So& Wloirkdersa’ Lirbeirtty y No 254 22 August 2012 30p/80p www.workersliberty.org For a workers’ government

Julian Pussy Riot Robert Hughes’ Assange page 5 Australia page 3 page 13 South Africa: police kill striking miners

Article: page 7 MURDERED FOR PROFIT! NEWS

What is the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty? Spanish workers resist cuts Today one class, the working class, lives by selling its labour power to another, the capitalist class, By John Cunningham most and at a time when it duction in subsidies an - organised groups of trade which owns the means of production. Society will hurt them most.” nounced by the govern - unionist to take food from is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to Despite the return to As if responding directly ment earlier in the year. supermarkets to distribute increase their wealth. Capitalism causes work by Spanish miners, to these words, miners and This has affected the Santa to those worst hit by the re - poverty, unemployment, the blighting of lives by resistance to the govern - their supporters have con - Cruz and Alinos pits, the cession. Dubbed the overwork, imperialism, the destruction of the ment’s austerity meas - tinued their militant tactics. open cast site at Jarrinas, “Robin Hood Mayor” by environment and much else. ures continues. On 9 August there was a and a major coal washing the Spanish press he is now Against the accumulated wealth and power of the The decision by the large demonstration of plant at Alicia de Fabera organising a march on capitalists, the working class has one weapon: solidarity. Spanish miners’ unions to women from the mining re - (all in León and Castile). In Madrid. The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build solidarity call off their strike came as gion in Oviedo, Asturias, total some 400 workers are Whether or not the min - through struggle so that the working class can overthrow a surprise to many ob - while the blocking of roads involved. ers’ unions, having taken capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership servers (including the in certain places has contin - In much of the rest of their men out and then re - of industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy writer of these lines). Nev - ued. Spain unrest continues al - turned to work, can mo - much fuller than the present system, with elected ertheless, in the coalfields In one incident, miners most daily as workers re - bilise them again for representatives recallable at any time and an end to and in much of the rest of intercepted a convoy of lor - sist the austerity measures another all-out strike re - bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. Spain, the situation can ries carrying coal for a imposed by the govern - mains to be seen. We fight for the labour movement to break with “social hardly be described as power station and dumped ment in Madrid. However, we can be cer - partnership” and assert working-class interests militantly “normal”. their loads on the motor - All eyes are currently on tain that there is no short - against the bosses. In announcing the end of way. the small town of Mari - age of anger about the Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, the strike, Felipe López, the In some localities strikes naled in Andalusia where austerity programme supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, General Secretary of the In - have resumed, with miners the mayor, Juan Manuel which has already inflicted helping organise rank-and-file groups. dustrial Section of the working for the Uminsa Sanchez Gordillo, has on the people the highest We are also active among students and in many campaigns Comisiones Obreras group walking out over the earned the wrath of the unemployment rate in the and alliances. (CCOO), stated: “We are cutting of their wages as government (who can’t whFoulrethoef rEaucrotipoen. by min - going to do what will hurt management announced a touch him because his ers and other sectors of We stand for: them [the government] 200 Euro cut in the monthly mayoral office confers legal workers is certain. G Independent working-class representation in politics. most, where it hurts them wage due to the drastic re - immunity) for encouraging G A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the labour movement. G A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to strike, to picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. Pakistan: abolish Tunisia: G Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, education and jobs for all. G A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Full equality for women and social provision to free women the blasphemy law! from the burden of housework. Free abortion on request. Full Islamists equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Black and white workers’ unity against racism. By Dan Katz couple was sentenced to G Open borders. 25 years in 2010 after G Global solidarity against global capital — workers A young Christian girl, being accused of touch - attack artists everywhere have more in common with each other than with Rimsha Masih, has ing the Koran with un - their capitalist or Stalinist rulers. been arrested and her washed hands. G Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest family placed under Someone convicted of workplace or community to global social organisation. protective custody after denigrating Muhammad By Mark Osborn cancelled. Last week the G Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal a Muslim mob in a poor can be sentenced to well-known actor, Lotfi Ab - rights for all nations, against imperialists and predators big part of Islamabad death. Although the In June Salafists — hard- delli, was prevented from and small. threatened to set her death penalty has not line Islamists — attacked performing his comedy act alight for allegedly a Tunis art gallery, spark - G Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. been carried out, at least “100% Halal” by an occu - burning pages of the 20 people who have been ing riots that left one per - G If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity pation of the auditorium. Koran. accused of blasphemy son dead and more than to sell — and join us! Salafist organisations have been murdered. 100 injured. During the were prevented from par - Nine hundred Chris - 020 7394 8923 [email protected] Last month, in south - riots trade union build - ticipating in last year’s Oc - tians living in the slum ern Pakistan a man ac - ings, courts and police tober election. However a neighbourhood, where 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, cused of blasphemy was stations were also at - Salafist party, the Jabhat al- they have lived for al - dragged from a police tacked. Islah (Islamic Reform Front London, SE1 3DG. most two decades, have cell and burnt alive by an ), was officially recognised been forced to leave. A The government then angry crowd. in May. It is campaigning local Mullah told re - banned Islamist marches In January 2011 for the introduction of porters: “We are not apparently organised by Salmaan Taseer, the gov - Sharia law. the groups Hizb ut-Tahrir GET SOLIDARITY upset the Christians have ernor of Punjab, was The leading party in the and Ansar al-Shariah. left and we will be murdered by his body - government is a less-ex - Salafists are now system - pleased if they don't guard because he sup - treme Islamist party, En - atically attacking cultural EVERY WEEK! come back. They have ported Asia Bibi, a nahda. events they regard as “un- done this to provoke the Christian woman sen - “The [aim of the] Salafis Special offers Islamic”. Five people were Muslims, like they have tenced to death under the try to push us,” say Rachid injured on Thursday 16 Au - G Trial sub, 6 issues £5 with their noisy banging law (her case is still going al-Ghannouchi, founder of  gust when Islamists armed and singing from their through higher courts). Ennahda, G 22 issues (six months). £18 waged £9 unwaged churches.” with swords and clubs dis - Obligingly Ennahda has   In March 2011, Shah - drafted a law, yet to be A large group of bigots baz Bhatti, a Catholic, rupted the Bizerte music G 44 issues (year). £35 waged  £17 unwaged  had surrounded the po - and theatre festival. Even - debated in parliament, and a People’s Party which could see anyone lice station and blocked politician and Minister of tually the thugs were dis - G European rate: 28 euros (22 issues) or 50 euros (44 issues) convicted of violating re -   major roads demanding Minority Affairs, was persed by police using tear Masih be charged under gas. ligious values jailed for also assassinated for his up to two years. Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: the state’s blasphemy support of Asia Bibi and Other shows have been 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG law. his prominent opposition Islam is the state reli - Cheques (£) to “AWL”. to the blasphemy law. gion of Pakistan, and al - Religious intolerance is Support Iranian labour activists Or make £ and euro payments at workersliberty.org/sub. though the country’s increasing in Pakistan. blasphemy law is sup - Last week, gunmen exe - Alireza Asgari and Jalil Mohammadi, labour activists posed to uphold offences cuted 25 Shiites after tak - and members of the Coordinating Committee to Name ...... against all religions, it is ing them off a bus near Help Form Workers’ Organisations, were arrested used disproportionately Mansehra, north of Is - when Iranian security forces raided the annual gen - Address ...... against non-Muslims. lamabad. eral meeting of the Committee on 15 June. On Saturday, Hindu Asgari has now been sentenced to serve a year in Over 95% of Pakistanis leaders in Sindh, in the are Muslim, but 50% of prison. Mohammadi, suffering from a deteriorating ...... south of Pakistan, physical condition sustained during his interroga - cases are brought against called on the govern - non-Muslims. tion, was given a three-year suspended sentence. He ...... ment to protect their must report regularly to authorities. This law is draconian. community from forced The penalty for damag - The International Alliance in Support of Workers in I enclose £ ...... conversions by Muslim Iran is organising protests against these sentences. ing a copy of the Koran is extremists. life in prison. A Christian G More details: tinyurl.com/8wllbsg

2 SOLIDARITY NEWS Julian Assange, free speech and rape Circle sacks Hinchingbrooke workers Stop these parasites! By Mark Osborn made. In other words we loway is not on the left. It have every reason to be - is unfortunate that there WikiLeaks founder Julian lieve Assange has a serious are still a few that think he Assange is now holed up case to answer. is (or pretend to for oppor - By Todd Hamer cost improvement plans. in Ecuador’s Embassy, In fact so do his lawyers. tunistic reasons). Never - Circle seem to have a very west London, having At Assange’s extradition theless there is something News of potential job effective PR machine that been granted political hearing one had this to to shock everyone in Gal - losses at Circle-run has managed to spin what asylum by Ecuador’s say: “Nothing I say should loway’s remarks in de - Hinchingbrooke Hospital is looking more and more president, Rafael Correa. be taken as denigrating the fence of Assange: “[Even] has come as no surprise like the disaster we feared Correa says he granted complainants, the genuine - if these allegations made to campaigners who op - it would be into a success. asylum to prevent As - ness of their feelings of re - by these two women are posed a controversial “Many of the so called sange being extradited gret, to trivialise their true… they don’t consti - franchise deal. successes at Hinching - to a “third country”, brooke seem superficial. experience or to challenge tute rape… I mean not Six months into the deal, meaning the US. As predicted, the so called whether they felt As - everyone needs to be which was seen by many sange’s conduct was disre - asked prior to each inser - efficiencies in reality mean There is now a stand-off as a testing ground for the spectful, discourteous, tion.” Galloway’s remarks cuts to services and loss of between the British state future of the NHS, it is ru - disturbing or even push - brought this rebuke from front-line jobs in nursing — which wants to send moured that 50 nursing ing the boundaries of what Katie Russell for Rape Cri - and cleaning staff.” him to Sweden, where he are against him spending and nursing assistant posts they felt comfortable sis, “It is staggering how Parsa says: “we believe faces allegations of rape time in jail for it. We do could go as part of effi - with.” ignorant, factually and our partners — the doc - and sexual assault, follow - not regard the printing of ciency savings. It is also Moreover, while the morally incorrect George tors, nurses and healthcare ing a completed process in such documents by Wik - believed that £500,000 has threat to Assange of seri - Galloway can be.” professionals — should the British courts — and iLeaks as a crime. (In been cut from the cleaning ous US jail-time is real, it is And Rafael Correa is not run their own hospitals.” Assange and his protector, power this is something a budget with staff facing probably the case that he the perfect ally either. He But that begs the question: Correa. workers’ government cuts and redundancies. will be safer in Sweden is one of a series of South what role is left for man - There are two questions would do, on a much When the management than in the UK (Swedish American leaders who agement? And would a here about Assange. grander scale, as a matter of Hinchingbrooke Health - legal safeguards against combine radical rhetoric truly workers-led hospital First, the issue of the of course). care Trust was taken over unjustified extradition to with local repression and consider cutting 46 nursing charges he faces in Swe - The problem now is that by Circle in February min - the US are stronger than is using the Assange case posts and placing an addi - den. the way Assange and some isters declared it was a Britain’s). So it is difficult for self-promotion. Correa tional burden on the re - Second there is his fear of his supporters are pre - 'financial and clinical “bas - to take seriously the link has a poor record on free maining staff? — probably he is correct to senting themselves min - ket case”. At the beginning being made by his sup - speech at home. In 2011, he An article in Health Serv - fear this — that the US imises the importance of of August Circle's ex- porters between extradi - closed a string of radio and ice Journal reveals that Cir - will, at some point, at - the sexual allegations banker boss Ali Parsa an - tion to Sweden and television stations in a bid cle is targetting 32 hospital tempt to get him extra - against him, treating them nounced that he had possible future extradition to silence critics. Accord - trusts in what it sees as an dited to face charges that as either minor details or turned the hospital to the US (in other words ing to Human Rights £8 billion “NHS growth WikiLeaks published se - as part of a conspiracy by around, reducing waiting the legal proceedings in Watch, five journalists opportunity” cret US documents, and the US to discredit As - times and improving pa - Sweden are not a pretext to were jailed for “disrespect - The George Eliot Hospi - that if the Americans suc - sange and/or make it eas - tient satisfaction. make it easier for Assange ing” the government be - tal Trust in Warwickshire ceed in getting their hands ier for the US to extradite The Tory press went to be whisked off to Amer - tween 2008 and 2011. may be next in line for the on him they will lock him him. (Or, in the case of wild with joy citing private ica.) Of course Julian Assange Circle treatment with the up and throw away the George Galloway, treating sector management as the Last Sunday Assange might argue he is little Department of Health set key. the alleged rapes as both saviour of the NHS. How - made a statement from the choice in the friends he to announce soon on Solidarity considers As - minor matters and as part ever, as Hands off Hinch - embassy balcony, to wait - chooses. In 1937 Trotsky whether it is suitable for sange innocent of the rape of a US conspiracy). ingbrooke campaigner, ing media and supporters. took refuge in Mexico, run private franchise manage - charges until proven The Swedish state’s legal Steve Sweeney, Secretary He failed to mention the by a radical and repressive ment. guilty. We do not know if system is independent and of Huntingdonshire Trades We must link up the case he faces in Sweden, nationalist regime. he is guilty or not, and we does not simply deliver A difference, of course, Union Council points out: battle for a publically concentrating instead on know he denies the verdicts at the whim of between Trotsky and As - “Circle made a loss of £2.3 owned, funded and ac - the US threat to Wik - charges. But we certainly Swedish politicians or, still sange is that Trotsky million in the months up to countable NHS and kick iLeaks. That underlines the think he should go to Swe - less, Washington. Swedish was trying to stop Stalin June 2012 and is believed out these private sector suspicion that Assange den and answer the allega - law requires evidence silencing him, (eventually to require a loan to meet its parasites. fails to take the charges se - tions. showing “probable cause” killing him) — and As - riously. And he should. Secondly, whether he is for believing the crime was sange appears to be try - And so should the left. guilty or not of publishing committed, before any ex - ing to avoid a rape case. Of course George Gal - US secret documents, we tradition request can be Fight imperialism, denigrate women...

