For a Solidarity workers’ & WORKERS’ LIBERTY government For social ownership of the banks and industry No 345 26 November 2014 30p/80p www.workersliberty.org The Unequal States of America Protests flare across USA after killer cop goes scot-free 2 NEWS What is the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty? NHS: we need more than Efford By Jill Mountford Save Our Surgeries Cam - cept the confines of the 2012 Today one class, the working class, lives by selling its labour power to paign; Peter Roderick (the Act. Describing the NHS as another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of production. Labour MP Clive Efford ’s lawyer who is working with being a “service of general Society is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to increase their Bill on the NHS got Allyson Pollock and others economic interest” in terms wealth. Capitalism causes poverty, unemployment, the through its second read - on the NHS Reinstatement of EU competition law. Rod - blighting of lives by overwork, imperialism, the ing in Parliament on 21 Bill); Joanne Lund, of the erick says Member States destruction of the environment and much else. November with 241 votes Darlo Mums 999 Call for the have considerable discretion Against the accumulated wealth and power of the in favour and just 18 NHS; and Dr Jacky Davis, in determining what are capitalists, the working class has one weapon: against. solidarity. co-author of NHS SOS. SGEIs, and he asks, why The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build It was a good though un - We expected Clive Efford make reference to it in this solidarity through struggle so that the working class can overthrow expected result, though to be confident and buoyant Bill when there is no legal capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership of nothing for the government after the success of the sec - requirement to do so? industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy much fuller to get worried about. ond reading. Instead he was Efford was impatient and than the present system, with elected representatives recallable at any There ’s not enough time for very defensive and brusque. gruff and failed to convince time and an end to bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. the Bill to go too far before When challenged by Peter many of us. He was also Lib-Dem MPs asking them We fight for the labour movement to break with “social partnership” the general election next Roderick as to whether the taken to task about Clause to lobby their MPs to put and assert working-class interests militantly against the bosses. May. Bill restores the Secretary of 14 of his Bill and the pressure on the government Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, The Bill gives an opportu - State ’s legal duty to provide Transatlantic Trade Invest - to set up the committee supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, helping the NHS he said anyone ment Partnership (TTIP). Ef - stage for the Bill. We are organise rank-and-file groups. nity to have discussion and debate about what changes who suggested otherwise ford says he ’s in favour of asking 38 Degrees to launch We are also active among students and in many campaigns and was “stupid and annoying”. Parliament deciding a petition demanding the alliances. are needed to restore the NHS; and maybe to get a CONVERSATION whether the NHS is exempt government set up the com - from TTIP. However, Clause mittee stage. We stand for: sneak preview of what This was no way to start a 14 of his Bill does not say We want the discussion in Independent working-class representation in politics. Labour has in mind for the constructive conversation ● that! preparation for a possible A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the labour NHS. with people who cam - ● The lawyers who put Ef - Labour government after movement. The Save Lewisham Hos - paign relentlessly for the ford ’s Bill together on behalf next May. We want to use A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to strike, to pital Campaign called a NHS, many of whom will ● of the Labour leadership the Pollock/Roderick NHS picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. rally outside Parliament to be voting Labour at the welcome the limited have set their stall out on Reinstatement Bill to amend ● Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, education next general election. some key issues, and it ’s changes of Efford ’s NHS Bill theW Eef fworadn Nt aH rSe Bali ldl. ebate and jobs for all. lacking. (the repeal of Section 75 reg - Efford appeared out of his over the next few months ● A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Full We should now campaign ulations which cover pro - depth, unused to explaining around fundamental is - equality for women and social provision to free women from the burden to get the government to of housework. Free abortion on request. Full equality for lesbian, gay, curement, “patient choice” himself and his actions. sues for the NHS. and competition) and to According to Peter Roder - allow the Bill to go to com - bisexual and transgender people. Black and white workers’ unity mittee stage. We can then against racism. raise our own independent ick, Efford ’s Bill will not re - instate the duty to provide try to influence amend - Critique of the Efford Bill ● Open borders. demands to restore and re - or secure provision as it was ments to the Bill and have a by Allyson Pollock: ● Global solidarity against global capital — workers everywhere have build the NHS. We organised a meeting in the NHS Act 2006. Rather bigger and more far reach - bit.ly/pollcrit. more in common with each other than with their capitalist or Stalinist ing discussion on the detail. rulers. inside Parliament with Clive it transforms the duty to Efford and a line-up of NHS provide into a duty to com - Save Lewisham Hospital The Pollock/Roderick NHS ● Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest workplace or campaign is contacting NHS reinstatement Bill: community to global social organisation. campaigners, including Dr mission. Efford ’s Bill seems to ac - campaigners with Tory and bit.ly/pollbill ● Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal rights for all Jackie Appleby from the nations, against imperialists and predators big and small. ● Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. ● If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity to sell — Dublin retreats on and join us! Contact us: water fees ● 020 7394 8923 ● [email protected] By Micheál MacEoin hike rents or evict tenants if The editor (Cathy Nugent), 20e Tower Workshops, Riley they do not pay. Road, London, SE1 3DG. On 19 November the Irish The concessions in effect government granted some ● Printed by Trinity Mirror mean that the government concessions on water will have to increase its sub - Two-thirds of new jobs charging, in an attempt to sidy to Irish Water to make quell a wave of increas - up the shortfall – lending Get Solidarity every week! ingly heated protests and weight to the argument that under living wage demonstrations. the whole scheme should ● Trial sub, 6 issues £5 o By Gemma Short banks. Almost 500,000 simply be scrapped. ● 22 issues (six months). £18 waged o Tánaiste Joan Burton had adults and children were her car surrounded by pro - Protests in some areas are £9 unwaged Two-thirds of people o given three days ’ food in testors in Dublin, and continuing, with a major who found work in the ● 44 issues (year). £35 waged the first six months of the Taoiseach Enda Kenny anti-water charges demon - o past year have taken current financial year — it faced a hostile reception at stration planned in Limer - £17 unwaged o jobs for less than the liv - was 355,982 for the same an event in Sligo. ick. Ireland ’s largest union, ● European rate: 28 euros (22 issues) ing wage, according to o period last year. Under the new proposals, SIPTU, remains opposed, the Joseph Rowntree or 50 euros (44 issues) o Most sought help be - announced by Environment with its National Executive Foundation. Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: cause of delays or prob - Minister Alan Kelly, house - Council saying that the lems with benefit charges regime “remains re - 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG Overall 22% of workers holds will be liable for payments. But a growing charges of €160 for single gressive in character”. Cheques (£) to “AWL”. earn less than the living The concessions show wage. The foundation re - number, over a fifth, did adult homes and €260 for all Or make £ and euro payments at workersliberty.org/sub. so just because of low fam - other homes, capped until that the government is in - ports during the last creasingly weak, and the ilyT irnucsosmeell. Trust chief January 2019. Water conser - decade only a fifth of low- Irish political class is rattled. Name . paid workers managed to David McAuley says that vation grants of €100 a year A recent poll, taken just move to better paid jobs. families are “living on a will also be available, as an before the latest charging Address . As many people from financial knife-edge incentive to sign up to Irish announcement, showed working families are now where one small change Water. both Fine Gael and Labour . in poverty as from work - in circumstances or a life However, the carrot well below their levels of shock can force them comes with a stick. At the support at the general I enclose £ .