousand people and saw many of those who had shown us support and solidarity on the march, be it food, shelter or other assistance, join us on the streets to tell the government that we refuse to be a lost generation. We were lucky enough to have speakers such as Bob Crow from the RMT and Chris Baugh from the PCS join us on the platform.

Youth Fight For Jobs calls for young people to give their support to the trade unions and help to link young people in with the struggle for decent pensions, employment, a living wage and, most importantly, a future.

With 1 million young people unemployed not in training or education, one in three JSA applicants are 18-24 year olds there has also been an 89% increase in unemployment in the is age group in the last two years and this figure is set to rise. This shows that the SNP are not afraid to follow in the orders of the coalition government by attacking the young and stripping them of a decent future.

It’s no wonder there is a lot of anger amongst the young working class.

This was shown in full with the riots in August last year, the most deprived in the cities of England vented their frustration, anger and hatred at the way they are being treated by the rich fat cats making them and their families pay for this

crisis. Some of the places where riots erupted have 40% youth unemployment. While this was happening SNP politicians gleefully wrote on Twitter that Scotland did not have these problems due to the different society.

They are obviously ignoring the fact that in the east end of Glasgow there is 50% youth unemployment and contains some of the most deprived areas in western Europe.

While there may have been no riots in Scotland the social conditions are the same. Young people have to be shown that there is an alternative to the current system of cuts and poverty.

There have been large mobilisations of the students against tuition fees and education cuts, but a movement of the unemployed youth and young workers joined with the might of the trade unions and student movement would be unstoppable.

Youth Fight For Jobs in Scotland is fighting for the future of young people. We demand no more cuts, make the bankers and fat cats pay.

Local campaigns have already made the government retreat on certain cuts, this shows that it is a weak government that is ruling this country and if the Thatcher government can be brought down by a mass movement so can this one.

10 news Kazaampaign khstan has been set up with the aim of coordinating world-wide condemnation of the regime and the international corporations who support it.

C

It also seeks maximum support for those who are fighting back – most prominent among them, Ainur Kurmanov and Esenbek Ukteshbayev, prime targets of the state, and Natalya Sokolova, imprisoned lawyer of the striking oil workers of west Kazakhstan.

The campaign appeals to individual trade unionists and socialists, as well as trade unions and other or-

thesocialist www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

ganisations, to a) Add their names to the list of sponsors and supporters of the campaign b) Send letters of protest about the denial of democratic rights in Kazakhstan c) Respond to appeals for support against particular attacks on opposition activists d) Send letters of solidarity with workers engaged in strikes and demonstrations e) Add your name to the campaign appeal f ) Make a donation through the web-site and ask your colleagues, family and friends to do the same.

Defend democratic and workers rights in Kazakhstan

Contact the campaign through www.campaignkazakhstan.org

Electricians struggle at a vital stage Libya, a country in flames

Electricians marching to the Scottish parliament.

ur dispute has reached a critical stage. The BESNA 7 [the seven firms who are trying to tear up national agreements on pay and terms of employment] have upped the ante by threatening to sack workers in the coming weeks if they do not sign these new contracts.

O

Wages will be cut by 35%. They intend to introduce a new grade, an installer, who will do 75% of the work normally done by skilled electricians, completely destroying our trade and exploiting the workers.

Most of us will end up out of work, or forced to work for less money doing the work we have always done - but for £6 an hour less!

Apprentices will be non-existent. These firms have been bullying workers to sign these inferior contracts since before Xmas, holding a gun to workers' heads.

The carrot being dangled: "if you

Pic Duncan Brown

don't sign, you are throwing away five years work or more."

The Crossrail project is the perfect example. NG Bailey has this contract. They are one of the rogue 7 firms which have pulled out of the national agreement.

Balfour Beatty also have stacks of work all over the country. Unite the union members have voted again in big numbers to take strike action.

We shall see what happens as the company will take the ballot to the courts again to try to have the have it declared invalid.

In the meantime the rank and file are continuing with their weekly protests.

We have a number of meetings planned and if all goes to plan we will need transport to get around and picket all Balfour Beatty sites.

Please pass this information on.

Please make donations to the Unite Rank and File Construction Workers Fighting Fund Cheques payable to Joint Sites Committee, 70 Darnay Rise Chelmsford Essex CM1 4XA In solidarity Alan Keays Joint Sites Committee

SOCIALIST PARTY SCOTLAND Why not find out more about us he Socialist Party Scotland is the Scottish section of the worldwide socialist and Marxist organisation, the Committee for a Workers' International. The CWI is active in 45 countries across the world.

