scottish tuc: against the euro
WORKERS, MAY 2003 ISSUE
APRIL'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) in Inverness at last saw opposition to the euro raised to a level where it can never be ignored again – indeed, condemnation of the whole euro project has become accepted as part of mainstream union thinking. With its 400 delegates from 46 trade unions and 32 trades councils (representing 628,274 members) the STUC is an essential part of the democratic life of the labour movement. So it was significant that no resolution during the whole conference called for joining the euro, and the speakers moving and seconding the motion opposing a European single currency were heard with respect and some enthusiasm.
The motion, moved by Clydebank Trades Council representative Tommy Morrison, urged the conference to oppose entry to the European Single Currency and called on the General Council to campaign for a 'No' vote in the referendum, bearing in mind the views of millions of Scottish and British trade unionists opposed to British entry.
Morrison warned delegates that the single currency was “not in the interests of the working class” and would be an attack on them and their values of public service and welfare, all for the benefit of big business. Jane Carolan, from Unison's executive, seconding, urged delegates never to forget the ERM [exchange rate mechanism] that led to over 100,000 businesses going bust and around a million jobs being lost in the 1990s as well as today's graphic effects of the EU in the form of, for example, Spain's 17% youth unemployment.
Even the General Council spokesman, Andy Baird, in calling for the motion to be remitted “for the sake of unity” and because some union delegations present had “not made up their minds”, expressed no enthusiasm for the EU project, spelling out the STUC's concerns about the “limitations placed on public expenditure” and the lack of “evidence that membership of the euro tackles unemployment”. The movers reluctantly agreed remission.
The mood of opposition was further confirmed in a lunchtime fringe meeting when a debate on “Should Britain Join the Euro?” attracted a standing-room-only attendance of nearly 50. While the pro-euro speakers were not from trade unions, those critical represented strong bodies of opinion within the labour movement, including Barry Camfield, the TGWU assistant general secretary currently campaigning to become General Secretary, Unison's Carolan and the chair, Eddie McGuire (Musicians Union, Glasgow).
Camfield pinpointed the dire effects of EU legislation on workers, warning that worse would follow from joining the euro. One example to watch out for, he said, was the EU-enforced “liberalisation” that was threatening the jobs of 1,000 workers at Felixstowe docks. Later, at the main conference, he demanded new strategic thinking to build Britain's industrial base back up again.