Solidarity Solidarity& Workers’ Liberty For a workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry “WE’LL STRIKE TO AGAINST POVERTY, STOP TRUMP COUP” David Van Deusen is president ing that position to our state when Trump was installed we of Vermont’s state AFL-CIO convention on 21 November, had 20,000 protest in our cap- union federation. He spoke to and asking for authorisation to ital Montpelier, population less Sacha Ismail from Solidarity call strikes if it comes to it. We than 8,000. If there’s a coup I about how the labour move- want a mandate from the rank- would expect much larger num- AGAINST THE ment should resist a Trump and-file as we head into uncer- bers, and if we call a general coup. tain waters. I’m confident we’ll strike larger still. get it. Political strikes are illegal here’s a real possibility that We’re not going to led this under federal law. But coups TTrump will lose this [3 No- country flip into dictatorship are illegal too! If the right seeks vember presidential] election, without using every weapon to disregard the constitution outright, but manipulate the to stop it, and the strongest and remain in power despite process and use his powers as weapon we have is withholding the will of the people, all bets President to refuse to go. It’s no our labour. are off. We will do what we have joke. In our leadership we have a to do. There are various ways it range of views, from people If we have to go above and could happen — there could who are excited to elect Biden beyond normal legal proce- be an attempt to discount or to probably more who think dures, opposing a coup and destroy certain ballots. If say he’s not likely to go anywhere defending democracy is more VIRUS: Trump loses Pennsylvania, they like far enough. important than whether we have a Republican legislature No one is arguing for an- have an “unfair labour practice” which could choose to send ything less than defeating charge filed against us. pro-Trump delegates to the Trump, but our focus is to de- Beyond Vermont, some sig- electoral college. He may have fend democracy. There’s no nificant local union bodies have support from within the Depart- disagreement about organising passed resolutions calling for a ment of Homeland Security, in action to resist a coup. Once general strike, including the la- addition to the non-AFL-CIO we’ve secured that we need bour councils in Troy and Roch- police unions supporting his to fight for a labour-oriented ester in New York state and in candidacy, and extreme right- Green-New-Deal-type recovery Seattle. Those plus Vermont is wing groups. SOCIAL program, and that will be a fight not a general strike, but it’s a I don’t know how quickly whoever wins. start. I think the discussion will things would unfold. The US Of course some of our mem- spread and if it becomes clear election system means there’s bers hold right-wing views, but the Trump administration in- various benchmark dates. Early I don’t think pro-Trump views tends to reverse or negate the December is when the electoral will be a major obstacle to mo- outcome, it will spread expo- See page 2 college meets. It may be a slow bilisation in Vermont. I’d be sur- nentially. □ The Harlem Belarus: the “Nigeria: run for US presidential roll into crisis or it may happen prised if he gets 30% here, and SUPPORT • Full interview at bit.ly/ rapidly. among union members it will Renaissance movement grows the elite” election 3 Nov dvdinterview Vermont AFL-CIO is the first be much less. 1920s African- Not a general strike Solidarity in London Angela Walker’s call to state labour council to come The hardest thing will be the • For more on discussions in the American art and yet, but bigger protests with protests in Nigeria vote, plus more debate out for a general strike if Trump unfamiliarity of strike action as US labour movement see this politics in New York against police killings below. article bit.ly/labnotescoup attempts a coup. We’ll be tak- a political tool. But even in 2016 Page 8-9 Pages 5, 6 Page 7 Pages 10-13 No. 569, 28 October 2020 50p/£1 workersliberty.org No. 569, 28 October 2020 50p/£1 workersliberty.org Against the virus, against poverty Serco mess • increased funding for Editorial schools, to allow for im- proved ventilation and ex- panded space and staffing t last, Labour has begun to • workers’ control of work- speak out against the Tories A place safety on the pandemic, though only • expanding the NHS, giv- to demand free school meals in ing NHS workers the 15% school holidays and to back the pay rise they demand, tak- scientists’ idea of a new brief “cir- ing NHS logistics in-house cuit-breaker” lockdown. and requisitioning supply in- On 21 October the Labour left dustries and private hospital began, mildly also, to speak out - if we do that, then peo- against the leadership on the ple will be able to see a set issue. An appeal coordinated of rules which allow us all to by the big trade union Unite de- protect each other, and are manded: liveable for the worse-off as • an extension of the job re- well as for those in secure tention scheme with 80% wage jobs who work from big, support comfortable, well-equipped • action to support incomes homes with good access to • helping people to self-isolate gardens and open space. by increasing the level for statu- The government has tory sick pay and enabling all to fouled up test-and-trace, claim it, and wasted the June-August • equipping our public services virus lull with foolish gim- with the resources they need. micks like subsidising It was signed by a string of up to 18 October, but has now turned sustainable covid-distancing we need restaurant meals and back- MPs, led by Jeremy Corbyn and John up again, prompting new restrictions social solidarity and social provision, to-offices drives, paid huge sums to McDonnell, almost all the general sec- there. Israel’s new and fairly full lock- and police measures like lockdown can private contractors, and floundered. retaries of big trade unions except down between 18 September and 18 at best only be ancillary. No wonder many people no longer Dave Prentis of Unison, and five Labour October brought down infection rates respect rules which change from week mayors of big cities. Social measures sharply. to week. The way out is not for us to The measures proposed, or at least If the labour movement steps up to So the case for a new lockdown in turn on each other, one lot blaming the hinted at, are not just about softening force the government into measures England of some form (mooted by other for putting us at risk, the other the economic impact on the worse-off like: scientists since mid-September) gets blaming the more cautious for trying to of the virus and of lockdowns. They • full isolation pay for all (something stronger, and, if it’s to be done, the impose arbitrary and unliveable rules. are also core public-health measures more than a minor increase in statutory sooner the better. It will probably be It is for us to unite to impose policies to reduce the toll. And they are pub- sick pay, because even doubling SSP more than two weeks, and it will not be towards social solidarity. lic-health measures which, unlike lock- of £95.85 a week will still leave many an answer to the pandemic. One sign of hope is that even in down, can be continued as long as workers unable to self-isolate and still At best it can be a gambit to buy time Spain and France Covid-19 death rates infection rates demand. pay their rent and feed their families) to establish more sustainable meas- are still only about a fifth of what they None of the government’s piecemeal • publicly-provided alternative hous- ures. No scientist suggests a full lock- were in April, and rising much less fast measures in England since it started ing for those quarantining, and for down through to next spring or summer than in March. According to estimates the local semi-lockdown in Leicester (4 those in overcrowding (when, with luck, seasonal factors or a by The Economist, the actual infection July) and the 10pm curfew on pubs (25 • allowing university students to es- vaccine may give some relief). It would rates are much lower than then too, ap- September) has been effective. Wales, cape from crowded halls of residence be sure to fray (Buenos Aires has had pearing otherwise because of higher Ireland, and Northern Ireland have which have become prime infection a continuing lockdown since March, testing. moved into new general lockdowns. hubs and get rent reimbursed and infections are still rising there). The The government is on the back foot. Ireland’s lockdown starting on 21 • bringing elderly care into the public social and even medical impact, espe- The labour movement has started to October looks like turning the curve sector, with staff on union-agreed pub- cially on the worst-off, might well come stir. Unite and agitate, and we can yet there, though it’s really too early to say. lic-sector pay and conditions to exceed the impact of the virus (which force the government into policies Spain’s infection curve levelled with • public-health test-and-trace, in also hits the worst-off hardest). which will save lives and health. □ only scrappy restrictions for four weeks Reason and evidence indicate that for place of the Tories’ hugely expensive Brexit: make Labour speak out! By Colin Foster The Tories bluster about Labour and the trade unions Everyone knows that if the and economic rules. being happy to settle for “no are still not speaking out, or Tories can get a deal, it will cer- That Boris Johnson won s we go to press on 27 Oc- deal”, and may yet lurch us into even demanding a pause on tainly be worse than Theresa the 2019 general election im- Atober, talks between the that, but will probably prefer Brexit until virus-chaos has May’s formulas which Labour poses no obligation on the UK and EU for a deal for Brexit to get some sort of deal, at abated. But the entire labour rightly rejected. labour movement to support are continuing in London and the last minute, which can be movement, except the Morn- Everyone knows that, deal or whatever he may come up are due to move to Brussels on rushed through with the mini- ing Star, regards “no deal” as no deal, the Tories’s next step with as an implementation of Thursday 29 October. mum of scrutiny and the maxi- certain to bring economic and will be to try to get a trade deal the vague and demagogic Brexit is due to happen on mum of us all being distracted social damage especially for with the USA, pushing Britain “mandate” he sought then. 31 December. by other concerns. the worse-off. further towards US-type social Make Labour speak out! □

2 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Lara McNeill pledges to restore socialism and dignity to Young Labour

By Sacha Marten In fact, the whole article begs the question, why has she not done more ara McNeill has written a pitch for in her time? And in an environment LYoung Labour’s NEC [National Exec- where, most of the time, the Left had utive Committee] Rep seat in Tribune. a significant majority on the NEC and I rate her chances of getting the seat were in control of most of Young La- highly, given that she is the incumbent bour. If there are political or bureau- and the only left candidate on the ballot cratic obstacles to making YL the force paper, and, after all, Momentum’s Na- it needs to be, McNeill should name tional Coordinating Group endorsed them and prepare us, since any fight to her without a vote! build up is surely harder now. One passage reads “When young The 2018 London Young Labour con- people are protesting for social justice, ference, organised under a more right- standing up to exploitative bosses, or wing administration, had 400 people, striking against their landlords, I want and debated many motions, bad and them to know that Young Labour will be good. The 2019 conference had only on their side”. about 70 people. Only one motion got That would certainly be a welcome debated, and that with only one speech step. But a question arises. What steps for and one against. The fault lay with has McNeill taken to build Young La- McNeill’s left, not with any outside im- bour on those lines? She talks of some position. welcome constitutional and financial McNeill cites youth involvement in changes that she has pushed. But the Black Lives Matter, climate strikes and basics that Young Labour should get more, by young activists in many towns support from, Lara McNeill. Young La- tory. With the resources already at the funding and have some autonomy and cities. Those young people have bour members who got involved did disposal of Young Labour, the contact shouldn’t have been the only achieve- done that without any reference to, or ments of two years on the NEC. so, as with most of their activism, using details of tens of thousands of young their own resources and without assis- workers, there could’ve been serious tance. efforts to expand trade unions into fast McNeill also mentions her efforts to food and hospitality and other indus- reintegrate trade unionism into Young tries. Labour. How has she done that? Union But Young Labour has done nothing, membership is virtually unknown to for example, to spread the organising many young people, although in many in Deliveroo, which in some areas em- ways this is one of the most politically ploys many young workers. □ aware and informed generations in his- Upcoming meetings orkers’ Liberty meetings are open to all, held online over zoom. Until 16 WNovember: Saturday 31 October, 9-10.30am: The principles of socialist internationalism Sunday 1 November, 6.30-8pm: Covid-19: what do we know so far? With Let music live! George Davey Smith (Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at Bristol University) By Rhodri Evans tancing. Monday 2 November, 7:30-9pm: Antonio Gramsci and the “Modern Prince” Another measure that could make Monday 2 November, 6-7pm: AWL Students: What is socialism? n 6 October the Musicians’ Union a difference would be to re-expand Sunday 8 November, 12-2pm: Socialist Feminist reading group: Gender Oorganised a 400-strong protest music teaching in schools, cut in re- Trouble by Judith Butler in Parliament Square about musicians’ cent years. Monday 9 November, 6-7pm: AWL students — The fight for trans rights jobs. As it stands, musicians, and related Monday 16 November, 7:30-9pm: Max Shachtman and the “Third Camp” The union is calling for the govern- trades like sound engineers, are ment to expand the self-employed Monday 16 November, 6-7pm: AWL students — The alt-right and how to fight among the groups hardest-bit by the it “furlough” scheme so that more mu- pandemic and lockdowns. sicians can qualify. At present 38% of 70% of musicians have less than Plus Every Monday, 6-7pm: Workers’ Liberty Students online political discussions musicians are ineligible. 25% of their usual work, and 36% Thursdays, 8-9pm: “Revolution Betrayed” study group It wants the Arts Council to be able have none at all. Every Friday, 6.30pm: Young Labour Internationalists: 31 Oct, class and race to distribute money to help individ- On a recent estimate, 50% of live in classic horror movies ual musicians in England, as is being music employees (about 26,000) are Our calendars of events: browse or subscribe! □ done in Wales and Scotland. likely to lose their jobs by the end of And it wants the government to 2020. And more than 140,000 full- All online fund local government to make time equivalent jobs for freelancers, municipal venues available for live crew, and other support staff have For full and updated details, zoom links, more meetings and resources, visit performances with suitable covid-dis- ceased to exist since March. □ workersliberty.org/meetings

