10,000+ march against austerity in Glasgow

At the same time as the marches in Belfast and London, more than 10,000 trade union activists and anti-cuts campaigners took to the streets of Glasgow on Saturday 20^th October to protest against cuts and austerity. Organised by the STUC the mood on the demonstration was serious and determined but with a clear understanding that another demo was not going to be enough to halt the austerity juggernaut.

PCS mobilised an estimated 1,500 members to the demo and there were also big delegations from Unison, RMT, Unite and the FBU among others. Among the PCS members attending were over 100 from the MoD in Scotland including a sizeable contingent from the UKNCB whose jobs are threatened with relocation to Bristol despite the VFM study showing it would be approximately £500,000 cheaper for the jobs to remain in Scotland.

The PCS MoD members who attended are now taking up the fight via the Fair Deal in Defence campaign and will be campaigning for -

• Meaningful negations on pay, removal of 1% pay cap and a full utilisation of the 2.7% bonus pot this year and in all future years.
• A halt to VERS and a joint TU/management review of the impact on capability and an increase in civilian numbers if necessary.
• Civilianisation of military posts and eradicating long hours and working out of grade, or doing more than one job or working unpaid overtime.
• Halting privatisation, reviewing all contracts for their success or otherwise and seeking to bring work back “in house”.
• No enforced redundancies or relocations and meaningful consultation on proposals like those affecting MGS members.
• Introduction of the UK and London living wage for all employees with the Department and those companies providing services directly to the MoD.