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.
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Showing posts with label strike for the alternative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strike for the alternative. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Thursday, 30 June 2011
1st wave of co-ordinated strike action, today must be just the start
SO as the pickets and the plackards are taken down from todays successful strike action taken by the PCS, UCU, NUT and ATL unions in joint co-ordinated strike action where we have seen up to 750,000 workers out on industrial action be it on a picket line a rally or not working therefore withdrawing their labour.
I dont think we can emphasise enough how big today may prove to be in the months and years to come. Today was the start of something big. Where the public sector trade unions on behalf of the working class stood up to this con-dem government and said no we will not take your cuts and robberies laying down.
For the first time in many years the biggest show of the labour movement moved into action.
Many doubted it after march 26th thinking oh no these unions havent got the fight and wont organise anything now.
Wrong
They did and many congratulations has to go to those unions who did work so dam hard and i know many of their activists did to get as many out today as possible to oppose this vicious attack on our living standards in many years.
What today has shown us is that when we organise, when we come together and unite we can defeat anyone.
Although this battle over pension reforms is not won it has certainly given this weak government a lot to think about in the coming months.
If people think this is just it a jolly strike and we go back to work and take the cuts they are wrong, The tories are wrong, Labour are wrong for saying these strikes are a mistake.
We are right to fight and right to strike.
The myths the government and its media machine has been going into over drive today trying to pump out its properganda. But thankfully the unions own propeganda machine has been working equally as hard back, with excellent shows by PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka owning Francis Maud of the government on radio 4 earlier today. Francis Maud was taken apart and thrown about by Mark Serwotka who had clearly done his homework and exposed the tories as the rich thieving bastards they are i'm afraid.
The fact that public sector pensions are affordable and not unaffordable which the government keep peddling the line. The Hutton report from a labour lord which the government like to push was found to not contain anything on unaffordable pensions for public sector workers.
In fact it showed on a graph quite clearly public sector pensions falling as a cost to the tax payer as a percentage to GDP as the years went by as a prediction for the future.
So many of the tory lies have been defeated rendering the attacks on public sector pensions idealogical and harsh just to pay for the mess the bankers created.
So i am glad today went well but we must not feel this is the end. We must continue to pressure the other unions who were not out today to join us in the autumn while pushing that there is a alternative and that is by taxing the rich who evade billions of tax a year.
I dont think we can emphasise enough how big today may prove to be in the months and years to come. Today was the start of something big. Where the public sector trade unions on behalf of the working class stood up to this con-dem government and said no we will not take your cuts and robberies laying down.
For the first time in many years the biggest show of the labour movement moved into action.
Many doubted it after march 26th thinking oh no these unions havent got the fight and wont organise anything now.
Wrong
They did and many congratulations has to go to those unions who did work so dam hard and i know many of their activists did to get as many out today as possible to oppose this vicious attack on our living standards in many years.
What today has shown us is that when we organise, when we come together and unite we can defeat anyone.
Although this battle over pension reforms is not won it has certainly given this weak government a lot to think about in the coming months.
If people think this is just it a jolly strike and we go back to work and take the cuts they are wrong, The tories are wrong, Labour are wrong for saying these strikes are a mistake.
We are right to fight and right to strike.
The myths the government and its media machine has been going into over drive today trying to pump out its properganda. But thankfully the unions own propeganda machine has been working equally as hard back, with excellent shows by PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka owning Francis Maud of the government on radio 4 earlier today. Francis Maud was taken apart and thrown about by Mark Serwotka who had clearly done his homework and exposed the tories as the rich thieving bastards they are i'm afraid.
The fact that public sector pensions are affordable and not unaffordable which the government keep peddling the line. The Hutton report from a labour lord which the government like to push was found to not contain anything on unaffordable pensions for public sector workers.
In fact it showed on a graph quite clearly public sector pensions falling as a cost to the tax payer as a percentage to GDP as the years went by as a prediction for the future.
So many of the tory lies have been defeated rendering the attacks on public sector pensions idealogical and harsh just to pay for the mess the bankers created.
So i am glad today went well but we must not feel this is the end. We must continue to pressure the other unions who were not out today to join us in the autumn while pushing that there is a alternative and that is by taxing the rich who evade billions of tax a year.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Busting the public sector pensions myth
This is a excellent article from this weeks paper. the socialist which highlights the myths on public sector pay and pensions which the June 30th strikes wre all about. I advise all to read this as it will set the record straight on many a myth portrayed by the capitalist media.
1. Public sector pensions are "too generous"
Surely this can only be answered by considering whether the pension does its job: provides a decent standard of living for a retired worker. On this measure no public sector pension is "too generous". The average pension for ordinary civil servants is just £4,200 a year. The average pension in the education sector is £10,000 a year.
The definition of poverty according to the government is living on less than 60% of the median income (£15,568 a year in 2010). No public sector pension gets close to this level.
2. Public sector pensions are "unfair" to workers in the private sector
True, 'Fred the Shred' Goodwin of bank collapse fame, for example, got £16 million. But most private sector workers get a raw deal on pensions. This is because the Tories already helped big business to decimate their pensions. Now they present the private sector as typical of some "natural" pension level, rather than a conscious pro-big business policy choice 20 years ago.
The Con-Dems will even argue that the tax paid by private sector workers is directly funding public sector pensions. But no government ear-marks funds in this way. Again, it is a pro-big business choice by the Con-Dems to cut taxes on bankers and the super-rich.
A successful campaign to defend public sector pensions must simultaneously be the launch point for a campaign to win back the pension rights of private sector workers. We're not falling for the divide and rule myth.
3. The country can no longer afford "gold-plated" public sector pensions
Arguments about the "national interest" include the following variants: "the public sector is too big", "the public debt is too high", "we're living too long" etc, etc. In other words, we should all take a hit for "the good of the country".
But currently public sector pensions are 1.9% of GDP. According to Lord Hutton's report this proportion will fall to 1.4% by 2060 without making a single change! The teachers' pension pot is self-funding, requiring no money from elsewhere.
The claim that we are living longer is another cover-up for Con-Dem policy choices. There is huge wealth in society that could fund earlier retirement on a living pension for all workers in the public and private sectors. The problem is that it is all locked away with the super-rich. The richest 1,000 people in Britain have £395 billion between them.
