For a workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry

No 342 5 November 2014 30p/80p www.workersliberty.org Down with UKIP! Up with solidarity! Black and white, migrant and local, religious or not: workers unite! 2 NEWS

What is the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty? NHS staff to strike again Today one class, the working class, lives by selling its labour power to another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of production. By Todd Hamer defending our already much Society is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to increase their degraded terms and condi - wealth. causes poverty, unemployment, the Health unions have an - tions, then we will have blighting of lives by overwork, imperialism, the nounced a further four helped speed on the end of destruction of the environment and much else. hour strike on 24 Novem - the NHS as a free state-of- Against the accumulated wealth and power of the ber in their ongoing pay the-art health service. capitalists, the working class has one weapon: dispute. solidarity. But the current strategy of The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build Since 2010 the NHS has the unions is risible. So far solidarity through struggle so that the working class can overthrow been starved of £20 billion. the campaign has involved a capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership of By 2020 the gap between four hour strike, four days industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy much fuller funding and necessary ex - of not doing unpaid over - than the present system, with elected representatives recallable at any penditure will be around time (so-called “action short time and an end to bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. £50 billion. Last month the of a strike”) and a pause of We fight for the to break with “social partnership” six weeks. Now another new Chief Executive of the NHS staff on strike on 13 October and assert working-class interests militantly against the bosses. NHS Simon Stevens made a four hour strike and more Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, spurious claim that with an appeals to stop doing un - start to push for an esca - supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, helping paid work for a few days. year. But it is not as impor - lation. A serious strategy organise rank-and-file groups. extra £8 billion investment he could redesign the serv - The unelected bureaucrats tant as the mass withdrawal to win could encourage We are also active among students and in many campaigns and who run the unions believe of labour or more effective alliances. ice and make £22 billion many more health work - savings by 2020. the pay claim can be won at concentrating the minds ers to strike and become through winning public of the bosses. We stand for: If we do not win a decent The rank-and-file must part of the movement to pay settlement and build a support. That’s important, save the NHS. ● Independent working-class representation in politics. especially in an election ● A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the labour union movement capable of movement. ● A workers’ charter of rights — to organise, to strike, to picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. ● Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, education Outsourced hospital staff fight back and jobs for all. ● A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Full Outsourced workers — overtime and other rights There are 380-plus stuff and speak to their members equality for women and social provision to free women from the burden cleaners, caterers, switch - that we would if we were employed by ISS at QE, about doing a similar cam - of housework. Free abortion on request. Full equality for lesbian, gay, board workers, seam - directly employed. when we began we had less paign. Unfortunately Uni - bisexual and transgender people. Black and white workers’ unity stresses, porters and others We worked with the GMB than 40. We’re now up to son have just ignored us. against racism. — employed by ISS at to organise a recruitment over 240. I think all jobs should be ● Open borders. Queen Elizabeth Hospital campaign such as an open Our strike definitely had taken back in house. We’ve ● Global solidarity against global capital — workers everywhere have in Woolwich, South Lon - day for ISS staff to come and an impact. They brought in got three contractors at QE. more in common with each other than with their capitalist or Stalinist don, have struck for the talk to us. We put out flyers people from all over the Outsourcing and PFI is how rulers. same pay and conditions as about the issues and ISS country, but they weren’t these companies make ● Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest workplace or directly employed workers. management called us in. trained to do our jobs. We money – it’s private profit community to global social organisation. One of the reps spoke to They told us that if we want had a big presence outside rather than going to the ● Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal rights for all Solidarity . this, we needed a “tripartite the hospital, with several NHS. Of course if we had nations, against imperialists and predators big and small. We plan two more strikes meeting” with us and the pickets, and now members NHS wages and conditions ● Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. days in November, after NHS Trust. They wished us are asking when our next it wouldn’t be so attractive ● If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity to sell — good luck! We chased the strike day will be. For most for them. and join us! our strike on 8 October, dates to be confirmed Trust but they stopped re - people this is a new thing. Messages of support are soon. More support and sponding; after a while it We’ve set up a strike com - good and donations are Contact us: solidarity would be very was clear we were being mittee with open meetings much appreciated. Our welcome. palmed off. every other week. We usu - members are not paid at a ● 020 7394 8923 ● [email protected] Once we called a strike for ally get 20 to 30 members lot and some people don’t The editor (Cathy Nugent), 20e Tower Workshops, Riley In March the full-time 8 October, we were asked to along. It’s a democratic set work many hours, so strik - Road, , SE1 3DG. GMB officer who works cancel and meet them. Our up. ingA lis on,o pt eeoaspyle f isnhaoncuiladl lfye. el ● Printed by Trinity Mirror with us asked us if there strike committee said we’d Unite at Lewisham Hospi - free to come down to our was any campaign we cancel depending on what tal [which is part of the picket lines. wanted to start at the hospi - offer they put on the table. same NHS trust as QEH] tal. We gave them until 10pm have been supportive. Their Get Solidarity every week! We raised the issue that on Tuesday 7th, but there branch secretary came down • Messages of solidarity: outsourced workers we was no offer so we went for our picket lines and [email protected]. ● Trial sub, 6 issues £5 o don’t receive the full pay, ahead. we’ve got plans to go over uk ● 22 issues (six months). £18 waged o £9 unwaged o ● 44 issues (year). £35 waged o Solidarity with Iranian women facing attack! £17 unwaged o By Gemma Short ● European rate: 28 euros (22 issues) tias to harass women. protest happened in Tehran. with “propaganda against o Regime officials claim the The regime is unwilling to the state”, a catch-all crime or 50 euros (44 issues) o Women in the central Iran - attacks are unconnected. prosecute militias that act in used by the regime against Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: ian city of Isfahan have However the attackers all a vigilante manner. They are dissidents. been attacked with acid 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG used a motorcycle and useful to the regime. These She is being held in the because of the way they many litres of acid, suggest - militias act within the notorious Evin prison and Cheques (£) to “AWL”. were dressed. ing a connection. Paradoxi - framework and environ - has been on hunger strike Or make £ and euro payments at workersliberty.org/sub. The official press reports cally regime officials also ment created by the over her solitary confine - four women were attacked, claim that “foreign and regime’s attitude to women, ment. Name ...... but some put the number as Zionist intelligence agen - and alongside official state On 24 October the regime high as 15. cies” were helping the at - harassment of women by hanged Reyhaneh Jabbari, Address ...... This attack comes as Iran - tackers! the “morality police”. who was found guilty of the ian government is dis - Thousands protested out - On 1 November murder of a man who tried ...... cussing measures to address side Isfahan’s Justice De - Ghoncheh Ghavami, a to Srauppep hoertr . women, secu - partment on 22 October British-Iranian woman, was I enclose £ ...... “bad hijab”. Proposals larists, workers and so - would give confidence to condemning the attacks and sentenced to a year in prison cialists fighting the Iranian the “morality police” and calling for safety for women for watching a men’s volley - regime! encourage semi-official mili - on the street. A similar ball game. She was charged 3 NEWS

Projecting alternatives The Alliance for Work - A million march in Rome ers’ Liberty, which pub - vocated a “Campaign for a lishes Solidarity , met for Workers’ Government” to By Hugh Edwards tively easy ride so far for agency of Italy’s rulers has job”. “No one has that our annual conference “focus on a positive pro - both Renzi and his two im - so far depended on the com - right”, he declared at a party on 25-26 October. gramme of measures On Saturday 25 October mediate predecessors, Mario pliant attitude to it of the convention on the Sunday which a workers’ govern - up to a million protesters Monte and Enrico Letta, major trade-union confeder - following the march. The main resolution on ment would take up”. marched to Rome’s Pi - may be over. ations, especially the appa - His scornful retort to Ca - perspectives noted the Observers from the Iran - azza San Giovanni in re - As well as the CGIL’s ratus of CGIL, historically musso has put the ball back possibility of a growing ian Revolutionary Marx - sponse to the call from usual base, the demo tied to Italy’s Stalinist and in the court of pay revolt in the next year. ists’ Tendency, the CGIL trade-union leader brought out hundreds of post-Stalinist nomenklatura leaders. Real wages have been Worker-communist Parties Susanna Camusso to sup - thousands of other workers, who still make up a key part They continue to talk squeezed more and longer of Iraq and Kurdistan, and port her union’s opposi - unemployed, “precariat”, of the Party. about a general strike, but than ever before on record, the French revolutionary tion to the coalition students, and people from The “social stability” say a decision will have to and yet union organisa - socialist group L’Etincelle government of Demo - hundreds of progressive which they have boasted of wait until the mid-Novem - tion, for all its weaknesses, addressed the conference, cratic Party leader Matteo campaigns all over the is but a cynical euphemism ber meeting of the executive. remains stable. and it also received greet - Renzi. country. for the state of abject misery, Events came to something To contribute usefully if ings from Solidarity There were thousands of despair and sense of politi - of a head on Wednesday the pay revolt surges, and (USA), Marksist Tutum It was largest mass to hold the line if it does - (Turkey), Lalit (Mauritius), demonstration in Italy for migrant workers from a rad - cal prostration that conniv - 29th, when a further demon - ical union, USB, whose ing bureaucratic inertia has stration by the steelworkers n’t, we must educate, Bob Carnegie of Workers’ over a decade. train, and project our - Liberty Australia, and His government