Scotland wide anti-cuts alliance?

by Brian Smith

A very positive meeting of anti-cuts campaigns and trade unionists took place in Glasgow on Saturday 6 November.

The Defend Glasgow Services campaign had invited representatives from local anti-cuts campaigns, trade union organisations and community campaigns to the meeting to discuss working together across the country.

Anti-cuts campaigns were represented from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire (who are in the process of establishing their campaign).

The PCS Scotland trade union was represented and some other union branches also sent delegates including from UNISON, Unite, EIS and the RMT. Clydebank Trades Union Council was in attendance as well as the Youth Fight For Jobs and the Right to Work campaigns.

Reports were given from local campaigns on the scale and impact of the cuts and the work they are doing, including organising local demonstrations, lobbies of councils, public meetings and mass petitioning.

There was unanimous support for a proposal for delegates to report back to their campaigns and trade unions with a view to establishing a Scottish wide anti-cuts alliance, federation or network in January 2011. An ad hoc group was agreed with one person from each campaign which will help co-ordinate activity and prepare for the meeting in January.

headlines . top