Socialist policies that took such vast wealth into democratic public ownership and spent it to the benefit of all would mean we could live into our hundreds without worrying about the "affordibility" of pensions.
4. "We're all in this together"
We have arrived at the big lie that explains the half-truths and obfuscations of the other pitiful arguments: "we are all in this together".
The attack on public sector pensions is part of a broader effort to make the working class pay for the crisis of capitalism. In the biggest rip-off in history the politicians are trying to let the banks and financial markets get away without contributing a penny to fix the economy they wrecked. Instead they think they can make the working class pay.
But of course they can't say that to us plainly and that explains the Houdini style contortions in the "debate" on public sector pensions...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Public sector pensions are "too generous"
Surely this can only be answered by considering whether the pension does its job: provides a decent standard of living for a retired worker. On this measure no public sector pension is "too generous". The average pension for ordinary civil servants is just £4,200 a year. The average pension in the education sector is £10,000 a year.
The definition of poverty according to the government is living on less than 60% of the median income (£15,568 a year in 2010). No public sector pension gets close to this level.
2. Public sector pensions are "unfair" to workers in the private sector
True, 'Fred the Shred' Goodwin of bank collapse fame, for example, got £16 million. But most private sector workers get a raw deal on pensions. This is because the Tories already helped big business to decimate their pensions. Now they present the private sector as typical of some "natural" pension level, rather than a conscious pro-big business policy choice 20 years ago.
The Con-Dems will even argue that the tax paid by private sector workers is directly funding public sector pensions. But no government ear-marks funds in this way. Again, it is a pro-big business choice by the Con-Dems to cut taxes on bankers and the super-rich.
A successful campaign to defend public sector pensions must simultaneously be the launch point for a campaign to win back the pension rights of private sector workers. We're not falling for the divide and rule myth.
3. The country can no longer afford "gold-plated" public sector pensions
Arguments about the "national interest" include the following variants: "the public sector is too big", "the public debt is too high", "we're living too long" etc, etc. In other words, we should all take a hit for "the good of the country".
But currently public sector pensions are 1.9% of GDP. According to Lord Hutton's report this proportion will fall to 1.4% by 2060 without making a single change! The teachers' pension pot is self-funding, requiring no money from elsewhere.
The claim that we are living longer is another cover-up for Con-Dem policy choices. There is huge wealth in society that could fund earlier retirement on a living pension for all workers in the public and private sectors. The problem is that it is all locked away with the super-rich. The richest 1,000 people in Britain have £395 billion between them.
Socialist policies that took such vast wealth into democratic public ownership and spent it to the benefit of all would mean we could live into our hundreds without worrying about the "affordibility" of pensions.
4. "We're all in this together"
We have arrived at the big lie that explains the half-truths and obfuscations of the other pitiful arguments: "we are all in this together".
The attack on public sector pensions is part of a broader effort to make the working class pay for the crisis of capitalism. In the biggest rip-off in history the politicians are trying to let the banks and financial markets get away without contributing a penny to fix the economy they wrecked. Instead they think they can make the working class pay.
But of course they can't say that to us plainly and that explains the Houdini style contortions in the "debate" on public sector pensions...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Strike 30th of June
Civil servants, teachers and lecturers balloted to strike on 30 June against the Con-Dems' attacks on public sector pensions and public services. The National Union of Teachers has voted 92% in favour of the action, while the Association of Teachers and Lecturers has voted 83% in favour of its first ever strike. London underground drivers in the RMT union are also due to take strike action on that day against victimisation of trade union activists.
Chris Baugh, assistant general secretary of the PCS civil servants union, spoke in a personal capacity at the National Shop Stewards Network conference on 11 June. Here is an extract from his speech.
Someone once said the Tories never talk about class war because they're usually too busy practising it. This crisis, caused by nearly 30 years of a high octane deregulated capitalism, fuelled by an explosion of credit and reckless speculation, has become the excuse for an all-out assault on nearly all the major social gains won by working-class people in the post-war years.
Perhaps the most callous elements of the cuts are reflected in the abolition of EMA student payments, the Sure Start children centre closures, the cuts in benefits to the disabled.
This is a government that is working to dilute 2,000 separate pieces of legislation, even the equality act that only came on the statute book in April. Everything is up for grabs.
But trade unions remain the major obstacle to the Tory-Liberal plans. It's why big business politicians introduced the anti-union laws. It's why the media attacks trade unions. It's why the employers pick out our activists and reps. It's why Vince Cable - supposed to be a restraining influence on the Tories - is already talking about even more limits on the right to strike.
This is a government that is fearful of the trade union movement. There is a massive and growing anger against the bailout to the bankers and the financial institutions and the attempt to make the working class pay the price for a crisis not of our making. The evidence was shown in the student protests, shown in the magnificent turnout on 26 March, shown by the action that we plan to take on 30 June, as the first wave of coordinated action.
If you're a worker in any other part of the public sector you will be asking the question: 'why are we not taking action with our brothers and sisters in the civil service and education institutions?'
The PCS will continue to press the Trades Union Congress for coordinated strike action and to build direct support with individual unions. We expect to be joined by millions of public sector workers in the autumn in the second wave of the sustained strike action that will be needed to challenge this government.
This is an enormous opportunity to reach out to the ranks of the most exploited sections of the workforce, the millions who aren't in unions, the millions who are unorganised. PCS has found that when the union is prepared to speak and act for its membership, that's when people are prepared to join, that's when they're prepared to get involved, that's when people are prepared to come forward and become reps in their own trade union.
We can start to challenge the dictatorship of the international markets, which are dictating the policy of individual governments. We can show that international worker's solidarity is not some utopian idea, it is the most powerful antidote to the neoliberal consensus, pursued by European governments, by mainstream political parties, by the Murdoch press, and by international bond and equity markets. We can raise the question of what sort of society we want to live in and start to pose a real socialist alternative.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this issue
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fighting the cuts
Strike 30 June
Workers tur
Chris Baugh, assistant general secretary of the PCS civil servants union, spoke in a personal capacity at the National Shop Stewards Network conference on 11 June. Here is an extract from his speech.
