Solidarity Solidarity& Workers’ Liberty For a workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry

ISRAEL-PALESTINE:

FOR TWO STATES, Pic: @G_for_Gemma FOR EQUAL RIGHTS By Colin Foster One of the slogans of the Soon the postponed court protest was: “The answer to the hearing will come on plans to housands protested in Tel- Right is Israel and Palestine”. evict six Palestinian families in TAviv-Jaffa on Saturday 22 On the other side of Israeli the Sheikh Jarrah district of East May, in Israel’s biggest peace politics, Benjamin Netanyahu Jerusalem from their tenancies demonstration for many years. plans on a further spell in prime in now Jewish-owned (since WIN OUR : Breaking The Silence, an as- minister, helped by the fall- 1972) houses. sociation of Israeli ex-soldiers ing-apart during the bloodshed Netanyahu now faces a which co-organised the pro- of negotiations for an anti-Ne- stronger opposition. Too much test with the Jewish-Arab social tanyahu coalition. Having Net- of the generally pro-Palestinian Right to protest movemement Standing To- anyahu as their opponent suits protest in Britain has sided im- gether, declared: Hamas; having Hamas ruling in plicitly or explicitly with Hamas. ≫ “The ceasefire [on 21 May, Gaza and a surging force in the That is a dead end. after 15 days of rockets and West Bank suits Netanyahu; the The way to a democratic bombs] is of course good news, symbiosis obstructs workers’ peace and towards workers’ Right to strike See page 2 and we hope it will hold out for unity, a democratic way out, unity in Israel-Palestine lies in as long as possible. But it’s only and peace. solidarity with the new move- Back≫ Palestinians, New upsurges A victory at Back Uyghur, HK a matter of time until the next The Israeli press reports that ments inside Israel, and with fight antisemitism inside Israel Pimlico Academy rights on 4 June round of fighting; a question of since 21 May Israeli police the fresh hope that they may be Reject blaming “the Potential of a Students and staff force Tienanmen Square when, not if. Because as long as have stepped up checks and able to inspire in the West Bank Jews”, and equating united Arab-Jewish head teacher to quit, anniversary protest at we continue holding Palestini- a heavy-handed presence in and Gaza. □ “Zionists” and Nazis! movement and press on for more Chinese Embassy ans under occupation, violence Arab districts of mixed cities. is inevitable”. • More: pages 8 and 9 Pages 10,12 Pages 8-9 Page 5 Pages 3 , 5 No. 594, 26 May 2021 50p/£1 workersliberty.org No. 594, 26 May 2021 50p/£1 workersliberty.org Right to protest, right to strike! more narrowly constrained than the tailed by the 1986 Public Order Act Tories now want to make the right to (introduced after the defeat of the Editorial demonstrate. year-long national miners’ strike, the The right to strike is essential as a decisive turning point in the Tories re- means for workers to defend and im- pressing the workers’ movement), the he campaign to stop the Police, prove their conditions and as a po- 1994 Criminal Justice Act and the 2011 Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill T tentially extremely powerful means of Police Reform and Social Responsibility is relaunching on 29 May with a fourth protest. But most forms of strikes and Act, among others. national Kill the Bill day of action” @ industrial action have now been illegal As with some other defeats and re- killthebill_1. for over thirty years, and the rest are al- gressions, these earlier restrictions Labour movement activists should lowed only in tightly controlled circum- on the right to protest have become get out on the streets with trade union, stances (bit.ly/au-law) implicitly accepted, not discussed or Labour Party and campaign delega- These legal shackles on workers’ right thought about. tions and banners. to protest were maintained in full dur- To the immediate demand to Kill the Socialists need to push harder in the ing the 13 years of the Blair and Brown Bill, we should add pro-active demands labour movement, both trade unions Labour governments. Now, in addition to remove the older restrictions on our and Labour Party, to mobilise it in sup- to the specific threat the Police Bill rights — including, perhaps most impor- port of the struggle against the Police poses to strikes and trade unions (bit. tantly, on the right to strike. Bill. ly/pb-un), the Tories plan to ban large- Solidarity is promoting a model mo- We need to widen discussion, in the Pic: @G_for_Gemma scale strikes on public transport (bit.ly/ tion on the Police Bill, the right to pro- labour movement and among Kill the pt-law). test and other demands on policing (being debated between now and Sep- Bill activists, about the right to protest. The Free Our Unions campaign fights and criminal justice (bit.ly/polbillmo- tember): bit.ly/lp-pb □ If the Police Bill passes, it will severely for the labour movement to defy the tion) for labour movement and other limit the right to protest. But that right • Newcastle activists are raising money anti-union laws and clearly and mili- groups. has already been restricted repeatedly, for the legal costs of protesters arrested tantly demand their repeal. And there’s another model motion over decades. In particular, since the at their Kill the Bill protest on May Day: The right to demonstrate was cur- for Labour Party conference motions late 1980s, the right to strike has been bit.ly/pb-nc “New plan” for immigration? Same racist policies By Wilson Gibbons Emily Kenway, in her inter- drawing a bright red line link- means a dystopian expansion ernments raise borders ever view with Solidarity on “mod- ing dinghies in the channel of the UK’s border regime fur- higher and make it more dif- n 24 May Home Secretary ern slavery”, explained that as and the smuggling of drugs ther into everyday life, further ficult for people to migrate OPriti Patel was the keynote Home Secretary Theresa May and guns. And another be- into hospitals, schools and uni- legally, that only makes mi- speaker of the “What’s next for used that issue as “a kind of tween the migrants in Glasgow versities. This again endangers grants’ path more dangerous immigration?” online confer- heroic grandstanding as a saved from deportation by the most vulnerable migrants and their life more precarious. ence hosted by Bright Blue, counterweight to really abhor- community intervention and who will inevitably be forced The left and the labour a “liberal conservative” think rent policies.” Patel appears to rapists and murderers being into more dangerous and pre- movement must mobilise to tank. have learned from the best. allowed to roam the streets. carious forms of work. oppose the New Plan For Im- The “new plan for immigra- One of her proclaimed three Who needs a dog whistle? Patel repeatedly contended migration. We must fight for tion”, she claimed, is simply a key objectives of the “new that free movement wasn’t an free movement as a human “fair but firm” expression of plan” is “to deter illegal entry Danger option. In fact it remains the and workers’ right, organising the democratic rights of the into the UK, thereby breaking Patel’s policy empowers the only coherent option for less- at the rank and file level with people of the UK first in the the business model of criminal UK Border Agency to seize ening suffering. Borderscause migrant workers and protect- EU referendum and again in trafficking networks”, as if the and dispose of small boats human trafficking, they cause ing those in the most precari- 2019. She lambasted anyone real problem is the “traffickers” used by undocumented mi- “modern slavery”. When gov- ous jobs. □ who had the guts to stand rather than the government grants or to redirect them back up against her government which bans legal entry to mi- away from the UK. This won’t as sowing dissent whilst she grants and asylum-seekers. protect anyone. Quite the op- is, of course, in line with the Characteristically loose on posite, it could prove deadly: opinion of the silent majority detail, Patel talked about pro- confiscating boats will simply Upcoming meetings of UK citizens with “legitimate tecting the vulnerable while lead to more dangerous ves- concerns”. sels being used to reduce the orkers’ Liberty meetings are open to all, held online over costs of losing a vessel. Rerout- Wzoom. ing them away from the UK will Wednesday 26 May, 6.30-7.30pm: East Midlands Workers’ prolong the length of time mi- Liberty: Is Labour finished? grants spend in small boats in Sunday 6 June, 6.30-8pm: Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit ten- Our videos! dangerous shipping lanes. sions — can there be working-class unity? atch Workers’ Liberty’s videos, subscribe to our youtube The “new plan” also em- Sunday 20 June 12pm: Socialist Feminist Reading Group — Wchannel! Many have subtitles. Playlists include: powers the home secretary to Transgender Marxism, by Jules J. Gleeson and Elle O’Rourke • The State, Crime, Prisons, and Police personally intervene in the im- • Socialist Feminism migration process, and to de- Plus Weekend of 10-11 July: Ideas for Freedom 2021 festival of • Black Lives Matter port someone or not on their socialist ideas. Online or in person — buy tickets now! • Socialist commentary on the Covid-19 crisis individual say-so. Patel boasts Thursday 8-9.30pm: Lenin’s What is to be done? reading • ABCs of Marxism, an introductory series about the use of new technol- group • An introduction to Marx’s Capital, with Martin Thomas ogies to “secure” our borders, Mondays, 6-7pm: AWL Students’ discussions • Tubeworker/Off The Rails, by the makers of the bulletins□ and greater cooperation be- tween different law enforce- For our calendars of events, updated details, zoom links, more Watch, comment, share: youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK ment agencies. In practice this meetings and resources, see workersliberty.org/events □

2 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty New forced Uyghur labour revelations hit Apple, Tesla, Amazon By Ben Tausz ers in batches to factories both within The report flagged that Apple still has to force TikTok’s transfer from its Chi- their homeland, and in provinces not publicly disclosed all its hundreds nese owners. even more companies in corporate across China hundreds or thousands of suppliers. One demand the Uyghur So we cannot align with Western Stech giants’ supply chains have been of miles from home. They are segre- Solidarity Campaign UK (USC) raises is hawks, like Republican Senator Marco linked to the Chinese state’s forced la- gated from other workers and heavily for new laws to force big capitalists to Rubio or Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith, bour schemes conscripting Uyghurs. surveilled: for instance, by facial recog- open the books: to audit their supply who cynically use human rights con- Solidarity has reported on previous nition cameras at their dorms, minders chains right back to source (not just cerns as a fig leaf for their rivalry with revelations about these schemes. This when going out, and police assigned in China, but worldwide) and publish China. Instead, the USC wants to help month, an investigation by tech journal- to oversee and discipline work groups. everything. This information would help build grassroots solidarity by connect- ists and human rights groups identified They are required to undergo “patri- empower workers’ and rights groups to ing struggles around the world against yet more businesses that received thou- otic” political re-education. organise and act. racist exploitation and the state vio- sands of workers, manufacturing and The forced labour schemes are part These are just the latest revelations lence enabling and enforcing it. assembling components for dozens of the industrial-scale persecution of illustrating that the struggle against Apple has already faced widespread of international brands. These include the Uyghurs and other indigenous the persecution of the Uyghurs is not pressure and protests after another of Apple, Amazon, IBM, Dell, Samsung, groups. They have been subject to Chi- a matter of picking a side in some bat- its suppliers, O-Film, was implicated last and Elon Musk’s Tesla. nese colonialism since long before the tle between a “free” capitalist West and March in the forced labour schemes. Beijing claims that these are volun- 1949 revolution, and in recent years, a “communist” China. Both Chinese This seems to have pushed Apple to tary “poverty alleviation” programmes this has escalated into a drive for forced and Western capitalists profit from the dump O-Film. Solidarity campaigners for the Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and assimilation amounting to genocide. forced labour and by outfitting Xin- must redouble our protests and direct other majority-Muslim indigenous peo- The Tech Transparency Project had al- jiang’s vast surveillance system. action targeting Apple and other im- ples of Xinjiang province (the Chinese ready raised concerns about one of the In February, The Intercept exposed plicated brands. Most importantly, we state’s name for colonised East Turke- companies last year: Lens Technology, how US tech giant Oracle was equip- need to organise with workers in those stan). However, those who decline to a major supplier of iPhone cover glass ping violently racist police and security companies, who could exercise enor- participate can be labelled “extremists” as well as Amazon and Tesla. Apple forces from Xinjiang to the USA and mous leverage against their bosses’ and then find themselves among the claimed that it found no Uyghur work- Brazil to Dubai. Oracle is close to the US outrageous practices. □ (at least) one million indigenous peo- ers transferred to Lens. But this new military-industrial complex, with senior • Ben Tausz is an organiser with the ple subjected to mass internment over investigation found multiple Chinese executives allied to Donald Trump, and Uyghur Solidarity Campaign UK, the last few years. state media reports directly contradict- was set to benefit from the former Pres- writing here in a personal capacity The programmes send coerced work- ing Apple’s denials. ident’s posturing, nationalistic attempt Tooting protest against racist police raids By Katy Dollar fast food delivery drivers and the Home Office’s hostile envi- together with migrant rights checking immigration status ronment policies. and anti-racist groups to call n the week ending 22 May, under the guise of ‘Covid com- a protest on Sunday 30 May, Ilocal residents in Tooting, pliance’. Racial profiling 12.30 on Bickley Street Lon- south London were outraged “Covid compliance is cru- “This looks like racial profiling don SW17. We are here to when the police used a “road cial to stop the spread, but it and I am concerned that under say no to racism. We stand in safety policing operation” to doesn’t explain why Immigra- the Equalities Act 2010, this solidarity with immigrants and check delivery drivers’ immi- tion Enforcement were in at- may amount to indirect dis- refugees. We call for the end gration statuses. Two people tendance. crimination due to its dispro- of racist police harassment of were arrested for immigration portionate impact on ethnic “I don’t think there’s been full riders. We want a major rethink omen’s Fightback is offences. transparency with the public minority groups. of the entire approach to crime Tooting MP Rosena Al- “If it’s not unlawful, then it’s Wa socialist feminist about the reasons for conduct- and immigration, one based publication. Issue 25, £1! □ lin-Khan responded: ing such an operation — and I definitely immoral and I cannot on human need, not on racist workersliberty.org/ “Today in Tooting, a Met certainly disagree with police defend it.” prejudice. □ publications Police Team were stopping time being used to prop up Local unions have come

