“WE must shift the balance between capital and labour to safeguard our industry, employment and our communities. We need legal and institutional change as well as a strengthening of trade union organisation on the ground.”

This was the conclusion of Paul Sweeney MP at a meeting held earlier this week in Springburn to draw lessons from the current battle to save “the Caley,” Scotland’s last remaining rail workshop in his constituency of Glasgow North East.

Paul Sweeney was quoting the title of Scottish Morning Star conference to be held this Sunday — with Richard Leonard, Scottish Labour leader, as the opening speaker — which will focus on how to win collective bargaining rights for all workers and learn the lessons of other recent struggles such as the Equal Pay strike in Glasgow.