Someone once said the Tories never talk about class war because they're usually too busy practising it. This crisis, caused by nearly 30 years of a high octane deregulated capitalism, fuelled by an explosion of credit and reckless speculation, has become the excuse for an all-out assault on nearly all the major social gains won by working-class people in the post-war years.
Perhaps the most callous elements of the cuts are reflected in the abolition of EMA student payments, the Sure Start children centre closures, the cuts in benefits to the disabled.
This is a government that is working to dilute 2,000 separate pieces of legislation, even the equality act that only came on the statute book in April. Everything is up for grabs.
But trade unions remain the major obstacle to the Tory-Liberal plans. It's why big business politicians introduced the anti-union laws. It's why the media attacks trade unions. It's why the employers pick out our activists and reps. It's why Vince Cable - supposed to be a restraining influence on the Tories - is already talking about even more limits on the right to strike.
This is a government that is fearful of the trade union movement. There is a massive and growing anger against the bailout to the bankers and the financial institutions and the attempt to make the working class pay the price for a crisis not of our making. The evidence was shown in the student protests, shown in the magnificent turnout on 26 March, shown by the action that we plan to take on 30 June, as the first wave of coordinated action.
If you're a worker in any other part of the public sector you will be asking the question: 'why are we not taking action with our brothers and sisters in the civil service and education institutions?'
The PCS will continue to press the Trades Union Congress for coordinated strike action and to build direct support with individual unions. We expect to be joined by millions of public sector workers in the autumn in the second wave of the sustained strike action that will be needed to challenge this government.
This is an enormous opportunity to reach out to the ranks of the most exploited sections of the workforce, the millions who aren't in unions, the millions who are unorganised. PCS has found that when the union is prepared to speak and act for its membership, that's when people are prepared to join, that's when they're prepared to get involved, that's when people are prepared to come forward and become reps in their own trade union.
We can start to challenge the dictatorship of the international markets, which are dictating the policy of individual governments. We can show that international worker's solidarity is not some utopian idea, it is the most powerful antidote to the neoliberal consensus, pursued by European governments, by mainstream political parties, by the Murdoch press, and by international bond and equity markets. We can raise the question of what sort of society we want to live in and start to pose a real socialist alternative.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this issue
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fighting the cuts
Strike 30 June
Workers tur
Sunday, 12 June 2011
NSSN conference - serious and inspiring preparation for the battles to come
As seven workers from Honda Swindon were leaving the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) conference on Saturday 11 June, one car worker remarked: "I wish we could have brought a coachload!".
This was a typical reaction amongst the 350 workers attending the best conference NSSN has held so far, a regular event that is rapidly becoming a feature in the calendar of the labour movement.
Rob Williams, NSSN chair, speaking at National Shop Stewards Network Conference June 2011, photo by Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)
It was a solid working-class trade union conference getting ready for the huge struggles ahead, aware of the difficulties but ready for the fight. Opening the conference, NSSN chair Rob Williams pointed out that we were meeting just 19 days before a real milestone - the 30 June joint strike of teachers and civil servants against the pensions robbery.
Martin Powell Davies from the National Union of Teachers national executive remarked: "The school hall we are meeting in is packed full today; on 30th June it will be totally empty." Janice Godrich, president of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) declared that 30 June should not just be a protest strike but a day to light a spark that will give confidence to all other public sector unions to join in and swell the force to four million workers for more strikes in the autumn.
Mark Palfrey, London Communication Workers Union (CWU), said that although his union was not yet joining the action it would respect all picket lines and he and others would be doing what they can to get the union on board, especially now that mail privatisation and closures are on the cards again.
Alex Gordon, RMT president, photo by Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)
Alex Gordon, Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) president, reminded delegates about the biggest ever trade union demonstration that was held on 26th March, showing what the TUC can do when it lifts its little finger.
But he urged that this event should not be squandered. The correct conclusions about the way forward must be drawn.
A general strike is needed. The £81 million of cuts so far are only year one of the Tory programme.
The NSSN will work with unions and anti-cuts campaigns everywhere to demand that councillors refuse to implement cuts.
He noted that NSSN also provides a valuable space to discuss serious arguments on strategy, which are bound to become sharper. Those who walked out of the NSSN in January after a democratic and open discussion on exactly this issue of strategy, have in fact left NSSN stronger and more active. (We understand a couple of those detractors snooped into the conference hall simply to do a headcount!)
Conference gave a very warm reception to Les Woodward from GMB Remploy. In very colourful and bold language he described how the disabled are getting a kicking from the "Tory Taliban" with closures and cutbacks in Remploy factories and are in line for even more rubbish to be heaped on them.
But the thousands of disabled are ready to fight factory by factory, and he appealed to the "temporarily-abled" for solidarity. Conference agreed to support a motion to oppose closures of Remploy factories and to send protest postcards to Iain Duncan Smith MP.
Wide range of contributions
National Shop Stewards Network Conference June 2011, photo by Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)
But the conference was not all 'top table'. There was a whole range of marvellous contributions, both from trade unionists in leading positions and from rank and file workers struggling in the workplaces.
Every contribution was interesting and informative. 51% of workers in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are on wages too low to be covered by the wage freeze.
Pensioners are gearing up for a fight to defend the welfare state. And Tony Mulhearn one of the 'Liverpool 47' councillors who led a magnificent anti-cuts struggle in the 1980s, lambasted New Labour councillors today who use their re-election, not to fight cuts but to vote through cuts; who organise celebrations for dead working class heroes while denouncing living fighters who want to make a stand now.
He praised NSSN for putting these councillors on the spot.
The conference was practical too. At the six working-lunch regional get-togethers, delegates planned how NSSN in their areas could assist and build for 30 June and start planning for the NSSN lobby of the TUC in September, as a way of implementing the NSSN statement agreed in the morning session.
'The Right to Strike' theme of the afternoon session was recognition that whilst we are preparing for mass action, the bosses are too. The representatives of the rich and powerful are ready to introduce even more draconian laws to restrict strikes. Boris Johnson and Vince Cable have made that absolutely clear.
But on the ground even now a raw battle is being waged. Individuals who stand up, get sacked.
Frank Morris described his blacklisting from the Olympics site. Tube drivers Arwyn Thomas and Eamon Lynch outlined how they were sacked for participating in legal industrial action.
