The mask slips as SNP-led council goes to war with equal pay strikers
Philip Stott reports
The 90%-plus vote for strike action by 8,000 council workers in Glasgow has been met with fury by the ruling SNP administration in the city. Unison and the GMB are taking two days of strike action on 23rd and 24th October in the long-running battle for equal pay. Inevitably, the overwhelming majority of the strikers are low-paid women workers.
This hasn’t prevented SNP councillors from launching a tirade of anti-union abuse worthy of the Murdoch press. A statement posted on the Facebook page of an SNP councillor and representing, it seems, the “city government” declared: “This action targets the most vulnerable people in the city and cripples ‘life and limb’ services, despite not having any clear strike objectives. The elderly of Glasgow, the infirm, the dying and the vulnerable cannot be made to pay the price for this misguided strike action.”
SNP councillor Rhiannon Spear opened up another seam of attack on Twitter by claiming the action was an attack on the SNP by Labour-supporting unions: “Where was this ballot in the last decade of Labour administrations that refused to negotiate? Why now? The fact is the vast majority of women are not represented by the unions. The vast majority of women gave up on their unions in the decade long battle against Labour. This is a politicised ballot and will have a devastating impact on Glasgow, especially those with home help”.
No trade union organised more strike action against the previous right wing Labour administration than the socialist-led Glasgow City Unison branch. The Blairites who led Glasgow Labour failed to lift a finger to resolve the long-standing equal pay demands of the workforce and were hated by the workers as a result. But the SNP made a just resolution to this scandal a key pledge in their manifesto in 2017, a promise they are failing to fulfil.
In a clearly coordinated campaign to try and undermine support for the strike and divide the claimants, the chief executive of Glasgow City Council wrote to Unison and the GMB yesterday, saying: “The Council will cease engagement with you through the Negotiating Group and will hold to this stance until such time as you formally withdraw your action. I will be writing separately to A4E and Unite to make arrangements for the continuation of settlement negotiations as regards their claimants.”
A4E – Action for Equality – is the legal entity acting on behalf of thousands of claimants in the battle against pay injustice. However, the unions and A4E responded, “The claimant side is a single team and we will not be meeting with the Council separately.”
Backfired
The shameful and unwarranted attack on the trade unions and the workers they represent by leading council officers and politicians has backfired spectacularly.
The mass anger was reflected in the deluge of comments on the Facebook page of an SNP councillor for Govan, Ricky Bell, who posted the attack on the unions on his page..
“You have not been to the same meetings as I have attended. There has been no negotiations over the past 8 months. One angry SNP member/home carer.”
“Every one of our clients and their families are 100% behind us. It’s YOU LOT they think are a disgrace for treating us like crap all this time and letting it go this far.
“It’s not the strike action that’s misguided it’s you lot… the council are responsible and it’s officers. We have full backing from vulnerable clients if you’d take the time and bother to ask them.”
“I live and work in Govan. I cordially invite you to come and work a day in my shoes and you will see that we have been undervalued, underpaid and treated disgracefully by GCC.”
“I am retired 2 years ago still waiting for this to be settled… joke the lot of them sitting in offices and carers, cleaning and school dinner ladies out there in all weathers taking care of elderly people, children. You couldn’t blame any of them for going on strike. It’s the only way to get you lot to sort out the mess.”
The crude attacks by the council leadership will only build bigger support for the planned strike action. But the actions of the SNP leadership in Glasgow underline the need for real working class political representation.
Socialist Party Scotland and our members will continue to build solidarity and support for the equal pay struggle in Glasgow. We’ll also work to build a real political alternative to councillors and politicians who carry out cuts and trample over workers’ rights.
Support the strike for equal pay
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Publicise the strikes and the campaign and visit and support pickets and trade union demonstrations
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Send a public letter of solidarity to Unison and the GMB local government Glasgow branches. Unison email enquiries@glasgowcityunison.co.uk
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Make a collection for the strike fund
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Take a solidarity photo with #Equal Pay Glasgow Now! signs to send to Unison and the GMB and display on social media
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Write to local councillors, council leader Susan Aitken and council chief executive Anne Marie O’Donnell demanding they reach a real negotiated settlement with the unions and engage in real dialogue. No more delays in paying compensation and committing to an equal pay job evaluation scheme going forward
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Write to SNP MSPs and the Scottish government demanding they give Glasgow the funds needed for Equal Pay and stop austerity and low pay in Glasgow by defying the Tories and setting no cuts budgets.
Strike fund donations to UNITY Trust
Sort code 60 83 01 A/c Number 20275789
Drew Rigden
Treasurer UNISON Glasgow City Branch
84 Bell Street, Glasgow, G1 1LQTel: 0141-552-7069
