STUART Cosgrove in the Sunday National (GMB strike is a wholly political move by Better Together, Nov 7), is bang on, as usual. Everyone and his dug knows they are out to embarrass the SNP. Of course, we should support our binmen and other under supported workers. For too long they and most of their GMB members have come to expect nothing less than betrayal.

When [Lords] Wilson and Callaghan ordered 0% pay freezes, the GMB – in all its previous forms – were among the first to roll over and police the work places for their London Labour masters. They supported Labour’s move to send troops IN to Glasgow and scab on the workers “unofficial” strike by emptying bins, driving bin lorries, plus ambulances and fire engines. Like Stuart’s father before him, I was a shop steward in that boss’s union, or what the US workers called a “sweetheart” union. We used more industrial language to describe these class traitors and we spent more time fighting the union than the bosses.

READ MORE: Stuart Cosgrove: GMB strike is wholly political move from Better Together funders

I was involved in a six week’s strike in 1969 in Pilkington’s Fibreglass Factory, Possilpark, Glasgow, against Lord Pilkington and Lord Cooper of the same tame union. Shortly after the union broke the six-week strike, the factory was moved to England, lock, stock and barrel. We phoned our English trade union workers to be told: “Everyman for himself Jock.”

Streets away in Denmark Street, [Lord Gorbals Mick] Michael Martin was a shop steward of the GKN nuts and bolt strike. His job was to keep his workers in and protect the London Labour government and gain his reward in Labour House of Lords Heaven. Lord Pilkington was cleared by Lord Wilson’s Monopoly Commission, despite controlling the glass production the “united” Queendome.

Shortly afterwards, all of the Scottish trade unions were “amalgamated” into English trade unions. The Scottish tame union barons were given a secondary position in the related unions, plus the usual shameless peerages, knighthoods and other rewards to follow. The only exception were the Teaching union, EIS, because we had a separate education system. The Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society – which had factories, farms and financial institutions – was also on the hit list and was absorbed, sorry “amalgamated” and asset stripped, as were our Scottish factories, businesses and and other private institutions. Nationalisation from London became denationalisation for Scotland as they came back as private English companies.

When oil was discovered, Labour ordered the sea beads to be pounded and get the oil out quickly before the SNP gained independence. The tame unions collaborated agreeing to lowest conditions wages, pensions and health and safety, not only in the North Sea, but elsewhere, such as the Mexican Gulf, who gained more from the same oil companies for their countries and workers.

Dick Leonard whose GMB took the female workers to court, at a cost of over £2 million, to deny them equal pay from Labour Cooncils employers. He also sold out the STUC buildings in Woodlands Road, to private developers, making the Scottish TUC an empty shell. His successor, Anas Sarwar – who suddenly supported the bin strikers – only paid his own workers the minimum wage when he ran for the Labour leadership in North Britain.

I can only say my own experience with my local binmen has been superb. They were always courteous and extremely helpful and polite and provide a useful and healthy public service. I am sure they know they are being used, but still deserve the best that their union has denied them for so long.

Donald Anderson
Glasgow