WHILST Caroline Leckie is correct to say that opposition to a woman’s right is not the sole preserve of Unionism (Equal pay fight is about justice not Unionism, The National, October 29) she also makes the case to say Unionism and injustice are inextricably linked both historically and in the foreseeable future, till we can get out of their clutches.
Labour’s role in the last 100 years has been to act as footstools and part of the furniture in Parliament and the City of London. They are part of the state spy and administrative system and are cosily at home on TV and radio chat shows playing the party games, to be laughed at behind their backs by their betters.
The British wing of the Labour movement has been more easily bribed into becoming a wing of the establishment. Feminism has just been another phoney opposition game to them, to be sold out as soon as it is their turn for office.
Caroline can draw on her own experience in the health and caring service under Labour, as many independence women, men, oppressed, betrayed mass and minority struggles do. As a shop steward in the 1960s I tried to raise the issue of equal rights for female colleagues only to be telt by Union officials and some workers, always Labour Unionists, that the wimmen can aye get themselves a man. Arguing that wimmen had to pay the same for rents food and clothing, etc, was just as heidbanging as arguing with Unionist Labourites for a Scottish Socialist Republic and equality for all. We both found that out as former members of the SSP, heid banging against Labourite mentalities.
That the trade unions worked against equal pay may be a matter of fact and public record is useless when overwhelmed by the lies to the contrary peddled by a the Unionist mass media. Neglect of women’s basic rights, teachers pay, homelessness and even the sabotage of the People’s Palace is current common propaganda against the SNP as though these issues have suddenly appeared from nowhere. The Scottish devolved government has no control over our stolen resources
As a young shop steward I expected to fight the bosses, but it was harder to fight against their full-time footstools and lickspittles in the trade unions who enforced Labour pay freezes from the shop floor to the House of Lords and any other racket to line their own pockets, male and female alike. Treason knows no gender, class or country.
We have no Scottish trade unions. They were all closed, along with Scottish Trades Union Congress in 1974, along with the SCWS. The EIS remains Scottish only because we still have a separate education system. In common with most working-class kids, I left school at 15 with no qualifications and had to study later in life. I was a history and modern studies teacher during the last 15 years of my working life and spent it fighting Labour governments against one sell-out after another.
I am sure many of today’s striking teachers are well aware that Labour is playing their old game in opposition.
Like Caroline my wife worked the NHS, on low wages, as an auxiliary nurse, against Labour austerity cuts and Union sell-outs. Like many in the same position still today, we all know who to blame. Incidentally, congratulations to the female nurse who had the guts to raise suspicions about the death of Willie McRae (Nurse who treated Willie McRae: It wasn’t suicide, he was shot, Sunday National, October 28).
Question: How many Labourites does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: None. Labour never changes anything.
Donald Anderson
Glasgow
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