The RMT has backed them to the hilt, balloting every London Underground member for four days of strike action, due soon. John Hancock from the Prison Officers Association (POA) national executive explained in a speech very complimentary of the NSSN, that POA is banned from striking, but that pressure is building up to break those restrictions, especially because of the drive for privatisation.
Paul Callanan of Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) described how youth and students suffered police kettling tactics during the student protests, but that with youth unemployment getting worse and university fees skyrocketing, the best form of defence is attack.
They aim to bring together youth, students and trade unionists on a new Jarrow march in October. And Keith Gibson, who spoke at the NSSN conference two years ago about the victory of construction workers at Lindsay Oil Refinery against all odds, gave us, in his bold inimitable style, a vivid account of a recent battle at Saltend, near Hull, where 400 construction workers were locked out.
Despite a willingness of the workforce to fight, the battle was eventually lost, unfortunately leaving many questions being asked of some trade union officials.
This theme was taken up in the many contributions from the floor, including by Unite convenor Paddy Brennan, who appealed to NSSN for assistance with current problems at Honda, where some time ago a no-strike deal was struck between Unite union officials and management.
Kathy from Bromley Unison also took up the issue of victimisation by a trade union leadership, but this time, she said it was not all bad news. She had stood for the Unison NEC in the seat of her union colleague Glenn Kelly who has been suspended from holding office by the right-wing union leadership ... and won! You can't keep down ideas whose time has come.
International solidarity
The problems we are all facing, ie the bosses and some labour leaders, are international. NSSN conference was asked to support a campaign by a group of stewards in the Lonmin Karee mine in South Africa.
9,000 were sacked but only 8,000 reinstated after stewards had challenged corruption between management and the leadership of NUM.
Towards the end of the conference we were very happy to hear from our Greek brothers and sisters once again. Apostolis Kasimeris of the Union of Public Transport Workers in Attica, Greece, gave a great account of the effects of the terrible IMF austerity measures on workers' living standards.
He described how the Greek workers are fighting back with actions like bus fare boycotts, but are being hamstrung by the cowardice of the union leadership who are hated by workers, and by the difficulties workers on the ground face in getting together to work out what to do after ten general strikes! Both he and his very able translator, Eleni, were given a well deserved standing ovation.
Chris Baugh, PCS Assistant Secretary, gave a rousing speech to close the conference, calling on all workers to make the 30 June action a resounding success.
The NSSN, as pointed out in the officers' report to the conference, has gone from strength to strength over the last year. The newly-elected Steering Committee of 24 trade unionists with positions in all the major unions will develop the work in conjunction with those in the regions.
The last year has seen the pace of events step up as the financial crisis deepens and the outline of the huge industrial struggles to come begins to take shape.
NSSN has increased its presence and will continue to develop a respected role in the labour movement. In the course of the conference John Hancock articulated similar ideas in his contribution: "Shop steward!" he said, "what wonderful words those are!" They conjure up days when the trade unions had real power.
We bear those words on our banner - and we intend to help our mighty unions realise that power again.
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National Shop Stewards Network Conference Secretary's report
2010 - 2011
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
This last year has seen the pace of events step up as the financial crisis deepens, and the outline of the huge industrial struggles to come begin to take shape.
Over the last year the NSSN has increased its presence and continues to develop a respected role in the labour movement.
June 2010 The Annual Conference took place only a few weeks after the announcement of huge Coalition government cuts.
We welcomed leading trade unionists from Spain, Ireland and Greece involved in mass actions against their austerity cuts, and they had an enormous effect on everyone.
Delegates agreed to lobby the TUC to call a national demo, and urged everyone to get involved in, or set up, local anti-cuts campaigns to stop all local council cuts.
September 2010 The TUC lobby in Manchester attracted hundreds of trade unionists for an open air rally, a march - the first nationally against cuts - and then a very lively and enthusiastic indoor meeting.
Leading trade unionists like Bob Crow, Billy Hayes and Chris Baugh addressed the crowd alongside rank and file fighters on the ground. A fringe meeting was also organised later in the week addressed by Bob Crow and Linda Taaffe.
Under pressure from many forces the TUC finally agreed to organise a mass demo - six months down the line.
Better late than never!
October 2010 As councils begin cutting the fight-back gathers apace. The urgency for mass demonstrations as a first step gains ground, but unfortunately the bodies that could act decide to delay.
In London the NSSN worked jointly with leading RMT, FBU, PCS and NUT members to organise a demonstration, eventually going to a SERTUC event. On the day striking fire fighters led a lively, noisy and colourful march of around 4,000.
On the same day well attended marches took place in Bristol and Cardiff, as well as other places. It became clear that anti-cuts campaigners were forming the backbone of many local protests, and the NSSN needed to address this. The Steering Committee decided to call an NSSN Anti-Cuts Conference.
November and December 2010 Our attention was riveted by the mass of students from colleges and university pouring onto the streets in a show of protest that has not been seen for many years against skyrocketing fees.
They came in their thousand to London, were cruelly treated by the police, but lifted the spirits of many older trade unionists. NSSN participated in the demos and produced leaflets appealing for students to join forces with the trade unions as a realistic way forward.
January 2011 The Anti-Cuts Conference on January 22nd was the biggest NSSN conference so far with up to 600 attending. After an extremely democratic debate and discussion lasting all day the vote was overwhelmingly to set up an anti-cuts committee which included Alex Gordon RMT President, Ben Sprung London FBU, Martin Powell Davies NUT Executive, Katrine Williams Wales Chair PCS, and others.
The result has been that the NSSN has its own distinct role in the anti-cuts movement and has worked with the other anti-cuts organisations. The latest development being that we will be meeting the TUC on June 28th with Coalition of Resistance, People's Charter, Right to Work and UKUncut.
We have consistently fought on a "No to ALL cuts" platform and campaigned for the unions to co-ordinate strike action against the cuts.
February 2011 The Anti-Cuts Committee called a lobby of local anti-cuts campaigners and trade unionists to march to the Labour Local Government Leaders meeting near Westminster.
