All out in the autumn for a 24 hour public sector general strike

After 30th june when 750,000 trade unionists and working people downed tools and took strike action which was at the time some of the biggest we've seen for years if not decades many wondered if this was it. Well no the trade union movement never to be out done is looking ahead now to the autumn and more action if the government does not back down on public sector pension reforms. This is seemingly increasingly likely it would seem. The government consisting of many millionaires in the cabinet have no idea how ordinary public sector workers live and how their pittiful pension pots will help or hinder them in later life.

So this autumn i am hoping we get as many unions out as we possibly can. Not just the ones that are more militanta nd are not affiliated to labour. We need them all out. All those linked to the public sector, to show this government that the public sector will not just roll over and have its belly tickled.

The news in the last week is that the PCS, teh public sector communications union one of the most forthcoming in recent times and with many socialist party activists working hard inside it have been at the fore in calling fora one day general strike for the public sector to strike fear into this weak weak tory government.

But now we hear on top of 30th June which was big and successful in itself the likes of the Prospect union, FDA and now the NASUWT union are pledging to join the PCS, NUT, ATL in joint co-ordinated industrial action come the autumn.

WE still hope Unite, Unison and GMB , FBu and the RMT the other big unions join with the others in bringing Britain to a stand still in the public sector for one day in the autumn.

Many sceptics say oh well what will this achieve ?

But although it is a while ago now 30th June achieved much it had the government defeated on its pathetic arguements that public sector pensions were affordable and were actually going to fall in cost over the years according to their own Lord Hutton of Labour who they commissioned to do the report on public sector pensions. Although much has happened since June 30th the government on that day were well and truely beaten with many more workers than the government had predicted coming out on strike action in defence of their pensions and winning the day. We in the socialist party recognise 24 hour strikes are not enough to bring this government down but as Le the great Leon Trotsky pointed out in his transitional program the working class must be taken with us at all times.

So as Trotskyists we area lways looking to gauge the current contiousness of workers at a given time. We feel that contiousness is still very low and we are practically starting from scratch with many workers. This is ok but we will need to work vey hard and get our ideas out there into the movement very quickly and effectively indeed. A 24 hour public sector general strike will be a huge jump forward especially for some unions who havent taken mass scale industrial action for some time if at all will be a big leap forward in contiousness we feel.

The actions of June 30th will give those unions who have took action then much confidence to step up action and boost confidence amongst members to maybe bring out more next time. When workers returned to work after June 30th many would have talked about June 30th as a big success and why do yuo not join us next time out there on the picket lines ? many will feel they can now having seen their peers doing so and leading the way. If no picket was arranged they will have wittnessed others in more contious areas have them and contiousness will spread and grow from last time. We are getting there with the leap forward June 30th had just think how big this next step could be.

We could really have the government on the back foot if millions come out in the autumn.

It will be interesting how Ed "the scab" Miliband handles this future strikes if his own affiliated unions do decide to come out and support other unions in solidarity where will he stand. Will he stand with his own unions who elected him as labour leader or stick to his " prosperous capitalist" mentality of condemning strikes before neogotiations have finnished and we shoudl all get back around the table.

Something tells me he may act differently when his own unions are acting and taking action as those were the ones who helped elect him. Failiure to back these unions will be suicide for Mr Miliband i feel. Hopefully this is the end of him and the start of a take back of labour by the workers. Hopefully i say in jest as i dont see this myself i feel he will continue his path in denial of workers and his move that the labour party can run capitalism better and fairer than the tories. We will see Ed's desctruction of the Labour party deepen if he does not back future strikes by affiliated trade unions. More calls will be made to ask what does he stand for and why doesnt he stand for us many workers will ask.

And uwe will say in the socialist party he is toeing the capitailist big business power hungry careerist line the new labour party have taken now ever since Tony Blair.

The only way forward now for working people is to form our own new workers party based on the traditions of fighting trade unions and socialism with fairness and revolutionary feelings at its base. To eventually over throw this rotten capitalist system which does far more harm than good for many workers which cannot be allowed to continue.

The next wave of strikes must start putting forward demands from the working class as a whole. That although this strike is about pensions we are here by demanding a end to all austerity and all cuts. That a change of course is needed or else. We will not just stop at pensions the ruling class is coming for all we have gained over decades of working class struggles.

