SNP - Tartan Tories

The SNP led West Dunbartonshire Council are in the process of trying to transfer over 5,000 Council Houses out of Council ownership while we have over 8,000 applicants on the waiting list for a home. I would challenge the SNP once again to hold a ballot now of all 11,670 tenants to see if they want to transfer or stay with the Council. I would predict the overwhelming majority of tenants would want to stay with the Council if they are given a vote. This is the main reason the SNP will not allow tenants to vote. Because the SNP know they could not win a vote of tenants they are intending to raise rents by up to £8 per week for some tenants from 1/4/2010. In doing so they hope to "convince" tenants to vote for a transfer to another Landlord. The tenants movement and the Unions need to form a joint campaign of action against this proposed transfer which will decimate Council jobs and remove thousands of houses from the Public Sector.

Suspended for defending free speech.

As a Scottish Socialist Party Councillor I was recently suspended from attending any Council meetings for nine months for defending my right to represent Council workers in struggle against an SNP Council who can only be described as Tartan Tories. The SNP Council have stole millions of pounds in back money owed to low paid workers as well as slashing wages and conditions fought hard for over generations.
The cabal that runs West Dunbartonshire Council will use every tactic to suppress discussion about issues that cause the Tartan Tories embarrassment, like Single Status which savagely cut Council workers wages and conditions.
The SNP imposed these cuts on Council workers after the workforce rejected them in a ballot by 3-1. So much for tartan democracy.
I have been gobsmacked by the support I have received from workers for the stand and Solidarity I showed with them in their struggle. The four main Trades Unions on the Council, UNISON, UNITE, GMB & EIS have drafted a public petition calling for my suspension to be quashed to allow me to carry out the full range of duties my Constituents are entitled to. I have just been advised today that the Standards Commission who suspended me have indicated I cannot even attend Council Meetings as a member of the public!

The struggle for free speech continues.

The Capital

Renton! Champions o' the fitba world,
An noo at building hooses tae.
You'd think they would be satisfied
But naw! that's just haufway.

Noo it's a utopian community
Fae cradle to the grave
Made up wi wee bits an pieces
That everybody gave.

Full employment and regeneration
Is the topic of the day
And with Renton's ingenuity
They'll certainly find a way.

Ideas galore are floatin aboot
That might awe just sound a dream
Yet not such a ridiculous fantasy land
When considering where Rentons been.

So investors awe staun by wi cash
Cause it's surely an odds on bet
Wi the determination o' Renton folk
You aint seen nuthin yet!

Noo! Robert the Bruce lived and died here
And tis here his spirit will rise
Standing brave and tall in the saddle
Claymore raised towards the skies.

Backed up by his Artizan Bowmen
Tae confound aw the cynics ahead
Until the example set here in Renton
Has aw o'er Scotland spread.

So! Onward and upwards Renton
An never an action rue
If we jist aw stick the gither
Maist o' these dreams will come true.
========================
Written by Archie Thomson Snr
a great friend and Comrade whose
judgement I value immensely.

SNP move to privatise Council Housing

SNP controlled West Dunbartonshire Council took the first steps at the Council meeting on 29/10/2008 to transfer 5,300 Council Houses out of Council ownership. The Scottish Socialist Party has consistently called for a ballot of all 11,700 Council Tenants before this decision was made. The SNP have consistently voted against allowing tenant's this ballot and has instead pushed forward with this almost 50% transfer of our stock while we have 8,000 people on the housing waiting list and hundreds of applicants on the homeless persons waiting list.
If these proposals are allowed to be implemented they will also result in job cuts in the Council's workforce who manage and maintain these 5,300 houses.
The SNP have a clear privatisation agenda for our public services. Council Unions and the wider Community need to unite to defend Council Housing, Public Services and jobs.

SNP punish low paid women workers.

West Dunbartonshire Council which is SNP led has confirmed savage cuts in wages and conditions for thousands of workers under the guise of Single Status. It was smiles and back slapping all round last night at the Council meeting from the SNP and the senior management team when the SNP fought of an attempt by the Labour Party to take control of the Council. Labour were committed to replacing the disasterous SNP imposed cuts, with an agreement supported by the Trades Unions.
Thatcher would be proud of the Tartan Tory Council for the divisive way they have attacked workers and their wages and conditions.
The Unions need to show a united front and come up with a collective response to this vicious attack on their members standard of living.
The Scottish Socialist Party will continue to support the Council staff 100% in their legitimate dispute with their employer.

Strike - Solid in West Dunbartonshire

The strike for a better pay increase today by Council workers was solid in West Dunbartonshire. As a Scottish Socialist Party Councillor and GMB member I was proud to join my colleagues on the picket line to defend their wages and jobs. There was almost universal support for the strike today amongst all Council employees regardless of whether they were at work or not.
School teachers, who were not balloted for strike action, were very supportive and identified with the struggle their work colleagues were involved in.
Many donated a days pay to the strike fund while others refused to do any additional duties which would normally have been done by striking workers.
The retail price index stands at 6.3%. Council workers have been offered a derisory 2.5% which is completely unacceptable. If New Labour can bail out private banks with taxpayers money to the tune of £55 billion pounds then low paid Council employees on £6.10p per hour must be given a decent wage increase which does not cut even further their standard of living.
We need to build Solidarity among all Council employees to put pressure on the employers to get back round the negotiating table and increase the paltry offer made to Council workers.

SNP steal £millions from low paid Council workers.

The SNP group on West Dunbartonshire Council have stolen millions of pounds in back pay owed to low paid workers. Savage cuts in pay and working conditions are being IMPOSED without Trade Union agreement by the SNP Council on Council workers.

The SNP group bristles with private businessmen and they are intent on keeping Council workers on low pay and slashing conditions workers their parents and grandparents have fought hard for over decades.

The SNP plan to privatise our public services and this cut in wages and conditions is designed to make the services more attractive to their friends in the private sector.

The SNP have already started the privatisation by allowing the private sector to bid to run our elderly care homes and our home care services for some of the most vulnerable elderly people in our community.

I have criticised the SNP before for behaving like Tartan Tories and this latest betrayal of public sector workers & services confirms my view.

There is now an elected dictatorship on WDC who disregard and bend Council rules to change decisions they do not like.

We all need to unite with Council workers to overturn this appalling decision by the SNP. The Scottish Socialist Party will continue to support the workers on WDC and do everything we can to support their legitimate demands for a reasonable settlement.