By Gerry Bates attacks (as if women who perialist hero, Assange. The possibility that a have been sexually as - Alan Woods of the Inter - bourgeois state might wish Labour rebuild the NHS! The Assange case has saulted are obliged to be - national Marxist Tendency to try Assange for a serious shone a light on the de - have in a particular way); has written a long article crime appears not to have LOBBY THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE gree of the political de - seizing on their every delay denouncing a CIA plot occurred to Woods — per - generacy of parts of the in bringing the case and against Assange. Woods haps it is just not as attrac - left. forensically examining dismisses the idea that the tive as his conspiracy Sunday 30 September, 2.30 Women's rights, and re - every conceivable discrep - Swedish government might theories. gard for the rights of vic - ancy in their stories. want to extradite Assange More ludicrous still, tims of rape and sexual Apart from the well- because he has a case to an - Woods claims that the de - onwards assault have fallen by the known reactionary George swer in court: ”The fence of Assange is crucial wayside in the Assange Galloway's claim that “not Swedish Tartuffes try to to “the defence of demo - Manchester Central case. Put aside because of a everyone needs to be asked mask their treachery with a cratic rights” against capi - perceived conflict with prior to each insertion”, ‘progressive’ colouring. talist attempts to “put the perhaps the worst behav - Their persecution of As - principles of “anti-imperi - clock back a hundred Convention Complex, iour in this regard comes sange, you see, has nothing alism”. Facts and politics years”. from the maverick former to do with his anti-Ameri - are interpreted through the But the right to pursue a British ambassador to can activities. Oh no! It is to Petersfield, Manchester lens of conspiracy theories. rapist through the courts; The limited legal protec - Uzbekistan, Craig Murray. do with the defence of Murray even named one ‘women’s rights’.” to remain anonymous; and tions against sexual abuse, to be taken seriously is also often won through strug - of Assange’s accusers on Woods writes reams of More: email: a democratic right, won gle, can be dismissed as the BBC show Newsnight , a conspiracy-theory shtick through struggle, which “capitalist justice” and shocking breach of the dressed up as international [email protected] therefore grounds for dis - woman’s right to political analysis. Smears should be defended — missing the allegations anonymity. like this are “the oldest even under a severely lim - 07904 944 771 here! But for many defenders tricks in the arsenal of the ited capitalist justice sys - labournhslobby.wordpress.com Many “left-wing” com - of Assange, these women CIA”; and “the govern - temIn. fact it is so-called mentators are employing are simply elements in a ment of Sweden is in the “leftwingers” who defend Supporters include Unite North West region, the traditional tools of CIA plot and therefore do pockets of the Americans. Assange by wrapping the misogynists against the not deserve the rights and A single phone call would facts up in conspiracy Merseyside Trades Council, Wirral Trades Council, women in this case, seeking protections that other suffice to obtain the most theory who want to turn Wirral South CLP, Labour Representation Committee to undermine their credibil - women do. How do they enthusiastic participation back the clock on these ity by analysing their be - know this? Because they of Stockholm in this dis - hard-won rights. haviour at the time of the are accusing their anti-im - gusting witch hunt.” SOLIDARITY 3 IN DEPTH The riots, one year on

By Tom Harris When the London School Met report says the demon - is morally defensible. But poverty was blamed on a of Economics surveyed stration was to be policed there is more to say. lack of “moral character” Now, as at the time, those involved in rioting, in “facilitative” manner, As Guardian journalist and family break-down. much of the political es - the complaint of regular but with a Tactical Support Gary Younge has argued, Impoverishment had less tablishment and media police harassment, “humili - Group and anti-knife unit “insisting on the criminal - to do with a 50% unem - has marked the anniver - ation, unjust suspicion and held in reserve. Neither the ity of those involved, as ployment rate among black sary of the 2011 riots with lack of respect” was made duty inspector nor the chief though alone that explains youth, and more to do with moralism and shrill de - in every city in which re - inspector were able to an - the motivation and the con - a lack of father figures. The nunciations, but very little search took place, “by in - swer the demands of the text is irrelevant, is fatu - solution? Councils should in the way of objective terviewees of different protesters, and a call was ous.” encourage community vol - analysis. racial groups and ages”. made to a senior officer to The problem for the To - unteers, “local uniformed This sense of resentment come to Tottenham. ries and other bourgeois organisations” such as In contrast, the journal and injustice was exacer - politicians was they felt scout groups and girl Race and Class published an bated by the nature of THROWN ing and social inequality compelled not only to de - guides. article by Warwick Univer - Mark Duggan’s death. Fol - As darkness fell, anger were things they were nounce the violence and to Failing schools, rather sity academic Lee Bridges lowing his shooting by the boiled over and by the meant to acknowledge and promise to restore order, than needing support, examining the evidence. It Metropolitan Police, his time the officer had ar - condemn. but also to provide some should be penalised. These draws a markedly different family were not contacted rived, missiles had al - Lammy got round this explanation for what had same schools should be set of conclusions. by either the Met or the In - ready been thrown at contradiction by seeking to taken place. monitored for “building Bridges’ account places dependent Police Com - police lines and police draw a line between the character” in their pupils. the riots in context: the plaints Commission (IPCC) vehicles had been set past, where racist policing ENRAGED The grotesqueness of these killing of Mark Duggan by for several days. alight. and social exclusion did Why had so many people suggestions contrasts with the Metropolitan Police in take place, and the present, felt so enraged and dis - There was no explana - The Met/IPCC report of the grim reality of Britain’s Tottenham took place in an where, those factors having enfranchised that attack - tion or apology and no sen - this first night of rioting poorest areas. area of long-standing ten - vanished, rioting must be ing the state, as well as ior police officer visited shows that the narrative In Haringey eight out of sion between the local com - the product of “sinister ele - burning down portions of Tottenham. provided by politicians and 12 youth groups have been munity and the police. ments” with “mindless” their own neighbour - Popular anger in Totten - the mainstream press is not closed due to Tory auster - Tottenham MP David impulses. hoods, had seemed like ham was further stoked by accurate. ity, with the rest under Lammy made much of sup - The Tottenham riots were an attractive idea? a lack of police response to The next day, local MPs threat. Social support and posed improvements in re - different from the Broad - stories in the press. News - blamed the riots on “mind - Any serious answer, that employment services have lations, but statistics water Farm riots of 1985, papers described Duggan’s less, mindless people”, fu - takes into account poverty been slashed, with replace - suggest otherwise. 6,894 Lammy explained, because death as having followed a elled by “nihilism” and and unemployment, racism ment Youth Work Promise stop and searches had while the 1985 riot shoot-out with police, one “hedonism”. And yet the and disenfranchisement, schemes not guaranteeing taken place in the local bor - (sparked by the death of a officer supposedly having Met’s own report does not would require a change of employment until two ough of Haringey in the black woman during a po - been hit. describe a mass outbreak of policy to address these years of a candidate not three months preceding lice raid of her home) was This, it later emerged, theft but a lashing out at issue. Since such policies having work. June 2011; only 87 resulted sparked by racial tensions was false, but no denial the police. Looting of shops run counter to the interests The Tories tell poor in arrest and conviction. and abrasive policing, this was made by either the Met was primarily to get bottles of the Tories, a different ex - young people to buck up National statistics show had since “improved im - or the IPCC. Reports of and other objects to throw planation had to be found. their ideas, that poverty is police stop and searches measurably”, leaving very Duggan having been “a at the police. Examples of such expla - their own fault, while si - have increased in recent little reason for grievance. well-known gangster” (a After the riots had ended nations, and suggested multaneously cutting any years and continue to be The testimonies of many claim denied by the com - David Cameron described remedies, could be found means for the same people disproportionately targeted residents of Tottenham con - munity and family), and them as “criminality, pure in the report of the Riots to Timhep rleovfte m thuesirt spirtouvaitdioe n. at black and Asian youth. tradict this claim. even a claim that he had and simple”, Nick Clegg Communities and Victims an alternative to this Many of the young black None of this is to deny been dragged from his inveighed against “need - Panel (RCVP). drivel. A world free of people targeted by police that looting and theft did minicab, held down and less and opportunist theft The RCVP, set-up on a these miseries is possi - today come from families make up a larger element shot, all met with silence. and violence”. cross-party basis in place of ble, and the rage of the where parents and grand - of the rioting in other parts A peaceful protest was More awkward was the a judge-led inquiry, pro - riots can be channelled parents suffered similar of the city and the country. staged, the plan being to position of Labour politi - duced conclusions Victo - into a militant and trans - discrimination. Or to imply that that burn - march to the local police cians, eager to jump on a rian in their outlook. While formative political strug - Police harrassment has ing down homes, or the station and demand infor - moral band-wagon, but the riots were indeed gle. not been limited to black other hurt people suffered mation on the killings. The also aware that racist polic - linked to poverty, this communities in London. when the looting occurred Organising postgraduate workers

Jenny Thatcher from the quickly realised that we average of something like There are particular is - persuade individuals but a welcoming, non-sectarian Postgraduate Workers’ As - wanted to work with them. £4. Quite a few were paid sues facing international higher profile and more ac - campaigning organisation. sociation spoke to Solidar - Their anti-casualisation as little as £3! students: when they arrive tive union presence and I’d like to see a good gen - ity about the campaign. committee has been really Then there are related is - they often find there is no campaign would help a lot. der balance among our ac - At first I saw PhD stu - helpful and we’ve worked sues linked to casualisa - work. Some are given bur - Hopefully, our work with tivists, and more students dents working for free as together very closely. tion, like the demand for saries for their fees, but in the UCU anti-casualisation from “non-traditional back - a local, internal issue at The biggest issue facing sick pay and holiday pay. return have to work for free committee will raise the grounds”, for instance stu - my university, University postgraduate research stu - That’s if postgrads are a number of hours, which union’s profile with post - dent parents, mature of East London. But when dents is not being paid for lucky enough to get paid means that they can’t do grads. students, and students I set up a Facebook much of the work we do. teaching work at all. any other jobs. We also need to think from ethnic minorities. group, “PhD students Most of us have contracts, There’s an assumption that I’ve also heard of PGCE about the issue of what We need to expand the should not work for free”, fixing how much we are you’ll get teaching, but students – people training postgrads do and what uni - range of subjects we are I started to get emails, paid per hour, but these with funding cuts, more to be school teachers – versities try to force them working in, and do re - first from people at Uni - contracts make assump - and more work is being being told they have to do to do during strikes. At search and campaigning in versity of London univer - tions about how much time piled onto established lec - university teaching as part UEL, where the unions are those areas. We also need sities, and then from we need for preparation turers and there’s less and of their training. This is a well organised, the uni has to move beyond academic across the country. and marking, assumptions less for postgrads – just as very worrying develop - simply shut down, but in study and help organise which drastically underes - in society as a whole there ment. other places it may be more vocational postgrads in There was a general feel - timate. It means we are is more unemployment and What I think we’d like to of an issue. areas like teaching and so - ing that we needed a na - generally very low paid. simultaneously workers are see from UCU is a higher From student unions, the cial work. tional campaign, and the The British Postgraduate working harder and longer. profile campaign to recruit first thing I’d like to see is We have plans for a na - Postgraduate Workers’ As - Philosophy Association did In other words, lecturers and organise postgradu - some detailed research on tional conference in the au - sociation (PGWA) came out a survey which found that and postgrads are sharing ates. Often now people the situation at their insti - tumn and for a postgrad of that. the average rate per hour, the fate of the broader come to me with their tutions, followed by local bloc on the NUS national We had our first meeting in real terms, at one univer - working class. problems, but they’re not campaigns. At UCL they al - demo and maybe the TUC on 28 April, and a bigger sity was £4.79. I understand why some part of the union and often ready had a good cam - deIm aols too oh. ope we will meeting, more of a confer - The Philosophy Post - lecturers, under more and resist joining. That’s not paign when we started, but bring about a change in ence, on 26 May, which was graduate Association did more pressure, welcome surprising when PhD stu - many SUs still don’t. At the way postgraduates covered by the Independent . some research; they di - postgrads working for free, dents have been threat - UEL the SU has been quite are viewed, so it is under - It was there that we for - vided the amount post - helping them with marking ened, when they’re afraid reluctant to get involved. stood that we are work - mally launched the PGWA. grads were paid by the and so on. But that is more they won’t get jobs if they I’d like to see the PGWA ers facing exploitation I think UCU were wor - amount of hours they re - reason why everyone has join. grow and draw in many and not just students. ried initially, but they ally worked, and found an to be organised to resist. Obviously we have to more activists, as a broad, 4 SOLIDARITY INTERNATIONAL Pussy Riot: performance and protest

By Saraid Dodd come accompaniment to their manipulation of mate - defending our existing free - the protest at the Russian rial. doms and public services Nadya Tolokonnikova, Embassy and other solidar - These women, by their and fighting for freedoms Maria Alekhina and Yeka - ity actions that took place own description, are ac - not yet won, such as those terina Samutsevich, three around the world, not least tivists and artists. In their of migrant workers on less members of Russian because these women em - testimonies they make it than a living wage. It is in punk band “Pussy Riot”, body political theatre. If a clear that they are disciples this vein that we should have been sentenced to theatrical institution claims of the Russian absurdist two years in jail for to be political, it should poets of 1937, purged support Pussy Riot. “hooliganism” for per - pay tribute to and agitate under Stalin. So, is a reading in the forming their “Punk for these women. Despite Royal Court, whose spon - Prayer” at Christ the Sav - the name, the Royal Court ENVIRONMENTAL sors include Moet & Chan - iour Cathedral, Russia’s is a political theatre. They also refer to their don, likely to provoke any main Christian Orthodox Pussy Riot defendant Nadya Tolokonnikova own environmental ac - real sense of solidarity be - tivism, they criticise the place of worship. POLITICAL THEATRE yond champagne anar - The Royal Court Theatre role of corporations in As part of their trial on 8 There was something un - about the patronage of po - chism? Yes, I think so. In was born in 1956 in direct comfortable, however, litical causes within theatre their country’s gover - August, the women read response to the staid and nance, and they seek to bringing those words to testimonies out in court. about the air of self-con - establishments. Do we light, for free, they have de - archaic theatre of the gratulation among some have a right to “observe” expose the hypocrisy be - When each speech was met liver the women’s words time. audience members at this such politics through the hind the Kremlin’s manip - with applause, the Judge event. It struck me that, refracted process of per - ulation of Russian with integrity and authen - (Marina Syrova) re - Its early productions, in - like Madonna, Paul Mc - formance without then fol - Orthodoxy for political ticity. It is what we do with sponded: “We are not in a cluding Edward Bond’s Cartney and David lowing it up with action? ends. these words that matters theatre.” “Saved” and John Os - Cameron himself, it is a Or even turning our minds beyond the performance. It was an apt response, borne’s “Look Back in Although they acknowl - trend among liberal pock - to millions of similar in - We, as audience and ac - therefore, for London’s Anger” , presented a direct edge the support of ets of society to pat them - stances over which people Royal Court Theatre to challenge to the state; par - Madonna, and even David tivists, must force theatres selves on the back for being are saying nothing at all? stage readings of the testi - ticularly the official censors Cameron, in their testi - to respond to the politics successfully “free”. Why are we not hearing monies, translated by Sasha of the London stage, the monies, I believe they around them. Perhaps the Mainstream responses to about the three-year jail Dugdale, on the day of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office. would prefer for their trial Royal Court’s commitment the Olympics opening cere - sentence handed (the day verdict, 17 August. Three It was the healthy move - to illuminate injustices to a “Pussy Riot” season mony were a perfect exam - before the Pussy Riot trial) actresses performed these ment of playwrights, direc - against protesters world - will provide an opportu - ple of this. We are happy to to Bahraini Nabeel Rajab testimonies with humility. tors, actors and, most wide; from Nabeel Rajab to celebrate our multicultural - for three peaceful protests nity for work that breaks They read directly from the important, audience behind the 182 cyclists arrested for ism and equality within the against the oppressive down the division between this theatre that eventually protesting peacefully out - scripts, retaining an appro - safe parameters of per - Sunni al-Khalifa dynasty? art and activism. led to the abolition of the side the Olympic Stadium If the working class priate distance from their formance, but less willing Where is Madonna’s anger Lord Chamberlain’s Office, on 27 July. cannot force this, Pussy speeches so as to remind to protest against Olympic over that? and subsequently theatrical I’d like to believe that Riot fever will fade into the audience that they were security providers, G4S, In Tolokonnikova’s testi - artistic insignificance. simply vessels for the censorship at large, in 1968. over their racist murder of mony, she decries the “low Nadya, Maria and Yekate - words. The readings were Defending Pussy Riot Angolan refugee Jimmy level of political culture” in rina, were they London res - G free and performed in the chimes well with the Royal idents, would be just as Pussy Riot testimonies Mubenga. her society. She labels the here: tinyurl.com/csdmo8u theatre bar, which was Court’s raison d’etre: free - It is with this in mind, mainstream media outlets active against the “low G Pussy Riot lyrics here: packed to capacity. dom from censorship and that I am somewhat cynical of Russia as scandalous in level political culture” that This event was a wel - interference in art. prevents the majority from tinyurl.com/cd3ba8g The bases of Putin’s popularity

