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Scottish Socialist Voice The Dundee Timex strike - 20 years on: Sam Lee: singer mostly female workforce’s heroic fight challenges folk electrified workers across the globe preconceptions • see pages 6&7 • see page 8 £1 • issue 410 • 25th January - 7th February 2013 www.scottishsocialistvoice.net IAN DAVIDSON JOHANN LAMONT ANAS SARWAR A PARCEL by Alan Bissett Scotland what Shakespeare Scots Labour politicians brand is to England and Dylan is to Holyrood ‘undemocratic’, oppose IF there is a single figure America: a bard whose who could symbolise complexity, linguistic genius Bannockburn commemoration, Scotland it is Robert Burns. and poetic sensitivity can but support Tories’ cuts and £50m Regarded around the world articulate the soul of an entire O’ ROGas one of the gUreatest poets Enation. S marking of WW1 slaughter... who ever lived, he is to • Continued on page 9 facebook.com/ScottishSocialistVoice @ssv_voice INDEPENDENCE Challenges facing SSP P H O T Many in this movement be - by Colin Fox O : and Yes camp in 2C liev0e it is on1ly by 3 persuading our r a i THE 600 people who crammed g fellow Scots of the material ad - M into the Yes Glasgow launch a vantages they can expect from c l e meeting last week took the final a independence that we can win tally attending these inaugural n the vote in 2014. events to around 4000 - that’s Not everyone in favour of in - 4000 activists eager to play their dependence is a socialist of part in maximising the Yes vote course. But it is also true there in their area in the 2014 Inde - are hundreds of pro-indepen - pendence Referendum. dence activists out there who And whilst everyone will ac - are prepared to embrace our so - knowledge the many important cialist ideas and we should seek challenges that lie ahead in tak - them out and work closely with ing the case into every town and them everywhere we can. village in the country, it can fairly How does the SSP get is be said that this is a genuinely message across to independ - inclusive mass movement with a ence supporters effectively? By place for everyone interested in being part of the movement, seeing the people of Scotland working side by side with others determine our own future. YES TODAY, KNOW TOMORROW: for a fairer Scotland and by demonstrating our com - It goes without saying that it mitment and dedication. would be silly to pursue the inde - ness and the anarchy of their movement than to explain ‘What At the same time we will pendence case outside Yes ‘free market’. independence is for?’ maintain our dialogue with Scotland rather than seek to in - But it is true Yes Scotland For the SSP, the answer is full those who have yet to make up fluence it from within. needs to spell out what inde - employment in the face of under their mind about independence. I have likened the burgeoning pendence means for the people and unemployment, eradicating Our series of public meetings independence coalition to the of Scotland much more in the fuel poverty as one third of on the theme ‘Why you will be anti-Poll Tax campaign I played year ahead. Such detail is ur - households struggle to keep better off with Independence’ a part in leading during the late gently required if we are to shift warm and improving the living have been very successful. 1980s - a movement whose no - public opinion in our direction. standards of the many amid the We have taken our case table victory brought down the It was in recognition of this worst recession in 80 years. around the country and broken hated Thatcher government. point, I believe, that SNP First In other words, independence new ground. On our platform in Like the anti-Poll Tax cam - Minister Alex Salmond, raised has to focus on the issues that Edinburgh this week for exam - paign, the independence the prospect of a written Consti - are important to working class ple, we welcomed Adil Bhatti (of movement today has a strong tution for an Independent Scot - people in Scotland today. That Asians for Independence) and sense of injustice running land which would include way our case takes on a rele - John Finnie MSP, two prominent through it and an iron determi - guaranteed rights on housing vance working class Scots can former SNP members, who left nation to succeed. It is another and education. identify with and one they can the nationalists after their confer - genuine and progressive mass The polls have stubbornly see their stake in. ence overturned its principled movement. suggested we are in the minority And for the SSP itself, the chal - opposition to NATO. Our key ob - Our shared case is not just and, whilst this gives us all an in - lenge is to raise our clear socialist jective remains then to build the that Scots deserve the right to centive to work harder, we also ideas inside this huge independ - SSP and to advance the inde - make our own decisions and de - need a qualitative change in this ence movement with tact and pendent socialist cause during termine our future but increas - debate. The polls