These 'leaders' of the labour movement were discussing - not how to rally opposition to cuts, but how to do the Tories' dirty work! With budget setting council meetings imminent the NSSN presented a petition calling on these leaders to invoke the spirit of Poplar, Clay Cross , Liverpool and Lambeth and join with trade unionists and anti-cuts campaigners to fight government cuts.
They accepted in good spirits but unfortunately not one Labour councillor in the whole country raised their hand against cuts when it came to the vote.
March 2011 This month was dominated by the build-up to the TUC demo. And what a demo! Over half a million trade unionist showed what can be achieved when the TUC just raises its little finger.
The NSSN and Anti-Cuts Committee prepared well to intervene on the day. 40,000 flyers were produced with 1,500 placards calling on the TUC to organise joint strike action.
A stage was set up at Speakers Corner with agreement from leading trade unionists to come and give a fighting alternative to the 'wait for a Labour government' answer that was coming from the main platform.
As it turned out the demo was so huge many speakers never made it! No matter, rank and file trade unionists stepped up from the crowd, spoke about their industry or area, and gave the same message - the need for a 24 hour public sector strike.
April 2011 The start of the conference season saw preparations put in place to hold official meetings, fringe meetings and stands in exhibition halls.
NSSN has had a presence at ALL trade union conferences, especially NUT, PCS, FBU and will hold an official fringe meeting at RMT later in June. The Wales Shop Stewards Network organised a successful anti-cuts conference attended by 80 union reps and anti-cuts campaigners, launching Wales Against the Cuts.
May 2011 NSSN had stalls at many May Day demos and events around the country. There are plans to cover the Durham Miners Gala, Tolpuddle and Burston in the next few weeks.
We are also supporting the ballot on the pensions' robbery in NUT and PCS, and look forward keenly to the joint strike day on June 30th, where we will support picket lines and distribute our NSSN bulletins.
This was a typical reaction amongst the 350 workers attending the best conference NSSN has held so far, a regular event that is rapidly becoming a feature in the calendar of the labour movement.
Rob Williams, NSSN chair, speaking at National Shop Stewards Network Conference June 2011, photo by Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)
It was a solid working-class trade union conference getting ready for the huge struggles ahead, aware of the difficulties but ready for the fight. Opening the conference, NSSN chair Rob Williams pointed out that we were meeting just 19 days before a real milestone - the 30 June joint strike of teachers and civil servants against the pensions robbery.
Martin Powell Davies from the National Union of Teachers national executive remarked: "The school hall we are meeting in is packed full today; on 30th June it will be totally empty." Janice Godrich, president of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) declared that 30 June should not just be a protest strike but a day to light a spark that will give confidence to all other public sector unions to join in and swell the force to four million workers for more strikes in the autumn.
Mark Palfrey, London Communication Workers Union (CWU), said that although his union was not yet joining the action it would respect all picket lines and he and others would be doing what they can to get the union on board, especially now that mail privatisation and closures are on the cards again.
Alex Gordon, RMT president, photo by Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)
Alex Gordon, Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) president, reminded delegates about the biggest ever trade union demonstration that was held on 26th March, showing what the TUC can do when it lifts its little finger.
But he urged that this event should not be squandered. The correct conclusions about the way forward must be drawn.
A general strike is needed. The £81 million of cuts so far are only year one of the Tory programme.
The NSSN will work with unions and anti-cuts campaigns everywhere to demand that councillors refuse to implement cuts.
He noted that NSSN also provides a valuable space to discuss serious arguments on strategy, which are bound to become sharper. Those who walked out of the NSSN in January after a democratic and open discussion on exactly this issue of strategy, have in fact left NSSN stronger and more active. (We understand a couple of those detractors snooped into the conference hall simply to do a headcount!)
Conference gave a very warm reception to Les Woodward from GMB Remploy. In very colourful and bold language he described how the disabled are getting a kicking from the "Tory Taliban" with closures and cutbacks in Remploy factories and are in line for even more rubbish to be heaped on them.
But the thousands of disabled are ready to fight factory by factory, and he appealed to the "temporarily-abled" for solidarity. Conference agreed to support a motion to oppose closures of Remploy factories and to send protest postcards to Iain Duncan Smith MP.
Wide range of contributions
National Shop Stewards Network Conference June 2011, photo by Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)
But the conference was not all 'top table'. There was a whole range of marvellous contributions, both from trade unionists in leading positions and from rank and file workers struggling in the workplaces.
Every contribution was interesting and informative. 51% of workers in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are on wages too low to be covered by the wage freeze.
Pensioners are gearing up for a fight to defend the welfare state. And Tony Mulhearn one of the 'Liverpool 47' councillors who led a magnificent anti-cuts struggle in the 1980s, lambasted New Labour councillors today who use their re-election, not to fight cuts but to vote through cuts; who organise celebrations for dead working class heroes while denouncing living fighters who want to make a stand now.
He praised NSSN for putting these councillors on the spot.
The conference was practical too. At the six working-lunch regional get-togethers, delegates planned how NSSN in their areas could assist and build for 30 June and start planning for the NSSN lobby of the TUC in September, as a way of implementing the NSSN statement agreed in the morning session.
'The Right to Strike' theme of the afternoon session was recognition that whilst we are preparing for mass action, the bosses are too. The representatives of the rich and powerful are ready to introduce even more draconian laws to restrict strikes. Boris Johnson and Vince Cable have made that absolutely clear.
But on the ground even now a raw battle is being waged. Individuals who stand up, get sacked.
Frank Morris described his blacklisting from the Olympics site. Tube drivers Arwyn Thomas and Eamon Lynch outlined how they were sacked for participating in legal industrial action.
The RMT has backed them to the hilt, balloting every London Underground member for four days of strike action, due soon. John Hancock from the Prison Officers Association (POA) national executive explained in a speech very complimentary of the NSSN, that POA is banned from striking, but that pressure is building up to break those restrictions, especially because of the drive for privatisation.
Paul Callanan of Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) described how youth and students suffered police kettling tactics during the student protests, but that with youth unemployment getting worse and university fees skyrocketing, the best form of defence is attack.
They aim to bring together youth, students and trade unionists on a new Jarrow march in October. And Keith Gibson, who spoke at the NSSN conference two years ago about the victory of construction workers at Lindsay Oil Refinery against all odds, gave us, in his bold inimitable style, a vivid account of a recent battle at Saltend, near Hull, where 400 construction workers were locked out.
