AN interesting article by Gregor Gall in Wednesday’s paper (Which side can we expect trade unions to back in indyref2?). As a full-time official for GMB in 2014 I witnessed many raised eyebrows, not least from Labour politicians, when I attended meetings with my “Yes” badge on my lapel. The fact was that many of my GMB colleagues felt the same as I did.
At the time I was totally opposed to GMB taking any stance on the referendum and my opinion has not changed. If any trade union is to take up a position in the future, it should only do so after conducting a full ballot of its Scottish members, as the RMT did in 2014, although frankly I believe that would be a waste of money and resources – the outcome would not change minds, so what would be the point?
READ MORE: Lesley Riddoch: Rise of union boss has lessons for Yes campaign ahead of referendum
My opinion at the time was that GMB took the stance that it did to further the political career of one colleague who soon after became a Labour MSP and then a very poor Scottish Labour leader. Interestingly the GMB general secretary at the time was also awarded a knighthood shortly afterwards.
At the time, the then GMB Scotland regional secretary justified the union’s position after conducting a roadshow at various Scottish locations, with carefully invited guests. The near-unanimous decision at each presentation was, surprise surprise, “vote No”. Although it was flatly denied at the time, I know from speaking with staff in our membership department that we lost hundreds of members, including my own son. We haven’t spoken since.
On a more positive note, the next GMB secretary in Scotland dropped the “regional” title and declared himself GMB Scotland secretary. Regional organisers like myself became Scottish organisers. The union has also shown itself to be more than capable of working across national borders, having established a base in the Irish Republic. Why not then the Republic of Scotland?
Cal Waterson
Lennoxtown
ANENT the many references to Scottish trade unions, these were long since amalgamated, incorporated, absorbed, taken over and closed down by London HQ unions. The exception being teaching unions, due to the “separate” Scottish education system. The “S”TUC is a mere shell of an outpost. The old STUC building in Woodlands, Glasgow has been sold to developers.
The same with the Scottish Wholesale Cooperative Wholesale Society (SCWS), which owned factories and farms etc – it was asset-stripped by the English Coop. Right-wing tame unions such as the GMWU supported Labour pay freezes and scabbed on Scottish workers. They are now geared to attacking the Scottish Government, whose real assets are owned by the City of London and Westminster.
READ MORE: UK Government plots law change over agency workers during strikes
Joe Gormley, the miners’ leader, was an MI5 tout, as were many of the ermined tame union leaders. These were the people that supported Labour government pay freezes and troops in to Glasgow to empty bins, drive bin lorries, ambulances and fire engines.
Professor William Marwick listed all the many Scottish trade unions in his Labour in Scotland book and pamphlet, published by the Republican Scottish Secretariat, whose offices in Elmbank Crescent were destroyed to make way for the Strathclyde Regional Office block at Charing Cross, Glasgow.
Concerned trade unionists genuinely fighting for their Scottish members, and not their own careers, should accept that their fat cat bosses do need more profit for themselves and alleged investment. The only answer to that is to change the political system. How many are up for that? The only union that worries the English nationalist parties and their supportive media is the so-called “Union” of 1707.
Donald Anderson
Glasgow
I HAVE to disagree with George Kerevan about trade unions not supporting an independence referendum on the premise that nothing will change politically with trade unions after independence (Trades unionists won’t back indy if they think nothing is going to change, June, 20).
Maybe the different union executives and branch secretaries might try to hold sway. However, the various memberships are made up of more than one political persuasion. The independence referendum is not about the SNP, even though they hold the door handle. It is for the voting public, not the trade unions, to unlock the independence door in order to enter the new world of an independent Scotland.
When I was, firstly, a shop steward for the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education and later regional higher education Unison representative, the branches in the high education branch and all the other local government branches represented the memberships from more than just the Labour party. Some members did not belong to any trade union.
So you’re wrong, George. The trade unions will be the least of our concern regarding a successful indyref2 vote. They should be supporting their membership to vote Yes and then concern themselves with union negotiations after the vote.
Alan Magnus-Bennett
Fife
SO here we go again. Some people just don’t get it (or, is my suspicion, they do). Demanding our democratic right under all international law to choose our own future is a massive weapon in our cause and a huge problem our Unionist opponents can’t deal with. The more we demand it, the more they posture that we can’t have it, the stronger we become and the more they lose support. But still we get convoluted reasons for silly surrender. And absolutely no alternative route offered to carry us home. Wonder what Robert the Bruce would have thought.
Dave McEwan Hill
Sandbank, Argyll
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