"The artificial barriers which prevent the application of labour to material must be removed. Everybody sees the problem - a country rich in natural resources; possessing the most highly skilled workers in the world; a civilisation, which in its conception if not in its application, is a pattern to the universe; yet over two millions of our people are denied the right of earning their daily bread, whilst thousands more live on the border line of starvation."
C.N. Gallie
President 1931 Scottish TUC.
During the early years of the Association Scotland made rapid progress in recruitment. This was sustained and by 1911, Line Committees had been established throughout the country. These committees were in the forefront of the fight to secure improvements in pay, including equal pay for women. Their workload grew to such an extent that branches demanded a full-time officer to assist them. Charles Gallie was appointed in 1919 to look after Scottish affairs and to negotiate on behalf of Agents, Stationmasters and Supervisory Grades. His office remained in London but this was unsatisfactory and persistent pressure brought him back to Scotland in 1920 when premises were established at 177, West Regent Street, Glasgow.
From 1909 to 1917 it was customary for the EC to submit motions to the Scottish TUC and the Labour Party Scottish Council, with both Scottish Divisional Councils being asked to appoint delegates. The Western Divisional Council and a number of branches objected to the motions emanating from the EC with the result that on 30th March 1918 the first conference of Scottish branches was held to resolve this and other matters of a similar character. The General Secretary attended and said that the EC had agreed to their request that the conference should become an annual event, and that delegates to the Labour Party Scottish Council and Scottish TUC would be elected at the conference. Branches would be invited to submit motions for debate and the Executive agreed to the establishment of a Scottish Advisory Council comprising seven members, two of whom would be the Scottish EC members, with not less than one woman on the committee. The EC retained ultimate authority over both the Advisory Committee and the annual conference and all their resolutions and reports had to be endorsed by the Executive before they could be made operative.1 In practice, the EC rarely interfered, and the Advisory Council, under the leadership of James Ritchie and Charles Gallie, quickly became the power base for all the Association's political activities in Scotland. Its main objectives were to promote the Labour Party within the RCA, to arrange for the election of delegations, and to enhance the RCA's work in Trades Councils. Another important aspect of its role was to encourage women to play an active part within such bodies as the Scottish TUC Women's Advisory Committee and its sister organisation within the Labour Party. The EC decided that at least one woman should be a member of the Council placing it in the forefront of positive discrimination. Branches were specifically requested by Gallie to nominate women but with the exception of Mary Stewart (Edinburgh) and H.A. Robertson (Glasgow) who were nominated in the first two years, it failed to have the desired effect.
The political lead given by the EC, the London Political Committee and the Scottish Advisory Council began to reap its reward and by 1924, of the RCA's 467 branches, 248 had affiliated to their local Labour Party. To measure the support of the Scottish branches in 1925, the Council conducted a survey which revealed that a broadly similar political picture existed in Scotland.
| Scottish Eastern Divisional Council | 15 Affiliated (48%) |
|---|---|
| 8 Not Affiliated | |
| 8 No Replies | |
| Scottish Western Divisional Council | 16 Affiliated (59%) |
| 8 Not Affiliated | |
| 3 No Replies |
The Scottish TUC was formed in the same year as the Association - 1897, and when the RCA sent Joseph St. Clair Halfpenny and Graham Gillies as delegates in 1909, it was the first union of "black-coated workers" to do so. The RCA's motions were invariably identical to those proposed at the British TUC, covering office accommodation, unpaid Sunday labour, the intimidation of staff, and, in 1913, the nationalisation of railways and canals. Indeed, nationalisation became a recurring theme, and when Gallie attended the 1918 Scottish TUC he called for the nationalisation of the railways with national and local advisory committees, both of which should contain representatives from employees.2 In 1918 Gallie was elected to the Scottish TUC Parliamentary Committee (later renamed the General Council) and was re-elected every year until 1940. He was its chairman on two occasions, 1921-1922 and 1930-1931 and from 1931 to 1940 he was its treasurer. His successor as Scottish Secretary, David Robertson, was elected to the General Council in 1941. He, in turn, was followed by John G. Bothwell CBE, thus providing a continuity of RCA/TSSA representation until 1960.
If, as it would appear, there was a reluctance for women to participate in the work of the Scottish Advisory Council, this was certainly not true of those organisations that catered specifically for women. Weekend schools and meetings were regularly attended by many women members of whom the most prominent were RCA Divisional Council Organisers Jean Jeffrey (Glasgow); Nettie Stewart (Glasgow NE); Isa McKirkle3 (Glasgow Central); Isobel Leishman4 (Edinburgh No.1) and Betty Lamont, (Edinburgh No.1). It was they who stimulated the interest of other women and developed women's work within the Association. In 1945 Betty Lamont, along with Muriel R. Luntz5 became the first women to represent the RCA at the Labour Party Conference.
The first Labour Party in Scotland was formed in 1888 with Keir Hardie as its secretary and R. Cunninghame Graham MP as chairman, but with the formation of the ILP in 1893 the Scottish Labour Party was merged into the new organisation. In 1899, the Scottish TUC called a meeting of the ILP, Social Democratic Federation and the Scottish Co-operative Society to consider how to promote labour interests in Parliament; the representatives of the Co-operative Society were unable to attend this meeting but they did participate at a conference held on 6th January 1900 marking the birth of the Labour Party in Scotland. The delegates represented the ILP, Trades Councils, Trades Unions, Co-operative Societies and the Social Democratic Federation. The conference elected a Scottish Workers' Parliamentary Committee which continued until 1909, when its work was incorporated into that of the National Labour Party.