T

Our sister parties include the Socialist Party in England and Wales and the Socialist Party in Ireland.

We have a long history of struggle, and experience of leading mass campaigns in Britain and internationally. We work to build new mass parties of the working

class armed with a Marxist programme to defeat the attacks of the bosses and capitalist governments and to build a movement internationally that fights for a socialist future.

www.socialistworld.net www.marxist.net

azakhstan is a police state. It is ruled by one man, N u r s u l t a n Nazarbayev, and his close family who have looted the wealth of the country to grow rich and buy international allies.

K

The vast majority of the population live in poverty and those who speak out against the regime or organise mass resistance are harassed, jailed, even killed.

A long-running strike in the country’s oilfields has seen thousands of workers and their families left to starve. Their legal representative, Natalia Sokolova, has been scandalously condemned to six years in prison on trumped up charges.

These workers’ leaders and their families have been subject to brutal physical attack including rape and murder. Rubber bullets and batons have been used to intimidate strikers, press representatives and human rights observers.

On 16 December, 2011 – on the 20th anniversary of independence from the collapsing USSR – a murderous, unprovoked attack was launched by the ‘forces of law and order’ on a peaceful gathering in the central square of Zhenazoen. Workers in the area estimate that up to 200 strikers and supporters could have been killed. Numerous arrests were made. Relatives have been refused information on their missing loved ones.

Kazakhstan is 162nd out of 178 countries on the ‘press freedom’ ratings compiled by ‘Reporters Without Borders’. It is also one of the world’s most corrupt and authoritarian countries. ‘World Democracy Audit’ ranks Kazakhstan at number 83 out of 149 states on its corruption ratings and just 29th from the bottom in relation to (lack of ) democratic rights!

The Nazarbayev regime justifiably fears an explosion of anger from below along the lines of the revolutions which brought down dictatorships in Tunisia and Egypt last year.

This explains their nervous political zig-zags, their arbitrary approach to ‘justice’ and the vicious attempts to clamp down on the workers’ movement. Under the impact of the events in North Africa, Nazarbayev switched from postponing the pres-

idential election until 2020 to rushing it through this April to get a fraudulent 95% vote in his favour.

While human rights observers point to a deterioration in the situation in Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev tells heads of government such as Mrs Merkel in Germany that progress is being made but that democracy stood “not at the beginning of our path but at its end”!

The voice of the working and poor people Such tricks do not abate the mass discontent in the country and those who voice the people’s anger represent a growing threat to the regime.

Ainur Kurmanov and Esenbek Ukteshbayev have led mass campaigns of resistance and are widely respected as leaders of the independent trade union federation, Zhenartu.

This all-Kazakhstan trade union organisation advocates the re-nationalisation of all the major resources, industry, banks and land which were plundered by Nazarbayev and his cronies. They say this needs to be accompanied by genuinely democratic control by elected workers’ representatives in order for the people of Kazakhstan to reap the benefits, rather than president’s clique, which includes friends at the head of multinational companies.

Ainur and Esenbek have guided a long and successful struggle against evictions with the campaign called ‘Leave the People’s Homes Alone’ and are known throughout the country as leaders of ‘Kazakhstan 2012′, now established as the ‘Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan’ (SMK). The SMK aims to build rapidly a mass party of struggle. For their tireless efforts on all these issues, Ainur and Esen are being persecuted by the regime. They have both been subject to arbitrary arrest and detention in Kazakhstan’s horrific prison cells and have also suffered serious attempts to kill them.

Campaign Kazakhstan aims to give maximum support to all activists and workers’ leaders involved in the genuine opposition movements. This means supporting the struggle for basic democratic rights.

This means campaigning for free speech, freedom of the media, freedom of public assembly, the right to

establish trade unions and political parties independent of the government, to organise in the workplace and the community without interference from the state, to strike and demonstrate.

All these rights are trampled on in Kazakhstan. Some governments in Europe and world-wide have made mild criticisms of the abuses of power in Kazakhstan. Some political and trade union leaders declare support for elements of the opposition, seeking to limit its demands.

Many so-called democratic governments continue to send representatives to conferences hosted by Nazarbayev, send official delegations to Kazakhstan and encourage lucrative business deals, especially for the extraction of oil, gas and precious minerals. Ex- British prime minister, Tony Blair, has a multi-million pound agency advising the regime on how to make safe business deals and how to avoid social unrest!

Journalists from Stan TV and from certain ‘liberal’ newspapers have been brutally harassed. The lives of leaders of opposition organisations – unions, residents’ organisations and parties – and lawyers who support them are constantly under threat. They must be given maximum support by socialists and trade unionists internationally.