is in the members had struck nation - inflicted on the workers and of Terni was set upon by the ally the day before; metal - their families. riot squads. selves as coherent, ener - Olivier Delbeke of Le Mili - final stages of introducing getic advocates of tant (France). legislation to drastically workers from the threatened Metalworkers’ leader Lan - steelworks at Terni; and SYMPTOMS dini, on the march but un - class-struggle strategy and We debated and passed worsen job-security condi - The success of the crack - revolutionary socialist pol - resolutions on the Middle tions won 40 years ago in workers from the threatened scathed, announced two Meridiana airline. pot populism of Grillo, the days of eight-hour strikes icy. East and Ukraine, as well mass struggles. collapse of the member - Hard-right forces like as discussing reports and It is the latest and most Camusso and her fellow and regional demonstra - bureaucrats must have ship of the Democratic tions across the country. Ca - Ukip have gained political plans for our industrial, ruthless gamble by Italy’s Party itself, and the slow ground recently “because student, and feminist ac - rulers to comprehensively hoped that the turnout and musso announced that she their radical rhetoric about but relentless reemer - would be proposing similar the official left has been ut - tivity. deregulate the workplace gence of the racist North - terly wretched, and be - The conference debated and try to prove that Renzi the “possibility” of a one- action to her executive, but day general strike might be ern League, are on different days. cause the radical left has what AWL will do in a can arrest the country’s de - symptoms. too often been cowed. Too clear in/out referendum cline in the world market. enough to give Renzi pause Apart from the all-out ac - before a scheduled meeting tion at Terni and Meridiana, often radical left activists on Britain quitting the Eu - The millions on the streets When Renzi arrived in a are submerged in detailed ropean Union. may indicate that the rela - on Monday 27th. populist “coup”, as a self - there are now 150 disputes We will advocate an The little aspiring Bona - involving 150,000 workers campaign or trade union “in” vote under slogans trumpeting “moderniser”, work. Too often we opt for parte didn’t Fiat boss Marchionne said: in defence of jobs and immi - like “reduce borders, even bother to nent closures. bland and limited mes - don’t raise them”, “sup - “Now we can begin to get The occupation of the sages for fear that more show, sending rid of the rubbish. That’s steelworks at Terni and port free movement a message via radical ideas will isolate across Europe”, and why we have put him the call for support and us”. his minions there”. similar action from other “workers’ unity against that “elected The main dispute on neo-liberal Europe, for a This time the “rubbish” plants can be the basis for perspectives was about governments , includes the trade-union ap - creating a new balance of socialist Europe”. on matters of tactics in the May 2015 • bit.ly/awlconf paratus, denounced by the forces in the workers’ election period. The major - legal reform, prime minister in his propa - movement, capable of only negotiate ity voted to encour - ganda to workers in the 95% challenging and defeating age and help a with elected of businesses not covered by the Renzi regime and pos - representa - socialist campaign to Article 18’s job-security pro - ing the conditions for the raise demands like tives”. visions as “a conservative, birth of a movement capa - Renzi is the “Tax the rich”, “Re - corporative elite” indulging ble of setting its sights on verse cuts”, “Defend leader of the a “privileged minority of a class-wide battle for Democratic migrant rights”, etc. Protesters are angry at continued austerity skilled workers who believe working-class political within the broad Party, whose that they have to a power. strength as an labour movement ef - fixed, permanent, secure fort to oust the Tories and get a Labour gov - ernment. The minority agreed on voting US right stokes Ebola panic Labour in virtually all Beth Redmond on Sunday constituencies, but ad -

By Tom Harris break is at its worst. It is unclear how a consequences of a serious outbreak. ban could be implemented, since all air It’s just weird that they express that According to the , traffic between the US and those coun - fear by backing Republicans who op - Shame on you, Kyrgyzstan! more than 45% of Americans be - tries is indirect — passengers change pose even Obama’s limited moves to lieve that they, or close friends and flights in Europe. Furthermore, Obama extend health insurance. relatives, will contract the Ebola argues plausibly that such a ban would And the odds of catching Ebola in virus. actually weaken the campaign to con - America are still incredibly small. The Even if this were a rogue poll, that is tain Ebola, since crucial US medical aid disease can only be transferred from a remarkably high percentage when would be unable to reach the worst af - human to human through blood and one considers that only four people fected areas. bodily fluid. Its dramatic spread in have tested positive for Ebola in the Republicans have accused Obama of West Africa has been made possible by US, three of whom have since recov - playing fast and loose with public the poverty, overcrowding, and scant ered. safety, while a number of Democratic heTahlteh bperosvt iwsioany itno tshaef eregguioanrd. the Why are people so worried? senators have publicly repudiated the American public against the risk of Firstly, the issue has become a President’s opposition to a travel ban. Ebola is not to close off air travel, deeply political one. President Obama Political hacks have sought to stoke the but to provide serious financial and has resisted calls to ban flights be - panic even further. medical aid to the people of the af - tween the United States and the West Given that millions of Americans fected African countries, on a long LGBT activists from the RMT union held a protest outside the African countries of Liberia, Guinea cannot afford private healthcare, it is term basis. Kyrgyzstan Embassy to protest at new anti-gay laws and to and Sierra Leone, where the Ebola out - easy to understand why many fear the show solidarity with LGBT people in the Kyrgyz Republic 84 CFOEMAMTUENRET Unity: from “Let the Kurds die!”? ten years in the future. The choice now is between a massacre of our allies verses the victory of Islamist-fascists. wishing to There is something silly about the SP’s method here. It is a game anyone can play. How about this: what happened to By Dan Katz the Labour Party in the 1990s under Blair invalidates activity inside the Labour Party in the 1970s? Or this: what happened doing Over a thousand Kurdish people gathered in Trafalgar to Derek Hatton in the 1990s invalidates Militant’s recruit - Square, London, on 1 November, in a day of international ment of Hatton in the 1970s? By Rhodri solidarity for the Kurds fighting ISIS (Daesh, “Islamic There’s nothing certain about the future. All we can do is Evans State”) in Kobane. make choices in the present. The SP do not argue in any specific way that bombing ISIS Socialist Among the small number of people at the protest who will make the future worse for the Kurds. Their leaflet only Worker on 14 were not Kurdish were a handful of representatives of the suggested vaguely: “Further intervention of the US, UK and October Socialist Party and SWP. Both these groups have a problem. UN in the region could lead to more division and even called for Both campaign to stop the US bombing which is currently strengthen IS.” unity on the helping the Kurds resist IS. They do not just do as Solidarity In contrast, it is certain that a defeat for IS and a victory for left. The two does — express no confidence in the US, refuse to endorse the Kurds in Kobane would immediately be highly positive articles in SW, its campaign. They specifically campaign to stop the bomb - from a working class, humanitarian and democratic stand - one an edito - ing, and often say that they do so because they oppose war point. Who can tell about five years hence? All we can do to rial and one a (as if there would be no war with ISIS if the US abstained). make a positive outcome more likely in the future is to help comment by How did they explain their position to the Kurds in Trafal - our side win now. Alex Callini - gar Square? They didn’t attempt to. The SWP had placards Moreover it is not true that every Western intervention has cos, sug - calling for “Tories Out”; the SP gave out a leaflet of 600 broadly negative consequences. In 1999 NATO bombing did gested that words which failed to say clearly that they call for a stop to prevent mass murder of Kosovars by Milosevic’s racist Serb the call was US bombing, or justify that. imperialism. really aimed That statement is not pro-imperialist, just fact. Our justi - TWO LINES fied estimate in 1999 that the NATO bombing would help at Scotland. One organisation, two lines. One for the pro-US Kurds in Kosova did not make us politically endorse or support the Trafalgar Square; one for radical students and others The SWP bombing. We maintained our irreconcilable class hostility to dominated by knee-jerk anti-Americanism which they hopes to reknit NATO. hope to recruit in Newcastle, Reading or Portsmouth. the fragments of the old split apart The SP may respond that the big powers intervene only for by Tommy Sheridan (with the SWP’s support!) in the row SPers argued the AWL supports imperialism; and that im - their own reasons. That is true, but when the soldiers of a over his libel case. perialist bombing in 2011 has made things worse for Libya, capitalist army come to put out a fire, revolutionaries don’t But how to move from a wish to appear as people who not better. Therefore the left should oppose western bombing get in their way. want unity, to actual progress? in support of the Kurds in Kobane (which, by implication, And finally, the Kurds do not have to look as far as West One SW article says that what’s missing is “a strong will make matters worse for the Kurds in the long run). Africa and the Balkans for an example where democrats have voice challenging [in] the electoral field”. A We refused to raise the slogan “Stop the bombing” over been glad of Western help. In 1991, following the first Gulf strong voice is possible, it says, because “the social dem - Libya in 2011. Does that make us “pro-imperialist”? We re - War, the US-led coalition imposed a no-fly zone in northern ocratic ideas that the SNP under Salmond has successfully fused to call for something which would strengthen our en - Iraq which protected the Kurds from Saddam Hussein’s re - appealed to are... strong in popular consciousness”. They emies and wipe out our courageous allies. We made no venge. The Kurds used the US’s help and what emerged was fail to find expression in a “strong voice” only because of endorsement of US or British policy. a proto-state and a democracy. “the extreme fragmentation of the radical left” and “the In Libya, the first effects of the overthrow of the bizarre That was true despite the US’s overall policy and despite petty narcissism of our different projects”. and brutal Gaddafi dictatorship was an explosion of democ - other crimes the US committed at the time (for example en - So the job is to unite the left around SNP-style social racy and relatively free elections in 2012 in which liberals couraging the Shia to rise across southern Iraq and then democratic ideas? But another article (rightly) rejects won and Islamists were marginal. staTnhdei nsglo bgya ans “Ssatdodpa tmhe m UaSss bacormedb tinhgem” e).q uates to “let the Tommy Sheridan’s call for the left to vote for the SNP in Right now we have no guarantee that a victory against ISIS Kurds die”. So let’s not say it. 2015. in Kobane will make life better for the Kurds one or five or One article argues for unity round the call that “the Yes campaign [for