The Scottish Labour Representation Committee launches an attack on unemployment and repossessions.

The newly formed Scottish Labour Representation Committee (SLRC) has vowed to launch a campaign against the linked problems of rising unemployment and the housing crisis in the wake of claims by the CBI which forecasts 9% out of work.

The SLRC will work closely with the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in the rest of the UK to highlight and combat the failures of the economic system to provide security and social justice. In addition to individual left labour party and other activists the LRC has five unions affiliated at national level: ASLEF, BFAWU, CWU, FBU, NUM and RMT.

In Scotland the SLRC is demanding  that families who cannot pay their mortgages should have a ‘right to stay’ and that local councils should take over their property adding it to council house stock and charging rent to the family.

SLRC demands that the lack of council housing should be addressed by a major council house building programme which will help reduce the numbers of building workers and workers engaged in supplying the building trade facing redundancy.

The interim Chair of the SLRC, ASLEF’s Scottish District Organiser Kevin Lindsay said:

” The chronic lack of investment in affordable social housing stock is now being felt by families across Scotland as the greed of the banks forces more people to become homeless. Therefore the Scottish Government should start a massive home building programme to help generate employment and the future of Scotland’s social housing”

Katy Clark MP for North Ayshire and Arran said:

“There has never been a more important time for a strong Labour voice for socialist policies. We need to see more done to invest in our communities, to make sure that people don’t lose their homes as a result of repossessions and that councils are allowed once again to build the council houses which are so needed by the large numbers on council waiting lists. As we enter these difficult times we need to strengthen rights at work to give greater security.

Contact
Vince Mills Interim Secretary SLRC:  0781 461 5224
Katy Clark MP:                                  0791 431 1929

News from Scottish Labour 13 September 2008
Result of Leader and Deputy Leader of Labour in the Scottish Parliament

The sections of the electoral college are
Section 1 – MSPs, MPs and MEPs
Section 2 – Individual members of the Labour Party
Section 3 – Individual members of affiliated organisations

Deputy Leader
1st round 

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Total

Bill Butler

8.66%

15.02%

16.14%

39.82%

Johann Lamont

24.68%

18.31%

17.19%

60.18%

Johann Lamont elected 

Leader 1st round

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Total

lain Gray

17.89%

15.06%

13.05%

46.00%

Cathy Jamieson

8.94%

10.27%

14.09%

33.30%

Andy Kerr

6.50%

8.00%

6.19%

20.69%

Andy Kerr is therefore eliminated

Leader 2nd round

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Total

lain Gray

22.52%

19.10%

16.17%

57.79%

Cathy Jamieson

10.81%

14.23%

17.17%

42.21%

lain Gray elected 

SCOTTISH CAMPAIGN FOR  SOCIALISM
Press Release

Following the announcement today of the election  results for the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Scottish Group of Labour MSPs at  Holyrood, the Scottish Campaign for Socialism said that the vote of 47% for Bill  Butler in the individual party members and affiliates section in the Deputy Leader contest was a positive sign that the grassroots of the Labour Party recognised that the Party had to return to its traditional core values in order to win back voters in Scotland.

What was disappointing was the difference in  results in the parliamentary third of the electoral college which highlighted  that the Parliamentary part of the Party has not yet faced up to the problems  facing Scotland as well as the fact that in the election a parliamentarians vote  was worth 2000 times the value of an individual members vote. It was also  disappointing that some trade unions failed to support a candidate who was the  only one to campaign on the STULP workplace agenda.

The election campaign was positive in that all  leadership candidates moved to the left in support of a better pay offer for low  paid local government workers and a windfall tax on the profiteering energy  companies. It is time now for Scottish Labour to challenge the SNP on its agenda  of cosying up to big business. It is time for Labour to present progressive and  popular policies that will benefit all of the people of Scotland.

ENDS

September 13th 2008 16.50 hrs

Gordon McKay
Secretary, Scottish Campaign for  Socialism

Press Release from Elaine Smith MSP

Elaine Smith MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston is supporting local government workers in their call for a better pay deal.  She is also calling on the SNP Government to provide the necessary funds to allow COSLA to settle the dispute and to pay up for their own staff in the PCS union, also taking action on a derisory pay offer from Mr Salmond’s Government. 

The labour MSP joined council workers on picket lines in Coatbridge, attended the rally in Motherwell and participated in the gathering of striking workers in George Square. She also sent a message of support to the striking civil servants from PCS.

Speaking on the issue Elaine said “Our Public Sector workers provide invaluable services in our communities and play a major part in the economy of Scotland.  They should not be undervalued by a pay offer that amounts to a pay cut in the current climate of rapidly increasing prices.  Neither should they be asked to bear the brunt of the council tax freeze and the burden of inflation.

“The Scottish Government and the local authority employers should play fair and give these public servants a fair pay deal.  I have lodged motions to that effect in the Scottish Parliament and I look forward to receiving support from MSP colleagues who also value the work done by public sector workers and, in particular, consider themselves to be trade unionists.”

For further information please call Elaine on 07713 651 276

Text of Motions:

S3M-02420 Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Scottish Labour): Fair Play, Fair Pay- That the Parliament expresses its solidarity with the public sector workers, members of the GMB, UNISON and Unite the Union, currently in dispute over pay and conditions; commends their loyal public service, which is vital not only to our economy but also to the quality of life of our citizens; understands that, while no one wants to strike, these workers feel that they have no other choice when faced with a derisory three-year pay deal, which effectively amounts to a pay cut in the current economic climate; feels, in particular, that the burden of inflation and the council tax freeze should not be placed on the lowest-paid workers; believes that the employers must take immediate steps to resolve this dispute by meeting with the trade unions to negotiate a better deal, and further believes that the Scottish Government has a duty to intervene to end this damaging dispute by making the necessary funds available.

S3M-02421 Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Scottish Labour): Pay Up for PCS Members- That the Parliament expresses its solidarity with the members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) in the Scottish Government and Registers of Scotland who felt they had no option but to take strike action for a second day over a 2% pay cap; commends Scotland’s civil servants for the sterling work they do in providing vital services to the public; notes that while the Scottish Government calls on COSLA to return to the negotiating table to resolve the local government pay dispute, they are ignoring the plight of their own low-paid workers who are suffering an effective pay cut in the current economic climate; regrets that the Scottish Government’s failure to act in this matter means that the workers will be continuing an overtime ban and work-to-rule as the strike threatens to escalate with other groups of PCS members, particularly in the Scottish Court Service and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, now balloting to take part in future strikes this autumn, and believes that the Scottish Government should meet the union without delay to negotiate a just pay deal for these valued public servants.