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 3 Nick Wright and the “powerful intellect”

Antidoto

By Jim Denham

ick Wright is a member of the Com- Nmunist Party of Britain and frequent contributor to the Morning Star — often writing on Labour Party matters. Two themes recur in Wright’s arti- cles: that Labour’s changed position on Brexit (no longer promising “to hon- our” the referendum outcome) was the “fatal surrender” that cost it the 2019 election and that allegations of anti- semitism within Labour under Corbyn were “manifestly untrue and malicious” — the work of “not only British and Is- raeli state actors but an unscrupulous assembly of reactionary forces of all kinds”. Those particular quotes turn up in a piece by Wright in the Morning Star of 22 Oct, purporting to be a review of Owen Jones’s book about the Corbyn Russian tank in Czechoslovakia 1968 years, This Land. wrong.” he could do a better job than this and the Labour Party in the 1970s I might even agree with some of And Jones is far from alone in believ- much-maligned comrade in arms to through to the 1990’s As well as sup- Wright’s criticisms of Owen Jones (to ing that a large part of the blame lay Corbyn’s anti-war campaigning... Milne porting (retrospectively) the invasion point out his “vacillations on Brexit” is with the people Corbyn appointed to is a formidable figure whose relentless of Czechoslovakia, rejecting criticism certainly fair), but Wright’s complaint his office, particularly after the 2017 political praxis is underpinned... with of the USSR and defending the reputa- that the book “substitute[es] office election when “hubris set in, there great charm and a powerful intellect”. tion of Joseph Stalin, Straight Left also gossip for analysis” and downplays wasn’t a coherent strategy (and) the Leaving aside the fact that Milne him- had a reputation for being less than “the serial disloyalty of MPs (and) wildly mistakes on antisemitism and Salisbury self came to his (very well paid) position enthusiastic about feminism, environ- unbalanced media coverage” is not [the 2018 poisonings] cut through” in Corbyn’s office directly from his job mentalism and gay rights (it has been true and misses the main objective of (Jones, interviewed in the New States- as... a political journalist, Wright misses suggested that the name Straight Left Jones’ book. man, 11 Sep). out another important fact about this may have been indicative of a certain As Jones has put it in numerous in- Wright seems stung by Jones’ de- “formidable” figure and “powerful in- attitude towards gay rights). terviews, the main aim of his book was scription of a “dysfunctional” leaders’ tellect”: Milne, together with two other Oh, and there’s one other thing that to emphasise that Corbyn’s defeat office and by criticisms of director of members of Corbyn’s office — Steve Nick Wright fails to inform his readers; was not inevitable. As he told the New communications and strategy Seumas Howell (Milne’s deputy from February as well as Seumas Milne, Andrew Mur- Statesman: “If you just say it’s internal Milne in particular: “Political journalists 2017) and Andrew Murray (seconded ray and Steve Howell, one other former subversion or external attack, what’s are too prone to think they can do pol- from Unite as an “adviser” in 2017) — member of Straight Left remains active the point? Give up on politics, then, it’s itics better than front-line participants was a leading member of Straight Left, in politics and in touch with his old doomed. That’s a fatalistic conclusion, and, judging by his discussion of Seu- an ultra-Stalinist faction that existed in- friends and comrades: Nick Wright. □ so I wanted to be clear on what went mas Milne’s role, Jones must imagine side both the British Communist Party

down and demoralisation after the December 2019 general election. Democracy in the To get Labour Parties operating Left slate and drawbacks labour movement again, and to start again calling the Labour leadership to account and he ballot for constituency rep, chose candidates and then pleaded ocal Labour Party ward and con- putting pressure on the Tories, is a youth rep, disabled rep, and local with them for a statement (getting T stituency Annual General Meetings priority. government rep places on Labour’s only a bland minimum). L are being held (via Zoom) in many National Executive opened on 19 It is with good cause that complaints areas in November. Restarting Labour October and closes on 12 Novem- are now becoming vocal about two CLPs [Constituency Labour Par- Solidarity calls on socialists to attend ber. Many members will have voted candidates on the slate, Laura Pidcock ties] mostly have a choice between their AGMs and stand for election for already. and Ann Henderson, for failing to sup- doing those meetings in November, posts such as Youth Officer, Political We’ve supported the official left port trans rights. or doing them before end-July 2020 Education Officer, Trade Union Liai- slate, because even a poor left slate Yasmine Dar, another candidate on but after the May 2021 local elections son officer, and GC delegate. We also getting weight on the Executive will the slate, has a discreditable record of (which in fact will be a combination of recommend wording you can draw on widen democratic openings com- support for the Iranian regime. Laura those polls due in May 2020 but post- to propose motion on the pandemic, pared to having a strongly leader- Pidcock is close to the Morning Star. poned, and those due in May 2021 job cuts, and many other issues, found ship-compliant Executive. As Sacha Marten explains on page 3, anyway). It may also be possible to fit at bit.ly/mo-pe. But we didn’t like the way the official Lara McNeill, the left-slate candidate in AGMs in February or March. Some CLPs have a custom of elect- “left slate” was put together — wors- for youth rep, has a poor record as in- Many CLPs have been slow restart- ing conference delegates at their ened by short deadlines imposed by cumbent in that position. ing since Labour’s National Executive AGM. It seems unlikely that many the Labour leadership — or the slate The left should debate and decide licensed local decision-making meet- CLPs will elect conference delegates itself. Instead of deciding first on a a basic platform, and do slate-making ings again, post-lockdown, on 15 July. for September 2021 as early as No- basic left platform, and then choosing on that basis. □ In some, local officer teams have lost vember 2020, but watch out to see candidates, the slate-making process people through the pressures of lock- whether yours does. □

4 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Poland’s fight for abortion rights (PiS) party had been campaigning “I’ve been particularly happy to see for further restrictions on reproduc- the alliances of feminists and trade Women’s tive freedoms. The court has been unionists, from farmers to miners, that Fightback reformed by the PiS government and are currently emerging — something contains many right-wing judges loyal we haven’t seen a lot of in Poland in By Katy Dollar to the ruling party. recent decades. Knowing that my housands of people have marched On Friday thousands of young friends are among those marching Tin cities across Poland in protests protesters in Warsaw marched to and organising back home makes against a near-total ban on abortion. the home of PiS leader Jarosław me proud, and I know they’re really Poland already has some of the strictest Kaczyński, meeting violence from happy to see that we’re standing in abortion laws in the world. Poland’s riot police. Elsewhere in Gdańsk, solidarity with them in the UK, across There are fewer than 2,000 legal Poland protesters gathered in main 24 October: Europe and beyond”. abortions a year in Poland, and the squares, outside PiS premises, or near bit.ly/p-24-10 We must continue to stand in soli- vast majority take place because of churches. Slogans such as “women’s darity against the Polish right’s attacks 5pm on Saturday, there was maybe a malformed foetuses, which would be hell” and “unlimited abortions” were on reproductive freedoms. It is part of couple hundred people. By the time it illegal following the court ruling such daubed on church walls in Warsaw. a global attack on abortion rights. got properly dark around 6.30, there abortions were unconstitutional. The On Sunday 25 October protesters On 22 October the Trump administra- were over a thousand of us. new ruling restricts abortions to circum- interrupted Mass at churches, drop- tion signed an international anti-abor- “The protest was DIY, loud and stances of rape, incest, or if there is a ping banners and staging occupa- tion pledge. The “Geneva Consensus angry — just like the actions happening threat to the woman’s life. tions. Poland’s far-right came out to Declaration” calls on states to promote across Poland where hundreds of thou- Women’s groups estimate that as block women from protesting at some “women’s rights and health” — without sands of people in cities and towns are many as 200,000 procedures are per- churches. access to abortion. The “core support- demonstrating, blocking roads and formed illegally or abroad each year. Workers’ Liberty people joined the ers” of the declaration are Brazil, Egypt, interrupting church services. Pundits The demonstrations happened de- lively solidarity demonstration called Hungary, Indonesia and Uganda, and like to say the court ruling ‘divided Po- spite a government ban on public by Razem at the Polish Embassy in Lon- the 27 other signatories include Bela- land’, but in reality, the opposition to gatherings due to Covid-19. Poland’s don on 24 October. Polish socialist Ana rus, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United the ruling is overwhelming and crosses Roman Catholic episcopate and the Oppenheim told Solidarity: “The pro- Arab Emirates, Iraq, Sudan, South political, social, generational and geo- governing rightwing Law and Justice test was called very spontaneously, on Sudan, Libya. □ Thursday night. When I arrived just after graphic divides.