Protests have been organised in many countries – outside embassies, petrol stations, football matches, business forums and official ceremonies – demanding: “Down with the Nazarbayev dictatorship!”, “Victory to Kazakhstan’s workers!”, “Blood on your hands!” etc..

The conflict between the Nazarbayev regime and its opponents could come to a head at any moment. The regime could go too far in its attacks on workers and poor people and provoke a general strike or even a mass uprising across the country.

Nazarbayev could also, at some stage, try to take pre-emptive steps by rounding up all activists as well as leaders of the opposition. Either way, a massive flare-up could develop into a major trial of strength between the tiny clique at the top of society and the movement of workers and poor people who represent the vast, impoverished mass of the population.

thesocialist

workplace 11

www.socialistpartyscotland.org.uk - Feb/March 2012

Health workers must return Remploy workers demand Save Our Factories to action on pensions n November the 30th NHS staff across the United Kingdom took national strike action for the first time in a quarter of a century. Having been given a clear lead from our unions we took to the picket line and joined the demos demanding Hands off our Pensions. The turnout was exceptional.

ickets were out in force on a bitterly cold morning in Springburn as the Con-Dems launched yet another attack on workers – this time, the disabled employees at Remploy.

O

Alan Manley Assistant branch secretary Tayside healthcare Unison (personal capacity) When we returned to our work we knew that one day had not been enough, that we needed to strike again, and for longer, because the government had not changed its position one iota.

Here in Scotland, Unison met on the 3rd of December and buoyed by the success of N30 made tentative plans to co-ordinate further action for January 25th, knowing that we were building up momentum across the NHS for a sustained campaign to defeat the government.

Over 1,500 people had joined Unison Health in Scotland, reports from individuals branches identified a determination to keep the campaign going.

It is now 2 months later, no further action has been co-ordinated

by NHS unions at a UK level and Unison in Scotland is now preparing for a rolling programme of selective action beginning with a strike of essential finance staff in NHS Lothian on the 22nd of February.

This situation has arisen because

P

Diane Harvey Glasgow

Unison at its executive level decided against continuing action, and is now pausing over whether it recommends or rejects the NHS pension reforms-work longer, pay more, get less-in a ballot of members in March.

At the same time, other NHS unions have rejected this deal, but are yet to co-ordinate any action. To call this situation confusing is to be polite.

There were always complications for the campaign in Scotland. NHS pensions are a reserved issue. But the SNP government having said they were opposed to the reforms stated they would bring in the contribution rise for 2012/13, because to do otherwise would mean a financial penalty from Whitehall of £8m per month.

They remain coy over the other parts of pension reforms being considered by the ConDems. With an eye to the wider constitutional debate it is not clear where the SNP stand about the increase in retirement age in the NHS called for by the pension reforms, a staggering 67.But it is a matter of fact that any attack on our pensions would have to begin with a political decision by Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP health

secretary, to impose the contributions increases. Blaming the ConDems is not enough.

We are now in a position we did not choose, a mass campaign is being replaced by selective action in Scotland. However, we need to continue the fight as NHS workers cannot have their pensions given away by votes taken by committees of trade union officials. Indeed, there exists the possibility of a separate deal for NHS staff in Scotland.

The road ahead is not clear, the lack of basic courage from Unison’s UK leadership does not in any way mirror the anger of NHS staff over the attack on our pensions. Their faith in negotiations, which have yielded nothing in the way of major concessions despite lasting over 18 months, and rejections of traditional methods of industrial militancy have left them in the position of putting to our members in a ballot the ConDem government’s policy of work longer, pay more, get less. This policy was rejected when we balloted for strike action last Autumn. And must be rejected again in the ballot of Unison members.

Only a return to national coordinated strike action can force the ConDem’s to retreat over pensions.

EIS must call further action in March over teachers pensions ollowing The National Union of Teachers agreement to push for a coordinated, national public sector strike in March against the Government’s pension proposals which would force us to work longer, pay more and receive less in return, the National Council of the EIS has also agreed to seek the support of other public sector unions for strike action at that time.

F

Jim Halfpenny EIS member

This decision comes shortly after tens of thousands of EIS members, on 30 November 2011, joined in the biggest “one day General Strike” that this country has ever seen For the EIS, this was the first national action for a quarter of a century and was indicative of the anger

With the brazier alight and tea and coffee on hand, the pickets, operating in shifts, completely closed down operations at the factory on 26th January, having previously voted by over 90% in favour of strike action over threats to sell off parts of Remploy and bring in a two-tier pay system.

