the www.socialistparty.org.uk Socialist 24-30 March 2011 Issue 663 Price: 70p (Solidarity: £2) Libya: no to western intervention

Build an independent movement of workers and youth! See page 2 Fight all cuts for a 24-hour public sector general strike

Join the demonstration: Assemble 11am, 26 March, Victoria Embankment between Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges. Come to the National Shop Stewards Network anti-cuts campaign stage at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park from 2.30pm. Speakers include general secretary of the FBU, Matt Wrack, president of the RMT, Alex Gordon and president of the PCS, Janice Godrich. POPO BoxBox 24697,24697, LondonLondon E11E11 1YD1YD  telephone:telephone: 020020 89888988 87778777  email:email:[email protected] [email protected] 2 news www.socialistparty.org.uk 24-30 March 2011 the Socialist the Socialist what we think The paper of the Socialist Party. Issue 663. The Socialist, PO Box 24697, London E11 1YD Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Published by Socialist Publications, printed by Newsfax International. ISSN 1366-9621 Libya: no to western military intervention Build an independent movement of workers and youth! The UN Security Council’s majority decision to impose a ‘no- fly zone’, while greeted with joy on the streets of Benghazi and Tobruk, was in no way intended to defend the Libyan revolution. As Robert Bechert, from the Committee for a Workers’ International, writes, the air strikes’ growing civilian toll is leading to increasing questioning of these attacks.

he longer this situation win support from the mass of the continues, the more ques- western population and rank and tioning and opposition will file soldiers while waging a revolu- develop. Already many are tionary war. This gave Gaddafi an disgustedT by the hypocrisy of gov- opportunity to regroup. ernments proclaiming their willing- The growth in support for a no- ness to defend Libyans while doing fly zone was a reversal of the senti- nothing when civilians are shot ment expressed in the English lan- down in Yemen or attacked in Gaza. guage posters put up in Benghazi in The western powers’ silence on February declaring “No to Foreign Saudi Arabian backing for the Bah- Intervention – Libyans can do it raini elite’s repression confirms, in by themselves!”. This followed the many people’s eyes, that what they wonderful examples of Tunisia and wish for in Libya is for that oil rich Egypt where sustained mass action country to also become a client completely undermined totalitarian state. regimes. Revolutionaries in Libya may think The Libyan opposition masses that this UN decision will help them, were confident that their momen- but they are mistaken. It is not a life- tum would secure victory. But, at line that could ‘save’ the revolution least partly due to the character of The fate of the revolution will be decided in Libya itself against Gaddafi. The major imperial- the opposition’s leadership, Gaddafi ist powers decided that they wanted was able to retain a grip in Tripoli, population, there has been a big have watched and supported the A programme for the Libyan revo- to exploit the revolution, gain control the largest city, of nearly 1.8 million. improvement in most Libyans’ lives, revolutions across the Middle East, lution that will genuinely benefit over its leadership and thus try to re- Gaddafi’s counter-offensive led to especially in education and health. will ask: ‘what can be done to genu- the mass of the population would place Gaddafi with a more reliable a change in attitude among the oppo- This is something which at least inely help the Libyan revolution in- be based on winning and defend- (for them and their interests) regime. sition towards foreign intervention. partly explains why Gaddafi still has ternationally?’ Firstly, there can be ing real democratic rights, an end to And they hoped that this demonstra- That allowed the largely pro-Western some basis of support amongst the no support for the no-fly zone and corruption and privilege, the safe- tion of their military power would ITNC to overcome youth opposition population. military intervention. It is not in the guarding and further development warn the Arab masses not to go ‘too to asking the West for aid. Unlike Egypt and Tunisia the interests of Libyan people. of the social gains made since the far’ in their revolutions. Now, if a stalemate develops and working class in Libya has not, so On its own the no-fly zone will not discovery of oil, opposition to any But it has already become clear Gaddafi remains in power in Tripo- far, begun to play an independent automatically lead to the overthrow form of re-colonisation and for a that the imperialist powers’ hope li, it could mean a de facto breakup role in the revolution. Furthermore of Gaddafi. In fact, like Saddam democratically controlled, publicly of a quick victory is disappearing. that goes back to the separate enti- many workers in Libya are migrants Hussein, he could entrench his po- owned economy planned to use the On the one hand, the forces around ties that existed before Italy first who have fled the country in recent sition for a time in those parts of the country’s resources for the future. Gaddafi, for the moment, appear created Libya after 1912 and Britain weeks. country that his regime controls, so The creation of an independent to be holding firm, while the rebel recreated it in the late 1940s. The absence of a national focal long as the intervention did not go movement of Libyan workers, poor forces seem unable to advance But, whatever effect this no-fly point which, for example, the Tuni- onto the offensive. and youth that could implement around the Gulf of Sirte, let alone zone and military intervention have, sian UGTT trade union federation However, the growing unofficial such a real revolutionary transfor- towards Tripoli. any trust placed in either the UN or provided (despite its pro-Ben Ali calls for ‘regime change’ show that mation of the country is the only way This is the background to the the imperialist powers threatens to national leadership), complicated sections of the imperialist powers to thwart the imperialists’ plans, end growing tensions between the at- undermine all the genuine hopes the situation in Libya. The huge rev- are looking to use their intervention dictatorship and transform the lives tacking powers, especially the ar- and aspirations of the revolution olutionary enthusiasm of the popu- to create a client regime that will, of the mass of the people. guments over who is controlling that began in February. lation has not, so far, been given an they hope, extinguish the fires of see www.socialistworld.net the operation, whether or not Nato Until recently these Western independent organised expression. revolution, at least in Libya. should be involved and over what powers were quite happy to deal Now, in addition to anti-imperial- Those on the left who argue that their overall aim should be. Some with, and pander to, the murderous ist rhetoric, Gaddafi has made con- ‘there is no realistic alternative’ to fear that they may get involved in Gaddafi clique in order to maintain cessions to maintain support. Each stop Gaddafi’s attacks are precisely a ground war, or that the country a partnership, especially in oil and family has been given the equivalent ignoring what happened in Tuni- SocialismToday could break up. gas. The day after the UN took its of $450. Some public sector workers sia and Egypt, namely that a deter- decision, the Murdoch-owned Wall have been given 150% wage increas- mined mass movement of the work- Street Journal lamented that: “the es and taxes and customs duties on ing masses and youth can overthrow Movement stalled close partnership between the Liby- food have been abolished. a dictatorship. A broad mobilisation The stalling of the revolution is an leader Colonel Muammar Gadd- But these steps do not wipe away of Benghazi’s one million plus pop- symbolised by the weakness of the afi’s intelligence service and the CIA all that has happened over the past ulation could have blocked Gadd- self-appointed leadership of the In- has been severed” (18/3/2011). years. Furthermore they do not an- afi’s small forces. terim Transitional National Coun- Now imperialism is trying to re- swer the demands for real demo- Active opposition to this imperi- cil (ITNC) which is dominated by furbish its ‘democratic’ image while cratic rights or an end to the growing alist attack and solidarity with the recent defectors from Gaddafi and working to help install a more ‘reli- frustration of Libya’s youthful popu- Libyan workers and youth needs to pro-capitalist elements. This body able’ regime in Libya, or at least a lation (average age of 24) against the be organised. Trade unions inter- seems incapable of appealing to the part of Libya. Libya, with its huge regime’s corruption and suffocating nationally need to block the export masses in western Libya and is in- oil reserves, is a special prize as its grip. of Libyan oil and gas. Bank workers The Socialist Party’s magazine creasingly relying on the imperialist small population and its geography Gaddafi’s use of the threat of im- should organise the freezing of all April 2011 issue includes: powers for aid. make it easier to exploit. perialist intervention to divide the the Gaddafi regime’s financial- as While the intervention in Libya country did gather some support. sets. l No Cuts! What next after initially beat back an attack on Now it may gain more if the coun- 26 March? Benghazi, it is clear that the attack- Role of the working class try does actually become divided, l Nuclear disaster in Japan ing powers, with their growing calls Gaddafi’s first reaction to this year’s especially if the air attacks continue Revolutionary programme l Socialists in the Irish for Gaddafi’s removal, are already dramatic revolutionary events was and widen out to civilian targets, as The fate of the revolution will be parliament starting to try to shape the character to side with the dictatorial, corrupt happened in Serbia in 1999. decided inside Libya. Its victory re- of any post-Gaddafi Libya. autocrats. Just after Ben Ali fled from Gaddafi’s promise that, “If needs quires a programme that can cut The regime was able to mount a Tunisia, Gaddafi told Tunisians that be, we will open all the arsenals”, in- across tribal and regional divisions £2.50 including postage from: counter-attack because the upris- they had “suffered a great loss” be- dicates that he can attempt to rest on and unite the mass of the popula- Socialism Today PO Box 24697, ing’s initial drive towards the west, cause “there is none better than anti-colonial feelings or simply try to tion against the Gaddafi clique and London E11 1YD. where two-thirds of Libyans live, Ben Ali to govern”. Perhaps reveal- threaten imperialism that it’s ‘me or in the struggle for a better future. was not based on a clear revolution- ing how he viewed his own future, chaos’. Gaddafi will try to make sure There can be no support for the socialismtoday ary appeal. Despite popular support Gaddafi added that he had hoped he or his family keeps hold of the imperialist intervention, despite its @socialistparty.org.uk in the east, there was no organised that Ben Ali would rule “for life”. reins of power, but impending de- UN colouring. The Libyan working www.socialismtoday.org mass movement, built upon popu- Nevertheless, it cannot be ig- feat could persuade more of his top masses and youth should show no lar, democratic committees that nored that, since 1969, on the basis officials to jump ship and join the trust whatsoever in the so-called 020 8988 8773 could offer a clear programme to of a large oil income and a small INTC. Internationally millions, who democratic Western powers.

Have you got news for us? Phone us on 020 8988 8777 [email protected] fax: 020 8988 8787. editor Sarah Sachs-Eldridge, news/international news Dave Carr, letters/reviews Roger Shrives, workplace news Alison Hill, campaigns/party news Bob Severn, youth news/sales Sarah Wrack, photographer Paul Mattsson. Deadline: Friday before publication date. Urgent news - Monday the Socialist 24-30 March 2011 www.socialistparty.org.uk news 3

Government health ‘reforms’ Fast news

The Con-Dems’ future doesn’t work Mail closures Royal Mail bosses plan to axe another 1,700 jobs and close two Tens of thousands of health workers’ jobs are being axed by mail centres – Nine Elms Lane and NHS trusts. This is a result of billions of pounds of ‘efficiency Bromley-by-Bow - in London. The savings’ initiated by the previous Labour government and projected job losses are on top of carried on with a vengeance by the Con-Dem coalition. These the 65,000 posts the company has shed since 2002. spending cuts are also leading to the closures of wards and The closures are the first tranche A&E departments in hospitals. of cuts that will result in half The drive to convert all NHS hospitals to ‘Foundation Trust’ the country’s mail centres being status – again, initiated by the last Labour government – will closed by 2016 unless stopped cement the NHS’s ‘internal market’ (in which private health by workers’ action. The closures announcement follows on from the care companies now have a significant stake) and accelerate Con-Dems’ decision to privatise cutbacks and closures. Royal Mail later this year or next. On top of this assault on the NHS comes the latest health Clearly Royal Mail bosses, with the ‘reform’ plans of the government in its misnamed white paper: government’s blessing, are cutting ‘Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS’. Its envisaged costs to make the company appear more profitable to potential buyers. changes will effectively hand over the bulk of the health budget The Communications Workers to privately run corporations whose profit-driven motive will Union (CWU) says the closures will result in further cutbacks and the break-up of the NHS as we mean compulsory redundancies know it. and flies in the face of national However, the government will face enormous opposition from agreements between the CWU and NHS workers, trade unions, and the wider community in trying Royal Mail. to implement this privatisation programme. Growing anger will greet Con-Dem attacks on the NHS photo A.Hill

