Solidarity 565

Solidarity Solidarity& Workers’ Liberty For a workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry TO CURB THE VIRUS: SOCIAL SOLIDARITY! STOP LABOUR basis: • Good isolation pay Covid-19 • Good and uncrowded housing, or at least pub- licly-provided quarantine By Martin Thomas SWING TO quarters ffective covid-distancing and • Public-health test-and- Evirus-curbing requires social trace, rather than the Tories’ solidarity. Serco mess comes soon, and focus on pro- In a socialist world, pandem- • Elderly care (in homes or tecting the most vulnerable. ics like Covid-19 would be less domiciliary) as a public service, As the epidemiologist Adam RIGHT likely, because there would be with a regular workforce on Kucharski has commented, fewer destructive irruptions into good union pay and conditions the “two different approaches environments of the sort that • Built-in extra capacity in the [could] end up with similar led to the virus leaping from healthcare and PPE-supply sys- outcomes” if followed through another species to humans. tem well. And when pandemics still • Emergency income support Protecting the elderly and happened, the social means to for all. Care for the worst-off, frail requires also slowing the curb them would be much am- like asylum-seeker detainees, virus among the younger and pler. the homeless, prisoners healthier, and that requires Defend 2019 Even in this capitalist world, • Workers’ monitoring of clear, stable, sustainable cov- ≫ countries with a greater ele- workplace safety id-distancing restrictions. ment of social solidarity — of • Politics which allow an in- Some escalation of Britain’s people looking out for each formed dialogue between second surge is inevitable; but conference wins other, of care for the worst-off scientists and the labour move- to the level of Spain now (aver- and vulnerable — have done ment and the wider population, age of over 100 deaths a day) is better than those where the “all rather than the Tories’ flounder- not inevitable, and to the level for me” spirit of the capitalist ing and bluster. of the UK in April (nearly 1000 market rules more unrestrain- None of those fixes deaths a day) even less so. ≫Democracy in the party edly. everything. Taken together, The world death rate is pla- There is more to it. Remote they make a big difference. teaued, and even in Europe islands can shield themselves. Scientists in Britain are now some countries have low and See page 2 Countries with high govern- openly at odds with each stable, or still-decreasing, death Make unions fight! ment surveillance of the popu- other. Some call for more curbs rates (Belgium, Denmark, Nor- ≫ Bail out uni Jobs or retraining Free Osime Saklatvala and lation have an “advantage”; so (mostly, closing pubs and cafés way, Finland, Sweden). have those with younger pop- and putting universities online; The labour movement must students! on full pay! Brown! Indian workers ulations; and there are many none call for closing schools). force the Tories onto the back Glasgow and other Sunak scheme won’t Falsely convicted and When an MP spoke other factors which science, as Some say we must recognise foot, and impose respect for so- students set rent strikes stop huge job cuts set to be deported up for the Empire’s yet, can mostly only guess at. that the virus is with us indefi- cial solidarity and for scientific oppressed But social measures create a nitely, even if a good vaccine debate in all its complexity. □ Page 3 Page 2 Page 9 Pages 12-13 No. 565, 30 September 2020 50p/£1 workersliberty.org No. 565, 30 September 2020 50p/£1 workersliberty.org What the “Overseas Operations Bill” vote means self as a kinder, gentler patriot, against Johnson’s harder-right bluster. Editorial Now, the Corbyn leadership made “more police on the streets than the Tories” its main pitch for a long time, ecent books on the Corbyn pro- and its 2017 manifesto, promising to ject have highlighted the disorgan- R end freedom of movement with Eu- ised chaos that plagued Labour in the rope, was substantively colder on mi- run-up and during the 2019 election. grant rights than Labour had been for The new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, decades. does not appear disorganised, but he It is a myth of the Corbyn loyalists is using the chaos of the pandemic to that Starmer is making a complete mould Labour in a more conservative break from a firmly internationalist and image. radically anti-statist past. Starmer is His Leader’s Speech to Labour Con- building on ground already laid. But nected [Labour’s online mini-confer- building high. ence, 19-22 Sep] made it clear that the At its 2019 conference, Labour Starmer of just a few months ago, with backed freedom of movement and his 10 pledges, his commitment to La- swung to probably the most radical bour’s more radical manifestos, and his and democratic policy on immigration campaign video starting with his sup- in its history. Now Starmer appeals to ship whipped MPs to abstain on the of meetings to accelerate a shift to the port for the miners’ strike, might as well patriotism and to a vision that criticises Overseas Operations Bill, which gives right. Decision-making local meetings, have been a different generation. Corbyn as unable to convince the elec- “statutory presumption against prose- online only, are only just restarting in “When you lose an election in a de- torate that he was not a threat to Brit- cution” once five years are past to all the party. The left must use them to or- mocracy, you deserve to. You don’t look ain. “I want this to be the best country the military who have served in Iraq ganise against this turn. at the electorate and ask them, ‘What to grow up in and the best country to and Afghanistan. The Tories claim that Conference must be the sovereign were you thinking?’ You look at yourself grow old in.” vexatious legal claims being made body that decides Labour policy. Let’s and ask, ‘What were we doing?’” For Those are not the words of an inter- against soldiers for actions undertaken organise to stop the leadership from Starmer that does not mean looking at nationalist (which country do we want in conflict, but the Bill will allow British pushing out conference policies in fa- the failures of Corbynism to mobilise to be worse?) Unlike Paul Mason in the soldiers to avoid prosecution for war vour of playing a junior role in John- the membership and become a cam- New Statesman, or Rebecca Long-Bai- crimes and torture. son’s “culture war.” □ paigning movement of the kind that ley during the leadership contest, we Only 19 Labour MPs rebelled and could galvanise workers’ struggle. Nor do not think those nationalist ideas can voted against it. Three of them lost their does it represent a rethink on Brexit, be reclaimed by the left. Or that we junior roles on the frontbench as a re- where Starmer is now on Corbyn’s old should try. sult of voting against the Tories. line of promising Labour will be defter As if to spell out what Starmer’s Starmer has used the virus emer- Brexit-negotiators than the Tories. speech meant, the Labour leader- gency and the consequent suppression Corrections Starmer has set out to present him- The book by Michel Löwy mentioned in the article on Walter Benjamin in Solidarity 564 is Redemption and Jobs or retraining on full pay! Utopia, not Redemption Thought. □ By Chris Reynolds down, but not another six place months of quarter-lockdown, • A 15% pay rise for the bout three million workers will shut up shop. NHS (which is short 100,000 Aare still on furlough, on The JSS also offers little to workers) and conversion of Upcoming meetings government-supported tem- workers who are (really, or the social-care sector to un- porary pay while their work is only formally) self-employed, ion-agreed public-sector pay suspended by the pandemic orkers’ Liberty meetings are open to all, held online over but whose work is stalled by and conditions zoom. Until the end of October: Furlough is due to end on 31 the pandemic: for some (but • An expansion of other pub- W October. If it does, and is re- far from all), a 20 percent of lic-service jobs too (with fund- Sunday 4 October, 6.30-8pm: Fighting council cuts placed by the Tories’ new “Job average monthly trading prof- ing for local government), so Monday 5 October, 7.30-9pm: Clara Zetkin and the Social Support Scheme” (JSS), many its, paid out in a single instal- that workers from pubs, cafés Democratic women’s movement — Heroes from socialist history of those three million will be ment covering three months’ etc. which will not survive the Sunday 11 October, 12-2pm: Socialist feminist reading thrown out of work. worth of profits, and capped pandemic can find good re- group: Feminism, Interrupted by Lola Olufemi (2020) With the JSS, the boss who at £1,875 in total, plus a yet-to- placement jobs Sunday 18 October, 6.30-8pm: Analysing the new far right; a thinks trade will be poor for be-determined second grant. • Public ownership and con- discussion jointly hosted by Mutiny and Workers’ Liberty the next six months but revive Unlike many right-wing gov- version to green socially-useful later will be better off sacking Monday 19 October, 7.30-9pm: Inessa Armand and the ernments, even, the Tories production of the big aviation Bolshevik feminists — Heroes from socialist history study series half their workers than keep- have made no extra provision and manufacturing firms cut- ing them all with half-pay plus for retraining, let alone retrain- ting jobs Plus JSS plus the boss’s compul- ing at good wages. • Continuation and expan- Every Monday, 6-7pm: Workers’ Liberty Students online po- sory contributions to JSS: bit. Activists will press the unions sion of the pandemic increase litical discussions ly/rf-jss and Labour to demand also: on Universal Credit, and a halt Thursdays, 8-9pm: “Revolution Betrayed” study group The boss who thought they • Extension of the furlough to the restart of “conditional- • More, and subscribe: workersliberty.org/meetings could last out a short lock- until adequate schemes are in ity” for benefits. □

2 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Belarus workers press for strikes By Pete Radcliff bly stronger when the coercive power Banner: “strike” of the state and employers is as fierce elarus’s dictator Lukashenko held as in Belarus. Bhis inauguration for a new term as Many of the initial layer of militant president on 23 September, but pro- workers have been victimised, sacked tests continue. or faced imprisonment. Some, includ- Universities had resumed and many ing members of the National Strike students had joined demonstrations Committee that had a fleeting exist- and sit-down protests held throughout ence three weeks ago, have had to flee the week. The weekend demonstra- the country. refuse to feed the junta! One for all and The Ukrainian workers have used tions were slightly smaller in Minsk on But still everywhere there are calls for all for one!” hunger strikes and other occupations 26-27 September, but they continue to strikes. At Belaruskali, two workers in quick in the past. Anatol Bokun, co-chair of spread and grow outside the capital. On 23 September the Belaruskali succession had gone into the mine and the strike committee of Belaruskali, has The police response gets increasingly potash mine Strike Committee made refused to leave, shackling themselves been on hunger strike since 23 Sep- violent and threatening. In Grodno, the call for a national strike in response to machinery to make it difficult to move tember. shots were fired over the heads of dem- to Lukashenko’s inauguration. That one them. They were eventually removed. Belarus workers are striving to or- onstrators. Sub-machine guns were didn’t come off. But we’ll see. They were taken to hospital and then ganise a national strike movement that brandished by police in front of dem- In their call they said: for police interrogation — Oleg Kudelka will not only finish off Lukashenko but onstrators in Gomel on 27 Sep. “This does not require any permits taken to a mental hospital in a reminder articulate their demands for the future Everyone in the opposition can see or approvals, since the law in Belarus of the traditional manner of the Soviet of Belarus and inspire reluctant workers that the street protests alone will not has ceased to exist… In 1968 a strike of Union’s treatment of dissidents in the to join them. defeat the Lukashenko regime. At best nearly 10 million [in France] led to the 70s and 80s. Striking workers flocked to The liberals who lead the Belarus they may shift the regime marginally, resignation of Charles de Gaulle [actu- the mine offices to protest. 22 of them opposition — heroic as many of them with a possible Putin-agreed replace- ally, not until April 1969]. The act of civil were arrested. are — do not understand the workers’ ment president but little or no struc- disobedience in the form of refusing to 400 Ukrainian miners at the Oktya- movement. They will not be encour- tural reform. work for political reasons is one of the braska mine launched an occupation aged by the EU or any foreign power Calls are rising for strikes. The 27 most effective instruments of nonvio- over wages and conditions on 3 Sep- to help workers put their stamp on the Sep demonstration in Zhodzina, where lent resistance. Therefore, we do not go tember. There are strong links between revolt. It is the job of the international close to a quarter of workers are at the to work until complete victory...” the independent union of Ukrainian workers’ movement to assist the Bela- □ BelAZ automobile factory, was led by a “Therefore, we stop factories, plants, miners and those at Belaruskali. A video rus workers. message was sent from Belaruskali to banner proclaiming: “Strike”. enterprises and firms until we send • LabourStart Belarus solidarity Oktyabraska. The will of a large majority of Belarus Lukashism to the dustbin of history! We statement: bit.ly/lsbelarus workers is for a mass strike. The ques- tion is how to create it. No strike is ever really spontaneous. It has to be worked for. Initially a minor- ity will support it. Others will oppose it Bail out unis, bail out students or be unsure. There will be arguments. By a UCU activist line teaching would have allowed Those surveys have been used by “Can it win?” “How long will it need to those students who preferred to stay senior managers to justify forcing staff be for?” “How do we win the majority?” t is hard to imagine a more cha- with family or friends to do so, while back onto campus. But if students had “How do we protect ourselves from the Iotic start to the university term than making space for others to occupy been given an honest explanation bosses’ retaliation?” the one that’s now unfolding. After halls and student housing in lower of what covid-distanced campuses The cautious arguments are inevita- Covid-19 outbreaks in Glasgow and numbers, facilitating social distancing. would look like — or asked how they Manchester hundreds of students are Halls that are 50% full would mean felt after many US campuses were confined to halls of residence with every student could have a separate forced to close — it’s likely they would Scottish students flatmates they have known for barely bedroom and workspace. have chosen differently. While in-per- a fortnight. But that means universities forgoing son teaching is necessary for practi- set rent strikes At Leeds, security staff have been pa- half the rent. Many modern halls are cal subjects, for many non-practical trolling with dogs on the look-out for By Pete Boggs effectively mortgaged — and without classes online is a better option than breaches of household mixing rules. full occupancy universities can’t make masked and covid-distanced class- tudent tenants across Scotland Manchester Metropolitan University repayments. That wouldn’t be a prob- rooms where small group discussion Shave begun to act after the had to apologise after locked-down lem if the Government had stepped in. is impossible. botched return to Scottish universi- students were told to take down pro- But they refused, demanding instead Some commentators, including ties. Despite the clear signs of a sec- test messages displayed on hall win- that universities get back to normal. Blairite peer Lord Adonis, have re- ond wave, many universities have dows, and is facing legal action after And university managers, who could sponded with calls for tuition fee re- made students sign in to crowded students in lockdown were apparently have clubbed together and agreed funds. Given how few students in fact rental accommodation. Predictably, prevented by security from leaving collectively not to endanger staff and pay off their full fees, it would not cost this has led to outbreaks at univer- halls — before self-isolation became a student health, chose instead to com- much for the Government to write off sities, which are being dealt with by legal requirement. pete for students on the grounds of £3k of loan debt for each student, re- lockdowns and punitive measures The Government knew back in July delivering the most normal-looking ducing their fee to the equivalent of against students. from its own scientific advisers that “student experience”. the online-only Open University. Aberdeen Student Tenants Union halls of residence and face-to-face Students had a difficult year in 2019- But more importantly students must (@AberdeenTenant), Stirling Stu- university teaching posed risks for 20. First years endured A Level cancel- be entitled to end tenancies — whether dents Tenants Union (@StirlingTen- spreading the virus. Early in Septem- lations and then chaos over grades, with university or private landlords ant), and Glasgow Uni Rent Strike ber, as it became clear that cases were while those partway through degrees — and opt to live elsewhere if they (@UofGRentStrike) have started rising again, the Independent SAGE missed weeks of teaching during prefer. It is good that universities are to organise for student action. On group said that all teaching that could strike action only then to have learn- now providing financial assistance to Thursday 1 October at 5:30pm the go online should go online — a posi- ing switched online when lockdown locked down students. But that money National Union of Students and “Rent tion adopted by the University and hit in March. It is no surprise that when must fully cover lost income from part- Strike” will hold an online training College Union (UCU). surveyed most said they’d like to have time work. □ session for organising rent strikes. □ A planned, organised switch to on- face-to-face teaching.

