stuc faces election pressure
WORKERS, MAY 2005 ISSUE
Now in its 108th year, the Scottish Trades Union Congress met in Dundee in April — subjected to a low-key but pervasive pressure from the Labour Party to support its "historic third term". No voice dared advocate Blair by name, but a raft of invited speakers pushed his message, including Wales TUC Vice President David Lewis, who demanded the unions get behind the Warwick Agreement to support the re-election of Labour. He implicated the STUC in this quest by praising their "shared agenda".
So it was the work of smaller unions, trades councils, youth delegates and fringe meetings that kept any fighting spirit alive, cutting through an apathetic and don't-rock-the-boat atmosphere.
The only moments of drama — apart from Bob Crow of the RMT forcefully chiding delegates for letting Secretary of State Alistair Darling off the hook on transport privatisation — came as the STUC General Council called for remission of an amendment that would have established STUC policy "consequently to oppose the EU Constitution", conceding at the same time a pledge to hold a consultative conference on the EU Constitution in advance of any referendum. This was accepted by the movers — the trades councils from Clydebank and Kilmarnock — as a way forward to establishing STUC policy on the issue. Speakers Arthur West and Tom Morrison had condemned the imposition of privatisation enshrined in the constitution. Their points were reinforced on the final day by Phil McGarry, RMT Scottish Organiser, who said that his union would advocate a No in any referendum.
Each of the 450 delegates and visitors had received a copy of the new Trade Unions Against the EU Constitution pamphlet in their conference packs. This, a stall on the issue and a lunchtime meeting gave delegates opportunities to consider the question.
Many questions of vital interest to workers were addressed during the three days of the congress: campaigns for better health and safety highlighted the inadequacy of present levels of enforcement; demands that anti-union legislation be repealed; the need to save and rebuild manufacturing (though the Amicus and GMBATU motion seemed more concerned with implementing EU directives than taking control of rebuilding manufacture); and condemnation of cuts in the fire service.
Hope in the future of the movement was raised by activities of the STUC Youth Committee, including a campaign in schools to raise awareness of unions, and joint work with the National Union of Students — only 3% of students who work are unionised. The good news is that union membership in Scotland has risen for the second year running — this time by 4,324, to 628,721, with 43 trade unions and 24 trades councils affiliated.