Scottish independence] should stay on the streets”. Others argue (rightly) that socialists must move on to unite “yes” and “no” voters on class issues. Elsewhere SW poses unity as unity of “the left outside the Labour Party”, and mostly in “the electoral field”. We The timidity is sickening had a united class-struggle socialist left in the electoral field in 2001-3 — the Socialist Alliance — and then the heads on one hand but undermining agreement with the SWP trashed it in favour of vain hopes of getting rich other. I was appalled at some of the comments I heard after quick through Respect. Bob Carnegie the meeting. The Socialist Party went for a different get-rich-quick Working-class people in Australia have been horribly let effort with No2EU in 2009 and 2014, and the TUSC coali - My first two articles dealing with attempts to organise down by the Labor Party and by most but not all of the major tion between times. defence base workers in Australia attempted to highlight unions. The sheer timidity of most unions’ leadership in tak - Now left-of-Labour candidates rarely present them - the problems with on the ground organising, union argu - ing on companies that are horribly exploiting workers is sick - selves as boldly socialist, or much more than “anti-cuts”, ments over which unions should cover these workers, ening. and yet they get much poorer votes than in 2001-3. the workers’ battle for jobs and redundancy payment I had a middle-aged woman break down and cry because Solidarity and Workers’ Liberty propose — and consis - and most important of all, the horrible effect of contract - of the stress of the spectre of unemployment hanging over tently work for — left unity in action to save the NHS, to ing out of services has on the wages and conditions of her head. She cried “who will want to give me a start, Bob?” resist cuts, to win free education, to aid the people of those workers concerned. I could only offer a shoulder to lean on and a hankie for the Kobane fighting ISIS, to support the right to self-determi - tears. naAtito nth oef tshaem pe otpimlee o fw Uek rparionpe.ose, and work for, dia - I can report that there has been some movement on a cou - Townsville has the fourth highest unemployment rate in logue and debate on the left, which could enable us to ple of these issues. Defence workers in the Northern Terri - Australia. The outlook for any worker with limited skills is make progress on the many issues we disagree tory formerly employed by Serco/Sodexo (SSDS), through poor. For a woman in her 50s or 60s, maybe carrying injuries about, such as Scottish nationalism, political Islam, their unions, have defeated an attempt by these two ruthless from a lifetime of toil, the employment outlook is non-exis - and Russian imperialism. transnational companies to rob them of their redundancy en - tent. titlements. The fight goes on, but until real comradely, fighting trade The Fair Work Commission (Australia’s labour court) dis - union unity and strong anti wage-and-conditions legislation “Socialist Appeal” (SA), a linear descendant of the old missed SSDS’s application to renege on workers’ redundancy is enacted, the race to the bottom in wages and conditions for Labour Party “Militant” tendency, has decided that its entitlements. Also, on the issue of competing trade unions, theIts es eanedm ost htheer wcaolrlk feorrs wa isllo ccoinetiyn ubea.sed on human need United Voice and the National Union of Workers have met members in Scotland should quit the Labour Party and not human greed has become quieter than a deaf church and agreed to join forces to attempt to develop unionism in mouse. It is up to us, somehow, to make the voice for join the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP). this sector. those who have nothing much louder if we are to help So far it all looks great... from a distance. build something better than this capitalistic planet we Read our comment here: bit.ly/10RXRLL Where I am close to the ground it appears more like a call home. “shotgun” marriage. Everyone is nodding their respective 95 WHATF EWAET USARYE

Up with solidarity! One voter in four would consider voting UKIP at the next election, according to a poll in the Mail on Sunday (31 campaign is not only xenophobic and dishonest, it is also ex - miles to find work to sustain themselves and their families. It October). The poll was published as UKIP looks set to tremely dangerous. It is helping UKIP to stir up the growing is the left’s job to explain why global capitalism works in this win the Rochester and Strood by-election. Even allow - feeling of economic insecurity in society, among both work - way, why it makes us all desperate to one degree or another, ing for bias from a poll commissioned by a paper which ing-class and better-off people. how it makes profits off our backs, and why building work - routinely feeds hostility to the EU and migration, the level It is building support for the repressive police operations ers’ unity, not raising borders, is the only way to defend our - of UKIP support is disturbing. which regularly take place against refugees across Europe. It selves. is helping to create a political climate where it okay for gov - UKIP’s success is in good part the product of weaknesses David Cameron’s recent proposal to introduce immigra - ernments in Europe, including the UK government, to say in the left’s fight to build a constituency for working-class so - tion quotas for people entering the UK from the EU is about they will do nothing to prevent migrants from drowning in ciaIlnis mth.e Rochester and Strood by-election and in the reducing high electoral support for UKIP. But it’s a strategy the Mediterranean Sea, because help would “encourage” mi - general election next year, the issue of immigration and that is doomed to failure: anybody worried about, or op - gration. countering the racist and xenophobic myths has to be posed to, the EU and/or wanting to curb immigration is not It is poverty, exploitation and the violence of states in the the left’s priority. going to vote for the monkey when they can back the organ capitalist world which impels people to travel thousands of grinder — the really anti-EU and anti-migrant party, UKIP. The background to the Tories’ raising of the stakes on im - migration, apart from competition with UKIP, is a failure to Remembrance Sunday this deliver on a promise to bring UK net migration — the differ - year, 9 November, will see ence between those entering and leaving — to below 100,000. even more than the usual Official figures published in August showed UK net migra - splurge of war tributes. tion increased by more than 38% to 243,000 in 2013-14 and It remembers not all the EU citizens accounted for two-thirds of the growth. victims of war, but only the All the Tories have succeeded in doing with talk about soldiers on “our side”. It is quotas is annoy EU politicians. Angela Merkel was prompted used to boost nationalist and to state that the principle of free movement in the EU is “non- militarist moods which feed negotiable”. In other words, if Britain wants immigration future wars. quotas, it will have to exit the EU. Before World War Two, as Of course British capitalists do not want UK to leave the the cartoon shows, EU. That was why George Osborne was forced to play down Remembrance Day was an the possibility. Quotas may now be off the agenda but all even bigger deal, with two kinds of benefit restrictions remain policy options. At least minutes’ silence in workplaces that policy allows the Tories to claim that migrants (EU mi - at 11am on 11 November itself, grants, all migrants) are, to quote Osborne, “creating a huge usually a work day. pressure on public services”, that this is an issue that “the At the same time as they British public want addressed” because “these... welfare pay - organised the pious tributes, ments [are] paid for by hardworking British taxpayers.” the ruling classes were DISHONEST building up towards World War This is all dishonest nonsense. Two and the wars against colonial liberation battles Migrants don’t come to the UK to claim benefits or access which followed that. public services. They come to the UK because capitalists want to exploit their labour, and often at or below the . The cartoon is taken from In an Moreover EU migrants, in contrast to UK-born people, pay era of wars and revolutions: more tax per year than they “take out” of the system in ben - American socialist cartoons of efits and services. From 2001 to 2011 EU migrants paid a sur - the mid-twentieth century , a plus tax of around £2,700 per year each. book which depicts US politics, Unfortunately the Labour Party has joined in on the anti- workers’ struggles, America’s immigration rhetoric. Speaking in Rochester “Jim Crow” racism, promised an immigration bill if Labour is elected in 2015. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” and That will include, he said, action on border checks, exploita - Harry Truman’s “Fair Deal”, tion and “opportunities for UK workers”. He also promised and Stalinism in its era of to double the period of residence before people would be en - greatest prestige and triumph. titled to benefits. UKIP’s recent electoral success (and projected future suc - Buy for £10.60 at cess) is part of a trend across Europe of growing support for www.workersliberty.org the far right. It cannot be dismissed as flash-in-the-pan /socialistcartoons protest votes. Tory and Labour mirroring of UKIP’s anti-immigration 6-7 Assad steps up his crimes

By Sacha Ismail tion forces and pushing non-Sunnis (and including schools and hospitals. maybe even some Sunnis) into at least pas - SOHR says that over 1,900 have died in - The Syrian government of Bashar al- sivity towards the regime. side the regime’s detention and torture facil - Assad has offered the Western govern - Moreover, the Syrian state continues to ities since the start of 2014. This number ments battling ISIS an alliance “to fight carry out its own terrorism against the Syr - included 27 children younger than 18. Many terrorism”. ian people, and on a massive scale. With tens of thousands, at least, are currently backing from Russia and Iran, the regime being held. But as ’s Kim Sengupta put seems to hope it can eventually turn the mil - The UN puts the total number of casual - it at the end of September, Assad is now itary tide in its favour — and so it keeps ties in the war so far as about 190,000. At the fighting the “enemy he always wanted”. killing. In turn this boosts ISIS and other ji - most conservative count 60,000 are civilians From the start of anti-Assad struggle in hadi groups. deaths, of which about 10,000 are children – Syria, the regime has worked to strengthen In the last month the Assad regime has a substantial majority killed by the regime. Sunni-sectarian and radical Islamist forces in taken advantage the focus of international Since early 2013, we have argued that vic - order to position itself as the champion of attention on ISIS to step up its attacks on tory for the dominant military-political non-Sunni Syrians. With the help of foreign civilians. According to the Syrian Observa - forces opposing Assad would not be a vic - (Saudi, Qatari, UAE) aid for the Sunni ji - tory for Human Rights, a monitoring net - tory for democracy. Instead we need to sup - hadis, it has largely succeeded in transform - work of activists and doctors which port what democratic, secular and leftist ing the country’s democratic revolution for documents atrocities on all sides of the con - groups there are against the main military the most part into a sectarian civil war. flict, the two weeks to 2 November saw it contenders. Obviously Assad and co. would like to re- The rise of ISIS makes the necessity of drop 401 barrel bombs — bombs typically establish control over the whole of Syria. such a position stronger than ever. But constructed from large oil drums, gas cylin - Given that this is not currently possible, the that is all the more reason for the left and ders