Budget day protests across Scotland

200 public sector workers left their offices and workplaces at lunchtime in Glasgow on Tuesday to protest against the ‘bloodbath budget’ that was being unveiled as they stood in the summer sunshine. The event was called by Glasgow Unison and the Defend Glasgow Services campaign.
 
Local Government workers and Civil Servants stood shoulder to shoulder with community representatives and heard speakers from various Trade Unions railing against the attacks on jobs, services and living standards contained in the ‘Con-dem’ budget.
 
Speakers from Unison local government, Unison Health, GMB, EIS and PCS explained about the attacks that would rain down as the bosses ensured that it is working class people who will be made to foot the bill for the bail out of the banks and the crisis of the capitalist system.
 
Brian Smith (pictured with megaphone), Unison Branch Secretary and a member of the Socialist Party Scotland, condemned the ‘bosses budget’ explaining that over half the cabinet are multi-millionaires for whom there ‘will is no recession’. He challenged Glasgow’s Labour controlled council to fight the attacks as Liverpool Labour Councillors had done in the 1980s. “Will this Council take up the challenge on behalf of working people of the city and lead a campaign to fight or will they roll over and implement Tory/ Lib Dem cuts?”. He called upon workers, who will form the backbone of any campaign, to organise in their trade unions and to encourage their union to participate and build the ‘Defend Glasgow Services’ campaign that unites services users with service providers.
 
Dundee

200 trade unionists and members of the public took part in the two protest events in Dundee at lunchtime and after work on June 22nd. The events were organised by the Dundee local authority shop stewards and the Dundee Trades Council following a proposal from Jim McFarlane, chair of Dundee Unison and a member of the Socialist Party Scotland. Speakers from Unison, PCS, FBU, Unite, Youth Fight For Jobs and many others condemned the savage attacks that the budget proposed.