Rob Rooney country to transfer to a social enter- Already, custody nurses have gone set to transfer) Unison had a staff prise in June 2010. over to a private company; the survey with 1,100 responses, all Yemen crisis She explained that staff were award-winning sexual health serv- saying ‘no’. The strategic health au- The regime of Yemen’s belea- Plymouth health workers have been constantly told there was nothing ice is rumoured to be next. “If it’s thority (SHA) has no survey at all of guered president Ali Abdullah treated to a glimpse of their future – to worry about, that they wouldn’t not profitable, if it costs too much public opinion. Saleh is nearing collapse and privatised or disappearing services notice the difference. “We thought in staff or you can’t easily see how it Plymouth Unison full-time offic- civil war amidst continuing state for patients and worse terms and ‘we’ve had three changes of name makes money, cuts will be made.” er, Claire Jones, said the plan is for orchestrated violence against conditions for staff. and three changes of people in Staff treating drug and alcohol- PCT staff to be registered as a “com- street protests that led to at least Unelected, unaccountable health seven years, this is just another re- affected patients have been told it’s munity interest company” from 1 45 demonstrators being shot dead bosses were due to meet on 17 structure’. Then slowly people real- too expensive to stock bandages. April. Staff will be issued with new by plain clothes police firing from March to rubber-stamp their deci- ised ‘Oh my God, this is really dif- There has been expansion in one fixed-term contracts but Claire said rooftops in the capital, Sanaa on sion to turn 1,984 Plymouth prima- ferent’ .” direction - a smart new finance they will not be worth the paper 18 March. ry care trust (PCT) employees over The limited safeguards negotiat- suite, housing an expanded human they are written on. Unison has ob- In a desperate bid to retain power to a ‘social enterprise’. ed under Agenda for Change, such resources staff, who are looking at tained a letter from the Department Saleh has dismissed his govern- Recently, a meeting of approxi- as annualised hours, soon went and existing terms and conditions and of Health which confirms this. ment but continues to see support mately 60 members of Unison the number of disciplinary hearings policies. “You will not be able to enforce from his close allies haemorrhage. Plymouth Community NHS Trust went through the roof. Health bosses have ignored the it – services will be market-tested The latest defection is army chief branch heard a health worker from The health worker warned: opinions of staff and have not con- and opened up to the private sector. General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar who Hull, tell of her experience since “Don’t think your contracts will sulted with the public. In the South Make no mistake, it’s not the NHS now claims to back the opposition! Hull PCT became the first in the be protected because they won’t.” West (where there are seven PCTs any more.” Army tanks are now positioned outside the presidential palace, central bank and key ministry buildings. Saleh, who has ruled for 32 years, has said he will defend EDL thugs threaten socialists Pickles wages war on services his regime “with every drop of blood”. Elaine Brunskill But his days could be numbered By a Unison member clusion of 37 adult social care duties after a month of continuous that support disabled people and protests from demonstrators Our Socialist Party campaigning ac- family carers in the Bill. Particu- demanding democratic and social tivity at Newcastle’s Monument was Tory communities secretary Eric larly the duty under section 2 of the reforms. He also faces a separatist going well on Saturday 19 March. Pickles has declared war on what he Chronically Sick and Disabled Per- movement in the south as well as One of us was dressed up as a ‘bank- calls councils’ ‘barmy rules and reg- sons Act 1970 (CSDPA) to provide trying to suppress Shia tribes in er in need’, thanking people for the ulations’ by conducting a ‘review’ of services to disabled people in order the north. billions handed over in bonuses. We the 1,294 statutory duties placed on to meet their needs. had loads of people coming up to local authorities. Although this duty has been sig- our stall, signing our petition, buy- Most of these arise from Acts of nificantly weakened by central gov- ing our paper. Then suddenly we Parliament and cover areas such as ernment underfunding of councils were surrounded by around 60 Eng- housing, social care, fire and rescue, over 30 years, and House of Lords lish Defence League (EDL) thugs. town planning, local democracy judgements which allow councils to Fast-tracking the rich It seemed as if they had a regional and finance, environmental health consider their financial position, it is Immigration minister Damian mobilisation. and so on. still the foundation stone for the so- Green has made it easier for Initially, they tried to put their EDL thugs photo Paul Mattsson Pickles knows that removing cial services relied on by hundreds oligarchs and the super-rich from racist material on our stall, we threw many of these statutory duties is a of thousands. abroad to fast-track settlement it off. We asked them why they were was met by shouts of “scum, scum, prerequisite for the mass closure The Labour peer Alf Morris who in the UK. Those who invest £5 targeting our stall, we were fighting scum”. While this was going on peo- or privatisation of council services. wrote the CSDPA has promised to million in government bonds will the cuts and opposing the massive ple were still approaching our stall, Closure would leave most local au- fight ‘tooth and nail’ to save this be allowed to settle here after bonuses being given to the bankers. telling us they thought the EDL were thorities with a few hundred staff duty. But without mass pressure he three years, and those investing One of them shouted they didn’t a disgrace. carrying out commissioning ac- is unlikely to find much of an echo £10 million or more will be mind bankers getting bonuses, as One of the police who was present tivities or monitoring the much re- in his own party. allowed to settle after two years. long as they were English! posed smiling with the EDL. When I duced statutory duties that remain. It was New Labour that intro- This compares with the current We were joined by another left criticised her for doing this she told The Tory/Liberal coalition is al- duced the 2003 Fair Access to Care minimum five-year requirement. group, and a passer-by who stood in me she often had her photograph ready preparing the ground for this Services policy with differing levels “Entrepreneurs and investors front of our stall to help us defend it. taken with tourists and young peo- with their ‘Big Society’ Decentrali- of eligibility which has just been can play a major part in our We decided to continue campaign- ple at the Monument and could see sation and Localism Bill that will used by Birmingham council to jus- economic recovery, and I want ing and not leave the EDL unop- nothing wrong with what she had introduce a general power of com- tify ending services to 4,100 disabled to do everything I can to ensure posed to peddle their reactionary done! petence. The Bill is already at the and older people. that Britain remains an attractive filth to the people of Newcastle. The EDL at the Monument report stage in the House of Com- And Gordon Brown’s government destination for them”, said Green. During a period of a couple of seemed intent on having a celebra- mons. Local authorities will be able supported a Law Commission re- Clearly these are the type of hours we were verbally abused. One tion of ignorance. They were anti- to act in any way they see fit provid- view that has now recommended a people the Tories see as priority of our young female members was trade unionist, anti-student and ed it falls within the law. For exam- single law for adult social care that immigrants. Not those who labour completely surrounded by them. anti-working class. ple, community groups assuming would replace the already weak- in the fields picking fruit, nor those I was told that I was a coward. I For decades the Monument in control of services that would oth- ened duty in the CSDPA with a much who care for our elderly on the replied that maybe it wasn’t so very Newcastle has been where trade erwise close, the merger of essential weaker ‘statement of principles’. minimum wage but the very group brave of him to be shouting at a 50+ unionists, community activists and services across council boundaries Unless Pickles’s war on councils of super-rich people - speculators year old woman. I was also covered socialists have had Saturday stalls. and alternative ways of funding lo- is stopped, local government will and oligarchs - who were key in in EDL stickers and told they were The EDL will face a mobilisation of cal government such as invest-to- change beyond all recognition, and wrecking the economy two years going to ‘smash socialists’. local trade union members and oth- save bonds. disabled and older people, their earlier! A young person passing by car- er lefts if they try to bring their bully How far Pickles, Clegg and Cam- families and millions of others will rying a pro-uprising Libyan flag tactics back again. eron could go is illustrated by the in- face a very bleak future. 4 Workplace www.socialistparty.org.uk 24-30 March 2011 the Socialist Construction workers fight lockout

Alistair Tice contract. The dispute will now be escalated and the mass meeting agreed to call 400 engineering construction work- for national strike action throughout ers have been locked out from work the industry to begin on 22 March in since 14 March at BP Saltend near solidarity with these workers and Hull. They were told by managers to defend the national agreement. that the contract of their company, They are also calling for a national Redhall, was terminated by Vivergo mobilisation for a demonstration at that runs the new bio-ethanol plant BP Saltend on 28 March. there. Keith Gibson, from the Lock-Out On 2 March, these same work- committee, said in a personal capac- ers took unofficial strike action and ity: “This lock-out represents a tear- blockaded the BP site gates to win a ing up of the NAECI agreement and victory, forcing Redhall to abide by if not resisted, will give the green the national industry agreement over light to other employers to do the redundancy procedures (NAECI). same on other sites and jobs. Then On 14 March police were there in the Blue Book would be a worthless force, which means that the compa- bit of paper. ny must have tipped them off. And a “Therefore our fight is for every prepared letter was handed to work- construction worker in the country. ers urging them to “go home peace- Solidarity strike action defeated the fully... and return the next day ready employers at LOR in 2009, we can for work”. achieve that again!” Workers returned on Tuesday to • Messages of support to Keith be told they were locked out. Elec- Gibson: [email protected]. tricians and scaffolders working for co.uk or 077431 35183 two other contractors have been • Stop press. stood down and will be paid 38 At the Westburton power station hours this week as per the NAECI construction site in Nottingham- Blue Book. Construction workers at Lindsey oil refinery strike to defend the NAECI agreement photo Sean Figg shire on 22 March, 200 workers re- But Redhall workers have been fused to go into work. They joined promised nothing and will only be then they will try it everywhere. strike leader Keith Gibson. jected. It was not seen as satisfacto- the demonstration by the Saltend paid 38 hours for 46 hours of work! This dispute is as important as the At a mass meeting of 400 locked- ry in compensating for loss of earn- workers who had travelled down to This is a lock-out and a tearing Lindsey Oil Refinery (LOR) strikes in out Redhall workers at Saltend on ings and severance and crucially it seek support. At 9am a mass meet- up of the national agreement. If the 2009. Redhall’s workers have set up 21 March, the company’s offer of did not ensure any TUPE (transfer) ing voted to join the mass picket at bosses can get away with this here, a strike committee including LOR £3,000 each was unanimously re- rights or future employment on this Saltend on 28 March. Trade union victory Stopping the cuts over anti-strike laws with the NSSN Alex Gordon Rob Williams help in getting them to organise President RMT NSSN anti-cuts convenor the 26 March demo – even though it’s taken them six months! From the beginning, our sup- On 4 March, the Court of Appeal The National Shop Stewards Net- porters have played a leading role handed down definitive judgements work (NSSN) is at the forefront of in setting up local anti-cuts cam- in two important industrial action the battle against the Con-Dem paigns. To aid our anti-cuts work, cases. cuts. The NSSN was initiated by in January, at a conference of 600 In both Aslef v London Midland the transport union RMT in 2006 trade unionists, community cam- and in RMT v Serco Docklands Light so that rank and file trade union- paigners and young people, the Railway, High Court judges had pre- ists could organise together across NSSN launched its anti-cuts cam- viously granted injunctions banning the union movement and ensure paign with a majority trade union- strike action after finding union that workers in struggle would be ist committee which includes RMT strike notices “defective” and union supported. president Alex Gordon. explanations about their member- This role was important in 2009, We are working with the other ship data “inadequate”. when workers in the private sector national anti-cuts organisations The superior court has now over- fought a series of disputes at the but have insisted that we must turned those injunctions and com- Lindsey Oil Refinery, the Visteon fight ALL the cuts, including those prehensively disposed of arguments and Linamar car plants and the of Labour councils, who shame- originally used in the High Court. Vestas wind turbine factory. fully have passed on the cuts. Now Government policies threaten to Now it’s the turn of all workers, we must fight the implementation destroy up to 750,000 public sector their families and communities as of these cuts – library by library if jobs and an estimated 900,000 pri- Lobbying parliament against the anti-union laws photo Suzanne Beishon the Con-Dems look to make us pay necessary. vate sector jobs through cuts and the price for the bankers’ crisis to The NSSN has a unique role to outsourcing, while attacking wages, Court’s ruling are significant and tion further restricting the right to the tune of £81 billion! They want play in that we believe that the pensions and public services. De- immediate. While employers will strike. There may be an attempt to to take us back 70 years by deci- organised trade union movement mands for trade unions to lead a continue to apply for injunctions extend the ‘proportionality’ con- mating the NHS, education, public has the power to stop Cameron fightback are growing, so the effect against strike action on spurious cept, which has been imported from services and the welfare state. and Clegg’s cuts. But the TUC of this Appeal Court judgement is and vexatious grounds, many of the European law in a number of recent The NSSN has played a key role demo can’t be the end – instead potentially explosive. avenues used in recent years which cases. This gives judges power to de- in the growing anti-cuts move- it should be used to give a lead RMT general secretary, Bob relied on legal hair-splitting and nit- cide what forms of action (if any) are ment by lobbying the TUC last to all those young and old, inside Crow, described the judgment as: picking trivia are now closed. appropriate in lawful industrial dis- September to call a national dem- and outside the trade union move- “not only a victory for staff on Serco Common law recognises no right putes, something not even Thatch- onstration against the cuts and ini- ment, to coordinate national strike Docklands and RMT’s 80,000 mem- to strike in Britain, however the er’s anti-union laws achieved. tiating marches in London, Bristol, action to defeat the Con-Dems bers but also a massive victory for Appeal Court confirmed that inter- For workers facing the onslaught Cardiff, etc on 23 October . and their cuts. seven million trade unionists in the national law does confer a right to of European Union and UK govern- We think that our pressure did • www.stopcuts.net UK.” strike under International Labour ment austerity policies, the lessons In the London Midland case, the Organisation Conventions 98 and are clear. The successful legal appeal union mistakenly sent ballot papers 151. In addition, the European Con- by Aslef and RMT allows trade un- to two members not entitled to vote vention on Human Rights upholds ions to fight back using strike action Industrial news in brief - out of 604 balloted, 86% voted to the right to strike as an element of to defend jobs and services. strike. But this was sufficient for the Article 11(1) on freedom of associa- The policy of coordinated strike College strikes day of strike action in post-16 education High Court to grant its injunction. tion. action to defeat austerity cuts agreed University lecturers and support staff at on 24 March on cuts to pensions, jobs The Appeal Court ruled that this In a further case, RMT is taking at last year’s TUC conference can Cardiff University, Swansea University, and pay. Employers continue to reject should have been dealt with as a the British government to the Eu- now be a practical reality. Aberystwyth University, Trinity-St David the UCU’s offers of negotiation or ACAS- small accidental failure. Similarly, ropean Court of Human Rights for As cuts start to bite in 2011, trade and Bangor University went on strike led mediation to end the dispute. the Appeal Court said the union’s breaching international law through unions need to plan for a strike on 18 March as part of rolling action Edmund Schluessel, Cardiff explanation of its membership data prohibiting the right to take sympa- movement - generalised strike ac- called by the University and College Un- University UCU, personal capacity was simply for employers “to under- thetic (or solidarity) action banned tion to defend trade union mem- ion (UCU). stand something about the reliabil- as ‘secondary action’ by the Tory bers, their families and communi- This was part of a series of rolling May Day Greetings ity of the data supplied. Something, government in 1980. ties from the impact of government strikes around the United Kingdom on Celebrate international workers’ day but not necessarily very much”. It is likely the Tory/Lib Dem gov- policies. There are now fewer legal pension cuts, building up to a UK-wide with May Day greetings. See page 14 The implications of the Appeal ernment will propose new legisla- impediments to doing so. the Socialist 24-30 March 2011 www.socialistparty.org.uk YOUTH 5

Join Youth Fight for Jobs! No education cuts: Youth Fight for Jobs was launched at a national conference in Novem- ber 2008 to fight back against the way young people are being made to pay the price for the bankers’ crisis. The campaign fights against all cuts We can win the battle! and for free education and training leading to socially useful jobs with decent pay and conditions. Six national trade unions – Unite, PCS, UCU, Bectu, CWU, RMT – as well as many local branches and student unions Ben Robinson support the campaign. As well as hundreds of local meetings, protests and demonstrations, the national events we have organised include:

