Bin the Bedroom Tax demo: the masses take the axe the tax message to the Lib Dems UK conference in Glasgow on 14 September • see page 12 £1 • issue 422 • 16th - 29th August 2013 facebook.com/scottishsocialistvoice BAN ZERO WAGE SLAVERY: household name employers such HOURS as McDonald’s and Boots use zero hours contracts WCOROKENRS NTEERD AA LIVCINGT WAS GE Build a socialist future based •Se e page s 6&7 on pefacoebpoolke.co,m n/Scootttis hpSorcioalisftViotics e @ssv_voice NEWS SURGE IN A Moscow kiss VIOLENCE LINKED TO CONDEM ATTACKS RAIL union RMT said this week that a surge in personal thefts and acts of violence on Britain’s railways, revealed by the British Transport Police and rail chiefs, is directly linked to the government’s attack on sta - tion and train staffing numbers and is set to worsen if the rec - ommendations of the McNulty Rail Review are not reversed. The shocking new figures show that the number of thefts of personal property from railway passengers has risen by 16 per cent and that there has also been an increase in violent incidents in the past year, which rose by 201 on the National Rail network.

Warning RMT is warning that cuts to on- train and station staff encourages violent and criminal behaviour and is set to escalate into a whole - sale de-staffing of the network if the government get away with their McNulty review plans. RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “These shocking new figures IT STARTED WITH A KISS : Pam Currie and Aileen Connor kiss to highlight attacks on Russia’s gay community on thefts and violence on Britain’s trains should be a wake- LGBT campaigner Pam and support group, LGBTQ went viral. Pink News picked up call to the Government as they Currie explains how this Ayrshire, with a wee message up the story (with over 1100 roll ahead with their plans to axe photo went viral sending our solidarity to the Facebook ‘likes’) and dozens guards, station and platform staff LGBT community in Russia. of folk re-tweeted it around in the name of maximising the “MY partner and I decided “I’d switched my phone off the world. It’s been picked up train operators’ profits. to take a snap of ourselves while we took stuff from my by the Gay Pride website in “Without a physical presence outside of Moscow, Ayrshire mother in laws’ place to the Chicago and we hope that of staff on our trains and stations, on the spur of the moment, skip in Cumnock - switched it there’ll be a piece in Diva the muggers, the drunks and the while in the area to pick up a back on when we finished to magazine - as well as next violent are given the green light van in nearby Kilmarnock. get a text from my sister... week’s Kilmarnock Standard ! to launch thefts and attacks and “Uploading the snap, I she’d been idly scrolling “All in all, a successful the sooner the government wake tagged a couple of Facebook through Twitter to see my pic couple of minutes’ work to up to the consequences of their friends who I knew had an retweeted by Stephen Fry! highlight the legal and cuts plans the safer our railways interest in LGBT issues, “LGBTQ Ayrshire had physical attacks on Russia’s will be for all of us.” including our local campaign tweeted us and from there it gay community.”

2 • • issue 422 NEWS INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM : one year on - one year to go by , SSP joint tish working class is another impor - national spokesperson tant factor likely to have a large bear - and Yes Scotland ing on the result. Many people in Advisory Board member Scotland are experiencing a drastic decline in their standard of living as THOSE who look at the opinion incomes are held back just as their polls and conclude little has changed bills continue to increase. in the independence debate over the We in the Yes campaign clearly past year overlook a great deal. They must convince people that inde - forget Yes Scotland set itself two ini - pendence can provide relief from tial objectives; to get everyone talk - the worst recession in 80 years. Per - ing about independence and to build suading undecided voters clearly re - ‘the biggest grassroots campaign RALLY 2012: mains crucial to a successful Yes Scotland has ever seen’. It would be the SSP’s Colin Fox vote next year. foolish to deny substantial progress addresses 10,000 has been made on both fronts. pro-independence Passion The entire country is now talking demonstrators in Having emphasised the demo - about independence in a way it central Edinburgh cratic right to determine our own fu - PHOTO: Craig Maclean wasn’t this time last year and the ture the Yes Scotland campaign grassroots campaign made up of and as Blair Jenkins of Yes Scotland winning the 2015 Westminster gen - moved on this last year to highlight thousands of SNP, SSP, Green succinctly puts it this research also eral election?’ how Scotland’s prevalent social Party and activists of no particular shows that ‘the direction of travel is In January, this debut poll re - democratic values of fairness and affiliation deserve a great deal of the unquestionably towards Yes’. vealed a 60:40 Yes lead over No. justice are repeatedly thwarted by credit for that. Notwithstanding the compla - In other words it revealed a com - Westminster governments we did not cency of the No side who apparently plete turnaround from the headline elect who introduced the Poll Tax Momentum think the result is already in the bag, figures. So we know the prospect of and Bedroom Tax against our Whilst it is true the No side has Yes Scotland retains every chance of another Tory Government not only wishes. More recently, the campaign maintained its lead, detailed research winning. Indeed there are several disgusts a large majority of Scots the emphasised the economic prosperity evidence shows a sizeable number sub-strata of the population already prospect could have a significant Scotland could enjoy and Yes Scot - of voters have still not made up their showing a majority for independ - bearing on the referendum. Most re - land intends next to stress the passion minds, and we will return to them in ence, parents with young families, searchers agree that if the Tories look we have for our cause and our deter - a moment. But it is significant that the social media community and like staying in office at Westminster mination to win what is expected to 46 per cent of voters feel they are under 25s to name but three. that will help the Yes campaign. be a very tight contest indeed. well enough informed about the is - As well as the statistics from the Equally if Ed Miliband’s dismal This then is the backdrop to the sues and 47 per cent of these intend headline poll, which are scrutinised streak ended voters might be more independence debate that supporters to vote Yes with 48 per cent for No. intensely by both sides, there is also inclined to vote No. It is ironic that across Scotland will sense as we all Moreover, momentum counts for a the regularly asked question ‘How the future of this particular ‘Union converge on Edinburgh on 21 Sep - great deal in these type of campaigns will you vote if the Tories look like movement’ now rests not with the tember for the ‘one year to go’ RALLY FOR Tories or Lib Dems but with march and rally. I am delighted to EDINBURGH •SAT 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 Miliband’s ‘anti-union’ New again speak on behalf of the Scottish INDEPENDENCE rally and march iconic Calton Hill for the rally itself. Labour. The latest Westminster polls Socialist Party. Calton Hill has organiser Jeff Duncan told the Coaches depart from all over predict a dead heat with Labour and proud memories for us because it Voice : “Last September’s event Scotland on the morning of the the Tories both on 36 per cent of the was there where SSP members and was a great success - 10,000 rally, dropping off at the assembly vote. Another poll gave Labour a many others gathered in 2005 – as assembled to hear speeches from point and picking up again at the narrow lead but one insufficient to the Queen officially opened the new Margo MacDonald, Alex Salmond, foot of Calton Hill.” win an outright majority. Holyrood Parliament building down Dennis Canavan and many more. Clearly the Scottish independence the road - to declare for a modern “This year we’re assembling in • See IndependenceRally.com referendum does not take place in a democratic republic for Scotland. the heart of Edinburgh, in the High for full details. Call the rally vacuum and will be heavily influ - We will all do so again on 21 Sep - Street, which leads onto the Royal office on 0131 541 2194 from enced by such ‘outside events’. tember as part of our vision of an in - Mile, and proceeding to the highly 10am-7pm for coach details The standard of living of the Scot - dependent socialist Scotland.