reflect public skill. Discussing with other ac - this exciting political period. ingly that, given the chance, we opinion, they do not shape it. tivists and highlighting our record want to build a country that is That is our job. And to my mind in promoting an independent so - • Colin Fox represents the fairer, more socially progressive there is no more important ques - cialist Scotland over many years SSP on the Yes Scotland and less indentured to big busi - tion facing the Yes Scotland will reap important rewards. Advisory Board 2 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 410 INDEPENDENCE Trade Unionists for Independence by Richie Venton, TUFI sands of workers are either un - Steering Group sure or against independence. They will not be convinced by A POTENTIALLY very im - merely repeating the mantra portant arm of the campaign for ‘vote Yes’. Scottish independence is under The concrete aims of TUFI are construction and growing: Trade powerful weapons to persuade, Unionists for Independence for instance, low paid workers of (TUFI). the opportunity to win a decent Initiated by a small group of living wage through independ - trade unionists in Edinburgh a ence; public sector workers on few months ago, TUFI has re - reversal of privatisation and cuts; cently held two large, vibrant active union members on a vast West of Scotland meetings, with enhancement of trade union and further plans for meetings in workplace rights (an issue hardly Dundee and Aberdeen. even mentioned in the referen - The West of Scotland meetings dum debate so far). attracted union reps, conveners, As the TUFI Statement of national committee members, CLEAR PURPOSE: the trade union movement needs to shape the Aims rightly concludes: full-time officials and other ac - agenda here and now on the type of Scotland we want after 2014 “TUFI appeals to workers and tive members from a wide range trade unions to join us in cam - of unions, including EIS, UNI - and communities after winning different sections of workers paigning for a Yes vote in order SON, PCS, UNITE, FBU, NUJ, a vote for independence. that an independent Scotland to build a socially and economi - USDAW, CWU and the STUC The aims agreed mean we could be the first step on the cally just Scotland, where the in - Youth Committee. can campaign inside each trade road to sweeping changes to terests of the working class It debated and adopted a union, STUC conference and at their material well-being. millions displace the greed of the Statement of Aims [see extracts workplace level to convince Right now hundreds of thou - multinationals and millionaires.” in box] which gives a clear pur - pose and perspective to the campaign, promoting pro-trade TUFI Statement of Aims (extracts) union arguments for a Yes vote, TUFI is open to progressive government with the powers • Jobs for all - investment in linking immediate issues that trade unionists from all and political will to transform clean, green energy, housing, workers are concerned about to political parties and those their lives, through immediate integrated public transport. the opportunity to transform affiliated to none, with the measures such as: • Democratic public ownership their lives by offloading the bur - purpose of not just • Abolition of all anti-union laws, of energy, construction and den of undemocratic Westmin - exchanging one set of flags and their replacement with a banking in order to eradicate ster rule and ruin. and emblems for another, but charter of workers’ rights that fuel poverty, pollution, of winning Scottish sets the very highest standards substandard housing and Convincing workers independence as a means of in the whole of Europe. unemployment. Unlike the ‘business wing’ of achieving a fundamental and • A decent level of national • Removal of all nuclear the pro-independence move - irreversible redistribution of minimum living wage for all weapons, with guaranteed jobs ment, which is minuscule in any power and wealth in favour of workers, trainees and and protection of conditions for case, TUFI unashamedly seeks working people, their families apprentices from 16 onwards, all defence industry workers to stand up for the working- and communities. with equal pay for women and through diversification into class majority, with aims rooted TUFI is an integral part of abolition of age discrimination. peaceful, socially useful in numerous trade union confer - the broader Yes campaign, • Reversal of the assault on employment. ence policies. but with its own distinctive benefits and the demonisation TUFI recognises the powers And it is based on the central purpose, based on the best of the sick, disabled and that go with independence can notion that the trade union principles of trade unionism, unemployed, with a living create the opportunity for movement needs to shape the including social justice, income guaranteed to all those radical and permanent change agenda here and now on the equality, wealth redistribution unable to work.
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