Pussy Riot have garnered is still low. “Confidence” in when it cut off the gas sup - elected president for the (33%) over “the political with higher prices for oil; international support, but the church has risen from ply to Ukraine (and hence new longer term of six system that exists today” Putin has laid out plans to ordinary Russians have 39% in 1996 to 52% in 2010. to much of Europe) in win - years. If he stands again in (25%),“the Soviet system as diversify the economy so been less sympathetic. The Orthodox church ter 2005-6. 2018 he could be Russian it existed before perestroika that its prosperity depends Vicki Morris looks at some was not outlawed under In recent years Russia president until 2024. [economic restructuring]” less on energy exports. of the political back - Stalinism, but there were forms part of the BRIC After 1993, when presi - (14%) and “Western Continued acquiescence ground to the story. not enough churches to (Brazil, Russia, India, dent Yeltsin staged a semi- democracy” (14%). in Putin’s reign will de - cater to all Russians. With China) group of economies coup against the Duma In 2008, Russians pre - THE CHURCH the programme of political that are expected to domi - (Parliament), Russia be - ferred an economic system pend on acceptable eco - Pussy Riot’s “Punk reform opened by Mikhail nate in the 21st century. came a “super-presidency”, “based on state planning nomic performance. Prayer” criticised the Gorbachev in the late Other signs that Putin with massive powers in - and redistribution” to one OPPOSITION close political relation - 1980s, which included feels he enjoys freedom in cluding to appoint all min - based on “private property Putin has also won sup - ship of President Putin granting freedom of wor - international relations in - isters. The president and market relations.” and the head of the Or - ship, the church was al - clude the Litvinenko affair; controls much of the And, for all Putin’s popu - port for clamping down thodox church, Patriarch ways likely to grow. and supporting the Assad media. International ob - larity, in 2008 Russians still on the rampant criminal - Kirill, in what is supposed Many Russians have regime in Syria. He is likely servers describe Russia as preferred a system with a ity that has burst out in still to be a secular state. been shocked by what they to brazen out the furore an authoritarian state. Duma and elections (58%) the post-communist era; around Pussy Riot. The Duma’s influence is The state grants a role for saw as Pussy Riot’s lack of over “a single, strong but the repressive state respect to the Church, and This cocksureness gener - small; arch-criminals have leader” (32%). apparatus can be used the Orthodox church — ally plays well with the got themselves elected to along with the other “tradi - now Putin is using the against political oppo - Pussy Riot case to try and Russian public, many of the Duma just to enjoy im - ECONOMY tional” religions of Bud - nents as well as against discredit dissent in general. whom resent Russia’s fall munity from prosecution. Putin has presided over dhism, Islam and Judaism. from superpower status. Party politics in Russia is increasing prosperity, al - criminal gangs. It suits the state to manage INTERNATIONAL Former KGB man under-developed. People beit from a catastrophic Putin’s critics must be relationships with a few Vladimir Putin was made do not vote according to base in the 1990s. OPINION very brave. There have faiths. The Orthodox Putin doesn’t much care Prime Minister under Rus - left/right political cleav - been unpunished murders church guards its position about international opin - sia’s first post-communist ages. In a 2008 survey only After breakneck privati - against other Christian de - ion and makes the case era president Boris Yeltsin 28% of Russians could sation and economic liber - of investigative journalists, nominations. It is the Russ - to Russians that the west in 1999. place themselves on this alisation, GDP in 1999 was for example, Anna ian nature of the church 55% what it had been in is trying to meddle in a Putin was in turn elected spectrum, and only 36% PoTlihtkeorev swkaeyrea ilna r2g0e 06. that is its strongest suit. president in 2000 and then were interested in politics. 1989. In 1993 a third of the country that it doesn’t protests in December In 2010 70% of Russians understand. again in 2004. Since Rus - Most Russians preferred population, 50 million peo - declared themselves to be sians are not allowed to “The current system” (36%) ple, lived below subsis - 2011 against unfair Duma orthodox — more than be - His room for independ - serve as president for more to “Democracy as in the tence. elections, and again lieve in God — compared ence in international affairs than two consecutive Western countries” (15%) Surveys show that Rus - around the presidential to 44% in 1996. Russians is large. Depending on the terms, he next filled the or “The Soviet system as it sians worry about rising election in 2012. And now who describe themselves as measure, Russia is either post of Prime Minister in existed before the 1990s” prices, poverty and unem - there is Pussy Riot... “not religious” have de - the world’s sixth or ninth 2008 while his younger (24%). Another survey, in ployment more than any - G creased from 43% in 1996 biggest economy; the im - protégé Dmitry Medvedev 2010, however, saw Rus - thing else. Figures cited are from to 21% in 2010. Church at - portance of Russia’s oil and took a turn as president. In sians favouring “a more Russia’s economic posi - Stephen White, Understand - tendance has increased but gas reserves were shown March 2012 Putin was re- democratic Soviet system” tion improved in the 2000s ing Russian Politics (2011). SOLIDARITY 5 COMMENT Assange, Assad and anti-imperialism

At first sight, any connection between the Assange affair whether or not any given group is being armed by the West. and the civil war in Syria would seem tenuous. But in - That Rees describes as imperialist intervention, defined evitably it again raises the same question of relevant prism. here not as boots on the ground, or even the imposition of A number of prominent leftwing figures — including no fly zones as cover for rebel actions, but the supply of George Galloway, Tariq Ali and John Rees — are withhold - weaponry. ing support from all or part of the Syrian opposition, on the Not only is Britain putting up £5 million-worth of what is Dave Osler grounds that their victory would work to the advantage of officially described as non-lethal aid to opposition forces, imperialism in the Middle East. but the rebels are being openly equipped by Turkey, Saudi I don’t quite know where to start unpacking the claim In an online article titled “Syria, the left and a revolution Arabia and Qatar, presumably with the State Department that socialist feminists who feel that Julian Assange has divided”, Rees even raises the matter to the level of philos - giving the nod. a case to answer are really “liberals” who “don’t mind ophy, appealing to what is known in the work of Lukacs as Yet the reality is that fighters locked in life or death com - being raped by imperialist ideology”. “the standpoint of the totality”. bat are going to take arms from wherever they can source Yet such a contention — which would have been inexcus - Just as the disembodied notion of imperialism is for some them. They would be mad not to; it really is ludicrous to ably offensive even if there were any indications that it was the primary consideration in deciding whether Assange make support conditional on them turning down guns meant sardonically — was recently advanced in all serious - should face trial for rape, so the prospect of imperialist in - tainted by imperialist provenance. ness by a Trotskyist bloke on an AWL woman member’s tervention decides whether any given set of insurgents tak - It does increasingly look like Assad is doomed. At this Facebook page. ing on the Assad regime can be considered progressive stage, no one can say for certain what will emerge from the Although I have to confess that a shameful lack of knowl - forces. wreckage. It won’t be socialist, and it may well be some edge of feminist theory leaves me open to much gentle rib - ASSAD form of government that neither the international left nor bing from female comrades, even I was taken aback by the the White House will find congenial. I don’t quite buy the logic here. For starters, Assad’s On the other hand, the demonstration effect of how a obvious sheer odious sexism inherent in such a sentiment. anti-imperialist credentials are pretty dubious. He was If nothing else, there’s more than a nod here to the dis - murderous regime can be taken on and beaten will prove entirely ready to line up behind Washington in the 1991 inspirational at a global level. Conversely, defeat will de - gusting stereotype that “girls”, to use the term the interlocu - war on Iraq, for instance. tor deployed, all secretly harbour rape fantasies. moralise many other struggles. That AWL women elected to continue the debate, rather Prior to the uprising, Syria was just another readily-compli - Meanwhile, the Assange case has brought to the fore nu - than simply clicking the “defriend” button, is a credit to ant petro-tyranny, happily pumping crude to anyone pre - merous arguments concerning the niceties of the Swedish their patience. pared to pay for it, and no special irritant to the global legal system; are the offences of which he has been accused But while most Assange supporters thankfully have the hegemon. rape within the meaning of that term under English law? tact not to express themselves quite so clumsily, the belief Assad is a brutal dictator, and socialists should be entirely Has he actually been charged with rape or not? Hey, maybe that anti-imperialism represents a get out of jail free card is happy with the prospect of his overthrow. Rees, to give him this was all a CIA honeytrap? frighteningly widespread on the left. his due, states that he feels that way too. The trouble is, he Much of the quibbling is by way of obfuscation. Even For instance, one Trotskyist group in the US is holding a is somewhat picky about who can be entrusted with the those of us entirely without legal qualification can grasp the series of student meetings under the title “imperialist diplo - task. basic point that forced penetrative sex without consent is macy exposed: behind the witch-hunt of WikiLeaks”, while The Syrian opposition is deeply divided, of course. Most rape in any moral or common sense meaning of the term. leftist blogs freely pronounce that “WikiLeaks faces persecu - reports indicate that Islamism is the dominant strand, al - None of this is to presume Assange’s guilt; it is merely to tion for exposing US imperialism”. though other currents are Kurdish nationalist, liberal-secu - state that what he is said to have done cannot be shrugged Even the Guardian , while arguing that Assange must in - larist or ostensibly socialist in orientation. off as irrelevant. deed face his accusers in Sweden, argues with implicit ap - How some people can consider the Muslim Brotherhood The mistake in both instances is to imagine there is a sim - proval that in offering him asylum, “Ecuador has found a as a manifestation of anti-imperialism in the Egyptian con - ple read-off from a macro level analysis of imperialism to way to tweak the tail of the imperialist lion”. text, and quite the opposite when it comes to Syria, I am not reaching conclusions on a practical course of political ac - In other words, US complicity at the highest level is taken quite sure. tioTnh, ele alevfitn gs heovuerldy ostihmeur lctaonseioduersalyti oonp opuots oef itmhep eqriuaalitsiomn,. as read. The chance that this might be a legitimate accusa - What seems to differentiate these currents in Rees’ mind extend critical backing to the Syrian revolution and up - tion of serious crime rather than a circuitous plot to get As - — although he is careful not to specify which ones he likes hold a woman’s right to say no. The three are in no way sange banged up in a US military base is ruled out a priori. and which ones he doesn’t — is not ideology as such but contradictory.

bureacracy when they sell out, with a willingness to give due credit to them when (as sometimes happens), they do, The riots and the left broadly, the right thing. It’s called honest accounting and it’s a lesson some of us learned from reading Farrell Dobbs’ Despite the politics behind the riots it was frustrating that Letters invaluable books (notably Teamster Rebellion ) about the Min - many on the far-left disregarded or tried to lessen the signif - neapolis Teamsters union when it was led by Trotskyists. icance of how ordinary working class people had been af - At one point the Trotskyists recommended calling off a fected by the riots. In particular the SWP who more or less strike when the central demand (union recognition) had poo-pooed peoples’ homes being burnt and said that the been met, but with a concession on the question of accept - amount of people being evicted because of Tory cuts more A defeat?! ing arbitration (a much more serious concession than any - or less cancelled that out. thing accepted by Unite during the bus dispute, by the 20,000 London bus workers win a clear-cut victory in The SWP in particular showed themselves to be very out way). The Stalinists opportunistically seized upon this con - of touch with working-class people many of whom were the first London-wide bus strike since 1982. Unite’s de - cession to accuse the strike leaders of “selling out”. The US mand was for a £500 bonus payment to compensate for angry about the riots and did not feel that much of what Trotskyist leader Jim Cannon replied in scathing terms that was taking place, particularly the muggings and the burn - the increased workload caused by the Olympics and could be applied to the author of the Solidarity article: they finally won £577. ing of homes represented them and their feelings towards “This [ie arbitration] is a serious concession which the the cuts or the police. What is the response published in Solidarity ? Not to cele - union officials felt it necessary to make under the circum - Also many middle class anarchists lumped small shops brate the victory — oh no! That would be too simple and stances in order to secure recognition of the union and con - in with big corperations arguing both are guilty of property waste the opportunity to attack the London leadership of solidate it in the next period... The board will meet under theft and therefore both jusitfiable targets for burning and Unite. So the unnamed author of the piece that Solidarity the direct impression of the 10-day strike and with the con - looting. Many of these shops are owned by Asians. published belittles the result as “a very minor and limited sciousness that the union is strong and militant. That, in our Dan Factor victory” and even dismisses the campaign for the bonus as opinion, is the fundamentally decisive feature of the results a “diversion.” ( Solidarity 253, ‘London bus workers’ victory of the Minneapolis strike — the indubitable establishment I was in Chapeltown in Leeds on the Tuesday night when is bittersweet’.) of a new union where none existed before. All the plans of the riots almost spread to Leeds. The reason it didn’t is The ostensible “reasons” for this extraordinary piece of the leaders and organizers were directed to this end as the partly down to the actions of working-class people in chemically-pure sectarianism are 1. that “those off sick, or first objective in a long campaign. The struggle was centered Chapeltown. There was a march by local women calling for on holiday or having rest days will lose out” (yup: that’s around the issue and was crowned with success. On that peace. I talked to some older black men who said they were usually the way with bonus payments), 2. that Unite won basis further steps forward can be made. To speak of such an going to patrol the area and send the youths home if they without defying the anti-union laws (ultra-left lunacy not outcome as a ‘defeat’ is simply absurd.” were out on the street. Politically problematic no doubt but worthy of replying to), 3. that the demands of the strike Okay, the author of the Solidarity piece didn’t use the these were working class people organising for themselves. should have been changed and the action continued into the word “defeat”, but he might as well have done given the They were much more on their way to conscious work - Olympics themselves so as to win back “all we lost in recent negative, carping (and none-too-honest) tone and content ing-class politics then many of the rioters. If I had ap - years” (did I say that point 2 was “ultra-left”? Not in com - of tWhe abretilcolneg. to the serious industrial tradition of Dobbs proached them telling them that a potetial riot in their parison with point 3, it isn’t!). and Cannon, not the destructive tradition of third-pe - community was good because it was a "insurrection" Actually, it is perfectly obvious that the anonymous au - riod Stalinism and ultra-left posturing that permeated against cuts they would have rightly told me where to go. thor’s real reason for disparaging the outcome of the action everything in the Solidarity article. Anger at oppression is the start of working-class fightback is a personal grievance against the London Unite leadership, but we should always argue for that to be channelled into including the lay leaders of the dispute (the reps who Jim Denham (Unite member) conscious political action and not be afraid to oppose forms agreed the demands and recommended calling off the dis - Editorial note: the piece Jim criticises was originally a in - of that anger that harm working class solidarity. pute). That’s why they cannot bring themself to acknowl - terview with a long-time Unite member and bus driver who David Kirk edge that a real victory was achieved one that can and must is not an AWL member and who requested, as often hap - (Both contributions from website discussion) provide the basis for further united action including an all- pens, to remain anonymous. The piece was not the “posi - London pay claim next year. tion” of Solidarity , and as a general rule not all articles in the What shocked and disappointed me wasn’t just the neg - paper reflect our policy. We stand by our decision to elicit Discussion about same-sex marriage ative, carping tone of the piece, but the fact that it represents the opinions of this driver but accept it would have been http://www.workersliberty.org/node/19326 a real departure from Solidarity ’s (and the AWL’s) long- better to have clearly indicated this was an external contri - standing tradition of combining sharp criticism of the union bution, and presented it as such. 6 SOLIDARITY WHAT WE SAY The gold mines of today’s South Africa