Despite a willingness of the workforce to fight, the battle was eventually lost, unfortunately leaving many questions being asked of some trade union officials.
This theme was taken up in the many contributions from the floor, including by Unite convenor Paddy Brennan, who appealed to NSSN for assistance with current problems at Honda, where some time ago a no-strike deal was struck between Unite union officials and management.
Kathy from Bromley Unison also took up the issue of victimisation by a trade union leadership, but this time, she said it was not all bad news. She had stood for the Unison NEC in the seat of her union colleague Glenn Kelly who has been suspended from holding office by the right-wing union leadership ... and won! You can't keep down ideas whose time has come.
International solidarity
The problems we are all facing, ie the bosses and some labour leaders, are international. NSSN conference was asked to support a campaign by a group of stewards in the Lonmin Karee mine in South Africa.
9,000 were sacked but only 8,000 reinstated after stewards had challenged corruption between management and the leadership of NUM.
Towards the end of the conference we were very happy to hear from our Greek brothers and sisters once again. Apostolis Kasimeris of the Union of Public Transport Workers in Attica, Greece, gave a great account of the effects of the terrible IMF austerity measures on workers' living standards.
He described how the Greek workers are fighting back with actions like bus fare boycotts, but are being hamstrung by the cowardice of the union leadership who are hated by workers, and by the difficulties workers on the ground face in getting together to work out what to do after ten general strikes! Both he and his very able translator, Eleni, were given a well deserved standing ovation.
Chris Baugh, PCS Assistant Secretary, gave a rousing speech to close the conference, calling on all workers to make the 30 June action a resounding success.
The NSSN, as pointed out in the officers' report to the conference, has gone from strength to strength over the last year. The newly-elected Steering Committee of 24 trade unionists with positions in all the major unions will develop the work in conjunction with those in the regions.
The last year has seen the pace of events step up as the financial crisis deepens and the outline of the huge industrial struggles to come begins to take shape.
NSSN has increased its presence and will continue to develop a respected role in the labour movement. In the course of the conference John Hancock articulated similar ideas in his contribution: "Shop steward!" he said, "what wonderful words those are!" They conjure up days when the trade unions had real power.
We bear those words on our banner - and we intend to help our mighty unions realise that power again.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Shop Stewards Network Conference Secretary's report
2010 - 2011
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
This last year has seen the pace of events step up as the financial crisis deepens, and the outline of the huge industrial struggles to come begin to take shape.
Over the last year the NSSN has increased its presence and continues to develop a respected role in the labour movement.
June 2010 The Annual Conference took place only a few weeks after the announcement of huge Coalition government cuts.
We welcomed leading trade unionists from Spain, Ireland and Greece involved in mass actions against their austerity cuts, and they had an enormous effect on everyone.
Delegates agreed to lobby the TUC to call a national demo, and urged everyone to get involved in, or set up, local anti-cuts campaigns to stop all local council cuts.
September 2010 The TUC lobby in Manchester attracted hundreds of trade unionists for an open air rally, a march - the first nationally against cuts - and then a very lively and enthusiastic indoor meeting.
Leading trade unionists like Bob Crow, Billy Hayes and Chris Baugh addressed the crowd alongside rank and file fighters on the ground. A fringe meeting was also organised later in the week addressed by Bob Crow and Linda Taaffe.
Under pressure from many forces the TUC finally agreed to organise a mass demo - six months down the line.
Better late than never!
October 2010 As councils begin cutting the fight-back gathers apace. The urgency for mass demonstrations as a first step gains ground, but unfortunately the bodies that could act decide to delay.
In London the NSSN worked jointly with leading RMT, FBU, PCS and NUT members to organise a demonstration, eventually going to a SERTUC event. On the day striking fire fighters led a lively, noisy and colourful march of around 4,000.
On the same day well attended marches took place in Bristol and Cardiff, as well as other places. It became clear that anti-cuts campaigners were forming the backbone of many local protests, and the NSSN needed to address this. The Steering Committee decided to call an NSSN Anti-Cuts Conference.
November and December 2010 Our attention was riveted by the mass of students from colleges and university pouring onto the streets in a show of protest that has not been seen for many years against skyrocketing fees.
They came in their thousand to London, were cruelly treated by the police, but lifted the spirits of many older trade unionists. NSSN participated in the demos and produced leaflets appealing for students to join forces with the trade unions as a realistic way forward.
January 2011 The Anti-Cuts Conference on January 22nd was the biggest NSSN conference so far with up to 600 attending. After an extremely democratic debate and discussion lasting all day the vote was overwhelmingly to set up an anti-cuts committee which included Alex Gordon RMT President, Ben Sprung London FBU, Martin Powell Davies NUT Executive, Katrine Williams Wales Chair PCS, and others.
The result has been that the NSSN has its own distinct role in the anti-cuts movement and has worked with the other anti-cuts organisations. The latest development being that we will be meeting the TUC on June 28th with Coalition of Resistance, People's Charter, Right to Work and UKUncut.
We have consistently fought on a "No to ALL cuts" platform and campaigned for the unions to co-ordinate strike action against the cuts.
February 2011 The Anti-Cuts Committee called a lobby of local anti-cuts campaigners and trade unionists to march to the Labour Local Government Leaders meeting near Westminster.
These 'leaders' of the labour movement were discussing - not how to rally opposition to cuts, but how to do the Tories' dirty work! With budget setting council meetings imminent the NSSN presented a petition calling on these leaders to invoke the spirit of Poplar, Clay Cross , Liverpool and Lambeth and join with trade unionists and anti-cuts campaigners to fight government cuts.
They accepted in good spirits but unfortunately not one Labour councillor in the whole country raised their hand against cuts when it came to the vote.
March 2011 This month was dominated by the build-up to the TUC demo. And what a demo! Over half a million trade unionist showed what can be achieved when the TUC just raises its little finger.
The NSSN and Anti-Cuts Committee prepared well to intervene on the day. 40,000 flyers were produced with 1,500 placards calling on the TUC to organise joint strike action.
A stage was set up at Speakers Corner with agreement from leading trade unionists to come and give a fighting alternative to the 'wait for a Labour government' answer that was coming from the main platform.