Belarus: solidarity and “imperialism” Activist Agenda gument against the notion been detained again and repressive regime that jails that the Belarusian dictator taken to an undisclosed de- trade union leaders. he Free Osime Brown campaign Eric Lee Alexander Lukashenko is tention centre in Soligorsk. IndustriALL summed Thas now passed 300,000 signa- some kind of progressive “Similarly, Siarhei Charka- up what is really going on tures on its petition to stop Osime’s than looking at the cases sau, who is the vice chair of today in Belarus in these deportation. It won a first victory By Eric Lee of Siarhei Charkasau, Ana- BITU, was detained along words: “The level of violence when Osime was released from jail tol Bokun, Yury Korzun, and with Yury Korzun and Pavel against peaceful demonstra- to his family’s home rather than de- few days ago, following ported to Jamaica straight off, but up on a suggestion I Pavel Puchenia. These four Puchenia while having a pic- tions following the recent A men are all trade union ac- nic in a public park in Soli- presidential elections in Au- the deportation order as such still made to LabourStart’s mail- stands, and the campaign is awaiting ing list that people try out tivists, mostly members of gorsk on 3 October. They gust is extreme. By the be- the Belarusian Independent remained in detention for ginning of September, the legal updates on that. the secure messaging app It asks supporters to write to their Telegram, I received an in- Trade Union (BITU), and they 15 days. On 16 October, the UN Human Rights office had have all been arbitrarily de- day they were supposed to documented at least 450 MPs and to seek support in their un- teresting question. I had ions. The rail union RMT is already mentioned that pro-democ- tained several times over the be released, they were de- cases of torture and ill-treat- last two months. tained again and moved to ment of people deprived of supporting Osime. racy protestors in Belarus Free Our Unions is discussing with and Hong Kong were using As IndustriALL global a police detention centre in their liberty. There has not union explained: “The union Soligorsk. yet been any criminal inves- activists in Welwyn Hatfield Constit- the app intensively. uency Labour Party about campaign- The question I received leaders, who are also strike “While in detention, Ana- tigation into cases of death committee members, are tol Bokun, Siarhei Charka- or torture.” ing activity against the Tories’ plans was: “Is Telegram also being for new laws to restrict transport used in Bolivia?” When I being targeted for their sau, Yury Korzun, and Pavel IndustriALL and BITU have trade union activity. On 21 Puchenia were asked to lie: launched an online cam- workers’ strikes. It’s Transport Secre- replied that I didn’t know, tary Grant Shapps’ constituency, so my correspondent replied: September, Anatol Bokun if they signed a document paign demanding that these took peaceful action in sup- and recorded a video for activists be freed at once Welwyn Hatfield Labour activists are “It’s just that it’s used in two well placed to help raise the profile places where the imperi- port of his co-worker Aleh the state-run Belarusian Tel- and that the repression stop Kudziolka, who refused evision channel admitting now. of the issue. alist states are very much Neurodivergent Labour has its involved against the gov- to leave his underground guilt and remorse for their It’s a campaign that every workplace in a protest part in the strike action, they trade unionist and socialist AGM (online) at the end of Novem- ernment.” ber. Workers’ Liberty people have Leftists who see Belarus against rigged presidential would be granted freedom. should support without hes- elections and the extreme The four union leaders re- itation — and indeed, with put in motions on trans rights, on the and Hong Kong as countries justice system, and on Labour Party under some kind of pro- violence of riot police. He fused to budge. As a con- enthusiasm. It has absolutely was detained the same day sequence, they have been nothing to do with “imperi- democracy and access. gressive government facing Safe and Equal is pursuing its drive an assault by “imperialist and remains in jail. unlawfully detained for 15 alist states” and everything “Anatol was one of 22 more days.” to do with working class to ensure full sick pay for all workers states” are — to quote Hum- in hospitals — including “bank” and phrey Bogart in Casablanca workers detained by the po- Are these the actions of a solidarity. Please show your lice, but he was the only one progressive government? support at labourstart.org/ contracted-out workers — and to get — misinformed. invitations to speak at trade union And it is our job to inform sentenced, to 25 days of jail Of course not. And no pro- go/4579 □ for alleged public disorder. gressive, or trade union- branches and Labour Parties. □ them of what is really going • Eric Lee is the founder Anatol was due for release ist, or socialist should find on in those places. editor of Labourstart, writing • Campaign links and info at on 16 October, but he has themselves on the side of a There can be no better ar- here in a personal capacity. workersliberty.org/agenda

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 5 Not yet general strike, but bigger protests By Pete Radcliff the major factories. reputation, Sergei Dylevsky. Some as- Militant strikers did managed to sociated with the Council but jailed, n 13 October Belarus opposition march past security through many fac- like Tikhanovskaya’s husband Sergei Oleader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya tories, appealing for workers to join Tikhanovsky, have a background in rad- made an ultimatum on behalf of the them. Some factories, like the tractor ical journalism. oppositional Coordinating Council. If factory MTZ and automobile factory Lukashenko’s persecution of them Lukashenko didn’t resign, she would MAZ, had the hated state security has enhanced their reputation, but call for a peaceful nationwide rejection OMON helping managers try to block pro-regime forces still throw scorn on of his rule and a general strike from 25 the strikers. them as celebrities, intellectuals (or October. At MTZ, OMON had paddy wagons even, in the case of Victor Babariko, The strike call gave a boost to the waiting alongside to carry away those a banker) whose interests are not the protests against Lukashenko. The they arrested. But that did not stop workers’. weekly Sunday demonstration in Minsk workers getting into the factory. The workers need their own demo- on 25 October was larger than it had The threat of dismissal as well as cratic and independent unions. They been for over a month, probably close imprisonment always hangs over the also need their own programme for to 100,000. head of Belarus strikers. At the Naftan a future Belarus where workers are in It was met at the intersection of Or- oil refinery, workers told the Tut news control. lovskaya and Novovilenskaya in Minsk agency that the manager had said any- Strikes require strong organisation in In a country as oppressive as Belarus, with the most brutal attack yet from one joining the strike would be imme- the workplace. For an unofficial general workers will be organised in ways that Lukashenko’s security. Stun grenades diately sacked. strike in the face of huge repression, cannot be known or shared on media. were used. Gunshots were heard and Elsewhere the regime has extensively workers need not only anger at bru- It appears at the moment that the or- serious injuries were suffered. replaced indefinite employment con- tality and injustice but also confidence ganisation is not yet strong enough to But students are increasingly polit- tracts with short-term ones. that they will win and have the organi- achieve a full general strike. But these ically active. On Monday 26 October Tikhonavskaya’s people had done sation to do so. things can change quickly. they organised walk-outs from Belarus consultations with many of the strik- After fake elections and phoney state The leaders of the independent State University and other universities, ers. In her rallying call to workers she unions, they need to know a democ- union at the Belaruskali potash mine challenging the directors and adminis- stressed restoring pension rights, racy, a union, a political leadership they have been jailed again. trators in heated debate. ending a freeze on wages, and end- can trust. Sign and spread this e-petition for The strike call seems not to have ing corrupt and bullying management Tikhanovskaya’s Coordinating Coun- their release: bit.ly/ls-be □ pulled out the majority of workers at methods. cil includes one worker with a militant Pro-Lukashenko effort is complete failure By Dale Street in support of Lukashenko. rebellious: we want to go (to Yegorov gave a very different and could end up being used “Everyone who is not indiffer- Minsk), to demonstrate, to analysis of the reasons for its against the authorities. Some lans for a pro-Lukashenko ent to the fate of our country” show that we are many.” cancellation: will remember the official Pmass rally of “250,000 to was invited to attend the rally, No sooner had the “su- “Firstly, it turned out to be meeting in support of Ceaus- 300,000” in the Belarussian the purpose of which was “to per-meeting” been announced quite complicated to convince escu which finished so lamen- capital Minsk on Sunday 25 show who is the master in this than the press began carrying people to go. Some people tably for him.” October ended up as a fiasco. country.” reports of the pressure being started demanding written The “Ceausescu meeting” Nominally, the rally had According to Orda: “People exerted on workers by em- instructions. Secondly, it was was a rally organised by the been called by the “official” are very tired of what is going ployers and “their” trade union not simple from a logistical Romanian dictator in late De- Federation of Trade Unions of on. People understand what to attend it. According to the point of view — bringing that cember of 1989, intended to Belarus (FPB). But the FPB — they can lose. This led to the news agency TUT.BY: many people to Minsk from all show the popular support he which claims a membership of idea of giving them the oppor- “We continue to receive over Belarus, and getting them claimed to enjoy. But the rally some four million in a country tunity to demonstrate where hundreds of reports from state home again. had to be abandoned after his with a population of less than they stand. I will say even employees and from employ- “Thirdly, I think that the au- speech was drowned out by ten million — functions organ- more: To show who is the mas- ees of organisations and en- thorities were afraid that this jeers and booing. Five days isationally and politically as an ter in our country. Not some- terprises about how they have meeting could be used by later Ceausescu was executed extension of the government. one from abroad, but us — we been made to take an interest protestors for their own goals by firing squad. □ Since the rigged elections are the masters of our soil. in a trip to Minsk, including of early August it has backed “‘We’ are not just the trade bonus payments (added on, Lukashenko and denounced unions. It is all our social or withdrawn), time off in lieu, his opponents at every turn. organisations: youth, the and threats of dismissal or FPB leader Mikhail Orda says: (pro-government) Union of non-renewal of contracts.” “The most important values Our audio! Women, Belaya Rus’ [White By 23 October the “su- isten, download or subscribe to Workers’ Liberty audio re- of Belarussians have always Rus’ — pro-government ‘social’ per-meeting” had been can- been peace and tranquillity. Lcordings of our paper, other publications, and many meet- organisation] and members of celled. Although supposedly ings. Playlists include: Certain foreign forces want to the armed forces.” called by the FPB, it was take this right away from us. According to Lukashenko, Lukashenko himself who an- • Solidarity Newspaper They promise ‘mountains of the “super-meeting” had been nounced its cancellation. • Pamphlets, publications beyond Solidarity gold’ but in reality they want called by the FPB in response In a rambling speech • Public meetings to deprive us of work, wages, to popular demand: Lukashenko gave a hodge- • Fighting racism: pamphlets and more pensions and other social “The drive simply came podge of reasons for its can- • Solidarność: The workers’ movement and the rebirth of guarantees. These people will from people. People have got cellation: problems of crowd Poland in 1980-81 rejoice if enterprises have no tired… People want peace and control, city centre traffic pa- • Environmental pamphlet and meetings orders and workers no work.” quiet. That’s a good thing. We ralysis, security risks, Covid-19, See workersliberty.org/audio for episodes, and for information In the middle of last week understood this without a war. the stage was too small... on subscribing and using podcasts. All recent episodes can the FPB announced that it had People understood what they But in the Salidarnasts news- be found through most podcast providers: search “Workers’ lodged an application to stage have to lose, they became paper political analyst Andrey Liberty” or “Solidarity & More”. □ a “super-meeting” in Minsk

