Ssv Voice OBITUARY by Richie Venton, SSP National Workplace Organiser
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Bob Crow: unashamed socialist Mass meeting: SSP’s trade union leader’s death is a indy vision attracts blow to the working class hundreds in Ayr • see page 2 • see page 16 £1 • issue 434 • 14th - 27th March 2014 facebook.com/scottishsocialistvoice • Poverty, dole queue and food banks are the reality of Better Together’s lie • 870,000 Scots live below the breadline • A pegged minimum wage cost poorest- paid £675 loss per year for last five years VOTE YES FOR DECENT WAGE S £9 AN HOUR FOR ALL – NOW! facebook.com/ScottishSocialistVoice @ssv_voice OBITUARY by Richie Venton, SSP national workplace organiser IT WAS with terrible shock and sadness that I heard of the death of RMT general secretary Bob Crow – the Bob Crow on 11 March. This is a devastating blow first and foremost to his wife, children, family and friends, but also to the entire working class. And tragic departure it’s a tragically premature loss too, with Bob dying of a heart attack aged only 52. Bob was born in north east Lon - don, the son of a London docker. In of a class figHe rhemainedt a faenatical r fan of his youth he joined the railways, and the entirely unglamorous Millwall as a young lad took up a grievance FC – whose unofficial motto is al - at work through his trade union legedly ‘no one likes us and we (then the NUR) and rapidly gained don’t care’. The difference, of notice as a capable speaker and or - course, being that hundreds of thou - ganiser. He went on to eventually be sands of workers in struggle liked elected the general secretary of the Bob Crow. Bob was passionate and Rail Maritime and Transport work - sincere in his beliefs. He was like a ers union (RMT) in 2002. blunt instrument wielded in defence Bob was above all a passionate, of the working class. He had a tireless champion of working class healthy antagonism towards big people, their rights and conditions. employers, the establishment, and I often witnessed – on picket lines politicians who defend the contin - and meetings I shared with him – uation of the class-ridden capitalist the devotion he instilled from the system. He never shed his class ranks of the RMT. It was like a struggle socialist outlook on life – massive family. He was demonised BOB CROW: 13 June 1961 – 11 March 2014 PHOTO: Simon Whittle and RMT members are the better by the mainstream media – regard - off for having such a leader in their less of any begrudging hymns of strength of the union. Enemies of was expelled by Labour. I am midst. Two of his very recent ac - praise they might now publish on trade unionism and socialism tried proud to have worked alongside tions sum up the man’s principles. his tragically premature departure to denigrate Bob as “a dinosaur”. this giant of the trade union move - from the class struggle that he ded - But this big, burly, blunt-talking ment, and to have presented him Safety of workers icated his life to. Londoner was no fool, and a man with his SSP honorary member - He fought in defence of the safety of great warmth and wit. ship card when he spoke at an SSP and security of London Under - Massive admiration When Jeremy Paxman issued trade union conference I organised ground workers in the teeth of vitri - But he won tremendous loyalty the ‘dinosaur’ insult on Newsnight about ten years ago. olic attacks by London Tory Mayor from RMT members, and indeed recently, Bob immediately quipped You didn’t have to agree with Boris Johnson and whole swathes massive admiration from workers back “Well, they were around for every single aspect of Bob’s vision of the media. And he won rapturous across the trade union movement. quite a long time!” of socialism to warmly like and ad - applause from RMT members at Many were wont to say “If only Bob was a Young Communist, mire him. He was in some ways ‘a branch meetings in Ayr, Aberdeen our union had someone like him but whilst he was no longer in any rough diamond’, but give me that and elsewhere in his passionate ap - leading us we’d be a damn sight political party for many recent any day compared to the smooth- peal for members to vote for Scot - better off.” Under his watch, the years of his life, he vigorously de - talking fakes that infest too many tish independence. In fact, he was RMT membership rocketed from nounced the betrayal of working of the top echelons of the trade due to speak at a public meeting in 53,000 to 81,000 in 12 years. class people by Tony Blair and union movement. Motherwell soon on the issue. For every vitriolic editorial in the New Labour, and called on other Bob’s continued working class