As it turned out the demo was so huge many speakers never made it! No matter, rank and file trade unionists stepped up from the crowd, spoke about their industry or area, and gave the same message - the need for a 24 hour public sector strike.
April 2011 The start of the conference season saw preparations put in place to hold official meetings, fringe meetings and stands in exhibition halls.
NSSN has had a presence at ALL trade union conferences, especially NUT, PCS, FBU and will hold an official fringe meeting at RMT later in June. The Wales Shop Stewards Network organised a successful anti-cuts conference attended by 80 union reps and anti-cuts campaigners, launching Wales Against the Cuts.
May 2011 NSSN had stalls at many May Day demos and events around the country. There are plans to cover the Durham Miners Gala, Tolpuddle and Burston in the next few weeks.
We are also supporting the ballot on the pensions' robbery in NUT and PCS, and look forward keenly to the joint strike day on June 30th, where we will support picket lines and distribute our NSSN bulletins.
Saturday, 11 June 2011
My thoughts on this years annual NSSN conference
SO today i attended the National Shops Stewards Netowkr annual conference with fellow trade unionists and anti cuts activists.
The conference which is in its 5th year now was held at the south Camden community school which we are always grateful for their support in lending us the building for the day.
just before half past 11 400 or so trade union activists packed into the main hall there to listen to Rob Williams the chair of the NSSN give a appraisal of the last year and the magnificent struggles and protests the students lead last year following this the superb TUC demo attended by 3 quarters of a million trade unionistsa and workers .
A quick point to those who desserted the NSSN after a democratic decision was taken to form a anti cuts committee in late January it was excellent to see that this has not dampened the spirit of those who still attended and certainly numbers were still very impressive. I'd estimate about 400 maybe more.
But throughout the morning and the afternoon sessions we were given some brilliant speechs from such people like Tony Mulhearn who was involved in the famous Liverpool 47 struggle in the mid 80's where 47 labour councillors took on the tory government and won. In stark contrast to todays liverpool city council again run by a labour run administration headed by Joe Anderson who has seen through huge cuts and a lot of hand ringing to go with it. Tony made the point if Liverpool residents were given the choice today we are sure the good people of Liverpool would prefer a fighting council willing to put up a fight and bravely stand by their workers and residents than waht we have today a lot of nothing and a lot of deep unessesary cuts passed on by a labour council.
We had several more excellent speakers in the morning session chaired by Rob Williams who has faced some struggles himself in the trade union movement himself which i may look at with his dispute with Ford another time it was a interesting dispute.
We had the excellent Jane Aitchison who said to us "More people support nationalisation of the banks than rewards for the bankers" i could not agree more. I really do such feeling is growing more and more per day.
Only a year or two ago John Redwood was quoted by saying we all look for ways to avoid paying tax. SSuch ways of how things have changed is a remark like that today would be heavily frowned upon today where there is little sympathy for the bankers who caused this economic crisis with their wreckless gambling speculative culture.
There were so many excellent speechs i dont think i have enough room on this blog to do themall justice but i felt so inspired by the whole event to know that there are trade unionists and activists willing to stand up for our class and fight the austerity project being enforced on us today.
There were recouring themes throughout the conference i felt. Many in the trade union movement will know about the upcoming co-ordinated strike action which ballot vote permissing we will have up to 3 quarters of a million workers out on strike on that day alone. This will be in conjunction with big mass rally's and demonstrations in our towns and cities across the land on this same day.
I believe there is a big demo planned on London for this day with a march and a rally to westminster too i will blog about that nearer the time sending solidarity to all workers taking industrial action to defend the pensions that are heavily under threat by this condem government.
There has always been trade union victimisation and we got to hear from both suspended London Underground Tube drivers Arwyn Thomas and Eamonn Lynch Eamonn who has since won his job back through tribunal yet Arwyn has disgracefully not this is why the RMT has called 4 days of solid strike action to coincide with June 30th to stand up for their fellow trade unionist who was disgracefully targetted due to his trade union activities although London Underground will not admit to that.
It is a crying shame that in the Uk we have some of the harshest anti trade union laws in Europe this was said once by Tony Blair a labour prime minister. The travesty is that during the last labour government failed to repeal any of the anti trade union laws in 13 years of a labour government. This just confirms to me how much labour care for workers. They dont.
We had excellent contributions from all unions i think We had Martin Powell Davies from the NUT who his union are also balloting for strike action on June 30th to the leader of the CWU in London who's members face loosing many of their mail sorting depots very soon if the privatisation of the royal mail goes through
There was many references to Vince Cables attack on the unions this week when he spoke at the GMB conference in Brighton. Many at the NSSN conference today wanted to take on Vince and show him workers can fight back and are not scared of him.
One activist from the PCS stood up to say mmy dad told me to stand up to bullies and if they come back for more give them a bloody great punch in the nose. This is exactly what the trade union movement and the organised working class plan to do on June the 30th.
Of course June the 30th is not the end. It is just the start to building pressure on teh TUC and other big unions such as Unite and Unison to join in the battles later in the year building for a all out public sector general strike to defend all we have gained as a class in the last 100 or so years.
Another point that kept being raised was the inaction of Unison with Dave prentice the general secretary of this union dragging his heels and holding his members back. Saying that his members dont want to fight and have no desire to strike in the autumn. This is not waht i hear and many Unison members want to join mass action with other trade unions such as PCS, NUT, CWU, NUJ and many more hopefully to come aboard .
I am sure to revisit this conference next year and detail it more in this blog in the coming weeks as we lead up to June the 30th which will hopefully be the closest we have coem to a all out public sector general strike for some time. Certainly many workers will be new to strike action and taking industrail action. These workers must be supported and given solidarity and not left on their own. A injury to one is a injury to all in this movement.
Lastly i'd like to mention the inspirational Greek bus union leader who came to speak at our conference today. I was so pleased to hear of other workers across the world facing cuts are fighting back too. As this is not a battle just limited to Britain this is a attack on all workers all over the world and a chance for the capitailists to regain what crumbs we have to repower their system.
The Greek union leader spoke through a translater but his message was loud and clear. They are ready to stand with us across Europe too. He said that Greece now has VAT now 23%, retirement at 67 years old and this is just the start.