Murdered for profit! The Socialist Party of Azania argue that when apartheid ended South African bosses “won” the unimpeded right to exploit the working-class and to strike-break, locking- out workers, as a matter of course, when they have a dis - 34 striking miners were killed when police opened fire But the global economic crisis has hit the platinum indus - pute. That settlement, CODESA [Convention for a at a Lonmin PLC platinum mine, Marikana, South Africa try; low prices have followed a slump in the auto industry Democratic South Africa], is in large part to blame for the on Thursday 16 August. Nearly 80 have been reported as platinum is a key ingredient for catalytic converters. As tragedy at Marikina they say. To help our understanding injured. Over 250 people were arrested on the same in South Africa’s gold mines (where the workforce has been of the events we reprint an extract from their statement on day. halved), platinum bosses want to put the screws on the the massacre. This is a shocking event, reminiscent of how the apartheid workers. The Marikina massacre is the direct outcome of police “shot to kill” at protests. It has rightly been con - Prior to the shooting, Lonmin had threatened to sack the CODESA, where workers are first expelled from the demned by the labour movements around the world. workers. Thursday 16 August was earmarked by both the premises of the mines where they are employed and Workers at the platinum mine had been on strike for a de - company and the bosses as the day on which the strike further forcefully removed from wherever they choose cent wage and a week earlier 10 people had been killed (in - would be broken. to assemble. Any resistance is thereafter met with ab - cluding two police). Afterwards Lonmin disingenuously characterised the as - solute brute force and sometimes by deadly force like it The strike was initiated by rock drillers, under the leader - sault on the miners as “just a police operation”, as if their at - is in the case in Marikina. Protection of property is al - ship of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction titude to the workers had nothing to do with it! They have ways placed way above any interests including human Union (AMCU). The rock drillers undertake the most diffi - blood on their hands for this massacre, and blood on their life. cult and dangerous work at the mine and earn just R4,000 a hands for all the miners who have been maimed and killed month (£305). They were demanding R12,500. One striking in their mines down the years. Marikina has poignantly raised two issues: one is the miner told Reuters news agency: “You work so very hard President Jacob Zuma’s immediate reaction to the killing ”Lock-Out clause” itself, but the other is the issue of the in - for very little pay. It is almost like death.” (before he got wise and proposed a commission of inquiry)? dependence of the labour movement, which ought to be free Lonmin plc is the third largest global platinum producer. “We believe there is enough space in our democratic order from both the bosses and the government. Under a former incarnation, as Lonrho plc, the company for any dispute to be resolved through dialogue without In this particular case this involves the historical union benefited hugely from the apartheid social conditions which any breaches of law or violence.” which is a friend of the government [NUM] and in past in - made it easier for them to hyper-exploit black labour. They What democracy would that be? The one he would like to stances has shown itself to be sympathetic to the bosses and are in the same game today. Its operating income for last see in South Africa, where no opposition is brooked? A has a result lost considerable confidence of the workers. year was $300 million. democracy where workers striking for decent wages are Rather than seeking its soul and breaking from the subordi - gunned down? nating interests that are holding it in a deathly embrace, it And whose violence is to blame? The self-defensive ac - has found solace in the bosom of its class enemies. tions of a group of highly-exploited workers who want jobs which pay, who want to survive in the horrifically unequal DEMOCRATIC It is therefore not surprising that it is accused by the AWL fund: the society of South Africa? workers that rather than stand by their democratic de - Or the violence of cops, endorsed by the capitalists and mands, the union finds itself settling for far less than their state, meted out in order to make sure capitalist pro - what workers expected. duction and the creation of profit goes on final score One factor in the tragedy is a bitter rivalry between the We as the Socialist Party of Azania do not advocate divi - AMCU and the much larger ANC-led National Union of sions in the labour movement, we however believe that The final total raised in our fundraising drive was Mineworkers (NUM) which also organises in the platinum their interests will be better served by a united labour move - £18,096. belt. And in the background, for many in South Africa, the ment. The way to unity is through independence from the ANC stands in the way of raising living standards and is re - bosses and government. Every time the labour movement is We didn’t raise our £20,000 , but have no doubt the sponsible for the growing inequality. Mass demonstrations subordinated, it always works to its own detriment. money readers, supporters and members have gener - against the government are commonplace. Today, the platinum mines have become what gold mines ously given us over the year has made it possible to In recent years the NUM has said to have worked closely were to the economy of our country. South Africa is the lead - keep on producing this paper this year. Thank-you. with the bosses. Cyril Ramaphosa, the first NUM leader ing platinum producer in the world, and platinum brings The fundraising AWL branches to make plans to raise (who is now a business tycoon), is a non-executive director unbelievable wealth to their white owners and token blacks. money through into the autumn. And London for in - and “chairman of the transformation committee” at Lon - Despite this great wealth they continue to exploit workers stance we plan to put on a fundraising gig in October. min. who to date have not made any unreasonable demands. WeY owui lcl arenp coortn otnin tuheis t oan hde olpth uesr pblya: ns soon. The NUM — which had negotiated a two-year wage deal However, the mine bosses continue to pay them less than a G at the plant — had previously dismissed the miners as un - living wage. Their demand for R12 500-00 a month is rea - Taking out a monthly standing order. There is a educated migrants from rural Lesotho and/or vulnerable to sonable and will not leave a hole in the pocket of the bosses. form at www.workersliberty.org/resources and below manipulation by unscrupulous “leaders”; the NUM dis - For the demand of R12 500-00 a month , they have had to PleGase post to us at the AWL address below. missed the R12,500 demand as “unrealistic”. The South pay with lives. Even the extremely repressive apartheid Making a donation. You can send it to us at the African Communist Party which has long allied with the regime would have thought twice about such prospects. address below (cheques payable to “AWL”) or do it ANC and has a huge influence in the trade unions has even The very fact of being locked out is provocative, and it onGline at www.workersliberty.org/donate called for the leaders of the AMCU to be arrested! Every so - gets worse when there are those who remain buddy-buddy G Organising a fundraising event cialist trade unionist will find such behaviour depressing with the bosses who have locked you out. It is those who, Solidarity Taking copies of to sell at your work - the complete opposite of our basic duty here — one of soli - for political and dubious economic interests, are very often plaGce, university/college or campaign group. darity. willing to lay prostrate on the ground to allow the bosses to Get in touch to discuss joining the AWL. Forty-four people are dead. The hundreds who were ar - have their way with them. We reject any intention that More information: 07796 690 874 / rested are being quickly brought before the courts. Some of wants to put blame on the workers who have legitimate [email protected] / AWL, 20E Tower Work - them — but not the police! — have apparently been accused right to fight and defend for their interests. Had the mine shops, 58 Riley Rd, SE1 3DG. of murder and attempted murder. The company is still bosses heeded the demands of the workers, had the govern - threatening to sack miners who do not return to work. ment and its law enforcement institutions listened, the mas - Whatever the exact details of the inter-union rivaly the sacre could have been avoided — but then in a capitalist Total raised: baTsihce s twoorym heenre o ifs t chle amr. ining community asked the ques - state such as ours profit is everything and there is no sanc - tion in a protest song in a demonstration on Friday 17th: tityW feo rb heluiemvaen t hliifse . crisis represents in its full extent how £18,096 “What have we done?” The platinum miners of South imperialism and its interests continue to place enor - 6 Africa have done nothing more than demand the right to mous burdens on the lives of workers and the black ,09 We raised £296 in the last £18 be treated like human beings. In this profit-hungry majority. We once more appeal to the labour movement two weeks in new stand - world that is a crime and that is all it takes for you to be to take its full responsibility to defend and advance the ing orders and donations. killed by the pistols and rifles of state-sponsored as - full interests of the working class . Thanks to Saraid, Joe, Pat sassins. McC, Pat S, Mick. 17 August 2012 • Full statement: bit.ly/OrzaI9 SOLIDARITY 7 LEFT The political crisis in Greece

By Mark Osborn tical to the anti-racist struggle. You can find working class just PASOK votes, but those of the very strong Greek Com - people, with left family backgrounds — whose grandfather, munists (KKE), too. As Syriza's vote went up rapidly, An - Two or three square kilometres in northern Athens look for example, fought in the Greek civil war — who are com - tarsya's fell (from 1.3% at the May election, to 0.3% in June). like no other place in Europe. The sidewalks are filthy pletely against Golden Dawn, who will come with us to Panagiotis explained why people voted Syriza: “Over the and the paving stones are mostly broken. The roads are smash fascist heads. But they are not very clear on the issues past two years we have had an enormous sequence of mass in disrepair. Most walls are wholly covered with graffiti or of racism. It is not true that to be an anti-fascist you have to strikes, street protests, occupations — perhaps the biggest posters. be anti-racist.” period of sustained struggles in recent European history. The dire, orchestrated economic collapse is now in its fifth Syriza realised that many people didn’t want another oppo - Around 10 or 11am, people can be seen climbing down the year and the Greek economy is contracting by 6-7% per year. sition, they wanted their own government. People were say - scaffolding outside derelict or half-finished buildings where In August the official jobless rate climbed to 23%, with nearly ing they had tried everything else, now they wanted their they have spent the night. People — and not just the obvi - 55% of those aged 15-24 out of work. In fact the position is own political power.” ously destitute, but tie-wearing OAPs and mothers — rum - worse than that, because many people now go to work and Syriza is an open, rapidly growing left party. At the core is mage through bins for food scraps. are not being paid, or not being paid regularly. A recent poll Synaspismos, a reformist left-Euro Communist organisation. The amount of human misery concentrated here is stag - suggests that 91% of Greek workers feel their job is not se - Vangelis, from Kokkino explains why his group is in gering. Next to the National Archaeological Museum, near cure. Syriza. “There are a lot of platforms inside the organisation. the Polytechnic, there are fifty addicts injecting. A hundred Additionally the minimum wage has been cut by 32% for From Trotskyists on the left, over to people who believe cap - metres north of Omonia Square, round the corner from the workers under 25, and 22% for all other workers. GSEE trade italism can be peacefully reformed and transformed. police station, there are 30 prostitutes. The police themselves union leader Yannis Panagopoulos says government policy Synaspismos has 16,000 members, although I have never are elsewhere, enthusiastically busy carrying out the govern - has had a “huge impact on wages and employment levels, seen more than 5000 — a lot of their members are not active. ment’s policy of mass detentions and expulsions of immi - but has barely affected prices of goods and services,” “Syriza had about 25-30,000 members. But membership grants. Hundreds of cops have flooded the streets, with their Some of the poverty and homelessness is hidden by close has exploded. There are many, many thousands of applica - riot gear and dogs, persecuting the local Pakistanis, Chinese family networks that have soaked up a little of the depriva - tions to join. and Bangladeshis. Half the city’s police voted for the fascist tion. People sleep on relatives’ floor space; one wage now ”Syriza is now in the process of changing — becoming one Golden Dawn party at the last election, on 17 June. feeds six or eight mouths. party from a coalition of groups. Now local branches are The New York Times reports that 4,500 police were used in The sense of hopelessness, unfairness and lack of control being formed. Normally a Syriza branch has between 50 and these raids during the first week of August. Others have been felt by a part of the population has led to a sharp spike in 120 members, in a small area. These are now all over Greece. sent to the Turkish border, where people smugglers regularly suicides. Since 2010, more than 2,500 people have killed In Athens there are about 100 branches of Syriza.” pass through. Nikos Dendias, the Minister of Public Order, themselves in Greece - occasionally publicly, as an overt po - stated that 6,000 people had been detained, of whom 1600 litical protest. SECTARIAN had not got the correct documents. The government had Kokkino also say that their rationale for working in At the beginning of August the coalition government chartered planes to remove the “illegals”. At least one flight Syriza is also that the Communist KKE is so sectarian agreed €11.5bn in new spending cuts in order to qualify for took 88 people to Pakistan. Dendias claimed an “unprece - and closed it is impossible to enter or easily work with the next €31.5bn instalment of the €130bn loan from the dented invasion” of immigrants was threatening Greece’s their members. ‘troika’ of international creditors, the EU, IMF and European stability. He stated that the failure to end the influx of immi - Central Bank. grants would lead Greece to collapse. Despite losing votes to Syriza (they were down to 4% in Samaras, the New Democracy (Tory) prime minister, is June, which came as a serious shock to their party) they still IMMIGRATION now asking EU leaders for more time to make cuts. Samaras have a formidable grip in the Greek working class. Vangelis The right-wing politicians who have made immigration a came to power following the 17 June general election head - says, “If they chose to they could put 30,000 workers in Omo - focus are also those that have legislated enormous cuts ing a three party coalition. The smaller two parties in the nia Square tomorrow afternoon.” to public spending. It is a cynical combination which coalition are PASOK and New Democracy, both nominally Panagiotis is a thoughtful, interesting comrade, who is plays into the hands of Golden Dawn. on the left. The government is supported by 179 MPs in the right when he says that, “the political and strategic choices 300-seat parliament. made by the left, here, now, will affect the course of Euro - In the area around Victoria metro station, a little north of pean history.” Omonia, Golden Dawn is active, attacking immigrants. Al - SQUABBLING He adds, “We have an organic political crisis. And we have though their stunts — handing out food, but only to those The coalition is weak and has been shaken by open a particular quality — almost insurrectionary — set of expec - who can show Greek identity papers — are relatively infre - squabbling. PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos and tations here. People are willing to consider ideas they would quent, they have significant symbolic importance. They Fotis Kouvelis of the Democratic Left have objected to have found unthinkable even a few years ago — this is as far strike a chord with a section of impoverished Greeks. proposals to cap pension payments at €2,200-€2,400 a as things have got, in Europe, for many years. During the first election campaign, in May this year, month, and slash healthcare spending to €1,500 for each But he is unconvincing when he makes the case to stay Golden Dawn’s appeal was: “So we can rid this land of filth”. person registered with the state system. outside Syriza. His focus is on developing a left programme The party won 7% of the vote at the June election and has 18 Senior members of the coalition have already voted and maintaining a rigid focus on opposition to the EU. But MPs. One of those MPs is Artemis Matthaiopoulos who against attacks on education. Former prime minister George one place to fight for a left programme is inside Syriza. fronts a Nazi punk band called Pogrom. Pogrom’s songs in - Papandreou and five other PASOK MPs voted against it — In fact Syriza's refusal to go along with standard anti-Eu - clude ‘Auschwitz’ with the lyrics, “fuck Anne Frank” and against a relatively minor reform, given the scale of the aus - rope 'leftism' is one of it more encouraging features. It is not “Juden raus”. terity the government is seeking. the left's job to attempt to destroy capitalist progress — and Members of the Greek Trotskyist group, Kokkino, a split The bulk of the new cuts will come from state salaries and the integration of Europe and European capitalism is, in gen - from the SEK (aligned with the British SWP) spoke to Soli - pensions, and up to 40,000 public sector sackings. eral historical terms, progressive. Moreover 80% of Greeks darity about the fascist threat. PASOK, one of the two big mainstream post-military dic - oppose this sort of anti-Euro policy, rightly assuming it will “The immigration that happened in London over one cen - tatorship (1967-74) parties, was put into government with impact badly on them. tury happened here in one decade. In 1990, for example, 44% of the vote in 2009. However it cut jobs, wages, pen - It is now very important that the Greek left intervenes in there were no immigrants here at all. The Greeks used to say: sions, health care, put up taxes on workers and privatised Syriza. The outcome of the political struggles inside Syriza here in Greece, there is something in our DNA that means state property. could be the difference between victory and defeat in the big we are not racist. But in 1990, Antonis Samaras — the cur - PASOK's attacks on the working class were met by wave battles that are coming. rent prime minister, who was then Minister of Foreign Af - upon wave of mass, street opposition, twenty general strikes, Is workers’ revolution on the agenda? Perhaps. The condi - fairs — wanted to open relations with Albania, and with the and innumerable grass-roots committees, initiatives and self- tions are being prepared. But there is still some way to go. Greeks of Albania. He opened the border with Albania. In help organisations. PASOK suffered an electoral meltdown The classes polarising and parties are assembling: on the two or three years one million Albanians came to Greece. this year. right around New Democracy, on the left Syriza. That was a shock for the Greeks — it happened suddenly Panagiotis Sotiris, from ARAN (Left Recomposition), one The questions now are: can the Greek far left help to pre - and they came in huge numbers. After that there was a big of the groups in the revolutionary left, 3,000-strong, Antarsya pare the ground for the emergence of workers’ committees wave of immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kurdistan coalition explains: “For 30 years PASOK actually represented which can act as the basis for a workers’ government and and Bangladesh. the majority of the working class in a very strong way. They their future power; can the workers defend their movement “And this was a big shock for the Greek left too. We had a seemed impregnable. This is an earthquake to see PASOK at from fascist and state violence by developing their own mili - policy from the years when there were no problems. It was 12%.” tias? easy in the time when even the reformists were calling for These are the questions in the background of every Antarsya is a gathering of revolutionary groups. The three the abolition of all borders. Now it is hard. struggle in Greece, now. largest are ARAN, influenced by Maoism, the SEK, and NAR “The people in these neighbourhoods have said they are which was formed from a large left split from the Commu - afraid of immigrants who have no jobs and no food. In the nist Party (KKE) when it entered the government in the late • For a longer version of the interview with Panagiotis past we have answered that the people should not be afraid 80s. Sotiris, see bit.ly/NE4Knp and that workers should unite. But is no adequate answer to Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left), led by Alexis Tsipras, • For a longer version of the interview with the comrades people who are afraid. rose spectacularly (to 27% and 71 seats in June) taking not from Kokkinho, see bit.ly/NefnSp “The left has treated the anti-fascist struggle as being iden - 8 SOLIDARITY LEFT

