We must stand together against racism, fascism and attempts to divide us

In her speech to the St Andrew's Day Rally, Kate Ramsden, UNISON highlights the importance of fighting racism and inequality and calls for support for UNISON's Year of Black Workers in 2023.

Greetings from UNISON Scotland and thanks so much for inviting me to speak here today.

I’m pleased to bring solidarity from my union to this St Andrew’s day rally.

Because it is so important to be constantly vigilant in the fight against racism and fascism.

And especially now, coming out of COVID and with a cost of living crisis – which is really a cost of greed crisis - when it is all too easy to demonise and blame certain groups – like migrant workers, benefits claimants, disabled people, older people and single parents.

The last couple of years have presented significant challenges for all workers.

COVID impacted on both our personal and professional lives, with many of us losing colleagues and loved ones whilst struggling to deliver services.

 All workers have experienced below inflation pay rises while prices soared. Public services continue to be underfunded and understaffed.

 Our Black colleagues have faced all of these challenges but also have to fight racism on a daily basis.

 Scotland is not immune to that sadly. But it is not just the overt racism that blights lives.

Support the Friends of St Fitticks and defend against a gross injustice

In her speech to the St Andrew's Day rally, Ishbel Shand of Friends of St Fitticks slams the threat to the last green space accessible to the poorest in the North East.

"I am here today to ask for your help in defending your fellow citizens from a gross injustice.  An unelected cabal made up of the Harbour Board, unelected officers at City Council, Scottish Enterprise and Sir Ian Wood’s ONE/ETZ company are planning to steal the last green space accessible to the poorest people in the North East.  This collusion of private interests and the political system is crony capitalism at its most sordid. 

Folk in Torry are already disadvantaged.  Their industries, fishing, ship building and repair, were lost to the oil industry.  Homes were destroyed when Shell replaced a picturesque fishing village with a major accident hazard site.  They were surrounded by landfill sites and industrial estates.  Edged by Wellington Road.  Home to two large harbours, a sewage treatment works, a gas turbine testing plant, a fishmeal factory. A 150,000 tonnes per annum incinerator is being built 500 metres from the Primary School. 

They were promised extensive environmental improvements by the Harbour Board and Aberdeen City Council in exchange for giving up Bay of Nigg.  That was in 2016.  Fast forward a few years and these two bodies were conspiring to remove Torry’s last green spaces and leave a settlement of ten and a half thousand people completely surrounded by industry.  The pandemic has shown us we need green-spaces for health and well-being.  Local health professionals have spelled out clearly what the loss of St Fittick’s Park will mean to the local community, where life expectancy is 13 years lower than in the leafier suburbs of Aberdeen, and healthy life twenty years lower.  The media has condemned the plan.  The list of organisations backing our campaign to save the park grows by the week. 

So why is this happening? 

President slams inequality and calls for fightback as he opens St Andrew's Day rally

GOOD AFTERNOON MY NAME IS GRAEME FARQUHAR AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF ABERDEEN TRADES UNION COUNCIL AND ON BEHALF OF THE ATUC A WARM  WELCOME TO OUR ST. ANDREWS DAY RALLY.

NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE A MARCH DOWN UNION STREET BUT DUE TO  UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES WE WERE UNABLE TO DO THIS  TODAY. AND WITHOUT POINTING THE BLAME AT ANYONE I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY DISAPPOINTMENT IN POLICE SCOTLAND AND ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL FOR NOT FUNDING THE STREET CLOSURE AND DENIYING US

OUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT TO MARCH LIKE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO DO IN OTHER CITIES ACROSS  SCOTLAND  FREE OF CHARGE.

ST ANDREWS DAY IS A DAY WHEN WE SPEAK OUT AGAINST  FASCISM AND RACSIM  AND ON RACISM I HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS A MORE RACISTGROUP THAN THIS EVIL CORRUPT INEPT USELESS AND CRIMINAL CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT WHO ARE RACIST AGAINST MIGRANTS, REFUGEES

St Andrews Day Rally - the fight against racism, fascism and discrimination and for a fairer world goes on

 

Trade unionists, politicians and citizens came together at this year's St Andrew's Day Rally organised by Aberdeen Trades Union Council.

Held indoors in deference to the weather, those attending made the short march up the Castlegate to the Citadel to the upbeat rhythms of the Guaran Drummers, who didn't let a little North East wind and rain dampen their spirits.

ATUC President Graeme Farquhar chaired the proceedings and introduced a wide range of speakers, all highlighting the challenges ahead and recommitting to the fight against racism, fascism and discrimination in Scotland, the UK and world-wide.

Solidarity was sent to our comrades in struggle, striking for a living wage in the face of a cost-of-living crisis and climate activists recognised that the battle for just transition is part and parcel of the battle for fairness, equality and justice for all.

Click here to read Graeme's speech in full

Solidarity with striking posties

 Aberdeen TUC delegates and Unite retired members were out on the picket line at Kittybrewster depot on Friday 25 November showing their solidarity in the CWU's fight for a decent pay rise.

Royal Mail workers have had an unagreed 2% pay deal imposed on them. This is at a time when RPI inflation is running at 11.8% and when the Royal Mail has announced Group profits of £758 million and when the company is paying out many millions to private shareholders.

In a national strike ballot over pay Royal Mail CWU members voted by a 97.6% majority to take action.

ATUC stands in solidarity with the posties in their strike for fair pay and a decent pay rise.

Come along to the St Andrew's Day Rally against racism and fascism on Sat 26 November

 

Aberdeen Trades Union Council will hold our annual St Andrew's Day Rally against racism and fascism on Saturday 26 November.

The rally will be held from 12 noon to 1pm. It will begin in the Castlegate before moving into the Salvation Army building to hear from a packed line up of speakers, along with music and poetry.

This is a crucial year in the fight against racism and fascism. The racist UK Government immigration policy and rhetoric is only getting worse; and we face a cost of living crisis and attacks on pay that disproportionately affect Black workers. 

The continuing fight for justice for Sheku Bayoh shows us that Scotland is not immune to racism and needs our ongoing support.

Then there are the international issues. Throughout the world people are oppressed because of their race and ethnicity. We continue our fight for justice for the people of Palestine, for the Kurdish people and for the children and families in Yemen, to name but a few.

And we demand reparation for the many indigenous peoples of the Global south as part of a just transition to deal with the climate crisis.

Please join us and be part of the fight against racism and fascism and for a more just, more equal world.