issue 422 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 3 HIDDEN HISTORIES LABOUR’S FOUNDERS WILL BE ‘SPINNING IN THEIR GRAVES’ AT WHAT THEIR PARTY HAS BECOME says Campbell Martin Liberal Party did not stand, which meant a straight fight between the TO call the organisation led by Ed candidate of labour and a Conserva - Miliband the ‘Labour Party’ is a tive. Hardie polled 5,268 to the Tory grotesque distortion of meaning and candidate’s 4,036 and was elected history. It is many years since the with a majority of 1,232. Labour Party even attempted to rep - Hardie’s outspoken advocacy of resent the interests of those who the rights of the working class, and make their living through selling his confrontational style of speaking their labour. Today’s Labour Party is in parliament made him a focal point indistinguishable from the Tories: for the Britain-wide labour move - both parties now champion free- ment. At a Trades Union Congress market capitalism and put the gener - meeting in September 1892, propos - ation of private wealth before the KEIR HARDIE: a primary founder of the ILP and later the Labour Party als were moved for the establish - public interest. Looking at the events ment of an independent labour that led to the creation of the Labour Liberal Party at the time and also the second-placed Conservative, organisation to represent the work - Party shows the extent of today’s be - trade union organiser for Miners William Bousfield, another English ing class of Britain. It was agreed trayal of the organisation’s founding working in Lanarkshire pits, put solicitor. However, the Mid-Lanark that a conference on the subject principles and the people who gave himself forward as a Lib-Lab candi - by-election proved to be a crucial should be held in January 1893. so much to build a political party to date for the seat. But, despite his point in the development of working represent ordinary men and women. local credentials and support from class representation. Home rule Towards the end of the 19th cen - trade unions and workers, the Liberal Following the Liberal Party’s de - A large delegation from the Scot - tury, significant changes began to af - Party declined Hardie’s offer and, in - cision to field a London-based tish Labour Party attended the con - fect the working-class as suffrage stead, selected as its candidate John lawyer instead of the local Miners’ ference held in Bradford from (the right to vote) was extended. At Philipps, an English solicitor. organiser, Hardie and others reached January 14-16, where it was agreed elections in 1885 and 1886, the Against this background, and the conclusion that for the interests to work on a cross-Britain basis to Highland Land League (HLL), es - without the support of a recognised of the working class to be repre - form the Independent Labour Party sentially an organisation representing political party, James Keir Hardie sented in parliament, there required (ILP). James Keir Hardie was the interests of crofters, made a spec - stood in the by-election as an inde - to be a party of labour. After a series elected chairman of the new political tacular breakthrough by securing the pendent representative of labour. In of meetings preparing the ground, body. From its beginning the ILP’s election of five MPs committed to support of his campaign a broad the organisations and people who stated objective was to secure for the land reform. An office bearer of the grouping of individuals and organi - had supported Hardie’s candidacy in people “the collective and commu - HLL was an Ayrshire-based Miners’ sations came together, including the Mid-Lanark met in the summer of nal ownership of the means of pro - organiser called James Keir Hardie. Scottish Miners’ Federation, trade 1888 to formalise a new political duction, distribution and exchange”. unions, socialist societies, Highland body, which they called the Scottish The party also advocated an eight- Frustration Land League MPs and the radical Labour Party. The first electoral test hour working day, free education Members of the working-class Liberal MP Robert Cunninghame for the new party came at the Gen - and provision for the sick, disabled, entitled to vote initially put their faith Graham who represented the seat of eral Election of 1892. Robert Cun - widows and the elderly. In addition, in the middle-class Liberal Party. North West Lanarkshire. ninghame Graham had resigned the ILP also supported Home Rule However, growing frustration with Cunninghame Graham had been from the Liberal Party and stood for Scotland and Ireland. this situation led to agitation for the elected at the 1886 General Election, down from his North West Lanark - In 1894 the leadership of the Scot - fielding of candidates who truly rep - on a manifesto that included: the shire seat in order to contest the tish Labour Party took the decision resented those who made their living abolition of the House of Lords; uni - Glasgow Camlachie constituency to merge the body with the ILP. from selling their labour. This led to versal suffrage; the nationalisation of for the Scottish Labour Party (SLP). There then followed 8 years of inter - Liberal-Labour (Lib-Lab) candi - land, mines and other industries; free In total, the SLP fielded five can - nal restructuring before, in 1906, a dates fighting elections in seats school meals; disestablishment of didates at the 1892 election but none political organisation to represent the where there was a large working- the Church of England; the introduc - were elected. However, James Keir interest of the working class across class population. In March 1888 a tion of an eight-hour working day; Hardie had been invited to stand as the British Isles was formed. It was by-election in the constituency of and Scottish Home Rule. Hardie fin - an independent labour candidate in called the Labour Party. The organi - Mid-Lanark was caused by the res - ished third with a credible 8 per cent the working class London con - sation’s founders will be spinning in ignation of the sitting Liberal MP. of the vote. Philipps retained the seat stituency of West Ham. Although of - their graves to see the Tory-clone that James Keir Hardie, a member of the for the Liberal Party ahead of the fering no support to Hardie, the the Labour Party has become.