Fighting the fascist threat

By Martin Thomas and Ed Maltby But if the fascists attacked the Syriza office, for example? I asked Nikos what he thought of the demand recently "That's another case. We are against making counter- raised by the SEK that the state should ban Golden Dawn. In Vicky Karafoulidou and Yannis Karliampos, Syriza mem - demonstrations. Those will make people think we and the UK, Workers' Liberty opposed a similar call raised by the bers, spoke to us in a personal capacity and told us that Golden Dawn are the same. But if it's necessary, yes, we can SWP-controlled Unite Against Fascism campaign, for the Golden Dawn is quite strong in Thessaloniki, especially defend our offices and the immigrants". government to ban an EDL march in East London - because in the peripheral areas of the city where people have Spiros, from OKDE in Thessaloniki, said Golden Dawn is we say that state repression used against the right can just as never seen an African or Asian immigrant. "brutal against immigrants", but what Golden Dawn does easily turn on the left. As we predicted, the ban on the EDL against immigrants "is a small percentage of what the police march in East London turned into a more general ban on all Racism in Thessaloniki as not quite as bad as in Athens, and the state do. protests over a wide area for a number of months. but even in Thessaloniki immigrant workers are too scared to " We want to build self-defence committees against the po - Nikos was vague in his answer. He said Workers' Liberty's take part in neighbourhood assemblies, for example. lice, against the army, and against Golden Dawn, but Golden point of view was "interesting", but that calling on the state Albanian and Russian immigrants to Greece, from the Dawn is the easy part. We want to build solidarity of Greeks to ban the fascists was "potentially useful as when the state 1990s, have become quite well-integrated; but then many of and immigrants. fails to ban them, that will expose to people the collaboration them are racist towards to the more newly-arrived African "It is not about throwing stones and bottles, but about solid of the police with the fascists". He said that DEA's slogan was and Asian immigrants. organisation. In Athens, the main thing is not the anarchist that the offices of Golden Dawn "should be closed" but they Syriza, said Vicky and Yannis, is for "social defence" actions featured in the media, but activity in the unions and were deliberately ambiguous as to who should close them. against fascism, not "physical defence". Yes, they would sup - communities. For Kokkino, the question had less to do with "exposing" port protecting immigrants - and also prostitutes, sometimes " SEK demands that the state outlaws Golden Dawn. An - Golden Dawn and more to do with the political struggle to also targeted by the fascists - against Golden Dawn attacks, tarsya has no clear view. There is one other group which has ensure that Syriza was able to fulfill the tasks that the move - but they didn't want to get into the sort of activity done in a similar position to OKDE, the Network of Social Rights, ment had entrusted it with. Xaris explained that: Athens by anarchist groups who dedicate themselves to which came from a split in OKDE in the 1970s and is now in If Syriza cannot protect people against the state, the po - physical combat with the fascists over the heads of the local Syriza". lice and the fascists, then Syriza will fall from 27% to 2.7%. communities. People want radical solutions and if Syriza cannot provide Miltos Ikonomou spoke to us more officially, from Syriza COMPONENT them, the fascists will... What is particularly dangerous is that in Thessaloniki. Nikos from DEA said that the issue of fighting fascism Golden Dawn is a party of young men. A common saying "[In Athens] we have to go into the neighbourhoods, and was a component of the left's general political tasks among young people is, "who should I vote for, Syriza or tell people the problem is not immigrants. It is the govern - within the popular movement and should be understood Golden Dawn? There is no-one in between. ment, poverty and so on. We have the same problems as the in that way rather than as a special separate activity. "Golden Dawn is already intensively organising solidarity immigrants. "The ideological struggle comes first. Neither KKE nor food distribution, volunteer healthcare provision, home help KILLERS Synaspysmos have taken this seriously. There is a need for a for the elderly and so on - but all for "Greeks only"." "Golden Dawn is strong in some very poor neighbour - clear statement that all migrants should be legalised, that "The police's collaboration with Golden Dawn is clear. hoods. The problem is that we are absent from those they are not the problem but that their illegality is the prob - There are two police unions - one is far right, the other is ex - neighbourhoods. We have to explain that Golden Dawn lem. treme far right. Almost all the police special forces are in the are killers, neo-Nazis". "If you build self-organisation in the neighbourhoods then extreme far right union. Whereas 50% of the police vote fas - the question of self-defence will arise naturally. There is al - cists, I doubt if 3% of police vote Syriza. They can be no help, And of what happened to the Jews? (Thessaloniki is the ready a move to develop a network of people to physically no defence. only city in the world known to have had a Jewish majority defend meetings, rallies and so on. So, if you call a rally and "We need to fight the facists ourselves - with knives, and for many hundreds of years of the modern era, from about 20 fascists turn up, then you will need some people who maybe soon, with guns. The philosopher of Golden Dawn, 1500 to World War Two. Few Jews remain there after the Nazi know what they are doing, otherwise a big rally could sim - Plevris, says that Hitler was wrong because he did not kill occupation of Greece in World War Two). ply be broken up. So, many people in Syriza want to see the all the Jews, and that Golden Dawn can do it better and kill "The young people of Thessalonik think that's a big prob - development of such a mechanism. them all. lem. Not just the left, all the people!" “They want to kill all the Communists, Egyptians, mi - "However, such a mechanism would be purely defensive - Should the left organise community self-defence against grants and so on. If things go badly, perhaps people like not offensive. The problem is political, to do with the broad the fascists? us will have to get a passport and flee abroad." spectrum of people who organise around the fascists, not the "No. I think that's a mistake. It's wrong to get involved in core." • Abridged from bit.ly/O1phVO a street fight with these killers". SOLIDARITY 9 FEATURE A united front with the Financial Times ?

By Mícheál MacEoin

The tiny group Socialist Action (still formally Trotskyist but in practice highly Stalinist) has recently published an article, ‘Two classes, two responses to the crisis’ which purports to offer a working-class alternative to austerity. It does no such thing. After decades of “entryism” into the Labour Party so deep that it has become indistinguishable from careerism, Social - ist Action have long dropped any attachment to revolution - ary socialism. What they offer here is a sort of reheated national-Keynesianism with a working-class gloss. It con - tains nothing in the way of working-class struggle, democ - racy or international socialism. The article begins by offering a summary of recent Keyne - sian critiques of British Government economic policy from the chief economics commentator of the Financial Times Mar - tin Wolf, the director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research Jonathan Portes, and the Noble-prize winning economist Paul Krugman. All argue that the Gov - ernment is intensifying the crisis by cutting its investment during the current recession. Socialist Action correctly point out that certain sections of capital are also clamouring for an increase in infrastructural investment, citing the “multiplier effect” that this would have on economic activity (adding extra demand by creat - ing jobs in capital projects). However, the bosses’ lobby- group the Confederation for British Industry (CBI) and the Institute of Directors (IoD) are, according to Socialist Action, advocating “a broadening of the reactionary agenda, not a Striking workers in Shanghai. China is Socialist Action’s favourite state capitalism. retreat from it.” This is evidenced by calls for greater finan - cial deregulation, further cuts to social expenditure and the alised gas, coal, electricity and the Bank of England. Indus - The New Leader , the socialist journalist H N Brailsford ex - bonfire of employment rights contained in the Govern - tries functioned in more or less the same way, often with the plained that the difference between reformist Fabianism and ment’s own Beecroft Report. same managers, and the Government was no more strike- working-class socialism amounts to democracy. If, as Shaw This is all true but Socialist Action’s criticism that capi - friendly than any other, using the army to break strikes on held, “‘Socialism means equality of income, and nothing tal’s plan for the crisis “is not ‘investment, not cuts’, which the docks in 1948 and 1949. else”, it has no necessary democratic component. If income summarises the necessary strategic response to the crisis A second problem with calling merely for state-led invest - equality was the essence of the system, argued Brailsford, [but] ‘investment plus more cuts’” draws a false dividing ment and nationalisation is that is that there is no necessary “it might be set up and administered by a benevolent des - line which only serves to obscure an alternative working- role for democracy, let alone a socialist revolution to over - pot.” However, “if it is concerned primarily with the ques - class policy. throw capitalism and create a workers’ state. tion of power, it cannot have a non-committal attitude to the For Socialist Action, the “class” dividing line is “invest - As James Connolly wrote in a polemic against Fabianism, issues of democracy. Aiming at a transfer of power to the ment not cuts” versus “cuts not investment”. If this is the “state ownership and control is not necessarily Socialism — workers (and, therefore, eventually to the whole commu - case, only by churlish arbitrariness can Socialist Action ex - if it were, then the Army, the Navy, the Police, the Judges, nity), democracy must be its foundation.” clude Wolf and Portes from the “proletarian” side, even the Gaolers, the Informers, and the Hangmen, all would all As well as not challenging capitalism, Socialist Action’s though Wolf is a keen supporter of German-style “flexible” be Socialist functionaries, as they are State officials — but “alternative” is national in scope and does not challenge the labour markets (ie. limiting workers’ rights, mini-jobs etc) the ownership by the State of all the land and materials for myopic failure of European social democracy to look be - and even Krugman has no ideological objection to austerity labour, combined with the co-operative control by the work - yond its own national frontiers. The only criticism of the measures besides their obvious economic inefficacy. In ers of such land and materials, would be Socialism... To the Labour leadership is that it is not Keynesian enough, that short, the watchword “investment, not cuts” does nothing cry of the middle class reformers, ‘make this or that the its plans would not stimulate enough demand. to distinguish a working-class socialist policy from the left- property of the government,’ we reply, ‘yes, in proportion as The crisis of capitalism we face is global in scope and the wing of capital. the workers are ready to make the government their prop - crisis of the Eurozone is particularly sharp and immediate. THE STATE erty.’ In narrow bourgeois terms, stimulating British household Another false dividing line drawn by Socialist Action demand in the name of classless categories such as “the concerns the question of the state. DEMOCRACY economy as a whole” (the reproduction of capitalist accu - The means by which workers “make the government mulation on an extended scale?) would indeed improve one The problem with capital’s solution to the crisis, we are their property” is through working-class democracy at problem. told, is that despite their arguments in favour of investment, every level of society. As Larry Elliott has commented, “a breakdown of GDP the CBI, the IoD and others “remain utterly opposed to the As the American “third camp” socialist Hal Draper ex - from the Office for Budget Responsibility showed that weak state itself leading that investment.” plained, against the idea that the USSR was a “workers’ private consumption shaved 0.5 points off growth and The second dividing line is thus “state-led investment” state” on account of having state-owned property but ap - lower government consumption a further 0.3 points” in versus “state inducement towards private investment.” The plicable here too: “The working-class is not by its nature, 2011, and that declining overall output was only saved by solution of the “working class and its allies” (who? Martin and never can be, an owning class like previous ruling an increase in net trade. However, the British economy is Wolf? the Chinese Government?) is “state-led investment, classes. It can ‘take over’ the economy in only one way: col - not isolated and we must take into consideration the per - taking sectors of the economy out of the hands of the capi - lectively, through its own institutions. It can exercise eco - formance of the overall world economy. As of May 2012, UK talists in order to provide what is socially and economically nomic power only through its political power. The trade with the EU fell to 45%, its lowest level since 1988, and necessary, large scale investment in key sectors such as expression of this proletarian political power can be given in a stronger pound vis-a-vis the euro will depress British ex - housing, transport, infrastructure and education.” two words: workers’ democracy.” ports. It is clear that Socialist Action means state-capitalist in - Being charitable, it could be said that Socialist Action Even if British capitalism could save itself in isolation vestment by the capitalist state. Clearly this would be missed this point having imbibed much Fabianism after from the world economy, socialists should not advocate that preferable to austerity in the sense that capitalist growth can years of swimming amongst the currents of the Labour it does so. give better conditions to workers than capitalist slump but Party bureaucracy. This would be tenable if it were not for The interests of the working-class are in breaking down it has nothing necessarily in common with socialism. the group’s favourable opinion of the viciously anti-work - national barriers to create larger units in order to increase As Marx wrote in Chapter 25 of Capital of the increased ing class state-capitalist dictatorship in China and the the general level of the productive forces and unite the demand for labour power which accompanies the accumu - group’s description of the fall of the USSR and the Eastern working-class across borders; we have no interests in tariff lation of capital: “just as little as better clothing, food, and Bloc police states as “the greatest defeats suffered by the barriers, sharpened national competition, internal devalua - treatment do away with the exploitation of the slave, so lit - working class since World War Two and overturn the post- tion through crude cost-cutting and repressed wages, and tle do they set aside that of the wage worker. A rise in the war world order.” the drive to war stimulated by inter-imperialist rivalry. price of labour, as a consequence of accumulation of capital, It is indicative of a deeper problem with Socialist Action’s The working-class solution to the present crisis is to fight only means, in fact, that the length and weight of the golden politics. Socialist Action represent a toxic mix of reformism at home for a workers’ government and at the same time to chain the wage worker has already forged for himself, allow and Stalinism which explains the complete absence of unite the struggles of the working-class across Europe for a of a relaxation of the tension of it.” democracy from this “alternative” and the patent lack of democratic, republican and socialist United States of Eu - In other words, while better than austerity, state-capital - radicalism inherent in its state-capitalist Keynesianism. rope. We must fight for the levelling up of pay, conditions, ist investment is not a working-class alternative to capital - There is a historical precedent. In many ways Socialist Ac - workers’ rights and pensions, and for the taking of high fi - ism. tion are reminiscent of those in the British labour movement naTnhceis a craons so Enulyr obpee duonndee ri fw woerk beres’a cko nfrtoroml. the national- Although the statification of particular sectors of the econ - such as Sidney and Beatrice Webb and George Bernard Keynesian perspective of the social democratic bureau - omy would take certain industries from the hands of par - Shaw who lauded the Stalinist USSR for its anti-capitalist cracy and advocate a revolutionary programme to ticular capitalists, nationalisation itself is not anti-capitalist and “rational” organisation of society whilst opposing more overthrow capitalism at home and across Europe. and does not necessarily challenge the rule of capital in gen - left-wing revolutionary forces at home — “socialism in one eral. country; just not this one.” This was the case in Britain after the Second World War In a critique of Shaw’s conception of socialism written in • socialistaction.net/Economics/ when the Labour Government of Clement Attlee nation - the 1920s for the Independent Labour Party’s newspaper Two-classes-two-responses-to-the-crisis.html 10 SOLIDARITY REVIEW The Bane of Batman’s existence