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 3 It depends who’s saying it the RMT’s assistant general secretary without comment. Mick Lynch to step down after accusing It’s worth contrasting this soft line Antidoto members of the union’s national exec- on class collaboration from the TUC, utive of bullying and harassment; most with the paper’s sharp (and often cor- egregiously, there has been just one rect) criticisms of Keir Starmer and the By Jim Denham article (and a fairly “soft” one at that) post-Corbyn Labour leadership. The he Morning Star (and the Daily about the report finding the GMB guilty Morning Star has no financial incentive TWorker before it) for years survived of institutional sexism and bullying. to appease Starmer. thanks to a subsidy from the Russian This deference towards the union bu- But some of its recent attacks on leadership: Moscow paid it £3,000 reaucracy also leads to some shameful Starmer’s “patriotism” speech (for ex- a month in the 1960s (equivalent of political contortions. On Thursday 24 ample, a florid denunciation by Kevin £60,000-plus today), and in the 1970s Sep, the front page headline was “TUC Ovenden, 26-27 Sep) seem a little odd and 1980s purchased 12,000 copies and CBI call for furlough replacement given that in January the MS published a day. When the order was cancelled to aid recovery” (note the italicised a lengthy defence of Rebecca Long in 1992, the paper was saved by the “and”). Bailey’s “progressive patriotism” call leaders of several British trade unions If anyone was in any doubt that the (“There is no contradiction between pumping money in. paper welcomed this, the article hailed patriotism and socialism” by Matt Wid- class collaboration and patriotism are Union funding continues to ensure what it called “a united front of unions dowson) and on 7 May, carried an arti- unacceptable from Keir Starmer — but the paper’s survival via bulk orders, and employers (which) is demanding cle with the snazzy headline “Patriotism class collaboration is OK when it comes generous payments for advertising, immediate government action to pre- is good for you” by Doug Nicholls, chair from the TUC, and patriotism is OK and subsidised special editions for vent catastrophic redundancies.” of Trade Unionists Against the EU. when it comes from pro-Brexit types. □ union conferences, Tolpuddle, the Dur- TUC general secretary Frances It seems that, for the Morning Star, ham Miners’ Gala, etc. O’Grady was quoted saying “The TUC Paradoxically, this dependence upon stands ready to work with government union funding often makes the Morn- and business to protect jobs”. If redun- ing Star a very poor source of informa- dancies could not be avoided, the arti- tion about union matters. The paper cle reported: “The TUC has also joined Antisemitism basic to QAnon provides sympathetic coverage of dis- forces with the Confederation of British putes and campaigns, but it avoids an- Industry (CBI) and conciliation service The article suggested only a part of ything that might embarrass the union Acas to issue guidance to help firms Letter the movement is “openly antisemitic”, bureaucracy. and workers deal with job losses... We but that antisemitic trope seems Thus this year there has been no know that times are tough and that, as a pretty fundamental to its core belief coverage of the bitter dispute within last resort employers may make redun- was surprised that the QAnon article and is implied by the word “cabal”. Unite’s “United Left” over which candi- dancies.” Iin Solidarity 564 didn’t make more Maybe the point is that the parallels date will receive their support to stand So the TUC is offering its “guidance” explicit the parallel between the main are implicit rather than explicit but if in the election to replace Len McClus- to employers on sacking workers — and QAnon claims about child sacrifice that is the case it wouldn’t be a bad key; no coverage of the events that led the Morning Star simply reports that and the blood libel, nor the parallels thing to expose them. □ between its conspiracy theories and Cath Fletcher, Manchester those of a world Jewish conspiracy. Scrap the exams Other demands before to do some jobs, as doctors or electri- cians or bus drivers or such. It should “close schools” Letter be as algorithmic as possible, pass-fail, and open for trying again if you have a ning those measures. We might close bad day. It should not be the focus of schools, so let’s go for that. It’s an odd atrick Yarker (letters, Solidarity 564) education. Letter combination of defeatism and wild Pdefends “personal judgement” in Today there is a perverted “ration- optimism about the benefits of clos- exams. According to recent reports, ing schools. ale” for exams: economic “signalling”. sympathise with Stuart Jordan’s call when English Literature, Drama, Art or In previous exchanges (bit.ly/w-i-l) The bosses who recruit people with (letters, Solidarity 564) for a NEU bal- History A level papers are re-marked, I Stuart argued that if teachers refused “good degrees from good universi- lot round demands for school guar- some 40-odd per cent end up with a to start school in September, that ties” to their “good” jobs do not care antees. One key issue is increasing changed grade. would lead to swathes of other work- how much their recruits know or retain school funding, for improved ventila- I’d say the answer is just not to have ers refusing work and “pose the ques- about English Literature or History; tion and other building adaptations; school exams (or, probably, university tion of power”. In this letter he reduces they just know that those recruits have another is access to rapid testing. Ac- exams) in those subjects. it to school closure improving our a capacity to stick at it, to “perform” in tivists in the union tell me they don’t “Diagnostic testing” in schools is use- chances of winning social measures. stressful exam-type conditions, and to think the ballot gambit would “work”. ful. It can be reported to the student But it’s common, even before this judge what will “go down well” with I respect their judgement. But, yes, as the teacher’s judgement, subject to pandemic, for schools to close for those “above” them. school workers, like workers in other being queried by the student (I don’t a week or so with no big immediate To decide which of two novels to read industries, should be ready for indus- mean “appealed”, I mean queried in ad- economic impact. (or decide as a publisher which of two trial action. vance of being recorded) and it being If the aim is to close schools for the scripts to publish, or decide as organ- Stuart concedes that school closure clear to both student and teacher that next six months, so that the current iser of a poetry reading which of two is not a good first-resort virus-control another judgement may be better. generation of students lose a whole versifiers to invite), would you go by a measure. He agrees that the social The Chinese Emperor who “invented” year of school, that would have im- report that author X had got an A in an demands which Solidarity advocates, graded public exams had a rationale: pacts. But the biggest impact would Eng Lit exam, and author Y only a B? and measures like closing pubs, to select for competence in the civil ser- be a bad one, on the working class. □ You would not, and you should not. □ should come first. But his thought vice. “Summative testing” is important Colin Foster, London Martin Thomas, London seems to be: we have no hope of win- to check whether people are qualified