Socialists organised through the Labour-left group Momentum Internationalists held a series of actions in the week 17-23 May Our pamphlets outside branches of global clothing giant H&M in solidarity with rowse, download, buy, or Myanmar strikers. (Pic: Newcastle). Myanmar trade unions are Blisten to our pamphlets in- demanding that H&M stick up for staff in its supplier factories by cluding: ensuring that workers are not sacked if they are unable to attend work due to violence and repression. • The German Revolution: More activity is planned for June. □ writings of Rosa Luxemburg • Workers’ Climate Action • Two Nations, Two States • Workers Against Slavery • How to Beat the Racists • Remain and Rebel • Shapurji Saklatvala: Socialist Rebel in Parliament • Stalinism in the International Brigades • Left Antisemitism: What it is and How to Fight it • Arabs, Jews, and Social- ism: Socialist Debates on Israel/Palestine □ workersliberty.org/publica- tions/

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 3 Open letter from a “quitter” that members (and, indeed, ex-mem- 2019 general election and that she and see the Morning Star offering its pages bers like her), must be listened to by the Morning Star both now blame for to them. Antidoto the leadership and the Parliamentary Labour’s defeat. In the run-up to the 6 May elections, Labour Party. Yet strangely, she also Anyway, Chelley doesn’t just want the paper failed to call even for a crit- mentions that she “came very close “sympathy” for, and “validation” of, her ical Labour vote (except, unaccount- By Jim Denham to resigning in the summer of 2019, decision to leave. As spokesperson ably, in Wales), plugged the CPB’s f you have tears, prepare to shed them after the party had adopted a more for the “thousands who have left”, she no-hope left-reformist candidates, Inow: Chelley Ryan has resigned from full-throated Remain policy I was both wants the entire Socialist Campaign carried an uncritical interview with the the Labour Party! morally and politically opposed to.” to follow her: “Many speak about their Northern Independence Party’s Hartle- Naturally, this news has come as a Now this is a bit strange, coming as hope that you will leave the party, a pool candidate Thelma Walker, and crushing blow to the entire UK labour it does from someone who poses as party filled with MPs and staffers that noticeably failed to address what it de- movement and warranted nearly a a champion of the rank and file mem- did so much to deliver a Tory gov- scribed as the “widespread belief that thousand words, in the form of an open bership. Who does Chelley think de- ernment in 2019 and stand as inde- a non-Labour vote only helps the Tories letter to the Socialist Campaign Group, manded that Labour adopted a “more pendents to threaten the status quo in in England and Wales, and the SNP in in the Morning Star of 18 May (“Leaving full-throated Remain policy”, if not the Labour — but you won’t.” Scotland”(editorial,13 April). Labour is a legitimate choice”). members? The clear wishes of the There always was a strand of the Chelley Ryan pleads of the Social- Mind you, it wasn’t an easy decision members for a reversal of the top-down Corbyn movement that was essentially ist Campaign Group: “Don’t drive a for poor Chelley, who’s “wrestled with steering of Labour towards Brexiting, an apolitical fan club, lacking any co- wedge between us by dividing us into this decision for 13 months”. And she’s and a return toward the definite Re- herent programme (beyond personal fighters and quitters”. But what should “sorry if I’m disappointing you.” main policy of 2016, were frustrated by adulation of Jeremy, a determination we call people who put their own But Chelley, you see, is speaking for Brexiteers like Seumas Milne and An- to downplay evidence of antisemitism self-righteous, self- indulgent sense of a lot of “distressed people who have drew Murray, key advisers to Chelley’s and, very often, support for Brexit): such entitlement ahead of the struggle for fought tirelessly for the party for years... hero Jeremy Corbyn. They frustrated people, who now regularly threaten to socialism within Labour, and the desir- and you glibly say, stay in the party... those demands and came up with what tear up their membership cards, and ability of electoral victories for Labour expecting members who are over- she herself described (in another open evidently relish electoral defeats for against the Tories, if not... “quitters”? wrought, filled with despair and rage letter — this time to Tom Watson) as “our Labour, are well represented on social And what more fitting print-media plat- to say, ‘Ah, of course I should stay’.” sensible compromise position”, i.e. the media (e.g. websites like Skwawkbox form for them than the irresponsible, Chelley clearly feels very strongly position that Labour put forward in the and The Canary) and it’s no surprise to sectarian Morning Star? □ Industries and socialist priorities Socialists should go for jobs access to jobs which (because trade-union movement or fos- better placed to intervene which will give them good of the union organisation) are ter the illusion that a few indi- in industrial disputes and to Letter chances of building a base for relatively well-paid, and which vidual activists taking jobs in light the fires needed to em- intervening in working-class people can sustain alongside logistics would be a sufficient bolden the labour movement struggles from “the inside”. on-the-streets activity and fulcrum to organise that indus- if they are active within the n his Solidarity 592 article Workers’ Liberty has long a full schedule of political try. Unions in the UK, unlike in workplace rather than just ad- on union organising in the I argued for a priority to sec- meetings for the many years the US, do not have energetic vocating from outside. Active USA, Traven Leyshon backed tors like the railway including needed to make difference in campaigns to organise logis- intervention to establish a so- moves within the Democratic London Underground, the union organising, even where tics and warehouse workers. cialist presence in particular Socialists of America (DSA) to civil service, the post, local shift work is involved. The DSA has around 90,000 jobs is good; but, to be effec- encourage young socialists to government, telecom (BT), Some of those sectors are members and can reasonably tive, needs thought-out and get jobs in the logistics indus- and the NHS. These jobs are strategic sectors of the econ- hope to place sizeable groups consistent targeting. try. available in big cities where omy with significant industrial in individual distribution cen- Stronger and more militant The priority for young social- we have AWL branches. They muscle. Logistics, of course, is tres and in nearby cities to give rank-and-file organisation in ists to integrate themselves have large workplaces with a another such sector. external support. No socialist target sectors can revitalise the into workplace and union or- higher than average level of At the present stage, it organisation in Britain is cur- mass union movement, and ganising applies across differ- union organisation (and some would make no sense for rently capable of that scale of build the base for future or- ent countries. How does that AWL experience and presence small socialist groups to try operation. ganising efforts in logistics. □ priority work out in the UK? in the unions). They also give to “substitute” for the mass Socialist activists are much Jay Dawkey, south London Trotsky and “switching the points” Trotsky’s argument was not one lights, to socialist revolutionary aims. on the authentic Marxists developing about poor leadership in politics in But those movements had been hi- enough energy and effort to “switch Letter general, for example in bourgeois gov- jacked at the top, notably by Stalinists. the points” of the labour-movement ernments, but a specific one about the Even if the Stalinists’ policies were seen “locomotive”. labour movements at that time. by the activists as off-beam and puz- In the event, descent was not fore- agree with Eric Lee’s substantive ar- The previous 50 years or so of educa- zling (and they were), for now work- stalled. The argument that the labour Igument (Solidarity 593) that socialists tional and organising work by socialists ers were inclined to stick with them movements would now require trans- must aim to reconstruct mass politics, of different sorts; of industrialisation because that seemed to be the way formation from the ground up would not just hope for better “leaders”. and urbanisation; and of the self-dis- to stick with the powerful mass move- become a chief focus of debate be- But I think he gives a skewed picture crediting of capitalism by wars and ments. tween “heterodox” and “orthodox” of Trotsky’s 1938 declaration about “the crises, had produced powerful labour Hopes of forestalling descent into Trotskyists after 1945. □ crisis of the leadership of the proletar- movements with the rank and file com- world war and widespread fascism Rhodri Evans, London iat ”. mitted, in general terms and by their in the short time available depended

4 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty A victory at Pimlico Academy Activist Agenda yghur and Hong Kong rights By a Future Academies worker Ucampaigners will be on the street outside the Chinese Embassy taff and students at Pimlico Acad- at Portland Place, London W1B 1JL, Semy in London have already seen on 4 June (from 7pm, rally at 8pm). a first victory. On 18 May, the day be- Plans are also being discussed for fore a National Education Union (NEU) further Uyghur solidarity activity on ballot for strike action, closed, head 5 June. teacher Daniel Smith announced he In a response to the Queen’s would leave on 31 May. Student pro- Speech, Neurodivergent Labour test and the threat of workers’ action has highlighted the government’s has seen off the ultimate school bully. failure to deal with the crisis in social Staff have been organising over bul- care, which many neurodivergent lying management; failure to address people rely on. It also objects to accusations of racism; lack of ade- the procrastination over the outlaw- quate safeguarding and unreasonable washed curriculum. Pimlico Academy The events at Pimlico Academy have ing of LGBT+ “conversion therapy”, workload. The NEU strike ballot, which is not the only school in the Trust to see been covered extensively in the main- which provides a model for abusive closed last week, came back with a re- discontent. When pupils at Millbank stream press, with right-wing papers so-called “therapies” used on autis- sounding yes vote, and staff are due to Academy, a primary school down the dubbing the school the “Academy of tic people. hold their first strike day during the first road in Pimlico, were instructed to eat Anarchy”. Tory MPs have expressed ND Labour has joined the wide week back after half term (31 May — 4 their lunch in silence, the upper KS2 concern that the Trust is giving in to the opposition to compulsory photo June). students (9-11 year olds) wrote to their “woke mob” by taking down the Union identification for voting: this will On 31 March, around a thousand Head Teacher, asking for permission to Jack, following their protest last term. present a bureaucratic barrier to students at Pimlico Academy refused whisper to their neighbours. After all, But the events at Future Academies neurodivergent people exercising to go to lessons, and demanded they said, school is for socialising too. in recent weeks reveal which way the their right to vote. □ Smith’s resignation (see Solidarity 587). When their request was refused, the wind is blowing. Staff and students are • Links and info for these and other They were protesting, among other pupils, inspired by their peers over at united in the task to tackle bullying, campaigns, and suggested words things, the school’s racist uniform pol- the secondary school, took to the play- racism and bigotry and to introduce in- for labour movement motions on icy, its failure to support students that ground with placards that read “We clusive, empowering curricula. Our job many issues, at workersliberty.org/ had made sexual assault complaints want change!” now is to support the coming strikes. □ against other students, and its white- agenda Lockdown-easing sharpens lockdown danger himself. In Mallorca a preg- partner when they attempt an increased sense of control. hubs in May 2020, at the height nant Moroccan woman and to leave, and this is probably This could be threatened as of the first national lockdown. Women’s her young son were killed by happening more often now lockdowns ease, and perpe- This was followed by another Fightback her partner, who called police that curbs on movement have trators may intensify coercive spike in September, as schools to confess. been lifted, they say. control or engage in new, returned, which Solace attrib- By Katy Dollar Their deaths bring to 14 the The Social Care Institute for more harmful behaviour to utes to women having greater ive women were killed in number of women killed in Excellence in Britain has also re-exert control.” freedom to move and more FSpain in the week from Spain so far this year by their warned that though in lock- During the first national lock- time to access support. The 17 May by their partners or partner or former partner, down incidents of domestic down, calls to the domestic government acted slowly and ex-partners. In Asturias, Maria and to 1,092 the total number violence have become more abuse charity Refuge’s help- inadequately to domestic vio- Teresa Aladro was found dead killed since the government complex and serious, with line increased by 65%, and lence spike at the beginning in her home with two shotgun started keeping a tally in 2003. higher levels of physical vio- the number of visits to their of the pandemic. Facing new wounds in her back. Her hus- Campaigners attribute the lence and coercive control, helpline website increased by risks we must campaign for band, whom she was in the increase in killings to the eas- lockdown lifting presents new 700% in the same period. full funding for sexual and process of divorcing, was ar- ing of coronavirus restrictions dangers. Solace, a charity support- domestic violence services, rested on suspicion of murder. since the end of a state of “A perceived loss of control ing women experiencing do- under local authority control, A 42-year-old woman in Barce- emergency on 9 May. Women can be a trigger for abusive mestic and sexual violence, including specialised BME, lona was stabbed to death by are at greater risk of physi- behaviour. During lockdowns, recorded a 62% increase in LGBT+ and disabled women’s her husband, who then killed cal violence from an abusive perpetrators may experience women calling their advice services. □