because you saw Batman as the underdog. It made it more of a fight and less clichéd than the good guys always win - ning. Gotham was in real trouble for most of the film — it was Matzpen is one of the subjects of Rebels Against Zion only in the last few minutes that the good guys finally won. So, Christopher Nolan did a fantastic job with crafting it as a triumph of the human spirit (and having the good guys fi - nally beat out the bad). To look at the sub-text of this newest blockbuster, you can The incoherence of see more to it than just a Batman movie. It deals with an in - duced economic crisis and national panic, discusses the role of a hero, and takes a closer look at the human spirit and anti-Zionism what inspiration, determination, and will can achieve. Obvi - ously, Batman is seen as a hero, but his unofficial sidekick By Harry Glass “Detective Blake” (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) was a more relat - able hero. Rebels Against Zion, edited by August Grabski is a col - As always, Gary Oldman put on a great performance as lection of Jewish left “anti- Zionism” essays that ulti - “Commissioner Gordon”— especially when he was in the mately shows the descent into incoherence of hospital and he took down those two guys without breaking anti-Zionism over the twentieth century. a sweat. [Spoiler warning here!] Full points have to go to Marion The sheer panorama of perspectives in the book renders Cotillard “Miranda” for playing an innocent and then turn - a consistent thread of anti-Zionism implausible. And the ing out to be a villain in league with Bane! That was a twist closer one gets to today, the clearer it becomes that much of Daisy Thomas reviews The Dark Knight Rises I hadn’t seen coming. anti-Zionism is merely a cover for left anti-semitism. Some of us have been waiting patiently for four years, Other notable performances were “Alfred” (Michael The principal virtue of the book is the long essay by Work - but now the newest Batman franchise has come to an Caine) who you can’t help but love and support; and “Mr. ers’ Liberty member Stan Crooke, which forensically decon - end. Despite the other major blockbusters of 2012 ( The Fox” (Morgan Freeman) who had some seriously amazing structs the politics of the boycott, divestment and sanctions Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man ), The Dark gadgets and vehicles. (BDS) campaign in the British labour movement. Knight Rises still drew major crowds and induced great I was a little apprehensive going into the movie because If anything illustrates the reductio ad absurdum of “anti- excitement and expectation. Anne Hathaway didn’t seem right to me as Zionism” uncoupled from any positive political pro - “Selina/Catwoman”, but she pleasantly surprised me. All gramme, then it is BDS. Supporters are expected to unite Tom Hardy’s Bane from this latest instalment was actu - the actors and actresses involved did an incredible job. around tactics laid down by a noisy but unrepresentative ally more terrifying than Heath Ledger’s chilling Joker, Another joy of this movie was the advances in technology, group of Palestinian NGOs, while ignoring other more rep - purely through his eerie semi-calm and less overtly crazy especially automobile related. I’m yet to see a motorbike that resentative Palestinian voices. BDS is premised on deliber - and wild behaviour. can trump Batman’s. There’s nothing like an action movie ate silence over the political solution, while smuggling in a He was a harder villain to outsmart because he had so wiAthll ciono al lgl,a dTghet sD. ark Knight Rises somehow manages one-state utopia. But it explicitly requires acceptance of con - many safeguards and tricks and structure to his plans. It was go from terrifying to amusing, awe-striking to sweet. It ditions — principally of the right of return — which render an attack from all sides. To make things worse, he seemed is a fantastically crafted film with twists and turns that any democratic solution impossible. In the rush to “do like an invincible giant, a strange feeling since Batman is ex - constantly keep you at the edge of your seat. I give it something”, BDS supporters end up doing something really tremely imposing himself. So, while it was distressing seeing five stars. reactionary — painting all Jews in Israel as the enemy and Batman get literally beaten by Bane, it was good in a way appealing to outside pressure to enforce a politics far from democracy, never mind socialism. Other essays examine different historical strands of “anti- Zionism” and some are very interesting. Racism has not been “kicked out” Ronnie Gechtman writes a good account of the Second In - ternational debates on the Jewish question. The majority view was assimilationism, i.e. that Jewish people should be As a new football season begins, can the sport get to grips match. These high profile incidents were not handled well integrated into whatever society they lived in with equal with a renewed reputation for racism? Sam Gilbert reports by either their clubs or the FA. rights. This might have worked had the Jewish question Many within British football claim the problem of racism In the aftermath of the Suarez/Evra incident, Liverpool simply been about religion. But the growth of virulent racial has gone. Within European football virulent racism is responded by defending Suarez uncritically, and instructing anti-semitism during the 19th and early 20th centuries ren - still displayed in stadiums. the players to wear pro-Suarez T-shirts whilst warming up dered the assimilationist perspective redundant. Whilst the for the next game. Bund grasped the national status of the Jewish people and Before the European football championships in Poland Chelsea similarly backed Terry, as did Fabio Capello, the were able to deconstruct the dominant view, it was Trotsky and Ukraine, the BBC aired “Stadiums of Hate” a Panorama England manger who refused to take the captaincy away within the classical Marxist tradition who finally broke de - documentary, featuring Polish fans giving Nazi salutes and from him. The FA eventually sacked Terry as captain, but he cisively with assimilationism and came to engage with the a group of Asian fans getting attacked at a match in the was permitted to play at the recent Euro championships for idea of a territorial solution i.e. to with the rational kernel of Ukraine. “We are not like that” is the strong message the England. Zionism as Jewish national self-determination. programme gave out. The FA’s and individual clubs' responses to these racist in - Whilst Rick Kuhn and Jack Jacobs discuss non-Zionist In the 70s and 80s racist abuse from supporters was com - cidents hardly suggests that they are determined to remove and anti-Zionist Jewish organisations in Europe, it is not mon place and the far right had a strong foothold on the ter - racism from football. The Professional Players Association clear what this tradition might represent had it survived races in the UK. Paul Elliot (the first black captain of (PFA) called for racism to be classed as gross misconduct until today. Chelsea): “When I started my career at Charlton Athletic, and thus become a sackable offence, however the decision Henry Srebrnik discusses the Bolshevik government’s at - there was a very strong National Front presence at stadiums whether to terminate a player’s contract will be solely with tempts to resolve the Jewish question within the narrow all over the country...There was monkey chanting, banana the player's club. Judging by the reactions from Liverpool confines of the USSR and how these efforts were mangled throwing and other abuse”. and Chelsea, that would not have happened nor will happen by Stalinism in the form of a territorial settlement in Biro - Kick it Out, the anti-racist campaign set up in 1993, aimed in the future as football club owners would rather keep hold bidzhan. The merit of these essays is to indicate the wide to tackle racism and remove it from British football. It works of their prize assets (Suarez cost Liverpool £23 million). Get - variety of political assessments by Jewish socialists in the with various charities and with clubs on policy to try and ting in the highest possible revenue is of prime importance. pre-Second World War period. increase inclusiveness within football. Kick it Out has been When you dig a bit deeper the commitment from the FA The essays on the period after the Holocaust and the cre - seen as a success by the football authorities; racist chanting to rid racism from the game begins to look non-existent. The ation of Israel are generally much worse, with only a couple and abuse from the terraces has declined sharply since the Kick it Out campaign is funded by both the FA and football of notable exceptions. campaign started and more black footballers are playing for clubs. Its annual budget of £500,000 is dwarfed in compari - August Grabski’s essay on the Israeli socialist organisa - football teams. tion Matzpen (1963-72) demonstrates the heroism of its mil - son to the £3.1 billion football clubs were given under the But such things cannot be taken as proof that racism in itants under very difficult conditions, as well as the last deal done with TV stations. Kick it Out only employs longer as issue within the sport, as the FA would have you limitations of their understanding of Lenin’s consistent three full-time and three part-time staff. believe. In a recent BBC3 documentary Clarke Carlisle democracy on the national question. (chairman of the Professional Footballers Assocation) spoke The underlying lack of understanding of the issues in - Philip Mendes’ essay on the Australian 3CR community to many ex-professionals who had experienced racist abuse. volved has been staggering and explains a lot. The President radio station in the 1970s shows how anti-Zionism in the Tottenham and England player Jermaine Jenas said he had of the world football's ruling body FIFA, Sep Blatter stated post-war period became anti-semitism, using many of the been regularly racially abused by supporters during his ca - that racism was not a problem in football, “Maybe one of the tropes (such as equating Israelis with whites in apartheid reer. The documentary also showed racist chanting of sup - players has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one, South Africa) that are propagated today. porters at football matches, including anti-Semitic abuse but the one who is affected by that, he should say that ‘this However much of the rest of the book is simply risible. aimed at Tottenham Hotspur. is a game, we are in a game, and at the end of the game, we Uri Davis promotes the one-state solution, which satisfies Ex-footballers such as Sol Campbell have also spoken to shake hands'.” the national aspirations of neither people. the media giving accounts of abuse and racial stereotyping The ruling elites within football seem unwilling and un - Ilan Pappe writes about opposition groups such as that they have suffered, not only from fans, but their own able to tackle racism. Racism must be tackled by supporters Hadash, Peace Now and Gush Shalom, sneering at those clubs and managers. refusing to tolerate racist abuse towards players and other who advocate two-states while flattering Islamists like During the 2011/12 season the issue of racism became a suTphpeo rPteFrAs. must start taking a far more active role in Hamas. central issue in the Football Association (FA) and more fighting for equality within football, getting more black However this only goes to prove where incoherent anti- broadly within the sport. Luis Suarez was banned for eight players involved in the union, and engaging with sup - Zionism leads in current conditions. If this book inoculates matches after racially abusing Patrice Evra, John Terry (Eng - porters to try and make it clear that racism within foot - readers against the dominant, negative, nonsensical anti- land captain at the time) was accused of racially abusing ball is not acceptable and will not be tolerated at any Zionist politics of the left, then it will have served a pur - Anton Ferdinand on the pitch and Oldham player Tom level. pose. Adeyemi was abused by Liverpool supporters during a SOLIDARITY 11 FEATURE Why American unions support Obama and why they’re right to do so

characters). To be fair, a generation ago there were such things as “lib - eral Republicans” in the US who were not particularly anti- union or even anti-welfare state. And 40 years ago, the AFL-CIO — for the last time — took The ghost of Eric Lee a position of neutrality in a presidential election, not willing to back the liberal Democrat George McGovern against Every four years, an odd little debate occurs on the left. Nixon. But over the last three or four decades, there’s been a seis - Roger Casement Here is what happens: An American presidential cam - mic shift in the American labour movement and unions paign begins. Someone on the American left will write an have become the backbone of the Democratic Party. article saying that there is no real choice between Democ - In November, it will be union members in their hundreds rats and Republicans and that workers need their own of thousands providing the bulk of the volunteers in the party. Obama campaign. Then left-wing papers around the world will reprint the Unions will give many millions of dollars to support that Songs of Liberty article, or quote it, and agree with the comrade that workers campaign, and the campaigns of Democrats across the have no real choice in America and need a class party, a country in the hope that their party will win control of both & Rebellion labour party. houses of Congress. Some of those who make the case here in Britain will go And union members will vote overwhelmingly Demo - Roger Casement was a former British diplomat and further and say that British workers face the same predica - cratic — even though their counterparts in the working class anti-slavery campaigner who became an Irish revo - ment, that the Labour Party hasn’t really represented them who are not union members will tend to vote Republican. lutionary nationalist. He was arrested in April 1916, for decades and is “Labour” in name only. They will call on The right in America is acutely aware of this and regu - three days before the Easter Rising was due to those workers to create or support alternative parties such larly accuse the Democrats of being in the pocket of “special begin, and tried and hanged for treason. as the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC). interests”. (For them, unions representing millions of work - But there are also those on the British left who say that ers are special interests, but oil companies are not.) William Butler Yeats, perhaps Ireland’s most famous Marxists belong in the Labour Party as a pressure group, The American right has declared war on public sector ever poet and certainly the best-known poetic chronicler and must be active where the workers and their unions ac - workers and their unions, and has attempted to pass anti- of the 1916 movement, wrote this piece to demand that tually are, not in some tiny, marginalised group with no in - union legislation, with varying degrees of success, in a num - his remains were returned to Ireland. fluence. ber of states. Yeats’ politics – about Irish national liberation, and They acknowledge that for decades that party has not One of the reasons for this ferocious attack on those pretty much everything else – were shifting, and often been the kind of Labour Party we’d like, that its leaders no unions is their ongoing support for the Democrats. confused. But this poem finds him at perhaps his least longer question capitalism, support privatisation and cut - As the Republican reasoning goes, if you can weaken the esoteric, in a much simpler “protest song” register than backs in public services, won’t support strikes, and so on. public sector unions, you weaken your political opponents. much of his other work on the subject, which is charac - But it’s the only game in town, and that’s why of course The Democrats are far from being the kind of social dem - terised by a romantic Celtic nationalism and a frequent we revolutionary socialists must support it, be involved in ocratic party that American workers need. But in that sense, use of imagery from Celtic mythology. it, and pressure it to change. they don’t differ all that much from moderate social demo - The poem’s simple refrain (“The ghost of Roger Case - The exact same arguments were made more than a gener - cratic parties anywhere else in the world. ment / Is beating on the door”) helps develop this tone, ation ago by Max Shachtman and his small band of third Obama didn’t pass the labour law reform that American which provides a visceral condemnation of the globe- camp socialists regarding the Democratic Party. unions demanded and so desperately need. But the straddling dominance of British imperialism (“John When Shachtman first made the case for the strategy Blair/Brown government didn’t repeal Thatcher’s labour Bull”) in its high-colonial pomp. known as “realignment”, many unions were not particu - laws either. The Ruby Kid larly interested in national politics. The AFL-CIO main - If we can understand the importance for revolutionary so - tained a formal position of neutrality — one which stretched cialists to engage with the Labour Party in this country, with O what has made that sudden noise? back to the days of Samuel Gompers, who insisted that all its flaws, surely we can understand why the vast major - What on the threshold stands? unions would support their friends and reward their ene - ity of America’s socialists have long been active inside the It never crossed the sea because mies, regardless of party affiliation. DeTmhoecyr’areti ci nP atrhtayt t hpearret.y for the same reason we are in John Bull and the sea are friends; That meant that some unions sometimes supported Re - Labour here: because they’re serious political people But this is not the old sea public candidates. The Teamsters were, a generation ago, who want to work in the real world. Nor this the old seashore. rather chummy with Richard Nixon (and other unsavoury What gave that roar of mockery, That roar in the sea's roar? A pioneer for Russian Marxism The ghost of Roger Casement Is beating on the door. Group with Georgi Plekhanov John Bull has stood for Parliament, and Pavel Axelrod in 1883. Her A dog must have his day, translations of Marx’s work The country thinks no end of him, Our Movement contributed greatly to the For he knows how to say, spread of Marxism in Russia At a beanfeast or a banquet, Mícheál MacEoin and laid many of the founda - That all must hang their trust tions for the formation of the Upon the British Empire, Vera Zasulich (1849-1919) was a revolutionary and an Russian Social Democratic Upon the Church of Christ. early Russian Marxist. Labour Party (RSDLP) in 1898. Zasulich, Plekhanov and Ax - The ghost of Roger Casement Born in Mikhaylovska as one of the daughters of a minor elrod were soon joined by the Is beating on the door. noble, she was brought up by wealthier relatives following leaders of a new generation of her father’s death, and found her first job working as a clerk Russian Marxists, including John Bull has gone to India in St. Petersburg at the age of sixteen. Julius Martov, Vladimir Lenin, And all must pay him heed, It was in the Imperial capital that Zasulich first became and Alexander Potresov in Switzerland, and founded the For histories are there to prove involved in the kaleidoscopic revolutionary milieu of revolutionary newspaper Iskra. The Iskra group was sucess - That none of another breed Alexander II’s Russia, associating with the group around ful in opposing more moderate factions such as the so-called Has had a like inheritance, the “nihilist” Sergey Nechayev and, later, with the Kievan “legal Marxists” around Peter Struve, who became sympa - Or sucked such milk as he, Insurgents, who were supporters of the anarchist Mikhail thetic to the German theoretician Eduard Bernstein’s “revi - And there's no luck about a house Bakunin. sionism” en route to an eventual embrace of liberalism. If it lack honesty. Zasulich first came to public prominence during the “Tre - However, the editorial board of the paper split at the Sec - pov Incident”. In 1877, a political prisoner, Alexei Bo - ond RSDLP Congress in London in 1903, and Zasulich sided The ghost of Roger Casement golyubov, refused to remove his cap in the presence of with Martov to form the “Menshevik” wing of the party. Is beating on the door. Colonel Theodore Trepov, the butcher of the Polish rebel - Although returning to Russia after the 1905 Revolution, she lions of 1830 and 1863. gradually lost interest in revolutionary politics, and sup - I poked about a village church In an act which outraged revolutionaries and the radical ported the Russian war effort in 1914. An opponent of the And found his family tomb intelligentsia, Bogolyubov was flogged for his supposed in - October Revolution, she died on 8 May 1919, in the newly And copied out what I could read solence. A group of six revolutionaries plotted to kill Tre - renamed Petrograd. In that religious gloom; pov; Zasulich acted first, shooting and seriously wounding Recalling Zasulich some years after her death, Leon Trot - Found many a famous man there; the Colonel with a revolver on 24 January 1878, sky, with whom she had been friendly in London in 1903, But fame and virtue rot. Zasulich, with the help of her skilled legal counsel, turned wrote: “She remained to the end the old radical intellectual Draw round, beloved and bitter men, the trial on its head, effectively putting Trepov in the dock. on whom fate grafted Marxism. Zasulich's articles show that Draw round and raise a shout; She was found not guilty by a sympathetic jury and became she had adopted to a remarkable degree the theoretic ele - a hero to the Russian “populist” movement, fleeing to me“nBtus to tfh Me amrxoisrmal. political foundations of the Russian Switzerland before she could be rearrested. The ghost of Roger Casement radicals of the 70s remained untouched in her until her After some correspondence with Karl Marx on the nature Is beating on the door. death.” of the peasant commune in Russia, she became convinced of Marxist ideas and co-founded the Emancipation of Labour 13 SOLIDARITY FEATURE Robert Hughes’ Australia