4 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 422 JOHN M cALLION Labour’s UK crisis will boost Yes vote says John McAllion

WE are now into the fourth year of a government that has ar - guably the worst record in office of any government elected since the end of the Second World War. After three full years in power, output in the UK econ - omy is still nearly 4 per cent below pre-recession levels. The levels of growth the government has achieved have been a third of those under the Labour gov - ernment that was kicked out in 2010 for economic failure. Real wages are down. Living standards are falling. Unemploy - ment and underemployment re - main rife. More than a fifth of the population are trapped in HEART OF DARKNESS: things are so bleak for Labour, the return of Peter Mandelson could be on the cards poverty. Up to half a million Britons now depend on food Those who look to profit from louder within Labour ranks. The cent of the vote and trailed in banks to keep hunger at bay. buying second homes-to-rent prospect of losing the next elec - fourth behind the Coalition par - out are rewarded with a tion is now being taken very se - ties and UKIP. Savage attacks £130million “Help to Buy” riously by leading Labour In this year’s county elections On top of all of this economic scheme. Those who can’t afford figures. Senior figures warn that in the south, Labour’s perform - misery, the government has to pay the rent in their only home the Tories are making the politi - ance was eclipsed by UKIP’s also launched unprecedented are forced on to the street by the cal weather, that the party lacks success. All the evidence points and savage attacks on public hated Bedroom Tax. policies and that time is running to Labour losing the south in sector workers. For the first time since the es - out for Labour to avoid defeat in 2015, and without southern More than half a million jobs tablishment of the welfare state, 2015. Calls are made for the re - support there will not be a have been scrapped across the the spectre of Dickensian levels turn of New Labour figures like Labour government. public sector. Wage freezes of poverty has returned to haunt Alistair Darling and Alan John - In Scotland, the near invisible have been imposed. Pension our streets. son to front-line Labour politics. leadership of the party know this entitlements have been slashed. Given such an abysmal Some even want Mandelson, to be the case. Their trump card Working lives have been length - record, most would expect that the Prince of Darkness, back. in the referendum vote has al - ened and the retirement age re - this government would pay a Under pressure, Labour’s ways been to urge a No vote on morselessly raised. heavy political price. Yet in the leader promises a Shadow the grounds that a Labour gov - Zero hours contracts that latest opinion poll, Labour en - Cabinet reshuffle before the ernment in 2015 would rescue deny workers job security and joys just a 7 per cent lead over party conference in September. our country from this dreadful redundancy and pension enti - the Tories and actually trails government imposed upon us. tlements have been forced the Coalition parties when their Imbalance With every passing month, onto hundreds of thousands of support is combined. Indeed, if The underlying cause of this that card will become less and low paid workers across a you combine support for the panic is the imbalance in re - less playable and more and range of social care, NHS and Coalition parties and UKIP to - gional support for Labour. Their more Labour supporters will re - education services. gether, Labour trails the right lead in the national poll disguises alise that the only certain secu - Then there are the welfare of centre parties by a stagger - Labour’s inability to win support rity against more of the same is cuts. While the rich are feted as ing 19 points. in the southern half of England. to vote Yes to independence. “wealth creators”, the poor are The personal approval ratings South of a line drawn from the The recent manufactured at - demonised by government min - for the Tory Prime Minister are Wash to the Bristol Channel, tacks on ‘Labour For Independ - isters as “skivers”. The already also 13 points ahead of those and excluding London, Labour ence’ signal Labour’s growing rich are rewarded with tax cuts for the leader of the Labour op - holds just 10 of 197 seats. In the fear that as the prospect of a UK worth £100,000 a year. The al - position. With less than two by-election in the southern seat Labour victory in 2015 retreats, ready poor are penalised by years to the next election, the of Eastleigh earlier this year, the likelihood of a Yes vote in benefit cuts and welfare caps. alarm bells are ringing ever they polled a miserable 10 per 2014 will increase.