Second hand books! Climate change, shocks and growth orkers’ Liberty is selling hun- Wdreds of second hand-books that its chief trigger of crisis is periods This is evidently a longer debate — politics, but also fiction, history and of exceptional construction (booms). than short letters can handle. That al- much more. Visit bit.ly/2h-books for Letter Capitalism’s great period of (rela- ready-locked-in climate changes will the current stock and prices, and to tively, and only very relatively) smooth bring escalating natural disasters is order. growth was the 1950s and 60s. The last spur enough to activate us. e don’t know how climate shocks 40 years have brought slower growth We don’t need to add in dubious will impact on capitalism. (See W (except in some countries, like China) speculation about them triggering Todd Hamer, Solidarity 593, response and more and sharper crises. Trium- generalised property-price crashes, or to my letter in Solidarity 590). We do phalism is increasingly shouldered ending capitalist growth. □ know that capitalism is adept at mak- aside in bourgeois politics by calls like ing phases of destruction (wars, natural Chris Reynolds, London “Make America Great Again” and “Take disasters) into prompts for booms, and Back Control”. Not for the better.

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 5 A platform for care workers By Ali Treacher demands on local authorities, with some results, particularly in Salford. It Ali Treacher is a care worker, Unite the hasn’t stopped with the win on isolation Union activist and workplace rep, and pay. On the day of the Supreme Court Secretary of the Care and Support decision about sleep-in shifts [not qual- Workers Organise! network (CaSWO!). ifying for the minimum wage], [Salford She is also a supporter of “Anti-Capital- mayor] Paul Dennett said not in our city, ist Resistance”. She spoke to us about and insisted employers pay the rate for the care workers’ fight. those shifts. The council has good links with Unison and has cooperated to aSWO! has been meeting since the tackle employers. start of the pandemic, after a Uni- C I’m sure that’s resulting in increased son-organised call which brought to- density, but at the moment I don’t see gether care workers around issues like a sea of shop stewards and grassroots workplace health and safety and PPE. activists coming forward out of it. I’d say The initial focus was offering solidarity represented, and new ones are getting and I’ve gone out of my way to work the main mechanism for winning there and advice and sharing information. involved. with my employer to encourage vac- has been political leverage rather than We’ve organised public meetings. Unite tends to be the main union in cination. I was shocked when I discov- building organisation in the workplace. That’s been important for giving care the third sector. Unison is stronger in ered only about 50% of workers in my That’s what makes the Sage workers so workers a platform, which doesn’t hap- the bulk of private provision and ser- organisation had taken up the vaccine. distinctive and inspiring. pen in many arenas. We’ve had MPs vices that used to be public. I reached out to a comrade in the BMA It’s a strength that CaSWO! is in- speak too, Nadia Whittome and Paula [the British Medical Association, the dependent of all the unions but has Barker. More broadly, what have been the doctors’ union] and got a GP to come members from each of them, as there’s Our initial demands were mostly issues facing care workers over the in and speak about vaccine hesitancy. things we can learn from them all. We about PPE and safety measures. We last year? Now we’re over three quarters vacci- push union membership in general, but also raised a demand about the rein- The main struggle early on was nated. However I do oppose forced we’re not sectarian. It’s very positive to statement of whistle-blowers, which around the crisis in PPE, about it being vaccination. Care workers feel seri- have a forum for members of different was quite a big issue early on. However distributed and actually getting down ously aggrieved that the government unions to discuss and work together. moving forward we felt we needed to the frontlines. Even when we finally is appealing to our professionalism It’s allowed various kinds of inter-union focus on making demands for wider got PPE we often found it was out-of- when we have been and still are being networking that go beyond social care, change. Social care was broken before date. There were boxes where stickers treated so badly. for instance different unions in London Covid-19, and the pandemic has just had just been stuck over, changing the You also have employers saying they talking about going to each other’s made things worse, for care workers expiry date. I remember being on that won’t employ people unless they’re picket lines. and the services we provide. first Unison call and people were talk- vaccinated. Of course there’s a debate In my view the action taken by UVW With than in mind we’ve now devel- ing about employers saying workers about the balance between the rights has had some impact on the pushiness oped six demands: we’re advocating didn’t need PPE and workers having to of the people using the service and and demands of the big unions. for £15 an hour, with holiday pay based make their own out of whatever they workers’ bodily autonomy, but forced In Unite we generally don’t have care on normal wages and pension parity could find. There were a lot of issues vaccination is not a good answer. branches; care workers are in compos- with public-sector workers; contracts of about lack of PPE training too. ite branches, often health branches. employment including minimum hours Sick pay was obviously a huge issue. What struggles and organising have Mostly, even when there’s recognition, based on the needs of workers and After union pressure, in May last year come of this? union reps don’t get facility time or only those receiving support; occupational the government brought in the Infec- I don’t have figures about unionisa- a very small amount which is eaten up sick pay including full pay protection tion Control Fund, from the point of tion generally but in my workplace for by case work. I get three hours a week for absences arising from Covid; safe view of public health and stopping the sure lots more people are joining the and that’s for an organisation of a thou- workplaces with genuine support for virus spreading, with little discussion union. sand people. A lot of full-time officials every aspect of workers’ health and about what was happening to care The Sage workers’ fight is really im- get drawn into case work which reps well-being; trade union access to all workers. The result was extreme slow- portant. They’re actually taking indus- should be doing; there’s an awareness social care workplaces and the right ness in workers getting isolation pay. trial action and that’s something more of this problem and the need to de- to union recognition; and the last one Even now, 20% of care workers still of us need to be doing. velop organisation, but it’s difficult.□ is social care being brought into dem- aren’t getting it. What Unison are doing in the North ocratic public ownership, guided by Meanwhile, most of the sector re- West is significant in a different way. • More next week. More: bit.ly/al-tr “co-production” of workers and those mains on the minimum wage or close They’ve run a campaign, Care Work- • Contact CaSWO! receiving support. to it. Long hours and understaffing ers vs Covid, with paid organisers, and [email protected] These are radical demands com- are also very big issues. I don’t know a done some great work. They’ve made pared to what the unions are calling for, care worker who does 37.5 hours. That but it was easy to come to a consensus doesn’t exist. If you add sleep-in shifts as it’s really so clear what is needed. which now aren’t counted as hours, We’re going to confirm them at a meet- people can do 60 hours weeks, easily. ing on 2 June. There’s well over 100,000 vacancies in We’re mainly lay trade unionists, care and there just aren’t the staff to Our audio! isten, download or subscribe to Workers’ Liberty audio recordings of our though are also some ununionised staff projects safely, and large numbers paper, other publications, and many meetings. Playlists include: workers in the group. We’re definitely off sick has made it worse. So there’s a L growing, though we face an issue of massive increase in stress for workers, • Solidarity Newspaper people dropping in and out, which is leading to a mental health crisis. • Pamphlets, publications beyond Solidarity exacerbated by the nature of our work. Bear in mind that we’ve had huge • Public meetings We’re in Unite, Unison and United numbers of those we support dying. • Fighting racism: pamphlets and more Voices of the World. The Sage workers It’s not just Covid either. The last year • Solidarność: The workers’ movement and the rebirth of Poland in 1980-81 [North London care home workers in has seen drugs and alcohol deaths sky- • Environmental pamphlet and meetings UVW, who have been taking strike ac- rocket, as people’s human connections See workersliberty.org/audio for episodes, and for information on subscribing tion over pay, terms and conditions and are cut off. and using podcasts. All recent episodes can be found through most podcast union recognition] are in the group. I also want to highlight the issue of providers: search “Workers’ Liberty” or “Solidarity & More”. □ There are particular workplaces that are forced vaccinations. I’m fully vaxxed