or water tanks, filled with high explo - role of the radical Sunni-sectarians, particu - everyone who cares about human rights sives and scrap metal or nails and/or larly ISIS, is in some ways helpful to them, to increase the volume of our protests chemicals, causing vast devastation and weakening what remains of more demo - against the violent brutality of the Syrian heavy civilian casualties. There is plenty of cratic, secular and simply moderate opposi - state. evidence of deliberate targeting of civilians, Solidarity with the Kurds! event. They also contacted the local Pales - square, and Dashty Jamal’s speech from the More than 200 Kurds and their support - tine Solidarity Campaign and individuals platform was well received. ers marched through Manchester in sup - from the Muslim community that TSM had Workers’ Liberty members sold about a port of Kobane. Shamefully noticeable by met. hundred copies of Solidarity , and collected their absence was the majority of the Man - Though small, the event was useful in two hundred signatures in support of chester left. Workers’ Liberty comrades dis - making first connections, and TSM hopes to Shahrokh Zamani and Reza Shahabi. tributed a leaflet and sold papers which develop those links. There are plans to call Most speakers were quite general in what were well received. a meeting on the current situation, to dis - they said. Iranian socialist and secularist The Kurdish organisers of the demonstra - cuss how to show solidarity. Maryam Namazie caused a bit of a stir by tion hadn’t bothered with the technicality LONDON (rightly) attacking the SWP for their soft - of getting police permission for the march ness on Islamism. Chris Nineham of Stop from All Saints to Piccadilly Gardens. The 1,500 people protested in Trafalgar the War/Counterfire spent most of his very well stewarded march stuck to the Square, a large majority of those were Kur - speech denouncing the Western powers, pavement with the stewards controlling the dish. which on one level is fair enough — but he traffic at the various road crossings. At Pic - Unfortunately non-Kurdish left, labour didn’t make the case for saying “Stop the FUNDRAISER cadilly Gardens there was a lively rally with movement and student activists were pres - bombing”, inserting “Oppose intervention” speeches singing and dancing. The march ent only in small numbers — probably be - right at the end in the same breath as “Long Organised by the International and rally clearly grabbed the attention of all cause the conflict in Kurdistan does not fit live Kobane”. Federation of Iraqi Refugees those who saw it on a busy Saturday after - the “Western powers vs anti-imperialists” There were no placards, from Kurdish ac - noon. template of the . There was only tivists or anyone else, opposing Western in - TEESSIDE one trade union banner, Paddington RMT. tervention or even criticising it. Kurdish food, Kurds aside, there were few student ac - SHEFFIELD While most of Teesside’s Kurdish ac - tivists there except a smattering of NCAFC live music tivists went to London or one of the other supporters. Of the “left-wingers” on NUS Workers’ Liberty members in Sheffield comedy & poetry cities’ big demos, a few came to the event executive who insist they support the held a meeting on 30 October with local called by Teesside Solidarity Movement Kurds despite voting down a motion to Kurdish activists. (TSM) at a few day’s notice. There were not support them, only one was there. A local Kurdish woman spoke, describ - many of us, but as a first step in making Left-wing organisations which had made ing the background of the situation for £5 entry links, that wasn’t too bad. the effort included Workers’ Liberty, the Kurds in the region. The TSM meeting on 23 October had dis - “autonomist” Plan C group, and a variety Half of those attending were local Kurds, Friday 21 November cussed the Kurdish struggle and ISIS as - of anarchists. The SWP and Socialist Party and there was heated discussion on the na - 7.00pm until late saults on Kobane, and agreed to support were there, but in small numbers. ture of a demand for Kurdish self-determi - the global rally for Kobane on 1 November. There was also a good turnout from the nation. There was also discussion around Institute of Education Bar, At very short notice and with no links Worker-communist Parties of Kurdistan, the left’s attitude to the current situation, with the Kurdish community, activists vis - Iraq and Iran (Hekmatists), with whom and how to build genuine solidarity. 20 Bedford Way, London, ited every take-away, barber and shop Workers’ Liberty worked to mobilise for the There are now plans to set up a Kurdish where they thought Kurds might work, demonstration. The WCP comrades had a Solidarity group in the city and organise WC1H 0AL with a leaflet promoting a Middlesbrough very lively and visible presence in the solidarity actions. KURDISTAN Solidarity with the Kurds, or NATO-bashing?

Eric Lee hands of IS were taken from the retreating Iraqi army. Taken — not handed over as a gift by the Americans. At the 1 November demonstration in One of the anti-NATO, anti-American Trafalgar Square in support of besieged tirades came from an organisation I’d not Kobane, it struck me that the speakers — previously heard of called the “Revolution - and more broadly, the left — were not ary Communist Group”. (I’m sure that spe - singing from the same page. cialists will know the entire history of this micro-sect, but for me it was new.) And On the one side there were those who groups like this, which get invited to speak were demanding that Britain and NATO do at mass rallies, give only a very small piece more to help the Kurds fighting against the of their line because they’d be booed off the Islamic fascists of IS [Daesh, ISIS]. For exam - stage if people knew what they really be - ple, Peter Tatchell led the crowd in chants lieved. demanding that David Cameron authorise The RCG’s speaker shouted the usual stuff the dropping of more aid to the Kurds, in - about solidarity with the Kurds, but a quick cluding weapons. glance at their website shows that they are There were calls for Turkey to be sus - in fact enthusiastic supporters of the bloody pended from NATO because it, unlike other Assad dictatorship and its army. The same NATO countries, was not prepared to help Syrian army that abandoned Kobane -- an the Kurds. army that no Kurd wants to have back. But And more generally most of the speakers there was no mention of that to the largely ISIS threat is especially the Kurdish ones, had not a criti - Kurdish crowd in Trafalgar Square. cal word to say about the USA, the West, So what are people like this, who support NATO or imperialism. Everyone was fo - Assad and Saddam, who demonize NATO cussed on the evil that is “Islamic State”. and the USA, doing at these rallies? On the other side, some of the far-left They’re there because they can’t afford not speakers went overboard in denouncing to be there. To have nothing to say when the still strong NATO, the USA and the West, going so far battle of Kobane rages would be unaccept - as claiming that IS was a creation of NATO able; they must somehow show solidarity By Simon Nelson Rojava, the Kurdish region of Northern Syria and Washington. with the embattled Kurds. which includes Kobani. ISIS (Daesh, the “Islamic State” move - This was particularly the case with a But they oppose the very thing — NATO Even now, an FSA commander has said spokesman for the “Stop the War Coalition” air support — that has made that battle pos - ment) now governs over six million peo - that with Assad continuing to attack in Syria, ple across Iraq and Syria. Despite an — an organisation whose presence at the sible. The tide may be turning in Kobane be - including around Aleppo, the FSA cannot af - event surprised many of the participants. cause of US bombing and air drops. apparent slowing of new foreign fighters ford to spare fighters to go to Kobani. coming to join them, they have main - The Coalition’s website has almost noth - On the ground, some Kurds have been According to , the Syrian-Kur - ing at all about the war taking place today in heard chanting “Long live Obama!” How tained a large group of fighters and a for - dish PYD maintains that all political groups midable military capability. Syria and Iraq and indeed the only reference embarrassing for the anti-Americans on the and military units in Rojava they must take to it is video of denounc - far left. The Albu Nimr tribe, a Sunni group in their direction from the YPG. The KRG ing the support NATO is giving to the These people with their crazy views, de - Western Iraq, had continued to fight ISIS in maintains that the peshmerga will remain Kurds. Galloway also voted against this nouncing the essential support given by the Anbar province despite Abadi’s Baghdad under their control whilst providing heavy support in the Commons. west to the Kurds, praising Assad and Sad - government failing to provide arms. ISIS has artillery and other assistance. It seems to me that elements of the British dam, have no place at Kurdish solidarity ral - now executed almost 400 members of the The peshmerga have been greeted warmly far left find themselves in a bit of a bind. lies. They are there purely to cover their tribe as a punishment for its resistance. ISIS by Kurds in Turkey who lined the streets as On the one hand, there’s this extraordi - tracks, to provide themselves with some is now closer to the Haditha Dam and the they entered Syria; however the PYD says nary, inspiring resistance movement in kind of moral cover as IS continues with its that its primary demand remains more largest airbase in Anbar. The Iraqi army and Kobane, which has captured the imagination muWrde esrhoouus lrda mgipvaeg teh aecmro nsso S pylraitaf oanrmd .Iraq. Shia militias still cannot consistently drive weapons and not more fighters. PYD of many who would normally be the natural ISIS back. spokesman Polat Can says: “one should not constituency for the left. The people on the The Kurdish forces under the control of forget that with 150 people you cannot even ground, fighting IS, belong to a movement the PYD (Democratic Union Party) in Syria form one unit. They will not have a big mil - which was seen, until recently, as part of the are now been joined by 150 Iraqi-Kurd pesh - itary impact.” broad international left. merga troops who carry heavy weapons and Turkey is still opposed to assisting the Obviously they deserve our support — have been granted passage into Kobani PYD or any group affiliated to the PKK (Kur - and yet that seems to mean supporting the through negotiation between Turkey and the distan Workers Party). It prefers to see the US and British air strikes, supporting Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). peshmerga of the Iraqi-Kurdish government, NATO. These troops join small numbers of Free Syr - with which the Turkish government has rel - To get around this, the far leftists have de - ian Army (FSA) fighters who now fight atively good relations, in control of heavy cided on the “ISIS is NATO” line, which is alongside the PYD-controlled People’s Pro - weapons, and will not allow arms to flow di - an extraordinary position — one is almost at tection Units (YPG). recTtulyr kinistoh tphrei marea m. inister Erdoğan pub - a loss for words to describe it. The FSA has been allowed to cross the bor - licly dismisses the case for support for For those not understanding how IS could der from Turkey where their leadership is Kobani. His government continues to be both under NATO attack and simultane - based. Limited collaboration between Kur - claim that: “there are now no people in ously a creation of NATO, some of the dish forces and the FSA has increased in re - Kobani except for 2,000 fighters.” Other speakers went so far as to say that IS was cent months. The FSA leadership had ministers in the Turkish government have using American weapons previously shunned the Kurds and accused expressed the wish for Daesh to continue The implication was that America gave the PYD of working with the regime to guar - to fight the PKK and rid Turkey of a con - them weapons. antee the three cantons that now make up tinual threat to its stability. This is, of course, utter nonsense. The American weapons that have fallen into the 8 FEATURE would be a disaster

