Glasgow National Shop Stewards Network meeting
Jimmy Scott of the Fire Brigades Union reports
THE national shop stewards network was born from a debate within the RMT.
reflecting the fact that ordinary shop stewards right across the movement
have had enough.
Enough of privatisation, modernisation , single status job re-evaluations
and attacks on our pensions. New labour and their fat cat spon-sors have
an agenda, and more than that they have a strategy to achieve that agenda.
Meeting in the UNISON offices at the Trongate in Glasgow union rep’s
from Unison, RMT, CWU, PCS, NUJ and the FBU shared experiences of current
workplace struggles and debated the way ahead to rebuild the strength of
the grass root trade union movement.
Dave Chapel chair of the National Shop Stewards Network and a member of the
CWU opened the meeting.
Dave gave us a brief description of where the NSSN came from and how membership
of Unions have halved since 1979.
He spoke about the need to help organise migrant workers and how the vibrancy,
cultural diversity and life experiences they bring enriches all our life’s.
We discussed how to organise and fight to win when workers enter disputes
with their employers/government, This discussion was chaired by Dave Sherry
of the TGWU
Gordon Martin of Edinburgh RMT shared his experiences of how net work rail
were pushing for railway workers to “work increased hours for less
money” and how “the government brake the law to brake strikes”.
Gordon spoke with clarity of how “the dignity and respect of ordinary
working people was being trampled on day and daily” and “it was
time to push the demands of members”.
Pauline Bradley of West Dunbartonshire UNISON gave an account of a strike
that she was involved in.
Haringey council decided to rip up council workers contracts, forcing workers
to strike. One tactic that was used to win the dispute was “parking
attendants walking around with posters saying that parking was free”.
Every striker was involved in that three day dispute and “that is
how we won”.
Sam McCartney of Glasgow UNISON Day Care Convenor spoke about achieving a
satisfactory outcome of their recent dispute. This was achieved only after
involving clients, carers, media and politicians.
Reconfirming that democratic principle that politicians are there to serve
the people not the other way round , 24 year old Thomas Penman CWU of Dundee
spoke of their struggle to achieve greater unionisation of call centres,
an industry that has in excess of 180,000 predominately young workers.
It was an interesting and productive day which shared experiences and built
contacts which is an important step in the process which will allow workers
to make the agenda instead of reacting to it.
Don't sit back - fight back. Join the SSP today!
To keep up to date with our campaigns check
out the website of the Scottish Socialist Voice, the weekly paper of the
SSP.
Read our election manifestos here