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ScottishLeft Review Issue 105 May/June 2018 - £2.00 1 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 ASLEF CALLS FOR AN INTEGRATED, PUBLICLY OWNED, ACCOUNTABLE RAILWAY FOR SCOTLAND (which used to be the SNP’s position – before they became the government!) Mick Whelan Tosh McDonald Kevin Lindsay General Secretary President Scottish Ocer LRD TUC Sept15_Layout 1ASLEF 10/07/2015 the 14:09 train Page 1 drivers union- www.aslef.org.uk FIGHT ANTI-UNION LAWS www.rmt.org.uk General Secretary: Mick Cash President President: PSeaneter P iHoylenkney 2 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 feedback comment Horses for courses hy is the Scottish Left Review rather attitudes and behaviours. become dominant but occupations celebrating and critiquing rather than trades are more important In the relationship between capital, the British Trades Union now where there is still skilled work. labour and the state under capitalism, W th Congress (TUC) on its 150 anniversary? And, of course, there has been a general there has often been cooperation as Notwithstanding the foundation of our rise on unskilled or deskilled work. For much as there has been conflict. Indeed, own Scottish Trades Union Congress similar reasons of fact and not fiction, there has often been more cooperation in 1897 and the Scottish Left Review’s Scottish Left Reviewnever uses the than many of us would have liked there annual coverage of its congresses in reviewsnomenclature, United Kingdom. We are to have been, given the asymmetry each March-April edition, it is because citizens not subjects, and are not united of interests between capital and we believe that workers’ solidarity in a common ideology and identity labour. Capital, through its managers of interest and action across borders under a monarchy. and executives, has not only the right is a vital part of a wider Scottish to manage – in law, by conventional In the themed articles on the TUC, perspective. This should be a truism morality and through power relations – we have a range of different subjects for any union member when pitted but it also has the resources and time to covered from an array of different against employers and their neo-liberal do so. Labour, by contrast, has to do its perspectives – see, for example, the version of capitalism, be they a Labour, day job of working for a living and then contrasting emphases of Jim Phillips, Green or SNP supporter. Of course, - in its own time - gather together to Roger Seifert and Ralph Darlington. quite how this solidarity of interest and create and sustain its own organisations Despite the differing standpoints, we action does then manifests itself - and should recognize the benefit of unions to look after its collective interests. should manifest itself – is a matter for not having divided forms of organization There is the double bind. debate and dialogue for there is no one at the peak level as in common in true way. Opponents of independence Historically, these organisations were France, Spain and Italy. But this also decry supporters of independence for called trade unions. Although in law means we should maybe be looking for a allegedly spurning cross-border class and legislation, unions are still referred more robust and effective form of peak solidarity by creating divisions between to as trade unions, they are no longer organization in the form of the TUC. But workers north and south of the border. so. They have long since stopped the rider to this must be that though In making this charge, they forget that being trade unions or even unions of the TUC has its own organization, in the it is not structures that are critical but trades for not only have general unions most important respects, its policies and actions are determined by its affiliates. ScottishLeftReview In equal measure, the TUC and its Issue 105 May/June 2018 affiliates are to be held responsible for what it does and does not do. Together, they are to be held responsible for the Contents fall in overall union membership, power Horses for courses – editorial comment .................................................................................................. 3 and influence. Changing the world of work for good Frances O’Grady ........................................................................... 4 150 years of changing the world of work for the better Melanie Simms ................................................6 2018 is not just an anniversary for the Time to rethink union organizing Jane Holgate ........................................................................................ 9 TUC. It is also one for PCS being twenty The historic purpose of the TUC Roger Seifert ...................................................................................... 11 years young and UNISON being twenty Limits of TUC support for industrial disputes Ralph Darlington ............................................................13 five years young. And, then there is the Democracy and trade unionism: 150 years of the TUC Jim Phillips .......................................................15 fiftieth anniversary of 1968. It stands out Does Labour need to talk about anti-Semitism? Sarah Glynn ...............................................................16 as the epitome of radical movements Spain 0, Scotland 1 (half-time score) Peter Lomas ................................................................................ 18 - of black people, students, workers, Getting the best out of Brexit Pauline Bryan ......................................................................................... 19 women, gays and lesbians - fighting for National self-determination today Neil Davidson ................................................................................. 20 their collective interests. Going further Why the British working class should support Scottish independence Fraser Coats ............................22 back, the FBU was founded in 1918. But Carillion collapse highlights need to tame the power of corporations and elites Prem Sikka ...............23 2018 is also an anniversary for the loss Gun control – where east could meet west Victor Grossman ...............................................................24 of fighters – one obvious one would be Book and film reviews –Jackie Bergson, Susan Clark, Findlay Smith, Sean Sheehan, Donald McCormack ..........26 Red Clydesider, Harry McShane, in 1988. Kick up the tabloids – Vladimir McTavish ............................................................................................... 30 But that can be balanced out by the birth of Karl Marx in 1818. 3 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Changing the world of work for good Frances O’Grady says the TUC is prepared to roll up its sleeves to fight for workers’ futures n the TUC’s 150th anniversary, But for too many workers, unions One of the recent successes of which it is tempting to argue that the are not part of that daily life. Union I am most proud is the evolution of Olow paid, zero hours working membership in Scotland is the second the union role in supporting members’ lives of young trade unionists in highest in the nations of Britain and learning and progression. Unions McDonalds and TGI Friday’s are not so the English regions, after Wales, but have always helped working people very different to those of nineteenth even here density is falling – down get a second chance to learn. In century match women and dockers. by almost ten per cent between 1903, we helped found the Workers’ The treatment of labour as a mere 1995 and 2016. Fewer private sector Educational Association, educating commodity - less than human and the workers and young workers are joining generations of workers who left school cheaper the better - is a familiar story unions. In the private sector, only 1 in their early teens. More recently, we throughout our history. in 7 workers are union members, and set up Unionlearn, which, along with many never come into contact with a But, despite the parallels, it would be Scottish Union Learning, helps more union. Two-fifths of union members a mistake to gloss over how capital than 220,000 people a year access are over 50 years old and less than a has radically changed over the last new skills and training through their quarter are under 35. century and a half - not least because unions. the contemporary challenge for When we’ve asked about why people This experience, and the research we unions is to match that pace and scale join unions, the answer is often simply have done since 2016, has shown us of change. If we’re going to organise that somebody asked. But unless we that the best way to support and build the ‘new working class’, then we must turn the tide of declining membership trust with young workers is to improve change too. We’ve done this before. we risk being invisible to a new their wellbeing at work immediately, generation of young workers. Throughout our history we have and help to put them on a path to a engaged with the world of work as it That’s why in our anniversary year we more fulfilling working life through is, shaping new technologies and ways want not only to celebrate our history progression and joining a union. of working to the benefit of working but also to focus our attention on the We know that the transformational people. And we’ve reached out to future too. Over the past two years, benefits of trade unionism are those working in new jobs and in new we have committed to detailed and delivered when workers are part of a ways