Chamber
Plenary, 15 Feb 2007
15 Feb 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Workers' Rights
I congratulate Rosemary Byrne and Solidarity on bringing the issue of workers' rights to the Parliament, and I acknowledge the immense amount of work that Rosemary Byrne and Irene Oldfather have put in to support the Simclar workers. The treatment of those workers has been an absolute disgrace, and the behaviour of Mr Sam Russell has been little short of capitalist gangsterism. The man is doing it because he thinks that he can get away with it—and he thinks that because of current legislation.
We would do well to learn from history. I come from Ardrossan in Ayrshire. I am proud of the fact that my father was an Ardrossan docker and lay official of the Transport and General Workers Union. Because of his involvement in the docks and in that movement, I am aware of the crucial role that was played by the dockers in Ardrossan in 1912, when they asked for an extra ha'penny a ton for shovelling coal. The employers—the Ardrossan dock labour board—considered that unreasonable and refused to pay it, so the dockers went on strike. Within a week, every worker in every company in the port had come out on strike in support of their comrades. That would not be allowed today, because legislation states that people cannot support other workers. Back then, however, it was crucial that the workers were allowed to support their fellow workers in industrial action.
Although the strike was ostensibly about ha'penny a ton, in reality it was orchestrated by the employers to try to break the unions on the Clyde. That is why Ardrossan became crucial in the fight. We know that it was orchestrated because, on the very day that the Ardrossan dockers went on strike, the employers brought in scab labour—it had been arranged beforehand. The police moved into the port on the same day, taking control on the side of the employers and ensuring that the scab labour could get in. They attacked the workers on strike and members of the Ardrossan public who were supporting the workers. That is reminiscent of more recent industrial action in 1984, when the miners faced the same situation. Perhaps if we had learned from history and the Ardrossan dock strike in 1912 we would not repeat the same mistakes and we would not have the current anti-trade union legislation.
If members are interested, I should say that the Ardrossan dock strike is well recorded in a book that was written in the early 1990s by a Saltcoats man called Billy Kenefick, who is now Dr Billy Kenefick, and a lecturer in history at the University of Dundee. It is well worth a read.
I have said that, because of current legislation, today's trade unions are not allowed to support their fellow workers, but back in 1912 the UK trade unions supported the Ardrossan dockers. A man called Ben Tillett came up from London to speak to the Ardrossan dockers and to support their fight for workers' rights. In Billy Kenefick's book, he is described as a man who was disillusioned with the parliamentary route to social change, and is quoted as saying that he was disillusioned with it
"due to the failure of the parliamentary Labour Party to promote political and economic reform to the benefit of the working classes."
That was almost 100 years ago. New Labour seems to have been with us for much longer than we thought.
It is a disgrace that workers have had to fight so long and so hard for their rights and that they must still fight hard for basic rights. That they must do so has happened not by chance but because there are exploitative employers and because legislation lets those employers get away with exploiting. We must scrap the anti-trade union laws and scrap the Government that supports them.
We would do well to learn from history. I come from Ardrossan in Ayrshire. I am proud of the fact that my father was an Ardrossan docker and lay official of the Transport and General Workers Union. Because of his involvement in the docks and in that movement, I am aware of the crucial role that was played by the dockers in Ardrossan in 1912, when they asked for an extra ha'penny a ton for shovelling coal. The employers—the Ardrossan dock labour board—considered that unreasonable and refused to pay it, so the dockers went on strike. Within a week, every worker in every company in the port had come out on strike in support of their comrades. That would not be allowed today, because legislation states that people cannot support other workers. Back then, however, it was crucial that the workers were allowed to support their fellow workers in industrial action.
Although the strike was ostensibly about ha'penny a ton, in reality it was orchestrated by the employers to try to break the unions on the Clyde. That is why Ardrossan became crucial in the fight. We know that it was orchestrated because, on the very day that the Ardrossan dockers went on strike, the employers brought in scab labour—it had been arranged beforehand. The police moved into the port on the same day, taking control on the side of the employers and ensuring that the scab labour could get in. They attacked the workers on strike and members of the Ardrossan public who were supporting the workers. That is reminiscent of more recent industrial action in 1984, when the miners faced the same situation. Perhaps if we had learned from history and the Ardrossan dock strike in 1912 we would not repeat the same mistakes and we would not have the current anti-trade union legislation.
If members are interested, I should say that the Ardrossan dock strike is well recorded in a book that was written in the early 1990s by a Saltcoats man called Billy Kenefick, who is now Dr Billy Kenefick, and a lecturer in history at the University of Dundee. It is well worth a read.