By Dale Street on the wrong side, and failure. Does shouting the loudest qualify you to lead a country?” , the left candidate in the contest now Already the Scottish LP has lost support on such a scale opening for leader of the Party, is a that it risks having as few MPs as it had in the years before “list” MSP, elected in 2011. He has an established the First World War. record of taking up trade-union issues, such as black - When resigned as Scottish Labour Party listing, the role of the police during the miners’ strike, (SLP) leader on 24 October it was not because of belated and the Living Wage. pangs of conscience about her infamous Thatcherite speech He has the support of the Campaign for . Unison, of September 2012, in which she attacked Scotland’s sup - ASLEF and the TSSA have already agreed to nominate him, posed “something for nothing” culture. and Unite is expected to do likewise. In that speech she attacked free personal care for the eld - In the deputy leader contest MP is standing as erly, free higher education, and free prescriptions. It was — the left candidate, while MSP will probably be and is — SLP policy to support all three. The first two were the candidate of the right. introduced by a Labour-Lib Dem administration in Holy - Activists need to ensure that any trade unions, CLPs or Af - rood. Labour has also claimed the credit for the third. filiated Societies of which they are a member submit nomina - She did not resign because she suddenly realised what a tions for Neil Findlay and Katy Clark by 14 November. disastrous folly it was to have tied the SLP — without any Balloting commences on 17 November. discussion in the broader party — into an alliance with the Jim Murphy is the right-wing candidate in the Tories and the Lib-Dems in the referendum campaign (“Bet - leadership contest. ter Together”). Murphy was a student at Strathclyde University for nine She did not resign because she felt to blame for the fact years, but left without graduating. During Murphy’s stint as Jim Murphy, the Blairite candidate for leadership of the that, despite an overall “No” majority in the referendum, NUS President in the mid-1990s the NUS dropped its policy Scottish Labour Party what had once been the Labour heartlands of Dundee and of opposition to the abolition of student grants. the West of Scotland voted “Yes”. A subsequent House of Commons motion, signed by 18 No, Johann Lamont resigned, as she explained through the quently opposed Ed Miliband’s decision not to back Tory pages of the Daily Record , because of attempts to undermine Labour MPs, condemned Murphy for his “intolerant and dic - plans for military intervention in Syria. At the time of the tatorial behaviour.” her by some Westminster Labour MPs, because of opposition Ineos dispute and Falkirk re-selection contest, he went out of by such MPs to a further devolution of powers to Scotland, From being an eternal student, Murphy moved straight his way to publicly attack Unite. into Parliament, winning the previously safe Tory seat of and because the Labour Party in London looked on the SLP Murphy embodies the New Labour policies which cost the as a branch office. Eastwood in 1997. His record in Parliament since then has Labour Party millions of votes and hundreds of thousands been one of unquestioning and uncritical loyalty to Blairism. A week after Lamont’s resignation SLP deputy leader Anas of members after 1997 — and also cost Labour the Holyrood Sarwar also resigned, generously saying that the SLP should Not once has he ever rebelled in a vote. elections of 2007 and 2011. Murphy backed Blair’s wars, supported tuition fees, and have the opportunity to elect a new leader/deputy leader Although the media are already portraying Murphy as the team which “should be focused on Holyrood.” voted for the benefits cap — but did not bother to turn up to frontrunner in the contest, his election as leader would be a vote against the . But according to the well-informed LabourList website, disaster for the Scottish Labour Party and for the people Sarwar is being lined up for a Shadow Cabinet post in an up - He is a member of the right-wing Henry Jackson Society, whom the party was created to represent. sends his children to fee-paying schools, and was identified coming reshuffle. And Sarwar’s resignation also provided a As one contributor to the Herald has put it: boost to Jim Murphy’s campaign for SLP leader. in 2012 as one of the Westminster MPs who rent out their “I honestly don’t get it. I’m genuinely trying not to be rude If Sarwar had not resigned, Murphy would have to London homes while claiming public money to rent other ac - or facile, but this is surely someone most of us would not explain why the SLP should have a leader and deputy commodation in London. have in our homes, regardless of where our politics lie, so leader who were both Westminster MPs. Sarwar’s res - In the 2010 Labour Party leadership contest Murphy was where’s his appeal? A track record of personal greed, being ignation removed this obstacle to Murphy’s ambitions. one of David Miliband’s campaign managers. He subse - Scottish nationalism is a dead end

Solidarity is continuing discussion about the implications world. movement all of the Scottish independence referendum. This week we This was clearly an illusion. the more re - print an article by S andy McBurney, an activist in Left The viability of the new Scottish state was predicated on mote. Unity, Glasgow. the provision of a competitive tax system and flexible labour Rejecting The Scottish referendum has to be understood in the market in an attempt to attract investment and engage the Scottish na - context of a capitalist society which is now not merely UK in a disastrous race to the bottom tionalism somewhat rotten, but actually in a state of decay and And the promises of the SNP administration to maintain should not threatening to disintegrate in many parts of the world. the entire existing economic, political and military structures, lead us to em - and even attempting to retain the currency, marked it out as brace any The move to finance capital effectively announced by the an absolute falsehood. variant of end of the Bretton Woods system in 1971 resulted in Britain The collapse into left-nationalism of much of the Scottish British chau - and other advanced capitalist countries removing much of left stems from an inability to grasp the nature of capitalism vinism or nos - their industrial base and marginalising from society large today, an abandonment of the belief in the political agency of talgia for the sections of the working class. the working class, and the resultant toxic mix of opportunism Britain of The parasitic nature of the dominant finance capital is ab - and desperation. 1945. solutely clear to anyone with a basic Marxist understanding As socialists, the only independence we should advocate is Instead, we should reject nationalism in all its forms, work of society and both could and should be pointed out to the the independence of the working class. to overcome the division sown by nationalism and fight for mass of society. Supporting the creation of a new capitalist state, and the the political independence of the working class across Eu - The move to Scottish nationalism is instead a dead end — concomitant nation-building project, results in the binding rope and a united European socialist movement. part of the process of disintegration of capitalism. — and ultimately the subjugation in the name of “national As a member of Left Unity, I believe Left Unity should However, the campaign was effectively posed by both the interest” — of the interests of labour to capital in the vain therefore: populist leadership of the SNP, and by the section of the left hope that the new Scottish capitalist class will be more be - • Oppose nationalist and separatist projects where no na - which supported the nationalist campaign, as a means of es - nign than the British capitalist class. tional oppression exists, while supporting the right to na - caping the effects of capitalist crisis by declaring a separate Beyond ignoring the global nature and strength of finance tional self-determination. state. capital which will resist even the most modest reforms, the • Commit to the political independence of the working Effectively the message of the “yes” campaign for Scottish collapse into populist nationalism has resulted in the divi - class and the unity of the working class across national bor - separation was that the local capitalist class in Scotland sion of the working class in both Scotland — between yes and de•r sA. ffirm Left Unity’s commitment to building a united would guarantee a type of social democratic paradise in one no supporters — and between the working class in Scotland Europe-wide socialist movement as a matter of urgency. country in contrast to the austerity attacks in the rest of the and England: a division which makes a united socialist 9 FEATURE How to be more assertive in politics

By Lawrence Welch wards the directives they receive from those above, demand - ing acceptance of edicts by those in the lower echelons. The If workers in the NHS (the area I work in) were able to fast brain reciprocal role responses all too often trigger an un - get more insight into how we all respond to “authority” thinking compliance, a sense that this is the world we have to they would be better able to rely on their own skills and accept. knowledge and be more assertive about resisting the Two meanings come together in one phrase: “we’re in this current reforms. together” gives an appearance of connectedness, equality, the My argument (which could be extended to other workers) feeling that differences between us are insignificant when is that in order to do this it is vital we extend Marx’s micro faced with difficulties of the economy. The complete empti - analysis of the relationship between the worker and the cap - ness of the phrase is demonstrated by pivotal differences in italist in the light of advances in psychological theories and wealth where the rich and super-rich are only too happy to therapies. avoid paying tax while demonising those on benefits. The nature of politics requires developing a forcefulness in “Patients’ choice” is something we would all support on response to the power of the capitalist system. However real the surface but the real meaning for those in power is about problem on the left is that this forcefulness is not just directed creating competition amongst hospitals, not providing open at capitalists but occurs within and between left organisa - accessible care to all. The hollowness of the rhetoric of put - tions. The concept of reciprocal roles (developed by Dr A ting GPs and staff in charge of commissioning is Ryle) provides a means of deepening our understanding of quickly revealed when private companies are brought in to the power of interpersonal conflicts. administer the complex, expensive bureaucracy required by From birth we are highly attuned to the other (Kugiumut - this new system. The dual meanings are powerfully demon - sakis, Trevarthen) and a wide range of unconscious patterns NHS staff on strike on 13 October strated by Circle’s ex-banker boss, Ali Parsa, who says “we of relating are; for example, one person can be domineering believe our partners — the doctors, nurses and healthcare and controlling while the other is compliant and submissive change without a public mandate, undermines the notion of professionals — should run their own hospitals” (Hamer, or sometimes rebellious. It is vital as Marxists that we become democracy, and makes explicit the dominance of the values 2012). After Circle took over the Hinchingbrooke