issue 422 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 5 NEWS by

ZERO hours contracts perfectly en - capsulate the disgustingly exploita - tive system we live under. These are A million modern serf s... the ultimate in casualised labour, the pinnacle of job insecurity, the worst extremes of the ‘race to the bottom’ on workers’ rights. All in the name of profit. And far from being on the margins of the labour market, zero BAN ZERO HOURS hours contracts are mushrooming, encouraged by the employers’ or - ganisations and the mainstream pro- capitalist political parties. A survey by the Chartered Insti - get work with another firm, and only centrated in the lowest-paid sectors ingham Palace; the Kirk of Scot - tute of Personnel and Development paid for the actual hours workeCd. of eOmploymeNnt - and Tindeed tRhat is lAand’s soCcial care wTing. S (CIPD) has put the estimate at over And it’s all perfectly within the law! one of the aims of these contracts. And Labour councils are up to a million - and growing astronomi - Numerous reports give accounts The Tory-Lib Dem Coalition their necks in this exploitation too - cally in the last few years. Zero of people being starved of hours might try to claim it just blesses directly in the cases of Brent and hours contracts (ZHCs) give all the after they have said ‘No’ to a partic - workers with infinite flexibility Rhondda Cynon Taff, to quote two flexibility to the employers and all ular shift. And they are frequently without reducing incomes. On the uncovered so far, and indirectly the risk and insecurity to the workers left with no work at all for weeks on contrary - according to the recent through work they’ve contracted out on them. It means being contracted end, because the employers can use Resolution Foundation Report, the in vast numbers of councils. to work for a particular employer, Zero Hours Contracts as a weapon average weekly pay of those on One in four public sector employ - but with absolutely no guarantee of to reward, reprimand or punish peo - ZHCs is £236, compared to £482 a ers use these ZHCs, as do one in how many hours of work you get - ple according to their whim - the ex - week for workers on other contracts. three voluntary sector employers. if any! - and insistence that the ploiters’ ultimate dream of control. And they get an average of 21 hours The areas of greatest concentration worker is on call, unpaid, ready to As one woman reported, she’d work a week - compared to 32 hours include hotels, catering and leisure; work whenever asked to. been denied any work as a Home for the rest. These contracts are not education, and healthcare. The Apologists for this system claim Carer for several weeks after asking confined to the fringe of the British health sector alone account for it suits people who want flexibility for a day off for her child’s medical economy - nor are they the preserve 100,000 people on ZHCs! And the on the hours they work but their ar - appointment. And such insecurity of unscrupulous backstreet employ - ruthless Michael O’Leary’s Ryanair gument is just a cover-up for a sys - over hours and therefore wages are ers struggling to survive and cutting - the biggest airline in Europe - em - tem of ruthless exploitation. not the only consequences. Zero labour costs. Quite the opposite. ploys an incredible 75 per cent of its Hours Contracts also involve zero The government’s own Work - 2,625 pilots on Zero Hours Con - Surrender of rights guarantee of sick pay, holiday pay, place Employment Relations Sur - tracts, as part of a regime of bullying One of the many High Street out - or redundancy pay. vey of late 2011 found that 6 per and sackings aimed at gagging these fits using them - Subway – sum - It makes it virtually impossible to cent of workplaces with less than 50 highly skilled workers. marises the reality in the wording of plan your life, particularly for workers workers used them, whereas twice Are these forms of employment their contracts: “The company has with childcare responsibilities or other that proportion (11 per cent) of new? And why are they growing no duty to provide you with work. care duties, let alone the impact on workplaces with 50-99 workers did with relentless speed? The media Your hours of work are not prede - family and social life. As one Edin - so - and a whopping 23 per cent of has just now caught up with their termined and will be notified to you burgh care worker explained, “You workplaces employing 100 or more. existence, but ZHCs have been in - on a weekly basis as soon as is prac - basically have to take what hours creasingly common since the late ticable by your store manager. The you’re given. So on any typical week Household shames 1980s, and are indeed part of a much company has the right to require you I might have a Friday off when I’d Household names exploit the broader, deeper trend towards casu - to work varied and extended hours rather be working, but then have to power to dictate that ZHCs offer alised, insecure work since the mid- from time to time.” make up my hours on a Sunday when them. We’ve already mentioned 1970s. What is new is the sheer To underline the surrender of I want to spend time with the kids.” Subway. Sports Direct has been ex - scale of their use. For about 30 years rights involved, Subway make it a It makes it a nightmare to meet posed by protests against them hir - after World War Two, governments precondition of being hired that the bills and budget for daily life - ing 20,000 of their 23,000 workers - both Labour and Tory - tended to workers waive their rights (under and because there is no fixed, regu - under ZHCs. Burger King and aim at full employment, reluctantly European Working Time Regula - lar weekly wage involved, it makes Domino’s Pizzas use them exten - tolerated the strength of the trade tions) to have the working week it almost impossible to negotiate the sively. So do McDonald’s - with 90 unions, and generally thought rising limited to 48 hours. In other words, benefits system, such as Working per cent of their staff (82,000 in the wages and secure employment was you could be dragged in to work Tax Credits and childcare al - UK) on them. JD Wetherspoons hire good for capitalism. over 48 hours one week, but literally lowances. The one million-plus 80 per cent of their staff this way. It provided a growing market for no hours the next, and all along you workers subjected to this form of Others include Boots (4,000); Tate their goods amongst millions of are contracted to Subway, unable to excruciating insecurity are also con - Galleries; The National Trust; Buck - workers on better wages than their