6 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Covid and “too Vaccines and blood clots little, too late” is far higher for older and far lower for cases of CVST might normally be ex- younger people, 5,000 per million for pected. Estimates vary, partly because Science over-85s versus 100 per million for un- it’s difficult to diagnose CVST (a brain der-40s. scan with a specialised form of mag- Covid-19 We would expect some cases of VTE netic resonance imaging is needed), By Les Hearn to occur naturally during the time fol- but boil down to around 0.7 per mil- oes the AstraZeneca vaccine (AZV) lowing a vaccination. Let’s say that the lion per month so, on the face of it, By Martin Thomas Dcause rare and dangerous types relevant time period for the immune the number of cases with AZV at 6 per of blood clot? Probably yes, and AZV response is a month: for 22.6 million million doses seems rather higher. In ifteen or 16 months after SARS- is now not recommended for people people, we might expect one-twelfth view of this, despite the small number FCov-2 started to spread widely in under 30. Let’s look at the overall pic- of a year’s cases to occur, about 3,600 of cases, it makes sense to offer an al- Britain, the government is looking at ture. for the average population but more ternative vaccine to the younger age public provision of quarantine ac- Out of 4.4 million people confirmed for the older population that made up groups, whose risk of serious illness commodation for people who would to have Covid-19, over 150,000 have the majority of the vaccinated. In fact, and death from Covid-19 is very low. otherwise be trying to “self-isolate” died. That’s about 34,000 per million yellow card (adverse event) reports for Overall, however, we should remem- in crowded housing. confirmed cases. Confirmed cases are AZV total a bit less than this, at around ber that Covid-19 brings a risk of death It still hasn’t budged on isolation likely to be an underestimate of actual 3500 for thrombosis-related events of about 10,000 per million cases, with pay beyond its meagrely-available cases but, taking the highest estimate, (though not all such events will have a greater risk of lengthy hospitalisation £500 payment and concessions the fatality rate is still at least 10,000 per been reported). and a variety of long-term symptoms forced by campaigning in some million cases or about 1%. In principle, The question of risk has particularly (not least PTSD) which can be very areas (some care homes, Test Cen- mass vaccination should eventually be arisen with AZV, where rare cases of ab- debilitating. (The experiences of chil- tres, etc.). able to reduce Covid infection rates, dominal and brain blood clotting have dren’s author Michael Rosen illustrate It is not supporting the demand and therefore deaths, to almost zero. occurred. AZV seems to be linked to this well). to end patent restrictions on Covid However, if the vaccines themselves the incidence of blood clots in connec- We also know that Covid-19 itself vaccines, and requisition Big Pharma carry a risk, they may cause some tion with thrombocytopenia (low plate- comes with a serious risk of blood assets to speed vaccine production. illness and deaths. This is just what has let count in the blood). In particular, clots, either from the effects of the virus World jab rates have increased a lit- been claimed for AZV, with reports of AZV is linked to a rare type of clot in the (causing severe inflammation, trigger- tle, from 0.2 jabs per 100 population blood clotting (venous thromboembo- brain, cerebral venous sinus thrombo- ing the clotting system) or from patients per day to about 0.33, but are still far lism — VTE) and deaths. sis (CVST). There have so far been 242 being immobile at home or in hospital, too slow. Here, it might be useful to look at the cases of clotting with thrombocytope- especially in intensive care. Immobility Covid deaths were increased by problem of inappropriate blood clot- nia, including 49 deaths, among 22.6 raises the chance of deep vein throm- long-term policy of running the NHS ting in general. Clots form to prevent million first doses of AZV (latest gov- bosis (DVT), which accounts for some with minimum “slack”, and social us from bleeding to death from cuts ernment figures on 28 Apr). This gives 40,000 hospital deaths per year (nearly care at minimum cost. The Tories’ but if a clot forms inside a blood vessel a risk of about 11 cases (with 2 deaths) half preventable by better care such insulting 1% pay offer to NHS work- (typically a leg vein), bits can break off per million doses. Of these, 140 were as mobilisation of legs, anticoagulant ers shows us that those long-term and lodge in a narrow vein somewhere cases of CVST, including 16 deaths. This drugs or wearing compression stock- policies continue, underneath and else, blocking blood flow (mostly VTEs). is about 6 cases (with 0.7 deaths) per ings). behind the emergency measures If in the lungs, this causes pulmonary million doses. People affected ranged Covid sufferers have had life-threat- improvised under pressure. embolism (PE). in age from 18 to 79 years, two-thirds ening clots in legs, lungs, hearts and The news on vaccine efficacy con- NICE estimates 2,000 cases of VTE women, whereas Covid-19 deaths are brain. These have led to heart attacks, tinues good, so the latest seven-day per million occur each year, of which skewed towards men and much older strokes, pulmonary embolisms or am- figures show UK Covid death rates about 750 per million are cases of PE groups. putations; if not fatal, these can lead to about as low as last July-August, and (other estimates are available!). The risk The question now arises of how many long-term debility. □ hospital admissions down 7% on the previous seven days, even though cases were up 17%. On 25 May, striking school staff, parents and local trade unionists protested at Worldwide, death rates have County Hall, the headquarters of East Sussex County Council in Lewes, against dropped a bit since 29 April. (India’s the forced academisation of Peacehaven Heights primary school. □ rates have fallen; Argentina’s have risen steeply, but on a smaller base). But worldwide rates are still higher than at any time before 8 January 2021. Even the recent improve- ments may be just until the next variant spreads, or until the current vaccinations start to lose efficacy. The need remains for covid-distanc- ing measures and quarantines, and for the labour movement to fight for social measures to make those pol- icies workable and efficacious and reduce their social costs. Workplace risk assessments, for example, need to be looked at again, since the variant now becom- ing dominant in the UK, B.1.617.2, may be over twice as transmissible as older variants dominant before October or November 2020. Keep up the fight against the virus for social solidarity, mutual aid, and workers’ control! □

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 7 New mobilisations inside Israel By Martin Thomas notionally an official language from equals South Africa before 1994. 1948, but its actual official use on Apartheid had to be wiped out, so he new mobilisation of the Palestin- anything approaching parity with Israel must be wiped out. The Israeli Tians within Israel is, or could be, a Hebrew expanded greatly from the Jews equal the white minority caste historic shift. 1990s. in South Africa (13% at the time of the The Arab grandees, and much of the More Palestinians now enter Israeli apartheid in 1994), with its monopoly small middle class, had fled Palestine universities and get “professional” or on political power and economic ad- before the 1948 war started, many hop- public-service jobs. Benjamin Netan- vantage. If any of the Israeli Jews can ing to avoid war and return after the yahu may believe such improvements stay, that can only be after they are re- Arab states had won. will reconcile Palestinians both to duced to a harmless minority. Apart- The Arabs remaining in Israel after democratic inequality and to material heid in South Africa was brought tice (oppression of the Palestinians) by the war and the expulsions were mostly inequalities like difficulties in getting down by boycotting South Africa, so imposing another (suppression of the peasants. They lived mostly under mil- building permits and thus continuing boycotting Israel is the answer now. Israeli Jews) is not progress. itary government until 1966. Large demolitions of “unauthorised” Palestin- In fact the Israeli Jews are a nation, The brief B’tselem document at- tracts of their land were seized by chi- ian homes. In fact, they have increased with a bourgeoisie and a working class. tempts no equation with South Africa canery. confidence and rebellion. In fact, they are mostly a refugee-origin before 1994. It lists, with justified anger, As with the Palestinian Arab people Christian and Druze Arabs, previously nation, not an upper crust superim- the inequalities suffered by Palestin- in the West Bank and Gaza who submit- more reluctant to identify as “Palestin- posed on a majority. ians, and argued that they amount to ted to Jordan and Egypt seizing those ian”, have done so more since the cam- In fact, the boycott of South Africa “apartheid” in a looser sense, without areas and extinguishing the UN-prom- paign against the Nation-State Law of between the early 1960s and 1994 was any argument about equation to South ised Palestinian state, they resisted lit- 2018, formally demoting Arabic to an a selective tactic widely supported by Africa rather than to, say, Turkey in its tle. They had been defeated both in the “auxiliary” language. the majority within South Africa and treatment of Kurds, or Algeria, of Ber- Arab-nationalist rebellion of the late The assertiveness, if it can win ap- supposed to target the South African bers. 1930s and, by proxy, in the war fought propriate political shape, can push upper crust. The proposed boycott of The Human Rights Watch document over their heads in 1948. They had back and win concessions. Those will Israel has seen its “successes” mostly in is much longer. It states that it “does not been ruled by the Ottoman Empire for always be limited until victory for the the exclusion of Israelis, as Israelis, from set out to compare Israel with South Af- centuries, then by the British; and now Palestinian people’s right to self-deter- film festivals, LGBT rights marches, ac- rica under apartheid or to determine it was another power. mination in a state of its own alongside ademic posts, and such. In fact, apart- whether Israel is an ‘apartheid state’.” Its A general Arab nationalism emerged Israel, and for peace; but a new surge heid was brought down not by boycott, chief argument is that the whole Israe- in middle-class circles in the early 20th of Palestinian activism within Israel on and certainly not by external conquest li-ruled realm must be taken as a whole, century. After 1967 a distinct Palestin- democratic and secular lines has the and wiping South Africa off the map, and that the horrors of Israeli colonial ian nationalism gathered more shape, potential to filter out into the West Bank but by democratic revolt of the major- rule in the West Bank, especially, feed first among exiles and refugees, in the and Gaza and the diaspora, breaking a ity within South Africa to reshape the back to and define the whole picture. Gulf, in Jordan, in Lebanon. Its influ- decades-long political impasse there. country. The answer, difficult but clear, is for ence filtered across, notably into the Some have seized on recent reports Standing Together in Israel aims to Israel to get out of the West Bank and West Bank (leading to the “first intifada” from the Israeli human rights group speak for a Jewish-Arab democratic make way for an independent Palestin- of the late 1980s). B’tselem and from Human Rights Watch majority there. That majority remains ian state alongside Israel. Inside Israel, some things eased from that Israel is guilty of “apartheid” to to be shaped, in battle both against Talk on protests in Britain of Israel the 1970s and 80s. Arab-majority towns bolster already-held views that Israel Netanyahu and the other Jewish chau- being “an apartheid state” or “a terror and villages gained local self-govern- is unreformable and nothing will serve vinists, and against Hamas and its like. state” is not just loose but understand- ment. More Palestinians have moved except conquest and suppression of Our solidarity should be with that dem- able expression of anger against op- to live in “mixed cities” like Haifa, Acre, Israel. ocratic battle, and with movements like pression, as it might be within Israel. and Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Arabic had been In the first place, to remedy one injus- Standing Together. □ It serves a noxious narrative. Israel Equal rights: Two nations, two states By Martin Thomas of expulsions and of mistreat- any ‘solution’.” two states with provisos to ment under Jordanian, Egyp- But then his last sentence is relegate it to a hypothetical enan Malik’s column in the tian, Syrian, Israeli, and other unclear: “‘Self-determination’ later stage: two states only if KObserver of 23 May starts rule. in that piece of contested land both are already socialist, or by arguing that the slogan Because of those imprints that is Israel-Palestine can only both are democratic, etc. That “from the river to the sea” is of history, neither nation will be the self-determination of all comes down to saying: our an- a sectarian dead-end in both be anywhere near the first in the people who live there, Pal- swer to the national conflict is current variants. the world to become so confi- estinians and Jews, in a single to suppose that it has already “In the hands of Hamas, it is dent in neighbouring nations’ shared future”. been solved, by everyone be- a call for the driving out of all goodwill that it can happily He is right if he means that is to be taken literally, as mean- coming socialist, democratic, Jews from the region”; in the shelve its right to a state of its the single demand of self-de- ing that neither nation should etc., and thus bypassing the hands of Netanyahu, it has own and instead trust in life as termination for both nations recognise self-determination need for mutual recognition of “blocked any workable two- a minority under a majority of is much less than a whole for the other until confident of national rights. “Two states” is state solution”. another nation. program — that a socialist pro- harmony in a “single shared part of a program, not a whole There are two nations in the So: two nations, two states. gram also includes minimum future”; that we should give program. But an operational area. The Israeli Jews have Malik seems to agree: “the walling-off and maximum co- up on the Palestinians’ right to part, and immediately, to win recent historical experience aspirations of the 6.9 million operation between two states, a state of their own alongside workers’ unity; not something of their parents and grand- Jews now living in the region minority rights and democracy Israel until guarantees of har- tagged as becoming opera- parents being massacred in cannot be ignored. Nor is cor- within states, broader fed- mony; or that the Israeli Jews tional only after the rest of the Europe, denied refuge world- ralling Palestinians into their eral link-ups, and social level- have no rights until that har- program has (by some other wide, and expelled from Arab own territories while denying ling-up and socialism. monisation is already won. agency than workers’ unity) al- states; the Palestinian Arabs, them control over their lives He is wrong if the word “only” Some on the left “support” ready been achieved. □