Healthcare alert to these patterns as we can easily slip into them within of those who own and control wealth in society, above those Trust in February, they went on to make cuts in nursing posts and between left organisations, undermining our capacity to of the mass of the voting population. and the cleaning budget. Can it really be believed that the develop the dialogue and collaboration fundamental to the The scale of change can easily be experienced as over - staff would agree with this? solidarity vital to sustained revolutionary activity. I want to whelming, eliciting reciprocal role responses of impotent LANGUAGE look at these issues in the context of building solidarity and fury (“it’s outrageous”) followed by despair (“there is noth - Increasingly the deeply human service provided in health connectedness amongst those who oppose the privatisation ing I can do about it”) or indifference (“we just have to get on care is reduced to the language of numbers as the addic - of the NHS. with it”). Building effective opposition is not an easy process tion to performance indicators becomes the central but I believe it can be strengthened and enhanced if we can NHS driver for judging the services delivered; a key factor in deepen our understanding of where our responses come these numbers is the language of finance and money. The commercialisation and privatisation of the National from. Health Service at the global political level or in local The imperative for managers in the NHS is to drive, control workplace settings triggers feelings of despair and PSYCHOLOGICAL and criticise the workforce to work more “productively” for hopelessness, undermining the vital task of building less pay. Their focus is on numbers: finance, statistics, and The macro level of the political and economic is built on ways of defending a hugely important service. targets directing their immediate, non-thinking responses to dominance at the micro level of relationships amongst those below them. Private independent consultants are Whilst a political-economic explanation of the changes is the population at large and, in this topic, amongst NHS brought in to reconfigure services largely ignoring the inti - essential to grasp both the profit motivated drivers behind staff. mate knowledge the workforce has of how the service oper - the changes and the social values underpinning opposition, It is perhaps useful to give a brief account of how a “cel - ates in practice the concept of reciprocal roles offers a valuable additional lular” level of relationships operate in a highly simplified All too often the reactions to commands from above range component for understanding how authoritarian directives form which can then be connected to the political-eco - from conscious agreement to unthinking compliance (“this lead to a largely compliant response. nomic domains. The difficulty with exploring reciprocal roles in the NHS is is how the world is, get on with it”). This merges into re - that it means connecting the diverse “domains” which are We have immediate “fast brain” quick reactions and signed acceptance or silent protest of something experienced fundamental to an integrated understanding — at the macro thoughtful, slow brain responses to each other and to objects as disturbing. It is very easy to experience the instructions as level, the Political-Economic and at the micro level, the So - in the world (Kahnemann 2012). These lead to actions, on just that and to feel impotent. cial-Psychological. Each domain on its own provides only a which rests the possibility of reflecting and learning. The NHS management increasingly promotes a sense that dia - partial understanding. Awareness of the interconnections is strength of the understanding of reciprocal roles lies in fo - logue and discussion present unnecessary delays; managers vital in considering what actions may be effective in oppos - cussing especially on their development within early and become focused on ensuring that the directives they are car - ing the undemocratic dismantling of the NHS. But each do - childhood relationships. rying out are complied with by those beneath them. Genuine main draws on a vast range of complex knowledge and it is What is absent from the analysis however is the impor - discussion amongst adults about complex issues is dismissed very easy to interpret another domain within the language tance of human labour, the creation and exchange of prod - as time wasting. Generally the views of the workforce are of the one we are more familiar with. ucts, to understanding the development of humans. The seen as irrelevant though at times changes are given the gloss From a political perspective, individuals can be portrayed wages we receive in exchange for our work are vital in en - of “consultations” (see also Jones & Childs, 2007), the major - as carriers of social structures and a psychological position abling us to sustain our lives; anxieties about loss of wages ity of which are meaningless exercises though at least they can be dismissed as self indulgent, a diversion from the real can powerfully shape our responses to changes in the work - can slow the process down. issues. While from a psychological perspective the social is place. The ownership and control of the objects humans pro - Becoming assertive in the face of this is not an easy process often seen as the individual writ large and political issues are duce or the services delivered, however, lies in the hands of for the workforce and probably more so for those who work considered an evasion of real emotional issues. the rich and powerful whose financial judgements about how therapeutically as the nature of the work requires listening It is vital to recognise the interrelationship as well as dis - to increase their wealth makes them deaf to the needs of the to the views of others and responding sensitively in a way tinction between the different domains: the concept of recip - workforce and to the general population. It usually takes that aims to help the patient to think about themselves. rocal roles is highly valuable in the social-psychological acute crises for the working population to begin to assert In contrast, responding to managers requires a very differ - domain and may well provide a fruitful tool in the political- their own needs independently from those above them who ent mental state of assertion not accommodation, expressing economic but it cannot replace for example, the vital statisti - direct their activities. an independent viewpoint rather than seeking to reach a cal information that is so necessary to grasping how money “Cellular” relationships operate primarily at the level of shared conclusion as there is a fundamental divide between is exchanged in the financial arena. Lucien Sève expresses the personal, family relationships, friendships, local community, the participants in this debate. At a minimum, discovering connectedness between the domains: “many political prob - colleagues at work where our actions and responses usually how our own micro level reciprocal roles interfere with our lems consist at least in part of a psychological problem which effect one other person, or a small group. We experience po - capacity to speak as adults to those in authority over us can arises for millions” (Sève, 1978). litical reciprocal roles at a deep unconscious level, often un - at least build our understanding of why it can be so difficult The 2012 Health and Social Care Act opened the floodgates aware of the power of the super-rich. A very narrow view of for others to be effectively assertive. for the wholescale privatisation of the NHS, a process started the world is presented to us by those in positions of author - Any change starts with forming a new awareness of real - by the creation of the internal market by Thatcher in 1989 and ity over us or through the media, subtly shaping the lan - ity as it presents itself to us. built on by the start of Foundation Trusts by Blair in 2004. guage we use and our concepts and knowledge of the world. This requires fostering a belief that the views held in our The Secretary of State no longer has a duty to provide a na - This “primes” (Kahnemann 2012) us to think using our fast own workforce have legitimacy and that the deep uncon - tional health service, undermining a principle fundamental brain responses rather than encouraging us to think slowly scious parent-child or teacher-pupil reciprocal roles which to the birth of the NHS in 1948. and see how power relationships play a fundamental role in can so easily be triggered by the latest management directive Neither the Tories nor the Lib-Dems argued for these the workplace. need to be brought into conscious awareness. changes in their 2010 general election campaigns and their This highly intricate web of relationships is shaped by Awareness alone is of course insufficient to bring about those in positions of power in the NHS who cascade down - initial coalition agreement made no mention. Such a huge Continued on page 10 810 FEATURE How to be more assertive in politics How Facebook changes our brains from page 9 John Cunningham reviews Mind Change: How digital tech - nology users towards an individualism where the “I” comes change though it is the essential beginning. Discussion with nologies are leaving their mark on our brains , by Susan first and where the often harsh reality of the world, past, family, friends and colleagues is vital to deepening the Greenfield present and future, disappears into an obsession with the awareness that the “modernisation” of the NHS must be op - transience of the present moment, a world where the under - posed. Fortunately as the “modernisations” dig more deeply Susan Greenfield is a leading neuroscientist and her standing of consequences, cause and effect, broader social into the NHS, we are beginning to get expressions of dis - book on how the new electronic media, “cybertechnol - concerns and an awareness of world issues is diminished. agreement and dialogue with colleagues. Occasionally there ogy”, impacts brain development and human behaviour, In her own words, “We may be living in an unprecedented is even a refusal to comply in solidarity with others as in the makes for fascinating and alarming reading. era where an increasing number of people are rehearsing and recent NHS strike for fair pay. The latest research and statistics are clearly summarised learning a new default mind-set for negotiating the world: In the further future we need ways of articulating alterna - and deftly employed to pursue her analysis. Although the one of low grade aggression, short attention span and a reck - tives to how the NHS is currently run by financial targets set jury is “still out” on many of the issues she raises, it can be less obsession with the here and now.” by those at a great distance from the workplace. This requires said with some degree of certainty that cybertechnology and One of my main criticisms of the book is that Greenfield that we deepen our knowledge of what collaboration looks the culture surrounding it (iPhones, ipads, e-mail, computer devotes only one and half pages (of a total of 286) to a discus - like in order to construct democracy in the workplace. games, chat rooms, Facebook, blogs, snapchat, twitter etc.) is sion of where and when cybertechnology has benefitted Democracy has to be asserted and regained in the political impacting on brain development and human behaviour in larger communities or groups of people, causes, campaigns domain but we also need to think about how it can be a pow - serious and often detrimental ways. for social justice and so on. She certainly isn’t the first person erful tool in the workplace, engaging those who do the work These include: a reduction in attention span, a reduction in to note how cybertechnology helped spread the news of the in the task of developing and improving the services we basic empathy for other human beings, a decline in social Arab Spring and only recently news has emerged of