Not content with pushing through 2 April 2009: 600 march to G20 a trebling of university fees and As its first national event, Youth Fight for Jobs organised a march of 600 cutting EMA, this government is young people as part of the protests around the pro-big business G20 planning to cut £1 of every £8 it con- summit. We marched through four of the poorest London boroughs to a tributes to teaching and research in rally outside the G20 meeting at the Excel Centre in east London. higher education in England - a to- tal of £940 million. Our schools and colleges are un- der attack too. In further education, 20,000 jobs could go because of the government’s cut backs. All universities bar one are set to have their teaching funds slashed savagely. Poorer universities will be hit the hardest. London Metropoli- tan University, recently threatened with bankruptcy, is facing a 7.6% cut in its budget. If these cuts go through courses will close, fees and class sizes will Students protest in London in November photo Senan increase, and services will be cut. But not if we resist. show management how much re- ther. A mass anti-cuts movement The fantastic movement against sistance these cuts will meet. could win its restoration. fees and cuts last year showed the Already, Glasgow University has YFE demands that the govern- potential that exists to fight back. seen 2,000 march and students at ment reverses the cuts in educa- The mass movement beat the Welsh Liverpool University have occupied tion, restores EMA and repeals sky- “Gordon Brown, stop the rot! Give us what the bankers got!” Assembly and Scottish Parliament to stop management meetings tak- high university fees. But to achieve photo Paul Mattsson into retreats and brought this ‘coali- ing place. This resistance has to be this a mass and sustained cam- tion of cutters’ to within 22 votes of linked to a campaign to inform and paign is needed. Further national defeat. involve other students. What serv- days of action must be organised. 28 November 2009: 1,000 march for real jobs and free Academic staff in colleges and ices are faced with cuts? Is your lec- They have the potential to be bigger education universities, organised in the UCU turer threatened with the sack? and bolder even than the protests Students and young people from around the country, including contin- union, have taken strike action. This University managements have last winter. gents from Day-Mer Youth, Cypriot Youth Platform and Tamil Solidarity, action brought many places to a halt been and can be forced back. Many With both the National Union of marched and delivered a petition of 10,000 signatures to 10 Downing and was supported by Youth Fight universities regularly go into debt Teachers (NUT) in the schools and Street. for Education (YFE) and many stu- temporarily on the basis that they sixth forms and the UCU discussing dent activists on the picket lines. will receive increased income in the coordinated strike action, there is The massive 26 March demon- future. the potential for staff to link up with stration will see students and work- Students and staff must raise the students and have a one-day educa- ers marching side by side against all demand that universities set a budg- tion shutdown. the cuts. et based on no fees increase and no We need a national student move- Universities are setting out plans cuts. Just one university following ment that brings together repre- for implementing the cuts. Oxford, this route would strike a serious sentatives from the anti-cuts groups Cambridge, Exeter and more are blow to the government’s plans for that exist and will spring up across looking to charge the full £9,000 a higher education. Ten would throw the country. This is urgent in order year. The student movement has a them into chaos. to build a united, coherent fightback clear opportunity to respond and The battle is not lost on EMA ei- with the power to defeat the cuts. Young people and staff protest against Connexions closure “Students and workers, Unite and fight!”photo Sarah Mayo

Tom Jousselin Lewisham Socialist Party 13 March 2010: 500 march in Barking for jobs and services not racism Marching past services and public buildings being closed we highlight- With 36% of 16-24 year olds unem- ed that it was the failure of any mainstream politicians to address the ployed, Lewisham, South London, problems facing ordinary people in the area that allowed the far-right has one of the worst youth unem- racist BNP to gain votes in Barking and Dagenham. ployment rates in the country. De- spite this, New Labour Mayor Steve Bullock has decided to completely withdraw funding for Lewisham Connexions - a service that gives advice on everything from unem- ployment to housing to people aged between 13 and 19. On the day that Connexions was scheduled to be shut, 30 service us- ers and staff members protested to Outside Lewisham Connexions photo Paul Mattsson show opposition to the council’s plan. With slogans calling for the unity of workers and students, it The staff have been treated appall- to help young people, through un- gained a lot of attention from pas- ingly. One employee explained that employed centres for example, with sers-by and gave many young peo- they simply have no idea whether or advice on jobs and to link it to the ple their first experience of action to not they will be made redundant. trade union movement and the wid- fight the cuts. Connexions workers have not offi- er fight for decent jobs for all. Miriam Brown, a protester and cially been sacked but are instead in But the services by themselves service user, said that she always a state of limbo. Employees who have will not solve the problem of youth found the service very useful and been delivering frontline services for unemployment. Councils and the “When the BNP tell racist lies, We fight back and organise!” had grown very attached to staff over 20 years and are known by young government should be funding serv- photo Paul Mattsson members. Shocked at the removal people across the borough for their ices to create work and keep people of this service, Miriam sent an re- work may simply not have a job. off the dole queue. See www.youtube.com/youthfightforjobs for videos of all these ply directly to the mayor of Lewi- If local councils and the govern- The government’s token gesture events. sham, but received only a very ment care about the future of young of creating 50,000 apprenticeships www.youthfightforjobs.com brief reply from his personal as- people at all, these services must be is far from what’s needed to help the 0208 558 7947 sistant, showing the disdain that kept open. There is also a pressing 974,000 unemployed young people Follow on twitter @yffj he has for all of us! need for the trade union movement across the country. [email protected] 6 Feature www.socialistparty.org.uk 26 March special issue the Socialist the Socialist 26 March special issue www.socialistparty.org.uk Feature 7 We can stop the cuts! Nobody, apart from the super-rich, can hope to avoid the impact of the defences, help for rough sleepers, highways maintenance, hospitals, housing government’s brutal attacks. Across these two pages HANNAH SELL, Socialist benefit, housing repair budgets, social rents, tuition fees, leisure centres, Party deputy general secretary, sets out a strategy for defeating the Con-Dems’ libraries, magistrates courts, museums, music teaching grants, national cuts. parks staffing, passport service, pest control, police budgets, public toilets, Just some of the many services that would be affected by cuts: adult education, refugee council, school buildings, school crossing patrols, sheltered housing, benefits for the disabled, bus services, CAB, children’s services, coastguard street cleaning, swimming pools, theatres, waste collection, youth services. services, domestic violence services, ESOL, EMA, fire services, flood But they can be stopped!

f this government gets away with it, the clock of history will be unwound with levels of pov- erty returning to those of the 1930s.I But it will not get away with it. This government is deluded if it imagines it will be able to carry out its programme without meeting an avalanche of opposition. Before Christmas, we saw the magnificent student movement, the biggest for 25 years. The students in- spired workers, but there are many who are not yet sure how cuts in jobs and services can be defeated. Nonetheless, the majority oppose cuts. The latest opinion polls show that only 34% of people believe cut- backs are necessary. A huge dem- onstration on 26 March can be the start of a mighty movement that can defeat this government. The government is trying to cow the working class by the sheer scale of its butchery. Two thirds of pub- lic sector bodies are reported to be shedding jobs. Every week a new slaughter of public services is an- nounced. A massive national demonstration can give workers confidence that they are part of a powerful movement against cuts. photo Paul Mattsson

‘Plan B’ Yet, like the Wizard of Oz, behind the curtain of shock and awe, a very No to the anti-trade union laws weak coalition government, trailing For a 24-hour public in the polls, is pulling the strings. We have the most repressive anti- We are not in favour of taking Chancellor George Osborne’s dec- trade union laws in Europe, intro- unnecessary risks with the trade laration that there is no ‘plan B’ has duced by the last Tory government unions’ resources and funds. How- never been more than propaganda. With the right strategy our movement can be successful photo Socialist Party and maintained by New Labour. ever, such is the severity of the It is clear that the government has sector general strike! However, this is not enough for the cuts that action is essential. The no choice but to have a plan B in re- shown that it is capable of retreat. In These are not major retreats, but us unpopular. It will make me un- filings by a mass movement of 18 Con-Dems, who dream of following oil refinery constructions work- serve as the Financial Times edito- one week in February it delayed the they give a glimpse of how scared popular.” million people refusing to pay the the Republican Governor of Wis- ers’ strikes in 2009 and again at rial put it on 3 February: “Given the plans to privatise Britain’s forests, the government is of potential op- It already has! Some opinion polls flat rate tax (poll tax) that her- gov n 2010 workers across southern ised? Every part of the public sector Mid-week demonstration consin, in the US, and attempting Saltend this year show that if a uncertainties, the government may continued the threatened funding position. Prime minister David now show Cameron as being as ernment had introduced. Europe took generalised strike is affected by the cuts. In most cases Unfortunately, however, the big- to completely destroy trade union strike is powerful enough it is very have to adjust its plans in the light of debt counsellors for a year, and Cameron has had to admit openly hated as Maggie Thatcher, the ‘Iron That movement ended the tax action in order to try to stop the strike action is going to be needed to gest public sector unions have not rights. difficult to use the anti-union laws of events. To refuse to do so would demagogically warned universities that: “It is not possible to make Lady’, was at her most unpopular. and brought down Thatcher (see savage cuts being inflicted on stop cuts. yet made any proposals to ballot on But the US working class has re- against it. The battle for the right be irrational.” against charging the £9,000 a year those cuts without cutting some The Con-Dems are far weaker page 12). Today again, with the right theirI living standards. Spain, Italy, While local action and action by in- pensions. Some of them, at least, are sponded with an enormous move- to organise effective trade unions, In the face of mass outrage, the fees, introduced by the very same things that are important. It will than Thatcher’s governments. Yet strategy, our movement can be suc- Portugal, France and Greece have dividual trade unions cannot be de- arguing that no strike action should ment – of trade unionists and non- is an essential part of the struggle Tory/Liberal coalition has already government just two months before. not make us popular. It will make the Iron Lady was reduced to iron cessful. all seen mass strike movements. In layed until we get generalised strike be organised before September, organised workers and students to stop the cuts. This must include Greece there have been eight general action, there is no objective reason when the government finalises its – in defence of workers’ rights. On the right of all workers to join trade strikes over the last year. why trade union leaders cannot dis- attacks on pensions. But we should 12 March up to 200,000 marched unions and to go on strike, includ- Here in Britain we are facing at- cuss together in order to set a date on not wait. in Madison, capital of Wisconsin, a ing the prison officers, who are tacks on a similar scale. In response which everyone plans to come out. Whenever the first public sector state of less than six million people. currently denied the right to legally the TUC congress last year agreed to This would be a significant step to- union takes national strike action In Britain we have to be pre- strike, and the police, who cannot Oppose all cuts! Organise, demonstrate, occupy! support “coordinated strike action” wards a 24-hour general strike. there should be a national mid- pared for the likelihood that the even form a trade union. against the cuts. The demo on 26 week demonstration against cuts courts would be used to sabotage The growing opposition to the United we are strong, divided we by Labour councils, who are March needs to be the launch pad for and attacks on pensions – so that such a strike by finding, for exam- cuts, as the reality of what they will will be defeated. The government willingly wielding the axes handed Step up the community campaigns such coordinated strike action, for a Pensions workers from across the public sec- ple, something spurious with one entail bites, means that any strike knows that and is desperate to to them by the government. ost campaigns to save are already threatening to occupy are essential and inevitable, but to 24-hour public sector general strike. The attack on pensions is clearly an tor can show their support for strike or more union’s democratic ballot against cuts could win enormous divide us – public sector from Across the country hundreds of local services rightly their local pool to prevent it closing. maximise their effectiveness they A massive national demonstration over-arching issue around which action. This could also increase the in order to try and stop everyone support from workers and young private sector, old from young, local town or citywide anti-cuts start with petitions Many similar campaigns will devel- need to be linked to building a mass can give workers confidence that unions can coordinate strike action, pressure on other public sector un- striking on the same day. people. benefit claimants from everyone campaigns have already been and meetings. To win, op. Rent strikes will also be on the movement against the cuts in gener- they are not alone but are part of a although this does not preclude also ions to build for a one-day public The government is terrified of the In reality, if several public sector else, and so on. founded. They have organised Mhowever, usually requires further cards as housing benefit is cut and al and in particular to the enormous powerful movement against cuts. coordinating action against other sector strike. prospect of coordinated strike action unions defied the anti-trade un- To avoid the government’s trap, numerous local demonstrations action. social housing rents increase. potential power of the organised A public sector general strike, even aspects of the cuts. The civil serv- Such a strike should also appeal over pensions, and it is preparing ion laws, in the context of a public and build a united movement, it and lobbies of councils. There have already been local ex- A mighty struggle to defend the working class in the trade unions. a partial one, would do even more ants’ union, PCS, is discussing bal- to those in the private sector to join for battle – even setting up a ‘war sector general strike, and with the is vital that we oppose ALL cuts in The 26 March demo will give the amples of community campaigns NHS is required. A movement of to raise confidence and prepare the loting for action on pensions to take who will be affected by the switch quango’ to combat strike action. other unions promising solidar- jobs and services. anti-cuts movement oxygen and succeeding, such as hospital cam- benefit claimants is urgently need- ground for an all-out 24-hour gen- place in May or June. from Retail Prices Index (RPI) to We must be equally determined. We ity action in the case of any legal If we fall into the confidence. This is an opportunity paigners in Redbridge, London, ed, as the vicious cuts literally drive Strike action eral strike. The NUT and UCU are also- dis Consumer Price Index (CPI, which need to build a movement so power- threats against them, the govern- trap of accepting to further strengthen local who, by demonstrating and cam- those worst affected to despair. Ac- Brendan Barber, general secretary Even more than is the case in cussing action before the summer. doesn’t include housing costs). This ful that they think twice before using ment would be powerless to stop pay cuts on the campaigns which can paigning, have forced the local trust cording to the Disability Alliance of the trade union leadership body southern Europe, where general To have these three unions – one alone will mean pensions being the anti-union laws and, if they do, them and, in the process, the anti- spurious grounds bring together the to back off – at least for now – from nearly one in ten of those claiming (TUC), has said that “the days of strikes are more frequent, it would million workers - strike together over cut by up to 25% over time, hitting the movement is strong enough to trade union laws would be broken that they will stop different parts of the closing their local A&E department. the threatened Disability Living Al- protests being solely about unions terrify the Con-Dem government. pensions would be an important step round five million members of de- sweep them aside. asunder. a local library anti-cuts movement There are the parents in Kirklees, lowance say that losing the benefit going on strike are over” and has How can such a strike be organ- forward. fined benefit pension schemes. or swimming – trade unionists, Yorkshire, who stopped their chil- may make “life not worth living”. welcomed “peaceful civil disobedi- pool closing, young people fighting dren’s school becoming an academy ence”. or fighting to against university fees by organising a petition, but also by We agree, but only if community to defeat the cuts it will also mean ests. Other demands that will form save one local and education cuts, local threatening to stand candidates for Political alternative campaigns and civil disobedience For fighting, democratic trade unions campaigning to transform the un- an important part of the struggle hospital but residents fighting to save the council election and to picket One important strand of the cam- are an addition to, rather than a re- ions into democratic and fighting will be for unions to be democrati- not another, their libraries, swimming the school if it became an Academy. paign is to demand that councillors placement for, strike action. If the whole of the trade union are lucky they will join a trade union and conditions! Many trade union bodies. cally controlled by their members we will allow pools and so on. Across Europe all kinds of bold vote against cuts. Local anti-cuts When community campaigns and movement, from top to bottom, was whose leadership has a clear and leaders have become used to nego- and for all full-time officials to be the anti-cuts movement Nationally, the National Shop and innovative methods are being campaigns should demand that workers unite together, they can win to launch a serious struggle against determined strategy to fight every tiating defeat rather than leading a regularly elected and to receive a to shatter into a thousand Stewards Network (NSSN) adopted by the anti-cuts movement. Labour councillors, who vote for big victories. One local example of the cuts it would be impossible for cut. But in many cases, this will not struggle to defend their members’ Find out more at workers’ wage. pieces. – an organisation of militant In Greece over a million people have cuts, stand aside for those who are that is in Renfrewshire, Scotland the government to implement its be the case. interests. shopstewards.net The National Shop Stewards Net- Of course, we will not trade unionists - launched an refused to pay the motorway tolls, prepared to really defend jobs and where 60 teaching jobs were to be programme. Unfortunately, that has Over the last 20 years an increased This does not mean that workers work has an important role to play always succeed, but our Anti-Cuts Campaign and is just getting out of their cars to push services. If they don’t stand aside – cut. Over 1,000 local people demon- not been the case up until now. tendency in the leadership of the should turn away from the trade un- in bringing together militant trade starting point must be appealing to all local anti-cuts the barriers aside. anti-cuts campaigns should stand strated against the cuts and, given In the coming months hundreds trade union movement, at national ions. As the 26 March demo shows, This will mean campaigning to unionists from different sectors to fight every single campaigns to get involved in In Britain, students have used oc- against them, preferably as part of confidence by the size of the demo, of thousands of workers, perhaps and sometimes at local level, has the trade union movement – which commit the trade union leaders to in order to share experiences. It cut. This includes its work. cupations as an important strand in the Trade Unionist and Socialist 96% of teachers voted for strike ac- even millions, will be attracted to developed towards accepting the organises over six million workers action, or if that proves impossible will also be necessary, however, to cuts implemented See www.stopcuts.net the struggle against university fees. Coalition (see page 13). tion. The cuts were immediately the trade union movement as they ‘logic of the market’ – that is, the so- – has enormous potential power. to replace them with leaders who building fighting union lefts in every In Manchester swimming pool users All of these movements and more withdrawn! look for a way to fight back. If they called logic of cutting workers’ pay However, in many cases in order will fight in their members’ inter- union. 8 the Socialist 26 March 2011 special issue 26 March 2011 special issue the Socialist 9 What has socialism got to do with