8 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Thousands rally for peace and equality By Ira Berkovic our lives for the benefit of an economic ab-Jewish women-led peace move- and violently dispersed the demon- and settler elite. This government has ment, were there. On Wednesday 19 stration. Renewed protests in Sheikh p to 3,000 people demonstrated no interest in serving our interests.” May, Women Wage Peace activists or- Jarrah, the East Jerusalem neighbour- Uin Tel Aviv on Saturday 22 May, in Ayman Odeh, a left-wing Palestinian ganised a human chain in Jerusalem in hood where Palestinian residents face the largest anti-occupation protest in Member of the Knesset (Israeli Par- opposition to war and occupation. eviction by Jewish settler organisations, many years. The protest was called by liament), said: “We do not accept the Prior to 22 May, Israeli police at- have also been met with police repres- Omdim be’Yachad (Standing Together), dichotomy of nationalism. Our path tempted to obstruct the demonstration sion. Police repression of demonstra- a left-wing social movement seeking to forward is together. Jews and Arabs to- from taking place, pressuring organis- tions has disproportionately targeted mobilise both Jewish and Palestinian gether […] There are two nations here. ers to cancel it and insisting that the Palestinian protesters. Israeli police citizens of Israel in a common struggle Both of them have a right to self-de- lack of a ceasefire meant the demo now say they plan to arrest 500 Pales- for equality. Slogans included “Jews termination. Both deserve peace and was unsafe. Organisers refused to back tinians in a further crackdown. and Arabs refuse to be enemies”. equality. We respect the national iden- down. In the face of significant challenges, Addressing the rally, Sally Abed, a Pal- tity of the Jews and the national identity The 22 May demonstration followed the movement Standing Together is estinian leader of Standing Together, of the Arabs, we respect both nations. weeks of smaller local actions across now cohering represents the best hope said: “I refuse to return to the routine We have a path forward.” Israel called by Standing Together. On for a social upheaval that can change of institutional discrimination, of police Other organisations including Peace 21 May, police blocked buses from at- the balance of forces away from na- violence and political arrests. I refuse Now, leftist party Hadash, and Com- tending a joint Jewish-Arab “Freedom tional chauvinism and towards a shared to have second-class citizenship, and a batants for Peace also supported the March”, supported by Standing To- future based on equal rights for both racist government that is threatening all protest. Women Wage Peace, an Ar- gether, in Beit Jala, in the West Bank, Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. □ Palestinians on strike “We can create a n Tuesday 18 May, Pales- tinian construction workers “timing” of the statement had different reality” Otinian workers and busi- went to work. Protests and ral- been poor and that it had his is an abridged ver- inevitable, but to prove that nesses in Gaza and the West lies were held in towns and cit- nothing to do with the Pales- Tsion of a speech given by this is not inevitable. We are Bank, along with Palestinian ies throughout Israel-Palestine. tinian strike. Alon-Lee Green, co-director here today to show that there citizens of Israel, participated Workers at Cellcom, a major But Ayman Odeh MK of Standing Together, at a is hope. We are here to de- in a general strike, in protest Israeli telecoms firm, held a tweeted: “I heard settlers are demonstration on 20 May. mand an immediate cease- at Israel’s bombing of Gaza one-hour work stoppage to disconnecting from Cellcom. I Taken from twitter.com/alon- fire — a ceasefire that will and ongoing suppression of mark the strike. A statement, never thought I’d be jealous of leegreen. prevent the deaths of more Palestinian rights. The strike issued by the company’s a cellular company.” “We are here this evening children in Gaza and Sderot, involved workers withdrawing works committee but with the Solidarity has also seen re- — and this is important for a ceasefire that will prevent their labour, and shopkeepers backing of management, sup- ports of Jewish bus drivers in me to say — not only because the deaths of innocents on and businesses closing up for ported peaceful co-existence Tiberias, organised by Koach we want to stand together, both sides. [...] the day. between Arabs and Jews. Al- L’Ovdim (Power To Workers, Arabs and Jews, Jews and “This is not easy to achieve. The call for the strike, which though a small-scale action, a radical union centre inde- Arabs, and not only because But all of us, Jews and Arabs, quickly went viral across Pales- it is nonetheless notable, es- pendent of Histadrut), organ- we want to stop the vio- who are standing together tinian society, seems to have pecially as the Cellcom work- ising private transport for their lence. We are here because right now across Israel, de- originated with the High Fol- ers’ union is affiliated to the Palestinian workmates, who we want peace. Because we manding change, prove that low-Up Committee for Arab Histadrut, Israel’s mainstream were afraid to travel home due want to put an end to the set- we can organise. We can Citizens of Israel, a cross-party trade union federation, which to far-right Jewish gangs at- tlements, to the wars, to the think together, we can act body which has semi-official excluded Arab workers until tacking Arabs in the street. constant rounds of violence. together, we can dream to- status in Israel. Former Hadash 1959 and is not known for its Rula Daood, a Palestinian so- “We are here today not gether. We can create a dif- leader and MK Mohammad radicalism. The Cellcom work- cialist who is the co-director of only to say that this is not ferent reality.” □ Barakeh has been cited as ers’ action is a small glimpse of Standing Together, supported a key organiser. Most major the potential for a movement the strike, saying: “Years of Palestinian political forces for- against occupation and for Pal- institutionalised discrimina- mally backed the strike, as did estinian rights which also mo- tion, oppression, occupation, More Palestinian unions. bilises Jewish workers. and racism have given rise to Two nations Some sectors of the Israeli The publication of the Cell- protests by all Palestinian soci- Two states economy, such as construc- com statement provoked a ety in Israel. Today we are on workersliberty. tion, are dominated by Pal- right-wing backlash, with po- strike [...] Join us, support the org/2n2s estinian workers. The Israel litical figures in Jewish settle- just struggle for a life of peace, Builders’ Association said the ments calling for a boycott of equality, liberty, and justice for Arabs, Jews strike cost $40 million in lost the company. Following the all of us.” □ and Socialism revenue, and estimated that backlash, Cellcom manage- workersliberty. only 150 out of 65,000 Pales- ment rowed back, saying the org/ajs

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 9 Support Palestinian rights, oppose antisemitism By Matt Cooper on these marches than on similar ones after the 15 May London demonstra- duces a crude form of antisemitism. in the past, although there were some. tion (including reports of a convoy of And the support given to this by right- n 15 and 22 May London saw large “Zionism=Nazism” and similar slogans cars decked out in Palestine flags driv- wing Zionist organisations in Europe Odemonstrations in solidarity with have become less common. ing through Jewish areas with shouts of and America doesn’t help challenging the Palestinians. Any move to combat antisemitism “Fuck the Jews and rape their daugh- antisemitism either.” The anger at the bombing of Gaza within the Palestine solidarity move- ters”). Ali claims antisemitism is the fault and the Israeli government’s disregard ment is welcome. The PSC’s moves However, Tariq Ali’s speech on the 22 of the Israeli government and of Zi- for Palestinian rights is fully justified. are, however, limited. They focus only May platform effectively relegated the onists (that is, Jews who feel empathy But as I talked with young people on on antisemitism defined as “the hatred clean-up operation to a shallow public with Israel) in Europe and America. He the demonstrations, it became clear of Jews because they are Jews”, stat- relations exercise. He said: need not denounce the antisemites, that some have picked up reaction- ing: “Our anger should be directed at “The Zionist governments of Israel” or examine his own attitudes: just by ary ideas: that Jews should be driven Israel, not British Jews or those from and “settlers from Brooklyn… who are denouncing Israel he has done all he out of the Middle East, that they are anywhere else.” semi-fascist… have learnt nothing from needs to against antisemitism. Europe’s “problem”, and that the Hol- This leaves much antisemitism un- what happened to them in Europe. Ali forgets two principles. First, the ocaust is exaggerated by Israeli Jews touched, particularly that targeting Nothing”. The most generous interpre- responsibility for antisemitism lies not in their own interests. Many of these Jewish Israelis as being undeserving of tation of this is that Israeli Jews are now with any Jewish person, but with an- ideas are promoted by various shades the right to national self-determination doing to the Palestinians what was in- tisemites. Second, if people are en- of political Islamism, expressed on the despite the Jewish Israeli nation being flicted upon them in Nazi Germany, ex- couraged to look at the Israel-Palestine demo by the very common chanting formed by refugees from genocide actly the comparison the PSC claimed conflict through an antisemitic lens, of “from the river to the sea, Palestine and persecution, and then targeting was unwelcome on the demonstration. they will come to see more of the world will be free” (sometimes without the “Zionists” (Jews outside Israel who feel He continued: “Every time they bomb through that lens. Socialists should implications of the slogan having been empathy with Israel) as guilty by asso- Gaza, every time they attack Jerusalem counter that vision — patiently but firmly thought through) and the fairly com- ciation. The demand for boycotts of — that is what creates antisemitism. Stop — with the ideas of working-class soli- mon chanting of “Allahu Akbar”. Israel as “the apartheid state” remains the occupation, stop the bombing, and darity based on the mutual recognition In the run up to the 22 May demon- central to PSC’s approach, as does the casual antisemitism will soon disap- of rights, as against sectarian delegiti- stration, one of the organisers, the highly ambiguous demand for a “Free pear.” mation of Jewish Israelis as undeserv- Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Palestine”. (Does it mean an independ- Ali said similar at a 2018 Palestine ing of rights. made a public appeal against expres- ent Palestinian state alongside Israel? demonstration: “The purveyors of an- Antisemitism must be opposed in all sions of antisemitism on the march. Or “freeing” the territory of British tisemitism today, those who have en- its forms and wherever it is found. As PSC specified that this meant no target- Mandate Palestine of Israeli and Jewish couraged antisemitism, are the Israeli long as Palestinian solidarity protests ing of Jews, only Israel, and no compar- presence?) government. Killing Palestinians the are tainted with antisemitism, they will isons of Israel with Nazi Germany. As The PSC needed to counter media way that they do it, targeting children fail to help build pressure for a just far as I could see, there were certainly reports of increased antisemitic attacks as they have done, this is what pro- peace. □ fewer egregiously antisemitic placards Socialist Worker chooses its “resistance” By Phil Grimm with its origins in the Muslim evictions in Sheikh Jarrah. Its Israeli-Jewish public behind the working-class has sepa- Brotherhood. It favours the “contribution” was to fire hun- the banner of national self-de- rate interests from the classes ocialist Worker has detailed military conquest of Israel and dreds of rockets from Gaza fence. that exploit it, and that conse- Sand decried deaths and the setting up of an Islamic towards residential neighbour- On the scanty occasions quently the workers need their casualties in Gaza. And rightly state in historic Palestine. In hoods in Israel. These attacks when Hamas come in for crit- own independent political so! But Socialist Worker has 2006, benefiting from the cor- were by their nature indiscrim- icism in the paper, it is for programme. Socialist Worker not found the space or the in- ruption and stagnation of the inate — indeed, among the making deals with Egypt or has junked all that in favour clination to report on protests dominant Fatah faction of the first casualties were an Arab “preparing to compromise”. of a myopic boosterism for a by movements like Standing PLO, Hamas won Palestinian mother and father killed in the On 7 May, an article fleetingly far-right theocratic organisa- Together. Instead, it refers to elections. Following a nasty Arab village of Dahmash, near conceded that Hamas was “an tion hostile to democracy and Hamas, persistently and eu- civil conflict, it consolidated Lod. The purpose of the rocket Islamist movement”, but by 25 the labour movement. There phemistically, as a “resistance its power in Gaza, where it has attacks was to return Hamas to May, Alex Callinicos was ap- is no criticism of their Islamist organisation”, and compares ruled with a tight grip ever a position of relevance and provingly quoting Israeli poli- politics, no criticism of their it in favourable terms to other since. leadership. The effect was to ticians noting Hamas’ capacity rocket attacks, no serious en- Palestinian forces for its “mili- Hamas was not the moving provoke a murderous Israeli to “break out of its Gaza cage”. gagement with what a victory tancy”. force in the street movement bombing campaign, and to The starting point of Marxist for that organisation would ac- Hamas is a far-right politi- that has contested the planned allow Netanyahu to rally the politics is to acknowledge that tually mean. □ cal-Islamist party and militia Antisemitism is on the rise in the USA and UK By Colin Foster is that around your neck, does that themselves as left-wing and “anti-rac- Again, CST stresses that “anyone is make you a fucking Zionist?’... ist”. entitled” to “express support for Pal- ntisemitic attacks in the USA over “A Jewish man was beaten by a group The 205 incidents over the two estinians”, but these are incidents of Athe two weeks to 23 May ran at of anti-Israel protestors in Times Square weeks compared with an average of “singling out Jews and treating them over twice their average rate in 2019, [New York]. In another incident, an- 40 a week in 2019, but 2019 itself was as a participant in the [Israel-Hamas] according to figures collected by the ti-Zionist protestors shouted, ‘Fucking a record high. It was 12% up overall on conflict”. Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Zionists’ and threw fireworks at pas- 2018, 19% up for cases of vandalism Antisemitic attacks have been in- Some examples: “A synagogue re- sers-by...” and physical damage, and 56% up for creasing in Europe and the USA for ceived an email... ‘Die fucking jew The ADL stresses that many of the actual physical assault on people. some years. This increase is correlated cockroaches! Israel = racism, apartheid, protests about Gaza “did not include In Britain, the Community Security with upsurges of the far right, and in genocide’... a Jewish man wearing a antisemitic language”; but on or Trust reports a 500% increase in anti- the USA especially of Trumpism. □ Star of David necklace was punched by around many protests, there was anti- semitic incidents from 8-18 May com- a man who allegedly asked him, ‘What semitism, even though protesters saw pared to the previous 11 days.