6 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 422 NEWS parents or grandparents - and the The Westminster Coalition claim Back in the mid-1990s, when pose tighter regulation of ZHCs - as power of organised workers’ unions to have performed a miracle by re - many of us who were the founders threatened by Coalition Lib Dem won wages as their highest share of ducing unemployment in the midst of the SSP were at the heart of build - Minister Vince Cable. But Cable total national wealth on record by of a recession. But this mirage is ex - ing Scottish workers’ solidarity over shares their opposition to an outright 1975. That changed with the first plained by the fact that most of the a period of three years with the 500 ban on these malicious practices. signs of crisis in their profit-based jobs created since 2008 are either locked-out Liverpool dockers, I If ZHCs are so good for the health system in the mid-1970s, when UK agency work, enforced part-time, often wrote and spoke of casualisa - of the economy, why have any laws governments began to claw back the ZHCs, and half of them are tempo - tion being ‘the curse of the modern that limit the ‘flexibility’ of workers’ gains working people had won in rary. The Tories manage to massage working class’. That was a subject exploitation? Why not repeal laws previous generations so as to boost the unemployment figures, but work - especially dear to the hearts of dock - on working time and child labour? the flagging rates of profit. ers can’t even manage to cope as they ers, whose predecessors had fought Every minor or major improve - Thatcher’s government in partic - plunge into insecure, low-paid jobs. fearlessly to end the casual labour ment in working class conditions, at ular unleashed civil war against In Scotland, just short of one in ten system on the docks. A system that work or in communities, had to be workers’ conditions, seeking to workers (9.8 per cent) are underem - meant workers lining up in the fought for in the face of opposition smash the ability of trade unions to from capitalists. We can’t rely on resist, deploying the weapon of mass Vince Cable, let alone the Westmin - unemployment to drive down ster millionaires’ government, to wages. In subsequent years, both outlaw exploitation. Tory and Labour governments The trade union movement obeyed the orders of the bankers and should launch a massive recruitment capitalists, ripped manufacturing drive amongst unorganised workers, apart, concentrated far more on fi - demanding the outright banning of nancial capitalism’s interests and all ZHCs, fighting instead for a de - low-paid service sector employment. cent Living Wage as the guaranteed minimum hourly rate for all over 16. ‘Least regulated’ They should demand secure and Alongside deregulation of work permanent jobs for all - including and globalisation of capitalism, this full time jobs for all who want them. swung the balance of power deci - sively to the employers, unleashing Insecure work a reign of terror in workplaces, By fighting to boost the hourly which accelerated in the wake of the rates of pay, the working week could miners’ defeat in 1985. New Labour also be drastically reduced to a max - governments carried on where the imum of 35 hours across the board, Tories left off in fashioning the con - without loss of earnings, ending the ditions for maximum profit at the crazy contradictions of millions expense of workers’ wages and con - stressed out by working the longest ditions - neo-liberalism, what Tony I’M NOT LOVIN’ IT: 90 per cent of McDonald’s workers are on ZHCs hours in Europe whilst millions of Blair boasted was “the least regu - others suffer the poverty and insecu - lated labour market in Europe”. ployed. Research shows this is dou - dockers’ pen of a Monday morning, rity of no or insecure work. There are Privatisation was a major driver, ble the rate prior to the 2008 bankers’ hoping to be picked by the gaffers vast areas of work that need to be for instance fuelling local authorities’ crisis, and that the workers starved of for a day’s work at a time, praying done - in building decent affordable current hunt for the cheapest bidder hours and wages against their will not to be one of the many not given homes, hospitals, state-of-the-art through outsourced contracts for the want additional hours that are the work, maybe because their face did - local schools; in green energy and an likes of home care services, where a equivalent of 50,000 full time jobs. n’t fit or they were too outspoken or integrated public transport network. vast array of private companies bid This desperate need for more work active in the unions. But instead of foisting insecure for the care cutting costs to win the amongst the precariously employed Nowadays, instead of forming up work on workers, we need to build contract by hiring people on ZHCs. is mostly because wages have per - in the pen, workers sit by the phone the crusade for dignity at work, de - Privatisation invariably means cuts sistently fallen for 41 consecutive or keep an eye on their emails, hop - cent and secure jobs, democratic to workers’ terms and conditions, months, a relentless decline in wages ing to be offered work, never know - rights at work, and a vast, radical shift and in recent years has helped create clashing with rising prices. ing exactly when or if the offer will in power and wealth from the capi - the longest fall in real wages since That is the real context of the gal - arrive, nor for how many hours. talist profit-junkies to workers’ wages the 1870s! The TUC reckon four out loping growth of ZHCs. They are That is 21st century casualisation, a and public services. Today’s West - of every five new jobs created since not a lifestyle choice for workers modern form of serfdom, where minster parties will not deliver such the 2008 banking crisis have been in who prefer ‘flexibility’. They are you’re tied to an employer with ab - a vision. All the more reason to link low wage sectors. Since the un - one major strand to the package of solutely no guarantees of work or the struggle against modern serfdom elected Westminster Coalition seized casualised, insecure, low paid work other entitlements. Bosses’ organi - in all its forms - including ZHCs - to office in 2010, half a million public that is imposed on desperate people, sations boast it is better to have 20 the call for an independent Scotland sector jobs have disappeared. These in pursuit of short-term profit boosts hours one week and none the next where we can build a socialist future jobs were ‘permanent’. to the employers. than to be unemployed. They all op - that is founded on people, not profit.