plan of production. This plan would be drawn advertising, duplication of production, etc. up through the involvement of working class Instead of the measly growth rate of people, representatives of the middle class, capitalist economies at present – with Britain Socialist Books such as small shopkeepers, small businesses not really growing at all – a socialist planned etc, the users and customers of industry, etc. economy could rapidly increase production on an environmentally sustainable basis and fighting the cuts? B: Two questions spring to mind. Wouldn’t generate huge extra resources in Europe and nationalisation be, in effect, ‘expropriation’ of the world. the assets of people who, through diligent work, It would increase the participation of Each week members of the Socialist Party sell copies have built up this wealth over generations? the workforce in running society, including of the Socialist newspaper at workplaces, colleges, Secondly, if you take over industry, don’t you production, as well as consumers – through stations, town centres and working class estates all over also ‘nationalise’ the savings of many, not cutting the working day without any loss in pay. England and Wales, as well as at protests and meetings. necessarily wealthy, people who invested in This would not lead to a decrease in production stocks and shares – for instance trade union but give an enormous boost to it. In schools, Sellers are often questioned about socialist ideas. Here members who have their pensions invested in housing, in education, instead of the Tom Pearse records such a discussion. on the stock exchange? current cuts, there would be a big expansion. S: Firstly this wealth and power of big business Undreamed of plenty is possible on the basis has been built up, as we showed earlier, by the of socialism. Socialist seller (S): Fight the cuts – no ifs, no the labour power of the working class. exploitation of the labour power of the working buts, fight all cuts! class. B: But didn’t ‘socialism’ fail in Russia? Instead The rise of Militant B: Don’t we need rich people to create jobs and In the past there was some justification of democracy there was dictatorship by people by Peter Taaffe Potential buyer (B): Ok, I’m against the cuts anyway, doesn’t competition drive invention? for this – despite the horrors of capitalism like Stalin. A detailed account of the Socialist but what is the alternative? The government S: There is a grain of truth in the arguments in the Industrial Revolution, the slave trade, S: The Russian revolution, in the period Party’s forerunner, Militant. says there is a massive public sector deficit of the bosses. In the past, by investing this etc. This was because it built up industry immediately after 1917, when the October Students sign up on a protest against education cuts photo Senan £12 and, if we don’t cut it, then it will grow to surplus - profits if you like - in industry, they and was therefore ultimately laying the basis revolution took place, established the most unacceptable levels. Then the country will go played a role in developing society, providing for abolishing shortages and boosting living democratic state in history. It proceeded to capitalism. This would be as absurd and as bankrupt. jobs and increased wealth for a time. standards. take into public ownership the land, industry utopian as anybody today hoping to return to S: Well, the first thing I’d say is that we, the But for the last 20 to 30 years investment in Capitalism But capitalism is a system which cannot and finance. feudalism, to the hardship of the middle ages. working people, who are the majority in this factories, in what we would call the ‘means of fully utilise the full potential of the productive For the first time the majority – that is the country, didn’t create this deficit. The rich production’ - the organisation of labour, science is a system forces, as has been shown by the series of working class and the poor peasantry – were in B: But do you think that the capitalists will just and their system of capitalism, particularly and technique – and the actual making of real crises throughout its history and particularly power. They ruled through a system of workers’ allow you to go ahead and expropriate them the bankers, are mainly responsible for this things, has dropped dramatically. which the present crisis. Karl Marx pointed out that and peasants’ councils. without resistance? deficit. The previous government stepped in Instead they sought to boost their profits in a cannot when it begins to hold back production, to There were no privileges for the S: We will have a democratic majority and under and bailed them out to the tune of about £80 massive orgy of ‘financialisation’, the building destroy wealth, capitalism betrays its “historical representatives of the people, who lived on the rules of democracy a minority should abide billion directly, with up to £1 trillion in loan up of the financial sector at the expense of utilise mission”, which was to develop production. the average wage, were subject to recall, etc. by the will of the majority. Of course the rights guarantees etc. real production and the creation of jobs. This When it begins to hold back production These councils, for the first time in history, The world's of minorities would be protected. Not just the Also, because of the crisis of capitalism – created a massive financial bubble which has the full it becomes obsolete. This does not mean, raised the working class to power and allowed working class but the intermediate layers of which again we didn’t create – over 2.5 million now burst, resulting in the present devastating however, that capitalism will ‘automatically’ them to rule. top 200 society can be won to socialist system. people in Britain don’t have a job – including a crisis. productive disappear. It needs to be ‘helped’ off the stage The Russian revolution was seen as just Once the mass of working people come million young people between the ages of 16 This is a real indictment of the failure of potential of history by the actions of the working class the beginning of the European and the world companies’ together in struggle, a huge social movement, It doesn’t have to be and 24. capitalism. The International Monetary Fund and the labour movement. So we need a new revolution. Unfortunately, despite favourable combined all of those layers of society who are subject It’s the largesse handed out to the has calculated that during this economic of its own social system – one that involves a state acting opportunities, this did not transpire because to attack by the system, gravitate to the like this bankers and the increased cost to the state crisis, in 2008 alone, the total loss in assets for the majority and not the privileged minority of the betrayal of the workers’ leaders in the sales are workers’ side. This was shown, after all, in the Women and the struggle for in unemployment and other benefits which devalued worldwide came to $50 trillion – system. – which is democratic at every level both in the social democratic parties (like the Labour revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia and throughout socialism accounts for most of the deficit. roughly equal to the value of one year’s global running of industry and society. Party in Britain) in the West at that stage. equal to the Middle East. by Christine Thomas output of goods and services! This wealth But we, that is the working class and the Therefore Russia was isolated and, on the The Con-Dems are attacking the police £7 B: Yes, yes - but this deficit exists. How are is being destroyed because capitalism is a labour movement, are not impervious to the basis of scarcity, a low cultural level and a 28% of by proposing to cut their numbers. Even we going to pay for it? How can we ultimately system based on production for profit for the interests of the small investors. Even to the privileged elite, the bureaucracy began to world servicemen, on returning from Afghanistan, eliminate it? few and not the social need of the many. big investors we will be more generous than emerge, personified by Stalin. could be thrown on the dole. Many then can be S: Did you know that the total deficit could be they are to the poor, those on benefits, etc. This bureaucratic caste betrayed the ideals GDP but open to the idea of fighting the cuts. But also wiped out if the rich paid taxes like ordinary B: OK, the capitalists failed. But you still Compensation will be paid on the basis of of the Russian revolution – although the this can open up for them the vista of a new people do? Tax avoidance by the rich, according haven’t said how you would stop them from Sellers are often questioned about socialist ideas photo the Socialist proven need to all whose assets are being planned economy was still maintained and employ society where all the talents can be used. to the PCS civil service union, comes to £120 avoiding any attacks on their wealth. taken over by a democratic socialist workers’ therefore the system which remained was still only 0.82% Nevertheless we are realistic. History billion a year, which is almost equal to the total S: If they tried to continue with evasion, if they in the banking and financial sector, together B: But again, would that not mean violating state. relatively progressive compared to capitalism has shown that it is not the left, it is not the government budget deficit, £143 billion, to be tried to take their loot out of the country, then a with representatives of workers in general the age-old principles of private property? – and gradually established a one-party of the working class movement, which resorts to eliminated over four years. radical socialist government should introduce and government representatives, as well as S: To invoke this alleged ‘principle’ is a B: And the ordinary people? totalitarian regime. force to attain its ends. We are absolutely But the Con-Dems are using this situation state controls of all capital coming in and out depositors and other users, controlling and smokescreen to mask the colossal and S: It goes without saying that, of course, world’s opposed to the methods of terrorism. But we’re to pursue a scorched earth policy against all of the country. managing the banks on behalf of the people undemocratic concentration of power in the trade union members and their pensions B: What guarantee is there that your British workforce. not pacifists; we will defend all democratic the historical achievements of working class This would be accompanied by the ‘opening as a whole, providing cheap loans, mortgages, hands of a handful of the rich. will be safeguarded; in fact, pensions will be version of socialism will not go the same way? rights from any forceful attempt to take them people, the NHS, pay and conditions etc. of the books’. The accounts of all companies etc. A few figures to illustrate this: of the rapidly increased from the current miserable S: This will not happen in a socialist Britain. I away. We fight with democratic means for a This represents an attempt to turn back the should be inspected by mass committees of hundred largest economies in the world 52 level which the coalition government intends know this is a bold assertion but it’s based on democratic majority. But the ruling class does wheel of history to the 1930s and in some workers and consumers. This would be a form B: Won’t big business take fright and sabotage are corporations and 48 are countries; the top to cut further. All workers – as well as the a sober assessment of the different conditions not always abide by even its own ‘rules’ when A civil war without senses to the 19th century. Working class of workers’ control, which is vital as a means any efforts to rein them in? 500 companies control 70% of world trade; unemployed, those on low wages, pensioners between Britain today and Russia at the time its vital interests are threatened. people are being made to pay for rescuing of revealing the real wealth and how it is to be S: It is entirely possible that this could happen the top 200 companies’ combined sales are etc – will enormously benefit from a socialist of the revolution. We live in an advanced guns capitalism in a severe crisis. controlled for the benefit of the majority. or be threatened. In the past, when minimal equal to 28% of world GDP but employ only planned economy. industrial country, with a high level of culture, B: Ok, you’ve made the case for a socialist The lessons of the 1984-85 miners’ measures were taken against them, the 0.82% of the world’s workforce. access to computers, the social media, etc. We Britain. But what kind of set-up will you have strike B: But if we try to make the rich pay for the B: How can you do this in an open and free capitalists threatened a strike of capital. When In the US, 2% of companies account for B: How can you possibly guarantee that, by have a powerful and educated working class in relations with Europe and the world? by Ken Smith deficit, won’t they just take their money out economy? the Labour government in the 1970s – led by almost 75% of business activity. Here in waving some kind of magical ‘socialist’ wand, with its own organisations, the trade unions. S: We don’t believe in socialism in one country. £6 of the country? S: By nationalising the banks and finance Harold Wilson as prime minister – introduced Britain, the Socialist Party points out that 150 things will improve in the way you describe? Once working people here carry through Russia shows that there is no possibility of any S: Yes, they might attempt that. But then they houses. a tax on capital, big business, with the help companies control 70-75% of the wealth of S: There will be no hocus-pocus; there is no such a big social change they will not allow a one country moving towards socialism by itself. would be openly acting selfishly by seeking to of the newspapers, conducted a ferocious this country. mystery in how a socialist planned economy repetition of Stalinism, for power and privilege Leon Trotsky, the great socialist theoretician of • The communist manifesto. £1.50 flout the democratic wishes of the majority of B: Didn’t the British government try this at struggle which resulted in 174 amendments to In other words a handful of billionaires would be organised and will be superior to to be concentrated in a few hands. the workers’ movement, continually argued • Socialism in the 21st century. £6 the British people. We would therefore have the beginning of the financial crisis when they the bill, and effectively nullified the proposed control what are, in effect, monopoly concerns, outmoded capitalism. against this idea and he was proved right. • 1926 general strike, workers taste took big stakes in the banks? B: But won't those in power just get greedy? every right to introduce measures to prevent tax increases against the rich. which determine what will and will not be Capitalism is a system which cannot utilise The development of the productive forces power. £8 them from doing so. S: Up to a point yes. But it was not complete produced. They control who will and who will the full productive potential of its own system. S: Yes, there is always a danger of a bureaucratic has completely outgrown the narrow limits nationalisation. And it certainly wasn’t carried B. Well there we go. You can’t do anything. not work, which party they would like to see The output of the world economy is back to the layer seeking to control everything. Look at of the nation state. The failed attempt of the • Marxism in today’s world. £8 B: But isn’t that to attack the principle of out in a way that was beneficial to the majority S: Now, I didn’t say that. If we, the Socialist elected in which government to best represent levels of 1989. the trade unions today. There are leaderships capitalists in Europe to come together through • A socialist world is possible. £6 private property? of the people of this country. New Labour Party, have majority support, we could do their interests. But in the 17 countries forming the eurozone, sometimes on salaries several times that of the European Union is one expression of this. S: When socialists talk about ‘private left control in the hands of big business a great deal to counter the undemocratic We do not live in a real democracy. Capitalist joblessness among the young now officially trade union members. There are leaderships If Egypt can detonate and assist the • Socialism and left unity. £7 property’ we’re not talking about the personal managers. defiance by a handful of capitalists, seeking to democracy is where everybody, at least in stands at over 20% (although it’s much higher who fear the active participation of the movement in Wisconsin, in the belly of the All prices include postage and packing possessions of ordinary people – houses, cars, Even when the banks are nominally under thwart the wishes of the majority. theory, can say what they like so long as big in many areas) alongside closed factories. members, particularly militant fighters like To find out more beast, the US itself, imagine if Britain was to fridges, etc. The private property of the rich our control – that is the state - they are run Harold Wilson and the Labour government, business, a handful of monopoly companies, In Ireland we have the phenomena of empty members of the Socialist Party fighting to about joining the go socialist. It would begin to transform the and the super-rich comes through the super- by and in the interests of the capitalists. Look because they would not go outside the can decide what takes place in practice. ‘ghost estates’ while millions throughout the transform the unions so that they reflect the Socialist Party world. The same would apply in any country Available from Socialist exploitation of us, working class people. at the tops of the majority-nationalised RBS framework of capitalism, bent the knee to world lack basic shelter. One billion people on real will of working people. in Europe, or for that matter the relatively Books They would argue that their profit, which is bank - they are paying out millions in bonuses the bosses’ pressure and capitulated. We B: But how can you break the power of the the planet go to bed hungry every night, an The only way to check this bureaucracy is visit: developed countries in Latin America or Asia. what Karl Marx called “the unpaid labour of the to themselves! would have called their bluff and proposed rich and the big monopolies? increase of 150 million compared to 15 years through democracy. Trade union and other www. Call: 020 8988 8789 working class”, is necessary in order to keep Instead we want real democratic to Parliament a bill to take over these big S: That’s a very good question. We will ago. officials should be elected subject to recall. socialistparty. B: Well you’ve made a convincing case. I'll buy Email: bookshop@socialist- the system going. We should never forget that nationalisation, conducted in a socialist companies who were threatening to defy and propose that these companies be taken over A planned economy would use all the Such will be the advantages of socialism, org.uk your paper. party.org.uk profit is achieved by exploitation – sometimes manner through workers’ control and blackmail the elected representatives of the – nationalised by a socialist government which resources which now lie idle, as well as cutting particularly implemented democratically, that S: Thanks very much. You should think about or see page 14 www.socialistbooks.org.uk ruthlessly so in China and elsewhere today – of management. This would involve the workers people. would then organise a democratic socialist out the colossal waste from unnecessary there would be no possibility of going back to joining the Socialist Party now! PO Box 24697, London E11 1YD 10 international www.socialistparty.org.uk 24-30 March 2011 the Socialist

