[Onthebarricades] SCOTLAND: Anti-cuts rally in Glasgow

[Andy]

Glasgow strikers and supporters rally for justice online only
by Penny Howard

"This is our one and only chance to stand firm for ourselves," said striker Euana Campbell, addressing a crowd of about 150 strikers and supporters gathered in Glasgow's St Enoch Square. "If we don't stand up now, we will have to accept whatever the council throws at us. Cuts like this are happening across councils, the public service, and the NHS. We need to show people what can be done if we stand together. We need to show that we can win! We are fighting for our future, and we shall not be moved!"
Euana is a rank and file member of the Unison union, and one of the day centre workers who are now entering their seventh week of an indefinite strike against the Glasgow Council. Unlike most of the strikers, she is not losing any pay, but she is on strike in solidarity with those that have, and out of concern for the future of the service.
The strike has been widely supported by the carers and people who use the day centres. Jean is one of a group of carers who attended the demonstration, explaining, "We are here to show our support for the workers, and to say that we are against the closures. We are here for our sons and daughters." Mary added, "My lassie is getting depressed, I can see the life draining out of her. All we get from the council are lies and broken promises. The union are the only people giving us any information."
Sheryl, a young woman who uses the Accord day centre, also addressed the crowd. "I want to go back to the centre and see my all friends again. I have never been so sad," she said. Unison is now holding regular meetings for carers in its offices, an important step in building community support for the strike, and defending the service.
At the demonstration, Duncan Smith, the branch chair of Edinburgh City Unison, described how a united campaign by Unison and community members forced the Edinburgh council to back down on cuts to schools in August.
Iain Ferguson from the University and College Union (UCU) spoke to the crowd saying, "You are fighting to defend an important service. New Labour and the SNP say they want to increase service user involvement - but cutting wages and closing centres is a very strange way to go about doing that."
Peter Murray of the National Union of Journalists gave his support, and spoke about upcoming cuts at the BBC. Stephen Smellie, the branch secretary of South Lanarkshire Unison announced their £1,000 donation, and a member of West Dumbartonshire Unison talked about cuts that their council has recently announced. Unison regional officer Mandy McDowell, and John Devine, branch secretary of Glasgow City Unison also spoke to the crowd.
Speakers at the demonstration were harshly critical of the council's consultation on "modernisation" plans for services for people with disabilities, which began last week. Running a consultation during a strike means carers are not able to participate properly because they are not receiving their normal support services, and the staff who are most familiar with the service are also excluded. 
Carers have been sent two huge consultation documents which they have been given very little time to respond to. One consultation document even boasts of the day centres' skilled workforce, and the fact that they are certified to SVQ level 3 - the very qualification that the council is now refusing to acknowledge!
The motion to the Scottish Parliament from SNP MSP Bob Doris which "sympathises" with strikers received the support of 13 SNP, Green, and Liberal Democrat MSPs, but he has decided not to submit the motion to parliament for debate. When strikers visited the parliament 2 weeks ago, they were told that funding equal pay properly was Westminister's responsibility. Yet Westminister recently gave local authorities £500 million for equal pay settlements, increasing the pressure for Holyrood to do the same.
The demonstration was an excellent step in building solidarity with the strike. But we need a proper national demonstration, and we need to consider widening the action to other members of the branch. We cannot leave small groups of workers to battle the council's "service redesigns" on their own, what is necessary now is to bring all the fights against Glasgow Council together and step up the pressure on the council to win.

Daycare strikers: 'We won't let Glasgow council bully or blackmail us'


Strikers and supporters marched through Glasgow city centre last Saturday. Several union branches also sent delegations (Pic: Duncan Brown)

by Simon Assaf
Around 270 day centre workers in Glasgow are entering their seventh week of indefinite strike action. 
The dispute began in July after the city council foisted a "single status" pay review onto its care workers that would leave some of them thousands of pounds a year worse off. 
Now the council wants the workers to help implement a "service modernisation" that would hit the most vulnerable people.
They have presented care workers with a choice - accept plans to cut wage levels or agree to huge cuts in services. They have rejected both.
Three strikers, Janette Miller, Euena Campbell and Josie Hughes spoke to Socialist Worker about their struggle. 
Josie said the single status review was originally set up to look at low pay for women. 
"The mood was really upbeat when we first got the report," she said. "But when we realised the scale of the attack we became very angry.
"Somebody somewhere realised that they could use 'equal pay' to lower people's wages. They are using a good law for a bad purpose."
Janette said, "We are angry and determined because we see this 'pay review' as a total injustice." She believes that electoral politics are behind the cuts. "The Labour-run council is only interested in appealing to the electorate. And it's people with learning and physical difficulties that are having to pay for that."
The council changed the "work profile" of the day centre workers so that pay scales could be lowered.
Support
Euena said, "The council has no idea what we do. I have been in this job for five years, and I could not believe how many people are dependent on our services. I want the councillors to take off their shirts and ties and come down and see our work."
She joined the strike even though she will get a wage rise under the scheme. "I'm a support worker, I'm not in 'detriment'. But some people are losing £5,800 in wages. I could not stand by and say, 'I'm all right Jack.' 
"I totally agree with my colleagues about going out on strike, and as long as they're out, I'm staying out with them," she added.
The workers are demanding that the job profiles be reconsidered, but the council are refusing, saying the workers are overpaid.
Now the council wants to trade the issue of wages with cuts in services.Josie said, "When they started out, the council said that there were two separate issues - the pay and benefits review to help underpaid women, and a strategy to 'help take the service forward'.
"Now they have merged these two issues. They are saying to us that we will only get our money if we agree with 'service modernisation'. Under this plan the council will close day care centres under the pretext of 'working in the community'.
"They produced a document that set out plans to use local facilities. We took that on board and use all the facilities that are available. 
"Then in the same document they say that the centres should be shut.
"The term 'in the community' sounds good but in reality it involves dumping us in shopping centres. They say its a 'bad thing' to keep people in buildings, and they should be out - but out where? 
"We have specialist training kitchens, changing facilities and toilets at our centres. Are we going to find that in shopping centres? We have trampolines for physical therapy that use hoists - they don't have these in sports centres.
"The council is saying, 'You can have your wages back, but first you have to agree to what we will do to your clients.' This is bullying and blackmail."
The strikers say that is a battle for all public sector workers and solidarity is key to its success.
Involved 
"We have had great support from other unions, the public and service users," said Janette. 
"People come up to get involved in making placards and notices - doing lots of wee bits and pieces to help. We go out to trade union meetings giving talks on the strike." 
Euena said, "It took two or three weeks for the strike to make the news. But now we have started to make an impact on the council. 
"If we accept this rotten deal the council will clap their hands like performing seals."
Josie had a message to the council. "I was on a course paid for by the council where we were told, 'A society is judged by how they treat the weak'. So where are their morals? How do they sleep at night?"

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=13611
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