issue 422 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 7 NEWS Posters, bongos and battleships as Britannia waives the rules by Ken Ferguson

AMIDST a gathering campaign of hype aimed at convincing voters that economic good times are on the way, the Westminster Coalition, desperate to hold on to power, opened a second battlefront, using one of its oldest and most reliable weapons. Wrapped in the union jack, they unleashed a heady cocktail of racism at home, and flexing of military muscle abroad, aimed at reinforcing their campaign to blame it all on foreigners, the EU, scroungers and immigrants. This nasty campaign throws a harsh spotlight on the essentially insular extremist politics of the ConDems and their willingness to ride the tiger of racism and militarism AD NAUSEUM : Home Office’s racist ‘Go Home’ ads are driven around carefully selected areas of London in order to hold on to power. trailers in London telling the hapless Nick Clegg can made the remark about Racist language “illegal” immigrants to go expect a hot reception from history repeating itself first as First to break cover was home or face arrest. Bedroom Tax protestors at tragedy then as farce, and the UKIP’s Godfrey Bloom who As advertising watchdogs the Lib Dem conference in announcement of the railed against UK foreign aid launched an enquiry into the Glasgow next month. deployment of the Royal Navy going to buy Ray Bans and posters with their neo-BNP Finally, no Tory election to Gibraltar with its Falklands fast cars for the leaders of message, Pickles raised the drive is really complete without echo is a classic case. what he termed “Bongo prospect of their being the prospect of deployment of Meanwhile back in the real Bongo Land”. deployed across the country, crown forces against a foreign world, food banks mushroom Of course, this sparked by which he presumably foe and, on cue, it has been to feed the victims of austerity, much official “outrage” at meant England. supplied by a return of that old and wages fall at a faster rate Bloom’s racist language but it As the Labour poll lead favourite - a Gibraltar crisis. than anywhere else in the EU, was notable that behind the stalls and the sunshine while the full horror of the zero outcry, a much more prosperity tales are pumped Roaring defiance hours culture - which we look mainstream hue and cry out by a compliant media, the Older Voice readers may at elsewhere in this Voice - is continued in the pages of the deployment of the racism and recall when such events were revealed. right wing press and across immigration cards by the a regular feature with the With each passing day, the the Tory back benches against Tories both aims to mop up British lion roaring defiance at truth that the British state is a foreign aid, underpinned by a right wing votes and protect the then fascist dictator rotten militaristic, neo-liberal barely concealed racism. them from UKIP. Franco - carefully avoiding the structure becomes ever Enter next to the fray the Of course, this agenda is a fact that Britain’s policy in pre- clearer, as does the fact a well upholstered figure of Tory close relative to the “war on war Spain helped Franco to Yes vote next year can play a cabinet minister and Thatcher- scroungers” which is a constant power and then kept him major role in ending it’s disciple Eric Pickles, who theme of both Tory and Liberal there after WW2 as an anti- depredations at home and stoutly defended the use of ad ministers and a key reason why Soviet ally. It was Marx who abroad.

8 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 422 CULTURE

Rosie Kane was at The BWungalow in Phaisley oon le lotta Rosie Sunday 4 August. She bravely stars as herself in I, Tommy (written by Ian Pattison ) at The Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow from 17-21 September by

OVER the past few months has started to tour agin with a new version of her one woman show which was premiered at the Glasgow Comedy Festival earlier this year. She is taking this show - a mixture of her stories along with some music - to different audiences in clubs and bars throughout the west of Scotland. This might seem a difficult audience but with a new confidence, Rosie transforms even a humble ARRESTING PERFORMANCE: when Rosie’s not being arrested, she’s a great performer performance area into that of a theatre and has the audience good old days were not all as It was easy to see the hand What’s next for Rosie? in the palm of her hand. rosy as we remember. of Rachel Jury the show’s She’ll continue to tour her All of the stories were director and how she had show and will next take it to Personal punctuated with her unique helped take a group of stories her parent’s hometown in The show includes stories brand of humour and some together and combine them Ireland. And she’s just from her childhood growing references to the political into an interesting narrative. announced that she’ll be up in Pollok to the beginnings scene today. The Bedroom playing herself in I, Tommy at of her political involvement Tax and welfare cuts were Confidence the Pavilion Theatre in and election to the Scottish commented on. The set was Having seen Rosie perform Glasgow in September. Parliament. also personalised by Rosie’s in various settings and her Rosie was offered the role She makes it clear from the name-checking of friends and very first one woman show, it after its writer Ian Pattison beginning that these stories comrades she has met along is good to see her growing in (writer of Rab C. Nesbitt ) saw are told through her own two the road of her life. confidence. She controlled her perform her one woman eyes and this is her very An extra layer of colour and the pace of the storytelling show at the Glasgow personal view of the events warmth to her performance and easily filled the stage Comedy Festival. unfolded in her stage set. was contributed by her brother with her personality and I’m sure her performance These stories included her Tam McGarvey. One of “The performance. will impress her new protest in the City Chambers Osmonds with fillings”, he is a The audience, who were audience, and will no doubt with the ever expanding talented blues guitarist in his there mostly I think to see be the source of some of her elevator cable and her own right. He performed a Rosie perform, were drawn future material. arrests at Faslane. With couple of songs and into an act that a more This woman has a long these stories she had the accompanied Rosie with songs experienced actress could be way to go, and I hope many ability to make the audience such as Those Were The Days proud of. They left The other people will be able to laugh out loud and hen and This Life from Miss Smith Bungalow full of praise for experience her talent in many remember that perhaps the The Anti-Poverty Musical . her show. other venues.

