SCOTLAND, like the rest of Britain, has had yet another Tory prime minister foisted upon it. Austerity has returned to the political agenda with any pretence of “levelling up” binned.

Rampant inflation and soaring energy costs, rising debt with the possibility of securing an affordable mortgage a pipe dream, our health service at risk of being overwhelmed — all that is still with us, as are plans for more anti-trade union legislation.

Pension fund collapse is maybe not such a possibility given the latest Chancellor (at the time of writing) has succumbed to the wishes of the market.

Unfortunately for us ordinary folk, Labour in Parliament led by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, if elected, clearly will look to placate the financial markets and profit-hungry corporations first rather than implement policy to further the interests of the working class.

The Tories know this too and have focused on who they really fear — organised labour and progressive activists outside Parliament, hence the plethora of authoritarian legislation being passed.  

Despite the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon “detesting the Tories” (a sentiment shared by many Star readers I’m sure), her off ramp for Scots to escape Tory rule is returning our country to the neoliberal EU, with an independent Scotland making its own decisions according to wishes of the Scottish people — an oxymoron if ever there was one.

The constitutional change that Scotland — and indeed Wales and the regions of England — requires, is a progressive federalism which could give nations and regions the powers to intervene in the economy, provide comprehensive public ownership, and protect workers’ rights. All in the context of securing Britain-wide working-class solidarity.

Clydebank TUC has always believed in “political trade unionism,” with trade unions having a broader political campaigning role — and we support the old adage “think global, act local.”

We were out on the streets at the protest organised by Unite at the headquarters of Scottish Power which makes obscene profits while people freeze. We were on the picket lines of rail workers in RMT, TSSA, Aslef and the striking post workers in the CWU.

We also joined the rally at the headquarters of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport which was demanding public ownership of our buses in the greater Glasgow area. A change in ownership could entail a shift from the profit motive to one that deals with people’s needs, such as cutting and capping fares and addressing the need for an integrated transport system.

It goes without saying that workers fighting back for decent wages and conditions deserve our support. However, there is some concern over the disparate groupings essentially campaigning on the same issues — we now have Enough is Enough, Power to the People and the more established Peoples Assembly which has long had trade union support. Individual unions are also running their own campaigns.

Clydebank TUC supports all these initiatives, but welcomes the launch of Scotland Demands Better — the People’s Plan for Action by a re-energised STUC, a campaign that can hopefully can unite the movement. It has a list of nine demands, is working for 50,000 signatures to present to the Scottish government and is pulling together community and trade union activists effectively.

Our strategy locally has been working with the Joint Trade Union Consultative Group in West Dunbartonshire Council with the aim of building class consciousness and a political awareness among the shop stewards at regular meetings.

Our last meeting had Scottish leaders of RMT and the CWU address the meeting which resulted in the branches of Unison, Unite and GMB making financial donations to their strike funds. Morning Stars were purchased to distribute to the reps.

We must build a mass movement for change outside Parliament, made up of trade unions, community and pressure groups, to compel politicians in Westminster, Holyrood, and our local councils to act in the interests of ordinary people. If they don’t, we need to create the conditions to remove them.

Last but not least, we need to link the war in Ukraine with the austerity the class enemy is trying to enforce on our people.

We are not Putin’s useful idiots as it has been claimed. We oppose Russian aggression and we oppose Nato ramping up its proxy war by pouring money and weapons into Ukraine. We argue for a ceasefire and negotiations which will happen at some point — if it has not developed into all-out nuclear war. Peace has got to be the demand of the movement; without it all our other demands fall.