84 Bell Street, Candleriggs, Glasgow, G1 1LQ Tel: 0141 5527069 or enquiries@glasgowcityunison.co.uk
84 Bell Street, Candleriggs, Glasgow, G1 1LQ
Tel: 0141 5527069 or
enquiries@glasgowcityunison.co.uk
Scottish Anti Cuts Alliance established (SACA)
An historic step was taken on Saturday 29th January when the Scottish Anti Cuts
Alliance was established at a conference in Glasgow.
The conference came after a successful Defend Glasgow Services rally that drew
more than 400 people to George Square to hear local trade unionists, young
people and students condemn the cuts of the Con Dem government, the Scottish
Parliament and Glasgow City Council, and offer a fighting alternative.
The launch of SACA and its founding principles were democratically discussed and
debated. The conference of almost 100 trade unionists and anti cuts campaigners
was made up off 58 delegates elected from trade union organisations, campaigns
such as Youth Fight for Jobs and Right to Work, student organisations and anti
cuts campaigns from across Scotland, and another 35 visitors.
Anti-cuts campaigns were represented from Dundee, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Renfrewshire, Edinburgh and West Dunbartonshire. Trade unions organisations
including UNISON branches from Dundee, Glasgow and North Ayrshire sent
delegates. Leading members of the PCS took part, as did branches of Unite, the UCU and the Clydebank Trades Council. The Scottish Pensioners Forum, the
disabled rights campaign the Black Triangle the National Union of Students and
the Glasgow anti-cuts student network were also represented. In all 23 anti-cuts
and trade union organisations took part in the conference making it the widest
and most representative anti-cuts organisation in Scotland.
The fighting tone of the conference was set by Janice Godrich, President of the
Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), who outlined the vicious cuts
planned by the Con Dem government to the civil service that if implemented, will
mean the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and the decimation of vital
services.
Janice highlighted the recent announcement by TUC leader Brendan Barber that
unions should discuss co-ordinated industrial action against the cuts. She
explained that unions with a fighting leadership such as the PCS would continue
to push for this and stressed that the development of a powerful anti cuts
movement would pressure union leaders to organise action.
Raymond Watt of the Right to Work campaign also spoke and Brian Smith Branch
Secretary of Glasgow City UNISON then moved the proposed founding statement of
the SACA.
Brian argued the key founding principles of the alliance should be opposition to
all cuts, support for industrial action by workers and mass resistance by
communities, support for the setting of no cuts needs budgets by councils and
the Scottish Parliament, and that elected politicians who want to participate in
anti cuts campaigning should vote against cuts.
Brian outlined an alternative to the cuts calling for increased taxation of the
rich and big business. He explained that the SACA would not be a substitute for
the trade unions or local anti cuts campaigns but would act as a national
co-ordinating body to build a mass anti cuts movement against the cuts.
No to all cuts - make the bankers pay for their crisis
Build a united campaign of trade unions and communities to fight the cuts
Elected politicians should oppose ALL cuts and set 'needs budgets' to protect
jobs and services
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