4 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Agenda

US unions warn Trump: overnment instructions are ex- Gplicit that the new virus restric- tions allow street protests, so long as they are done with care. Don’t even think about it They do not ban street stalls, ei- ther, any more than they ban shops. There has never been an American among their members because, as Maybe cops here and there will election in which a defeated candidate The Hill put it, he “is seen as more of misinterpret stalls as “socialising”, — an incumbent, no less — refused to ac- a working class kind of guy.” Biden is Eric Lee but we’ve heard of no cases. At the cept the results. This is truly uncharted also helped by the fact that a majority worst that only means some of us territory — and unions are having say of union members in the US are women By Eric Lee moving to a small distance with our things and do things that they’ve never or people of colour, two groups that leaflets and papers. had to do before. are expected to vote overwhelmingly few days ago, the president of the Epidemiologically, street protests Trumka’s remarks came as unions against Trump. AFL-CIO (the US’s national trade and stalls remain one of the low- A have increased their commitment to a Biden’s campaign to win union sup- union centre) issued a powerful state- est-risk things you can do if you Democratic victory, both in the presi- port is not, however, helped by his ment. leave your house or meet other peo- dential race and in the races for seats long-standing support (shared with The federation “categorically rejects ple at all. in Congress. Hillary Clinton) for trade deals such as all threats to the peaceful transition of Uyghur Solidarity and Labour According to a report earlier this NAFTA that were seen as detrimental power” said Richard Trumka, a former Movement Solidarity with Hong month in The Hill, unions believe that to workers. leader of the mine workers’ union. “The Kong UK are protesting outside they are “backing a better candidate in For the moment, Trump’s support in labour movement,” he said, “simply will the Apple store in Covent Garden, a better climate against a better target” the labor movement seems limited to not allow any breach of the US Consti- London, on 1 October, with other than was the case in 2016, when most unions of law enforcement officials — tution or other effort to deny the will of protests across the world including of them supported Hillary Clinton. police and border patrol, with the oc- the people.” in Auckland, New Zealand. Uyghur casional local union endorsement. Trumka’s comments came in re- Union members solidarity protests are regularly on sponse to increasingly threatening Union support for minor party candi- Union leaders are counting on Biden the 5th of the month outside the noises being made by Donald Trump in dates, and in particular the Green Party, winning more support from their mem- Chinese Embassy in London: next, 5 which he threatened that regardless of is non-existent. The website for Green bers than Clinton did. In 2016, Clinton November. the results of the election on 3 Novem- candidate Howie Hawkins, who is a life- beat Trump in union households by just The Labour Campaign for Free ber, he would not be ceding power to long trade unionist and socialist, shows 51% to 42%. She did far worse than Movement is focused on the effort his opponent Joe Biden, ever. just seven endorsements, one from the Obama did among union members — to free Osime Brown (see page 9). Like most observers, Trumka is “Legal Marijuana Now Party of Minne- and in Ohio, she didn’t even win a ma- It is also working towards a Zoom convinced that Biden is likely to win sota”, but none from a union. jority of union votes. Trump’s support public meeting in late October. the election, and concluded with these Trump’s threats to remain in power among union members was unusually Free Our Unions is collecting sig- extraordinary words: regardless of the election result have high. natures for a union-rights statement “America’s workers will continue to served to sharpen the focus for Amer- This time around, union leaders be- already signed by many union lead- be steadfast in defence of our democ- ican trade unionists. Their goals, as lieve that Trump’s appeal to working ers and MPs. racy in the face of President Trump’s an- stated by Richard Trumka, could not be class voters in general, and to union Safe and Equal is responding to tics, and we stand ready to do our part clearer: first defeat Trump — and then members in particular, has gone down, the Tories’ £500 isolation dole (for to ensure his defeat in this election is ensure that he actually leaves office. □ due to both the economic crisis and the some workers only) by stepping up followed by his removal from office.” pandemic. • Eric Lee is the founding editor of efforts on its call for full isolation pay What he meant by union members Some union leaders are convinced LabourStart. He writes this column in a for all. It still has a supply of stickers doing their part to ensure his “removal that Biden will do better than Clinton personal capacity. which you can use to get its mes- from office” was not made clear. sage on the streets: email them. Another Europe Is Possible is run- ning a series of Zoom meetings from 6 October in “Fight for the Fu- ture” drive over the threats from the New threats from online abuse Tories’ Brexit plans. All links for campaigns, initiatives, uing lockdown, much of haviour isn’t unique to on- Meeting coordinators and references at linktr.ee/cam. political activity has moved line meetings. But far fewer are learning tactics to deal paign □ Women’s online. Zoom meetings have people are brave enough to with disruptive participants. Fightback become the new normal, get their dick out or shout Avoiding publicly sharing a with forgetting to unmute sexist or racist language in Personal Meeting ID, remov- By Katy Dollar and poor connection now a room full of people who ing people where necessary, routine in our political dis- could confront them face- and disabling chat functions The left and 1948 nline abuse of women cussions. to-face. can all help, but some of new article by John Strawson for is widespread in the UK, O Worse is the rise of Women are suffering of- these measures lock down the journal Fathom documents with one in five women hav- A Zoom-bombing. Lectures, fline consequences of on- meetings in a way we’d how the Communist Party strongly ing suffered online abuse strike rallies, social events line abuse, with 55% saying rather not. welcomed the founding of Israel in or harassment, according and campaigns have been that they experienced anx- We must ensure that in 1948. As Strawson says, that was the to research from Amnesty the victim of anonymous iety, stress or panic attacks the left and in the labour "Soviet Union seizing the opportu- International. Almost half of trolls taking over their as a result. Many faced movement we don’t stand nity to weaken the position of the old women said the abuse or meets. Silly interruptions, other psychological con- behaviour which makes our Imperial Powers in the Middle East" harassment they received racist abuse, sexual miscon- sequences, such as loss of comrades feel unsafe. We rather than a principled position, but was sexist or misogynistic, duct have all been common. self-esteem and a sense of can’t stop online abuse, but it chimed with broader left attitudes with a worrying 27% saying Once upon a time you had powerlessness in their abil- we can show support and at the time. Trotskyists were more it threatened sexual or phys- to leave your house and go ity to respond to the abuse. solidarity to those experi- critical, but none of them backed ical assault. to a meeting to disrupt it. Young women are especially encing it, building our confi- the Arab states in their 1948-9 war And it affects the left more Now it can be done from affected, with one in three dence to fight back. □ against Israel: that record is docu- now. With physical distanc- your basement. polled saying that they have mented in Workers' Liberty 3/13: bit. ing measures and contin- Of course, disruptive be- experienced online abuse. ly/wl3-13 □

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 5 Climate disaster is already with us Total damage from climate change from futurist Alex Steffen: the transition related disasters last year was over from dirty electricity to clean sources is Environment $200 billion with thousands killed and the easiest task: “smaller than the chal- millions displaced. This situation is due lenge of electrifying almost everything to get exponentially worse. Yet it barely that uses power” That task is smaller By Todd Hamer registers. than the challenge of “reducing en- few pages into David Wal- Far from annual carbon emissions re- ergy demand” which is smaller than the A lace-Wells’ The Uninhabitable ducing, they have increased 25% since challenge of “inventing how goods and Earth, I realised with a shock that for 2006. The effects of climate change are services are provided”. many years I’d engaged in a soft form already with us, they are getting worse, In addition there is a need to “get of climate change denial. Not the full and not only are we unprepared but zero emissions from other sources — de- throttle petrodollar-backed conspiracy emissions are still increasing. The worst forestation, agriculture, livestock, land- theory-type denial but just simply not case scenario is not simply civilisational fills. And the need to protect all human paying much attention. collapse but extinction. systems from the coming onslaught of I have been involved in the environ- Some climatologists believe that it natural disasters and extreme weather. mental movement for most of my adult could take, not centuries or millennia, And to erect a system of global govern- life. But I regarded climate change as but millions of years before the climate ment, or at least international coopera- some unthinkable, apocalyptic event in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimba- returns to the state that has thus far tion, to coordinate such a project.” in the future that we would hopefully bwe, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and sustained every previous generation of In 2018, the UN called for a World avoid, rather than a process already Bhutan, the wettest 12 months in US human being. War II style mobilisation. No efforts underway and accelerating. history and a record tornado season, a Of course, the future is unwritten. If have been made to this end. The UN predicts between 200 mil- heatwave in Europe with temperatures we had started to reduce emissions in Many plans to meet the crisis already lion and one billion climate refugees in France hitting a record 45.9 degrees 1992 after the Rio Earth Summit or in exist. But the world’s wealth and our by 2050 (p.7). One billion people is at Celsius, deadly floods in Iran, Uruguay, even in 2009 after Copenhagen, then time and skills as workers are not being the extreme end of their predictions Argentina, Spain, Texas, Kenya, Soma- the transition could have been fairly placed at the service of such plans. but the fact this figure features at all in lia, South Sudan, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethi- smooth and painless. Today it would Working-class organisations need to a UN document shows the scale of the opia, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda and involve the biggest mobilisation of the develop own plans in collaboration catastrophe confronting us in the next South Africa, record low sea ice in the world’s resources in human history. with the best scientific minds, and fight three decades. Arctic, a force 5 hurricane pounding According to a 2018 MIT Technology for the resources we need to imple- Part of my recent ignorance about cli- the Bahamas, wildfires in the Amazon Review survey “with three decades left ment these plans. For those, like me, mate change is due to subtle way nat- and California, the most costly typhoon to go [until we should reach zero net who have quietly turned their attention ural disasters have been normalised. in Japanese history, Cyclone Bubul carbon emissions], the world was on from the horrors of climate change, A non-exhaustive list of last year’s dis- which displaced millions in India and track to complete the necessary en- Wallace-Wells’ book is a good place to asters include: forest fires in Tanzania, Bangladesh. And the year ended with ergy revolution in four hundred years.” start. □ The book contains a useful list of tasks tropical storms in Thailand, cyclones Australia in flames. • Abridged from bit.ly/cli-ww Unison: unite to back Paul Holmes By a Unison member seems hell-bent on maximum John McDonnell is playing a the current leadership to chal- of activists for change whoever use of bureaucratic advantage central part in his campaign, lenge the government, mean wins the election. he nomination period for and regular breaches of elec- and he has the support of a dynamic campaign could stir Paul’s suspension from the TGeneral Secretary of the tion rules. At least one branch much of the Labour and far left up new activity in the union. union and by his employer is big public services union Uni- has been flouting the rules Hugo Pierre of the Socialist Paul Holmes has proposed bound to be raised during the son closed on 25 September. by publicising the NEC and Party has put out a call for the policies to shift the power campaign. We are not aware Four candidates qualified to Service Groups’ support for “left candidates”, including Mc- balance in the union. The of the details of his suspen- enter the ballot (28 Oct to 27 McAnea. The Unison national Kenzie, to meet, stating that he campaign needs to centre sion, but we have asked Paul Nov): two rank-and-file candi- website has publicised an invi- will withdraw if they can unite on issues immediately rele- to make a statement to clarify dates, Paul Holmes and Hugo tation to retired members (who behind a common platform. vant to members, including a the situation, when he can, and Pierre, and two assistant gen- make up an eighth of Unison’s Although he has the support 15% rise in NHS pay and a na- for all allegations against Paul eral secretaries, Roger Mc- membership) to hear from only of Corbyn and some left activ- tional strategy of insourcing. It and his fellow stewards to be Kenzie and Christina McAnea. one of the candidates, McA- ists, McKenzie is, in practice, should aim to build a network investigated fully and fairly. □ Workers’ Liberty is supporting nea, at their online conference not a candidate of the left. He Paul Holmes. in October. The July issue of has supported Dave Prentis’s McAnea, the continuity es- the members’ magazine had leadership throughout the last tablishment candidate, has two pages of self-promotion 20 years of failures to oppose 200 nominations and the for the assistant general secre- cuts, decline in pay and condi- support of the National Exec- New audio! tary candidates. tions and drastic curtailment of isten, download or subscribe to Workers’ Liberty audio of utive Committee (NEC), won There is reason to be- democracy in Unison. our publications and meetings. New this last fortnight: narrowly over Paul Holmes, lieve that Paul Holmes has a A united left candida- L after a last minute change of stronger chance this time than ture should certainly not be • Rail Workers Discuss Fighting Job Cuts, with Janine Booth voting system, plus Scotland, John Burgess when he ran on pre-conditioned on McKen- and John Pencott Wales and a number of Eng- similar lines in 2015. Holmes zie’s cooperation. We call on • Global capital and pandemics, with Camila Bassi lish regions. She has a similar has nominations from 106 Hugo Pierre, who only just got • Solidarity 564 part 1, part 2, and part 3; 563 part 1, part 2, number of nominations to the branches, the largest region the minimum required num- and part 3; and 562 part 1, 2, and 3 outgoing General Secretary (North West), South East re- ber of nominations (25), to • Remembering the Bosnian War, with Sarah Correia and Dave Prentis at his last elec- gion, and the largest Service withdraw in favour of Holmes. Martin Thomas tion in 2015, when he received Group (Local Government) — The background of the Covid See workersliberty.org/audio for links to the audio version, and 49% of the vote as the incum- significantly more nominations pandemic, the usual low turn- for information on subscribing and using podcasts. All recent bent. that any previous rank-and-file out in these elections (10% in episodes can be found through most podcast providers: Also like Dave Prentis in candidate in Unison’s history. 2015), and the abject failure of search “Workers’ Liberty” or “Solidarity & More”. □ 2015, McAnea’s campaign

