Resist UKIP Surge UNITE to See Pages 6-7 FIGHT BOSSES and BANKERS 2 NEWS
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
For a Solidarity workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry No 324 14 May 2014 30p/80p www.workersliberty.org Migrants and settled, black and white Resist UKIP surge UNITE TO see pages 6-7 FIGHT BOSSES AND BANKERS 2 NEWS What is the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty? Why I went to the food bank Today one class, the working class, lives by selling its labour power to By Leopold Loewer another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of production. etables and fruit. I can also coincide around the Society is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to increase their Perhaps even two years obtain toothpaste from time end of a month. wealth. Capitalism causes poverty, unemployment, the to time! I suspect some peo - blighting of lives by overwork, imperialism, the ago I had never actually heard of such a thing as a This usually tides me ple may be a little too destruction of the environment and much else. over from the end of a two- proud to visit such Against the accumulated wealth and power of the “Food Bank”, and even then, despite growing fi - week period, when money places, when they are capitalists, the working class has one weapon: is short, until the next Mon - not officially welfare- solidarity. nancial difficulties, I would not have expected day/Tuesday when benefit dependent and, obvi - The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build payments arrive. ously, if they are solidarity through struggle so that the working class can overthrow to need it. The question of being de - working full time it capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership of industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy much fuller However, times change pendent on benefits is of may not be conven - than the present system, with elected representatives recallable at any — albeit in a more or less central importance here: de - ient or feasible to visit time and an end to bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. predictable direction, in lays in receiving payments directly in person. I We fight for the labour movement to break with “social partnership” many cases — and I have and gaps in claim periods was happy enough to and assert working-class interests militantly against the bosses. since joined the percentage frequently result in many act as a proxy on this Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, of the population that does people nearing the end of a recent occasion, al - supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, helping need to use food banks. two-week cycle without though I had to use organise rank-and-file groups. Three times now I have cash or credit to purchase the food bank in any We are also active among students and in many campaigns and visited the People Before essential items, such as gro - case for my own rea - alliances. Profit Food Bank on New ceries. sons. Cross Road, south east Lon - I recently visited the local The staff are sym - Food banks provide an We stand for: don. I signed up as a mem - food bank with a view to - pathetic and helpful but, re - important lifeline so long as ● Independent working-class representation in politics. ber with a minimal ward obtaining groceries minding me that they rely you are au fait with their ● A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the labour donation (£1) which I pay for a housemate who, on donations, they have to rules and routines. movement. though employed full-time, dedicate Fridays to restock - But how did it get to the again each time I visit, with point where, in one of the ● A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to strike, to an occasional added contri - was told that he would ing their shelves; this when picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. have another 8/9 days to many users would be most richest economies in the bution of spare change. The world, thousands upon ● Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, education food available is rationed, wait before he could expect impulsively inclined to and jobs for all. to receive his regular wage. shop for the weekend thousands (I don’t know but not to the extent that I the exact figure) depend ● A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Full This can be critical when al - ahead. [Also, a registered am unable to take away a on this type of service, equality for women and social provision to free women from the burden substantial supply of lowing for the fact that user/member is restricted of housework. Free abortion on request. Full equality for lesbian, gay, monthly rental and utility to one visit per week, nor - essentially provided by canned soups and pulses, volunteers? bisexual and transgender people. Black and white workers’ unity loaves of bread, loose veg - bill payments sometimes mally]. against racism. ● Open borders. ● Global solidarity against global capital — workers everywhere have more in common with each other than with their capitalist or Stalinist CGIL rulers. ● Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest workplace or community to global social organisation. opposition ● Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal rights for all There was some oppo - nations, against imperialists and predators big and small. sition in at the congress ● Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. in Rimini (6-8 May) of ● If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity to sell — the Italian union confed - and join us! eration CGIL. It came from of the Contact us: once-radical metalwork - ● 020 7394 8923 ● [email protected] ers’ union, FIOM, led by The editor (Cathy Nugent), 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Maurizio Landini. Road, London, SE1 3DG. He criticised the passiv - ity and bureaucratic, un - Printed by Trinity Mirror ● democratic nature of the organisation. Landini’s 15 minute Get Solidarity every week! speech at least woke the conference from its tor - ● Trial sub, 6 issues £5 o LGBT protest demands release of prisoners poBr.ut under the rhetoric ● 22 issues (six months). £18 waged o he offered absolutely no concrete proposals or £9 unwaged o By Kieran Miles 44 issues (year). £35 waged Unions also sent delega - Only through the work of attempt to set out a ● o strategy of resistance to £17 unwaged On Wednesday 7 May, tions, most visibly the RMT. African LGBT groups and o The protestors made sure global protests was the bill the ruling class offen - ● European rate: 28 euros (22 issues) o around 50 LGBT cam - sive. paigners organised a that the whole speech was amended to remove the use or 50 euros (44 issues) o protest at the President of interrupted with drums, vu - of the death penalty. It is Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: Uganda’s visit to the UK. vuzelas, and loud chanting. now also illegal to fail to re - • More: bit.ly/17-cgil Protestors demanded the re - port LGBT people to the po - 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG President Yoweri Musev - eni was being welcomed peal of the infamous Anti- lice, and Ugandan LGBT Cheques (£) to “AWL”. by government officials as Homosexuality Act, signed people can be extradited Or make £ and euro payments at workersliberty.org/sub. part of a Ugandan busi - by Museveni in February, and prosecuted for engag - ness forum, and was giv - which made any same-sex ing in same-sex sexual activ - Name . ing a speech near sexual activity, even just ity overseas. Museveni Westminster. kissing, an imprisonable of - himself has said that gay Address . fence with a maximum life peIot pisle s atrilel “ildleigsgaul sttoin bge” .g ay A number of groups, in - sentence. in 78 countries. We must . cluding Out and Proud Dia - The bill’s sponsor, David continue protests like this mond, an African LGBTI Bahati, said the law was one, until every single I enclose £ . group, Stop AIDS, and the necessary to protect school - comrade is released from Peter Tatchell Foundation children from being “re - jail. were present for the protest. cruited into homosexuality”. 3 NEWS Turning the world inside-out! Vicki Morris assesses FRD encouraged people swer workers or suppliers supports “the empower - “Fashion Revolution to tweet a photograph of if questions are asked, or ment of workers in the Day”, marking the an - themselves wearing their because it might uncover global garment and sports - niversary of the Rana clothes inside-out to their issues you don’t know how wear industries”. Its UK af - Plaza disaster garment’s manufacturer to resolve.” filiate, Labour Behind the The disaster in Rana and ask them: “Who made The fact is that compa - Label, organised a “Pay Plaza on 24 April 2013, my clothes?” nies know full well that Up” protest on Oxford where at least 1,138 For the FRD organisers, their huge profits come Street, where Amirul Bangladeshi garment wearing clothes inside-out from low wages, and turn a Haque Amin, president of workers died, has — showing the stitching blind eye to practices in the Bangladesh’s National Gar - spurred more people to and the label — helped factories they sub-contract ment Workers’ Federation, fight for better conditions people to think about what to. spIofk FeR. D brings more for the world’s 75 million goes on behind the scenes FRD are correct, how - people into contact with garment workers. of the fashion industry: ever, that consumer pres - organisations such as “We need to... reconnect sure has been important in, Labour Behind the Label, On the one-year anniver - the broken links in the sup - for example, helping to or helps them to under - sary, fashion industry fig - ply chain.