In Greece teachers salaries cut from 1300 to 1000 Euros this is staggering and all things we can see being tried over here in Britain before long.
There was a mass standing ovation for this guys speech and we here in Britain wish him and his workers luck in their battles in Greece too.
So all in all todays NSSN conference was excellenta nd helped us discuss and build a strategy for taking on and fighting the cuts. Many trade unions and trades councils are being reformed and turned into fighting unions. But the fight must go on and the struggle must continue inside and outside the unions. This is just the start lets keep building for a better future.
The conference which is in its 5th year now was held at the south Camden community school which we are always grateful for their support in lending us the building for the day.
just before half past 11 400 or so trade union activists packed into the main hall there to listen to Rob Williams the chair of the NSSN give a appraisal of the last year and the magnificent struggles and protests the students lead last year following this the superb TUC demo attended by 3 quarters of a million trade unionistsa and workers .
A quick point to those who desserted the NSSN after a democratic decision was taken to form a anti cuts committee in late January it was excellent to see that this has not dampened the spirit of those who still attended and certainly numbers were still very impressive. I'd estimate about 400 maybe more.
But throughout the morning and the afternoon sessions we were given some brilliant speechs from such people like Tony Mulhearn who was involved in the famous Liverpool 47 struggle in the mid 80's where 47 labour councillors took on the tory government and won. In stark contrast to todays liverpool city council again run by a labour run administration headed by Joe Anderson who has seen through huge cuts and a lot of hand ringing to go with it. Tony made the point if Liverpool residents were given the choice today we are sure the good people of Liverpool would prefer a fighting council willing to put up a fight and bravely stand by their workers and residents than waht we have today a lot of nothing and a lot of deep unessesary cuts passed on by a labour council.
We had several more excellent speakers in the morning session chaired by Rob Williams who has faced some struggles himself in the trade union movement himself which i may look at with his dispute with Ford another time it was a interesting dispute.
We had the excellent Jane Aitchison who said to us "More people support nationalisation of the banks than rewards for the bankers" i could not agree more. I really do such feeling is growing more and more per day.
Only a year or two ago John Redwood was quoted by saying we all look for ways to avoid paying tax. SSuch ways of how things have changed is a remark like that today would be heavily frowned upon today where there is little sympathy for the bankers who caused this economic crisis with their wreckless gambling speculative culture.
There were so many excellent speechs i dont think i have enough room on this blog to do themall justice but i felt so inspired by the whole event to know that there are trade unionists and activists willing to stand up for our class and fight the austerity project being enforced on us today.
There were recouring themes throughout the conference i felt. Many in the trade union movement will know about the upcoming co-ordinated strike action which ballot vote permissing we will have up to 3 quarters of a million workers out on strike on that day alone. This will be in conjunction with big mass rally's and demonstrations in our towns and cities across the land on this same day.
I believe there is a big demo planned on London for this day with a march and a rally to westminster too i will blog about that nearer the time sending solidarity to all workers taking industrial action to defend the pensions that are heavily under threat by this condem government.
There has always been trade union victimisation and we got to hear from both suspended London Underground Tube drivers Arwyn Thomas and Eamonn Lynch Eamonn who has since won his job back through tribunal yet Arwyn has disgracefully not this is why the RMT has called 4 days of solid strike action to coincide with June 30th to stand up for their fellow trade unionist who was disgracefully targetted due to his trade union activities although London Underground will not admit to that.
It is a crying shame that in the Uk we have some of the harshest anti trade union laws in Europe this was said once by Tony Blair a labour prime minister. The travesty is that during the last labour government failed to repeal any of the anti trade union laws in 13 years of a labour government. This just confirms to me how much labour care for workers. They dont.
We had excellent contributions from all unions i think We had Martin Powell Davies from the NUT who his union are also balloting for strike action on June 30th to the leader of the CWU in London who's members face loosing many of their mail sorting depots very soon if the privatisation of the royal mail goes through
There was many references to Vince Cables attack on the unions this week when he spoke at the GMB conference in Brighton. Many at the NSSN conference today wanted to take on Vince and show him workers can fight back and are not scared of him.
One activist from the PCS stood up to say mmy dad told me to stand up to bullies and if they come back for more give them a bloody great punch in the nose. This is exactly what the trade union movement and the organised working class plan to do on June the 30th.
Of course June the 30th is not the end. It is just the start to building pressure on teh TUC and other big unions such as Unite and Unison to join in the battles later in the year building for a all out public sector general strike to defend all we have gained as a class in the last 100 or so years.
Another point that kept being raised was the inaction of Unison with Dave prentice the general secretary of this union dragging his heels and holding his members back. Saying that his members dont want to fight and have no desire to strike in the autumn. This is not waht i hear and many Unison members want to join mass action with other trade unions such as PCS, NUT, CWU, NUJ and many more hopefully to come aboard .
I am sure to revisit this conference next year and detail it more in this blog in the coming weeks as we lead up to June the 30th which will hopefully be the closest we have coem to a all out public sector general strike for some time. Certainly many workers will be new to strike action and taking industrail action. These workers must be supported and given solidarity and not left on their own. A injury to one is a injury to all in this movement.
Lastly i'd like to mention the inspirational Greek bus union leader who came to speak at our conference today. I was so pleased to hear of other workers across the world facing cuts are fighting back too. As this is not a battle just limited to Britain this is a attack on all workers all over the world and a chance for the capitailists to regain what crumbs we have to repower their system.
The Greek union leader spoke through a translater but his message was loud and clear. They are ready to stand with us across Europe too. He said that Greece now has VAT now 23%, retirement at 67 years old and this is just the start.
In Greece teachers salaries cut from 1300 to 1000 Euros this is staggering and all things we can see being tried over here in Britain before long.
There was a mass standing ovation for this guys speech and we here in Britain wish him and his workers luck in their battles in Greece too.
So all in all todays NSSN conference was excellenta nd helped us discuss and build a strategy for taking on and fighting the cuts. Many trade unions and trades councils are being reformed and turned into fighting unions. But the fight must go on and the struggle must continue inside and outside the unions. This is just the start lets keep building for a better future.
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