6 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Deliveroo action spreads By Michael Elms ing union organisation workforce made up of people doing a there. And in far-off Wol- little bit of delivery here and there — be- n Thursday 24 September, Shef- verhampton, couriers have tween lectures, say, or as a second job. Ofield Deliveroo drivers stepped recently organised a meet- That gig-economy vision is dystopian up their campaign of action on low pay ing in a car park to discuss enough — I have met schoolteachers and unfair sackings. They hit one of action. They have found working as Uber drivers on weekends, Deliveroo’s biggest exclusive national the example of Sheffield for example — but as a model for run- partner restaurants, Wagamama, with a instructive, and their ap- ning an efficient distribution network it 24-hour boycott. Meanwhile, Deliveroo pearance on the scene has is fantasy. are preparing to further immiserate heartened Sheffield drivers. A reliable, round-the-clock delivery their workforce with a mass hiring drive. Deliveroo meanwhile are service requires full-time drivers. With- Deliveroo workers face sackings with following a two-pronged out them, it falls apart. But Deliveroo no hearing, no chance to see the evi- “Plz Support strategy. On the one hand, wants to avoid giving its workers the dence against them, and no right of IWGB York” a charm offensive. Deliv- power that comes with stable employ- appeal — as recently befell a Sheffield eroo are on social media ment, and so it prefers endless war with union activist, Khalid, and seven oth- IWGB and friends of Workers’ Liberty loudly beating their chest drivers. And judging from the determi- ers in the city. Whereas 18 months ago visited Wagamama restaurants in half a about having joined Marcus Rashford’s nation of Sheffield couriers, that’s what couriers would make no less than £4.25 dozen other cities to leaflet customers anti-child-food-poverty “task force”. A they’ll get. □ per delivery, now it is rare to make more and tell them about the strike and the rich boast from a company responsi- than £4 on any job — even for deliveries exploitative actions of Wagamama and ble for putting young parents into in- that involve driving many miles. Deliveroo. work poverty, paying what a Sheffield In the second half of 2019 Wag- The action in Sheffield coincides rider on our local WhatsApp has called Democracy in the amama’s delivery sales — exclusively with a series of boycotts called by the “child labour wages”. The company is labour movement through Deliveroo — represented 12% mostly-cyclist York branch of the IWGB, also running a scheme to donate a lim- avid Heywood, a Labour Party of its takings (up on 9% in the back against another major Deliveroo part- ited number of free meals to NHS staff member of 42 years’ standing, half of 2018). That is tens of millions of ner, Five Guys. This Thursday’s action and “vulnerable people”; and offering D was excluded from the party on 11 pounds every year generated for Wag- saw the burger business turn off their £20 discount vouchers to NHS staff September on grounds of a Face- amama from the in-work poverty and app — effectively shutting down their (how self-sacrificing: a loyalty scheme). book post saying that he was read- callous mistreatment of couriers by delivery sales — in record time. On the other hand, Deliveroo are ing the Communist Party of Britain Deliveroo. What’s more, the strike is bringing aiming a dreadful blow at their work- (CPB) manifesto Britain’s Road to So- The strike, once again, was solid. Sheffield workers into contact with driv- force with the recruitment of 15,000 cialism. David found the document Despite disruption and self-isolation ers in nearby Rotherham. Drawn to the additional riders. This is not so much a “totally unconvincing and unrealis- of some supporters caused by the strike-hit restaurant by the persistent job creation scheme as an income-de- tic” (unlike, presumably, many top renewed Covid-19 surge, an all-day pings of uncollected orders, Rother- stroying scheme. Deliveroo couriers Labour and trade union figures who picket was mounted by both volunteers ham drivers are surprised to encounter are paid per job. Meeting a modest back the CPB’s Morning Star), but as and couriers. The Sheffield Workers’ a picket line of Sheffield drivers, and uptick in demand with a vast oversup- of now he is unable even to get an Liberty group worked hard to bring La- union links are built. ply of labour means reducing drivers’ appeal. This is one of a large trickle bour Party supporters out to the picket, The renewed life of the Sheffield takings to below a sustainable level. of exclusions in the Eastern Region. with good results. branch is drawing interest from drivers The model that Deliveroo wants is one See bit.ly/re-dh □ At the same time, supporters of the in Manchester, with hopes of expand- of an entirely casual, fully part-time NEU conference: support amendments! By a London teacher and allowing the General Sec- turn motion essentially argues place motion calls for cam- ment, GCSEs and A-Levels retaries to extend their term for a continuation of the cur- paigns to ensure national for 2021 with a mixed model, he National Education in office beyond five years if rent national strategy of cam- pay increases and pay scales suspend Ofsted inspections TUnion (NEU) is holding a they announce they are retir- paigning for better testing and in every school, and reduce for 2020/21 and establish a virtual conference on 3 Oc- ing, should be opposed. Un- tracing, smaller class sizes, and workload. In addition, it calls commission into exams. Good tober. The union’s annual fortunately, it seems the rule union control of health and for recruiting reps and build- amendments to this motion conference in April 2020 was changes will be taken as a job safety. Amendments to it seek ing union strength. There call for a ballot to boycott stat- cancelled due to the Covid-19 lot, making the vote a difficult to strengthen it by stipulating are good amendments to utory test in primary schools crisis. tactical question. class sizes, calling for more strengthen it, particularly over and for a campaign for the ab- The virtual conference will Beyond the rule changes resources (workers and build- concerns for women mem- olition of GCSEs. deal with rule changes. Most of three motions from the Exec- ings), Risk Assessments for all bers and black members and There are concerns about them are benign. Some, such utive will be debated: Covid- vulnerable staff and clear and ensuring effective rep support attendance, participation, and as the possibility of job-shar- 19 and Safe Return, Winning speedy escalation to industrial and training. democracy in this Zoom con- ing elected roles, are probably in the Workplace after Covid, action where there are safety The Building a Fair Educa- ference. □ positive. and Building a Fair Education concerns. They should be sup- tion System after Covid mo- However, the ones reducing System after Covid. ported. tion proposes to replace SATs the Executive from 70 to 55, The Covid-19 and Safe Re- The Winning in the Work- for 2021 with teacher assess-

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 7 The case for backing Hawkins By Daniel Randall A lower vote for Hawkins/Walker will be central, which further highlights the it. The basic socialist case against that set back the case for those independ- needed for socialists to develop their has not historically been contingent on nyone committed to basic human ent socialist politics. On the other hand, traction to shape and lead that resist- there being only a small gap between Adecency, let alone socialism, an as-vigorous-as-possible Hawkins/ ance. the “evils”. should hope that Donald Trump loses Walker campaign can seek links with All socialists would agree that de- the American presidential election in workers already in struggle, and rally feating any kind of far-right movement, Independent socialism November. Given the nature of the US’s forces which could lead battles to de- fascist or otherwise, requires transfor- Rather, it is based on the idea that so- electoral system, this means hoping fend democracy against potential sab- mation of the social conditions and cialist advance is not possible without that Joe Biden, the Democratic nomi- otage or obstruction from Trump, and system that gave rise to it — the rule building up our own forces, on the nee, wins. start undercutting Trump’s plebeian of capital, and the oppression and in- basis of our own politics. There is no Does it follow that socialists should base. equality that necessarily generates. All short cut around the hard work of per- campaign for a Biden vote? This arti- The ballot papers will not read socialists would also agree that defeat- suading working-class people to take cle will argue that it does not, and sup- “Trumpism: yes or no?”, and “Trumpism” ing it requires direct ideological com- conscious ownership of socialist ideas port the position of those US socialists will not pack up shop and go home on bat with its ideas. and to fight for them — immediately, who back Howie Hawkins and Angela 4 November if Biden has won. A vote All that does not make Biden the and beyond the election. That hard Walker, rank-and-file working-class mil- for Biden is not simply a vote “against same as Trump, but it does mean that work includes persuading workers of itants running on the Green Party ticket, Trumpism”, it is a vote for something: falling in behind him is not an adequate the value of independent political ac- with the endorsement of Socialist Al- a corporate Democrat whose political strategy for fighting Trumpism. tion, even in circumstances where it ternative and the Socialist Party, and on record, judged from a socialist point of This election takes place in bleak serves only to raise the banner of cer- the basis of explicitly socialist policies. view, is fairly consistently dreadful. conditions for socialists — not just the tain ideas and consolidate and expand Blurring all differences between Any election could be seen as a “ref- pandemic, but a global authoritarian socialist organisation. Trump and Biden into an undifferen- erendum” on the incumbent. That is a wave, a weak labour movement, and a To make that argument on 2 and 4 tiated analysis that both are “capitalist frame socialists should challenge, not marginal left. There is no question that November, but suspend it on the day candidates” would be utterly mechan- accept. We should aspire to use elec- Biden is a “lesser evil”. But identifying a on which we have the opportunity to ical. Socialists should be instinctively tions to advance an independent work- lesser evil does not require voting for support it with a vote, would be to boy- sympathetic towards left-minded vot- ing-class position. cott our own ideas. □ ers campaigning and voting for Biden despite their misgivings about his pol- “Anti-fascism”? itics. Other comrades have advanced a But elections cannot be seen as in- broadly “anti-fascist” case for voting for cidental snapshots, binary plebiscites Biden, arguing in essence that election in which we stop all other politics, pick will either result (should Biden win) in a preference between the two candi- the continuation of what Marxists have dates most likely to win, express that called “bourgeois democracy”, or preference, and then get back to our (should Trump win) collapse into fas- politics afterwards. cism, or something close to it. If not merely defeating Trump in the Unlike Stalinists in the “Third Period”, popular vote, but ensuring that Trump we are not indifferent in a conflict be- cannot “steal” election, and also defeat- tween bourgeois democracy and fas- ing Trumpism, requires a political pro- cism. We positively prefer the former. gram based on the types of policies the But whilst Trumpism shares elements Hawkins/Walker campaign is advanc- in common with fascist, or proto-fascist, ing, socialists should use the opening, movements, this alone does not make narrow though it may be, to rally what the case that the November election is forces they can round that program. reduced to a straight choice between New protests for Breonna Taylor “fascism” and “not-fascism.” By Mohan Sen “Referendum”? Things can be bad, extremely so, Some US comrades have argued that, without being fascist. And whatever n 23 September it was announced that a grand jury in the US state of Ken- since many workers will see the elec- lurches Trump may make in the direc- Otucky had indicted only one of the three police officers — Brett Hankinson, tion as a “referendum on Trumpism”, to tion of a harder authoritarianism, build- Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove — involved in the murder of health- advocate and campaign for anything ing active working-class and popular worker Breonna Taylor in March. but a Biden vote would cut socialists off resistance to that, including strikes, will And, surreally, Hankinson was indicted not for shooting Taylor but for firing at from the mass of working people. But a neighbouring home. the cold and unpleasant reality is that Protests demanding justice have flared across the country. socialists, in the US and almost every- Mattingly wrote that “I know we did the legal, moral and ethical thing that where globally, are already cut off from Watch our night”… The “legal, moral and ethical thing” was spraying 32 bullets into Taylor’s the mass of working people. home, in response to a single shot her boyfriend fired after the police broke in Falling in behind Biden would en- livestreams with a battering ram (he reports they refused to identify who they were). Six of trench that marginalisation, not address orkers’ Liberty have a schedule the shots hit Taylor. it. The US socialist left does not have Wof videos going “live”. Please Louisville Metro Police Department has sacked Hankinson and the city author- sufficient resources to influence the tune in and share! The videos (often ities have agreed to pay Taylor’s family $12m and reform policing policies. The broad election result; it does have re- subtitled) will “go live” at the times grand jury decision shows the degree of resistance to police actually being put sources to make the election campaign below on our facebook, and (if not under pressure to operate differently, as well as shocking indifference to the itself a chance to advance socialist poli- before) instagram, youtube, and killing of a black woman. tics and organisation. often twitter. It also stands in stark contrast to how easily poor, and particularly black and Of course, in such a polarised elec- Every Thursday at 1.30pm we brown, Americans are charged and incarcerated. tion, the Hawkins/Walker campaign have Solidarity editorials with Ste- Since last week there have been hundreds of protests demanding justice for will find it hard to cut through. Those phen Wood (see page 5) Taylor. Louisville has been placed under a curfew and state of emergency, with “big picture” circumstances cannot be Every Monday at 1.30pm we many dozens arrested. In other cities too protesters have faced arrests and changed at will; they do not represent have a longer (10-50 minute) video, brutal police violence. □ a case for abandoning independent such as meeting opening speeches • More in our Women’s Fightback column in June: bit.ly/breonnawf politics.