Remploy, first set up more than 60 years ago for soldiers disabled in the Second World War, has provided secure, supported employment for thousands of disabled people in the UK. In 2008, thousands of Remploy employees were thrown out of work when Gordon Brown’s Labour Government closed 30 Remploy factories across the UK. 95% of the 2,000 Remploy workers who lost their jobs in 2008 are still out of work. Ironically, this same Gordon Brown is now backing a campaign to prevent the closure of Remploy’s factories in Cowdenbeath and Leven!

But the Con-Dems are pushing ahead with plans to part –privatise what remains of Remploy.

Non-disabled apprentices and shop floor workers have already been taken on under terms and conditions that are much worse than those of the Remploy workers. They receive less sick pay, no

Victory over health bosses attack en Hockey, a joint Unison branch secretary at Whipps Cross hospital in London, received a letter from his employer Initial stating that there is no case to answer in their attempt to discipline him.

L

Paula Mitchell

Teachers on the picket line on N30

felt among teachers throughout the country. Indeed, during this period of industrial action and “call to arms” EIS membership has significantly increased.

Despite its “crocodile tears” about having these pension attacks imposed from London, the SNP Scottish Government has decided to implement the contribution increases from 1st April This should come as no surprise as they have always shown them-

selves to be efficient administrators of Tory cuts.

However, teachers in Scotland should intensify the pressure on their union leaders for further coordinated industrial action. It would not be the first time that, after “talking a good game”, they arrived at a “compromise” which sold us out.

A strike on March 28th would be welcomed by many teachers facing seeing their pension rights torn-up in front off them.

final salary pension, no trade union recognition and fewer holidays.

All 54 Remploy factories are under threat of closure when current public funding ends in April 2013 and up to 4,000 workers could lose their jobs.

“This is the start of an attack on all of us and it’s just not on!” said Ronnie, one of the workers taking strike action. He made it quite clear why he was out on the picket line.

“I don’t know what’ll happen to me if this factory closes – I’ve worked here for 42 years- my whole working life. Where would I find another job? We have to stop the closures! ” Public support for the strikers was not in any doubt- as the constant beep of horns from passing cars and lorries in support of the pickets demonstrated. Thousands of people have already signed an on-line petition demanding the threat to close Remploy- and cut thousands of jobs- be withdrawn.

Remploy management have now said they’re willing to talk to GMB officials, but the strikers are determined that unless the threat to their jobs and terms and conditions is lifted, the action will continue.

Disabled campaigners, trade unionists and the wider anti-cuts movement should link up the fight to save Remploy with the struggle against the Welfare Reform Bill and other attacks on the disabled, as part of a wider campaign to oppose all privatisation and public sector cuts.

It’s clear that the defence of jobs, services, benefits and what few rights disabled people have is part of the bigger fight- for a socialist society that puts the needs of the millions before the profits of the millionaires.

This is a fantastic victory against an anti-union employer who wanted to clear out a fighting union leadership.

Initial had trumped up a charge of Len meeting with union members without prior approval from management. Without a shred of evidence and with the fury of union members on their necks, management backed down!

As soon as the threat to Len was raised, with a unanimous show of hands an emergency meeting of Unison members agreed to prepare for strike action and to demand the London region of Unison do everything in their power to defend Len. Emails of protest flooded in to the

employer from all over the country, and to Unison to demand they vigorously defend Len. A campaign of protests at the gate and of petitioning around the hospital galvanised support across the board - from porters and domestics, nurses, doctors, social workers, ambulance workers, onsite nursery and canteen staff, hospital volunteers and visitors.

On the morning of Len's investigation, staff and visitors were met by a sea of "Defend Union Reps" posters and placards and a gathering of supporters.

This is a victory in the face of a rotten bureaucracy in London Unison.

While ordinary members and elected reps across London rallied to Len's support in a display of genuine trade unionism, the union bureaucracy did nothing other than act to undermine and attack Len. This is a victory despite them they should now back off from any further attempts to divide and weaken this workforce.

Unison must fight. If not, workers will not stay around in a union that tries to hand over activists' heads on a plate instead of fighting to defend them.

The Socialist is dedicated to reporting the struggles of workers. If you have a report for us please email it to info@socialistpartyscotland.org.uk Phone 07889135533

theSocialist

STRIKEAGAINTO DEFEND PENSIONS

paper of the socialist party scotland committee for a worker’s international (scotland)

ovember 30th was a watershed moment. Over two million workers across the UK, 300,000 in Scotland, took action in a public sector general strike, the biggest day of strike action in decades in defence of public sector pensions.

N

N30 scared the ConDem’s almost as much as it did some trade union leaders who rushed to sign an agreement with the government and call off further action.

