Labour MSPs have failed in an unprecedented bid to shut down Holyrood during a strike by public sector workers.
There were angry scenes in the chamber on Wednesday as the party joined with the Greens in an effort to stop the parliament functioning on November 30 in a gesture of ”solidarity”.
More than two million workers are gearing up for the biggest day of industrial unrest since the 1979 Winter of Discontent in protest at UK Government plans to change pension provisions.
Labour’s parliamentary business manager Paul Martin said MSPs should ”stand shoulder to shoulder” with the workers by closing Holyrood for the day.
He added: ”We do not do this lightly. But this Labour party will stand shoulder to shoulder with workers across Scotland as we always have.”
But parliamentary business manager Bruce Crawford insisted MSPs should come to work as usual and debate the issues causing the strikes.
He said the Scottish Government wanted ”affordable, sustainable and fair” pensions and had made its opposition to the Westminster plans ”abundantly clear”.
The Stirling MSP added: ”We recognise that this is an extremely challenging time for the public sector workers. We have sympathy with the substance of the concerns of the public sector workers and join with them in urging the UK Government to think again.”
He said debating public sector pensions on November 30 was ”the perfect opportunity to shine the light on the failings” of the pensions policy.
”Let me conclude by saying that the purpose of this parliament is to provide the forum and the focus for debate on issues that matter to the people of Scotland,” he added.
”It is clear that the UK Government does not speak for Scotland on this matter and therefore it is even more important that this parliament does speak for Scotland on November 30.
”Finally, let me repeat we are afforded the privilege of being elected to his parliament to represent the people of Scotland that is exactly what we should be doing.”
The Government motion scheduling the debate for November 30 was carried by 83 votes to 36 with one abstention.
If Labour and Green MSPs had successfully voted down the motion it would have cleared the parliamentary timetable for the day something which has not happened since devolution.
After the vote Mr Martin said the SNP had ”missed the irony” of holding a debate on pensions during the strikes.
”They could have held the debate tomorrow or another day next week, but they have nailed themselves to the wrong mast for whatever reason they try and dig up,” he added.
”It is hard to escape the conclusion that the SNP has attempted to pull a fast one, but it has backfired spectacularly and has exposed just how out of touch they are with public sector workers.”
Green MSP Patrick Harvie added: ”It would be entirely unacceptable for parliament to bring in strike-breaking staff or for the chamber to sit in private in these circumstances.
”I will be out with the unions, supporting the parliament’s hard-working staff, and this vote will give all MSPs an opportunity to do the right thing and join them too.”
Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick said the parliament would function as normal.
UK Government ministers have previously criticised unions for planning to continue with the industrial action after a revised offer was put on the table at the start of this month.
Labour MSPs have said they will not attend Holyrood on the day of the strike.
Photo PA