Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 03 March 2011
03 Mar 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
There is a Better Way Campaign
I thank the members who signed the motion, those who are here today and those who support the Scottish Trades Union Congress’s campaign.
On 23 October, 20,000 people, including MSPs, took to the streets of Edinburgh to protest against the cuts and proclaim that there is a better way. A number of my constituents were on that march. The big unions, such as Unite, Unison, the GMB, the Public and Commercial Services Union and Prospect, represent the majority of public sector workers, who are feeling the pain of savage cuts already. However, all trade unions have members who are affected. I note that the Educational Institute of Scotland has agreed to ballot on the education cuts.
I am aware that folk are coming into the gallery for the debate and that there will be folk here from the wider Labour and trade union movement. I welcome in particular North Lanarkshire trades union council, which is coming to view the debate. I commend it for its active support for the campaign and for taking the message out on to the streets; I joined it in doing that in Coatbridge. We are also joined by the president of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, Joy Dunn, and people from Greenfaulds high school, which is in the constituency of my colleague Cathie Craigie, will come to the chamber for the debate.
Many myths are being peddled about the deficit, the cuts and the need for the cuts, and we need to counter-attack with the truth to dispel them. Cuts are not inevitable or necessary. Britain had a higher deficit in 1945, when the welfare state was introduced. The cuts agenda is simply an excuse to undermine the very fabric of that welfare state. All the myths and counter-attacks are on the there is a better way website, which anyone can access.
We are talking about an ideological attack and a reorganisation of society firmly in favour of big business interests and away from the workers. Let us be clear. The deficit, which can be paid off over many years, is due to the recession and the greed of bankers. It is not the fault of public services or public sector workers, so why should they pay with wage freezes, which effectively mean wage cuts, as my union, Unite, has pointed out?
The general secretary of the STUC, Grahame Smith, has sent a message to councillors in which he said:
“I know that many of you don’t want to make cuts. I know that many of you believe in the public sector and in public service. But if you are not to be seen as coalition collaborators you need to stand with us, like local government leaders did in the 80’s and 90’s, and argue the case against the cuts.”
On 23 October, 20,000 people, including MSPs, took to the streets of Edinburgh to protest against the cuts and proclaim that there is a better way. A number of my constituents were on that march. The big unions, such as Unite, Unison, the GMB, the Public and Commercial Services Union and Prospect, represent the majority of public sector workers, who are feeling the pain of savage cuts already. However, all trade unions have members who are affected. I note that the Educational Institute of Scotland has agreed to ballot on the education cuts.
I am aware that folk are coming into the gallery for the debate and that there will be folk here from the wider Labour and trade union movement. I welcome in particular North Lanarkshire trades union council, which is coming to view the debate. I commend it for its active support for the campaign and for taking the message out on to the streets; I joined it in doing that in Coatbridge. We are also joined by the president of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, Joy Dunn, and people from Greenfaulds high school, which is in the constituency of my colleague Cathie Craigie, will come to the chamber for the debate.
Many myths are being peddled about the deficit, the cuts and the need for the cuts, and we need to counter-attack with the truth to dispel them. Cuts are not inevitable or necessary. Britain had a higher deficit in 1945, when the welfare state was introduced. The cuts agenda is simply an excuse to undermine the very fabric of that welfare state. All the myths and counter-attacks are on the there is a better way website, which anyone can access.
We are talking about an ideological attack and a reorganisation of society firmly in favour of big business interests and away from the workers. Let us be clear. The deficit, which can be paid off over many years, is due to the recession and the greed of bankers. It is not the fault of public services or public sector workers, so why should they pay with wage freezes, which effectively mean wage cuts, as my union, Unite, has pointed out?
The general secretary of the STUC, Grahame Smith, has sent a message to councillors in which he said:
“I know that many of you don’t want to make cuts. I know that many of you believe in the public sector and in public service. But if you are not to be seen as coalition collaborators you need to stand with us, like local government leaders did in the 80’s and 90’s, and argue the case against the cuts.”
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman)
Lab
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S3M-7752, in the name of Elaine Smith, on the there is a better way campaign. Motion debate...
Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the members who signed the motion, those who are here today and those who support the Scottish Trades Union Congress’s campaign. On 23 October, 20,00...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
I apologise that I will not be able to stay for the whole of this important debate.Does the member agree that it is a little disgraceful that members of the ...
Elaine Smith
Lab
I absolutely agree with that. Perhaps it would be quite uncomfortable for them to hear this message.Spending on public services is an investment, not a debt ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I remind members of the public in the public gallery that it is not appropriate to applaud.12:42
John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I congratulate Elaine Smith on securing this worthwhile debate. As per my register of interests, I declare my membership of the union Unite. I have been a tr...
Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab)
Lab
Does the member not agree that freezing the council tax has had a major effect on women and other low-paid workers whose jobs are under threat? Is that reall...
John Wilson
SNP
I will deal with that later in my speech.In February 2011, Unison could not provide a full-time official to attend a meeting of members in St Andrew’s high s...
Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank Elaine Smith for securing this debate and restate the welcome that she gave to the people in the gallery. I think that some of them might have missed...
Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab)
Lab
I was puzzled by John Wilson’s curious speech because I was unsure what he was trying to portray to us about the better way campaign. I have respect for him ...
The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism (Jim Mather)
SNP
There is a big difference between light touch and no touch. The Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority let this country down enor...
Hugh Henry
Lab
Jim Mather may wish to reflect on the fact that the First Minister wanted an even lighter touch taken to what was, at the time, no regulation. That is bizarr...
Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I am tempted to begin by listing a number of individual backers of the Labour Party and wondering what their position might be on the there is a better way c...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab)
Lab
I support the motion in Elaine Smith’s name and the STUC’s there is a better way campaign. Those who support the notion that there is a better way should uni...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
You should finish now, Ms McNeill.
Pauline McNeill
Lab
It is important that there is a bar for those who are working for poor pay in the private sector, too. By supporting a living wage, we can make it the bar fo...
Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab)
Lab
I thank Elaine Smith for bringing the debate to the chamber. As Pauline McNeill said, we should have discussed these issues before. I, too, thank the STUC fo...
The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism (Jim Mather)
SNP
I thank Elaine Smith for securing the debate. Viewed in the wider context of the increasingly extreme political and economic challenges that are being faced ...
Elaine Smith
Lab
As John Wilson did not respond to Cathy Peattie’s point about the council tax, I will ask the minister. Does he not recognise that the council tax freeze res...
Jim Mather
SNP
The big prize is cohesion. Local government is compensated for the council tax freeze. This is an issue on which we can avoid polarising the argument, albeit...
Hugh Henry
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Jim Mather
SNP
No. Time is against me.There are two-parent families that are struggling, which means that both parents must work where only one had to before.I say to Hugh ...