was the system on the fatal shore. The special hells created included Norfolk Island, More - ton Bay and Port Arthur and Macquarie Harbour. Run by sadistic men who were beyond the control of any govern - ment, they were precursors of the 20th century gulags. They aimed to break men utterly, by consistent hard work, by flogging and by crushing discipline. Men were given thou - sands of lashes. The faces of spectators would be splashed with flesh and blood. The cat o’ nine tails frequently wore out. Blood would slop in the shoes of the lashed men. One man had so little skin left on his back from incessant flog - gings that his shoulder blades showed through. In creating these special hells, the system was fulfilling its deterrent role. Men would rather die than go there; many killed themselves or killed others in suicide pacts to escape. The Fatal Shore is living history. It could have been just a catalogue of horrors, or a list of numbing statistics. But Hughes has found the language to touch our hearts and minds. He has made the unimaginable imaginable He has also touched on three taboo areas in some detail — the treatment of women, the existence of homosexuality and the fate of the Aborigines. Robert Hughes, the Australian art critic died on 6 August. turn. 14,000 miles -– the end of the world. To many convicts, PROSTITUTES We reprint this review (from 1988) by Belinda Weaver of the mere thought of it evoked death. It was simply unimag - The “popular” view of convict women is that they were his important history of Australia, The Fatal Shore , as a inable. all prostitutes. This is shown to be false. Many, like men, tribute. The Marines who sailed with the First Fleet were also anx - simply stole to survive. It’s chic now in Australia to claim convict descent. ious. They were sailing into a complete unknown. Letters and supplies could take six months or longer to arrive. Many had been seduced and abandoned, but not all had Everyone wants to get in on the act. Tracing family his - turned to prostitution as a result. Some had been Irish na - tory is now a national obsession. The convict past, no Many would not see families and friends for many years, if ever. Australia seemed worse than death. Death could be tionalists or agitators of one kind or another. The colony’s longer the shameful stigma it was, seems just another treatment of them was shameful. In the Female Factory at lovable aspect of Australia’s history. imagined, Australia could not. The First Fleet was lucky to survive. Its journey was hor - Parramatta, men could come to feel the merchandise before Aussies are supposed to be raggedly independent, jovial, rendous. The victualling of the ship had been done by choosing a wife. When a new ship arrived, men turned up anti-authoritarian, loyal to their mates, fond of the outdoor crooked merchants, so many supplies were rotten. The rig - to take their pick of the women; the rest were sent to the Fe - life. The popular image of the convict — a republican out - ors of the journey killed many. The Fleet sailed with no spe - male Factory. Most needed a man’s help to get on. cast in British society, or an early trade unionist — chimes in cial precautions against scurvy; the weather was bad; The “curse” of homosexuality was decried by all man - with this “typical Aussie” image. convict insubordination was rife; and morale was low in the agers of the convict system. The jailers were surprised that Hughes’ book answers many questions — the who, what, crew. Their arrival at Botany Bay was a letdown. Though locking men up together, far from any women, should re - why and how of Australia’s founding. For too long, Aus - glad that the journey was finally ended, they were appalled sult in homosexuality. It was rife throughout the colony, es - tralian children learned only British history. Our own past to discover the Bay unsuitable for settlement. A further pecially in the hellholes like Norfolk Island. The prisoners was taboo, dealing as it did with the convicts, the suppres - search found Port Jackson just a few miles north; a natural took what solace they could from each other. Yet the official sion of the Aborigines, the bushrangers and the split from harbor, teeming with fish and with rich soil and abundant reports drip with loathing and contempt for these “unnat - Britain’s rule. The Australian past was too close for comfort. water. The site of modern Sydney was eagerly settled. ural practices”. It had to be stamped out. But floggings had Better the recital of far away kings and queens than an in - But it didn’t live up to its early promise. The soil was no effect, though the punishment was severe. vestigation of the fatal shore. poorer than expected, seeds failed to thrive, the rain came The official policy towards the Aborigine was always one The current tide of nationalism in Australia bends the down in buckets or not at all. The Fleet faced starvation of peaceful coexistence. All the same, the advent of the stick too far the other way. Far from being shamed or wor - years until the Second Fleet could arrive to succor them. Bad white man was an unmitigated disaster for the Aborigines. ried by the past, Australians want to celebrate it, get drunk beginnings. In Tasmania, they were completely wiped out; their num - on it. Both approaches end up hiding the truth. bers today on the mainland are still small. They could never Hughes has ripped open the past. This is no anodyne his - “ON THE STORE” defeat the white man militarily, and they succumbed in tory aimed at pleasing the world. It is raw truth and history, Convicts were fed “on the store”. The government was huge numbers to two imported evils, disease and liquor. bloody, violent and savage. It gets at the real beginnings, not the main supplier of all food and goods. Convicts were The spread of white settlement forced tribes out of their simply with the first white foot on Australian soil in 1788. It set to work building shelters and tilling the soil. natural hunting grounds and into conflicts with other tribes. The convicts hated them. Themselves the lowest on the tells us where that foot came from and why. It also describes No need for a prison here; the whole country was one. No Australia before the white man. No Garden of Eden, peo - white ladder, they longed for someone they could beat convict could escape and hope to survive. The Australian down. The Aborigines became their victims. When convicts pled with noble savages but a harsh, dry land with a stone- bush was inhospitable to all but the Aborigines who could age people with little culture, living a hand-to-mouth became free and got some land for themselves, they kept find waterholes and live off the native animals and insects. their mistrust of the Aborigines, who had often helped to existence with no agriculture, no domestic animals, no per - Totally ignorant of geography, many convicts fled, hoping to manent structures. Hughes romantacises nothing. track down escaped convicts for the government. As more find China or some other hospitable land. All they found of the country became settled, white settlers killed off Abo - CONVICTS was a lonely death. rigines rather than live in fear of attack. Poisoned flour was The British convict experiment was a desperate solu - After the starvation years, the convicts could hope for a given out, along with tobacco and rum. tion to a desperate problem. A whole continent would better lot. Instead of being stuck in prison, they were as - Aborigines had no settled religion or gods, but they did become a jail. signed to work for free settlers. In time, they could hope to have an almost mystical attachment to their land. Certain get tickets-of-leave, and become free settlers themselves, sites were sacred to them. In driving them off, settling on Georgian Britain was a cruel society. Those with money though they could not leave the colony. For many, this was these sacred sites, and barring them from their traditional and position clung grimly to them, with the law firmly on the road to a respectable living, the living that “old Eng - grounds, white settlers destroyed the Aboriginal relation - their side. Crimes against property were punished more se - land”couldn’t provide. But many convicts met a harsher ship with the land, and thus their whole way of life. This verely than any other, often ending with hanging. The rul - fate. Assigned to brutal masters who worked them to the fact must stand with the other facts of disease and drunken - ing class believed in the existence of a criminal “class” — a bone and flogged them at will, many convicts preferred ness as one of the destroyers of Aboriginal life. set of bad apples who would turn the rest rotten. The need death itself. For many convicts, arrival on the fatal shore had been was to punish them, and if possible, to segregate them for Many convicts, usually the “hardened criminals”, were utter misery. But others had prospered, had made a living, the sake of the “good”. Can anything have seemed more fu - not assigned, but worked in government chain gangs doing and could call themselves free. This fact led many criminals tile than this experiment? the hardest work, such as road building. in Britain to petition for the chance to be transported. They Attacking the symptoms of extreme poverty couldn’t cure Life in the gangs was grim. Heavy irons weighed them too hoped to finally reach a better life. Even free settlers the cause. People stole to stay alive in a world which denied down. The legs of many were open sores from the incessant were becoming more numerous. Some settlers talked of in - them a living. Laws and punishment could not deter the chafing. The work was punishing, their overseers were cruel dependence from Britain and the end to transportation. starving from stealing food or money to survive. In many and arbitrary, often stealing the food meant for the convicts. Free, waged workers would be better value than convicts. cases, the amounts stolen were pitifully small, but the pun - There was no thought of rehabilitation for criminals. The The colony was developing its own life and politics ishments were heavy – long imprisonment or death. system had to be cruel if it was to deter the criminal back different from that of England. England wanted things to Yet Georgian Britain lacked the prisons or the police to “home”. Thus punishment and work was the never ending be tightened up, with more Moreton Bays and Port manage its criminal problem. Many convicts had previously round, with special pieces of punishment created for per - Arthurs to deter the criminals at home; many colonists been sent off to America at the expense of colonists for sistent offenders, wanted a free Australian society, rid of the convict stain. whom they were forced to work on arrival. This form of In places like Macquarie Harbour, men often worked knee By 1840 transportation to New South Wales had offi - slavery was closed after the American War of Independence. deep all day in freezing water, building pylons for a bridge, cially ended. A new solution was needed. Many prisoners were locked and spent sleepless nights on a windswept, rocky island up on rotting hulks, but this was only temporary. The hulks with no blankets and with empty bellies. For whistling, • From Workers’ Liberty 11, April 1988 themselves were overcrowded and were so unsafe that smiling, singing or loafing, endless lashings were given. many sank with all aboard. They were filthy and hotbeds of Talking was frowned upon, as all were suspected of plot - • Bill Douglas’ film Comrades , (about the Tolpuddle Mar - crime. They provided no real answer. ting some crime. The system brutalised because it denied tyrs) is a fine, and very moving depiction of the Australian So the Australian experiment was tried. Luckily, this new any humanity to the convict. He had to be crushed ab - convict system. venture was so far away that few convicts would ever re - solutely so that he could never commit a crime again. Such SOLIDARITY 14 REPORTS Call centre workers strike By a PCS rep monitoring of staff move - meant that the strike was which enforced due to the ments and whereabouts, extremely well supported privatisation of my job Jobcentre Plus call cen - and high stress levels in most sites, with many role. Management's con - tre workers were on (often due to all of the members joining picket stant demands to meet un - strike over working con - above), which has led to a lines who had never done realistic targets seem to ditions on Monday 13 draconian attitude to sick - so before. Management’s lead not only to low August. ness management in these tactic of holding staff morale, but affects the offices. meetings prior to the strike staff's health and well- Regular readers of Soli - In one office of around to try and appease staff being." darity will know that Job - 350 staff, there are cur - and convince them of what Due in large to pressure centre Plus workers in rently 80 workers under - a great place the Contact from members in affected DWP Call Centres have going disciplinary action Centre Service is to work branches, PCS is now will - been part of the PCS for sickness, and local apparently backfired. ing to take further action union’s “Contact Centre union reps make quite One worker in an af - on this campaign if man - Campaign” since as early date. Capita, who are planning clear that a large propor - fected JCP call centre said: agement do not buckle as 2009, in the fight for im - In addition, as explained to pay workers around tion of this sickness is ei - “Having worked in over any of the demands proved working condi - in Solidarity 253, Jobcentre £3,000 less per year for the ther down to either Sheffield Contact Centre of the strike. tions. Just some of the Plus management have same role, on worse terms. PCS negotiators have work-related stress, or for over three years, I've conditions that workers begun to privatise contact The frustration and been in talks since the sickness from members of experienced several have taken action against centre services, removing anger at the longevity of strike day and are meet - staff with disabilities that changes of both teams and include oppressive man - work from public sector these problems and the re - ing DWP management the Contact Centre cannot, service lines, the agement practices, time staff and outsourcing to fusal of the management again this week. or refuses, to accommo - most recent of and target driven working, private companies like to admit to their failings Unison bullies members Autumn strikes in Higher Education in pensions vote pay fight By a Unison rep the local government Serv - based on completely dif - union has formal policy. ice Group Executive (SGE) ferent figures to those used Despite support for the I am in a local govern - to agree that conference initially. A regional officer deal not being agreed pol - ACAS talks result in a big ment Unison branch shouldn't be allowed to shouted at me when I icy, big advertisements improvement from the em - which has a firm branch decide our recommenda - pointed out how unfair a have been paid for in pa - ployers’ offer of 1%, Uni - position of opposition to tion because conference career average scheme was pers like the Evening Stan - son HE members will be the pension offer cur - was “unrepresentative”. In for women (or anyone tak - dard , Guardian , and Metro balloted in September. rently on the table. reality, the bureaucrats ing a job break) by saying encouraging Unison mem - Despite the result of the were rightly worried that it was “only women who bers to vote yes. This has The deal is not that dif - consultation, it is going to conference would, given have children” who would all been paid for with ferent to what was on offer take a lot of work to make the opportunity, recom - be affected. members’ money, of prior to our industrial ac - sure that we get as many mend rejection. Ultimately, though, Lon - course. Members of the public tion on 30 November. We members as possible to don region returned a vote Unison leaders have sector union Unison will all be working longer, take part in the ballot and OFFICER to recommend rejection of learnt a lot from the ballot working in Higher Educa - paying more, and getting to make the case for voting A regional officer came the deal. Despite this, two on the NHS pensions tion have rejected an em - less. yes to industrial action. We to one of our branch of our three reps on the scheme, where they made ployers’ pay offer and are How has our union have begun organising meetings and weakly SGE voted to recommend no recommendation and building towards strikes. ended up recommending meetings to get the word tried to argue the above acceptance. members voted to reject A Unison rep from a Lon - acceptance, and indeed out to members, and we'll point while denying she the deal. They completely don university spoke to threatening any branch be producing our own was doing so. THREATENING ignored that democratic Solidarity about the cam - that has a different posi - leaflets and posters. The Since the decision to decision, but have made paign. tion? The undemocratic The idea that our confer - most important thing to do recommend acceptance sure there is little possibil - way in which this has been ence, which is supposedly HE employers offered a is to talk face to face with was taken, the actual ity of members exercising handled has shocked our highest decision mak - 1% pay rise for this year; co-workers, letting them ballot on whether or not this kind of oppositional many ordinary members ing body, couldn't make how have Unison mem - know that you're in favour to accept the deal instinct again. and reps and given us all a this recommendation is bers responded? of taking action and why. began, and the Unison From the beginning, lesson in the nature of bu - outrageous. This should be a dialogue machinery has been there was no say from or - Our branch has had a reaucracy and the lengths Unison then ran a postal between education work - threatening branches dinary members and reps consultation on the annual they will go to silence dis - ballot to decide which rec - ers, not just a top-down that are campaigning for in how the local govern - pay offer. We do this every sent. ommendation the union recommendation from “the a no vote, saying we are ment pensions dispute was year. Usually most people This “deal” was offered should make on a very union”. against Unison policy. organised. vote in favour of accepting to the union leaders by the short timescale (less than We need to hold our According to reports the offer, rather than take government shortly before two weeks) The turnout This is completely current leaders to ac - from the SGE meeting, a industrial action. This year Unison conference, and yet was predictably poor; our wrong, as the union cannot count, fight to replace strike could take place members voted over - the Unison leadership only branch was one of the best have formal policy until them, and make sure around the time of the whelmingly to reject the released the details of the in London with over 10%. the ballot ends (only a rank-and-file union TUC demo on 20 October, offer, understanding that deal when they were wor - The literature in favour of “recommendation”), and members are organised and possibly also around this would probably mean ried “rival” union GMB the LGPS deal was ridicu - branches are allowed to or - independently of the bu - the time of the National being balloted for indus - might release them first. lously biased, and pep - ganise around their own reaucracy. Union of Students (NUS) trial action. This is a big Unison’s top leaders got pered with arguments recommendations until the demo. The idea of timing change and shows mem - action around the NUS bers are finally getting fed demo is to make the link Off The Rails up with below-inflation between students’ and ed - Parking attendants strike pay offers. ucation workers’ struggles, Nationally, around two A and to get as much student thirds of Unison HE voted support for our strike as By Darren Bedford around terms and condi - sanction further strikes. platform to reject, but in the London possible. HE branches I have been in tions. The dispute has a signifi - for rank- Locally, we are having Parking attendants em - Unison has 80% density cance beyond the borough touch with, it was 90 - joint meetings with the ployed by contractor amongst NSL workers in of Camden, as many Lon - and-file 100% voted to reject. other unions, as we are NSL in Camden, London, Camden and has had don boroughs outsource rail workers. What are the next steps working on the assump - will strike again on 9 and strong turnouts in previ - their parking services to following rejection and tion that we will get bal - 10 August. Summer/Autumn 2012 ous strike days. Workers NSInL .I slington, Unison the indicative ballot? loted at the same time. fought hard to win recog - Workers are fighting for has 50% density issue out now. We'll be holding an open nition. Despite these The latest news is that the London Living Wage amongst NSL workers Download copies from meeting at ULU on 12 Sep - achievements, they have the HE Service Group Ex - of £8.30 an hour, as well as and is pursuing a recog - tember from 1-2pm. found it difficult to get workersliberty.org/otr ecutive (SGE) have an - for sick pay. They also nition fight. • Abridged from Unison officialdom to nounced that unless the have other grievances bit.ly/NDTyYb 14 SOLIDARITY REPORTS Tyne and Wear Metro John cleaners fight on Lewis By Ed Whitby naming their local council - been unfairly dismissed company which runs re - eaMcho orteh sertrsi’k setrsu agrge les. strikes lors on the transport au - and victimised. This will gional trains in Germany, planned, as well as a On 6 and 7 August RMT thority, and urging certainly give members a where it has a history of fundraising social on Fri - members employed by residents to contact them boost. subcontracting cleaning day 24 August, 7.30pm, Churchill to clean the and ask them to speak out The campaign needs services to exploitative em - at the Tyneside Irish Tyne and Wear Metro for the cleaners. continued direct-action ployers. It is also in the Centre with bands and make struck again for 48 Their silence has been solidarity, as well as to de - process of privatising the music. Contact hours. deafening. While a num - velop links with workers Berlin S-Bahn metro sys - 07740099479 for info. ber of local Labour MPs on the Deutsch Bahn net - tem which it runs. Workers The long-running dis - have signed an Early Day work in Germany. DB Re - in both countries could pute has now seen cleaners Motion in support of the gion is a state-owned learn from and support take five days of strike ac - gains cleaners, and while Dave tion. Anderson (MP for Blay - They are demanding liv - don) visited recent picket Tube cleaners strike to win dignity at work ing wages (they are cur - lines, Labour councillors - By Ollie Moore rently paid minimum including those on the au - wage, and have not been have gone up, but our thority - have said nothing. wages haven't. A strike campaign by offered a pay rise for this cleaning workers at year), free travel passes, MANAGERS We're striking for dig - nity and respect at work. John Lewis’ flagship access to a pensions Worse still, it appears store in London's Ox - scheme, and an end to vic - managers from the au - Cleaners are the bottom of the pile on the Under - ford Street has forced timisation. thority and DB Regio bosses to back off The action on 6 and 7 (who won the contract to ground. At some stations we're not even allowed to from a cuts plan, as August was described as run the Metro and sub - By a cleaning worker of people prepared to sit in the mess rooms with well as winning wage rock solid. Workers also contracted cleaning to strike. the other workers. increases for workers. organised a lobby of Churchills) are in fact I'm employed by ISS The cleaning companies We need to keep our Nexus, the Tyne and Wear helping to break the [one of the main clean - have been flooding the Cleaning contractor strikes going, and build transport authority (made strike by doing cleaning ing contractors operat - stations with extra agency ICM (part of the Com - political pressure too. up of local councillors). work on strike days (and ing on the Underground] staff to undermine the im - We should be taking pass Group) had been The local anti-cuts net - taking home much more on the Northern Line. pact of the strike. They're direct action against planning to make com - work also continued its in - money than the cleaners not legally allowed to hire Boris Johnson, and pulsory cuts to cleaning The strikes have been volvement in the get). scab labour just to break a against the fat cat workers' hours, mean - good so far; we need to campaign. They have or - strike but they used the bosses who run the ing a loss of pay, as well It appears councillors keep building and raising ganised a number of direct cover of the Olympics to cleaning companies. It's as making compulsory and DB Regio fear that a awareness of the dispute, actions in solidarity with hire a lot more agency time to take the fight to redundancies. The victory for the cleaners including getting more the dispute, including staff than they would have them. workers' strikes have could lead Churchills to publicity and press cover - mass leafleting sessions, to make sure they've got succeeded in halting the walk away from the con - age. street parties, and other ac - cover during the strikes. cuts plan. Not a single tract, forcing DB Regio or The strike hasn't been • Cleaning workers are tions. Their role is a good We want an Olympic worker will now face re - the council itself to directly strong everywhere. Man - fighting for Olympic bonus, example of how anti-cuts bonus but people feel dundancy. employ the cleaners if an - agers have been phoning living wages, staff travel groups and working-class more passionately about Although the key de - other contractors cannot be individual workers telling passes, pensions, and sick community campaigns can the wider, general issues - mand of the strike, to found. them not to strike, telling pay. For more on their dis - build solidarity with in - the living wage, staff win a pay increase to the A recent Employment them that the strike won't pute, see workersliberty.org/ dustrial struggles. For this travel passes, sick pay, London Living Wage of Tribunal for an RMT mem - win. They've been intimi - twblog and strike, the networks dis - and pensions. Not having £8.30 per hour, has not ber sacked in the run up to dating workers and it has rmtlondoncalling.org.uk tributed thousands of travel passes kills us; fares yet been met, the clean - leaflets to each borough the dispute found he had an impact on the number ers have won a 10% pay Union officials scupper drivers’ increase. New battles for Southampton Their union, the In - dustrial Workers of pensions fight Great Britain (an off - council workers shoot of the Industrial By an ASLEF member Olympics, or the fact that Workers of the World), says that winning the again in July three Mike Tucker, secretary of some cuts. There was par - where pay cuts are on the branches representing the living wage remains “If I’m being held by ter - Southampton District ticular opposition to the point of being reversed. In vast majority of EMT "the key objective". rorists who are threatening to Unison, spoke to Solidar - proposal to cut the subsidy conditions of austerity The union hopes members voted for strike kill me, for f**k’s sake don’t ity about the situation for to a local swimming pool that’s hugely significant that the confidence action during the send in any ASLEF negotia - workers in the city fol - on a working-class hous - and we believe a valida - and momentum Olympics. Also absent is tors.” - Anonymous mess - lowing the election of a ing estate. We have mem - tion both of the sustained gained from the victo - any mention of the fact room wit Labour council in May. bers working at that pool industrial action we took ries over cuts will help that not one of our lay reps and are opposed to that and the work the unions galvanise an ongoing Sabotage by three full- Since the change of ad - were asked for their opin - cut. Two councillors voted did to help elect a Labour campaign against timer officials from driv - ministration in May, ion on the deal. against the budget — an council. We reject entirely poverty pay. ers’ union ASLEF killed we’ve been negotiating Why did negotiators call action we supported. the notion that there is no off the pension dispute to secure the reversal of of our strikes for this We’ve been working with difference between Labour on East Midlands Trains. the pay cuts made by the shoddy deal? One possibil - those councillors since and Tory administrations, ity is that there was some previous Tory council. Hours before the then to maintain a cam - and the progress we’ve third party with an interest Olympics were due to We’ve made significant paign against the closure made since Labour took in getting the strike pulled start, they suspended progress there and the deal of that swimming pool, in - office proves this very who had more influence strikes set to take place will be made public within cluding building a mass clearly. over our elected represen - during the games so that the next weeks. meeting on that estate and However, the economic tatives than we have. the Executive could con - There’s been a general a lobby of the council situation remains unstable Maybe a quiet word from sider another deal they had improvement in industrial meeting on 12 September and we’re well aware that the TUC or Labour Party, negotiated. The new deal relations at the council. which is due to ratify the at some point in the near who would want to avoid contains little except prom - Management engage with cut to the subsidy. It’s un - future, Labour will make at all costs having to talk ises of further talks and re - unions now and the nor - fortunate that one of the proposals that will nega - about workers striking views. The document in mal channels of consulta - Labour council’s first ac - tively effect our members during the Games? which ASLEF District Or - No-one is saying that tion are being respected tions was to propose a cut anWd ew shuicphp woret’ ltlh oep eploesc e-. ganiser Richard Fisher we weren’t in a difficult again. The new adminis - that would hit our mem - tion of a Labour council talks up the new “deal” position on pensions, tration has also withdrawn bers and working-class but our fundamental role contains no mentions of what with all the other proposals to evict the communities, but it’s im - is to help our members the Nottingham branch unions accepting the unions from the offices portant to note that the defend their pay, condi - meeting he attended in changes, but this out - and to make myself and councillors’ revolt was tions, and jobs, and we’ll July where he witnessed come is confusing and my colleague from Unite around this specific issue continue to do that re - the strength of feeling debilitating. redundant. rather than something gardless of which politi - amongst the members for Soon after taking power, more general. • Abridged from cal party has power in action during the the council introduced a Southampton council is the council. bit.ly/OobHyr mini-budget that included the only local authority SOLIDARITY 15 Syria at the & WSorokerls’i Ldibearty rity edge: for freedom and secular democracy!