8 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Free Osime Brown! By Joe Booth didn’t commit the crime but still want on these demos campaigning at their him deported to Jamaica where he has hardest and most united for his release, Joe Booth was speaking at the “Free nothing. however much they can relate, what- Osime Brown” protest on 25 Septem- Well, I’m telling you Osime, you don’t ever their race, disability, gender, sex- ber. More about the Osime Brown cam- have nothing. You have us. You’ve got uality, religion, etc. is. paign at linktr.ee/justiceforosimebrown friends (not just family) who won’t stop For two major reasons: a. because until you’re released immediately. we’re all humans who look out for each ey everyone. My name’s Joe. Joe Now, I can definitely relate to you as other as a society, and b. because when Booth. I’m 18. And I’m autistic. And H an autistic teenager. Not getting the you’re in a battle against an enemy so I’m socialist, or activist, or whatever right amount of support wherever and much bigger, so much stronger than you wanna call me. And first of all, I whenever you need it, facing hostil- you, to find out you have a friend you just wanna say: whatever I say now is ity from our ableist society, not fitting never knew existed, that’s the best feel- not said as a soundbite, or for my own into peer groups that are too cliquey, ing in the world, it really is, because popularity, but because I literally mean and not to forget, how depressing and together we have power. And I’d love it… and I want Osime Brown released! tell them, go spread the word, get them mentally unhealthy it is living in such an to know how it makes you feel in par- So, why am I here? Because I’m ab- to make noise, make noise for them. unsuitable and confusing world, built ticular, Osime. solutely furious and appalled, so much Black Lives Matter! Autistic Lives around hierarchy rather than every in- Now, to finalise, because of what I that it’s actually a miracle I ain’t swear- Matter! End All Discrimination! End All dividual’s needs. last said that’s so essential in winning ing. Because Osime Brown is being Oppression! End All Harm! Social Care Nothing much else I can directly re- demands like this, if we see any other convicted for a crime that not only did Not Prisons! Scrap “joint enterprise”! late to you on other than being young, protests around us, anybody else he not do but told others not to do. Brand New Justice System! Solidarity, autistic and working-class. who might seem interested, or better, What’s worse is that they accepted he comrades. □ But that’s the thing: we need people should be interested, now or ever, go Tories put lid on transgender rights By Angela Driver legislation that allowed trans The waiting list to get a first They have also frequently tween 200 and 500 thousand people to self-identify. Those appointment to see a doctor asserted that trans people, as trans people are living in the he Gender Recognition included Ireland, Argentina, to discuss gender dysphoria is such do not exist — that it is UK, and are suffering huge lev- TAct became law in 2004. and Norway. Trans campaign- up to five years in some parts biological sex (by which they els of discrimination and per- It allows transgender people ers in the UK urged the UK of the country. Three more clin- normally mean genitals at secution in our society today. to apply for a “Gender Rec- government to make similar ics will open this year. Those birth) that causes women’s op- Socialists, and the whole la- ognition Certificate”, and that changes. There was a consul- were already planned. There pression, and that is definitive bour movement have an on- allows a replacement birth tation of over 100,000 people. are only seven currently.. The in gender identity. going responsibility to show certificate to be issued with the A large majority were in favour government estimate this will These claims and fears have solidarity with this minority. correct gender. But the pro- of these reforms. take 1600 people off the wait- been comprehensively and The discrimination against cess is lengthy and requires a Now, nearly two years later, ing list, but this is only a small repeatedly debunked. The them has had the effect of di- medical report to confirm a di- the government has an- fraction of those currently Equality Act (2010) already viding the labour movement. agnosis of “gender dysphoria”. nounced that they will not waiting to be seen, so waiting allows trans people to access Liberation of trans people If the applicant is married they make any significant reform to times will continue to be years services appropriate to their remains interwoven and in- also require consent from their the legislation. They have in- for most people. lived gender (whether or not separable from the struggle spouse. troduced online applications, Liz Truss, Minister for Women a GRC has been issued). The for liberation of women, and In 2017 the government an- and the £140 administration and Equalities, describes the GRA is separate legislation liberation of all LGBT people. nounced that they would con- fee is reduced. But the spousal law as currently having the and does not affect this. Under Trans people are a part of the sider reforming the Gender veto and the need for medical right “checks and balances”. that act services only may ex- diversity of humankind, and Recognition Act. Several coun- sign off remain unchanged. The government wants to con- clude transgender people in their liberation benefits all of tries had made changes to tinue using spouses, and doc- a small number of limited and humanity. □ tors as gatekeepers — but why? specific circumstances. What are the risks of allowing In practice domestic vio- trans people to self-identify? lence refuges have long ca- Not so progressive Over the last two years there tered for trans women. Current Our pamphlets rogressive International in China. has been an ongoing, often prison guidelines also already vicious campaign by people allow for trans men and trans rowse, download, buy, P(PI), the latest project of Vijay Prashad, a PI Council listen to our pamphlets: Yanis Varoufakis, who was the member responded that the calling themselves feminists women to be housed in gen- B negotiator with the EU for left would tear itself apart if against trans self-ID. The fears der appropriate “estate” sub- • The German Revolution: Greece’s Syriza government it attempted to address such that are frequently quoted are ject to risk assessments. writings of Rosa Luxemburg in 2015, held its “inaugu- issues. Nick Estes, another that reforms to the GRA would The Equality Act makes dis- • Workers’ Climate Action ral summit” on 18-20 Sep- PI Council member, agreed. lead to: crimination against women • Two Nations, Two States tember, drawing many “big Such criticisms of China (or • Trans rights reducing the illegal, and would continue • Workers Against Slavery names” of the left. Iran) “might as well happen rights of women — e.g. that to do so if the GRA were re- • How to Beat the Racists Varoufakis was an oppo- on the moon”. In other words: discrimination on the basis of formed. • Remain and Rebel nent of Brexit. Then he be- say nothing about the repres- sex would no longer be a pro- The government’s decision • Stalinism in the came an advocate of it. He sion of Chinese, Iranian and tected characteristic not to reform the GRA repre- International Brigades created DIEM25, an as a other peoples! • That men could pretend sents a step backwards in the • Left Antisemitism: What movement for reform of the Varoufakis texted his agree- to be women and gain access struggle for trans rights. The it is and How to Fight it EU, then moved on to PI. ment with those comments to women-only spaces such discussions that have been • Arabs, Jews, and Social- At the opening session to the chair, who read them as prisons, and domestic vio- had around this issue in the la- ism: Socialist Debates on Varoufakis made a “by the to the meeting. Some inter- lence refuges (as well as other bour movement have become Israel/Palestine □ places like changing rooms toxic and polarised. But this way” comment that there are nationalism! Some Interna- More: workersliberty.org/ and toilets) and pose a risk to issue has not been resolved. serious human rights issues tional! □ pamphlets women there The fact remains that be-

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 9 DonaldBy Thomas Carolan TrumpHe has lied to the American people? is a fascist You have your truth, his supporters re- he President of the USA is a fascist spond. That’s fake truth, fake news! We Twho is trying to steal the 2020 Pres- have our own truth! You stick to yours idential election. You can soften that and we’ll stick with ours, and President down to saying Trump is an “authoritar- Trump’s. ian”, or a delusional psychotic would-be Trump, who is now campaigning to king of the USA, but fascist is better: a discredit the election he thinks he will fascist is what Trump is in his opinions lose, has throughout his time in office and in his actions where he is free to act campaigned against press and TV jour- as he likes. nalists who accurately report his say- The USA is not fascist. It is a creaking, ings and doings, and in the virus era, malfunctioning, ill-designed old state, he has campaigned against science. He now with a fascist as its elected chief routinely denies what he doesn’t want executive. Its mechanisms were created CC BY-SA 2.0 bit.ly/feb-20-t to be true, and asserts blatantly and in the late 18th century and modified legally decide to ignore how voters in seriousness, that injecting disinfectant rapidly self-contradictory lies. by successive broadenings of the fran- their states have voted and send to the might help. In office, he has told (“fact-checkers” chise over a long time and by way of Electoral College pro-Trump delegates To wear or not to wear masks has have counted) up to 30,000 lies so far. many constitutional amendments. who can choose to vote the opposite been made a party-political issue! The He asserts his own version of reality, It was not a bourgeois democracy at way to the electorate. US president has campaigned against and denies anything he doesn’t want to the start. In so far as it is a democracy, the recommendations of “his own” ex- acknowledge. Trump is the high priest it is as a result of the successive adjust- Electoral college perts on it. To unmask is to be a macho, of political gobbledygook. Trump’s ments over a long time. Trump lost the election of 2016, by John Wayne, sock-on-the-jaw, Amer- “base” are trapped in a cult. Now the incumbent president, the nearly three million votes. He won an ican hero; to mask up is to be a sissy For 200,000 Americans this is, in the 45th, has openly declared that he will Electoral College majority, because of scared by a little virus into taking pre- pandemic, a death cult. It is a fascistic not accept the outcome of the 3 No- the distribution of the vote between cautions. cult, anti-science and anti-rational, with vember election. That if he loses — when states, and became president. The US is not a fascist system? No. lying, demagogic appeals to disaf- he loses, as by all that is known from The same thing happened in 2000. But the elements of fascism are there, fected people. opinion polls he will — it will prove that George W Bush, a very bad president, and may coalesce. History repeats it- The hard-core Trumpists see him as the election was fraudulent (“a hoax”), who invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, self, but never exactly. Mussolini came their champion against the “Establish- and he will not abide by the decision. won fewer votes than his opponent, Al to power in 1922, but the Fascist Party ment”, against those on top, against He and his supporters are campaign- Gore. He won in the Electoral College. was organised only in November 1921. those who frustrate and oppress them. ing against the upcoming election, pro- Two times already in the first 20 years It came into being by the coming-to- His lying is part of a combat against an claiming that it is going to be “stolen” of this century, the will of the electoral gether of fascism’s elements that had oppressive truth-reality. from them by widespread electoral majority has been thwarted, in both long existed. The idea of a self-proclaimed billion- fraud. cases with terrible consequences. aire con artist, who in office has given Trump says openly that he will agree Trump has steadfastly refused to vast tax cuts to the rich and is doing his to a peaceful transfer of power only if adopt a national program to fight the he single most best — in the middle of a pandemic! — to the election is free and fair — and he virus. Over 200,000 people are dead alarming thing scrap the Obamacare health insurance and his supporters say the election will “T from it in the USA, a big portion of system — to see him as the champion not and cannot be free and fair so long whom would be alive had Trump done in US politics right of the oppressed is ridiculous. As ridic- as postal ballots are part of it. Trump his job as national president. He left it now is the stability ulous as people in Britain accepting has offered no evidence of fraud, just to each state, or groups of states coor- Princess Diana as their champion and asserted its presence. dinating their anti-covid measures, to of Trump’s base.” representative — as indeed millions did. Postal ballots have been part of the act. The single most alarming thing in US In 2016 polls reported that a lot of voting system for a very long time. The worst plague in a century has politics right now is the stability of Trump’s supporters said that voting for Trump himself has recently cast postal been made a party-political plaything, Trump’s base. Around 40% of the elec- Bernie Sanders, a socialist, might be an ballots in the states of Florida and New with Trump competing with the sci- torate back Trump even after a deluge York. In the conditions of the pandemic, entists in advising Americans what to of scandals and horror stories about whether they vote in person at a polling do. Notoriously he suggested, in all him — including proof out of his own station or by mail is a matter of life and mouth that he knew that the corona- Against Beijing death for many voters. virus was deadly when he was telling What happens if or when Trump loses Americans that it was no more than the and Washington the election and refuses to go? The Su- Anti-racist flu, and charges of rape and of large- or 1 October, the anniversary preme Court will decide. The death of scale financial fraud. of the founding of the “People’s a liberal justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, resources F Trump once boasted that he could go Republic” of China, the Uyghur Soli- gives the President the chance to ap- e have compiled various an- and shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, darity Campaign and Labour Move- point her successor and get himself Wti-racist resources to learn New York, and his supporters would ment Solidarity with Hong Kong a Supreme Court that will most likely about anti-racist movements, and still love him and go on supporting him. have jointly launched an appeal back him in an appeal on the presiden- arm yourself with ideas to beat back It is proved that he acts like an agent for protests to uphold international tial election. racism: readings and pamphlets, of the authoritarian Russian govern- workers’ solidarity and third camp Trump and his gang are organising video and audio. ment of Vladimir Putin. So what? says politics. London protest: 6pm, Apple for a “constitutional” coup. Constitu- See workersliberty.org/anti-racist- the traditionally chauvinist political Covent Garden. Sign the appeal: bit. tional lawyers point out that Republi- resources □ Right. ly/1oct-call can-controlled state legislatures can

10 workersliberty.org fb.com/workersliberty workersliberty.org/audio Donald Trump is a fascist