The Committee for a Organise the fightback – Workers’ International

The Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) is the socialist from Tahrir Square to Wisconsin international organisation to which the Socialist Party is affiliated. Stephan Kimmerle The CWI is organised in 45 countries and works to unite the working class and oppressed he Committee for a Work- peoples against global capitalism ers’ International (CWI – and to fight for a socialist world. the socialist international For more details including CWI organisation to which the publications write to: CWI, PO SocialistT Party is affiliated) fights Box 3688, London E11 1YE. for an alternative to cuts, crisis and email [email protected] capitalism worldwide. Public spending cuts and attacks on the living standards and rights of the working class people are the only things on offer from capitalist www.socialistworld.net politicians like Cameron, Obama The CWI website contains and Merkel. They are attempting to news, reports and analysis from solve the world economic crisis at around the world. Recent articles the expense of working people and include: the poor. But this is meeting with resistance. However, protest is not enough. Determined struggle is necessary to block the assault on living stand- ards. Trade union and community fightbacks can be successful, espe- cially if activists in these struggles Trade unionists’ solidarity protest in Wisconsin, USA. are linked and organised. Faced with an economic system that can- back and, where necessary, in the out of poverty, hunger and commu- land uses its two members in the not maintain, let alone improve, liv- struggle to re-build them. nalist war and terror. national parliament and one mem- ing standards, the question is: what For example, the Socialist Move- With www.chinaworker.info and ber of the European parliament to is the alternative? ment Pakistan (CWI) has played a a magazine in Mandarin, the CWI support worker and community The CWI has activists, groups and decisive role in the formation of a supports the first steps of the new struggles, but also to build a new parties in over 45 countries and six new, independent and combative developing giant, the Chinese work- political representation of working continents who struggle both for 500,000-strong national trade un- ing class, to independently organise class people in forming the United immediate improvements in liv- ion confederation. Socialist Resist- itself. Left Alliance. Portugal: Explosion of ing standards and rights and to win ance, the CWI in Kazakhstan, leads CWI parliamentarians make no protest on 12 March support for socialist ideas to change the struggle of ‘Kazakhstan 2012’ personal gain from their positions, the world. against the country’s dictator, presi- Resistance in Europe living on a worker’s wage and giving A country in ferment... dent Nazarbayev, and has helped to In Greece the regime of austerity has the rest of their bloated parliamen- form a new independent national been met by eight general strikes. A tary salaries to the workers’ move- Danny Byrne, CWI, and Wisconsin revolt trade union confederation. general strike last September, with ment. Francisco Oliveira Raposo, In the last few weeks a mass move- ten million on the streets, brought In rebuilding the workers’ move- Socialismo Revolucionario (CWI, ment in Madison, USA, sprang into Spain to a halt. Hundreds of thou- ment, including new mass parties Portugal) action to defend trade union rights The Arab revolution sands have recently protested in of the working class, the CWI seeks and the conditions of public sec- The desperate act on 17 December Portugal. Mass action and strikes to organise the resistance and to tor workers against Wisconsin’s 2010 of a young man setting himself in France, Italy and elsewhere show spread Marxist ideas within these right-wing governor, Scott Walker. on fire in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, trig- that no government in Europe is sta- new formations – the ideas of the As the radical film maker Michael gered a revolutionary wave which ble or immune to the growing anger CWI to end capitalism and the dic- Moore said, this Tea Party Republi- spread across the Maghreb and the of youth and workers. tatorship of the markets. can has declared “class war” which Middle East. But, so far, these protests and ac- will “arouse a sleeping giant” ie the One month later, the dictator Ben tions have not yet fundamentally working class. In a small state of less Ali had to flee from Tunisia, the fol- blocked the assault on living stand- Socialist alternative than six million people, demonstra- lowing month the brutal ‘pharaoh’ ards. Therefore a clear plan of action With the nuclear crisis in Japan tions of up to 200,000 showed the Hosni Mubarak was ousted, three to stop the immediate assault and following the earthquake and tsu- fury and determination to defend months later the struggle still con- an alternative to the crisis-ridden nami disaster it is again clear that union rights. tinues in Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, capitalist system is needed. This is governments who put big business There was widespread support, Oman, Jordan and Syria. why we argue for the nationalisation profits first cannot be relied on to -ef both in and outside the trade un- To end neocolonial oppression of all banks and the commanding ficiently allocate resources to those ions, for the call for a one-day gen- the power of the multinationals and heights of industry under workers’ in need, let alone provide safety and eral strike. Socialist Alternative, the imperialism has to be broken. control and management. security. CWI in the USA, advocated concrete The CWI fights for full democratic Mass movements and struggles CWI supporters in Japan demand Hong Kong: Protest against measures to make that next step a rights. They cannot be separated can bring to power governments the nationalisation of all energy nuclear power reality. Unfortunately the trade un- from the social needs of working that truly represent working people plants and companies. Then this ion leadership is more interested in people. Only a socialist transfor- and that implement socialist poli- sector could be reorganised under Protesters marched to the city’s rotten compromises than concretely mation of society will guarantee a cies and break the power of big busi- democratic workers’ control and Japanese consulate chanting defending working class people. lasting basis to defend democratic ness and the super rich. To succeed management based on renewable “against nuclear power” and, “be We have seen this in a lot of coun- rights against all attempts of the in that, the working class needs its energy sources. active not radioactive”. tries where many trade union lead- remnants of the old regimes and the own party. As the revolutionary socialist ers make verbal protests and, some- rich elite to roll back time. In most countries the old parties, Karl Marx explained 150 years ago, Chinaworker.info times, organise mass protests and The decisive force to fight and once rooted in the labour move- for the capitalists, profit is all and strikes simply as a way of ‘letting off overcome brutal oppression is the ment, like the Labour Party, now everything: the “self-expansion of steam’, but not as measures to mobi- organised working class. A glimpse fully support capitalism, including capital is its only purpose”. Today, lise for a serious struggle. This is why of that was shown in the events in accepting the need for cuts. a super-rich elite, big business and the CWI fights to build democratic Egypt and Tunisia. As Joe Higgins, newly re-elected multinational corporations control and fighting trade unions. Members In neocolonial countries like Pa- member of the Irish Parliament from the wealth of society. of the CWI all around the globe are kistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka, the the Socialist Party (CWI Ireland) ex- The only way out of exploitation, involved in trade unions fighting parties of the CWI fight for this way pressed it: “There is a huge vacuum unemployment, poverty, hunger, on the left. There is a need for a new war and environmental destruction movement to represent the working is to fight capitalism. class in its widest sense”. On the basis of a socialist society The CWI is active in the develop- the economic resources can be used ment of new mass workers’ parties. in a democratically planned way by, The CWI in France, Gauche Revolu- and in the interests of, the vast ma- tionaire (GR), is a critical part of the jority of people. This has nothing to NPA (New Anti-capitalist Party). GR do with the dictatorial, privileged argues within the NPA for a princi- bureaucratic Stalinist elites like pled left-wing force which also of- those regimes in the former USSR Lebanon: “Revolt against fers a strategy for the working class and Eastern Europe. sectarianism! Revolt and the trade union movement on Since 2008 the capitalist crisis has against corruption! how to fight the pro-big business pushed working people into a new government of Nicolas Sarkozy. era of austerity. It is also a new era of 20,000 take to Beirut’s streets - a Sozialistische Alternative, the mass movements which are increas- workers’ alternative is needed. CWI in Germany, fights for a social- ingly challenging the ruling classes ist programme in die Linke (the Left and capitalism itself. CWI Lebanon Workers protest against EU governments’ austerity measures party). Be part of the international resist- photo Paul Mattsson The Socialist Party (CWI) in Ire- ance and join the CWI! the Socialist 24-30 March 2011 www.socialistparty.org.uk feature 11

The earthquake off Japan’s east coast and the giant tsunami wave that followed on 11 March has, at the time of writing, officially killed over 8,500 people with another 13,000 people After Japan’s tsunami disaster - still missing. Hundreds of thousands of survivors have been left homeless, many are without basic human needs, including food. On top of this tragedy the tsunami also crippled the Nuclear power, no way! ageing nuclear power station in Fukushima, triggering a major nuclear crisis. As the following articles show, the ongoing nuclear disaster has been compounded by the failure of a profit-driven, privately owned energy company and a pro-nuclear energy government, both of whom failed to plan for such a contingency. And despite the nuclear catastrophe in Japan, big business and the Con- Dem government continues to promote a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK. A deadly combination

With each passing day the envi- active gases and materials have, so ronmental disaster at the stricken far, failed. This is despite the heroic Fukushima nuclear power plant efforts by workers at the plant and in Japan becomes more alarming. firefighters to stabilise the situation. High levels of radioactive steam The Japanese government has re- and materials have been spewing sponded by imposing a 12 mile ex- out of the damaged reactors and are clusion zone around the site. But TV carried by winds over large popula- news reports have shown hospital tion centres, including Tokyo to the patients and staff abandoned by the south. Already, milk and vegetables authorities within this quarantine produced from areas some distance area. Meanwhile, the US adminis- from Fukushima contain radioac- tration told its citizens in Japan to tive iodine above legal limits and stay outside a 50 mile zone. The UK other cancer causing substances. foreign office told British citizens in A British nuclear scientist who is the Tokyo area to consider leaving. advising the Japanese authorities Tepco and the Japanese govern- told the Times: “There could reach a ment have continually played down Japan’s environmental crisis is becoming more alarming point where we could have to leave the scale of the disaster, as the head the plant to evolve on its own.” of the US Nuclear Regulatory Com- Nothing as frightening as this has mission, Gregory Jaczko, has pub- occurred since a reactor at the Cher- licly stated. Anger over electricity blackouts nobyl nuclear plant in the Ukraine The disaster has revealed both exploded in 1986. That incident led the inherent flaws in the reactors at Seizo Shimamura the central offices of the govern- shut down. The blackouts start to to an estimated 4,000-60,000 extra Fukushima – which were designed Kokusai Rentai, (CWI Japan) in ment and the big monopolies are look like a big conspiracy to impress cancer deaths. by the giant US company, General Tokyo situated. people with the necessity of nuclear The doomed Fukushima plant, Electric – and the falsification of the The blackouts have provoked power, even after this horrific man- which houses six nuclear reac- site inspection records by Tepco. large-scale resentment amongst made disaster. tors, was severely damaged by the The Economist described Japan’s A series of blackouts being imposed the population in the metropolitan The chaos of the power cuts has earthquake and giant tsunami on nuclear industry as “a shameful by the Tokyo Electric Power Com- area and also widespread criticism exposed the incapacity of the elec- 11 March which devastated a huge record of cover-ups, lackadaisical pany (Tepco) is causing confusion of Tepco and the government who trical industry to care for the needs swathe of Japan’s north east coast- crisis management and an inbred and seriously disrupting the lives of have arranged them. The policy ap- of the people. Not only Tepco, but all line. complicity between regulators and people in the metropolitan (Tokyo) pears to be promoting the idea that the electricity and power generating Attempts by the plant’s owners – utilities...” (17/3/11). area. ‘nuclear power is essential to our companies should be taken into the Tokyo Electric Power Company Above all it shows that profit-driv- These ‘planned blackouts’ are lives after all’. public ownership under democratic (Tepco) – and the Japanese authori- en capitalism and suspect technol- on an unprecedented scale. Public The International Atomic Energy workers’ control and management. ties to prevent the escape of radio- ogy is a deadly combination. transport, hospitals, schools, day Agency has pointed out that it is ac- This is the key to changing the nu- nurseries as well as ordinary homes tually possible to supply sufficient clear power-oriented policy which are all affected by the rolling cut-offs power with the other thermal pow- does not care about people’s health of electricity for three to six hours a er plants in Japan even if all of the and lives but serves the interests of day, apart from central Tokyo where country’s nuclear power plants were big business. Business enthusiasm for nuclear power ‘undimmed’

