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No 256 12 September 2012 30P/80P for a Workers’ Government

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No 256 12 September 2012 30P/80P for a Workers’ Government So& Wloirkdersa’ Lirbeirtty y No 256 12 September 2012 30p/80p www.workersliberty.org For a workers’ government South Africa: Jeremy Hunt: International strikes spread threat to the NHS dialogue page 3 pages 6-7 pages 9-10 Top bosses’ pay soars 11% 3.5m children live in poverty see Rich get page 5 richer, kids go hungry Food banks (left) are now a feature of UK life. In its new campaign “It Shouldn’t Happen Here”, Save The Children will target child poverty in the UK for the first time. Meanwhile, research for the BBC found that the top 100 bosses increased their pay in 2011-2 by 11% while average pay rose by just 1.1%. The new Barclays boss Antony Jenkins (right) will be paid £8.6m this year. EUROPE What is the Alliance New turnouts on Greece’s streets for Workers’ Liberty? Today one class, the working class, lives by selling By Martin Thomas a subsidy to the feckless. September a letter from the rounding and deporting its labour power to another, the capitalist class, The German government is “Troika” was leaked, de - thousands of migrant which owns the means of production. Society European Central Bank backing Draghi, but one re - manding that Greece in - workers, have led to a is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to Mario Draghi’s “OMT” sult is increased pressure crease the legal working surge of the far right rather increase their wealth. Capitalism causes programme (6 Septem - for harsh economic condi - week to 6 days for all sec - than horrified rejection. poverty, unemployment, the blighting of lives by ber) has been hailed as tions on debt-troubled gov - tors and cut workers’ mini - Unless the left in Greece is overwork, imperialism, the destruction of the the “bazooka” which will ernments. mum daily rest to 11 hours. bold enough to seize the environment and much else. save the eurozone, but it The Troika of the Euro - Economist Megan initiative, the far right will Against the accumulated wealth and power of the is likely to sharpen the pean Union, the European Greene, an expert on the feed off social frustration. capitalists, the working class has one weapon: solidarity. crisis in Greece. Central Bank, and the IMF eurozone crisis, writes: “If According to DEA, one The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build solidarity is likely to be even more the Troika does not grant of the revolutionary social - Under the OMT the ECB through struggle so that the working class can overthrow rigid with the Greek gov - the Greek government any ist groups within Syriza, will buy unlimited quanti - capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership ernment. A collision is concessions on its bailout the programme of local ties of eurozone govern - of industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy looming. programme, it is highly “popular assemblies” ments’ bonds, not much fuller than the present system, with elected likely that the two junior planned by Syriza in order new-issued bonds, but representatives recallable at any time and an end to ATHENS parties — the Democratic to build itself a mass mem - bonds already trading in bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. The right-wing Athens Left and Pasok — will drop bership base on the back of the global markets. The We fight for the labour movement to break with “social government headed by out of government. This its electoral success is now ECB has run such policies partnership” and assert working-class interests militantly Antonis Samaras is ask - would precipitate fresh underway after the sum - before (the SMP), but more against the bosses. ing for delays and con - elections, the third for this mer lull. limitedly. The claim is that Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, cessions, and even in year alone”. DEA comments: “Peo - ECB buying-power will supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, that framework cannot ple’s participation of peo - keep up the prices of Span - helping organise rank-and-file groups. reach agreement on de - COALITION ple in the process of ish, Italian, Greek etc. We are also active among students and in many campaigns tailed plans. Syriza, the left coalition changing Syriza will not bonds in the markets, and and alliances. that came close to vic - come by itself. It takes a thus help those govern - Talks between the leaders tory in the 17 June elec - great effort to make the ments sell new bonds and of the parties in the govern - tion with a programme of We stand for: ment coalition on finalising poll percentage into com - Independent working-class representation in politics. so finance themselves. reversing the cuts and G cuts ended in deadlock on bat a force... Regular meet - A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the Draghi stressed that the nationalising the banks G 9 September. ings of the Local labour movement. “bazooka” will be fired — under workers’ and so - Pressure on the govern - Committees, continued ef - A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to the ECB will set out to buy cial control, has gained G ment from below is increas - forts for membership, and strike, to picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. — only for the bonds of support slightly since ing. After lull in the large participation in the Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, governments which have June. G summer holiday months, processes, must be a con - education and jobs for all. officially requested it and demonstrations are filling According to the latest tinuous effort”. A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. agreed to submit to a pro - G the streets again. State poll, published on 6 Sep - DEA reports that Syriza Full equality for women and social provision to free women gramme of cuts and eco - schools in Greece are due tember, Syriza would win is calling a national confer - from the burden of housework. Free abortion on request. Full nomic restructuring shaped to start their new year on new elections held today. ence, probably in early No - equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. by the European Union and 12 September, but will be However, the biggest veTmhbee rp. erspective is for Black and white workers’ unity against racism. the ECB. on strike that day. poll shift since June is that Syriza to convert itself Open borders. Even with that proviso, G Yet the Troika is sharpen - the fascist Golden Dawn from a coalition into a Global solidarity against global capital — workers German representative Jens G ing its tone. It says that the party has risen to 12%, out - single party with wide everywhere have more in common with each other than with Weidmann voted against Greek government is lag - stripping Pasok and the democratic rights for mi - their capitalist or Stalinist rulers. Draghi’s plan on the ECB ging on cuts, and must Democratic Left. Brutal po - nority currents. Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest board. The German press G speed up, not ease off. On 4 lice operations in August, workplace or community to global social organisation. has denounced the plan as G Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal rights for all nations, against imperialists and predators big and small. Left in Irish Labour Workers march in Rome G Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. G If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity olent stormtroopers pro - to sell — and join us! By Will Greene ∈ tecting the minister. ther 3.5 billion of auster - Scores of workers were ity measures next year. A row over health cuts injured as they were armed A new left-wing pressure only with their helmets and threatens to destabilise group inside the Irish Contact us: the Irish coalition govern - site uniforms. Demanding Labour Party, the Cam - to see the prime minister ment of Fine Gael and the paign for Labour Policies, 020 7394 8923 Irish Labour Party in the Monti, the protesters will be officially launched By Hugh Edwards stayed on the streets; at the @ run up to the 2013 aus - on 15 September. They [email protected] terity budget. same time as they set upon have sent a letter to party Clashes have taken place the Democratic Party’s members aiming to mo - The editor (Cathy Nugent) On Tuesday 4 September between workers of the Shadow minister of Devel - bilise support for “an [gov - Fine Gael health minister Alcoa aluminium plant opment, driving him from 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, ernment] alternative James Reilly announced (Sardinia) and police in the protest as “a parasite”, London, SE1 3DG. political programme” and ∈130 million cuts targeting Rome. a supporter of the Govern - Printed by Newsfax International UK for placing policy develop - home-help services, per - ment trying to leech onto ment back in the hands of A big demonstration sonal assistants for the dis - the protest for his own elec - the membership. marched to the offices of abled and the availability toral motives. the Minister of Develop - of certain medical prod - The union bureaucrats Get Solidarity IMF ment on Monday 10 Sep - ucts. are pinning all their hopes The IMF’s permanent rep - tember. The announcement was on another owner, but the resentatives have been Workers have been de - every week! met by a furious public re - recent history of Sardinia driven to seek assur - manding assurances on po - action. Opposition parties has witnessed the same G Trial sub, 6 issues £5 ances that there was no tential job losses under a Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin tragic episode of workers’ split between the coali - putative Brazilian company are planning votes of no resistance being derailed G 22 issues (six months).
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