In 1914, after several years of debate, the Labour Party appointed a Scottish Secretary, and the following year the Labour Party Scottish Advisory Council was established. An inaugural conference was held in 1915, with the RCA represented by N.E. Preston6 and D.N. Mitchell (Burntisland). John T.G. Borthwick (Edinburgh), a member of the Association since 1904, had a remarkable record of service. He was elected as an Auditor and Pool Secretary in charge of delegates travel expenses at the Scottish Labour Party Conference in 1916 and continued to hold the post on behalf of the RCA and then his constituency until 1963. In 1924, Charles Gallie was the first member of the union to be elected to the Executive of the Labour Party Scottish Council. He did not stand again, no doubt owing to his heavy commitment with the Scottish TUC, but others followed, including James Ritchie, who in 1928 was the first RCA member to be its chairman. He was followed by James McInness7 in 1937, and John Ross8 (Glasgow Central) in 1946. Bailie Robert Raffan9 (Aberdeen) became chairman in 1947, representing the Fabian Society, and Thomas Fulton10 in 1975.
The RCA was a strong advocate of Home Rule for Scotland. At the 1918 Annual Conference of the Scottish Labour Party the ILP and the National Executive withdrew their own motions in favour of one proposed by the RCA. This demanded the establishment of a Scottish Parliament, and instructed the EC to bring pressure to bear on the Government to this end.11 Although the RCA's policy on Home Rule was reaffirmed regularly, at the 1921 Annual Conference, to the surprise of many, it was rejected. The subject was not discussed again until 1924, when the conference was held in Edinburgh, and George Mathers, who was the President of the Edinburgh branch of the Scottish Home Rule Association, sought to win the backing of the RCA for "Dominion Self-government for Scotland".12 Graham Gillies supported the resolution, but opposition came from Samuel Leitch13 (Glasgow South), who said that conditions would not be any better under Home Rule as the real problems in Scotland were the same as those throughout the UK, and that such nationalist sentiments would only divide workers.14 Leitch's appeal failed and the resolution was carried. Three years later, at the 1927 Annual Conference of the Scottish Labour Party, George Mathers, on behalf of the RCA, called on the Government to
"summon a representative Scottish Convention to consider the amount of autonomy desired by the people, and to appoint a Committee charged with the duty of working this out in the form of a 'Government of Scotland' Bill, for which the Government should give special facilities to permit of it passing into law with the least possible delay."15
Gallie supported Home Rule but, like Mathers, he rejected sectarian nationalism and consistently argued that Scotland could not survive as a separate economy. Both supported the Home Rule Association16 which, while being non-party, had a pro-Labour stance. Its membership was open to individuals and organisations of every description but despite having more than 300 affiliates it never became a mass movement. The RCA's Executive declined to join and referred the matter to the Scottish Council.17 No action was taken by the Scottish Advisory and the debate continued. The Coatbridge branch was particularly supportive of affiliation to the Home Rule Association; the Dundee branch agreed with its aims, but did not approve of its methods.18 In 1928, when the National Party of Scotland was formed, the Home Rule Association decided not to join and it quickly collapsed. In 1934, the National Party of Scotland and the right-wing Scottish Party came together to form the Scottish National Party.
[1]. Origins of Advisory Council. C. N. Gallie letter P.9418 2nd April 1924.
[2]. Scottish TUC Annual Report 1918.
[3]. I. McKirkle (Glasgow Central). In 1932 she was the first woman member of the RCA to be appointed JP.
[4]. I. Leishman (Glasgow Central). Joined RCA 1928. EC 1945-1951. Represented RCA on Scottish TUC Women's Advisory Council. Awarded TUC Gold Badge 1951. Elected to Paisley Council 1951, became its first woman Provost 1961.
[5]. M. R. Luntz (LT Westminster). EC 1944-1945.
[6]. N. E. Preston (Kilmarnock). Branch secretary and Scottish (Western) Divisional Council Chairman.
[7]. J. Mclnness (Glasgow Central). Glasgow City Councillor 1933-1950, leader Labour Group 1949-1950. MP 1950-1966. Chairman Labour Party Scottish Council 1937-1938.
[8]. J. M. Ross (Glasgow Central). Joined RCA 1906. Chairman Glasgow Political Advisory Council. Governor Glasgow Education Trust On two occasions was interim Secretary of Glasgow Trades Council. Marshal Glasgow May Day Parade 1926-1947. Chairman Labour Party Scottish Council 1946-1947.
[9]. Bailie R.A. Raffan (Aberdeen). Joined RCA 1931. Formed Aberdeen Fabian Society 1924, secretary for 40 years. Elected to Aberdeen Town Council 1943-1950 and 1951-1975. Grampian Region Councillor 1975-1978. Chairman Labour Party Scottish Council 1947-1948.
[10]. T. Fulton (Glasgow MS). Joined RCA 1932. EC 1957-1963. Secretary Glasgow Labour Party; Labour Party Scottish Council 1962-1977, Chairman 1975-1976. Chairman, Transportation and Highways Committee Strathclyde Regional Council.
[11]. Scottish Labour Party Conference Minutes 1918.
[12]. The Railway Service Journal June 1924.
[13]. S. Leitch (Glasgow South). First branch chairman 1921-1929 and 1944-1949. Divisional Council Secretary 1922-1929; Secretary Glasgow Political Advisory Council 1946-1956. NCLC tutor and Glasgow Councillor.
[14]. The Railway Service Journal June 1924.
[15]. Scottish Labour Party Conference Minutes 1927.
[16]. The Home Rule Association was formed in 1866 and re-established in 1918.
[17]. RCA EC Minutes 19th June 1920.
[18]. Dundee branch minutes 18th June 1926.
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association Registered Head Office: Walkden House, 10 Melton Street, London, England
© 1996-2008 TSSA. All rights reserved.