6 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Nigeria: police killings spark protests Ejike Ikezuagu and Princess Dandison the same reason as these protests, that were organisers of the End SARS UK people’s rights are not respected and march in London on 24 October. They sometimes even wages are not paid. spoke to Sacha Ismail from Solidarity. It’s the same issue of bad government and not providing for the people. But ince it was created in 1992 SARS perhaps workers’ groups are not confi- S[the Special Anti-Robbery Squad dent to strike specifically as part of this police unit] has targeted young peo- movement, because they would fear ple. In Nigeria the youth face a very repression and reprisals. That does bad situation; people leave education not mean they are not supporting the but there are no jobs. Instead of help- movement more quietly and organis- ing them, the government treats them ing their members. as yahoos or criminals. When SARS see young people with a car or nice clothes Where have there been solidarity or even a nice hairstyle, they will ques- protests? tion them, demand to know their oc- In London we got hundreds at two cupation and often find an excuse to days’ notice. There were also protests kidnap, torture and in some cases kill in Southampton and Manchester, them. Nothing ever happens — the kid- and other countries including the US, nappers and killers are not prosecuted. France and Germany. Many countries Now young people are saying where Nigerians live. People have a enough is enough. very direct motivation to protest. In This is about more than just the po- many cases we are sustaining our fami- lice. People are angry because they lies and friends through the money we are fighting to survive, but just barely send back — sustaining our loved ones getting by. The political class in Nigeria when the government will not. provides nothing for people — no jobs, in the capital. This is very important. these divisions when we don’t have Do people take inspiration from no welfare, no healthcare, not even We want a government which in- jobs or water to drink. The elite are other protests against police vio- guaranteed electricity. volves the youth, to provide fresh ideas. trying to manipulate divisions, but we lence, like Black Lives Matter and in On 20 October police and soldiers All the existing political parties are part don’t think they will succeed, because Hong Kong? attacked protesters at the Lekki tollgate of the problem. There needs to be a the youth movement is determined. What is happening in Nigeria is in Lagos. The protesters were peace- new force which represents the youth. unique, and in some respects more in- ful, unarmed, not even violating the Is it just young people supporting the tense — but this is not to take anything curfew, but at least twelve were killed How does the movement relate to protests? a way from struggles in Hong Kong, and many more injured. The authori- different communities and religions? No, many different groups are sup- Tunisia and elsewhere. We are aware ties tried to deny this, but a video went Previously the killings were mainly in porting. But the youth are the people of these struggles and of course we viral. The attempt to scare people did the south east of the country. Now peo- on the streets, who can sleep outside support them. Black Lives Matter is not work. Since then the protests have ple see everyone is vulnerable, even in and get up and keep protesting. It is very important — Nigerians have direct spread, including solidarity protests in Lagos, and protests are taking place the youth who are the most daring. experience of what racism in the US other countries. everywhere in the country. Moreover this youth movement is Have there been any strikes or means. So our struggle is unique but What demands are being raised? crossing tribal and religious divisions. workers’ actions as part of this strug- there is inspiration too. Our lives mat- We need real action to deal with the People say, why are we talking about gle? ter. □ police — they say they have disbanded In Nigeria we have many strikes for SARS, but we see the same people out on the streets attacking protesters. We want the president to resign. Nigeria makes many millions of dol- “Nigeria is being run for the elite” lars from oil daily. The money is going into private purses. We need rich peo- Vanessa and Danny, demonstrators on the workers to own and control the ple to pay taxes so the government can the 24 October London protest against economy collectively and democrat- provide healthcare, welfare and educa- Nigeria’s president Buhari, talked to ically. tion, create infrastructure and services Martin Thomas from Solidarity. Yes. Buhari is the Minister for Petro- and employ people, particularly young leum, too, so he controls the wealth he demonstration was organised people, as well as providing support from oil. Nigeria’s legislature is the by social media. The main changes for private businesses. But this will only T highest paid in the world. The country are: Buhari criminal, Buhari murderer, happen with a different government. is being run for the elite, not for the Buhari bad boy. people. We’re being taken back to What kind of government? The whole government has to go. feudalism. We want a government that improves We need new people to run Nigeria We are one nation. People in Europe people’s lives, in every respect, socially on a new basis, to end corruption, to should stop referring to us as “tribes”. and economically, and invests in the build infrastructure, to create jobs for We can overcome the divisions within youth. Which obeys the rule of law, young people. Nigeria. Devolve power to the states, and says no one is above the law. We 60% of the population in Nigeria have democracy. want a government which says what it is under 25, but the country is being Where the elite’s money dumped? will do and does what it says, instead of ruled by over-65s. Buhari was a mili- In the tax havens controlled by coun- deceiving people. A government which tary dictator [in 1983-5], so he can’t be tries like Britain. The Nigerian people listens and is not deaf. We must have the right person to run the country. should not suffer guilt by association the right to express ourselves in life and We’re socialists, so the way we see with the elite. to protest injustices without being re- should be allowed to deal with our is- it, the big problem is that the gov- Nigeria has dealt well with Covid. pressed and killed. sues, our problems. ernment and the economy are run People in West Africa have experience We need real federalism in Nigeria, Nigerians in Britain can help, with by the rich, and the answer is for dealing with Ebola. Nigerian people instead of everything being centralised solidarity to help effect change. □

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 7 Black Culture and resistance: the Harlem Renaissance By Janine Booth ton carried out great works to improve peoples, and Lenin for addressing “the black people’s life chances. But he ar- question of the American Negroes” ne hundred years ago, an arts gued that blacks had to be educated and “the urgent necessity of propa- Omovement was forming in a main- before claiming equality, accepted Jim ganda and organizational work among ly-black district of New York City. Later Crow laws and postponed demanding the Negroes of the South”. McKay was known as the Harlem Renaissance, it the vote. In 1900, Washington pub- a contributor to and editor of The Liber- was primarily cultural but also inescap- lished A New Negro for a New Century, ator, the radical socialist magazine run ably political. Literature, poetry, jazz, but twenty years later, “New Negro” by Crystal and Max Eastman which be- theatre, sculpture and more articulated had become the name of an assertive came a Communist Party publication in the lives and demands of African-Amer- black identity counterposed to Wash- 1922. He argued strongly both for cul- icans no longer willing to be grateful ington’s conservatism. tural coverage, and for the communist that they were no longer enslaved. The submissive “Old Negro” ap- movement to engage seriously with proach was challenged by, amongst black liberation. O black and unknown bards of long others, W.E.B. Du Bois, a black aca- In August 1920, the editors of The ago. demic from a poor background and Messenger, the self-styled “only radi- How came your lips to touch the sa- member of the Socialist Party of Amer- cal Negro magazine in America”, asked cred fire? ica. The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois’ rhetorically, “The New Negro — What How, in your darkness, did you 1903 collection of essays, fiction and Is He?” It answered that he demands come to know memoir, would inspire many Harlem universal suffrage, “the full product of Renaissance artists. In 1910, Du Bois his toil”, and “absolute and unequivocal The power and beauty of the min- Zora Neale Hurston strel’s lyre? moved to New York City to edit The Cri- social equality”. The New Negro is rad- Who first from midst his bonds lifted sis, journal of the National Association ical, rejects both Republican and Dem- Several high-profile Renaissance his eyes? for the Advancement of Colored Peo- ocratic parties, and joins a labor union artists integrated African culture into ple (NAACP), formed the previous year. and a working-class political party. their work. Sargent Claude Johnson Who first from out the still watch, Du Bois hoped that artistic achieve- Founded by A Philip Randolph and made carvings, ceramics, paintings, lone and long. ment would prove black people’s equal Chandler Owen with the help of the masks and murals influenced by Afri- Feeling the ancient faith of proph- place in society. The Crisis ran a compe- Socialist Party, The Messenger played can themes and using African styles. ets rise tition for black writers and introduced a key role in building what was then Augusta Savage and Meta Vaux War- Within his dark-kept soul, burst into America to Langston Hughes, pub- known as the “Negro Renaissance”. rick Fuller centred African styles in their song? lishing his totemic poem, The Negro By the 1960s, “Negro” would be re- sculpture. James Weldon Johnson Speaks of Rivers. Ultimately, Du Bois jected as a racist word, associated with Pan-Africanists such as Du Bois pro- was too culturally conservative to keep the conservatism that the New Negro moted Africa’s liberation from coloni- Heading for Harlem up with the movement he inspired, but movement and the Negro Renaissance alism as essential to black liberation, After the USA abolished slavery in his role in its creation was crucial. defined themselves against in the while fighting for full civil rights in the 1865, white supremacism reasserted it- As the war ended, black aspirations 1920s. USA. But Jamaican-born Marcus Gar- self, particularly in southern states. The to equality came up against a new vey, who based his Universal Negro Ku Klux Klan formed, and “Jim Crow” wave of racist violence, in East St Louis Unearthing Black history and Improvement Association in Harlem, laws (named after a caricature Negro) in 1917, and across the USA in 1919’s culture argued that this would never happen In 1925, writer and philosopher Alain applied a “separate but equal” philos- “Red Summer”. Another totemic poem, and that therefore black people should Locke published The New Negro, an ophy which delivered separation but Claude’s McKay’s sonnet If We Must instead return to Africa. anthology of essays, poems and short not equality. White racist violence ram- Die, urged black Americans to die Garvey was a compelling speaker stories, but with little material arguing paged, with lynchings peaking in 1892. fighting rather than submit. who attracted many followers, and for socialist perspectives. In the early twentieth century, north- McKay visited Soviet Russia, reading regularly led parades of thousands Arthur Schonburg contributed an ern states saw an industrial surge. The poetry at Red Army camps and speak- through Harlem, waving from a motor essay, The Negro Digs Up His Past. He push of southern racism and the pull ing at the Communist International car while dressed in the uniform of had collected a trove of books, manu- of northern jobs propelled more than Congress on the fifth anniversary of an imperial viceroy. Claude McKay scripts, photographs and memorabilia one-and-a-half million black Americans the 1917 Revolution. Writing about his believed that Garvey’s skill at propa- about African culture and history, and into the first “Great Migration” between visit in The Crisis, McKay praised the ganda was his “greatest contribution to in 1926 sold them to the New York 1916 and 1930,. Bolsheviks for their prompt solidarity the Negro movement” and hoped that Public Library, which employed him to They moved to Chicago, Detroit, greetings to all the world’s oppressed “men of broader understanding and curate this precious resource. The story Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and to New sounder ideas” would emulate it. goes that one of Schonburg’s school York City, whose black population rose Other black socialists also disap- teachers had told him that black peo- from 140,000 in 1910 to over 650,000 proved of Garvey’s political message, ple had no history, prompting him to a in 1940, their numbers boosted by im- rejecting racial separatism in favour of life’s work proving this wrong. migration from the Caribbean. Many class-based, integrationist anti-racism. headed for Harlem, the part of Man- What is Africa to me: Du Bois described Garvey as “the most hattan between Central Park and the dangerous enemy of the Negro race in Copper sun or scarlet sea, Bronx, partly facilitated by black en- America and in the world”. Randolph trepreneur Philip Payton Junior, who Jungle star or jungle track, and Owen ran a “Garvey Must Go” acquired tenement blocks and rented Strong bronzed men, or regal black campaign. homes to the new arrivals. Women from whose loins I sprang Formerly a white neighbourhood, Jazz, gangsters, and monied When the birds of Eden sang? by 1920 Harlem was the hub of a busy whites black community asserting its own cul- One three centuries removed In 1921, the musical revue “Shuffle ture and identity. From the scenes his fathers loved, Along” ran for over five hundred shows on Broadway. Featuring future stars Spicy grove, cinnamon tree, The New Negro Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson, it As the century turned, black America’s What is Africa to me? introduced white audiences to black dominant leader was Booker T Wash- Countee Cullen, Heritage music and theatre, and brought jazz to ington. A formidable figure, Washing- W.E.B Du Bois Broadway.