issue 422 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 9 NEWS Herald owners Gannet gobble up profits by Voice Reporter of feeling amongst our members. Gannett has a total revenue of THE US owners of Scottish Herald £848million yet they want to keep titles Gannett are living up to their on cutting jobs and make compul - name as they push for more profits sory redundancies on what are through enforcing job cuts. The nearly statutory terms.” company who also own US Today Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general have told shareholders to expect secretary, said: “Decisions taken by $1.3billion in rewards over the next Newsquest management in London few years. To do this they are de - are gradually eroding the Scottish ti - manding more from their titles tles. In the past similar decisions across Scotland and England. Up to have been rewarded with a bonus 20 editorial jobs are at risk in the pot for directors worth £240,000. It Scottish titles but journalists at The is an utter disgrace that big business Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening is allowed to destroy people’s liveli - Times , remain committed to chal - hoods and squeeze the life out of lenging the job cuts at Gannett’s UK newspaper titles so that those at the company (Newsquest) and are vot - top can fill their own pockets. ing in another ballot for industrial ac - Newsquest have been snapped up ganiser for Scotland, said: “Rather “It seems that greedy managers tion as the Voice goes to press. by rival titles such as The Scots - than acknowledge the overwhelm - in London are interfering in Glasgow The daily reality for Newsquest man , whose management are ing result of the ballot and the as rivals jockey to replace the chief journalists is the company continue more willing to work with the NUJ strength of feeling that exists executive Paul Davidson before the to slash jobs. Newsquest have re - to ensure there are sufficient amongst their journalists and mak - end of the year. The Scottish job fused to move on compulsory re - staffing levels to address the intro - ing efforts to resolve the dispute, cuts are signed off by London with a dundancies that could have been duction of new technologies. Newsquest has chosen to ride total disregard for local readers, local avoided if the company agreed to Last week the union announced roughshod over the democratic de - journalists and the titles they pro - offer a better redundancy deal that journalists at the NUJ Glasgow cisions taken by staff with an at - duce. The NUJ calls on Newsquest rather than the statutory terms. The Herald and Times chapel voted de - tempt to block strike action by and its parent company Gannett to current cost cuts across editorial, cisively by 86 per cent for strike ac - exploiting the many hurdles cre - stop slashing jobs.” advertising and circulation is ex - tion and 96 per cent for action short ated by anti-trade union legislation. pected to generate savings of of a strike. Rather than accepting “The reality is that their actions Scale of cuts around £700,000. the will of the union members and do nothing to dissipate the anger The scale of the cuts is shown by As well as the job cuts the union negotiate, the company resorted to and frustration our members feel at the fact that the NUJ in a previous is concerned about the introduction using Thatcherite, anti-union laws The Herald, Sunday Herald and ballot against compulsory redun - of a new editorial system, which ap - to stop the action. The NUJ is now Evening Times and merely renews dancies had over 250 members pears to be a threat not only to jobs re-balloting members, at Scottish their collective determination to fight that is now down to 124. Circulation but editorial quality as the company Newsquest titles in the wake of these poorly thought out proposals, and advertising revenues have tries to reduce the number of sub- legal threats challenging the first even if means action is temporarily fallen and the union blames the fall editors. Interestingly sub-editors ballot on minor technicalities. delayed. The re-ballot shows the in quantity of editorial staff for both who have been pushed out of Paul Holleran, NUJ National or - unity of the chapel and the strength falling profits and quality of journal - ism. The ballot result is expected on To subscribe, fill in this form and send it to: Scottish Socialist Voice, Wednesday 27 August. Suite 370, 4th Floor, Central Chambers, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 6LD. 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10 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 422 INTERNATIONAL REFUGEES SCAPEGOATED IN RUN UP TO AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL ELECTION by Alex Miller in New have been driven from their homes Zealand by war, with the war in Afghanistan displacing more people than any WITH the right wing coalition op - other. As Boyle notes, Australia is position riding high in the opinion part of the western military occupa - polls, in June the governing Aus - tion of Afghanistan. tralian Labour Party voted to replace According to refugee rights ac - then Prime Minister Julia Gillard tivists in Australia, Rudd’s “PNG so - with Kevin Rudd, himself a former lution” is illegal under international Prime Minister who was ousted by law: the UN Refugee Convention, to Gillard in 2010. which Australia is a signatory, obliges Rudd has now called a Federal states “to provide protection and re - Election on 7 September, and since settlement, and nowhere considers resuming as Prime Minister has the ‘outsourcing’ of these obligations been attempting to wrong-foot the to third countries that are far less able xenophobic opposition leader Tony to provide durable solutions”. Abbot by imposing what Australian More than 50 per cent of the pop - journalist John Pilger calls a punitive ulation in PNG live on less than $2 and racist policy on refugees. ABBOTT AND RUDD: falling over each other’s racist policies a day, while 61 per cent have no ac - Rudd is introducing the so- cess to clean water. Australia ranks called “PNG solution”, on which corporations ahead of the interest of Australia. One effect of the sanctions second in the UN human develop - no refugees on boats will be al - people and the environment”. has been to prevent an estimated six ment index, while PNG ranks 156th. lowed to reach Australian soil, but Boyle points out that the Rudd million Iranians suffering from dis - According to Pilger, since 1998, will be held in detention centres in government is introducing $17.4 bil - eases such as multiple sclerosis and some 1376 refugees have drowned Australia’s vastly poorer neigh - lion of cuts and tax hikes, the great cancer from accessing the required attempting to reach Australia by bour, Papua New Guinea. bulk of which will be shouldered by medicines. Inflation in Iran is cur - boat. The Australian Socialist Al - Peter Boyle, Socialist Alliance ordinary working people. rently running at 34 per cent, and be - liance is fighting the 7 September candidate for the federal seat of According to the 31 July Green cause of the sanctions the amount of federal election on a platform that Sydney, writes in the 7 August Left Weekly , a third of the refugees oil Iran is able to export has dropped defends refugee rights and calls for Green Left Weekly : “This racist pol - attempting reach Australia by boat from 2.5 million barrels a day in the nationalisation of mines, banks icy is a weapon of mass distraction are from Iran. Australian foreign 2011 to 700,000 a day now. and energy corporations. whose objective is to scapegoat minister Bob Carr describes these as The United Nations Refugee refugees for the pain and insecurity “economic migrants”, despite the Agency estimated at the end of 2012 • See socialist-alliance.org and imposed on ordinary people fact that Iran’s economy is suffering that there were 15.4 million refugees greenleft.org.au for up-to-date through an agenda of serving the in - under the weight of crippling sanc - and 28.8 million internally displaced news and analysis of politics terests of the billionaires and their tions imposed by the US, the EU and persons worldwide. Most of these and current affairs in Australia