White supremacists holding Nazi, Confederate, and Gadsden “Don’t Tread on Me” flags, for the August 2017 “Unite the Right” demo. Many participants wore Trump campaign merchandise. Trump described the protest as including “very fine people”, and drew moral equivalences between the far right and protestors opposing them. Pic: CC BY 2.0 bit.ly/utr-17 alternative for them to voting Trump. publican Party leadership to cover for tarianism are thick in the air. Now the The mass demonstrations against po- A lot of Trump supporters have been him, and try to benefit from it. pandemic that has closed down and lice who murder black men and women battered by the realities of 20/21st A large part of the old political Estab- half-wrecked much of the American are multi-racial assemblies. The need century America. They have been con- lishment, and in the first place the no.1 economy, and continues. These two for concern with other people in the fronted by market facts and market party of the American plutocrats, the things create an unprecedented situa- pandemic, the need for social solidar- logic which have meant the destruc- Republican Party, has been taken over tion. ity, must be creating a culture that is the tion of industries and their jobs, and by by the Trumpists. Relating directly by opposite of Trumpism, and trending to- science which tells them such things as Twitter and TV to grass-roots Republi- heir hard core wards socialism. that fossil-fuel extraction and use are a cans, Trump has been able to remake There will be tremendous resistance deadly threat to the environment. the Republican Party, working from the “Tforms a mass on the streets if Trump and the Supreme Facts! Whose facts? Real facts or false top down. base for fascism Court attempt to take Obamacare away facts and fake news? And how can from people who have had great les- you tell? And who cares, confronted Absent socialist movement — or for now, for a sons, negative and positive, from the with unemployment and poverty, all Bernie Sanders has done tremendous fascistic president...” pandemic, about the need for social- of which can be justified by facts and work as an advocate of sanity and so- ised medicine. someone else’s logic? cialism, but, in the absence of a strong Much depends on how the Demo- All that is a formidable barrier against Trump’s supporters live in a mental organised socialist movement that cratic Party responds to Trump’s au- Trump after the election. But that seri- and spiritual world where witch-doc- would bring them enlightenment and thoritarian offensive. But not only on ous violence will erupt after the elec- tors prance about on TV and radio give them hope and purpose, this mass the response of the Democratic Party. tion is possible and even probable. □ preaching god-awful nonsense, most of disaffected people seem set to fol- of them blatant con-men and women low Trump wherever he wants them to milking suckers for money. go. Their hard core forms a mass base This is an American political world in for fascism — or for now, for a fascistic which mainstream politicians, to win president, backed by the many armed election, have to proclaim themselves, militias and by a Republican Party New videos! and go through the motions of being, drilled into line, no matter what Trump atch Workers’ Liberty’s videos and playlists, and subscribe to our youtube religious, and in which Trump does says or does, by fear of Trump’s sup- Wchannel! Many have subtitles. New this last fortnight: that with transparent and blatant hy- porters and by hunger for power and • Rail workers discuss fighting job cuts, with Janine Booth and John Pencott pocrisy without alienating those of his the things it brings. • Remembering the Bosnian War, with Sarah Correia and Martin Thomas followers who are sincerely religious. A The difference between fascism and world in which the vice-president, Mike other authoritarianism is that fascism Plus playlists including Pence, is known not to accept the sci- mobilises a mass movement to beat • Black Lives Matter, videos around the movement and related topics ence of evolution. A world in which the down its enemies and the other sorts • Socialist commentary on the Covid-19 crisis president of the USA can deny climate do not, or not much. The most alarm- • ABCs of Marxism, an introductory series, still being added to change. Where he can be an open rac- ing shift is the development of a mass • An introduction to Marx’s Capital, in 19 parts, with Martin Thomas □ movement supporting Trump. ist ten times over and get the whole Re- Watch, subscribe, like, comment and share: youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK The elements of a fascistic authori-

Meetings, events, campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings @workersliberty youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK 11 Saklatvala and the Indian workers By Sacha Ismail perhaps shifted towards a more ag- ent reception to Saklatvala’s, with mass gressively anti-colonial stance during protests and strikes (“Simon, go back”). r Saklatvala… has great influ- the 1920s, he had held the same basic Saklatvala helped organise the fight “Mence in India. Irrespective of his position for decades. against the commission, in the name of Communist views, the Indian people are full independence, in Britain. proud of him… They, a subject race… India’s rising tide are naturally proud of the courage with Saklatvala’s rise to prominence co- Anti-imperialist organising which Saklatvala, one of themselves, incided with a rising tide of India’s The CI’s work in the colonies was or- denounces the British domination of national liberation movement — not ganised mainly by a network led by India in unmeasured terms in the very coincidentally, since the Russian rev- Manabendra Nath Roy; he and Saklat- House of Commons itself. He is a rebel olution and its ripples set the context vala had important differences, includ- by proxy for them all… When he speaks for many rising anti-colonial struggles ing on how Communists should relate to them, therefore, they listen, and he as well as the working-class upsurge in to India’s bourgeois nationalists, and speaks to them frequently.” Europe. Saklatvala was increasingly distrustful - “India’s lost faith in Labour”, Socialist Also important was the upheaval of of and hostile to Roy. As a result he was Review, 1928 the war, in which Allied leaders pro- often excluded (or self-excluded) from Saklatvala campaigned for reforms claimed a principle of self-determina- the International’s colonial work. in British India, short of independence tion but did not apply it to colonies of He did nonetheless play a significant and socialism. In particular he focused, the victorious powers. So was British part, due to his position in the British through organisations including the repression: in 1919 the government CP and as an MP. The British party was Workers’ Welfare League of India, on suspended the rights of defendants in responsible for work in India until the demands for workers’ rights. He also sedition trials and the army murdered CPI was firmly established in 1925. advocated the complete overthrow of many hundreds of protesters in Am- Saklatvala undertook various roles, written exchanges and on one occasion British rule in India and the British Em- ritsar. This in the midst of a “Spanish from establishing CI connections while in person. He criticised Gandhi’s lim- pire. flu” pandemic in which maybe 18 mil- travelling as an MP; to liaising with and ited and in many ways backward-look- During his time as an MP, Saklatavla lion Indians died. In 1919 the Indian helping set up unions in India; to inter- ing perspective, counterposing the continually and insistently expressed National Congress moved away from viewing Indian students in Britain who organisation of workers and peasants this wider position. In 1927, when Par- cooperation with the British authorities could help build the CP when they re- to struggle for their rights against cap- liament discussed the creation of an and launched a struggle for complete turned home. Even after the establish- italism: all-British “commission” on the future independence. ment of the CPI, his status made him an “The acuteness with which the class of India, he protested in the Commons: In Britain too campaigning around important international liaison, as his war operates upon the wage-earners “May I ask the House just to review the India began to tilt in a more radical, 1927 tour demonstrated. of India is more than in most of the ad- historical position from 1910 to 1914? strongly pro-independence direction. He played a high-profile role in the vanced European countries... The class There was the Kaiser in Europe. He also Saklatvala, a major figure among both League Against Imperialism — founded war in India is murderous... to throw felt the same thing [as the Tories argued Indian nationalists and British labour on the initiative of the CI in 1927, and dust in the eyes of the world that class about India], that... there was such a movement activists, was a force in named as an attack on the League of war is not operating in India is inhuman welter and chaos that one strong man bringing the shift about. Nations, which had perpetuated co- and monstrous... Class war is there and was required to rule the whole of Eu- India saw a growth of specifically lonialism by handing territories over will continue to be there until... Com- rope. He failed. You succeeded. That is working-class and socialist struggles. to European control as “mandates”. munism abolishes it. But in the mean- the only difference, but the claim of the As the 1931 Royal Commission on Through the LAI he supported anti-co- time, not to struggle against its evil Kaiser and the British Kaisers is equally Labour in India expressed it, from the lonial struggles in other parts of the effects day to day is a doctrine which preposterous from the ethical stand- early ‘20s there was a “realisation of world, for instance in Nigeria. cannot appeal to any genuine human- point and the point of view of national the potentialities of the strike” and “in- The LAI was an early venture by Willi itarianism...” rights.” dustrial strife became almost general”. Münzenberg, a Stalinist who — after He demanded an end to the “moral His speech repeatedly assailed the Groups of socialist workers, labour or- leading the international campaign for plague” of cult-like devotion which sur- idea that British rule was somehow in- ganisers and intellectuals organised Sacco and Vanzetti — managed to put rounded the nationalist leader, includ- tended to bolster the rights of minori- and intervened in this ferment. The together a number of Popular Front- ing his use of the honorific “Mahatma” ties or any working people in India: Communist Party of India was founded type show events even in the midst (venerable or holy man). Gandhi’s re- “Who are the majority of the Indian as a solid organisation in 1925. of the “ultra-left” Third Period. (Stalin plies praised Saklatvala but, unsurpris- people? Never mind the Hindus and In 1927 Saklatvala toured India for would later turn against Münzenberg, ingly, firmly disagreed. Mohammedans, because religious dif- three months, pledging — as he put in 1936-7). Trotsky described the LAI as How the British government viewed ferences exist in all nations of the world. it in an appeal to the Daily Herald a “masquerade”, and one of the leading all this can be judged by the fact that, The majority of the people of India are for solidarity messages — “a great ef- groups featured in the first LAI congress on Saklatvala’s return to the UK, it an- peasants and agriculturalists. The ma- fort from the Indian end to pull the was Chiang Kai Shek’s Guomindang, nounced his passport would no longer jority of the people in the large cities are two working-class brotherhoods [In- which only two months later would be valid for travel to India. This ban re- industrial workers. What rights have you dian and British] together”. He got an massacre the Communist-led workers mained in place for the rest of his life, given to them? … What is the purpose overwhelming reception, speaking in Shanghai. Nevertheless, in 1927 the including under the 1929-31 Labour of this country’s rule in India? To keep to thousands wherever he went. The Communist Parties were as yet far from government. talking of minorities and to trample on authorities of nine cities formally wel- completely Stalinised, and for Saklat- Six months after Saklatvala arrived the rights and progress of the majority.” comed him, despite the undemocratic vala and many others in the British la- back, the government appointed its “It is not your fault”, added Saklatvala. nature of local government in India and bour movement, the LAI meant militant commission on India. Chaired by Lib- “The Romans did the same thing once opposition from British officials. opposition to colonialism. eral MP John Simon, it was made up when they were ruling your country. My Saklatvala used his “megaphone” to entirely of white British politicians — in- ancestors, the Persians, did the same encourage working-class organisation, Communism on trial cluding two Labour MPs, one of them thing when they were ruling the Jews, and to urge young nationalists to help In 1928-9 over 31,000,000 worker-days Clement Attlee. The Labour leadership the Assyrians and the Turks.” workers assert themselves, including were lost to strikes in India, and the de- backed the commission; Indian nation- In 1923, during his first year in Parlia- by taking jobs in industry. Behind the pression further energised workers’ alists called for the party to withdraw its ment, he had intervened in a debate scenes he helped build and organise and peasants’ struggles. The growth of support and representatives. about the role of Britain’s Viceroy by the CPI in the areas he visited. working-class militancy and Commu- When the commissioners arrived in denouncing “the right of this country While he was in India he engaged in nist activism alarmed the British author- India in 1928, they met a very differ- to send a Viceroy at all”. Although he polemics with Mohandas Gandhi, in ities, who intensified their repression.

