A year of UNITY
IN 2021 myself and two colleagues, Tommy Kane, a former adviser to Jeremy Corbyn and Michael Sharpe, a former head of policy for Labour in the Scottish Parliament, set up Unity Consulting Scotland, a not-for-profit social enterprise.
The aim was to offer our campaigning, research and policy development skills, political knowledge and experience to trade unions, community groups and voluntary sector organisations who campaign for social change.
Like any new venture, we took our first steps tentatively and with some trepidation but with the clear view that we had something different to offer.
Our aim was not to make heaps of money or to secure contracts or planning permissions for a list of wealthy corporate clients.
We wanted instead to help the wider movement, adding to the capacity and great capability already in place, to stand on the side of workers, communities and those who politicians and decision-makers try to ignore.
And what a year it has been! We began with a major piece of research for the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union which showed how many of the workers who produce the food we eat are themselves unable to identify where their next meal is coming from.
What a damning indictment of the system it is when the people who make the products that will feed us this Christmas can’t afford to feed themselves.
This evidence helped inform the union’s campaigning work to enshrine the right to food in law, a campaign supported by Ian Byrne MP and Rhoda Grant MSP who are both seeking to take forward legislation in the UK and Scottish Parliaments.
In the run up to Scotland’s railways transferring back into public ownership following the failure of the privatised franchise, we worked with the four rail unions Aslef, RMT, TSSA and Unite to produce the report A Vision for Scotland’s Railways which set out a series of recommendations and demands for how the new service should develop in public hands. We also supported Aslef in Scotland throughout their recent and successful pay negotiations.
As hunger stalks so many communities we have supported the Larder, a fantastic community food initiative based in West Lothian.
Led by Angela Mohan the project provides support, training and mentoring to young people, helping them into jobs and education.
The Larder is also a campaigning organisation, campaigning against hunger and food insecurity, seeking local and national government support to end the need for food banks and to see them replaced with good food available to all in a dignified manner.
We work with the Fire Brigades Union supporting Scottish officials in their role. We organised events for the union at Cop26 and recently an engagement session with MSPs in the Scottish Parliament to get the message across on fair pay, safe crewing levels and an end to budget cuts.
On October 27 the biggest demonstration of Scottish FBU members in many years will take place outside Holyrood.
In England we supported the Independent Assessment Commission into school assessment and exams.
The commission brought together a range of stakeholders to report on whether high stakes exams are right for pupils, their education and their future.
Unity Consulting provided media and communications support to this exciting project. And with teachers across Britain gearing up for strike action, we are supporting the NEU to help maximise participation in their strike ballots.
The environment is a key issue for all of us and we have been working with Alex Rowley MSP who is developing a members’ Bill to introduce Passivhaus building standards for all new build homes in Scotland.
This proposal would greatly improve the energy efficiency of homes, reduce emissions and provide a much-needed cut to soaring fuel bills.
We support Scottish Hazards, the health and safety charity in their campaigning work and the brilliant team at Justice for Colombia in their solidarity work with trade unions and community groups in that country.
We helped organise a week of events at Cop26 for Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project and have helped Who Cares Scotland with training and development.
We regularly provide articles and commentary in the print, TV and digital media and have a range of new projects underway.
At this time when we see trade unions, workers and communities uniting to fight back against years of austerity, cuts, attacks and division we are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with these campaigns. We will always support workers in struggle, linking community and industrial campaigns to build unity and strength.
As the great Bob Crow said: “If we all spit together, we’ll drown the bastards.”