By Dan Katz for air attacks. The rebel militias, mainly the Free Using prisoners as nearly-free labour in call centres is an The people of Syria face Syrian Army are going import from the US. a humanitarian disaster. through a reorganisation, The state is responsible merging and attempting for most of the esti - to build an effective cen - mated 23,000 deaths tral command. Call centre since the uprising In the Kurdish north against Bashar Assad’s east of Syria the state has police state began in abdicated allowing the March 2011. PKK to take control. The PKK is a repressive Kur - The regime has now dish group that has lost control over large exploits prison labour fought a long war with areas of the country and the Turkish state. is resorting to the use of This seems to be part of attack helicopters and the Syrian strategy. fixed-wing planes against Rather than give up its own people. power Assad’s regime Over a quarter of a mil - for £3 a day seems willing to allow lion people have fled the Syria to collapse into war - country and 1.2 million ring fiefdoms, similar to By Ira Berkovic probation period, they’d “It is nothing short of as their bosses use the op - are internally displaced. those that existed in been there for several Dickensian to exploit pris - portunity to hire nearly- The UN states that 2.5 Lebanon, during their Becoming Green, a com - months. They’d main - oners by paying them just free labour as a means of million are in need of civil war in the 1970s and pany which markets en - tained the level they were £3 a day while Cardiff call undercutting them. food and other aid. 80s. vironmentally-sustainabl — that had been perfectly centre workers lose their This is the model of em - Basic infrastructure is The fragmentation at e energy to homeown - acceptable at that point. jobs.” ployment relations that the breaking down. For ex - the top of the regime con - ers, has been exposed Then they [got] these peo - The levels of exploita - Tories would like to im - ample, sewage-contami - tinues to indicate the ex - using prison labour on ple in for nearly free. tion in this case are mani - pose as widely as the can. nated water has led to a treme pressure they are slave wages in its Cardiff “Everyone was pretty fold. Prisoners, forced to These are politics of the diarrhoea outbreak in the under. call centre. miffed because at the end work for illegally low workhouse, a race to the countryside around Dam - Prime minister Riyadh of the day there’s no way wages, are victims. Even bottom where workers are ascus. Power cuts take Hijab escaped and join Almost 20% of the call you can compete [with £3 within the framework of coerced into some of the place for hours each day, the opposition two centre’s staff in July and a day].” retributive models of “jus - most exploitative, oppres - in many areas. weeks ago; the state August were inmates from Andy Richards, Welsh tice”, their prison sen - sive conditions of labour The regime is unable to was denying yesterday Prescoed prison in Mon - secretary of the Unite tences constitute their which exist in the modern retake much of Aleppo in that Vice-President mouthshire, around 21 union, said: “This looks “punishment”; there is British economy. the north west and rebels Farouq al-Shara, who miles away from the cen - Increasingly, the fight likes a disgraceful and nothing in British law that are perhaps close to over - has not been seen re - tre. The prison workers against the government worrying development says prisoners must be - running the airport which cently, had also de - were paid just £3 per day is a fight for our basic which follows the UK gov - come slaves as well. And has been used as a base fected. for their work. human dignity. ernment’s already discred - Becoming Green’s full- Becoming Green had ited Workfare scheme. time staff are victims too, been employing the pris - oners for 40-day periods, but as there is no cen - tralised regulation on how Activists shame “workfare” employers long external employers can employ prison labour By a Boycott crime of being unem - plans for the day. The on “training contracts”, Workfare activist ployed. This comes on top London action will take Becoming Green could of the plan to put 1.06 mil - place from 11.30am on keep employing prisoners “Workfare” — forced un - lion people onto six Saturday 8 September, on similar wage levels for paid work for people months’ workfare, mainly meeting outside the Nat much longer. who need social secu - in charity and public sec - West opposite Camden Although the Ministry of rity — can now be found tor organisations. ToCwonm stea taiolonn. g to this Justice claims it sought as - on every high street. Our actions have surances from Becoming walk of shame to learn pushed back the spread of who’s in and who’s out Green that prison workers Charities — which re - workfare on the high and to step up the pres - would only be used to fill ally should know the dif - street, now it’s time that sure on the charities “genuine vacancies”, there ference between forced charities respond to the which claim to help peo - is substantial evidence to labour and volunteering call. ple but are pushing the suggest that the company — are helping the govern - Plans for a national day unemployed into further has been exploiting prison ment roll out workfare on of action against charity poverty and exploita - labour in order to allow a massive scale: British involvement in workfare tion. them to sack existing Heart Foundation’s policy are brewing. Already, Liv - workers. A former Becom - director has stated for the erpool has announced an ing Green worker told The record that every one of action with others in the • More: Guardian that staff were in - their 700 stores has Work pipeline in Edinburgh and boycottworkfare.org formed in November 2011 Programme placements. Brighton. London also has that the company planned To their shame, many to begin taking on prison other charities are also in - 27-31 August: join the Atos games! labour. Shortly afterwards, volved. 17 workers were dis - In August, a new work - Atos is the company hired by the government to help them missed. fare scheme was an - throw disabled people off benefits. Disgracefully, they are The former employee nounced which will also a prominent sponsor of the Paralympic Games. said: “As they started compel people to work The Disabled People’s Action Coalition is organising a bringing more and more without pay for so-called week of action against Atos across the country, and [prisoners] in, they started “community benefit”. In calling for the support and involvement of the whole anti- Syrian refugees. About a quarter of a million people have firing people … They other words, community cuts movement. For information on how to get involved, fled the country would have kept their jobs service-style sentences are see tinyurl.com/atosgames. if it wasn’t for the prison being meted out for the thing. They’d passed their