12 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty The Meerut prisoners Saklatvala and the Indian workers In 1929 this came to a head with the heinous a crime Meerut conspiracy case, named after than openly and the small town near Delhi where the legally organ- trial took place. 32 left-wing labour or- ising workers ganisers, 29 Indian (of diverse religious and peasants in and ethnic origins) and three British, India” (London were charged with attempting to “de- May Day, 1929). prive the King Emperor of his Sover- After four years eignty of British India” and “incitement in the India’s bru- rest in the British labour movement rule the Indians and the Chinese? ‘We of antagonism between Capital and tal prison system — in 1930 holding about it, including in the Labour Party. are ruling you; we are sending Com- Labour”. something like 23,000 political prison- Later in 1933, in the midst of great missions to your countries because you Naturally many of the accused were ers — sixteen were sentenced to trans- agitation and protest, with a realisation are less experienced and we are more Communists. The charges referred ex- portation to a penal colony for between that the affair was actually strengthen- experienced, and we want to be kind tensively to Communists and the Inter- five years and life, and eleven to “rig- ing Communism in India, eight of the to you and tell you how you should live national. Britain’s Viceroy wrote of his orous imprisonment” for three to four convicts were released and the remain- your lives.’ That is exactly what the cap- hopes of dealing a “severe blow to the years. ing sentences radically reduced — but italist masters and bosses are saying Indian Communist movement”. The Meerut trials took place mainly no thanks to the Labour leadership. to the workers in this country. They say As word of the arrests spread, there under a Labour government. The ar- The comments Saklatvala made in the to them, ‘We are more experienced in were big protests, including strikes in rests occurred just before the 1929 House of Commons in 1928 had been directing industry than you are, and we Bombay’s textile industry. It was the be- general election in which Ramsay Mac- shamefully confirmed: keep an Army, a Navy, and an Air Force ginning of a major struggle. Donald returned to office; it was his “The workers in Great Britain should to protect you...’ The international campaign was led Secretary of State for the Colonies, Fa- realize that God has not created man to “Socialism believes that that sort of by organisations in which Saklatvala bian leader Sidney Webb, who allowed be ruled dictatorially and autocratically incapacity is not inherent in human na- was prominent, including the League the process to go forward. Left-wingers by another man. Through self-determi- ture. How can the Labour Party say that Against Imperialism and the Workers’ such as George Lansbury, while critical nation and mutual consent we should they are preaching socialism and col- Welfare League of India. Before and of what was happening in India, re- elect somebody to rule who is not a so- lecting the majority of voices in favour after losing his parliamentary seat in mained in the MacDonald government cialist boss, but a helper and adviser. If of socialism when they are pursuing 1929, he spoke and campaigned pro- while this scandal was taking place and that is our essential belief, how can the such a policy as I have described?” □ lifically for the liberation of the- pris as a result were relatively muted. people of this country believe that God oners, who were guilty of “no more There was, nonetheless, serious un- • This article is part of a series on has created the British Labour Party to Saklatvala: bit.ly/sak-s

Arguing for a Otto Rühle’s society based on abridged version human solidarity, of Capital, putting Buy our books! social ownership of aside current factual industry and banks, material, illustrations, ore info, reviews, study guides, online. Some books are free to download or and political, polemics, is a good as audiobooks. Prices listed exclude postage. UK: £1 for small items, £3 for M economic and lead-in for the full larger items, free over £30. More for international. Discounts for bulk, or some social democracy. book. combinations. Order from workersliberty.org/books □ 182 pages, £5 131 pages, £6

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Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 13 What we stand for oday one class, the working class, Tlives by selling its labour power The compressor is burning to another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of production. clear of ash. We probably shouldn’t, you push test” The capitalists’ control over the but we also use it to clean chemicals “Ahhhh — no.” Diary of an from our overalls in a hurry. With the motor disconnected, we run economy and their relentless drive engineer to increase their wealth causes pov- We isolate the compressor using the the compressor without a load. Charge heavy circuit breaker on the wall, which builds back up in the inverter, then erty, unemployment, the blighting By Emma Rickman of lives by overwork, imperialism, thunks. Then we remove the cage, the trips on a fault. A thinks this shows the destruction of the environment and nderneath the plant turbine is a box covers and dismantle the inverter. inverter is working correctly, because much else. Uconcrete basement where most of We use tools insulated with thick red it’s building up charge — it’s tripping The working class must unite to the noisy machines operate. One of plastic to do this, as the inverter con- because there’s nowhere for the power struggle against the accumulated those is the air compressor housed in- tains coils that can store charge for up to go. The Simms contractor was right; wealth and power of the capitalists, side a large blue box in a locked iron to ten minutes. The thick, heavy power the fault is mechanical, probably in the in the workplace and wider society. cage. cables carry a high voltage to run a motor bearings. The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty I‘ve been working with an electrician motor the size of a small car, which is We seek out the contractor and find wants socialist revolution: collective (A), the other apprentice (L), and a con- tucked behind the electrical panel. The him arm-deep in hydraulic oil lines at ownership of industry and services, tractor for Simms, who manufacture the Simms contractor squeezes round the the other compressor. The oil is used to workers’ control, and a democracy compressors. We can’t hear each other, back and sticks a screwdriver into the keep the machine lubricated and cool, much fuller than the present system, but we can smell the compressor burn- fins at the back of the motor, trying to but this stuff looks like lumpy custard. with elected representatives recall- ing. make it spin. Simms curses as a line ejects over him able at any time and an end to bu- A explains to the contractor that the He emerges with grease on his nose. and A drops his phone in the oil rag bin reaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. two air compressors operate in phases; “Looks seized. I’ve got some movement as we step in to help. We fight for trade unions and the one compressor will build up pressure in there but, it should turn more freely More contractors arrive to take the Labour Party to break with “social in its cylinder and then release it onto than that.” compressors off-site for servicing, and partnership” with the bosses, to mil- the plant; while the air flows out of one While Simms inspect the other com- we dismantle the electrical connections itantly assert working-class interests. compressor the other is building up pressor, we test the supply to the motor once again. The cable is heavy and pressure. In this way, the compressed using a “megger”, which is a meter de- rigid — I scrape off some of the insula- n workplaces, trade unions, and air lines around the plant maintain a signed to test high-voltage circuits. We tion trying to pull it out of the compres- ILabour organisations; among stu- steady pressure. run 500volts through each line, and sor casing, and wince. dents; in local campaigns; on the Compressed air is used for cleaning, read 55mega-ohms resistance — which One of the contractors releases the left and in wider political alliances both in the workshops and the filters is good, it means there’s no damage air pressure suddenly and we all jump, we stand for: that collect pollutants from the furnace to the cable insulation. A holds out the and laugh at ourselves. □ megger probes to L, and gives me the • Independent working-class rep- gases. It’s also used to operate pneu- • Emma Rickman is an apprentice meter. resentation in politics matic valves and switches, for cooling engineer at a Combined Heat and “You hold these in your hand, and • A workers’ government, based bearings and keeping instruments Power Plant. on and accountable to the labour movement • A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, strike, picket ef- fectively, and take solidarity action Tube contractor cancels cleaner sick pay • Taxing the rich to fund good From Tubeworker agreement meant cleaners who had guidance and self-isolate when neces- public services, homes, education symptoms could afford to self-isolate, sary, that represents a huge infection and jobs for all t the beginning of the pandemic, and wouldn’t have to drag themselves control risk that puts the cleaners them- • Workers’ control of major indus- Athe rail union RMT won an agree- to work, putting themselves and others selves, other workers, and passengers tries and finance for a rapid transi- ment from TfL [Transport for London] in danger, because they were worried in danger. tion to a green society and cleaning contractor ABM that any about paying the bills. RMT is taking up the issue with ABM, • A workers’ movement that fights cleaner who needed to self-isolate or That agreement has now been with- TfL, and the Mayor. As an RMT report all forms of oppression take time off sick due to Covid, would drawn. from January showed, ABM is making • Full equality for women, and so- be paid in full. Tube cleaners are absolutely on the profits. cial provision to free women from Normally cleaners only receive Stat- frontline of confronting the pandemic, If progress isn’t made quickly, the domestic labour. Reproductive free- utory Sick Pay of £95.85 per week, doing vital work to keep our stations, issue needs to be escalated, includ- doms and free abortion on demand. well below their usual weekly rate trains, depots, and offices clean. If they ing via industrial action — and not just • Full equality for lesbian, gay, bi- and clearly not enough to live on. This can’t afford to follow public health by cleaners. Although anti-union laws sexual and trans people prevent workers from striking directly • Black and white workers’ unity in solidarity with others, our unions against racism should explore the possibility of declar- • Open borders ing disputes on behalf of directly-em- • Global solidarity against global ployed TfL and LU staff on the basis that capital — workers everywhere have Labour conformity TfL/LU’s refusal to guarantee full sick Vote, vote, vote for Nigel Barton. Both more in common with each other pay for cleaners puts all workers in the were broadcast in 1965 as part of the than with their capitalist or Stalinist workplace at risk. □ rulers Kino Eye Wednesday Play series. We follow • Democracy at every level of soci- Nigel Barton, from his youth in a min- ety, from the smallest workplace or ing village to Oxford University where, community to global social organi- By John Cunningham unsurprisingly, he struggles to fit in. sation Later, Barton stands as the Labour Near the £10,000 • Equal rights for all nations, ebecca Lawrence’s article on the candidate in a safe Tory seat, where hanks to Colin, Eric and Andrew against imperialists and predators Labour Connected conference in he comes under pressure from his R for an additional £470, taking big and small Solidarity 564 set me thinking about party agent to conform and toe the T us to £9,059, near our target of • Maximum left unity in action, and a film which might capture that sense line. Barton abandons his principles £10,000. And thank you to all our full openness in debate of conformity and dullness described and ends up as just another uninspir- other donors so far. Please keep the in her report. Instead of a film, I would ing, dull Labour candidate. Available donations coming. f you agree with us, take copies of recommend two BBC dramas by Den- on DVD. □ ISolidarity to sell — and join us! □ nis Potter: Stand up, Nigel Barton and • workersliberty.org/donate

14 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Southbank workers fight 70% cuts By Gareth Spencer