8 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Black Culture and resistance: the Harlem Renaissance Jazz had travelled with the Great nificantBook of American Negro Poetry woman while defying anyone to ac- Augusta Savage Migration, from New Orleans north to in 1922 and was the Executive Secre- tually prove it. Together with others Chicago and other cities. It arrived in tary of the NAACP. including Ida Cox and (the unrelated) New York in the decade before the First Illustrator Aaron Douglas urged black Clara, Bessie and Mamie Smith, they World War, when the New York Herald artists to “bare our arms and plunge sang songs of the highs, lows and la- already had its racist hackles raised by them deep through laughter, through bours of working-class black women’s its predecessor, ragtime, describing it pain, through sorrow, through hope, lives. as “symbolic of the primitive morality through disappointment, into the very Jessie Fauset, Literary Editor of The and perceptible moral limitations of the depths of the souls of our people and Crisis, wrote confident, assertive, black Negro type”. drag forth material crude, rough, ne- women characters, who were not the After the war, jazz clubs proliferated glected. Then let’s sing it, dance it, write servant-girls or “mammies” of popular in Harlem. Jazz legends Joe “King” Oli- it, paint it”. stereotype. When the publisher of her ver and Louis Armstrong moved north. Some did so using classic forms and novel, There is Confusion (1925), asked In 1927, Duke Ellington began the run language, some used Negro vernacular James Weldon Johnson to host a din- at the Cotton Club that would launch or tradition. Jean Toomer’s landmark ner to mark its launch, he agreed on his career. work, Cane (1923), combined mod- condition that the event be broadened But Harlem’s Cotton Club also rep- ern styles with folk forms. Inspired by to include many more black writers. resented the enduring racism that still Toomer’s visit to Georgia, Cane mixes Over a hundred black artists and white constrained and debased black culture. imagery, free verse and stream-of-con- publishers attended the resulting Civic Black people were admitted only as sciousness writing to portray urban al- Club dinner, a landmark event of the performers or waiters — or, occasion- ienation and the deprivation of blacks Renaissance movement. ally, celebrity guests. After Langston living in beautiful southern landscapes. Hughes visited, he described it as “a Langston Hughes developed a “Blues Beyond Harlem Harlem Renaissance shifted from the Jim Crow club for gangsters and mon- poetry” that bore both the painful lyrical Despite the name “Harlem Renais- radical politics of its early days towards ied whites”. content and the compelling rhythm of sance”, the movement was not con- a more cultural romanticism. The 1929 Proprietor Owney Madden used the the blues. Photographer James van de fined to this Manhattan district. Its Wall Street crash dealt it a heavy blow, club to sell illegal liquor and to bring to Zee chronicled the development of the artists were active in various US cities, leaving many blacks too poor to pro- a white audience “authentic black en- new black identity, recording scenes of and many travelled abroad. A similar duce art and many whites no longer tertainment” that was too often trivial Harlem life and portraits of both cele- movement blossomed in Paris. Just as able to afford to patronise it. Six years and stereotyped. The club decorated brated locals and ordinary folk. the US had its Negro Renaissance and later, a bloody race riot in Harlem killed its interior with a plantation theme, its New Negro, so France had its main- the movement, and Harlem became promoted Ellington’s jazz orchestra as Sex and sexuality ly-musical “Paris Noir” and its more ac- the neglected and impoverished dis- “jungle music”, and Hughes described Novelist Wallace Thurman lit a flame ademic “Négritude”. trict that it is known as today. white clients watching black entertain- under political and cultural conserva- In the 1920s, France’s empire was at The Harlem Renaissance was a his- ers as zoo visitors watch animals. tism with Fire!!, “a Quarterly Devoted its peak, and black artists in its colonies toric decade of expression by black, Many well-off white people came to to the Younger Negro Artists”. It pub- were developing a similar cultural as- mainly working-class people through Harlem to partake of its burgeoning lished Smoke, Lilies and Jade, a mono- sertion to their American counterparts’. many forms of art. It reveals a lot about black culture. Some came to listen to logue written by Richard Bruce Nugent, Many black artists, intellectuals and the relationship between economics, jazz and to learn dance moves. Many whose protagonist has two lovers, a leaders moved from the colonies to politics, oppression and struggle. Its were genuine in their interest and sup- man and a woman. Nugent’s work was Paris. Moreover, two hundred thousand legacy is still felt, and recent studies port. Some put their money into the Re- not overtly political, but it was overtly African-American soldiers served in continue to reconsider its significance naissance as well. pleasure-seeking and overtly gay. In France in the 1914-18. Between them, and its politics. □ an era when homosexuality was illegal, they built a movement. White patron Charlotte Osgood • Sources and further reading: cited this was political in itself, both rebel- Some black American artists met Mason funded writer Zora Neale Hurs- works; Arna Bontemps, American ling against mainstream “morality” and with success in Europe that the stricter ton to travel across the southern states Negro Poetry; Cheryl A Watt, The challenging the Harlem Renaissance to racism of the USA had denied them. collecting folk tales, sermons, songs, Harlem Renaissance; Charles River accept that pride in your identity en- Musical performer Josephine Baker children’s games and other nuggets Editors, The Harlem Renaissance. of Negro culture, and also financed compassed issues beyond race. became hugely popular for her shows Hughes, Locke and others. But she has Singer Ma Rainey’s Prove It On Me in Paris, but on returning to New York been criticised since for trying to con- implied a sexual relationship with a City, was turned away from a hotel on trol the artists she funded. the grounds of her colour. In his 1926 essay, The Negro Artist The legacy of the Renaissance and the Racial Mountain, Hughes rec- Our pamphlets Baker was one of many Renaissance ognised the pressure on black artists rowse, download, buy, or listen artists to become a civil rights activ- from white patrons (and from well- to our pamphlets: ist, and was a speaker at the March on B heeled black people) and urged black Washington for Jobs and Freedom in • The German Revolution: selected artists to be true to themselves. It was August 1963. The Renaissance and the writings of Rosa Luxemburg poor, working-class, young blacks who New Negro movement were midwives • For Workers’ Climate Action were building the cultural autonomy to future struggles and were major • Two Nations, Two States that Hughes advocated and which epit- steps forward in collective black self-as- • Workers Against Slavery omised the Harlem Renaissance. sertion. They explored and expressed • How to Beat the Racists Telling life through art the politics of oppression and libera- • Remain and Rebel • Stalinism in the International Hughes’ essay asserted that “We tion, sometimes explicitly, sometimes Brigades younger Negro artists who create now less so. The movement contained dif- • Left Antisemitism: What it is and intend to express our dark-skinned ferent political perspectives, and the How to Fight it selves without fear or shame”, and battle between integrationist socialism • Arabs, Jews, and Socialism: So- James Weldon Johnson spoke of the and nationalist separatism played out cialist Debates on Israel/Palestine □ “young, gifted and black” artists. Wel- on its terrain. don Johnson compiled the highly sig- Langston Hughes During the course of the 1920s, the More: workersliberty.org/pamphlets

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 9 How the major parties spoil the election By Angela Walker (candidate for Vice not vote. This is necessary for democ- President on the Hawkins/Walker racy, and voters demand to have more Green Party US ticket) choices. CNBC reported that the ma- jority of Americans find both Joe Biden epublicans spoil elections by sup- and Donald Trump mentally unfit for Rpressing the Democratic vote and President. the Black vote. They orchestrate voter Our supporters tell us they would roll purges, most notably in the 2000 rather stay home than be forced to vote election in Florida, and restrict the for Biden or Trump. Don’t just take our number of polling places in Black and word; this has always been the case. In Brown communities. The GOP en- 2016, both pre-election and exit poll courages voter intimidation at polling data not only proved this fact, but it places, which seems to be higher this also proved the Green Party did not year. spoil the presidential election for the Democrats spoil elections by trying Democrats. to suppress the Green vote, kicking us The 2016 exit poll shows 61% of off the ballot, instead of embracing the Stein [Green] voters would have stayed proven non-partisan solution to spoiled home if she were not on the ballot. Plug elections. The solution is replacing the that into WI, MI, and PA and Trump still Electoral College with a national popu- wins if Stein is not on the ballot. lar vote using ranked choice voting. The majority of the electorate wants a Both parties actively participate in viable third party, and both major par- gerrymandering which leads to more ties have consistently low favourability manipulation by monied interests, dis- ratings. tricts being drawn around racial lines The Democrats sell an artificial nar- and lower voter turnout because of the rative, where every Green voter is creation of safe seats where the real owned by the Democratic Party. Under battle is over the nomination and not this flawed framework, they assume the election. Both parties benefit from that there cannot be a separate, inde- worse every four years, and the insiders “All else equal, modest multiparty de- voter suppression. Campaign financing pendent voting block outside of the only exacerbate the problem by trying mocracies (with three to seven parties) is paid by billionaires and corporations duopoly. This flawed logic has been to defang the third-party competition,” perform better than two-party democ- in support of both major parties so that employed heavily since the outcome stated Ralph Nader in 2016. “So long racies. Such a party system regularises the super wealthy control our elections. of the 2000 presidential election. as there’s no robust challenge to the cross-partisan compromise and coa- Let’s get one thing straight. The Despite the knowledge that Gore duopoly, there’s no reason for insiders lition building. Since parties need to GOP’s active suppression of the Black won Florida had there been a full re- to improve. Pragmatism is just another work together to govern, more view- vote and the Electoral College’s anoint- count, establishment Democrats refuse name for electoral extortion.” points are likely to be considered. The ing candidates who actually lost the to admit that the 2000 election was Minor parties have historically ad- resulting policies are more likely to be popular vote spoils elections. Cam- stolen, rather they push the myth of vanced the issues and changed the broadly inclusive, and broadly legiti- paign financing and gerrymandering siphoned votes, conveniently ignoring dialogue. In the 19th and early 20th mate, making voters happier with the spoil elections. The election process in that hundreds of thousands of regis- centuries, for example, minor parties outcomes”. this country is a rotted mess that only tered Democrats in Florida voted for led the way in the abolition of slav- Over the past couple decades, the benefits corporations, the wealthy and Bush. ery, the women’s suffrage movements Green Party has not only elected hun- the corporate duopoly. It’s a spoiled Instead of actively opposing the and protections for farmers, workers dreds of local officeholders, it has led system whether the Green Party runs Electoral College, which has cost Dem- and consumers. These parties did not the way on the Green New Deal, Medi- candidates or not — and that’s the real ocrats two presidencies in the past 20 spoil elections, they introduced many care For All, Ranked Choice Voting, story. years, the Democratic Party has de- reforms that eventually entered the Peace Initiatives, and so many other One of our campaign’s main objec- cided to conjure the spoiler boogey- mainstream. policies and reforms. □ tives is to bring voters out to the polls For real democracy to exist, there man every four years. • From howiehawkins.us who would otherwise stay home and “The least-worst choices are getting needs to be a plurality of voices, op- portunity for fair debate among those voices, and equal access for citizens to choose which arguments, policies and platforms best represent their in- terests. As [Lee] Drutman outlines in his Anti-racist Our videos! case for “breaking the two-party doom atch Workers’ Liberty’s videos and playlists, and subscribe to our youtube loop”: resources Wchannel! Many have subtitles. New this last fortnight: “The United States is divided into red e have compiled various an- • Colour Bars on the Railway, illustrated talk by Janine Booth and blue not because Americans want Wti-racist resources to learn only two choices. In poll after poll, ma- about anti-racist movements, and Plus playlists including jorities want more than two political arm yourself with ideas to beat back • Black Lives Matter, videos around the movement and related topics parties. Few Americans enjoy the high- racism: readings and pamphlets, • Socialist commentary on the Covid-19 crisis stakes partisan combat… And even if video and audio. • ABCs of Marxism, an introductory series, still being added to Americans agree on wanting a third • An introduction to Marx’s Capital, in 19 parts, with Martin Thomas □ See workersliberty.org/anti-racist- party, few are willing to gamble on an resources □ Watch, subscribe, like, comment and share: youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK alternative for fear of wasting their vote.

10 workersliberty.org fb.com/workersliberty workersliberty.org/audio Backing Biden will not stop Trumpism