The UK leadership of Unison and the GMB confirmed their decision to sign up to the government's heads of agreement on pensions.

Yet, the government had offered no real concessions on their previous position: that workers should work longer, pay more for their pensions and get less.

This has caused real anger, reflected in the decision of the Scottish Unison local government conference to condemn the UK leadership for signing up to heads of agreement.

Given that unions who refused to sign have remained in the negotiations, it appears signing gained nothing. PCS, whose forthright rejection of the proposed outline agreement saw them excluded, have now been re-admitted to the talks on the civil service pension scheme.

The urgency of the UK leaderships of Unison and the GMB and others in signing was to send a signal to both the government and to their members that the dispute was suspended and there was no prospect of building

whatwe standfor work and income ● For the unions to take immediate action to increase the minimum wage to £8 an hour without exemptions as an immediate step towards £10 an hour. For an annual increase in the minimum wage, linked to average earnings. ● Reject Welfare to Work; for the right to decent benefits, training or a job without compulsion. ● A maximum 35-hour week without loss of pay. ● All workers, including parttimers, temps, casual and migrant workers to have trade union rates of pay, employment protection, sickness and holiday rights from the first day of

on the huge success of N30.

But on 1st April NHS workers, civil servants, teachers and others are facing pensions increases. So now is the time to fight. The RCN and BMA health workers' organisations are preparing to ballot.

Workers in the private sector in Unilever, construction electricians and others, are pushing ahead with strike action against attacks on pensions and pay and conditions.

A defeat on public sector pensions would be a setback for the whole organised working class. But the struggle is far from over.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, invited the 'rejectionist' unions to meet together to discuss the possibility of coordinating further action. PCS and the NUT are now consulting members for a strike on March 28th.

Unite’s 100,000 members in the NHS are being asked to reject the government’s deal, the firefighters union is also discussing moving to a strike ballot. Unison members in the NHS will also be balloting on the ConDem pensions attacks in March.

March 28th should involve as many unions as possible. In Scotland unions like the EIS and others should also take part in any action.

The strike of 750,000 workers on 30 June (J30) put huge pressure on the right-wing union leaders and made it virtually impossible for them to resist being involved on N30.

Further action on March 28th, even if smaller than N30, will send out a clear message that the pensions battle is not over.

Members of all unions should be encouraged to continue the struggle for coordinated action in March.

employment. ● Scrap the anti-union laws.

Build fighting trade unions, democratically controlled by their members. Full-time officials should be regularly elected and receive no more than a worker’s wage. ● An immediate 50% increase in the state retirement pension, as a step towards a living pension. Reinstate the link with average earnings now. environment ● Major research and investment into replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. End the problems of early obsolescence and unrecycled waste. ● Public ownership of the energy generating industry. No to nuclear power. No to Trident ● A democratically planned, low fare, publicly owner transport system, to help end environmental pollution.

ISSUE No 20 FEB/MARCH 2012

N30 in Dundee saw 10,000 workers marching against the attacks on pensions

public services ● Fight all cuts. No to privatisation. Renationalise all privatised utilities and services. ● Free, high quality education for all from nursery to university; with a living grant.

No to the return of tuition fees in Scotland. Cancel the student debt and end the cuts in education funding. ● A socialist NHS to provide for everyone’s health - free at the point of use and under democratic control. Kick out the private contractors from all parts of the NHS. ● Keep council housing public.

For a massive programme of publicly owned housing to provide good quality homes at low rents. ● Fully fund all services and run them under accountable, democratic committees that include representatives of workers and service users.

rights ● Oppose discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, disability, sexuality, age and all other forms of prejudice. ● Repeal laws that trample of civil liberties. For the right to protest. End police harassment. ● Defend abortion rights. For a women’s right to choose when and whether to have children. ● For the right of asylum. No to racist immigration laws.

A mass working class party ● For a mass workers party that draws together workers, young people and activists from other movements to build a political alternative to the big business parties. ● Trade unions should disaffiliate from the Labour Party now and play a central role in helping to build a new workers’ party.

socialism and internationalism ● No to imperialist wars and occupations. Withdraw the troops now from Afghanistan. ● Tax the super rich. For a socialist government that takes the major companies in Scotland into public ownership and the top 150 companies and banks that dominate the British economy. Run them under democratic working class control and management. Compensation should be paid only on the basis of proven need. ● For a socialist Scotland and a free and voluntary socialist federation of Scotland with England Wales and Ireland. ● A democratic socialist, environmentally secure plan of production based on the interests of the overwhelming majority of people. ● No to the bosses neo-liberal European Union. For a socialist Europe and a socialist world free from poverty.