He will be sorely missed as the London Evening Standard, Daily trade unions to stop propping up roots – in stark contrast to many battles against poverty, inequality, Mail or even the BBC, Bob’s no- Labour and to establish a genuine union leaders who rise to the top injustice – and the capitalist system nonsense style of tackling the em - working class party instead. and abandon the class they al - he detested – rage on. ployers to enhance the wages, job He successfully led the argu - legedly represent – were perfectly Rest in peace, Bob. We will security, safety and conditions of ment within the union for the captured in his football loyalties. miss your dedication to the work - his union members inspired confi - RMT to affiliate to the Scottish So - Not for him the glory-hunting of ing class, but rest assured the dence in workers and built the cialist Party, for which his union becoming, say, a Chelsea fan. struggle continues. 2 • Scottish Socialist Voice • issue 434 EDITORIAL by Ken Ferguson Mandy Rice Davies – “they would say that wouldn’t they?” ACROSS SCOTLAND Indeed, far from taking fright at canvassing, packed public the scares of the rich we meetings, serious but should ask the question “what respectful debate. Welcome to are they afraid of?” the world of the peoples’ The answer is of course that, campaign for a Yes vote in Yes is now for the pro-unionist elite September’s referendum. backers of No, they are From Ayr to Cupar, Govanhill to defending position, power and Gilmerton, what Yes campaign wealth such as is only a dream chair Dennis Canavan for the vast majority of Scots, describes as the revival of the a people’s who they never tire of telling public meeting is under way they are “Better Together”. while pro-independence Amidst the media sound and canvassers are knocking on fury of fleeing scares from doors and putting the Yes case financiers, a report by a direct to the voters. campaign number of leading campaign This reality, which is rippling groups pointing out the real out through communities state of deprivation and poverty across Scotland, stands in in Scotland was launched. sharp contrast to the strident fear-filled caricature of debate Money mongers dominating the agenda of the While it got some media mainstream media, which is coverage, attention soon spun increasingly driven by the back to the sayings of the concerns of a pro-British elite a money mongers who, despite million miles away from the having crashed the economy, concerns facing most Scots. are still considered king pins Yet it is the concerns and set against the poor suffering opinions of that tiny proportion food banks and poverty. of the population – variously It is this reality of ‘Better badged as business leaders, Together’ which ranks a close CEOs, bankers and financiers second to the infamous “all in that fill the pages of our it together” lie that is the papers, assault our ears from VOICE FORUM : (l-r) Jonathon Shafi, Jean Urquhart MSP and Colin Fox were cornerstone of the case for radio programmes and on the panel in Edinburgh at the 8 March SSV Forum ‘Yes beyond Salmond’ breaking with finance- dominate TV debate. dominated failures of the sing in the Tory/Labour/Liberal unconcerned about poverty. British model and taking the ‘Warnings’ trio of how much they love the Yes campaigners, in contrast, path to a society putting So company after company Scots but then switch tune to are meeting the people faced people before profit. – whose main concern is warn us not to be silly enough with the failed reality behind In the battle for a Yes vote, making money for its to vote Yes. the faded British pomp which mobilising those crying out shareholders, not the good of Both groups – bosses and offers the Bedroom Tax, for jobs and justice by the community – issues British politicians – inhabit a poverty for thousands, cut to challenging the priorities of suitably veiled “warnings” that world dominated by city the bone wages, zero hours the City-dominated elite who they “may” up sticks and leave finance, desperately clinging contracts and unemployment. want to keep Scotland under if Scots dare to vote Yes. limpet-like to past military glory, As all the polls show those the Westminster cosh, armed Of course, this is part of a city speculation and the British facing these challenges are with United States-owned wider stage-managed drive by state which guarantees their also to most likely to vote Yes missiles and ensuring the an increasingly worried No wealth power and privileges. in September while support for survival of the world of wealth campaign which This is a campaign by and No increases in proportion to and power, is key.