John Sharpe into this outdated industry.” violent storms and floods. Nuclear Since getting his backside onto reactors in Britain aren’t necessarily a cabinet seat he became a cheer- immune from a natural disaster. In Despite the unfolding nuclear leader for the nuclear power build- any case the two most serious nu- catastrophe in Japan, bosses in ing programme “as part of the mix”. clear disasters - Three Mile Island the UK nuclear power industry are Reportedly, officials in Whitehall and Chernobyl - weren’t caused by determined to press ahead with are privately trying to reassure en- natural disasters but by technical the building of five new nuclear ergy firms and their contractors that failures within the plant. power stations with at least ten new the nuclear programme is not under In the deregulated energy sec- reactors, costing a staggering £50 threat. tor can you trust cost cutting, profit billion. Huhne, like some environmen- hungry multinationals to avoid all Vincent de Rivaz, chief of French talists, believes that the threat of technical failures? multinational EDF, is confident that climate change means that ‘carbon The question of how to safely store the construction of plants at Hinkley neutral’ nuclear power has a role to long term nuclear waste (for tens Point, Somerset, and Sizewell, Suf- play. of thousands of years) has still not Rescue workers and survivors pick their way through the devastation folk, will proceed. His enthusiasm But as Walt Patterson of think tank been resolved despite many dec- “was undimmed”. Neither is his en- Chatham House observed: “Nuclear ades of debate. Big business refuses thusiasm for the profits to be made power needs climate change more to foot the bill. Socialists call for: along with selling plants to China than climate change needs nuclear When things go wrong it is work- lImmediate self-organisation of working people and local communities in and India. power.” ers, like those firefighters in Japan, quake-hit areas to oversee relief tasks and determine democratically the The programme was drawn up by In contrast, the German chancel- who heroically risk their health and needs of reconstruction. International solidarity and active support for the the previous New Labour govern- lor Angela Merkel, faced with mass their lives to try to prevent a catas- Japanese people’s earthquake relief work. ment, after a u-turn by Tony Blair’s demonstrations and with elections trophe. lNo to nuclear power! A socialist plan for energy production designed cabinet and his then energy secre- looming, has shut down seven of The thousands of workers in the to guarantee cheap and safe energy for all whilst protecting the tary Ed Miliband. Germany’s oldest reactors. nuclear energy industry have a vi- environment. Lib Dem energy minister, Chris She told the German parliament: tal role to play in the (horrendously Huhne has commissioned a report “When, in Japan, the apparently im- expensive) decommissioning of old lNo confidence in the profiteers, speculators and capitalists to organise from chief nuclear inspector Dr possible becomes possible and the plants, the safe treatment of toxic the relief and reconstruction work. Mike Weightman into the safety of absolutely unlikely reality, then the waste and the development of alter- lFight for socialism and nationalisation of the Japanese economy, nuclear power generation. situation changes.” Indeed. natives. including the energy industry, under democratic workers’ control and In 2007 Huhne said: “Nuclear is a There are regularly earthquakes in And for a safe, clean, alternative management. This is the only way to meet the needs of workers and the tried, tested and failed technology Britain (very small ones) and there energy programme we need the environment. and the government must stop have been tsunamis (a long time working class to make decisions, not putting time, effort and subsidies ago) but there are also increasingly pro-big business politicians. 12 FEATURE www.socialistparty.org.uk 24-30 March 2011 the Socialist When organised mass action defeated the Tories Liverpool city council’s historic victory over the Thatcher government

“Two unlovely black eyes” declared the Daily Mail. It was condemning the Militant-led Liverpool city council’s success in securing funding worth £60 Thatcher’s environment secretary Patrick Jenkin for his retreat over extra million from the Thatcher government on 9 July 1984. Socialist Party member funding for Liverpool. It wrote: “The Trotskyites and others of the hard left who Tony Mulhearn, one of the leaders of that epic struggle and one of the 47 run Liverpool have had the best of the fight with him in their threat to defy the councillors, who were surcharged and disqualified from office in revenge for law on that city’s overspending.” That headline was just one of the reactions to their humiliation of the Tories, writes.

he victory which secured The massive financial crisis which sage that if policies which corre- the extra funding enabled the 47 inherited was seen as a rea- spond to the needs and aspirations the council to carry out its son for the implementation of the of the working class are implement- electoral programme. This electoral programme rather than, as ed, then the support will be forth- includedT the building of 5,000 hous- is usually the case in British politics, coming. es, opening six new sports centres, a reason to retreat. In spite of its unparalleled record creating 2,000 jobs and refusing to But the victory was not achieved of achievement, the power of the carry out £10 million-worth of cuts. merely by slick negotiation between state eventually prevailed. Thatch- These cuts had been the legacy of the councillors and Patrick Jenkin. er’s district auditor, supported by the Liberal/Tory alliance which had He was conscious of the magnifi- the House of Lords, removed the ruled Liverpool for the previous 20 cent electoral support, as well as 47 from office, cheered on by the years, with a short interregnum of the physical support, shown by the Labour leaders. Neil Kinnock, then Labour rule. great demonstrations that marched Labour leader, and his lieutenant, This victory was particularly sig- through the city in support of the witchfinder general Peter Kilfolye, nificant as, like now, it occurred at a council’s policies. finished the job on behalf of the cap- time of national and global capitalist The demonstration on budget italist state by expelling the majority upheaval. An additional factor now day in March 1984, when a one-day of the 47 from the Labour Party. is the mind-boggling revelations strike took place, was supported Since then many gallons of ink and about the greedy bankers stuffing by 30,000 local authority workers. newsprint, and speeches by right- their pockets with gold. 50,000 marched through the city in wing charlatans have attempted to The latest fat-cat payouts dwarf support of the council’s proposed denigrate the 47’s period of office. even those paid out last year: Bar- deficit budget But the record has been written in clays’ Rich Ricci, for instance, picks The support for the council was concrete and stands as a monument up a tasty package worth £44 million, based on concrete changes, for the to the socialist achievements of the Bob Diamond picks up £27 million, better, to people’s lives. Moreover, Liverpool city council of 1983-87. and that loot is not the biggest. the spin-off effect of the city’s hous- Against these figures, the frame- Tony Mulhearn (right) photo Dave Sinclair ing programme on employment had up against the 47 by the district au- been publicly recognised by build- Liverpool ditor, who charged them with losing services, an outlook shared by the So, the government’s policies ing companies who are not usually A City that Dared to the Liverpool rate payers £106,000 present millionaires’ cabinet. The meant that in order to balance the friends of Labour. In the three years Fight was truly grotesque. Tories’ programme, when they were books a local authority would either from April 1983 to May 1985 it was By Peter The passage of time has not di- elected in 1979, included using the have to increase the rates, some- estimated that 6,489 jobs had been Taaffe minished the achievements of the device of the block grant system times massively, to compensate for generated in the private sector as and Tony 47, nor undermined the importance which penalised local authorities Tory cuts, or savagely cut back on a result of the house-building pro- Mulhearn of the struggle. In spite of the distor- that exceeded government’s pre- jobs and services. Again history re- gramme. tions of establishment spokesper- scribed spending limits; for every £1 peats itself, now on a more savage Also the Liverpool 47 attracted £16 sons, aided and abetted by the lies breach of expenditure, £2 would be level. the highest Labour vote in history. including of right wing parliamentarians and lost in rate support grant. The Liverpool District Labour Par- Higher than any election since the postage trade union leaders, the record of Initially, all Labour-controlled ty’s policy was to reject both of these war, even though the population of from the 47 remains stubbornly intact. local authorities had agreed to sup- options and instead to carry out its the city had declined from 700,000 Socialist The Liverpool struggle had as its port a campaign against this policy. electoral promises. In the elections in 1945 to 460,000 in 1983. While the Books, PO background the Thatcher govern- Amongst the leaders of this cam- of 1983 a key component of the par- turnout for local elections in previ- Box 24697, London E11 1HH. ment’s dislike of local government paign, it is incredible to recall, were ty’s electoral programme was “No ous years had ranged from 11% to 020 8988 8789 or, more precisely, Thatcher’s an- David Blunkett and Ken Living- rate or rent increases to compensate 20%, the turnout between 1983 and tipathy to locally provided public stone. for Tory cuts.” 1987 was 45% to 55%. A clear mes- Mass non-payment - how the poll tax was beaten Steve Score villages across the country. These question, in meetings and in mil- Former secretary of the were linked up nationally into the lions of leaflets. Leicestershire Anti-Poll Tax Anti-Poll Tax Federation. We clogged up the courts by mo- Federation Militant predicted the anger the bilising non-payers to attend their tax would cause, and saw the huge hearings and assisted people by ask- potential to build a mass movement. ing questions in court. Court rooms The campaign against Thatcher’s The trade union leaders and the La- were unable to cope. hated poll tax is an example of how bour Party leadership opposed the We mobilised to stop the bailiffs a mass movement can defeat a gov- tax verbally, but did nothing to fight from seizing property. We organised ernment. The 18 million people who it, actively opposing the non-pay- to stop poll tax jailings - the ultimate defied the law and refused to pay the ment campaign. Labour councils sanction. tax, organised through the Anti-Poll ultimately went the whole way and Hundreds were sent to jail, in- Tax Federation, forced the Tories to sent bailiffs into working-class peo- cluding many Militant supporters. scrap it and ended Margaret Thatch- ple’s homes to impound their prop- Terry Fields, a Liverpool MP and er’s career as prime minister. erty and jailed people for not being Militant member, was sent down for The campaign is also an example able to pay. standing in solidarity with his con- of the role that can be played by so- The tax was introduced in - Scot stituents. However, the number of cialists in putting forward a strategy land a year earlier than in England jailings, compared to the millions and tactics to win. and Wales; perhaps because the To- who refused to pay, was far fewer The poll tax was a standard charge ries had so little support there that than would have been if there was on rich and poor alike and was lev- they felt free to experiment! But it Mass non-payment defeated the poll tax photo S.Gardiner no organised campaign. ied on each individual over the age ignited the anger of Scottish work- lions would not be able to afford it a quarter of a million people. When The government announced in of 18, including the unemployed, ers, and the method of mass non- and we planned to unite the ‘can’t the London demonstration reached March 1991 that they would be students and those with no personal payment was tested out. payers’ with the ‘won’t payers’. That Trafalgar Square, police actions scrapping the tax by 1993. We con- income at all, who had been exempt Militant supporters had to argue way an organised campaign could provoked a big battle which became tinued to support people and cam- from the poll tax’s precursors, the against those who said mass non- defend people. known as the ‘poll tax riots’. paigned for the writing off of the rates. In fact a rich person living in payment wouldn’t work, or would Mass demonstrations developed Some claim it was these big dem- debts. Many were actually secretly a rural area could end up paying far only get working class people in around the rate-setting council os which beat the poll tax. They were dropped by councils at a later date. less that a poor family in a city. debt. Some advocated non-payment meetings. On 31 March 1990, the day important, but it was organised This movement showed that Led by Militant, forerunner of the only for a few prominent individuals before the poll tax was introduced in mass non-payment which was the working class people can win bat- Socialist Party, mass non-payment who ‘could afford it’. England and Wales, massive demon- real reason for its demise. We kept tles. It also showed the critical role was built by community based anti- On the contrary, only a mass strations were held simultaneously the confidence of the movement up that a party with the right ideas can poll tax unions in cities, towns and movement would work. In fact mil- in London and Glasgow involving by discussing and answering every play in the struggle. the Socialist 24-30 March 2011 www.socialistparty.org.uk ELECTORAL CHALLENGE 13

Elect working class fighters! TRADE UNIONIST AND SOCIALIST COALITION

We’re backing TUSC

Coventry Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist speaking at a TUSC rally photo Alison Hill

