First we had ‘hot strike summer’, then there was the ‘winter of discontent’. As workers from across different sectors take a stand for their rights, Dylan Beck spoke to demonstrators in the Southside about the need for solidarity in trying times.

By Dylan Beck

On Saturday morning, trade unionists and their supporters took to the streets, assembling in George Square and then marching to mark the International Workers’ Day. With banners, chants and songs, they came together in a celebration but also a fight. A fight to stop real-terms wage cuts and protect working conditions, but also fighting for the right to strike, which is currently under threat due to the UK Government’s proposed anti-strike legislation.

The crowd marched to Queen’s Park where the May Day rally with a programme of speeches and music then took place at Queen’s Park Arena.

‘Hot strike summer’ turned into the second ‘winter of discontent’. Now what?

While the streets of France are seeing civil unrest due to a proposed hike in pension age, it has been noted how these kinds of changes go largely unnoticed in the United Kingdom. In comparison to their French counterparts, the public here can certainly appear apathetic. But it is also important not to undermine the industrial action that has been taking place. Last summer got dubbed ‘hot strike summer’ here in the UK, and with the winter seeing the biggest strike action in decades, comparisons were made to the ‘winter of discontent’ of 1978–79.

While Scotland has much higher trade union membership than England, the majority of workers in Glasgow are not part of the trade union movement. But this hasn’t stopped those who are from achieving victories. The Co-op coffin makers in Govan, school teachers across Scotland, and Shelter workers in Glasgow and elsewhere in the UK have all won their disputes, securing pay increases more reflective of the current inflation rates than what was previously on offer.

Others have yet to get there, with further action planned by members of the University and College Union in most Glasgow universities, as well as those in the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers working for 14 train companies – Scotrail not among them, but Avanti West Coast included.

With some disputes, whether the outcome is a positive one is a lot less clear cut: and, according to Ross*, a Communication Workers Union (CWU) representative speaking at the rally on Saturday, some deals are only temporary solutions.

But while there are no quick wins, there is hope: unionising can help shift the balance of power away from employers, and in the face of rising costs the fight for fairer wages is undoubtedly an urgent one. Beyond this, some would argue that workers with experience of how to organise and strike have the potential to raise bigger questions over how society is organised. And while trade union membership numbers have been in decline for decades, this seems to have slowed down in more recent years, giving reason for cautious optimism.?

Read more: Why Unions? Extract from Make Bosses Pay by Eve Livingston

But what about…?

The topic of trade unions and strikes can bring about heated debates. Often, frustration appears to come from dissatisfaction with opponents’ own employment situation: ‘Look, I also have it bad and I’m not complaining!’. This might instead be a time to ask, well, why not? We shouldn’t be in a race to the bottom.

As Ross acknowledges, some sectors, industries and workers have been left behind, and this is something that needs to change. Anna*, a former Saramago cafe/bar worker, who also works in Govanhill, told me how hard it is to find a hospitality workplace that’s organised, because people move jobs so frequently that it is difficult to make change happen.

She believes this is in the bosses’ favour: they know there will always be people looking for work, people who can be exploited. Anna has been annoyed when people have told her poor working conditions in the sector were to be expected: “Because well, why can’t I change it? I like working in hospitality, I enjoy serving people food and asking how they are.”

As for strike action disrupting travel plans, delaying mail, or interrupting learning, it is important to remember that the responsibility for this lies with the employers, and while these disruptions should make people angry, the question is about where this anger is directed. Work stoppage is an action workers only take when other avenues have been exhausted.

“We never wanted to go on strike and disappoint our customers, a lot of whom we get to know well so it’s always a difficult thing and we feel like we’re letting them down,” Ross said. “But we were left with no choice as the decisions coming from the heads of the company would have destroyed not only our jobs but this great public service, which would affect our customers.”

The decision made by the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) to end the Saramago tenancy was met with criticism, and caused some controversy even among those who had been supporting the workers: but similarly, the CCA were clear that this was not taken lightly and only made after continuous attempts to reach a different resolution.

Govanhill Voices choir performing at the rally | Photo by Dylan Beck

Solidarity and caring for each other

When asked how she would respond to people who react negatively, Anna acknowledges that it is complex – and, among other things, she believes this to be a societal issue of not knowing how to care for each other, as we have been taught to approach these matters from an individual perspective: “My parents always told me – don’t worry about others, worry about yourself. It’s difficult to change the way you’ve been raised, to challenge that.”

Thinking about people showing up at the demonstrations calling for fired Saramago workers to be reinstated, Anna feels emotional. The support shown, which she credits the Industrial Workers of the World union for, kept the group going, and it was good to have an activity to focus on instead of dealing with the situation alone.

Similarly, Ross expressed that days like May Day are important: “More often than not it can feel lonely and difficult when we’re wrapped up in our own disputes or our own local issues in our places of work, but look around and you can see the level of solidarity there is.”

Southside Strike Solidarity

Building this sense of solidarity and raising awareness of local disputes are among the key reasons why the Southside Strike Solidarity network was set up in August last year. The group, with around 30 core members, have been turning out onto the picket lines, engaging with the wider local community to get them to join, and raising money for union strike funds.

Showing up at the pickets has meant that some strikers have also got involved, and members range from undergraduate students to retired people – including a couple who were involved in supporting the miners’ strikes in the late 70s and 80s.

“Some are already active members of their own union, some are into climate campaigning, some are involved in other left wing groups or campaigns. Some are folk who just care about what’s happening to workers and public services in the UK,” said Hailey, one of the organisers. “We are trying to be as accessible as possible to people who have never done anything like this while also trying to create consensus among people who might come from very different parts of the left.”

On 19th May, Southside Strike Solidarity will be hosting a screening of the Ken Loach film ‘Sorry We Missed You’, followed by a panel discussion with CWU postal workers, at the The Deep End Govanhill Baths Community Trust (21 Nithsdale Street, G41 2PZ).

*Names have been changed