By Charlie Post and Ashley Smith greatest defeat for working people in a progressive direction. history. The working class parties — the Predictably, the capitalist establish- uch of the United States Left is in Social Democratic and the Communist ment united to defeat Sanders more Mthe midst of an oddly-timed em- parties — could have formed a united easily than it did in 2016, and held him brace of lesser evilism. They are calling front, electorally and in the streets, to to his pledge to campaign for the Dem- for socialists to support Biden at the challenge both Hindenburg and Hitler. ocratic nominee. Most of the Left have very moment Trump’s campaign seems In other words, if they had rejected followed him to support Biden. in crisis and headed for defeat. lesser evilism they might have stopped It is particularly tragic to see DSA Nevertheless, key figures on the US both the lesser and greater evil. leaders issue a statement calling for Left, including long-time supporters of In Spain, the Communist Party aban- not seen since the Robber Baron era. members to campaign against Trump independent politics, are pushing the doned class independence and the Obama’s response to the Great Re- (i.e. for Biden), in violation of the new socialist movement not just to vote fight for revolution to support a popu- cession made those conditions worse; “Bernie or Bust” resolution passed at for Biden, but to actively campaign lar front with bourgeois parties, in order he bailed out banks and corporations, our last convention. While their organ- for him. To be clear, our argument is to defend the republic against Franco’s and imposed austerity on workers and ising for Biden will have no impact on not about what comrades do during military uprising. Then, in order to keep the poor, leading to an epidemic of dis- the election, it will encourage a new the time it takes to cast a ballot. What the peace with their capitalist allies, the eases of despair like opioid addiction. generation of socialists to adopt the we oppose is the new socialist Left, popular front government rejected de- The neoliberalism of the Democrats self-defeating politics of lesser evilism. especially the Democratic Socialists mands for land reform, workers control alienated workers, oppressed people, They and others on the Left justify of America (DSA), spending its time, of production, and Moroccan inde- and downwardly mobile sections of the their decision on the basis that Trump is money, and energy, campaigning for pendence. middle class — opening the door not a fascist who poses a unique danger to Biden. These policies demoralised the forces only for the socialist Left, but also the democracy. They argue in this “excep- We also oppose social movements that had defeated Franco’s troops in nationalist far right. tional case” that the Left should aban- and unions working for a candidate the first months of the civil war, paving Trump bolted through that door; don its opposition to the Democrats to that stands against all our demands, the way for Franco’s victory, and bloody combining opposition to the establish- defeat a potential autocrat in the White from defunding the police, to Medicare repression of the working class and ment with racism, xenophobia, and mi- House. for All, and the Green New Deal. We peasantry. sogyny; offering reactionary solutions should not front for “the lesser of two to real problems. He galvanised mostly Mussolini rapists,” who promises to restore the Goldwater the middle class, but also a section of Trump may aspire to be a Mussolini and norms of the Obama administration — In 1964, Johnson portrayed Goldwater desperate workers, to ride to victory in rule without the usual limits of capitalist wars, austerity, privatisation, hostility to as an irresponsible war-monger, ready the slaveholders’ Electoral College. democracy. However, most Republican unions, mass deportations, and contin- to escalate the war in Vietnam — which The left will not defeat Trump or elected officials, the state bureaucracy, ued violence against people of colour. Johnson himself did with a vengeance Trumpism by supporting Biden and Pentagon, CIA, FBI, as well as the ma- In election after election, each “the after his election. His ally, Daley, the the Democratic Party. The Right will jority of the capitalist class, do not sup- most important of our lifetime,” the Left Democratic mayor in Chicago, had grow no matter what the outcome of port the imposition of a dictatorship. has repeatedly surrendered its political no problem unleashing a police riot the election. If Trump wins, which looks The real fascist danger is in the independence to campaign for one against anti-war demonstrators at the increasingly unlikely, he will embolden streets. While the far right and fascist or another Democrat to stop a clearly 1968 Democratic National Convention. the Right as he has done throughout militias are a growing threat — as the more right-wing Republican. On the presidential campaign trail, his term. plot by a Michigan militia plot to kidnap We have stopped organising mass Bill Clinton promised to block the If Biden wins, he will not stop the the state governor proves — fortunately, struggle, ceased educating activists North American Free Trade Act, which Right. Despite Bernie Sanders’ claims, they are still internally divided and rela- about the need for political independ- garnered him the endorsement of the Biden is not promising progressive tively small in number. ence, and moderated our demands American Federation of Labor and reforms that would rip up the roots of After an all-out national mobilisation to promote a capitalist party. Once in Congress of Industrial organisations. the Right. Instead, he intends to create to Portland, Oregon, the Proud Boys power, that same party reneges on its Once in office, Clinton signed NAFTA, a government of national unity that re- managed to assemble only 200 people. promises of reform, launching new undermining unions and working con- stores the neoliberal consensus and We can defeat their ilk not by relying on attacks on the working class and op- ditions in both the U.S. and Mexico. rehabilitates U.S. imperialism to project Biden’s deployment of the FBI — which pressed. Barack Obama promised progres- its power throughout the world, espe- has always targeted the Left — but by sive immigration reform during his first building mass mobilisations to confront Subordinated cially against China. presidential campaign, winning him Those policies will enflame griev- them and drive them off the streets. Even worse, once we have subordi- the support of immigrant rights activ- ances that Trump — or even more re- In order for the new socialist Left to nated ourselves to the Democrats, we ists who had just organised nationwide actionary figures — will exploit, to build survive, grow, and build a real alter- have left a political vacuum for the Re- strikes and demonstrations on “the right wing electoral campaigns and native to the two parties of capital, publicans, who are not scared to fight day without an immigrant.” As pres- armed fascist gangs. Already, the Re- we need to break with the disastrous for their politics. They take advantage ident, Obama became the “Deport- publican Right are plotting subterfuge legacy of lesser evilism. We encour- of disappointment with Democrats to er-in-chief,” expelling more immigrants to paralyse an incoming Biden admin- age socialists not to waste their time reelect Republicans, moving the gov- than any other president in US history. istration. campaigning for Biden and his party, ernment further to the right. Independent mass struggles are de- no matter what they do at the voting Falling into this disastrous cycle today cisive for winning reforms regardless of Danger booth, or on their ballot. would be catastrophic, as the Trumpite who is in office. They are also the main The main danger in such a situation is We must prioritise building class Republican Party, especially its far-right vehicle to defeat the Right. Supporting that the Left will not only give Biden a and social struggles, beginning by de- base, is more radical, more nationalist, the Democrats as a lesser evil, however, honeymoon, but defend him against fending the right to vote and the elec- and far more dangerous than ever be- has compromised those struggles in Republican attacks, further marginal- tion outcome by taking to the streets fore. the past and will do so again today, ising itself as an alternative to the two — something Democrats will oppose, In Germany, the Social Democratic creating space for the growth of the far capitalist parties. That will leave the urging reliance on the courts and Con- Party sacrificed its class independence right. Right as the only opposition to a neo- gress, instead. And we need to prepare in order to support General Paul Von The Democrats and their policies liberal regime. now to confront the continued capital- Hindenburg in the 1932 election. The have been the petri dish for the growth The tragic dynamic of this long elec- ist offensive that a Biden administration Social Democrats backed Hindenburg of the Trumpite Right. For the past three tion cycle underscores the importance will lead in the coming months and to stop Hitler from winning the pres- decades, the Democrats worked with of opposing lesser evilism. years. □ idency, only to see Hindenburg turn the Republicans to push through the The Left began with unrealistic ex- • Abridged, with thanks, from the around and appoint Hitler Chancellor. neoliberal restructuring of capitalism, pectations that Sanders could win the online magazine Tempest. Lesser evilism paved the way to the generating class and social inequalities nomination and push the Democrats in

Meetings, events, campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings @workersliberty youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK 11 Back Hawkins, not Biden Workers’ Liberty’s National Committee his control, although his Presidency has on 24 October debated the 3 Novem- created conditions for the growth of ber US election. This is the motion it the racist right and far right and various passed. types of militia groups. There is no pressing, desperate rea- he political crisis that will probably son for us to advocate a Biden vote. The Thappen in the aftermath of the US pressing matter is supporting a mobili- Presidential election will be caused by sation to defend democracy from the Trump refusing to accept defeat. That election loser’s power-grab. crisis may, if it takes an extreme form, We will not advocate a Biden vote. push Trump to begin co-ordinate a vio- Biden is a wretched representative of a lent right-wing street response. mainstream bourgeois party, the Dem- Our role is to back US socialists, the ocrats, which has traditionally been a numbers who might listen to us, “We’re elected Democrats accountable. labour movement and the oppressed, net that has enmeshed US radicals. glad to have you onboard”. Chiming in On balance we favour a vote for the to rally in defence of democratic rights. A Biden vote would confuse our with the “Vote Biden” clamour makes it Green candidate, the socialist and trade Trump is not a fascist. His aim is to stay message for the need for independent less likely, overall, that our key message unionist, Howie Hawkins. It is unfortu- President. Being a vile, sexist, narcissis- working class political organisation and about the need for independent work- nate that the Hawkins campaign is not tic, right-wing populist is not enough to voice in the US. Biden will almost cer- ing-class politics is heard. bigger, broader, better and more likely label him a fascist. tainly introduce anti-working class and We oppose US socialists having an to organise and educate a new layer of A movement around Trump, in the anti-migrant legislation. Biden may well activist orientation to the Democrats. American socialists. That is a measure aftermath of the election, could de- pave the way for a new Trump, or some- The Democratic Party is not “reform- of the state of the US left. But at least velop in a clearly fascist direction but one worse than Trump. able” via an intervention from US la- Hawkins’ propaganda and policies are that does not justify designating him a Voting for Biden may well open up bour or the socialist left. It is not a US good. That means something. □ fascist now. It is a misunderstanding of a small audience to us by removing a Labour Party. It is an electoral machine, what he represents now. barrier. But given our tiny weight the • The other motion, and an amendment, primarily. There is little space for activ- Trump has no street movement under main reaction will be, amongst small at bit.ly/us201024 ists. There are no mechanisms to hold

