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