10 workersliberty.org fb.com/workersliberty workersliberty.org/audio Goodlord: 13 weeks on strike By Athena Parnell credit ratings to see if they are “accept- company said they’d make us an offer to step up the fight against those laws able” tenants is not exactly “moral” by 22 February to resolve the dispute. too, which must be scrapped. We are orkers at Goodlord, a tech com- work, but workers don’t always have But the company didn’t offer an accept- seeing management intimidation and Wpany providing tenant referenc- an absolute choice about what work able resolution, and wasn’t negotiating threats increase. ing services to letting agents, have we have to take. Prior to this attack on in good faith, so we decided to go on We’ve been holding physical picket been striking against attempts by their our terms, none of us were members strike. lines, which will continue as demonstra- employer to impose worse contracts. of a union. Very few of us even knew Going on strike was a big step, but we tions. There’s also a strike fund. Dona- Goodlord has now dismissed the work- much about trade unionism in a formal weren’t afraid. Being in a union gave us tions are essential as the workers have ers who were continuing to resist the sense. But we were very tight-knit as a confidence. We felt that it was a choice now been dismissed, it’s important the imposition of the contracts, using “fire group of workers, and there had been being striking, and doing nothing. We workers don’t give up. People can also and rehire” tactics. Their union, Unite, some unofficial workplace organisation weren’t prepared to give up, and taking use platforms such as TrustPilot and says the workers have effectively been and activity in the past. In August 2020, action made us feel empowered. other review sites to express their op- sacked for going on strike, and that it we’d got together to send a letter to There is a lack of understanding position to Goodlord’s treatment of its will pursue legal action. Athena Parnell, management to ask them discuss mov- amongst young people about unions workers. a former Goodlord worker involved in ing us onto permanent contracts. They and striking. We’re fed propaganda My message to other workers, es- the strikes, spoke to Solidarity about had simply refused. against strikes. But organising at work pecially in non-unionised workplaces, the dispute. When they announced the new con- is where we have power; it’s one of the who want to win change — either to The fight began at the end of Octo- tracts in October, we again organised only places where we do. That power stop and attack from the boss or to ber 2020 when our employer offered collectively and sent another letter, has to be used, especially as we’re see- win improvements — is that we must us permanent contracts. We were on signed by 85-90% of people in the de- ing workplace exploitation intensify. stand together and act collectively. The fixed-term contracts at that time, and partment, asking for a discussion about Our strikes were later escalated to people who own companies, who own had been asking to be made perma- the contracts. Again, management re- all-out, indefinite action. As the dispute property, who have money... they won’t nent. So in theory it should have been fused. That was when we started dis- has gone on, some people, including give us rights and power, no matter an improvement. But the terms of the cussing formalising our organisation myself, have left. Workers who refused how articulately we ask for it on an in- new contracts were much worse than by unionising. We reached out to Unite, to accept the worse permanent con- dividual basis. The idea that if we work our existing terms, including a pay cut immediately very helpful and support- tracts were given extensions to our hard, we will be rewarded is simply not of around 25%, around £6,000 per year. ive. fixed-term contracts and then let go, true. When things improve, it’s always The bosses’ justification for this was We’ve learnt so much since, about which is why we’ve talked about our via collective organisation and collec- that, as we were working from home in what trade unionism is and how it dispute as being against a form of the tive action. the pandemic, and not travelling into works, and how workers can organise. same “fire and rehire” tactics bosses Within any workplace there will al- the office, we could make do with lower I’m a firm believer in trade unionism have used in many other workplaces. ways be pressure from above to cut pay. This was especially galling given and workplace organisation now. Even though I no longer work for the costs and increase profits. We must that, prior to the pandemic, they’d al- As soon as we joined Unite, we began company, I’m still involved in support- counter that with pressure from below. ways consistently opposed homework- the process of balloting for industrial ing the campaign. There have been • More, and strike fund: bit.ly/g-lord ing and insisted our jobs couldn’t be action. We were initially quite cautious negotiations at Acas, but the employer done from home. about that, as none of us had ever been hasn’t moved from its position. A proposed sale of the Stocksbridge The work we do is around doing involved in strikes before. But Unite We’ve seen 13 weeks of strikes so steelworks by Liberty Steel was an- referencing and background checks were extremely good at reassuring and far. There’s had to be a re-ballot, due nounced on 24 May. Coverage in on potential tenants on behalf of let- galvanising us. Once we balloted, the to restrictive anti-union laws. We need next week’s Solidarity. ting agents. Checking people’s ID and Where Labour made gains on 6 May On 6 May, Robina Baine won all; protection of the weak and I would stand at the next local election, but I did tell them start local and grow outwards, Southwick Green ward for La- vulnerable, education, accept- elections. Red rag to a bull! what I thought. They voted for building a relationship with the bour, a seat in which Labour ance and support for every- me! wider community. There’s no usually stands “paper candi- one. What were the key issues point talking to people in the dates” and does not canvass. during the campaign? How were you able to win month before an election and This time, an active campaign Tell us about Southwick Key issues were entirely support for Labour? assuming they’ll believe that secured a remarkable 20%+ Green. local: affordable housing; the You listen to every voice and you’re concerned about them swing from the Tories to La- Southwick Green ward local tip; support for the local talk to everyone. Canvass- because they won’t! bour. Janine Booth interviewed is almost midway between economy post-Covid. ing would be made easier if We need to provide a united Robina. Brighton and Worthing on the I could regulate what people front. If the electorate see you south coast. The last elected What views did voters read! express about the Labour fighting amongst yourselves Tell us about yourself. Labour councillor was in the and not supporting each other, I’m a very ordinary 61-year- 1970s; since then, it’s been party? Why do you think Labour I stressed that this was local, did well in Southwick Green, how are they meant to believe old, mother of four and teacher solid Lib-Dem and, from the that you’ll support them? for most of my life. 2000s, Conservative. and very few views were of- when it did badly elsewhere? fered about the Labour Party You don’t “parachute” some- What direction would you What does being a socialist Why did you decide to on the doorstep. one in from outside. You stand like Labour to take now? mean to you? stand? One lifelong Labour voter people from the community “Go left and then left Socialism means all have After teaching, I worked in said he’d “never vote Labour they want to represent. You again”!□ an equal right to a share in a charity shop in Southwick again”, but he was a Covid de- the wealth of a country where and became a member of the nier who had lost his business public ownership meets pub- Traders’ Association. I came and didn’t think lockdown lic need. Personally, it means home from a meeting one should have happened. His Anti-racist resources everyone has value and a evening so incensed by the wife, a specialist cancer nurse, e have compiled various anti-racist resources to learn voice that needs to be both dismissive comments of the agreed. Wabout anti-racist movements, and arm yourself with ideas heard and listened to. It means local Conservative councillor A young couple asked me to beat back racism: readings and pamphlets, video and audio. society and community, work- that I immediately emailed our what I thought of Keir Starmer. ing together for the good of local Labour branch and said I stressed that this was a local See workersliberty.org/anti-racist-resources □

Meetings, events, campaigns: workersliberty.org/events @workersliberty youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK 11 Students mobilise on Palestine Make solidarity without antisemitism By Workers’ Liberty students Antisemitism By Abel Harvie-Clark for Friday 28 May: “a call for students any students at UK universities at RHUL to unite for BDS”. The student union at have rightly responded to the he student union at SOAS university SOAS university in London voted to re- M escalation of violence in Israel-Pales- in London joined the Palestinian call affirm “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanc- T tine by mobilising in support of the for a strike on 18 May, and finished the tions” (BDS) last week, resolving that Palestinians. In some places there are week with a campus vigil for lives lost the union will boycott all Israeli goods campaigns to get universities to stop For example, at Royal Holloway Uni- to colonial violence. London students and cut ties with all Israeli universities. A investing in companies that financially versity a sticker of the Israel flag with went on to join the internationalist bloc wide range of student societies at UCL back Israeli military industries. a swastika replacing the star of David at the Palestine demo in London on also signed their commitment to BDS We hope Palestinian solidarity cam- in the middle was placed near the li- Saturday, connecting struggles from in the last week, and campus protests paigning continues beyond the cease- brary. And University College London Colombia, Ethiopia and Palestine as a against their universities’ connections fire, and that university divestment (UCL) reports physical threats against common struggle against oppression with Israel are taking place at UCL and campaigns succeed. At the same time Jewish students as well as harassment and state violence. LSE. we continue to criticise the blanket of Muslim and Palestinian students. Apartheid off Campus, a student cam- Workers’ Liberty has long argued boycott policies which dominate on As politics moves right, many forms paign group, has called a day of action against such academic boycotts, and campuses (including academic boy- of racism — antisemitism, anti-Asian counterposed building links with dem- cotts), with their implicit backing for racism, and Islamophobia — are on ocratic movements in Israel, including a “one state” outcome in Israel-Pales- the rise. Student unions must be on Israeli campuses. (31% of the stu- tine. In coming issues we’ll write more very clear that no Jewish student is dents at Haifa University are Palestinian, about this and our positive ideas for responsible for the actions of the Is- and 18% at the Technion). solidarity campaigning. raeli government and should con- Antisemitic threats of violence against In the last two weeks Jewish stu- demn any rhetoric and abuse which Jewish students at UCL have led to in- dents and Jewish student societies makes Jews responsible. They need creased police patrol on UCL campus. have become targets for explicit an- to show how it is possible to oppose On solidarity vs boycotts, and on the The threats are seriously worrying, but tisemitic abuse on social media. Such the Israeli government without being creation of Israel: Workers’ Liberty the police presence also threatens stu- abuse probably does not come, in the antisemitic — without, for example, 3/12 and 3/13 are available online at dents on campus. Student organisation main, from other students. But there drawing equivalences between that bit.ly/wl-12-13; to get print copies of and education, not police presence, have been “real-life” issues and har- government and the Nazis, or saying both, postage free inside UK, pay £1 is needed to root out antisemitism on assment from other students. Zionists (meaning Jews) are creating a at workersliberty.org/payment □ campus. Holocaust. □

Arguing for a Otto Rühle’s society based on abridged human solidarity, version of Buy our books! social ownership Capital, putting of industry aside current Order from workersliberty.org/publications and banks, factual material, rowse, basket, and buy books, pamphlets, and publication bundles and political, illustrations, B— and find more info, related resources, study guides, reviews and economic polemics, is a so on, from the same place. Some books are free to download or as and social good lead-in for audiobooks. Prices listed exclude postage and packaging: £1 for small democracy. 182 the full book. items, £3 for larger items, free over £30. Every third publication will be pages. half-price and 15% off over £50. □ £5 131 pages, £6

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12 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Night Tube jobs robbery