outhbank Centre [in London] is Scutting its staff headcount by 70%, but this will only reduce the payroll by an estimated 38%. The lowest-paid staff with minimum hours contracts in Scrap the Visitor Experience and Ticketing teams are to be cut entirely, as there is “conditionality”! no prospect of the Royal Festival Hall fully reopening to the public until April 2021. John Moloney, The Exhibition Hosts at the Hayward PCS AGS Gallery, who’ve spent the past month reopening the gallery in a new Cov- he Group Executive Committee id-secure way, have also been told that Tfor our members in the Depart- they will be made redundant when the ment for Work and Pensions met on current exhibition closes on 31 Octo- Tuesday 22 September to discuss ber. Protest outside the results of a recent indicative bal- In 2018-19, the Chief Executive Southbank Centre lot of Job Centre workers, which re- of Southbank Centre, Elaine Bedell, pensive it is to be poor.” they also proposed to slash previously turned a big majority for industrial received a pay rise from £194k in During the panicked days of late agreed redundancy terms from three action against extended opening 2017/18 to £241k in 2018/19. Like March, Southbank Centre, like many weeks for every year of service to just hours and other unsafe working con- other members of the Senior Leader- others of the UK’s cultural venues, above statutory. Since then there has ditions. ship Team at Southbank Centre she has closed its doors to the public and went been a long and frustrating consul- Although a final decision has yet to taken a 20% pay cut until April 2021, so into lockdown to protect staff and visi- tation with various departments and be made, there are now active dis- will only be earning £170k whilst she tors alike from Covid-19. then individuals through August and cussions about moving to a formal, makes the 150 hosts who live on a 12 All concerts and events in the Royal September. statutory, ballot for action. hour per week contract at £10.75 per Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth In the last week of the consultation The general picture, in terms of civil hour redundant. Hall were cancelled and the recently the PCS branch submitted a formal service bosses’ “back-to-the-office” The Visitor Experience, Ticketing & opened Among the Trees exhibition at statutory strike ballot which led almost push, has changed since new restric- Membership and Hayward Exhibition Hayward Gallery was put on hold. With immediately to an improved offer on tions were brought in and the Prime Host teams also are the most diverse the restaurants and shops closed and redundancy terms to almost half our Minister made a statement urging teams in the organisation and following without tickets being sold, it quickly original agreement. Our members will everyone to work from home if they their removal, Southbank Centre has became apparent that due to a combi- be expected to sign individual settle- could. Unfortunately some civil ser- become 6% more white overnight. The nation of historic debt (approximately ment agreements to gain these en- vice managers are putting their own Senior Leadership Team dealt with the £22 million) and an Arts Council Eng- hanced terms. □ spin on that statement, saying that BAME Staff Network’s response to the land (ACE) funding model which only people should work from home if Black Lives Matter protests in May and • Gareth Spencer is the Branch provided 37% of necessary turnover, they can work “effectively”, and may June patronisingly and with a heavy Secretary of PCS Southbank Centre there was an existential threat to our still try to push some workers back to hand. An anonymous group of staff cir- Branch, writing here in a personal members’ livelihoods and the future of the physical office. Our position re- culated an open letter which was met capacity. the organisation itself. mains that home working should be with the response “but we don’t have the default, and anyone who needs time for this now.” Opportunity to return to the office should do so Alongside the consultation and ne- The initial Covid-19 lockdown was a on a strictly voluntary basis. gotiations, our branch coordinated new organising opportunity for our Subscribe to Despite these new restrictions and protests outside Southbank Centre reps. Using the informal whatsapp the rising infection rate, DWP bosses on 1 August and 29 August, each at- and facebook groups staff use to swap Solidarity are still insisting more claimants tended by nearly 200 people. We were shifts we were able to keep staff up to rial sub (6 issues) £7; Six months return to Job Centres for face-to- also joined by front of house staff from date about the rapidly changing situa- (22 issues) £22 waged, £11 un- face interviews. They’re particularly the National Theatre and Vanessa Red- tion and recruited over 50 members in T waged, €30 European rate. targeting younger claimants. With grave who spoke in solidarity with the March and April. cuts to over 200 workers. On 12 Sep- the reimposition of “conditional- Throughout the furlough we’ve Visit workersliberty.org/sub ity”, which means claimants could tember a group of workers from across emailed members every week and have their benefits cut if they miss the arts and culture sector marched held mass branch meetings of over Or, email [email protected] interviews, this creates real risks for with the Tate United PCS branch from 200 members. Whilst we haven’t used with your name and address, or claimants and staff. Having crowds Tate Modern to DCMS in Whitehall. In it ourselves, PCS has set up a phone phone 020 7394 8923. Standing of people in small Job Centres could a rally addressed by Owen Jones, the bank for branches to use during cam- order £5 a month: more to support make them “super-spreader” sites. demand was made to extend the fur- paigns and ballots. We also set up an our work. Forms online. Just as students are being con- lough scheme for those in the cultural Instagram account for our first protest fined to their rooms on university industries. in August that already has over 600 fol- campuses due to outbreaks, the gov- Great solidarity from the art world lowers. ernment is essentially telling benefits has been shown to us and our mem- Southbank Centre failed to gain any Contact us claimants of a similar age to crowd bers. All of the artists involved in Hay- emergency funding from ACE in the 020 7394 8923 into cramped Job Centres! ward Touring’s British Art Show 9, due summer and is yet to receive either Our demand is for conditionality to take place in 2021, signed an open grants or loans from the Government’s [email protected] to be withdrawn, and contact with letter condemning the redundancies. much heralded Culture Recovery Fund. claimants to be remote as far as pos- The Turner Prize winning artist, Jeremy Therefore the Senior Leadership Team Write to: 20E Tower Workshops, sible. □ Deller, donated a banner to our branch gave us in the PCS union branch and Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG which bears a poignant quote from • John Moloney is assistant general our colleagues in the Unite branch a Production team: Cathy James Baldwin which resonates with redundancy warning in July which put secretary of the civil service workers’ many of our now unemployed mem- Nugent, Martin Thomas union PCS, writing here in a personal over 400 staff at risk. (editor), Sacha Ismail, Simon Nelson, bers: “Anyone who has ever struggled Given the dire state of the finances capacity. with poverty knows how extremely ex- Zack Muddle

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 15 Labour: fight back for Trump bunkers down democracy and policies! for November By Josh Lovell By Barrie Hardy

Josh Lovell outlines priorities which Momentum president refusing to leave office if they lose Internationalists will fight for as the leadership A an election is something to be expected of a swings Labour to the right. dictatorship. A bizarre scenario of the two main t is now one year since the Labour Party’s 2019 candidates turning up in Washington on Inau- Inational conference — arguably the most radical guration Day next January, both expecting to be Labour Party event in decades. Delegates passed sworn in, could depend on which way the perma- resolutions committing the party to 2030 decar- nent unelected state institutions will swing. bonisation as part of a worker-led just transition, Trump’s first presidential term draws to a close to support the abolition of academies and private with three major “achievements” — tax cuts for the schools, and to defend and extend free move- rich, billion dollar bailouts for corporations and ment, ensure voting rights for all UK residents, packing the federal judiciary with over 200 right- abolish No Recourse to Public Funds, and to close wing judges, including two in the constitutionally all detention centres (to name but a few). all-important Supreme Court. The shifts were almost entirely led by grassroots He aims to cap it all in his last four months in campaigns and explicitly to the left of promises office with a rushed replacement for Ruth Bader Amy Coney Barrett made in the 2017 Labour Manifesto — already paigning — both important and necessary tasks Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, thereby turn- — but ones that cannot be done at the expense ing it into an arch-reactionary institution ruling touted as the most left-wing set of Labour pro- Trump will lose the popular vote like he did in of keeping Labour committed to fighting climate against the rights and aspirations of the vast ma- posals since 1983. 2016, and by a bigger margin this time. If all votes change, ending educational injustice, and radi- jority of Americans. But as with all democratic gains — they must are counted he’s going down in several key states cally expanding migrants’ rights. He wants an effective takeover of the court by be continually fought for and defended. Within too. But therein lies the rub. The key to his strat- The NCG — with a clear majority of Forward the Republican Party, to produce a serious coun- just one year it feels like the energy and enthusi- egy will be to deny the validity of millions of mail Momentum candidates — now must act to de- terweight to the Presidency and Congress should asm of rank-and-file Labour members — who won in ballots and try to claim victory before many of fend party democracy, make clear its own com- they both be won by the Democrats this Novem- so emphatically in Brighton — has been drained them get counted. mitment to every single socialist policy passed ber. away. We cannot let ourselves lose the socialist Sabotage of the vote via Postmaster General at Labour Conference in recent years, and use Bader Ginsburg earned a reputation over sev- militancy needed to build and win such a pro- and Trump creature Louis DeJoy has already Momentum to put their own campaign pledges eral decades as a staunch defender of women’s gram. been undertaken. Facing court orders to reas- into action. And to empower local groups to rights. Her replacement is expected to be Amy The organised left, despite being on the back semble hundreds of high speed sorting ma- take this battle into their local Labour and union Coney Barrett, a Catholic fundamentalist who foot, has an urgent job before this is all canned chines, DeJoy claimed that they’d already been branches, in a struggle against the Labour right once said “a legal career is but a means to an end, entirely; defend conference democracy. Be stripped for parts to improve or repair other ma- who would rather all Corbyn-era victories were and that end is building the kingdom of God.” So that within local CLPs, union and momentum chines. The evidence is in fact that the machines totally quashed. Momentum can and must bring much for the separation of church from state! branches, activists must start putting pressure on had gone to the scrap yards. together the grassroots campaigns and activists If Barrett is installed, the Roe v Wade judgement to stop any further retreats; and this applies at all Dejoy’s meddling is just one of several ways to build a programme to defend and expand protecting abortion rights will be under threat, as levels of our movement. Trump can nobble the vote. Heavily armed conference policy, ready for a clash at Labour’s will workers’ rights, minority rights, same-sex mar- Momentum — with around 25,000 members, Trump supporters might turn up in cavalcades 2021 conference, where without an organised riage, environmental protections, gun control, and by far the largest organisation on the Labour on Election Day in the big cities to suppress the presence the left could be routed. and affordable healthcare. Giving the Supreme left — has a job to do. Since its National Coordi- anti-Trump vote. Trump can instruct elements And in advance of that, the NCG must ensure Court a decisive right-wing majority also has cru- nating Group (NCG) elections ending on 1 July, of the state sympathetic to him, like the Federal that Momentum uses every opportunity it can to cial implications in the event the outcome of No- it has been positive steps towards some of the Marshals, to seize ballots he deems fraudulent. amplify struggles in line with conference policy, vember’s election is contested in the courts. pledges made by the victorious Forward Momen- Republican-controlled states could override the such as those demanding Labour Party support Creeping authoritarianism has been a distinct tum slate, but on the level of policy, the organisa- popular vote in their jurisdictions and send Trump for EU residents’ Right to Stay, and anti-racist, an- feature in a number of ostensibly bourgeois de- tion has been inadequately vocal. supporters to the Electoral College. ti-deportation battles such as the urgent one to mocracies in the past decade, particularly in East- On paper Forward Momentum supported “de- Chaos is in the offing, and even a potential Free Osime Brown, which sadly the organisation ern Europe. It now manifests itself in the USA with fending and building on the 2019 manifesto: a civil war. Trump is working for an anti-democratic has been silent on. We need the Momentum NCG a vengeance, with Trump as creep in chief. Green New Deal, […], repealing all anti-trade coup to establish an authoritarian white suprem- to come out swinging for grassroots activism, and His move on Ginsburg’s replacement is another union laws, advancing migrants’ rights, inter- acist regime. The left in America must mobilise to national solidarity, and more”. However in real- party democracy. □ sign that he is bunkering down to win a second term by fouler means than foul. Further outrages stop it by any means necessary. □ ity, Momentum’s main thrust has been towards • Abridged from the Momentum Internationalists winning a left NEC and now anti-evictions cam- against democratic norms, laws and conventions • More inside: pages 5, 8, 10-11. blog: bit.ly/19-mi are certain.

i workersliberty.org Meetings, events, campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings ii Solidarity Solidarity& Workers’ Liberty For a workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry TO CURB THE VIRUS: SOCIAL SOLIDARITY! STOP LABOUR basis: • Good isolation pay Covid-19 • Good and uncrowded housing, or at least pub- licly-provided quarantine By Martin Thomas SWING TO quarters ffective covid-distancing and • Public-health test-and- Evirus-curbing requires social trace, rather than the Tories’ solidarity. Serco mess comes soon, and focus on pro- In a socialist world, pandem- • Elderly care (in homes or tecting the most vulnerable. ics like Covid-19 would be less domiciliary) as a public service, As the epidemiologist Adam RIGHT likely, because there would be with a regular workforce on Kucharski has commented, fewer destructive irruptions into good union pay and conditions the “two different approaches environments of the sort that • Built-in extra capacity in the [could] end up with similar led to the virus leaping from healthcare and PPE-supply sys- outcomes” if followed through another species to humans. tem well. And when pandemics still • Emergency income support Protecting the elderly and happened, the social means to for all. Care for the worst-off, frail requires also slowing the curb them would be much am- like asylum-seeker detainees, virus among the younger and pler. the homeless, prisoners healthier, and that requires Defend 2019 Even in this capitalist world, • Workers’ monitoring of clear, stable, sustainable cov- ≫ countries with a greater ele- workplace safety id-distancing restrictions. ment of social solidarity — of • Politics which allow an in- Some escalation of Britain’s people looking out for each formed dialogue between second surge is inevitable; but conference wins other, of care for the worst-off scientists and the labour move- to the level of Spain now (aver- and vulnerable — have done ment and the wider population, age of over 100 deaths a day) is better than those where the “all rather than the Tories’ flounder- not inevitable, and to the level for me” spirit of the capitalist ing and bluster. of the UK in April (nearly 1000 market rules more unrestrain- None of those fixes deaths a day) even less so. ≫Democracy in the party edly. everything. Taken together, The world death rate is pla- There is more to it. Remote they make a big difference. teaued, and even in Europe islands can shield themselves. Scientists in Britain are now some countries have low and See page 2 Countries with high govern- openly at odds with each stable, or still-decreasing, death Make unions fight! ment surveillance of the popu- other. Some call for more curbs rates (Belgium, Denmark, Nor- ≫ Bail out uni Jobs or retraining Free Osime Saklatvala and lation have an “advantage”; so (mostly, closing pubs and cafés way, Finland, Sweden). have those with younger pop- and putting universities online; The labour movement must students! on full pay! Brown! Indian workers ulations; and there are many none call for closing schools). force the Tories onto the back Glasgow and other Sunak scheme won’t Falsely convicted and When an MP spoke other factors which science, as Some say we must recognise foot, and impose respect for so- students set rent strikes stop huge job cuts set to be deported up for the Empire’s yet, can mostly only guess at. that the virus is with us indefi- cial solidarity and for scientific oppressed But social measures create a nitely, even if a good vaccine debate in all its complexity. □ Page 3 Page 2 Page 9 Pages 12-13 No. 565, 30 September 2020 50p/£1 workersliberty.org No. 565, 30 September 2020 50p/£1 workersliberty.org