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No 232 1 February 2012 30P/80P for a Workers’ Government

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No 232 1 February 2012 30P/80P for a Workers’ Government So& Wloirkdersa’ Lirbeirtty y No 232 1 February 2012 30p/80p www.workersliberty.org For a workers’ government War on Iran? How to be a Who is Yvette page 5 troublemaker Cooper? centre pages page 8 Resisting EU/IMF/European Central Bank cuts SEE Greek PAGE 3 workers rebel NEWS What is the Alliance Students plan week of action for Workers’ Liberty? By Ed Maltby a week of action (7-16 elected national committee, delegates as they voted and Today one class, the working class, lives by selling March) against the govern - and organised a demon - Socialist Action activists The national conference its labour power to another, the capitalist class, ment’s privatisation stration on 9 November heckled two chairs in suc - of the National Campaign which owns the means of production. Society agenda in higher educa - 2011 demo in the face of cession to the point where Against Fees and Cuts tion, the HE White Paper. opposition from the NUS they were forced to leave is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to took place in Liverpool increase their wealth. Capitalism causes We will also be mobilis - and sectarian left groups. the stage. University Guild of Stu - ing students to support fur - The NCAFC’s consistent However, most inde - poverty, unemployment, the blighting of lives by dents on the weekend of ther strikes by lecturers democracy and orientation pendent student activists overwork, imperialism, the destruction of the 28-29 January. over pensions and launch - to class struggle has won it saw these attempt to dis - environment and much else. ing a major campaign over a reputation as a frame - rupt for what it was: a cyni - Around 150 activists Against the accumulated wealth and power of the democratic structures in work within which local in - cal political manoeuvre and from colleges across the UK capitalists, the working class has one weapon: solidarity. student unions. dependent activist groups an indictment of the irra - attended, including repre - The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build solidarity The conference also man - can co-ordinate usefully. tional sect politics which sentatives from the North - through struggle so that the working class can overthrow dated the committee to However, the emergence put the prestige of “the ern Ireland Student capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership make solidarity with stu - of an independent, demo - party” above any consider - Assembly and the Galway of industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy dents in Iran, against both cratic student organisation, ation of democracy or the branch of the Irish cam - much fuller than the present system, with elected war and the Islamic which contests NUS elec - logic of the struggle. paign Free Education for representatives recallable at any time and an end to regime. tions in its own name and The conference set a Everyone (FEE). bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. The conference gave a organises action independ - benchmark for trans - The conference was an good reflection of the state ently of the NUS, has parency and democracy in We fight for the labour movement to break with “social impressive organisational of the current student alarmed sectarian left a student movement, and partnership” and assert working-class interests militantly effort. Activists from movement, and of the groups such as the SWP made stronger ties between against the bosses. Merseyside Network NCAFC. and the shadowy Stalinist a local campaign groups, Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, Against Fees and Cuts sect Socialist Action. They which will allow us to capi - supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, played a special role in CAMPUS view the grassroots initia - talise on the government’s helping organise rank-and-file groups. housing students on floors Most attending were del - tives of the NCAFC as vio - withdrawal of the pro-pri - We are also active among students and in many campaigns and sofas. egates sent from local lations of their monopoly vatisation Higher Educa - and alliances. The Conference elected a campus groups which on student politics. tion Bill. new National Committee The NCAFC is calling have grown in the last These groups organised and an eleven-strong on all student activists to We stand for: two years of struggles. an intervention at this con - Women’s Committee. support a demonstration G Independent working-class representation in politics. ference, seeking to disrupt The Women’s Commit - The NCAFC in early on 15 February at Birm - G A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the motions debates, prevent tee now has a mandate to 2010, with a view to co-or - ingham University, labour movement. the NCAFC from organis - develop a charter of de - dinating these groups on a against management G A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to ing action and embarrass mands for women in edu - democratic basis. Since brutality and crackdowns strike, to picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. the AWL. The result was cation. then it has played a leading on the right to protest. G Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, some bad-tempered mo - The National Committee role in the student move - education and jobs for all. tions debates on the second was instructed to work on ment, developed demo - G A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. cratic structures and an day; SWP activists filmed • More: anticuts.com Full equality for women and social provision to free women from the burden of housework. Free abortion on request. Full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Pensions: end the waiting game! Black and white workers’ unity against racism. G Open borders. G Global solidarity against global capital — workers By Gerry Bates quences. By refusing to ing, on the streets and in everywhere have more in common with each other than with come in on the plans by the meetings, that unions their capitalist or Stalinist rulers. Ealing and Kirklees are lecturers’ union UCU for a “name the date” for further G Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest among the latest local strike on 1 March, it gave action on pensions. workplace or community to global social organisation. government branches of leverage to UCU general The SPers in the PCS G Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal the public-services union secretary Sally Hunt, who leadership, however — the rights for all nations, against imperialists and predators big Unison to demand a spe - opposes UCU’s strike deci - SPers who could actually WORKING- and small. cial local government sion, to try to reverse it. “name the date” — have G Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. conference of the union UCU Exec meets again on not responded to the SP’s CLASS G If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity on pensions, and Oxford - 10 February. Meanwhile, public demand! to sell — and join us! shire Health branch is balloting in its general sec - The January/ February pushing for a special retary election opens on 6 issue of the PCS union POLITICS 020 7394 8923 [email protected] health conference. February. magazine, View , does not And the National Union even hint at further indus - 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, In local government, AND of Teachers (NUT) Execu - trial action for pensions. Unison and GMB have tive the next day, 26 Janu - The most militant thing it London, SE1 3DG. signed joint “principles” ary, decided to wait on the says is: “unions now have ANARCHISM with the employers to im - next “rejectionist” summit, to make a decision of enor - plement the Government’s and the thin hope that mous significance — accept plans for worse public sec - A new pamphlet waiting could bring the the government’s propos - tor pensions. Unite is dis - GET SOLIDARITY second-biggest teachers’ als on pension age, contri - from Workers’ senting only passively. union, NASUWT, in on fur - butions and the value of “Final proposals” on “ini - ther action. pensions or demand real Liberty tial design” of the new EVERY WEEK! negotiations on the real is - (worse) pension scheme are DELAY sues”. Including articles by Ira Special offers due by 8 February. “Final Every further delay Real joint action will be Berkovic, Martin Thomas, proposals” for “future G Trial sub, 6 issues £5 makes it more difficult to best achieved by unions scheme management” are North London Solidarity organise a continuing moving quickly, taking the due by 7 March. 12 March Federation, Iain McKay G 22 issues (six months). £18 waged £9 unwaged campaign with a good initiative, naming definite to 20 April is the timeslot chance of extracting real days, making definite pro - (Editor, Anarchist FAQ), G 44 issues (year). £35 waged £17 unwaged allocated for “union con - concessions from the posals — and responding Yves Coleman ( Ni Patrie, sultation”, before it all goes Government. to proposals from others Ni Frontières ), Bob G European rate: 28 euros (22 issues) or 50 euros (44 issues) to the Government for legal with support, not quibbling drafting, on 23 April. The civil service union Sutton and more. Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: PCS gained credit by being and delay. TALKS the only union (apart from Even an 11th-hour token 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG Talks are also proceeding NIPSA) to reject the Gov - protest just before the Gov - Available to buy for Cheques (£) to “AWL”. in the Health Service, ernment terms immedi - ernment’s contributions in - where Unison, the creases come in, even one £5.00 from Or make £ and euro payments at workersliberty.org/sub.
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