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

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12 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty A policy based in realities young high-formal-education city peo- cluding from countries which have had has dropped Medicare for All (Solidar- ple. Many of the kitsch-left ideas as stronger and more active Green Parties ity 569) is not true. On 23 October, for Debate have messed up the Corbyn surge are than the USA, is that Green Parties can- example, Sanders explained that Biden influential in it. But, on the whole, the not be transitional forms towards inde- has a 100 day plan, and he, Sanders, By Martin Thomas “Sanders surge” has been bigger and pendent working-class socialist parties. has a different 100 day plan to fight for, better than the Corbyn surge. • At a time when the popularity of so- with Medicare for All as item #1. onald Trump is “setting the stage What should those people do now? cialist ideas in the USA has been rising, Marxists working within the move- Dfor an authoritarian Second Term”, • Back Howie Hawkins, the socialist Green Party membership has been fall- ment could build on such stances to putting people in place, putting down standing as the Green candidate ing since 2004, and Green Party votes develop a sharper, clearer, more criti- markers for street violence and for the • Or combine a vote for Biden with for the House of Reps halved between cal version. rigging or flouting of elections. an effort to organise themselves, reach 2008 and 2018. Many of the objections to voting Branko Marketic gives some recent out, recruit, push socialist policies, • Hawkins insists that Trump is in sub- Biden are similar to arguments against detail in an article for Jacobin. In our defend democratic rights against a stance “not more right-wing than some voting Labour in Britain, for example debate in Solidarity, I think everyone “Trump coup” stealing the election, previous Republicans” — only “his in- in 1979, when Thatcher won. What if has agreed that Trump and his base are pursue radical reform of the decrepit vective” is worse — and talks up a Biden Labour under Callaghan had won? It at least “pre-fascist”, or “proto-fascist”, US political system which even back victory as almost certain. would have continued the big social or “could develop in a fascist direction” in 1949 Max Shachtman described as cuts it had already started. It would after the 3 November election. “of all the bourgeois democracies, the ou have to have brought in privatisation and curbs That makes Joe Biden, a standard most reactionary and the least respon- on unions as the Labor leaders in Aus- neo-liberal, a lesser evil. sive to the will of the masses” (In De- tilt towards tralia, Callaghan’s political close kin, The obvious response in a vote be- fence of Bolshevism, p.141) “Yclaiming Trump did when they took office from 1983. tween a lesser evil and a greater is to • Or, if the principle is “only vote for By demoralising people, it would have vote for the lesser. independent workers’ parties”, sit on can’t win and boosted Thatcherism’s plebeian base. their hands on 3 November? isn’t that bad.” All that would have happened un- Exception The second option some US social- less we, the left, had been able to turn To take the Greens’ ballot-line ac- For socialists the big “exception” is ists have called “Defeat Trump, Battle things over within the labour move- cess — or the by-product protest-vote this: if a vote for a third option can Biden”. It starts from where political ment. We worked to develop a socialist value of a campaign whose own aim is substantially rally an independent forces of the working class are now in voice within the Labour vote in 1979 Greens-building — as the decisive crite- working-class party to combat both the USA, and could haul them forward because that was the best way to build rion, you have to tilt towards claiming bourgeois evils, then that third choice is a step. a force to turn things over. No such Trump can’t win and isn’t that bad any- likely to be better in any but the short- force could have been built by people way. The prior scheme in your head dis- est short-term. Bourgeois lesser evils Paint up who had first “sat out” the 1979 poll. often bring slower and more rounda- It does not require them to paint up torts your presentation of reality, rather bout routes towards the greater evil. Biden as Eric Lee does (Solidarity 569). than you allowing reality to shape your Party discipline Or if the difference between the It requires them only to say what the message. Labour is a “bourgeois workers’ party”, lesser evil and the greater is thin, then opponents of a Biden vote in this Work- Of course I hope the polls predict and the Democrats are a straight bour- even a token protest vote or abstention ers’ Liberty debate already say: that we right, and Trump’s coup talk proves geois party. There is little “party disci- may be better, to focus the idea that we hope Biden wins. empty bluster. The resistance from the pline”, but senior Democrats advise need to fight both. With that second option, every word, growing socialistic and anti-racist fer- their new Congress members that they In this case the difference isn’t thin, every clause, is based on reality and not ment can be a big barrier. must spend four hours every day phon- there is no independent working-class on private speculations. It is the politics As long as it isn’t lulled by arguments ing to get donations for their next elec- party, and the obvious response is bet- of “tell the truth, no matter how bitter it like those from Hawkins... tion campaign. Of course, mostly they’ll ter. may be”. The policy of the DSA and the Sand- be phoning and seeking favour from In the USA, support for broadly-de- I used to think, though uneasily, that ers movement isn’t good, but it can be rich people. fined socialist ideas, anti-racist activism, the Hawkins vote might still be better. much better developed to get a mes- The difference is important. But today, and even strikes on some dimensions Howie Hawkins is a respect-worthy so- sage that does ring true. whatever about yesterday or tomorrow, have risen in recent years in the USA cialist. On closer examination, backing The DSA is tied by a “Bernie or Bust” there is enough truth in the “building a (though overall union density contin- Hawkins looks to me like an appeal to August 2019 convention decision not party within a party”, “dirty break” idea ues to decrease, to 10.3% on the latest workers to turn away from the urgent to back a Biden vote straight out. So it current in the Sanders movement to figures). issues towards a speculative political says: “A second Trump term would be make a basis for a “vote and fight” tac- Whether we like or not, the most solid side-way. catastrophic for our class” (draw your tic. chunk of that ferment has been gath- I understand that some comrades own conclusion, no?) and “we have to And for exactly the same reasons that ered together, in one way or another, want to back Hawkins despite his Green build our socialist movement, so that there has been enough truth in that in the Sanders and Black Lives Matter Party ticket. But in his recent interviews we can continue the struggle against idea for Marxists to get involved (criti- movements and in the DSA (Demo- in Solidarity Howie explains that his austerity; the struggle to defund the cally, as ever) in the Sanders campaign cratic Socialists of America), which plan for developing an independent police; the struggle to win a Green and the DSA. Not all Marxists agreed added 10,000 new members in the working-class party in the USA is to New Deal; the struggle to win Medi- that was right. But if you did agree it first months of the pandemic to reach build up the Green vote — a councillor care for All”. was right, then “Dump Trump, Battle 66,000 members (from 5,000 in 2015). here, a mayor there, a state rep some- That message would ring more true Biden” is less of a “turn to the Demo- Those leftists will mostly be urging where else — and then “when 10 per- and solid if developed to an explicit crats”. people to vote rather than fearfully stay cent of the people start voting for the vote-Biden line (coupled with criticism An argument that it’s OK to get in- home, to vote Biden to stop Trump, and Green Party, then the unions will start of Biden), more explicit preparation volved in Democratic primaries to back to stay mobilised against a Trump coup looking at us!” against a Trump coup, and policies for left candidates, and to back those left and for left-wing causes after 3 Novem- His recent statements give as a chief democratic reform. candidates in general elections, but it’s ber. reason for voting for him that it will pre- The chief Sanders organisation, Our not OK to take 3 November as a “ref- I do not want to paint this ferment as serve the Greens’ ballot-line access for Revolution, says: “Organise a powerful erendum on Trump”, is incoherent. □ more than it is. It is not an independ- future elections. grassroots movement inside the halls • More of this argument online: ent working-class party, and can’t be- Attention to Green Parties by small so- of power and outside in the streets to “Fascism and Trump: theory and come one in the next days or months. cialist groups should not be dismissed win transformative change after the history”, bit.ly/fa-tr, and “Marxists and It is overwhelmingly reformist, not rev- out of hand as “petty bourgeois”. But: election!” the Democrats”, bit.ly/de-ma olutionary. It is heavily based among • The evidence across the world, in- Hawkins’ claim that Bernie Sanders

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 13 What we stand for oday one class, the working class, Tlives by selling its labour power Control and the pollutants to another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of production. sions limits and compelling the system loose, we pull the length of it over our Capitalists’ control over the econ- Diary of an to pump in more lime and urea to con- heads and shake white powder over omy and their relentless drive to in- trol the gases. Sometimes our waste everything. G and M diligently vacuum crease their wealth causes poverty, engineer ash has been so thick with ammonia everything as we go, so that no leaks unemployment, blighting of lives by the buyers refuse to collect it, but we’ve are missed. By Emma Rickman overwork; imperialism, environmen- found that NOx can be reduced up to B tells me — “The key is not to drop tal destruction and much else. here is talk among the operatives a point without an ammonia spike. The anything into these hoppers. We’ve The working class must unite to Tthat the Environment Agency will question will be what reductions the dropped bags into these before and struggle against the accumulated be setting new emissions limits across Environment Agency will order. its a nightmare getting them out.” wealth and power of the capitalists, the UK. Our daily limit for sulphur diox- Another problem we have is with As we’re closing up, G drops a in the workplace and wider society. ide (SO2), which causes smog and lung dust spikes in the air filtration system. bag into the hopper, and everyone The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty irritation, is already lower than most Our maintenance team have been up laughs. It takes some time for the bag wants socialist revolution: collective power stations because we’re based in at the top of the plant all week, lifting to fall through the hopper and onto a ownership of industry and services, a city — but not by much. SO2 emissions lids on cells of tubular bags that hang screw-conveyor beneath it. J puts the workers’ control, and a democracy may be reduced across the board, re- vertically over rows of hoppers. The conveyor into manual, and we open the much fuller than the present system, gardless of plant location. bags are caked with a lime and carbon doors, dumping a heap of lime onto with elected representatives recall- Another monitored pollutant is Ni- mixture that absorbs pollutants and the floor. We can see the bag wrapped able at any time and an end to bu- trogen Oxide (NOx), which irritates the particulates. The gas is supposed to tightly around the screw; I lever it with a reaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. lungs, affects soil chemistry and reacts flow through these bags and exit the bar from one end, stepping out the way We fight for trade unions and the to create ozone, a more powerful pollut- chimney clean, however dust is get- of falling lime, and M and G pull from Labour Party to break with “social ant. The plant controls NOx emissions ting onto the clean side and setting off the other while J nudges the conveyor partnership” with the bosses, to mil- by spraying urea into the furnace with alarms. forward in increments. itantly assert working-class interests. long probes. The urea breaks down To get to the bags we have to break “Come on J!” G shouts, “Keeping NOx into nitrogen and oxygen, with a the air seal on the cells using a small it coming!” At the end it’s like a tug- n workplaces, trade unions, and by-product of ammonia. The Environ- crane and lots of crow-bars. Once the of-war, with all three of us staggering Labour organisations; among stu- I ment Agency is considering placing lid is off we shine strong torches into backwards when the bag comes free. dents; in local campaigns; on the an emissions limit on ammonia, which each bag looking for tears or build- We put the lids back on the conveyor, left and in wider political alliances damages ecosystems, irritates the eyes ups of dust. We unbolt the air lines put it back in automatic, and go to we stand for: and lungs and smells strongly of piss. that criss-cross the bags and then prise change our overalls. □ • Independent working-class rep- Our plant has a problem, as our control damaged bags out — it’s an 8-meter resentation in politics • Emma Rickman is an apprentice measure for one pollutant, NOx, will be long wire frame wrapped around with • A workers’ government, based engineer at a Combined Heat and creating more of a different pollutant, a long yellow canvas sock. B shoves on and accountable to the labour Power plant. ammonia. a long screwdriver through the frame movement The control room has run some tests and then uses the crane to tug it up • A workers’ charter of trade union over the last month, reducing the emis- while we dislodge it with bars; once rights — to organise, strike, picket ef- fectively, and take solidarity action Almost at our • Taxing the rich to fund good public services, homes, education target and jobs for all ith donations of £5 from Hugh • Workers’ control of major indus- Wand £400 from Bruce we are tries and finance for a rapid transi- at £9,849, only a few pounds short tion to a green society of our target of £10,000 by 22 No- • A workers’ movement that fights vember, and with four weeks to go. all forms of oppression Our fundraising has allowed us to • Full equality for women, and so- take on another office worker, who cial provision to free women from has been working on mailings, book domestic labour. Reproductive free- cataloguing, and a new book list, we doms and free abortion on demand. have built in more resilience to our IT • Full equality for lesbian, gay, bi- infrastructure in the past week, and sexual and trans people we’ve bought a new work table for • Black and white workers’ unity the office. against racism Nottingham too is now in tier 3 re- • Open borders strictions. Even though there were • Global solidarity against global three street protests in central Lon- capital — workers everywhere have don last Saturday, 24 October, it is more in common with each other likely that such street activity will than with their capitalist or Stalinist Anti-racism in the 1950s drop off. So, even despite it getting dark earlier, we are upping our own rulers to confront his own prejudices when street stalls. Being a publicly acces- • Democracy at every level of soci- daughter Kathie (Sylvia Simms) falls in sible socialist presence during the ety, from the smallest workplace or love with a black man, Peter Lincoln Kino Eye pandemic is important. community to global social organi- (Johnny Sekka). We understand some readers will sation Despite its occasional clunky dia- be staying at home more. • Equal rights for all nations, By John Cunningham logue, it is a hard-hitting and power- We urge them to consider get- against imperialists and predators ful film. Earl Cameron was one of the hile black workers were fight- ting a new subscription to Solidarity big and small prominent early black actors in British ing against the “colour bar” and now, starting or increasing existing • Maximum left unity in action, and W film and TV and died only this year. The about a year after the Notting Hill standing orders, and phoning round full openness in debate theatre in Hamilton, Bermuda is named riots, Roy Barker directed Flame in the friends and workmates to get them after him. The historian David Olusaga f you agree with us, take copies of Streets (1961). Shop Steward Jacko to subscribe. □ wrote: “Not just a brilliant actor but a ISolidarity to sell — and join us! □ Palmer (John Mills) argues for the rights of Gabriel Gomez (Earl Cameron) a link to a deeper history”. □ • workersliberty.org/sub and • workersliberty.org/join-awl black worker in his factory, but then has workersliberty.org/donate

14 workersliberty.org @workersliberty @workers_liberty fb.com/workersliberty Sick pay for outsourced workers