Councillor Dave Nellist billion a year less on local services, a by youth club. It’s one thing to pass a Acting chair, Trade Unionist and cut of almost 28% in four years. budget, it’s another to implement it! Socialist Coalition But councillors do have a choice. We will support working class And electing even a single radical communities in those fights. But Bob Crow photo Paul Mattsson councillor could make a difference, out of many such campaigns will On 5 May millions of voters will pass provided they used that position (as emerge new TUSC candidates for “The Tories, Lib Dems and Labour all es are savaged. These cuts are unnec- judgement on the Con-Dem coali- we try to do in Coventry) to help or- those struggles themselves to chal- support cuts, privatisation and the essary and can be defeated. We need tion in elections to local councils, ganise community campaigns and lenge the big three parties in future anti-union laws. to build an alternative. That’s why I’m the Scottish Parliament and the trade unionists to fight against the elections. They all want us to pay for a crisis we helping to build TUSC.” Welsh Assembly. But as all three cuts. Campaigners in many towns suc- didn’t create. Bob Crow establishment parties say “cuts are TUSC councillors would pledge cessfully challenged the main par- “The bankers pay themselves millions RMT general secretary and TUSC inevitable,” the only debate could be to oppose all cuts in council jobs, ties over issues such as PFI hospitals in bonuses and big business taxes go national steering committee over the speed of cuts. Council seats services, pay and conditions. We and the closure of comprehensive uncollected while our jobs and servic- being shuffled between the three will campaign against the idea that schools in favour of academy main parties will not slow the axing ‘some cuts’ are necessary. schools. In Kidderminster, Barrow of council jobs, which the GMB un- We refuse to allow divisions be- in Furness, Preston, Wigan, Walsall, Labour councillors in Cumbria hold up workers’ wages, conditions and liv- ion now estimates puts over 170,000 tween council staff, service users and Wellingborough independents, placards opposing the cuts on demon- ing standards while they seek to jobs at risk. and communities, which are inevita- socialists and trade unionists have strations then put the placards down, establish a low paid, low skilled, Last month in Coventry, for ex- ble unless we oppose all cuts. TUSC captured seats. In Coventry, Lewi- pop into county hall and vote through exploited workforce. ample, Labour brought forward a councillors would vote against pri- sham and Huddersfield, Socialist the cuts in an unholy alliance with... Unfortunately, the last Labour govern- cuts package that accepted the £38 vatisation of council services, or the Party members have won seats. the Cumbrian Tories! ment also pursued policies that under- million reduction in government transfer of services to ‘social enter- These small but significant- vic Labour in government introduced tui- mined the founding principles of the grants and core funding and sought prises’ or ‘arm’s-length’ manage- tories show the possibilities of a tion fees, brought privatisation into our NHS, through PFI, private treatment to cut 500 jobs this year alone. Cov- ment organisations. wider challenge. And whilst TUSC’s NHS, developed expensive and waste- centres and laying the foundations for entry’s Tories proposed an amend- initial results may be modest, break- ful PFI schemes, extended rail privati- a health care market. ment accepting the total amount to throughs cannot be ruled out. sation and privatised Tyne and Wear None of the mainstream parties is will- be cut, but varying the detail by £1.5 At the very least, candidates Metro, pushed privatisation across ing to defend the NHS or its staff so it million. 28% cuts standing on an open anti-cuts plat- our key public services, made Tory anti is vital an alternative is put in the up- The main parties accepted 100% in four form will pull the debate towards the trade union laws even worse, pushed coming elections. of the austerity, but argued about left - and away from the overlapping council housing into the hands of pri- That is why health workers should con- 4% of the detail. years agenda of the big three parties. vate landlords, handed over billions sider standing as Trade Unionist and We need councillors who refuse 28 of taxpayers’ money to greedy, bonus Socialist Coalition candidates; stand- to implement cuts in jobs and serv- grabbing bankers and took us into an ing on a platform of opposing all NHS ices. The Trade Unionist and Social- illegal war. cuts and privatisation. ist Coalition (TUSC), established in TUSC councillors would seek Socialist We need a socialist alternative to all Roger Davey 2010, with the Socialist Party’s full to use all the legal powers open to this rubbish when it comes to the Secretary, Wiltshire and Avon support, (see right) is organising a councillors to delay or obstruct gov- policies forthcoming elections - that alliance Health Unison branch challenge in many towns in May’s ernment policies which lead to cuts is being built now. It’s called the local council elections. or the transfer of public services to TUSC was set up last year with Trade Unionist and Socialist Coali- Suraj Shah, an 18-year old Socialist That challenge will bring togeth- private bodies. For example, coun- the backing of fighting trade un- tion - it’s getting my support. Party member is to be a TUSC candi- er socialists, trade unionists and cils could refer local NHS decisions ionists, including RMT general Craig Johnston date in Leicester’s city council elec- anti-cuts campaigners to argue for further scrutiny. secretary Bob Crow, leading na- RMT national executive member tions as part of the Vote Against Cuts against cutting tens of thousands They could initiate referenda, tional officers of the PCS civil Manchester and North West of in Leicester alliance. of jobs and massacring essential public consultations (for example of service union, and Nina Franklin, England Suraj’s mother Reishma, who works local services. parents over the creation of divisive vice president of the National Un- for the council, is threatened with re- The May elections are the chance academy schools) and commissions ion of Teachers. It’s clear what the government’s policy dundancy. to elect councillors who could stop as part of a wider campaign. TUSC is a federal ‘umbrella’ co- is on the NHS and that is complete He said: “I was already considering many of the cuts being implemented Councils with housing stock, or alition with an agreed core policy privatisation and the biggest financial standing, but when my mum said the locally. 30 years ago, 20 Labour coun- with representatives on a social statement. Its core policies in- cuts for 60 years. council are thinking about making her cils united in a strategy to fight the landlord’s board, could refuse to clude opposition to public spend- The consequences will be a massive redundant I knew I had to stick up for then Tory government’s plans for cuts use the government’s proposed ing cuts and privatisation, stu- reduction in NHS services, closure of her and many like her. in local services. Unfortunately today fixed term tenancies, oppose rais- dent grants not fees, the repeal wards, hospitals, and mass redun- “I am out there to tell the people they there aren’t even 20 Labour council- ing social rents up to 80% of market of the anti-trade union laws, and dancies. do not have to accept the savage cuts. lors on Labour run councils prepared rents and make a policy not to evict the clear socialist commitment to The employers also intend to launch Together we can make a difference and to vote against cuts. So we have to find tenants in arrears due to housing “bringing into democratic public an unprecedented attack on health say no to this madness.” new councillors we can rely on. benefit cuts. ownership the major companies Today’s Labour councillors say TUSC supporters will work with and banks that dominate the they can do nothing until a general every anti-cuts campaign, and fight economy, so that production and election in 2015. By that time, if the the implementation of the cuts services can be planned to meet cuts package is not successfully chal- agenda, library by library, swimming the needs of all and to protect the lenged, councils will be spending £8 pool by swimming pool, youth club environment”. •See those detailed policies on the coalition’s website - www. TUSC election campaign launch meetings tusc.org.uk. Coventry Party candidate in St Michaels ward Nominations to stand in May’s Sunday 3 April, 3pm before the rally. meeting at 11.30 at council elections have to be sub- Concert room, Charterhouse club, the Charterhouse club if you would like mitted to your local council by 4 David Road, Stoke, CV1 2BW to help the campaign. April. Speakers include: Organisations and groups Alex Gordon – RMT president Lincoln that want to be involved in Dave Nellist – Coventry Socialist Party Tuesday 29 March, 7pm the 2011 TUSC local coun- councillor St Mary-le-Wigford’s Church, St Mary’s cil election challenge should There is a canvassing/leafleting Street, next to Lincoln train station urgently contact TUSC at: session for Rob Windsor, the Socialist [email protected] Suraj Shah (centre) photo Paul Mattsson 14 join the socialists www.socialistparty.org.uk 24-30 March 2011 the Socialist Want to fight the cuts? Join the socialists! The relentless pursuit of profit brought about democratically controlled. the banking crisis and recession. Our world is It would mean democratic planning of the run on that basis – the short-sighted, chaotic economy to meet the needs of all and to capitalist system that exists only to enrich the protect the environment. fat cats. The Socialist Party has a proud record of We need an alternative. Taxing the rich, such struggle and currently plays a leading role in as the bankers, and cancelling projects like the campaigns against cuts, putting forward Trident nuclear weapons would be a start. But both a strategy for the fightback and a socialist more fundamental change is needed. alternative. We need socialism! The banks and major If you agree with what you read in the Socialist industries would be publicly owned and – then you should join us!

Socialist Party public meetings - Where next for the anti-cuts movement? www.socialistparty.org.uk/26march

London 020 8988 8786 Eastern 07905 167 703 Southern 07833 681 910 Swindon Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm Basildon Aylesbury Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm Pie and Ale House, 36 Crabbery Street, Central London Wednesday 6 April, 8pm Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm Great Western Hotel, opposite railway ST16 2BA Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm Pitsea Leisure Centre, Northlands Railway Club, HP21 8HH station, SN1 1DH Pavement, SS13 3DU Worcester Small Hall, Friends Meeting Reading Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm House, 173-177 Euston Stevenage Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm Wales 07855 936 859 St Andrews Church, Pump Street, WR1 Road, NW1 2BJ, opposite May elections: vote for a future Great Expectations, London Street, Cardiff 2QT Monday 18 April, 8pm Reading, RG1 4PS Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm Euston station Shephall Centre, Shephall Green, SG2 Cardiff Bus Sports and Social Club, Wolverhampton 9XR Southampton Tudor Street, CF11 6AD Tuesday 5 April, 7.30pm East London Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm City Bar, Kings Street, WV1 1ST Corrected date: Thursday 7 April, Room B, Nuffield Theatre, University Carmarthen 7.30pm East Midlands 07737 978 057 Road, SO17 1TR Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm Durning Hall community centre, Earlham Derby Drovers Arms, Lammas Street, SA31 3AP Yorkshire 07706 710 041 Grove, Forest Gate, E7 9AB Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm Winchester Barnsley Old Spa Inn, 204 Abbey Street, DE22 Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm Llanelli/West Wales Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm Greenwich 3SU East Winchester Social Club, 50 Chesil Thursday March 31, 7.30pm Shaw Inn, Racecommon Road, S70 Thursday 7 April, 7.30pm Street, SO23 0HX Railway Tavern, Station Road, Llanelli, 6AE Glyndon Community Centre, 75 Raglan Leicester SA15 1YS Road, Plumstead, SE18 7LB Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm Doncaster Secular Hall, Humberstone Gate, South East 07894 716 095 Newport Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm Hackney opposite Sainsbury’s, LE1 1WB Brighton Tuesday 29 March, 7pm Railway Inn, West Street, DN1 3AA Wednesday 6 April, 7.30pm Monday 28 March, 7.30pm Cedars Café, Skinner Street, NP20 1HB General Browning MOTH Club, Valette Northampton Upstairs, Phoenix Community Centre, Grimsby Street, E9 6NU Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm Phoenix Place, opposite St Peter’s RCT and Caerphilly Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm Upstairs room, Old Black Lion pub, Black Church, BN2 9ND 1926 General Strike - lessons for today Walters, Old Market Place, DN31 1DT Haringey and Enfield Lion Hill, NN1 1SW, near railway station Wednesday 30 March, 7.15pm Tuesday 5 April, 7.30pm Hastings The Otley Arms, Treforest, upstairs Halifax North London Community House Nottingham Tuesday 29 March, 7pm meeting room, CF37 1SY Wednesday 30 March, 7pm (also known as the Day-Mer centre), Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm Unitarian Church, South Terrace, TN34 Three Pigeons Pub, South Parade, HX1 Moorefield Road, N17 6PY YMCA (formerly International Community 1SA Swansea 2LX Centre), 61b Mansfield Road, NG1 3FN Thursday March 31, 7.30pm Hillingdon Kent Dyfatty Community Centre, top end of Hull Thursday 7 April, 7.30pm Thursday 31 March, 6.30pm High Street, SA1 1NB Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm Friends Meeting House, York Road, Northern 07841 144 890 Sunlight Centre, Richmond Road, Gilson Hotel, Ferensway/Anlaby Rd, Uxbridge UB8 1QW Carlisle Gillingham, ME7 1LX Hull, HU1 2PJ Wednesday 30 March, 7pm West Midlands 07929 395 884 Lambeth Club 35, Lowther Street, CA3 8EJ Birmingham Leeds Wednesday 6 April, 7.30pm South West 07759 796 478 Monday 28 March, 7.45pm Monday 4 April, 7.30pm Ruby Room, Vauxhall Griffin, Wyvil Road, Newcastle Bristol Central Meeting Room, Briar Rose, Bennetts Hill, The Adelphi, 1-3 Hunslet Road, LS10 1JQ SW8 2TH Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm B2 5RE St John’s Church Hall, Grainger Street, Cheltenham Road Library, Cheltenham Leeds Headingley Lewisham NE1 5JG Road, BS6 5QX Coventry East Election campaign launch Thursday 7 April, 7.30pm Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm Monday 28 March, 7.30pm The Toads Mouth Too café, 188 Brockley Bristol South Charterhouse Club, David Road, Stoke, Weetwood Room, Headingley Enterprise Road, SE4 2RL North West 07769 611 320 Thursday 31 March, 7.45pm CV1 2BW and Arts (HEART) Centre, Bennett Road, Birkenhead Bedminster Library, Bedminster Parade, LS6 3HN Leyton and Leytonstone Monday 28 March, 7.30pm BS3 4AQ Coventry West Wednesday 20 April, 7.30pm Ring/text 07846 951 656 for details Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm Rotherham Giggles Nursery, Grove Green Road, E11 Exeter Vicroft Court, Queen Victoria Rd, city Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm 4AP Chester Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm centre, CV1 3JB, opposite Argos and IKEA Bridge Inn, Greasbrough Road, S60 1RB Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm Great Western Hotel, near St David’s Tower Hamlets Old Custom House Inn (upstairs), Station, EX4 4NU Nuneaton Sheffield Wednesday 6 April, 7.30pm Watergate Street, CH1 2LB Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm Wednesday 6 April, 7.30pm Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, E2 6AG Gloucestershire Hatters Space community centre, Upper University Arms, Brook Hill, S3 7HG Liverpool Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm Abbey Street, CV11 5DN West London Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm The Café Room, Subscription Rooms, Wakefield Thursday 7 April, 7.45pm Casa pub (downstairs), 29 Hope Street, George Street, Stroud, GL5 1AE Shropshire Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm West London Trade Union Centre, 33/35 city centre, L1 9BQ Tuesday 5 April, 7.30pm Black Rock Pub, WF1 1PQ High Street, Acton, W3 6ND Plymouth Hobbs Room, Shrewsbury Library, SY1 Greater Manchester Wednesday 30 March, 7pm 2AS York Walthamstow Wednesday 30 March, 7pm Plymouth Social Club, 38-39 Tavistock Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm Thursday 21 April, 7.30pm, William Room 1, Friends Meeting House, Mount Place, PL4 8AX (behind Plymouth central Stafford The Golden Fleece, Pavement, York city Morris Centre, Greenleaf Road, E17 6QQ Street, central Manchester, M2 5NS library) Save the NHS centre, YO1 9UP