Chinese offer. skills, a reduction in the ability to absorb and process infor - workers using devices similar to Twitter and WhatsApp to Chief executives should be elected, not appointed by rep - mation in-depth, an increase in obesity and a growth in nar - organise . Two years ago when I was in - resentatives of those above them; salary scales should be pro - cissism and self-obsession (e.g. the “selfie”). volved in raising support for striking Spanish miners there portional so that the highest paid have limits placed on what None of this is conclusive however and there is much dis - was a marked increase in activity and support when we set they earn, determined by the wage received by the lowest cussion of the chicken and egg problem. For example, do up a campaign website, a blog and a Facebook page (not that paid. This could be, say, 10 times or, at the most, 20 times the computer gamers show increased aggression because of the I can take any credit for this). lowest paid worker. The “reward” of hard work should violent games they play, or are they already inclined in that More analysis was called for here, although perhaps surely be the satisfaction that it is successfully helping pa - direction due to other influences in society (drugs, alcohol Greenfield might be excused as this is not the main focus of tients, not the number of zeros achieved in a pay package. abuse, family environment, abuse in childhood)? her book. I suppose that the questions posed here boil down For democracy in the workplace to be successful, many By contrast the positive side of cyber culture seems rather to the key issue of how you translate what is onscreen into ac - tools would be needed. The problems can be seen particu - thin. Computer gamers are often better at the speedy pro - tivism in real life? Doubtless, there are no easy answers, and larly in the way the political left is organized where differ - cessing of information than non-gamers and are also, appar - any readers who want to comment on this and maybe relate ences between individuals often become large barriers in ently, very good at guiding drones! However, even the some of their personal experiences are invited to do so. building up effective links between different political group - positives have their downsides: computer gamers may be The concluding chapter, “Making connections” is some - ings. deft at processing information with astonishing rapidity but thing of a letdown. No one, surely, could disagree with her While there is probably general agreement among the left their ability to manipulate and utilise information is often call “...to stretch ourselves en masse to our true potential, to that the wealth divide (e.g. 1210 global billionaires owning shallow when compared to non-gamers. There is also strong ask big questions and to develop original and exciting solu - $4.5 trillion of wealth compared with $8.5 trillion owned by evidence to suggest that the much-vaunted practice of tions” but this doesn’t answer any of the questions she raises the 3.01 billion adults with net worth less than $10,000) has to “multi-tasking” merely results in all tasks being performed in the preceding pages. Likewise, her final plea for “connec - be broken for serious social change to take place, there are badly, nor does Greenfield offer any evidence (pro or contra) tivity” seems yet another “wouldn’t it be nice if...” moment inevitably many different viewpoints on how this should be that women are better at multitasking than men. and the feeling of disappointment is palpable. Perhaps this is challenged and what the world might look like in the future. Mind Change makes for depressing reading for those who simply where we are at the moment. These divisions are hardly surprising given the complexity This is an important book about the world we live in place the stress in their lives on collectivity and social action of the problem and the unknown nature of the future but the and its future. We ignore the issues raised at our peril. for beneficial and radical change. Again and again Greenfield left needs to be able to discover ways of hearing each other’s presents evidence of a tendency among regular cybertech - viewpoint rather than losing sight of commonalities and fo - cusing solely on the differences. While it is possible for those in authority to hear the views of those beneath them, the likelihood of this will be much less, particularly at middle management level which is sub - ject to powerful commands from above. How war changed them The concept of reciprocal roles could form a strong basis short, direct and hard-hitting. He said he wanted them to for the development of democracy through awareness that War poems “get at” the people who read them. our fast emotional reactions to others can easily over-ride our In 1915, Gibson’s war poems were published in a book, capacity to hear clearly what the other is saying. Our as - By Janine Booth ‘Battle’, which influenced other war poets who are now bet - sumed knowledge of an area can make us super confident so ter known — Isaac Rosenberg, Robert Graves, Wilfred that we quickly dismiss another’s differing viewpoint. Wilfrid Wilson Gibson was born in Hexham, Northum - Developing “observing selves” could open up space Owen, Siegfried Sassoon. A further volume, ‘Livelihood’, for dialogue between those who are working at a broadly berland in 1878. waWs iplfuribdl iWshielsdo in G19ib17s.on died in 1962. equal level. He made his living as a poet after leaving school, at first writing poetry in the standard, Victorian-Romantic style. The Return An earlier version of this was published in Reformulation: the - But during his twenties he grew more socially aware, and He went, and he was gay to go: ory & practice in Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Issue 39, Winter became well-known for writing about workers and poor And I smiled on him as he went. 2012/13, p 14-18 people in accessible, everyday language. Once war started in 1914, Gibson — now living in Lon - My boy! ‘Twas well he couldn’t know My darkest dread, or what it meant -- References don, and friends with other poets including Edward Marsh Just what it meant to smile and smile Hamer, T 2012 Stop these parasites! Solidarity 22 August no and Rupert Brooke — applied his writing style to soldiers’ And let my son go cheerily -- 254 experiences of the trenches. He did not fight in the trenches My son . . . and wondering all the while Jones, A & Childs, D 2007 Reformulating the NHS reforms Re - himself: he volunteered, but was rejected several times and What stranger would come back to me. formulation Summer pp 7-10 when eventually accepted, put to work as a clerk in Lon - Kahneman, D 2012 Thinking Fast and Slow Penguin don. But he set his imagination to work out the conditions Back Kugiumutzakis, G. 1998, “Neonatal imitation in the intersub - of war and became a pioneer in using poetry to draw atten - They ask me where I’ve been, jective companion space,” in Intersubjective Communication tion to the plight of rank-and-file soldiers. He was writing And what I’ve done and seen. and Emotion in Early Ontogeny , S. Braten, ed., Cambridge Uni - about soldiers’ injuries — psychological as well as physical But what can I reply versity Press, Paris, pp. 63-88. — before the end of 1914. Who know it wasn’t I, Ryle, A. 1990, Cognitive-Analytic Therapy: Active Participation The two poems below — “The Return” and “Back” — But someone just like me, in Change Wiley, Chichester. portray the mental trauma of war, even to the extent of Who went across the sea Sève, L 1978 Man in Marxist Theory and the Psychology of Per - changing personality. The first describes a mother’s fear on And with my head and hands sonality Harvester Press saying goodbye to her soldier son — not just that he may Killed men in foreign lands... Trevarthen, C. 2004, Learning About Ourselves, From Children: not return, but that he may return completely changed. The Though I must bear the blame Why A Growing Human Brain Needs Interesting Companions. second is in the voice of a returned soldier, so traumatised by his war experience that he has dissociated himself from Because he bore my name. his soldier self. Like many of Gibson’s war poems, they are 311 REPNOERWTS FBU: pensions fight still on! Lecturers begin marking boycott By Darren Bedford No new proposals were offered – the minister sim - Firefighters in England ply reiterated the position By Lucy Clement clear splits on the employ - completed a 96 hour na - previously on the table from ers’ side. tional strike (31 Oct-4 Nov) June, before she was ap - University lecturers are The employers’ propos - over pensions as Solidar - pointed. preparing to begin an als would mean closure of ity went to press. Some fire service employ - assessment boycott in the final salary scheme (al - Firefighters have now ers have also hardened their protest at attacks on ready closed to new en - taken more than 10 days of position during these pension provision. trants) and for the first strikes in the increasingly strikes. Buckinghamshire time a proportion of pen - The action, due to start bitter dispute over pensions. had already locked out fire - sion provision would be on 6 November, will mean Reports from picket lines fighters for whole shifts dur - on “defined contribution” no setting or marking of across England have shown ing previous short strikes terms, shifting the risk of exams and coursework so solid levels of support from and obstructed union organ - poor stock market per - long as employers refuse firefighters and widespread isation. formance onto workers. to make concessions. It af - public sympathy. When the four-day strikes Although some of the mo - fects sixty-nine universi - The Fire Brigades Union were announced, the Bucks FBU members in Derbyshire on the picket line tivation for the changes ties, mainly the older (FBU) had expected move - chief declared that the FBU comes from government had not done the legal pa - “pre-92s”. ment from the government the executive council mem - stage of the dispute unfolds. policy — firmly opposed perwork properly and there - National FBU reps’ The University of York after a series of talks with ber for the region including to final salary schemes — fore the strike was illegal in meetings are being held in has already threatened Fire Minister Penny Mor - Bucks, refused to work and universities are using reg - the county. He did not take the week 3-8 November to staff with 100% pay de - daunt. The government was sacked. ulatory requirements as an the case to court, but instead discuss the next steps. ductions if they participate three times delayed laying The FBU deserves the soli - excuse to make unneces - threatened firefighters with in the action, effectively a the regulations to give itself darity of every worker and sary cuts. dismissal. Ricky Matthews, lock-out. UCU has said time for a new offer. trade unionist as the next Union branches need to that any such move will organise regular meetings prompt strike action, and and collective protests to it remains to be seen make sure members stay Train drivers balloted over pay whether management at engaged with what can be York will go ahead. Other anS itsuodlaetinntgs tcaacnti cs. upport universities have been By Gareth Davenport hind those at other train op - rent offer, with the caveat and set a precedent for the the action by backing more restrained. Manage - erating companies. that they want any gains break-up of the “single- the boycott publicly and Train drivers’ union ASLEF ment at Oxford and War - In a clear attempt to in - won by ASLEF to apply to table” pay talks. getting involved in has gone into dispute with wick have said publicly timidate, propaganda their members too. Rail bosses, with the back - demonstrations and the Northern Rail fran - they have concerns about threatening to withhold It is not unusual for ing of the government, may protests on campus. chise and is to ballot its back pay and not to settle ASLEF to “go it alone” in all seek