WE must act now or never. This is a fight we must win. If we dont fight we will not be forgiven by future generations who will have to live with our actions or inacctions.

So i invite you all to come to this sundays lobby of the TUC called by the NSSN the national shops stewards network . THe evening before the TUC congress conference next week this sunday 11 september at 1.30 pm all meet at friends meeting house in Euston where Bob Crow and Mark serwotka general secteries of RMT and PCS respectively will be speaking before we march on the TUC conference to present a petition for the TUC to back calls for a 24 hour public sector general strike and start the preparations for this in the autumn.

We cannot wait and stand by and wait for a labour government jobs, pay and conditions are disappearing under our feet we must act now before its too late.

Standing up to a weak government

The magnificent strike by PCS and education unions the NUT, ATL and UCU was a game-changer in the battle to defend public sector pensions.

The question on other public sector workers' lips was not 'why are they on strike?' but rather, 'why are we not on strike?' At demonstrations in every major town and city in the country Unison, Unite, FBU, GMB, CWU and many other union banners were there alongside those of the striking unions.

Community organisations, anti-cuts alliances and disability groups marched too, knowing the battle to defend pensions is inextricably linked to the defence of services and communities.

The government's attempt to divide private and public sector workers and state pensioners fell flat as speaker after speaker at rallies demanded fair pensions for all.

The worst elements of the millionaire press went into hysterical, almost comical overdrive with headlines calling on people to stand up to "union bullies", a claim rendered absurd by the almost festival good nature of the day.


Newcastle: 30 June, photo Elaine Brinskill (Click to enlarge)
The government suffered a major media disaster when multi-millionaire minister Francis Maude, was exposed on Radio 4's Today programme by PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka.

Maude was lying, claiming the cost of public sector pensions was rising when the absolute opposite is the case. His public humiliation was so bad he was pulled from doing any further interviews.

The humiliation continued as the government moved from an admission that the strike was hitting hard to their infantile claim that it was a flop. In reality 85-95% of members were on strike.

In Scotland, where only PCS was on strike, support from other workers was tremendous. Over a thousand at the Glasgow rally heard a blistering speech from PCS president Janice Godrich exposing the grubby nature of those behind this attack - Francis Maude, who owns no less than four homes, was embroiled in the MPs' expenses scandal and, like the vast majority of MPs, seems in no hurry to "reform" his own pension.


Newcastle: 30 June, photo Elaine Brinskill (Click to enlarge)
Workers are instinctively making the link between the pensions attack and the rest of the cuts programme. The real reason for the attack on pensions has nothing to do with affordability but, in the words of CBI spiv John Cridland the "reform" must take place in order to make outsourcing "affordable" - this fact must be repeated to every worker our movement can reach.

Ed Miliband's shameful attack on the strike was certainly treacherous but also mind-bogglingly stupid. Rather than making himself "respectable" in the eyes of the press and big business he has alienated millions of workers by attacking an extremely popular strike.

In retrospect this major error may mark the beginning of a process which could result in Miliband actually losing the leadership of the party; not because Labour leaders will be worried about his treachery but rather because they will draw the conclusion they cannot be led into the next election by an incompetent who is clearly way out of his depth.

It appears that the government has recognised its error in attacking the entire public sector at once and will now try to divide the unions. Andrew Grice wrote in the Independent that: "Ministers have already shown flexibility amid fears that workers could pull out of the councils' pension scheme, causing its collapse. A settlement here might deter big unions such as Unite, Unison and the GMB from joining the coordinated strikes some unions seek in the autumn."

Mood for action
However, given the growing mood for action among public sector workers following 30 June, it will be very difficult for the leaders of Unison and the other local government unions to avoid taking action on the basis of the government throwing them a few crumbs. The message for trade unions and their leaders is clear: if we do not fight together we will be picked off separately.

Unless the government is prepared to move away from its hard-line stance on core issues like increased contributions, increased age and devaluation of pensions then we must build for widespread, coordinated action in the autumn.

Nothing will be the same after this strike; all elements of the political establishment, including even the so-called liberal "opinion-formers" are worried.

Having written off the unions as an irrelevancy the truth is staring them in the face; with effective determined leadership, linked to the preparedness to campaign, including taking industrial action, as a last resort, working people are more than capable of standing up to a weak government with no mandate.