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UNITED: Communist Party of Britain Aberdeen Branch celebrate International Workers’ Day
MARCHES and rallies took place across Scotland over the weekend to celebrate International Workers’ Day.
On Saturday hundreds took to the streets in Aberdeen, where the Granite City Pipes & Drums led the trade unionists to a rally at the plaza.
Speaking at the rally, outgoing socialist MSP Mercedes Villalba told the crowd: “In one of my final acts in the Scottish Parliament, I laid a motion marking the centenary of the General Strike because, too often, our parliament does not represent our class and our history of struggle.
“Close to two million workers up and down the UK came out in solidarity with the miners’ union — transport workers, printers, dockers, labourers and many more, all demanding with one voice: ‘Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day.’
“In 2026, with rising prices and the rise of ‘always on’ and ‘hustle’ working culture, that demand is just as relevant now as it was then.”
Today in Glasgow thousands joined a march, rallying at the university to hear speeches from Workers’ Party of Belgium’s David Pestleau, historian Ewan Gibbs, Stop the War Scotland’s Sophie Johnston, Labour MP Brian Leishman and RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey, with music from Calum Baird.
The greatest reception was reserved for Unite Hospitality’s Stella Small, who has been on strike with her colleagues at Govan’s Village Hotel for 156 days, battling for union recognition, a real living wage and equal pay.
Laying down the gauntlet, she told comrades: “We stand as an anomaly: only 5 per cent of young people are involved in a trade union.
“Hospitality has been abandoned by the union movement: 3.5 million people in this country work in hospitality and we have less than 1 per cent density.
“Where on this day of workers’ power are the young people? This movement will collapse unless we bring them with us.
“We have talked about the centenary of the General Strike — but I know what would happen if the general strike happens tomorrow?
“The trains would not run, the children would not be taught, the ambulances would not come — but you would still want your coffee, you would still expect us to serve you.”
Closing, she reminded comrades: “Not a pint nor a meal served, nor a beat of music played without the express permission of hospitality workers.”
One hundred years after 1.7m workers shut the country down in defence of the miners, the struggles that sparked the 1926 General Strike are still with us – and will be honoured on London’s May Day march this year, writes MARY ADOSSIDES
We are demanding action from our politicians to deliver justice, fairness and decency throughout our communities – join us, says ROZ FOYER
Ben Chacko talks to RMT leader EDDIE DEMPSEY about how the key to fixing broken Britain lies in collective sectoral bargaining, restoring unions’ ability to take solidarity strike action and bringing about the much-vaunted ‘wave of insourcing’
