Hundreds of trade unionists, community activists and
politicians, four beds and three dogs joined the Aberdeen May Day March on
Saturday 30th April, calling for workers' rights around the world.
It also called for the ARI Trauma Centre to stay open for the people of the North East of Scotland.
The march was led off once again by the uplifting beats of
the Guarana Drummers, stopping at regular intervals to lead the marchers in a
chant of “Save our NHS” – a reference to the campaign to save the trauma centre
in the North East of Scotland.
Four UNISON members and activists representing the Grampian Health branch had dressed up as
beds to highlight the campaign to ensure that Aberdeen Royal Infirmary can keep
its trauma centre for the people of the North East of Scotland.
Humphrey the basset hound brought health activist Sandra-Dee
Masson on the march with him, where he was joined by two other politically
active dogs!
Passersby once again stopped to watch and wave as the
colourful procession of banners, placards and flags marched by on its exuberant way down
the whole of Union Street to the rally in the Castlegate.
The rally began with a call by Tommy Campbell, on behalf of
the off-shore unions, for a minute's silence for the victims of the Norwegian
helicopter disaster, the worker killed on the new Forth Bridge and for
all those who have lost their lives at their work in the past year.
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| Alan Robertson |
The speakers brought a range of topics to the rally but the
over-riding message was the central importance of collective action by ordinary
people – by trade unions, community activists and politicians - to fight the growing inequality and injustice
in our society and around the world, wherever it raises its head.
ATUC Vice-President, Alan Robertson, welcomed the marchers
and thanked Aberdeen City Council for making the march possible.
Lewis Macdonald, Labour politician and consultative
member of the ATUC, highlighted the threat to the trauma centre at the ARI. He
reminded us that 25 years ago, the John Major Tory government made ARI the
first Trust Hospital in Scotland.
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| Lewis Macdonald |
“This was clearly with a view to privatisation,” said Lewis,
and the Labour and trade union movement set up the People’s Hospital campaign
to resist that threat.
“We saw off the threat of privatisation and reversed trust
status at ARI at our earliest possible opportunity,” said Lewis.
He warned however that the biggest threat faced by the NHS
in Aberdeen and Grampian today is the threat of closing the major trauma
centre.
“The people who work in ARI, our unions and the general
public are backing the campaign for a major trauma centre in ARI.
“We will fight just as hard now as we did in 1991 until we
win that struggle,” promised Lewis,
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| Shelley Milne |
Shelley Milne from Aberdeen Solidarity with Refugees gave a
rousing speech pointing out that we should see refugees as people the same as
us, with the same hopes and aspirations for themselves and their children, who
through accident of birth have had to flee war, poverty and oppression.
Shelley said, “It is great to see the trade unions and
community groups join together to fight inequality and for people’s rights
wherever they are denied.
Collective action is the way forward whether we are fighting
for the rights of refugees or against attacks on benefits and workers rights,”
said Shelley, commending the day’s positive energy.
“It’s refreshing to see people exercising their democratic
rights here today,” she added, “Something denied to many others in this world.”
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| Amanda Murray |
Amanda Murray from Aberdeen Anti-Fascist Alliance again
warned us against complacency pointing out that the far right are fielding four
candidates locally from UKIP and the National Front.
She called on us all to challenge the apparatus of
intolerance, not just at election time but all year round.
“Every single one of us here are the alternative to hate,
prejudice, cuts, persecution and oppression, in whatever form it takes,” said
Amanda.
“We recognise that all oppression is linked and we can
challenge it together.”
Councillor Lesley Dunbar brought greetings from Aberdeen
City Council. She pointed to Aberdeen’s long history of trade unionism and
reminded us that back in 1834, a group of young women went on strike at the
Broadford Works following a 6pence cut in their wages.
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| Cllr Lesley Dunbar |
“These brave early trade unionists associated together to
fight the injustice of another pay cut from their wealthy profit driven
employers,” said Lesley.
“Today our trade union movement continues its bold fight in
the struggle to win its members justice for terms and conditions, pay and the
rights to strike.”
She slammed the Trade Union Bill, “which will see us return
to conditions similar to some of those faced by those women at the Broadford
Works in 1834,” and called for the struggle to continue.
Munir El-Omar from Aberdeen Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign paid tribute to the work of the Aberdeen
Trades Union Council in pushing for and defending workers rights.
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| Munir El-Omar |
He reminded us of the horrors still facing the Palestinian
people living under Israeli occupation – the terrible onslaught on Gaza in 2014,
and the rise in illegal settlements in the West Bank.
He condemned the Wood Group who make a profit out of the
Ashkelon Power Plant which supports the illegal occupation by Israel. “Let the
message be clear,” said Munir, “The tide is turning and they will be known for
standing arm in arm with criminals and thieves.”
He called on us all to embrace the Boycott Divestment and
Sanctions Campaign and told us that the movement is already having an effect.
Last month G4S announced that they will end the contracts complicit in Israel’s
abuse of child prisoners, because their reputation has been so damaged.
“This is socialism and internationalism,” said Munir. “It is
only working people that are capable of wiping out injustice of this scale. No
diplomat can negotiate this conflict away, no politician, no religious
authority, not even an army.
“The only people that can turn this tide are working people
all over the world.”
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| Martin McKay |
Martin McKay from Grampian Health then spoke, highlighting again
the need for a trauma centre in the North East of Scotland. He called on us all
to think about what politicians are promising before we vote in the Scottish
elections and to make sure that we are satisfied that they will deliver on
these promises.
Tommy Campbell brought the rally to a close with two
stirring and moving poems that he had written.
The first is “A Ploughman” written for a friend who retired last year
but, said Tommy, it represents us all when
we carry the flags.
It is based on a quote from James Connolly who said, “The
Irish people and workers will only be free when they own everything from the
plough to the stars.”
A banner was then made called The Starry Plough, which is the flag of the Irish Socialists
which originally belonged to James Connolly's Irish Citizens Army that was
formed to protect the Dublin Tram workers from attacks by Police and scab
strike breakers in 1913 and of course the ICA played a prominent role in
the 1916 Easter uprising.
A Ploughman
A head with
furrowed brow
digging deep into
your mind
sowing the seeds
of good ideas
with a pierced
stare
not to the ground
with shoulders
limp to surrender
but a
straight tall look
towards those
stars
that found their
way onto our Flag
it waves and
flutters along
held high by the
Citizens
putting right
what's wrong
those
clasped hands
gripping and
strong
as you plough
forever onwards.
Tommy Campbell
20th
March 2015
Written in honour
of recently retired Unite Officer, Jim Quinn, Irish Socialist and Trade
Union Organiser.
The second poem was written by
Tommy as a tribute to
Jimmy Brown who introduced him to the Trade Union and Labour Movement in
Fermanagh and beyond. The description of a “Delightful Subversive” comes
from Marian Hyndman, the author of a book about protestant workers in Northern
Ireland, who interviewed Jim about his life and struggles in rural Fermanagh.
A banner has since been created in his honour and can be seen here.
Tommy dedicated the poem to all the “delightful
subversives” on the march today who continue to fight for the rights of
ordinary people.
A Delightful Subversive
Smiling eyes shine
their light on a life
full of struggle and
strife
no Leprechauns or
fairy tales in his book
just stories that
stretched our minds
and lifted us from our
behinds
to stand tall with him
as he looked us
straight in the eye
that Giant born from
amongst
the real little
people.
Thomas Campbell (UNITE RIO - Aberdeen)