to use the dispute to the plans, and there are members, after rejecting a before Christmas has been sorts of situations, but for “break” train drivers (one of two-year pay offer of 2.7% sent to drivers’ home ad - the RMT to drag its feet the highest paid and most this year (RPI inflation in dresses by HR Director when ASLEF is already bal - well-unionised groups of April 2014) and 2.5% or Adrian Thompson. loting is dangerous. workers) and start to force Housing workers to RPI next year, whichever The company has also The company is likely to through the changes in the is greater. said it will use Driver Man - seek to resolve the dispute MAcNSuLlEtyF Rbeapllortt .p apers The company argues that agers to work trains in times in favour of drivers only if were sent out on 30 Octo - strike for 10 more days this is a “good offer” “in the of driver shortage. ASLEF are effective enough. ber and the ballot ends 14 current climate”. ASLEF RMT, the other rail union, This would increase the pay November. points out that it leaves is balloting members on disparity between grades of By Charlotte drivers at the company be - whether to accept the cur - staff within the company Zalens Unite members at Defend Julie Davies! housing charity St NUT members in For - Cinema workers win Mungo’s Broad - tismere and Highgate An indicative ballot has way will be on Wood Schools will strike been held in Park View living wage strike for 10 days on 5 November in the and a formal ballot will be from 5 November. dispute to reinstate sus - reqTuhees tNeUd Tn ecxot nwseideke.rs At the end of October, the This follows pended NUT branch sec - that the secondary Ritzy cinema, Brixton an - seven days of retary Julie Davies. heads’ refusal to commit nounced job cuts — then strikes from 17-23 to union funding with was quickly forced to October. The deci - Two strike days have Julie in post constitutes drop them following pub - sion to call more been called for the follow - victimisation and a de - lic outrage and plans by strikes was taken at ing week. The NUT is pay - mand for her removal by St Mungo’s Broadway pickets ing full strike pay to BECTU members to return a mass members’ the council. to strikes. members. meeting on Thurs - tive Howard Sinclair’s in - day 30 October. crease is £30,000. The threat of job losses The dispute is over a re - comes after workers at the “St Mungo’s property Teachers vote to continue structuring following a portfolio was valued at £101 cinema won a pay deal that merger of two separate sees them move towards the million 15 years ago and charities. During the re - they have continued to buy strikes on pay Living Wage. structure management re - 98% in the National Union property ever since. This is In a similar dispute Cur - duced the pay of new of Teachers (NUT) consul - new education minister not about there being no zon cinema has agreed to starters and those existing tation voted for continuing Nicky Morgan, but retained money available. It is about pay its workers a living staff who were moved to the “Stand Up For Educa - the option of up to two a redistribution of wealth.” waRgietz. y also threatened to new posts by £5,000-a-year; Strikers will be doing tion Campaign”, 80% for strike days in the spring renege on the pay deal, took pay out of collective protests outside the town further strikes. Participa - term. Activists in schools until forced to back down. bargaining agreements; and halls of councils who use tion was 18%. should not wait. The NUT imposed new and draconian St Mungo’s Broadway for already has a continuing housing services. The NUT Executive on 23 policies and procedures. ballot mandate for strikes Activists in Local Government are organising for a rejection Unite regional officer, October stressed “the suc - in local disputes on work - of the pay offer. See lgworkers.blogspot.co.uk Nicky Marcus, said “We are cesses of our campaign” load and pay. • Strike fund: constituted by talks with aware that new chief execu - bit.ly/1q5CYlR No 342 5 November 2014 Solidarity 30p/80p

Ukraine: undemocracy and pluto-democracy

By Dale Street of the United Arab Emirates, and that Donetsk pensioners would be able to afford to go on safaris in Australia (sic). Neo-Nazis, fascists, and other ultra-nationalists from Oleg Akimov, named as President of the Lugansk Feder - throughout Europe converged on Lugansk and ation of Trade Unions (LFTU), stood “against” Plotnitsky, Donetsk on 1-2 November to act as observers in the the incumbent “head” of the LPR. “elections” staged by the so-called People’s Republics What the LFTU consists of, and how Akimov came to be of Lugansk (LPR) and Donetsk (DPR). its President, is a mystery: until March of this year Akimov Vlaams Belang and the National-European Communitar - was a Lugansk regional councillor for the Party of the Re - ian Party (Belgium), Jobbik (Hungary), (Italy), gions with no record of involvement in the trade union the Rassemblement bleu Marine (France), Attaka (Bul - movement. garia), “Zuerst” (Germany), and “No to Brussels, Yes to And in last weekend’s election Akimov stood as the Popular Democracy” (Czech Republic) were all represented (token) candidate of the Lugansk Economic Union — the among the election observers. employers’ federation (akin to a mini-CBI) in Lugansk. So too, from countries closer to Ukraine, were the Russ - This “trade union leader” did not find it necessary to crit - ian Communist Party (ultra-nationalist, anti-semitic and icise Plotnitsky for campaigning as the opponent of “West - Stalinist-nostalgic) and the far-right Liberal-Democratic ern values” and for his singling out of same-sex marriages Party of Russia and Russian Motherland Party. and lesbianism for particular opprobrium. The Polish neo-Nazi and Hitler admirer Mateusz Pisko - Zakharchenko is reported as having won the election in rksi also acted as an observer. Like many of the other ob - the DPR, and Plotnitsky as having won the election in the servers, he had performed the same role in the Crimean LPR. In fact, both incumbents had “won” the elections from referendum in March. the moment the decision was taken to stage them These observers all gave the elections a clean bill of UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT health. A week earlier, elections for the Ukrainian parliament This was despite the fact that only parties which accepted (Rada) had taken place. 29 parties contested the 423 the declarations of independence by the LPR and DPR were seats up for election. (No elections were staged in the entitled to stand candidates (i.e. any party supportive of a 27 constituencies in the Crimea and the LPR and DPR). unified Ukraine was automatically excluded). Elections in breakaway “Republics” were staged to give veneer And despite the fact that most parties which had wanted of legitimacy These were elections in the traditions of Western democ - to stand candidates in the elections had been barred from racy: parties representing the interests of the rich and pow - doing so by the LPR and DPR Central Electoral Commis - away or sold cheap at the polling stations, or the fact that erful exploited their wealth, their powers of patronage, and sions on the basis of alleged deficiencies in their paper - “social cards” (needed for welfare benefits, pensions and their ownership of the media to coast to victory. work. medical services) were being issued to voters at the polling The new Ukrainian government will be a coalition of the And further despite the fact the LPR and the DPR had no stations. Petro Poroshenko Bloc, the People’s Front, and “Self-Re - electoral roll, only one in four of the polling stations used in The elections, actually non-elections, were staged only as liance”. All are committed to imposing sweeping economic previous elections were open, voters could vote in any part of a propaganda war to try give a veneer of legitimacy “reforms” at the expense of the poor and the working class, polling station they wanted to (i.e. there was nothing to to the Russian-backed breakaway “Republics”. while leaving the wealth of Ukraine’s oligarchs untouched. prevent them repeatedly), and armed gunmen were sta - For example, there were no challenges to Donetsk prime Not by chance, one of President’s Poroshenko’s first an - tioned inside and outside the polling stations. minister Zakharchenko’s election-campaign claims that the nouncements after the elections was a series of Tory-style Nor did the fascist election observers find anything re - Donetsk coal reserves could be compared to the oil reserves proposals to ‘reform’ the labour market, through increased miss in the fact that food parcels were either being given “flexibility”, casualisation, and scrapping existing protec - tion against dismissals. Apart from the parties of the coalition government, three other parties passed the 5% hurdle needed to win seats in Free Shahrokh and Reza the Rada. The Fatherland party, led by another oligarch, scraped The campaign for jailed Iranian trade unionists and are resisting past 5%. The far right of Oleh Lashko scored Shahrokh and Reza is off to a good start. the ruling class of 7.5%. And the Opposition Bloc, effectively the representa - the Islamic Re - tive of the more Russian-oriented sections of the oligarchy, We have now collected close to 300 signatures. Sixty sig - public today. scored 9.5%. natures were gathered at a meeting of Kurdish activists at As the Ukrainian-Canadian socialist Marko Bojkun has the House of Commons. Similarly at the London demon - put it: stration in solidarity with Kobane over 150 signed. Will you help “Business profits from exports go up and real income of Peter Tatchell, gay rights campaigner, has signed the pe - Shahrokh and workers comes down as a result of devaluation of the hryv - tition. On Wednesday 5 November Peter tweeted “Trade Reza? nia and inflation. Corruption in high state office carries on unionism should not be a crime! #FreeShahrokh&Reza as before. It goes on in the highest echelons of the armed jailed Iranian trade unionists. Sign the petition bit.ly/free - forces. The children of the rich are sent abroad while work - shahrokhandreza” • Take a petition ing class men and women go to the front.” Newcastle Unison local government branch voted on around your union branch meeting, ask your work col - “What kind of stake do Ukrainian workers, the unem - Monday 3 November to publicise the campaign on their leagues to sign or pass a petition around a university lec - ployed, students, farmers and pensioners hold in that state branch website and circulate the petition around mem - ture you are in. if they are giving their livelihoods and their lives for a re - bers. • Organise a regular street stall; make banners and plac - turn to the way things were before, albeit without Russian Workers Liberty is campaigning for the release of both ards, ask members of the public to sign the petition. overlordship?” Shahrokh and Reza, and for all charges against them to be • Share the online petition: bit.ly/freeshahrokhandreza Neither the LPR and DPR in the east nor the Kiev gov - dropped. We aim to collect 10,000 signatures by 11 Febru - • Change your facebook and twitter pictures to support ernment in the west represent the interests of the Ukrainian aryT h2i0s1 5d. ate marks the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Shahrokh and Reza. working class. The former seeks to rally support through a Revolution. It is now officially celebrated as a national - • Write to your MP and ask them to sign the Early Day bogus “anti-fascism”. The latter seeks to rally support Motion tabled by John McDonnell. ist and religious event — but it should belong to the thrOonulgyh t hsel fg-seenruvineg sapopceiaallis t of o“rpcaetrsi ointi sUmk”r.aine can rally • Join us outside the Iranian Embassy, London on 11 Feb - Iranian working class, who overthrew the Shah in 1979 the working class for a unified struggle against national ruary to hand in our petition signatures. and social oppression. • More info: freeshahrokh.wordpress.com