I have said that, because of current legislation, today's trade unions are not allowed to support their fellow workers, but back in 1912 the UK trade unions supported the Ardrossan dockers. A man called Ben Tillett came up from London to speak to the Ardrossan dockers and to support their fight for workers' rights. In Billy Kenefick's book, he is described as a man who was disillusioned with the parliamentary route to social change, and is quoted as saying that he was disillusioned with it
"due to the failure of the parliamentary Labour Party to promote political and economic reform to the benefit of the working classes."
That was almost 100 years ago. New Labour seems to have been with us for much longer than we thought.
It is a disgrace that workers have had to fight so long and so hard for their rights and that they must still fight hard for basic rights. That they must do so has happened not by chance but because there are exploitative employers and because legislation lets those employers get away with exploiting. We must scrap the anti-trade union laws and scrap the Government that supports them.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
NPA
Good morning. The first item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5581, in the name of Rosemary Byrne, on workers' rights.
Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol):
Sol
This Solidarity debate is about improving workers' rights and strengthening trade unions throughout Scotland and the United Kingdom.The context for the debat...
Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab):
Lab
Will the member give way?
Ms Byrne:
Sol
I need to make progress; I have to cover a lot of ground.I seek an assurance from the minister that the situation will be rectified immediately, so that PACE...
The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Allan Wilson):
Lab
I am a lifelong trade unionist, too, and the subject matter of the debate is close to my heart. I thank Rosemary Byrne and Solidarity for giving us the oppor...
Ms Byrne:
Sol
Does the minister agree that up to now the PACE initiative has been disappointing and that there is a need to press for improvements as quickly as possible?
Allan Wilson:
Lab
In the context of PACE, there is an issue when an employer refuses to co-operate with public agencies that deliver services, as has happened in the case that...
Irene Oldfather:
Lab
Has the minister had any advice from officials about any way in which the closure might contravene the European information and consultation directive? Would...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
You now have one minute left, Mr Wilson.
Allan Wilson:
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer—although that is not a long time in which to deal with what are fairly complex matters. I will perhaps come back to some of thes...
Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
We are whole-heartedly in favour of workers' rights, and we are grateful to Solidarity for creating this opportunity to debate the subject. We believe that, ...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab):
Lab
Jim Mather has talked about the Government's position. I wonder what the Scottish National Party's position is on the proposed bill to reform the trade union...
Jim Mather:
SNP
We will give it due consideration. Today, I am calling for a proper and full debate in which we learn from other places. There is a difficult blend to be ach...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I agree. Would the member agree with me that the UK has been spectacularly successful in that context? It is one of only three EU countries that have surpass...
Jim Mather:
SNP
There has been an element of success but, if we consider countries such as Denmark, we find that they have achieved that better. We are currently facing the ...
Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
Rosemary Byrne's speech was wide-ranging and time is a constraining factor in the debate, so I will not seek to make interventions and I will not take any du...
Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
I apologise to the Presiding Officer and to Rosemary Byrne for being late. One is subject to the vagaries of the taxi service, such as it is.It may surprise ...
Jackie Baillie:
Lab
I am surprised.
Mr Stone:
LD
I thank Jackie Baillie for that.Having worked in the oil fabrication sector and in the drilling sector for some years, I understand exactly the fear that has...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
I thank the member for being brief. Such short debates always mean truncated speeches and few interventions. They are not particularly satisfactory in that r...
Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green):
Green
I will stick to my two minutes. The motion is excellent and it is important to debate such issues. It is positive that all members—in the motion and the amen...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab):
Lab
I acknowledge the difficulties that have been experienced by workers in Simclar, NCR Dundee and Young's, and in Methode Electronics Europe in my constituency...
Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol):
Sol
Will the member confirm the truth to the chamber—that the quotes that she read out come from the NUJ chapel that happens to be the Scottish Socialist Party c...
Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
That is rubbish.
Jackie Baillie:
Lab
A member has responded to Mr Sheridan's point from a sedentary position. I understand that both the organisations to which I referred are in formal dispute w...
Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I deplore Jackie Baillie's rather petty contribution to this morning's debate. It did not set the right tone, especially for the Simclar workers who are look...
Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP):
SSP
I welcome this debate on workers' rights, which is long overdue. I regret the fact that the chamber has been spurred into action on the matter by the Simclar...
Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab):
Lab
First, I apologise to the chamber—I have had laryngitis this week, but I thought that it was important to come here today to make the case that the Simclar w...
Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (Ind):
Ind
I congratulate Rosemary Byrne and Solidarity on bringing the issue of workers' rights to the Parliament, and I acknowledge the immense amount of work that Ro...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con):
Con
This has been an extremely unhappy debate. I have never been a trade unionist, but I have been made redundant—it happened six months before the Parliament ca...