No Sweat

There was a large turnout in Edinburgh for a meeting of the 'No Sweat' campaign, which fights for workers rights and to improve conditions in the sweatshop factories around the world (including the UK). The audience heard of the successful campaign to unionise workers in a Nike factory in Mexico in the face of opposition and repression from the company, the government and company approved 'yellow' unions. The speakers were joined by a speaker from the FBU and there were contributions from the audience from SSP members and STUC General Secretary Bill Spiers.

Additional Pictures: > Mexican Trade Unionist > No Sweat banner

Independent News - Minister resigns 'after calling firefighters fascist bastards'

The Scottish National Party and Tommy Sheridan, leader of the Scottish Socialist Party, had called for Mr Simpson to resign or be sacked. "Parliament should be as appalled as I am that a minister in the Scottish government should refer to firefighters as first of all 'bastards' and second as 'fascists'. I don't think he is fit to be in government," said Mr Sheridan, who threatened to table a motion in the Scottish Parliament condemning the minister. The Independent

Minister in 'fascist' fire row resigns

Tommy Sheridan, of the Scottish Socialist party, who had been the first MSP to call for Dr Simpson's sacking, said: "No-one who made remarks like him should be allowed to be in office." The Herald

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Minister quits over fire 'fascists' row

The minister responsible for the fire service in Scotland has resigned after claims he described striking firefighters as "fascist bastards".

...The Scottish Socialist Party leader, Tommy Sheridan, and the Scottish National Party had called on Mr McConnell to sack Dr Simpson.

Hospital workers remain on strike as national pay agreement is criticised

Carolyn Leckie, the north Glasgow Unison branch secretary, said: "The concordat is clearly a specific strategy to avoid settling legitimate outstanding claims and deal with the 'North Glasgow problem'.

"Organisation and action have been shown to be successful. This is about defeating that organisation. If signed up to, the employers will have won a major victory with the only too willing help of certain officers in Unison who equally seem to want to solve the North Glasgow problem."

Defection threatens PPP schools

SCOTLAND'S first councillor to defect from Labour to the Scottish Socialist party has raised uncertainty across Renfrewshire about the future of its use of public-private partnership schemes. The Herald

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Unions rally behind fire strike

Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan said: "Brothers and sisters, there comes a time in everybody's life when you are being pushed and shoved that you have got to draw the line.

"You men and women have drawn that line and it's now time to fight, that's clear."

Labour councillor defects to socialists over PFI

A REBEL councillor in Renfrewshire has become the first to defect from Labour to the Scottish Socialist Party in the run up to next May's local elections.
from The Herald.