Trade unionists have to push both sides
in the referendum debate on how their
plans will deliver a just Scotland, a
fairer Scotland and a Scotland whose
economic policies will tackle inequalities,
poor health and deprivation.
After a
wide ranging debate, Congress rejected
a call to support the Yes campaign
and endorsed the STUC’s “A
Just Scotland” strategy. The STUC
will take forward discussions with affiliates,
partner and civic organisations, to promote
a shared vision of a socially and economically
just Scotland, culminating in a large
scale summit.
UNISON’s Hazel Marshall
(See
the full text of her speech here) urged
delegates to push for answers about what
the different
proposals will actually mean for working
people. She told Congress that we have
an opportunity to influence and drive
the debate on Scotland’s future
in a way that can engage our members
and the wider population.
“And given the way our politicians seem to prefer insult to argument -
I’m not sure that anyone other than us is capable of making this debate
seem relevant to ordinary people,” said Hazel.
“And frankly congress – the
way to do that isn’t to line up
behind YES Scotland OR it’s Better Together mirror image. It’s
to analyse and to challenge both campaigns. To ask questions and demand answers
of all the
political parties.”
Hazel said that we need to move the
referendum debate on from talk about
what COULD happen and make parties and
campaigns tell
us what they intend
to do, “to
make sure that the debate on the fate of the nation is a debate on the state
of the nation.”
“A debate where the value – or
otherwise - of constitutional change,
or no change, is whether it will drive the SOCIAL change that we need.”
She
reminded delegates that the trade unions have more than 600,000 members. “I
would suggest that it would be a foolish politician or campaign that
chooses to ignore us,” she warned.
“Over the next 17 months we must continue to shape the debate and insist
on coherent,
focused answers that will allow voters a genuine choice.
“If we want to see real change in the politics of this country then we
as a collective representing 600 thousand voting members have the
power to influence that change.”
18 April 2013