Tubeworker

ondon Underground has unilaterally Lincorporated Night Tube train opera- tor duties into full-time train operators’ rosters, consolidating the former TO23 (Night Tube) and TO21 (full-time) T/Op grades into a single grade. This will mean fewer train operator jobs, increased night and weekend working for full time train operators, and an end to driving parameters that stop us starting or finishing a duty at any time of the night. It is also an end to the “clean wage” — the principle that we all earn the same for doing the same job — as those who volunteer for Night is largely unsupported by full-time driv- worker believes the following factors tion staff] want Night Tube T/Op jobs Tube duties (or are forced to do these ers and the RMT. are crucial for all unions and Tube work- as these are, demonstrably, the hours unsocial hours if there aren’t enough Further to this, London Underground ers to ensure: they can work. volunteers) will get a bonus payment forced this attack through ignoring the • No jobs lost or reduction in head- Many Night Tube drivers who want for doing so, in most circumstances. “machinery of negotiation”, which lays count in full-time or Night Tube T/Op it now have a full-time contract, which Bosses went into negotiations in Jan- out the parameters of how such issues grades is to be welcomed. They should con- uary, looking to make current Night are discussed, and overriding the 2015 • No increase in night or weekend sider the role they will be moving into Tube train ops full-time as they are pay deal which tube workers in both working for the full-time T/Op grade and join the fight back to ensure it has desperate for more drivers. They came unions took industrial action to defend • Waiting lists must be protected; sta- the same terms and conditions it has out of those negotiations securing that in 2016. tion staff shouldn’t see training dates at present, rather than allow the detri- goal, which both unions supported, but RMT has announced they will fight for a train operator role further delayed. mental changes that will occur if Night also grabbing a plethora of work-life- the London Underground/Aslef plan • Promotional options must be pre- Tube operation is incorporated into the balance gains and conditions, eagerly — something to be welcomed. Tube- served: many Night Tube CSAs [sta- full time roster. □ handed over by Aslef, in a move that PCS: we still need to transform the union By a PCS activist dependent Left (IL), the only has secured one NEC seat, for alongside their former LU al- prepared to stand aside for a principled and long standing an activist who is not a mem- lies: “lets go back to the good SP candidate who was part of n a woefully low turnout opposition to the leadership, ber of the SP. old days” is their unspoken the PCS leadership as late as Oof just 7.5% of members and the Broad Left Network motto. 2018 and who was on the LU the ruling Left Unity (LU) group (BLN). The latter was set up by Opposition The IL built its campaign slate in 2019 and elected that has secured a comprehensive the SP to place its supporters Even in this election, and even around the need to transform year to the NEC as a LU mem- victory in the elections for the back in PCS leadership posi- though losing its three NEC PCS. The BLN campaign was ber. National Executive (NEC) of tions after it badly lost an un- members (Bev Laidlaw would built around Marion Lloyd, The SP/BLN representa- the PCS civil service workers’ principled faction fight within have been elected but for de- who trailed in third in the Pres- tives were not interested in union (results announced 14 LU. partmental limitations), the IL idential election, well behind discussing a programme for May). PCS will continue to be The BLN’s platform was es- polled well in relation to its IL supporter Bev Laidlaw. transforming PCS whereas for run by the same LU faction that sentially “get rid of the lead- number of branch nomina- When the SP approached the IL an agreed programme has failed the membership for ership”. The marketing point tions and it continues to be the IL prior to the NEC elec- for transforming the union is 18 years, but now minus the was that they were the only the only coherent opposition tions they did so with a full at the centre of its campaigns Socialist Party which was for force capable of defeating to the failed PCS leadership, slate, i.e. one aimed at IL as and is the only principled basis most of those years central to or inflicting serious harm on offering positive policies and much as the leadership, and for joint work with any other that leadership and its failings. their former LU allies. Instead, initiatives. insisted that Bev Laidlaw organisation. The IL will con- For many years the LU lead- they achieved a much poorer The IL’s support was hit by should stand down as a pres- tinue to map out a way forward ership has presided over de- result than the IL obtained in the presence of another “op- idential candidate. IL was not for serious activists. □ feat and retreat. It has lurched the last NEC elections in 2019, position” slate, albeit one that from inertia to belated, poorly when the SP campaigned with ran without a genuine and prepared campaigns that developed critique of the 18 and for the current leadership. A socialist and anti-imperialist treated the membership as In 2019 IL won four seats, re- years of LU misleadership. The a tap to be turned on and lack of critique was hardly a duced to three because suc- hapurji Saklatvala was Labour’s first off. The PCS membership is surprise given that the SP and cessful NEC candidate John BAME MP, and a revolutionary socialist headed for more of the same some fellow travellers had S Moloney was also elected and anti-imperialist. Learn about his life in very difficult circumstances been centrally and deeply in- Assistant General Secretary and struggles in this pamphlet, replete and with the Tories once again volved in that misleadership. against the LU candidate and with lessons for today. £3. □ cutting real pay. SP member, Chris Baugh. In Essentially the SP offer the The election was a three same “leadership” that they the current election the BLN workersliberty.org/publications way contest between LU, In- provided for so many years

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 13 What we stand for oday one class, the working class, Tlives by selling its labour power to another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of production. Capitalists’ control over the econ- omy and their relentless drive to in- crease their wealth causes poverty, unemployment, blighting of lives by overwork; imperialism, environmen- tal destruction and much else. The working class must unite to struggle against the accumulated wealth and power of the capitalists, in the workplace and wider society. The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty wants socialist revolution: collective ownership of industry and services, workers’ control, and a democracy much fuller than the present system, with elected representatives recall- able at any time and an end to bu- reaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. We fight for trade unions and the These times are a bit awkward Labour Party to break with “social partnership” with the bosses, to mil- “Maybe if I was at the end of my time it’s happening on all the lines. But here itantly assert working-class interests. here I would keep fighting it, but now we are in training with some instructor Diary of a with so many already back doing the or other, while the others obviously feel n workplaces, trade unions, and tubeworker training, I can’t see us winning that let down”. ILabour organisations; among stu- fight.” I will just sit this one out, I think. Not By Jay Dawkey dents; in local campaigns; on the D goes on: “But I still don’t get why much I can offer, but I respect the deci- left and in wider political alliances ’ve come in off the front to have a we don’t do the lateral flow test every sions that have been made by train in- we stand for: break. D has just walked into the room day. It is all well and good going and structors. Of course, if they all downed • Independent working-class rep- I from a meeting with a manager. “They doing the PCR test weekly, but you tools and refused, I’d back them. For resentation in politics have said they can just terminate our could catch this on your way home now I should remember where my limit • A workers’ government, based contract”. from the testing centre. It isn’t a bubble of shunt boards are… □ on and accountable to the labour “Really?” F says, putting the duty with a trainee... if they then go home movement • “Jay Dawkey” is a Tube worker book down and looking pained. “Yeah, and do whatever, you do whatever, see • A workers’ charter of trade union currently in training. it isn’t just you can’t be an instructor, family... plus now people can go out rights — to organise, strike, picket ef- if we continue to refuse we either go and go to the pub... that makes a dif- fectively, and take solidarity action back to just being an operator or they ference. It isn’t safe like they are saying. • Taxing the rich to fund good sack us”. (Train operators who also work “I think they are still cutting corners public services, homes, education as instructors have been refusing some and we should just have stood to- Contact us and jobs for all modes of work they consider covid-un- gether, but I get why some came back. 020 7394 8923 • Workers’ control of major indus- safe). It isn’t easy to just refuse all training. But tries and finance for a rapid transi- “So what are you going to do?” it doesn’t sit right with me”. [email protected] tion to a green society “Times like this are a bit awkward “Well, I might take their option to Write to: 20E Tower Workshops, • A workers’ movement that fights in training, every depot you hear the stop for six months and go from there”. Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG all forms of oppression same discussion, and friends tell me • Full equality for women, and so- Production team: George cial provision to free women from Wheeler, Martin Thomas domestic labour. Reproductive free- (editor), Sacha Ismail, Simon Nelson, doms and free abortion on demand. A post-colonial film from Senegal Zack Muddle • Full equality for lesbian, gay, bi- sexual and trans people • Black and white workers’ unity against racism Kino Eye • Open borders £20,000 by • Global solidarity against global By John Cunningham capital — workers everywhere have more in common with each other usmane Sembene of Senegal, a 11 July than with their capitalist or Stalinist Oformer French colony, was one of n additional £130 brings our rulers Africa’s pioneer filmmakers. His 1975 Afund appeal total so far to • Democracy at every level of soci- film Xala is set at the time of the colo- £6,670.94. £90 came from Tony ety, from the smallest workplace or nial power’s withdrawal. The main char- and Stuart towards Tim Cooper’s She speaks Wolof rather than French community to global social organi- acter, businessman Aboucader Beye sponsored parachute jump, and the while admiring the anti-colonial fighter sation (known as “El Hadji”), becomes one of rest from online second-hand book Amílcar Cabral. On his wedding night • Equal rights for all nations, the new elite. He is utterly corrupt and sales. Proceeds so far have enabled El Hadji discovers that a xala (a “curse”) against imperialists and predators accepts backhanders from French fi- us to buy a “new” (second-hand) has rendered him impotent. The film big and small nanciers. He already has two wives and computer for our office, able to run then depicts his hilarious and pathetic • Maximum left unity in action, and marries a third, much younger than up-to-date software at reasonable attempts to have the xala lifted. Finally, full openness in debate himself, a move which angers and up- speed as the old one couldn’t, and he submits to a humiliating ritual at the sets the older pair and Rama, his politi- to print placards for the recent Isra- f you agree with us, take copies of hands of a group of street beggars cally active daughter. She is opposed to el-Gaza protests. We need more as Solidarity to sell — and join us! □ (who actually put the xala on him in the I the corruption of the new bourgeoisie we’re able to get out on the streets first place). The xala disappears. □ • workersliberty.org/join-awl which, of course, includes her father. more! workersliberty.org/donate □