FJill ino thisi fonrm a ndt sehnd ite to: S coSttishS SociaPlist P arhty, Seuite 3r70e, 4th Floor, Central Chambers, 93 Hope St, Glasgow G2 6LD. Or telephone: 0781 126 5388 Or see our website: www.scottishsocialistparty.org g I would like to join the g I would also like to join Scottish Socialist Youth g I would like more info on the Scottish Socialist Party Name...... Address...... Phone...... Email......

issue 422 • Scottish Socialist Voice • 11 for Socialism, Independence facebook.com/scottishsocialistvoice and Internationalism [email protected] Issue 422 16th - 29th August 2013 by Voice Reporter

TENANTS organisations, the STUC, disability campaigners and housing associations are among those backing an anti- Bedroom Tax protest focussing of the UK Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow next month. Last week, the tenant led No2BedroomTax campaign announced a march and Clegg and his collaborators to demonstration at the Lib Dem LIB DEMO! conference in Glasgow next month. Glasgow Disability PbHOTeO: S imtono Whitltle d: ‘Bin the Bedroom Tax !’ Alliance are one of the groups marching which also include the BIN THE STUC, the Scottish Tenant’s BEDROOM Association and the West of TAX DEMO Scotland Housing Associations Forum. The mass march and SAT 14 SEPT demo under the name Bin The Mass m arch Bedroom Tax will take place on and rally on Saturday 14 September. This is the first time a Lib Dem UK campaign has been made up Conference both by those affected and • Assemble at noon some of the landlords and staff at Glasgow Green having to deal with the day to day realities of implementing • March to SECC the Bedroom Tax. The group that councils and local housing movement for its abolition. Government to allow legal aid have been keen to stress that associations join a campaign of Unity between tenants affect funding to be made available to this group will always remain tenants and staff trade unions and staff affected is crucial. organisations to make a legal tenant-led and hope it will help for funding of the rental shortfall The backing of the STUC challenge in the Scottish courts. build a mass movement. off the Scottish Government, offers the hope that thousands Other charities such as rather than threatening of trade unionists will march Barnardo’s and Capability have Critical voices evictions of people who simply making this demonstration the already consulted legal teams There have been voices can’t afford to pay. biggest one Scotland has seen about individual cases and feel critical of the involvement of And we have fought for them for years. This may lead to the it will be worthwhile to make a landlords who may be evicting to reclassify rooms to avoid the end of the ‘us and them’ stand in the Scottish courts. tenants. Can this movement Bedroom Tax. In the case of narrative that divides so much In the end this battle must be truly reflect both the needs of North Ayrshire, the SSP’s of our society. It will be good for one for those affected. tenants struggling to pay the persistent efforts have won both tenants and staff to have Tenants voices must be at the Bedroom Tax and fearing promises on no evictions and meaningful dialogue on the fore. It is a positive step to see evictions, with the agenda of reclassification of rooms from impact the Bedroom Tax is the Glasgow Disability Alliance Housing associations and other both the council and a local having on their lives. and The Scottish Tenants social landlords who are facing housing association. Association are giving their massive deficits in rental income It is to be welcomed that the Legal battle support. These are both groups as more and more people are Housing Association Forum are Following the recent defeat of who actively involve and consult unable to pay the Bedroom Tax? joining the demo demanding a challenge to the Bedroom Tax their members and are a true The SSP, in common with the abolition of the Bedroom Tax. in the London High Court many reflection of their concerns. tenant-led No2BedroomTax But they should accompany disabled people and the The September demo needs campaign, have opposed social this with a public pledge of no organisations that represent to be the biggest yet and aim to landlords threatening evictions evictions, and steps to them getting ready to take the drive home to Clegg and his from the very start of this reclassify rooms to avoid legal battle to the higher courts. Tory collaborators the message campaign. We have lobbied liability, whilst offering facilities Bill Scott from Inclusion that the Bedroom Tax needs to and demonstrated, demanding to tenants to build a mass Scotland called on the Scottish be binned now.