For a Solidarity workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry No 340 15 October 2014 30p/80p www.workersliberty.org See page 5 Rank and file must control pay fight! 2 NEWS What is the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty? Today one class, the working class, lives by selling its labour power to another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of production. Society is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to increase their wealth. Capitalism causes poverty, unemployment, the blighting of lives by overwork, imperialism, the destruction of the environment and much else. Against the accumulated wealth and power of the capitalists, the working class has one weapon: solidarity. The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build solidarity through struggle so that the working class can overthrow capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership of industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy much fuller than the present system, with elected representatives recallable at any time and an end to bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. We fight for the labour movement to break with “social partnership” and assert working-class interests militantly against the bosses. Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, Free education in Germany supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, helping organise rank-and-file groups. By Beth Redmond cation on 19 November. how higher education which is often overlooked, is We are also active among students and in many campaigns and They may well still be here should be structured and how effective grassroots alliances. As the student movement in ten years. Germany won funded that students in strWughgelnes p aerres. istent, deter - in the UK gears up for the fight after 15. Bavaria delivered a success - We stand for: what will hopefully be an - mined and organised, the In 1999, the Alliance ful petition for a state refer - masses can force the gov - ● Independent working-class representation in politics. other mass revival in ac - Against Tuition Fees was endum on HE policy, which ernment to make 180-de - ● A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the labour tivism and political founded, made up of 200 or - was signed by 15% of the movement. engagement amongst gree turns on massive ganisations including stu - population there. Days later issues such as free edu - ● A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to strike, to young people, Germany is dent unions, trade unions it was announced that tu - picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. already celebrating free cation, which is funda - and political parties. Stu - ition fees would be mentally a human right, ● Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, education education. dents organised fee strikes scrapped. Now the last state and jobs for all. but is also something and occupations in direct re - to charge fees – Lower Sax - which a lot of people ● A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Full But the success hasn’t come easy, and it is worth sponse to the introduction ony – has come into line. going to university now equality for women and social provision to free women from the burden of fees, relentless in chang - Both Germany and the of housework. Free abortion on request. Full equality for lesbian, gay, reminding those involved in would never even imagine the struggle here that tuition ing the minds of as many UK are pretty rich and both you could change. bisexual and transgender people. Black and white workers’ unity people as possible. have conservative govern - against racism. fees will still be in place the day after the national In 2013, public opinion ments – and perhaps one of ● Open borders. had changed so much about the key things to look at, ● Global solidarity against global capital — workers everywhere have demonstration for free edu - more in common with each other than with their capitalist or Stalinist rulers. ● Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest workplace or Bosses get 21% rise community to global social organisation. Yes means yes ● Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal rights for all Rich and poor nations, against imperialists and predators big and small. By Matt Cooper By Charlotte Zalens Campaign groups say the ● Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. bill will challenge the notion ● If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity to sell — California has become the that victims of sexual as - and join us! Despite much sound and first state in the US to sault need to have resisted fury over government tion). have “yes means yes” assault in order to have regulations on the re - In 2000 CEOs earned 47 consent legislation. valid complaints. Contact us: porting and control of times the pay of the aver - The bill states that “The age full-time worker. Now The legislation, which ● 020 7394 8923 ● [email protected] executive pay an - existence of a dating rela - nounced in 2012, they earn 120 times as was passed at the end of The editor (Cathy Nugent), 20e Tower Workshops, Riley September, applies to all tionship between the per - bosses’ pay continues to much. sons involved, or the fact of Road, London, SE1 3DG. run ahead of workers’. The latest TUC quarterly post-secondary schools and is a result of a drive across past sexual relations be - ● Printed by Trinity Mirror report finds that in the last tween them, should never The median pay of di - America to tackle sexual as - year, the pay of the aver - by itself be assumed to be rectors of big companies sault on campuses. Califor - age employee has risen by an indicator of consent.” (FTSE 100) is now nia State University and the 1.4 per cent, just keeping The bill also requires uni - Get Solidarity every week! £2,433,000; of chief execu - University of California pace with inflation, while versities to review their tives, £3,344,000. Last year, both already have similar ● Trial sub, 6 issues £5 o profits have increased by methods of dealing with so a report from Income legislation, as have most Ivy over 10 per cent complaints of sexual assault, ● 22 issues (six months). £18 waged o Data Services shows, they League universities in the (bit.ly/tuc-pay). Thus, and invest in training for £9 unwaged got a 21% rise: median US. o wages remain frozen. staff. In addition the bill re - salary increased by 2.5%, The legislation defines ● 44 issues (year). £35 waged o High pay brings power quires access to counselling, bonuses by 12%, and in - consent as “an affirmative, £17 unwaged as well as luxury. At the health services and other re - o centive payments in the conscious and voluntary Tories’ fund-raising winter sources for women who ● European rate: 28 euros (22 issues) form of shares by 44% agreement to engage in sex - o party in February 2014, have suffered sexual assault. (bit.ly/ids-pay). ual activity”, rather than or 50 euros (44 issues) o bosses paid £1000 for din - The legislation does not Bosses in Media, Mar - just a lack of resistance. Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: ner so that they could sit change the criminal implica - keting and Leisure have Under the bill, someone with government minis - tions for a person charged 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG their snouts particularly ters able to affect their who is drunk, drugged, un - conscious or asleep cannot with assault, or the proce - Cheques (£) to “AWL”. deep in the trough, with buTshinee stosetsa. l wealth of the grant consent. dure of reporting assault to Or make £ and euro payments at workersliberty.org/sub. average earnings of nearly 570 guests added up to Another element of the the police. It only changes £7 million a year. Bosses in £22 billion. Questioned bill means that consent must how assault claims are han - Name . the retail sector have to by journalists now, the be “ongoing” and that it can dled by university intuitions cope with just £1.3 million bosses say piously that be “revoked any time”. intTehrnea Cllya.lifornia bill echos Address . a year. at dinner they had only Someone could withdraw a growing awareness of Chief executives’ pay "wide-ranging political their consent, meaning con - sexual assault on univer - . has increased nearly four- discussion", not about tinuing to push sexual activ - sity campuses both in the fold since 2000, while full- specifics of government I enclose £ . ity on the basis of “you said US and in Britain that is a time workers’ pay has policy. increased by less than 50 yes earlier” is considered as - step forward. per cent (less than infla - sault. 3 NEWS Democracy in Donetsk? Italian students By Dale Street attempted assassination on candidates by the recently quirement that all candi - 12 October. formed Communist Party of dates have to have resided The Central Election Com - Oplot (closely linked to the Donetsk People’s Re - on the territory of the DPR lead the way mission (CEC) of the the Donbas oligarch Rinat public is still under consid - for at least five years. "Donetsk People’s Repub - Akhmetov) and United Rus - eration. Led by Boris The CEC had asked the lic" (DPR) has published a sia (which appears to be an Litvinov, President of the "Supreme Soviet" of the list of the organisations unauthorized attempt to Supreme Soviet of the DPR, DPR to postpone the elec - which will not be allowed create a Ukrainian counter - the new party is calling for a tions until 9 November, on to participate in the DPR part to the ruling party in vote for Zacharchenko for the grounds that damage to elections on 2 November.