14 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Resisting parks job cuts Rail: threats from the private secretary, is now involved. We believe their involvement signals ei- Williams Review John Moloney ther that we’re close to a settlement, sector, but now all the decisions about or that the bosses are digging in. If it’s how services are run will be made by the latter, we’re prepared to see this Off The Rails the new GBR. This will make it harder ollowing a meeting with the United dispute through and be in it for the for staff working for operators to fight FVoices of the World union (UVW), job cuts and other attacks. The anti-un- long haul. eading the Government’s Wil- we’ll be issuing a letter to the out- ion laws mean we can only take indus- In the Department for Work and liams-Shapps Rail Review is like sourced contractor which employs R trial action against our direct employer. Pensions, our consultative ballots on watching someone say they’re too hot cleaners in the Royal Parks. Currently We can strike against the operating whether to take action over workplace in a jumper and deciding to put on an workers are assigned to specific parks, companies we work for, but it won’t safety have been extended. The argu- overcoat. The report slams the ineffi- but the contractor wants to move to a make much difference if GBR is making ment for this is that there’s likely to be cient ways the rail industry is organised, mobile workforce model. the cuts. a renewed wave of anger amongst especially the ridiculous “delay attri- UVW estimates that this could lead And attacks do seem inevitable. In the workforce due to increased pres- bution” industry [process of allotting to job cuts of up to 25%. In particu- a section of the report entitled “Em- sure on job coaches to conduct more blame for delays] that results from the lar, all existing women workers can’t powering Rail’s people” one of the first in-person interviews. Once those privatised system. But then it proposes drive, so they’d be particularly at risk sentences highlights that pay in the rail ballots are returned, there’ll be a more of the same, and worse. as workers would now be expected sector has risen faster than inflation in discussion about where to go next — The key news is that Network Rail is to drive between parks as part of the recent years. It promises a further re- whether to a single ballot of the entire to be abolished and replaced by “Great mobile workforce model. view of how to rectify that situation. It workforce, or a series of ballots disag- British Rail”. It is not exactly clear, but Our letter will make a series of de- proposes a year on year saving of £1.4 gregated on a local basis. this appears to be the same kind of mands. The key one is that they com- billion from these reforms. It is hard to Across the civil service, a particu- pseudo-public body as before. It will mit to not making any job cuts, but see how else these savings are envis- lar issue I have been pushing for is expand to encompass many of the there’ll be other demands, including aged other than staff costs. service-wide talks with the employer functions currently performed by the around pay. We’ll give the employer Some of the biggest changes are around environmental sustainabil- Rail Delivery Group, and some formerly a deadline of 2 June. If the demands proposed for stations, which are cur- ity. This isn’t an abstract question, it’s performed by the private train opera- are not met, we’ll be balloting out- rently managed by the private oper- a class issue. Working-class people tors. sourced cleaners in Royal Parks — who ators. After this review, they would be will bear the brunt of sharpening cli- Train Operating Companies and are dual members of PCS and UVW — managed by GBR. This is coupled with mate crisis; but workers also have the Freight Operating Companies will be for strikes. a proposed simplified ticket system, means to avert it by forcing employers replaced by private contractors. GBR In the Driver and Vehicle Licensing similar to contactless pay as you go in to take action to decarbonise. The civil will take on the fares and manage the Agency (DVLA) Swansea, we’re plan- London. Given the push for lower staff service has now agreed to talks on the timetables but sub-contract out the ac- ning a further strike in the contact cen- costs elsewhere in the report, it is likely issue and I want to drive that forward. tual running of trains. The report high- tre, from 2-5 June. There had been a this will translate to ticket offices clos- In those talks, we won’t just be asking lights that this will mean the wasteful plan for a wider strike, involving all ing. for more recycling facilities or low-en- process of delay attribution can end, workers on site and those working We cannot wait on organising until ergy lightbulbs; we’ll make demands but it also means a new wasteful pro- at home, but the branch executive these plans to become concrete. After for major structural changes, such as cess of contract tendering and arbitra- committee voted to revise that after the McNulty report recommended an end to outsourcing policies, which, tion can begin. If a train is delayed, GBR concessions were made over the cutting Guards’ jobs, the rail unions as well as exploiting workers, increase will be responsible for holding the con- numbers of workers on site. The de- waited for each employer to attack be- waste and make transparent auditing tractor to account; in practice it’s not cision to move to selective action did fore starting to fight, even though we around the emission levels in supply clear what this will involve beyond the prompt some debate within branch, all knew the attacks were coming. We chains harder. □ same old delay attribution process we so a members’ meeting was held to must organise now to demand a fully • John Moloney is assistant general already have. discuss the strategy. Negotiations are nationalised railway network, no job secretary of the PCS civil service Staff working for operators will still re- taking place, in which the most sen- cuts, and decent pay and conditions workers’ union (personal capacity). main employed entirely by the private ior manager in the department, the for all across the sector. □ Another brink for London transport funding reforms. The full contents of line. Tories abolished in 2018, not still has a live ballot mandate the KPMG review have never Previous funding deals com- making cuts proposals of his from a pre-emptive ballot it Tubeworker been published. mitted TfL to returning to being own. conducted in March over po- London Mayor Sadiq Khan “self-financing” by 2023. This RMT has already declared tential threats to terms and he government has ex- then commissioned his own is a trap; passenger levels may a dispute over grade consol- conditions. As we lurch from Ttended the funding of independent review, which or may not have returned to idation for train drivers. That one short-term funding deal Transport for London (TfL) to also urged cuts, and explic- pre-pandemic levels by 2023, dispute should be progressed to the next, it’s time for RMT 28 May. Negotiations between itly identified the TfL pension but in any case, for a transport to a ballot as soon as possible. to prepare a wider ballot for TfL, City Hall, and the Depart- scheme as in need of reform. system like TfL to rely solely on Drivers’ union Aslef, although pre-emptive action against ment for Transport continue. Bosses previously told un- fares is ridiculous. TfL needs it has scandalously supported the cuts we know the bosses □ The current pattern of short- ions that jobs cuts or attacks stable, sustainable, central LU’s grade consolidation plan, will be planning. term funding bailouts is un- on terms and conditions would government funding. It is the sustainable. It suits the Tories, not take place as long as the only metropolitan transport as every round of negotia- existing funding arrangements system of its type in the world tions is another opportunity were in place. That commit- not to receive state subsidy. Subscribe to Solidarity to attempt to attach strings ment has already been broken Pre-pandemic, it was reliant rial sub (6 issues) £7; Six months (22 issues) £22 waged, to the deal. The government by LU’s decision to consolidate on fare revenue for nearly 75% T£11 unwaged, €30 European rate. full-time and Night Tube train of its income, nearly double commissioned a financial re- Visit workersliberty.org/sub view, conducted by auditing driver grades, meaning full- the amount of similar systems and accountancy firm KPMG, time drivers will now have to in Paris and New York. Sadiq Or, email [email protected] with your name and address, which was explicitly instructed work nights. Driver jobs are Khan should be demanding or phone 020 7394 8923. Standing order £5 a month: more to to identify cuts and workplace also being cut on the Bakerloo the restoration of the grant the support our work. Forms online. □

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 15 10-11 July 2021 | Ideas for Freedom Camden School for Girls, Sandall Rd, London NW5 2DB

A SOCIALISM in an festival of socialist AGEBook now of for online COVID or in person ideas, featuring: participation: bit.ly/iff-21 Saturday workersliberty.org/ideas Build back fairer: tax the rich! 11:30am By Sacha Ismail billion in total! Meanwhile the worse-off and economically-insecure have been hammered, Is socialist revolution possible? Is it desirable? ≫ obert Watts, who compiles the Sunday Times and will be hammered more as furlough tapers Ruth Cashman, Workers’ Liberty, debates Profes- Sunday RRich List of the thousand richest individuals off and the government seeks to “re-balance” its sor John Strawson 10:00am and families in the UK, feels obliged to comment budget after emergency payouts. on the 2021 List: “The fact many of the super-rich ≫QAnon and the rise of a new far right, with ≫What should As the Financial Times put it on 19 May: “Boris speakers including Joe Mulhall, Hope Not Hate feminists say about grew so much wealthier at a time when thou- Johnson’s new legislative programme hammered sex work? Anita Downs de- sands of us have buried loved ones and millions home the point. Among the items missing were ≫Alan Turing and us bates Ruth Tweedale of us are worried for our livelihoods makes this a the overdue plan to fund social care; any move to Organising the unorganised, with speakers very unsettling boom.” ≫ What’s happening in Myanmar? raise statutory sick pay from the low rate of £96 including John Moloney, Assistant General Sec- ≫ There are now 171 billionaires in the UK, up a week... and the long-awaited employment bill retary, PCS union (pc), and Kelly Rogers, former with speakers from the Myanmar labour from the previous high of 151 in 2019. Their movement strengthening protections for workers. One could Picturehouse striker wealth has risen 21.7% during the pandemic, to also cite the meagre one per cent pay rise offered 12:30pm £597.2bn. to nurses”. 2:20pm Between 2008 and 2009, the total wealth held ≫Trade unionism in and after lockdowns, with The trend to spiralling inequality is built into ≫Should socialists support a “Progressive Alli- speakers including Prof. Gregor Gall and Janine by the Rich List fell as a result of the financial capitalism, and can only be comprehensively and ance”? Neal Lawson (Compass) debates Elaine Booth (RMT activist and Workers’ Liberty) crash (though the top entry still held over £10bn sustainably tackled by abolishing the super-rich Jones in wealth, while the tenth richest held £1.5billion). along with capitalism. The labour movement Left perspectives on Lebanon’s protest move- ≫ Every year since, while individuals and families should set itself that goal; and we should also ≫The next wave of climate activism, with speak- ment, with Lebanese socialist Joey Ayoub ers including Simon Pirani, author of Burning moved around, the Rich List’s wealth increased fight for emergency measures to check and re- Up: A Global History of Fossil Fuel Consumption ≫Understanding the Renaissance, with Prof. substantially — until 2020. verse the spiral. Cath Fletcher, author of The Beauty and the Ter- There was a fall last year as a result of the pan- Even middle-of-the-road political figures are Confronting antisemitism on the left, with ≫ ror demic, but much smaller than the one after the fi- now proposing “wealth taxes” — taxes on accu- speakers including Keith Kahn-Harris nancial crisis — from £143.5bn in the hands of the USA: where next for workers, unions, and the mulated wealth. We need a range of measures to ≫ top ten in 2019 to £131.5bn in 2020, compared ≫Covid: what we know and what we don’t left? with speakers including Traven Leyshon, assault the wealth of the super-rich from all sides to £82.6bn falling to £47.7bn in 2008-9. And this know, with Prof. George Davey Smith Vermont AFL-CIO and Democratic Socialists of — both to fund policies to improve the lives of the time the UK’s super-rich have made up their lost majority and to diminish inequality as an end in 4:20pm America, and Justine Canady, Workers’ Liberty ground faster, with the top ten on the 2021 list itself. ≫The experience of “Corbynism” and the future 2:30pm reaching £154bn. As the “Build back fairer: attack poverty and in- of the left in Labour, with speakers including ≫From #MeToo to the future: confronting vio- In 2019 the top-rankers were Sri and Gopi Hin- equality” motion Momentum members voted to Alan Simpson, former Labour MP lence against women, with speakers including duja, with £22bn; last year James Dyson and his promote for Labour Party conference puts it: Jill Mountford (Workers’ Liberty) family, with £16.2bn; this year Leonard Blavatnik, ≫Winning freedom of speech, with speakers in- “We need to take back wealth, with a wealth tax, with £23bn. In 2019 Blavatnik held £14.3bn in increased corporation tax, capital gains tax and cluding Shiva Mahbobi, women’s rights activist ≫The historical roots of antisemitism on the left and spokesperson for Campaign to Free Politi- wealth and last year £15.8bn. The tenth richest taxing very high incomes; and taking banking Erdogan: Turkish imperialist? cal Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) ≫ on the 2021 list has £11bn. (By the way, none of and finance into democratic public ownership.” these figures include money in personal bank ac- Alongside the fight to tax and take control of China, Hong Kong, East Turkestan: workers’ Plus... ≫ counts.) wealth “from above”, through government meas- and democratic struggles, with speakers from ≫Thursday 8th: film screening and discussion Already in January, looking at the figures from ures, we need to build up, transform and mo- the Uyghur Solidarity Campaign and Labour Dear Comrades! previous Rich Lists, the Resolution Foundation bilise our trade unions, to make them powerful Movement Solidarity with Hong Kong. ≫Friday 9th: walking tour “Battersea vs the Brit- (broadly right-wing Labour but thoughtful) calcu- instruments “from below” both to fight for these ≫Capitalism and mental health, with speakers ish Empire” lated that the concentration of wealth in the hands policies and to redistribute wealth away from the including Jean Lane, Workers’ Liberty of the super-rich was much worse even than pre- ≫More to be announced... □ super-rich. □ viously estimated — by a margin of around £800 i workersliberty.org Meetings, events, campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings ii Solidarity Solidarity& Workers’ Liberty For a workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry

ISRAEL-PALESTINE:

FOR TWO STATES, Pic: @G_for_Gemma FOR EQUAL RIGHTS By Colin Foster One of the slogans of the Soon the postponed court protest was: “The answer to the hearing will come on plans to housands protested in Tel- Right is Israel and Palestine”. evict six Palestinian families in TAviv-Jaffa on Saturday 22 On the other side of Israeli the Sheikh Jarrah district of East May, in Israel’s biggest peace politics, Benjamin Netanyahu Jerusalem from their tenancies demonstration for many years. plans on a further spell in prime in now Jewish-owned (since WIN OUR : Breaking The Silence, an as- minister, helped by the fall- 1972) houses. sociation of Israeli ex-soldiers ing-apart during the bloodshed Netanyahu now faces a which co-organised the pro- of negotiations for an anti-Ne- stronger opposition. Too much test with the Jewish-Arab social tanyahu coalition. Having Net- of the generally pro-Palestinian Right to protest movemement Standing To- anyahu as their opponent suits protest in Britain has sided im- gether, declared: Hamas; having Hamas ruling in plicitly or explicitly with Hamas. ≫ “The ceasefire [on 21 May, Gaza and a surging force in the That is a dead end. after 15 days of rockets and West Bank suits Netanyahu; the The way to a democratic bombs] is of course good news, symbiosis obstructs workers’ peace and towards workers’ Right to strike See page 2 and we hope it will hold out for unity, a democratic way out, unity in Israel-Palestine lies in as long as possible. But it’s only and peace. solidarity with the new move- Back≫ Palestinians, New upsurges A victory at Back Uyghur, HK a matter of time until the next The Israeli press reports that ments inside Israel, and with fight antisemitism inside Israel Pimlico Academy rights on 4 June round of fighting; a question of since 21 May Israeli police the fresh hope that they may be Reject blaming “the Potential of a Students and staff force Tienanmen Square when, not if. Because as long as have stepped up checks and able to inspire in the West Bank Jews”, and equating united Arab-Jewish head teacher to quit, anniversary protest at we continue holding Palestini- a heavy-handed presence in and Gaza. □ “Zionists” and Nazis! movement and press on for more Chinese Embassy ans under occupation, violence Arab districts of mixed cities. is inevitable”. • More: pages 8 and 9 Pages 10,12 Pages 8-9 Page 5 Pages 3 , 5 No. 594, 26 May 2021 50p/£1 workersliberty.org No. 594, 26 May 2021 50p/£1 workersliberty.org