John Moloney, PCS AGS

he “Dying for Sick Pay” cam- Tpaign, demanding full sickness and isolation pay for all workers, is continuing. We’ve been applying political pressure, and have written to the government demanding that the right of all workers, regardless of contractual status, to full sick pay is written into agreements across the civil service on a permanent basis. MPs who work with the union have also raised this issue in Parliament. Crucially we’re also contacting every outsourced worker member to discuss the campaign with them and encourage them to get active in the union. Our reps working in Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) job centres have decided to suspend a plan to ballot around 800 members Tube cuts: prepare for action! across several workplaces in Scot- land, the north east, and the north From Tubeworker Financial Times report said the Depart- artefact aimed at attacking organised west, after DWP bosses made further ment for Transport was insisting on labour. concessions over face-to-face work- alks between TfL [Transport for Lon- “workplace reform” as part of any fur- Aslef did the right thing by balloting ing and workplace safety. Tdon] and the government about a ther funding package, and Tory London pre-emptively. They now have a man- The DWP has agreed to strengthen further funding bailout are ongoing, Assembly Member Keith Prince has al- date for action which means they can workplace safety provision, and with discussions being extended past ready suggested TfL cut staff nominee name strikes at 14 days’ notice. Other tightened up an agreement giving the 17 October deadline for the expiry passes and our pensions. unions on LU need to secure a similar the individual worker control over of the previous package. The Tories want to bludgeon Tube mandate. Organising and winning an whether claimants are seen face to Tory attack lines blame Labour Mayor workers, as one of the best unionised industrial action ballot in current con- face. That’s an important step, as Sadiq Khan for “bankrupting” TfL. This workforces in the country, with rel- ditions won’t be easy, and there are un- it means no worker can be directly is a blatant lie. TfL’s funding crisis stems atively good terms and conditions. derstandable anxieties about striking compelled to see a claimant in per- directly from the Tory policy of abol- That’s why the government insisted on during a pandemic. son. ishing its central government subsidy, including exploring the possibilities for But ultimately, withdrawing our la- The reps felt these concessions meaning it became heavily reliant on driverless trains in the terms of refer- bour is our most effective means of as- were sufficient to hold off - onbal fare revenue. ence for the review of TfL’s finances it serting our demands and we can’t be loting for now, whilst negotiations It seems Mayor Khan resisted some of commissioned KPMG to lead. afraid of using it. Our campaign needs continued. The suspension will also the measures the government wanted Even senior LU bosses know driver- to oppose any and all cuts as a bottom allow consultation with members on to impose as a condition of any further less trains would require substantial in- line, but also needs to be “counter-of- the further concessions achieved. funding, including extending the con- frastructural upgrades to several lines, fensive”: we need to assert our own vi- The union intends to give DWP only gestion charge zone. Will he continue meaning any potential “saving” would sion for publicly funded, democratically a few days to make further progress. to stand firm if the Tories start demand- be postponed until after years of huge run public transport in London. □ If this is not achieved then it is in- ing cuts and restructures on LU? financial outlay. The Tories’ obsession tended to ballot so as to allow action We should demand that he does, with driverless trains is an ideological in early December. but we can’t rely on him. We need to What we demand The union is demanding the em- prepare to take action to resist any in the crisis ployers provide face masks for any proposed cuts that come our way. A 1. Requisition key sectors worker working in the office rather Subscribe to 2. Fight for workers’ control than from home, for use in commu- 3. Make the labour movement an nal areas and where they are in close essential service, fighting on the proximity to work mates. Solidarity Contact us issues listed here Some civil service departments rial sub (6 issues) £7; Six months 020 7394 8923 4. Defend workers’ rights. Work or in some parts of the country, such (22 issues) £22 waged, £11 un- T full pay! Cancel rent, mortgage, as HMRC in Scotland, have agreed [email protected] waged, €30 European rate. and utility payments. to this, but others, such as the DWP 5. Take care of the worst-off have refused. □ Write to: 20E Tower Workshops, Visit workersliberty.org/sub Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG 6. Defend civil liberties Or, email [email protected] • John Moloney is the Assistant 7. International solidarity □ General Secretary for the PCS union, Production team: Cathy with your name and address, or • See full text at bit.ly/what-d writing here in a personal capacity Nugent, Martin Thomas phone 020 7394 8923. Standing (editor), Sacha Ismail, Simon Nelson, order £5 a month: more to support • Animation of full demands: bit.ly/ Zack Muddle our work. Forms online. □ demand-video

Events and campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings youtube.com/c/WorkersLibertyUK workersliberty.org/audio 15 Biggest student rent strike for years

The labour movement can put Rishi Sunak and the government under more pressure than it has done so far during the pandemic Work or full pay for all! By Sacha Ismail should raise clear demands to guarantee every- one a job or adequate support, and fight for the he government has scaled back the weaken- whole movement to take them up. Like: Ting of its job support schemes — without sig- • Instead of cutting back job support, reinstate nificant labour movement pressure. If the labour the pre-October furlough and self-employed movement fights, we can win more. schemes, and plug their holes to cover everyone. The original, pre-October furlough and self-em- • Boost benefits. The government still intends By AWL students are now taking place. ployment schemes were stingy enough, and they to reverse the meagre £1,000 a year increase to are still being cut. But the latest changes for after Northumbria students have launched an online Universal Credit. As a bare minimum, that must t the start of this week (26 October) around 31 October (increasing the state contribution to petition demanding “the right to move”, joining be stopped, along with reassertion of punitive 1300 students at Bristol University withheld employers to keep jobs from 22 to 49%, and re- A staff campaigning for online teaching. “conditionality”. The TUC’s proposal to increase their rent for uni accommodation, amounting to ducing the number of hours workers must work; Socially distanced protests were held last week UC to £260 a week is right — it needs fighting for. around £2 million. This is the biggest student rent doubling the payment to self-employed people at Birmingham Uni (calling for tuition fee rebates • Create good — socially useful, relatively well- strike for many years. from 20 to 40% of normal income) are real con- as well as demands on rent) and also in Sheffield. paid and secure — jobs in the public sector. Given Bristol students, who pay up to £8,000 a year, cessions. the scale of the crisis, and the hundreds of thou- were promised the “full university experience” Uni cuts Neither trade unions nor the Labour Party have sands of public-sector jobs cut in the last decade, only to be locked down for weeks without ade- Action is building around the cuts that many unis clearly or vocally demanded even maintenance of we need to demand millions of new jobs. quate support. face. Students at Roehampton University have the pre-October schemes. Labour spokespeople We need comprehensive public ownership and The Bristol strike is more advanced than others sent up a campaign to “save Arts and Humani- have criticised the Tories, but their only proposal provision in social care and in the health service that are being planned around the UK. Strikers ties”, which have been threatened with £3.2 mil- has been the vague one for “more targeted sup- to create the expanded services that are neces- are demanding the right to end accommodation lion cuts (@RoeSSAH). port”. TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady ac- sary. We need a fully public test-and-trace system, contracts early and a 30% rebate if they chose to These local campaigns need to be pulled to- tively endorsed the revised job support scheme and a council house-building program. We need stay. gether in a much stronger national co-ordination which Rishi Sunak has now improved. emergency funding to halt and reverse cuts in At Durham University 7.5% of students have by both the higher education unions and the Na- The Tories have given a little bit more because local government, universities and colleges, arts been infected (the worst rate in the UK). As face- tional Union of Students. The UCU’s [University they fear economic chaos and social breakdown and culture and other sectors. to-face teaching is very limited, most has come and College Union] national petition campaign is (or too much of them, at least). Their footing is not • Raise the minimum wage to £15 an hour. Ban from students mixing in college accommodation. good on demands — immediate online learning, sure. If they are put under meaningful pressure, zero hours contracts. A lot of the colleges had to be put in lockdown, the right for students to give up accommodation, they can be forced to give a lot more. The labour movement needs an urgent discus- and the university was completely unprepared for funding for mental health support and secure The labour movement as a duty to step up sion about its demands. And it urgently needs to that. The university had to draft in staff to feed stu- long-term finance for HE — but it is just a petition and exert that pressure. Even with the latest an- start making demands. dents (inadequately). campaign. nouncements, millions will be unemployed by Linked to clear and insistently repeated de- The rate of infection is now falling but, as else- Minimally UCU, other unions and NUS should the new year. Conditions for those who remain mands, political noise and pressure can force the where, infections will probably go up again later be building high profile days of action before in work will worsen. Young, women and BME Tories to concede more, weakening them in the unless new measures, including the right for stu- Christmas and aiming to win these demands so workers are already and will continue to be hit process. Linked to a push to support and encour- dents to go home and get out of rent contracts, next term is not more of the same chaos and mis- the hardest. age workers’ struggles, it can be more powerful are put in place. ery. □ Socialists in the trade unions and Labour Party still. □ Other forms of local action by staff and students i workersliberty.org Meetings, events, campaigns: workersliberty.org/meetings ii Solidarity Solidarity& Workers’ Liberty For a workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry “WE’LL STRIKE TO AGAINST POVERTY, STOP TRUMP COUP” David Van Deusen is president ing that position to our state when Trump was installed we of Vermont’s state AFL-CIO convention on 21 November, had 20,000 protest in our cap- union federation. He spoke to and asking for authorisation to ital Montpelier, population less Sacha Ismail from Solidarity call strikes if it comes to it. We than 8,000. If there’s a coup I about how the labour move- want a mandate from the rank- would expect much larger num- AGAINST THE ment should resist a Trump and-file as we head into uncer- bers, and if we call a general coup. tain waters. I’m confident we’ll strike larger still. get it. Political strikes are illegal here’s a real possibility that We’re not going to led this under federal law. But coups TTrump will lose this [3 No- country flip into dictatorship are illegal too! If the right seeks vember presidential] election, without using every weapon to disregard the constitution outright, but manipulate the to stop it, and the strongest and remain in power despite process and use his powers as weapon we have is withholding the will of the people, all bets President to refuse to go. It’s no our labour. are off. We will do what we have joke. In our leadership we have a to do. There are various ways it range of views, from people If we have to go above and could happen — there could who are excited to elect Biden beyond normal legal proce- be an attempt to discount or to probably more who think dures, opposing a coup and destroy certain ballots. If say he’s not likely to go anywhere defending democracy is more VIRUS: Trump loses Pennsylvania, they like far enough. important than whether we have a Republican legislature No one is arguing for an- have an “unfair labour practice” which could choose to send ything less than defeating charge filed against us. pro-Trump delegates to the Trump, but our focus is to de- Beyond Vermont, some sig- electoral college. He may have fend democracy. There’s no nificant local union bodies have support from within the Depart- disagreement about organising passed resolutions calling for a ment of Homeland Security, in action to resist a coup. Once general strike, including the la- addition to the non-AFL-CIO we’ve secured that we need bour councils in Troy and Roch- police unions supporting his to fight for a labour-oriented ester in New York state and in candidacy, and extreme right- Green-New-Deal-type recovery Seattle. Those plus Vermont is wing groups. SOCIAL program, and that will be a fight not a general strike, but it’s a I don’t know how quickly whoever wins. start. I think the discussion will things would unfold. The US Of course some of our mem- spread and if it becomes clear election system means there’s bers hold right-wing views, but the Trump administration in- various benchmark dates. Early I don’t think pro-Trump views tends to reverse or negate the December is when the electoral will be a major obstacle to mo- outcome, it will spread expo- See page 2 college meets. It may be a slow bilisation in Vermont. I’d be sur- nentially. □ The Harlem Belarus: the “Nigeria: run for US presidential roll into crisis or it may happen prised if he gets 30% here, and SUPPORT • Full interview at bit.ly/ rapidly. among union members it will Renaissance movement grows the elite” election 3 Nov dvdinterview Vermont AFL-CIO is the first be much less. 1920s African- Not a general strike Solidarity in London Angela Walker’s call to state labour council to come The hardest thing will be the • For more on discussions in the American art and yet, but bigger protests with protests in Nigeria vote, plus more debate out for a general strike if Trump unfamiliarity of strike action as US labour movement see this politics in New York against police killings below. article bit.ly/labnotescoup attempts a coup. We’ll be tak- a political tool. But even in 2016 Page 8-9 Pages 5, 6 Page 7 Pages 10-13 No. 569, 28 October 2020 50p/£1 workersliberty.org No. 569, 28 October 2020 50p/£1 workersliberty.org