Join the socialists I’d like to join o I’d like more information o Celebrate International Workers’ Day in the Socialist with a May Day greeting Name ______Greeting prices include: £500 for a whole page; £300 for a half- Address and postcode ______page; £170 quarter-page; £90 one-eighth; £50 one-sixteenth; £30 1/32; £20 small box; £15 for up to 30 words; £1 a word. ______Email [email protected] or phone 020 8988 8781 for more information or to give your greeting. Greetings paid for by 8 April can tel/email ______be doubled in display size for no extra cost. The deadline for greeting Return to: Socialist Party, PO Box 24697, London E11 1YD messages is 13 April. the Socialist 24-30 March 2011 www.socialistparty.org.uk comment/letters/party news 15 the Socialist postbag Little to laugh about in Do you have something to say? Send your news, views and criticism in not more than 150 words to Socialist Postbag, PO Box 24697, London E11 1YD, or phone 020 8988 8771, email: [email protected]. ‘Carry On Cuts’ budget We reserve the right to shorten letters. Don’t forget to give your name, address and phone number. Confidentiality will be respected if requested. Sean Figg been made, yet youth unemploy- ment remains stubbornly around Anti-cuts meetings the one million mark. Stevenage Anti-Cuts Union Like so many sequels, George Os- Why should we expect that Os- Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm ‘Pregnant, cranky, in a union’ ist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) local borne’s second full budget as Chan- borne is doing anything other than Shephall Centre, Shephall Green, I saw a photo recently of a protester in election candidate for Dunchurch, were cellor will be a disappointing re-run going through the motions yet again SG2 9XR Wisconsin holding a sign that said ‘preg- the only people to receive applause at of the first. Working class people will on this issue? And are these an- nant, cranky and in a union!’ I’m sure the meeting. find little to cheer them. nouncements meant to compensate Waltham Forest Anti-Cuts Union women here in Britain will have plenty We explained that there are alternatives Osborne’s ludicrous headline for the bonfire of jobs in the public Thursday 7 April, 7.30pm of sympathy for the sentiment! to cuts and firmly stated that it wasn’t promise that he “is not going to be sector? William Morris Centre, Greenleaf acceptable to replace workers with asking for more tax rises or spend- The Con-Dems’ bizarre policy of Road, off Hoe Street, E17 6QQ community volunteers. We pointed out ing cuts” will be laughable to most. “creative destruction” – the idea that that this weak coalition government can After having already announced the private sector will step in as the Stopcuts.net be forced into u-turns, giving the exam- cuts of £81 billion and put up taxes, public sector is slashed – is a fiction, ple of the protests in the Forest of Dean for example the regressive VAT by as the contraction of the economy business-friendly in a generation”. which forced the coalition to reverse its 2.5%, are we supposed to thank him in the last quarter of last year starkly Hardly news from a millionaire, decision to sell off the country’s wood- for not walloping us yet again? demonstrates. Oxbridge Tory! But his promised lands. No one will be fooled by the usual Osborne promises that this budget cutting of “red tape” will almost cer- Where a lead is given and a fighting sops he will throw at us. Promises will be the “most pro-enterprise and tainly be to the benefit of businesses strategy to resist cuts is put forward of extra money for apprenticeships at the expense of their employees. people are determined and willing to and vocational training would be According to research by the fight back. welcomed by the Socialist if they House of Commons library, up to Clive Dunkley were genuine, ie paid a living wage 3.8 million people, including 1.8 Brownsover South TUSC candidate and guaranteed a job at the end. But million women, will not be covered this is virtually ruled out. In by maternity pay regulations or the every budget since the eco- right to request flexible working It’s bad enough that women are being No country for old people nomic crisis hit, whether and shared parental leave. affected twice as much as men by the Privatisation stinks! We all know it but Labour or coalition, Despite the rhetoric, a new cuts so far because women make up every so often there is such proof of it promises to help young Ipsos Mori poll shows that 71% the majority of public sector workers that it needs to be remarked on. people into work have think the poor will fare worst and are also more likely to pick up the We now have something in Britain under the Con-Dems’ def- slack in the home for cut public services. called the ‘care home industry’! Appar- icit reduction – ie cuts But in its latest budget, the government ently it is struggling to turn a profit and - programme. Work- has made things even more difficult for is demanding that the state helps it out. ing people and women workers! Heard that one before? young people Letting companies with less than 250 Southern Cross, ‘Britain’s largest pro- are not buy- employees opt out of regulations allow- vider’ has begged the NHS to transfer ing the lie that ing parents to work flexible hours will patients to its beds so it can raise in- ‘we are all in it make having a job with young children come for rent and loan repayment to together’. virtually impossible. Unless the govern- Barclays and Lloyds banks. ment plans to provide free childcare for And what of those who rely on care? the people they force to work nine-to- They appear to be a secondary factor in five? I think not. this picture – at least for the five land- The Con-Dems should beware – the lords who own most of the homes. British Wisconsin could be at the door of Number 10 quicker than they think! Help support the fightback Louise Campbell East London Ken Douglas Why should you give your money to change the way that society is or- Socialist Party treasurer to us? Read through the pages of ganised and how resources are dis- this special TUC demo edition of tributed. This means that we have to Stop LGBT scapegoating the Socialist and hopefully we can challenge the profit-driven capital- The cuts will affect everyone in society Can you make a donation to help us convince you. ist system itself. except the super-rich who caused the with our work? The Socialist Party We have a history of militant We are internationalists who link crisis. Some groups will be hit especially depends solely on financial support working class struggle as you can up with the struggles taking place hard. from ordinary working class people see from the articles on Liverpool across the globe to fight for a social- Cuts to housing benefit will force claim- to produce this paper and other ma- and the poll tax. We want to fight the ist world. ants to share flats and houses until they terial, like the leaflets we are giving Con-Dem cuts, as do the majority of We need your support. If you are 35. This makes it even more difficult out on 26 March. ordinary people being hit by them, agree with our ideas can you donate to find suitable housing. Unlike other political parties we and we put forward a strategy of £5, £10, £100 or more? We can guar- Many Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Trans have no rich backers, no other how we can fight and win. antee that every penny will be used people could end up sharing with homo- On 26 March and beyond as we fight sources of funding. But it doesn’t stop there. We want in the fight for socialism. phobic or transphobic flatmates, with the cuts, let’s demand an end to all pri- the stress and dangers that brings, in- vatisation and for those services that cluding the risk of domestic violence. are rotting in private hands to be taken The NHS ‘reforms’ will chop the service back into public ownership and properly Subscribe to the paper that fights all the cuts into little bits and hand health care over funded. to big business, putting services we de- Emma Smith Every week, the Socialist brings you news, analysis, comments and reports from pend on, such as safer sex advice, free around the country and the world. It shows a strategy to defeat the vicious cuts condoms and lube, at risk. being implemented by the Con-Dem government. Cuts and recession always lead to the Council revelations outrage In autumn 2010, the Socialist raised the idea of students walking out of school, growth of reaction as capitalist politi- On 17 March an article appeared on college or university in protest at attacks on education. And when the govern- cians and the far right look for scape- the WalesOnline website explaining ment announced its plans for tripling tuition fees and scrapping EMA, that’s goats, putting LGBT people at risk. that Rhondda Cynon Taff’s Labour-led exactly what students did! When the extent of the government’s cuts became We can’t buy our way out with the fabled council had a £2 million surplus. This is clear, the Socialist was almost alone in saying that an important demand of the but non-existent pink pound. We have to the same council that only weeks ago anti-cuts movement had to be that local councils passed ‘needs’ budgets – a fight to save and improve services and threatened the entire workforce with demand that many local anti-cuts campaigns have now adopted. to end the rotten system that gives us dismissal unless they accepted worse As well as reporting the anti-cuts fightback and putting forward the socialist cuts and prejudice. pay and conditions. The council claimed alternative, the paper also carries reports from socialists involved in struggle Greg Randall they had no other choice to balance the around the globe. Socialist Party LGBT group budget. On the 10 November 2010 student So subscribe today to get the Socialist delivered straight to your door every The fact that this Labour council has demo photo S. Wrack week and join the battle against the Con-Dem cuts and for a socialist world. forced through these savage cuts to the Unpopular ‘Big Society’ pay and employment conditions of its A meeting of over 100 angry residents 10,000-strong workforce whilst main- packed into Dunchurch Infants School, taining a surplus of £2 million shows Donate I’d like to donate £ to the Socialist Party please make cheques payable to Socialist Party just outside Rugby, to hear the Liberal exactly how sincere the Labour Party is 12 issues £9 o 6 months £18 o 1 year £36 o please make cheques payable to Socialist Publications Ltd Democrats declare the only way to save to opposing cut backs! Subscribe Western Europe: 12 issues £16, half year £32, year £50 Rest of world: 12 issues £25, half year £50, year £90 the local library from closure was to The council should use the current sur- Return slip or pay at www.socialistparty.org.uk/subscribe staff it using ‘big society’ volunteers. plus as a temporary measure in order to Name The meeting was told about the Tory- avoid the cuts for now. Address and postcode controlled Warwickshire county coun- The council could then build a mass tel/email cil’s cuts which will result in 16 libraries campaign to demand the money nec- being closed, including the local one in essary for all the jobs and services Return to: Socialist Party, PO Box 24697, London E11 1YD or phone 020 8988 8777 to pay by card, to arrange a direct debit. Dunchurch. needed. Credit card No: Myself and Pete McLaren, Trade Union- Glyn Matthews Name: Start Date: Expiry Date: Security Code: Issue No: 70p Solidarity price £2

24-30 March 2011 the Socialist Issue 663

Dylan Hussey

avid Cameron recently labelled the 20.5% youth unemployment rate a matter of “great regret”. More than one in five 16 to 24 year olds is unemployed. The inescapable JARROW truthD is that big business, the banks and SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER the fat cats are returning to profit while NORTHERN DEMO young people are being “shunted into the sidelines”. This October is the 75th anniversary of the 1936 Jarrow march when 200 unem- MARCH ployed men marched from Jarrow, a town in Tyne and Wear, to the Houses of Parlia- ment in London. These men were march- Leeds ing against the extreme poverty that was tearing apart north east England. So why do I find myself interested in the Youth Fight for Jobs Jarrow March? Well, it resonates with me because the Jarrow Sheffield march is something my family members have talked about since I was a child. FOR My great grandfather was one of those men who marched from Jarrow to Lon- don. My nan used to tell me stories of her life in Jarrow in the 1930s when she had no Nottingham shoes except for one pair of black pumps for church on Sundays because no one had money for their kids’ shoes. Leicester And here I am, almost 75 years later, living in Britain with nearly one million young people without a job or the slightest JOBS hope of getting one. If we could dissect the Coventry figures I am pretty sure that a vast majority of these young people would be working Milton Keynes class. 2011 I hope to go to university when I finish college but I don’t know if this is going to be possible because of the threefold increase Luton in university fees. You see, like my grandad, I too am working class. So I’m pretty scared for my future. Watford It seems to me that we’re in a similar sit- uation to 1936 when my grandad crusaded for the right of working class people to have LONDON a future. I can’t imagine the despair he and SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER all those other men and women must have SOUTHERN DEMO felt at the time but they were still brave enough to stand up and be counted. And that’s why I want to join the Jarrow March - I want to stand up and be count- ed. I want the same chances as those with wealth and power. Nobody will remember Cameron or Clegg in 75 years time but I bet people will still be talking about the Jarrow marchers.

Youth Fight for Jobs calls for investment in a programme of job creation rather 75 Years ago 200 Jarrow workers were forced to March for Jobs than job cuts. See www.jarrow2london2011.wordpress. com and www.youthfightforjobs.com for Why is sky-high unemployment back? more details and information on getting involved.

retirement pension, as a step towards a living democratic control. Kick out private contractors! New workers’ party What we stand for pension. Reinstate the link with average earnings lKeep council housing publicly owned. For a lFor a new mass workers’ party drawing together The Socialist Party fights for socialist change now. massive building programme of publicly owned workers, young people and activists from – a democratic society run for the needs of all lReject ‘Welfare to Work’. For the right to decent housing, on an environmentally sustainable basis, workplace, community, environmental and anti- and not the profits of a few. We also fight, in benefits, education, training, or a job, without to provide good quality homes with low rents. war campaigns, to provide a fighting, political our day-to-day campaigning, for every possible compulsion. alternative to the pro-big business parties. improvement for working-class people. lScrap the anti-trade union laws! For fighting Environment lTrade unions to disaffiliate from the Labour Party As capitalism dominates the globe, the struggle trade unions, democratically controlled by their lMajor research and investment into replacing now and aid the building of a new workers’ party! for genuine socialism must be international. members. Full-time union officials to be regularly fossil fuels with renewable energy and into The Socialist Party is part of the Committee for elected and receive no more than a worker’s ending the problems of early obsolescence and a Workers’ International (CWI), a democratic, socialist international that organises in over 40 wage. unrecycled waste. Socialism and countries. lA maximum 35-hour week with no loss of pay. lPublic ownership of the energy generating internationalism industries. No to nuclear power. No to Trident. lNo to imperialist wars and occupations. Public services lA democratically planned, low fare, publicly- Withdraw the troops immediately from Iraq and Our demands include: lNo to privatisation and the Private Finance owned transport system, as part of an overall Afghanistan! Initiative (PFI). Renationalise all privatised utilities plan against environmental pollution. lTax the super-rich! For a socialist government to Work and income and services, with compensation paid only on the take into public ownership the top 150 companies lTrade union struggle to increase the minimum basis of proven need. Rights and banks that dominate the British economy, wage to £8 an hour without exemptions as an lFully fund all services and run them under lOppose discrimination on the grounds of race, and run them under democratic working-class immediate step towards £10 an hour. For an accountable, democratic committees that include sex, disability, sexuality, age, and all other forms control and management. Compensation to be annual increase in the minimum wage linked to representatives of service workers and users. of prejudice. paid only on the basis of proven need. average earnings. lFree, publicly run, good quality education, lRepeal all laws that trample over civil liberties. lA democratic socialist plan of production based lAll workers, including part-timers, temps, casual and available to all at any age. Abolish university For the right to protest! End police harassment. on the interests of the overwhelming majority migrant workers to have trade union rates of pay, tuition fees now and introduce a living grant. No lDefend abortion rights. For a woman’s right to of people, and in a way that safeguards the employment protection, and sickness and holiday to academies! choose when and whether to have children. environment. rights from day one of employment. lA socialist NHS to provide for everyone’s health lFor the right to asylum. No to racist immigration lNo to the bosses’ neo-liberal European Union! For lAn immediate 50% increase in the state needs – free at the point of use and under laws. a socialist Europe and a socialist world!