Let’s get a million on streets then a 24 hr gen strike

October the 20th is hard to gauge opinion. In many ways you could argue it could be the biggest demonstration this country has ever seen but I do not get the same feeling that there was last year on march 26th. In some areas of the country unions are building very well for the demo in other areas there is absolutely nothing at all. So until the day it’s very hard to tell if it will be big or not. We have to be aware to the fact that it could suddenly take off and many from even outside the trade unions could come down on the day after all there is 15 million who live in and around London who could in theory come on the demonstration. Even if as we suspect it isn’t as big as people are saying it will still be big in the hundreds of thousands of people voicing their opposition to the con-dem government and austerity policies which are the hall mark of this government and capitalism too. The TUC demonstration will see the working class return to mass struggle for the first time since the summer and we will despite everything will be building for the biggest turn out and putting in place the means to get our slogans across. This year we will be using the mass demonstration to promote the slogan of a 24 hour general strike of the public and private sectors. The TUC voted for this at their conference a few weeks back and will now have to consider the practicalities. This will mean nothing if we sit back and let them get on with it. Putting the idea out there in the labour movement winning workers to the idea we can start to gain support for the next step should be mass co-ordinate strike action following the 20th Clearly the TUC bureaucrats will want us to just march and then go home but we want this demonstration to be just the start of sustained co-ordinate action on the industrial front including communities, workplaces, universities, anti cuts groups and the unions. We have the power to bring this government down and to end austerity but we must prepare for what happens next. The socialist party and the NSSN will have a big presence on the demonstration having many stalls and our own stage an alternative to the TUC main stage in Hyde Park. Just like last year we will not be marching for a parade up and down but looking to win workers to an alternative to join with us to change society and join the fight back. A mass demonstration will not be enough, our calls for a 24 hour general strike will not be enough but it’s a start, a start which has been needed for some time. Workers need confidence to fight back and we aim to inject them with that confidence. If the demonstration isn’t so big doing not let the TUC say to us workers are not prepared to fight. We know this is not true but the TUC wish to defuse the movement by marching us into the ground. We will march but let this not be the end in itself. The TUC must not shirk its responsibility now millions of workers futures are on the line if it cowers now we could see a huge defeat putting us back decades in the struggle. So see you all in London join the socialist party and get involved in the NSSN. March for an alternative Strike together for change! Prepare for an explosive autumn of struggle.

Miliband and labour offer no alternative for workers, time for a new workers party

This week we have been drowned in clips and interviews and speech’s room the labour party conference. What has felt more like a rock concert with big pyrotechnics and backing tracks its all felt a very hollow affair. No wonder workers do not turn to the lab our party conference like they once did to see the NEC put under pressure and sometimes turned over by the left. It just doesn’t happen anymore. A fully staged event with few opportunities for debates and what is debated on is strictly chosen by the leadership to not embarrass the party at all in anyway and even if motion is passed in favour of workers it is either forgotten about or heavily watered down. So I ask you what is the point of the labour party conference or of labour at all anymore? With anger rising against the government coalition's austerity programme, Labour is riding high in the opinion polls. But there certainly isn't any enthusiasm for Labour leader Ed Miliband as a future prime minister. In fact he has a lower personal approval rating than Tory leader David Cameron! His speech at the Labour Party conference was seen as chance to re-launch his "vision". He has been praised for his confident delivery but beyond his ability to memorise a speech and which school he went to, what have we learnt about Ed Miliband? More importantly for those drowning in Con-Dem cuts and privatisation, what would a Labour government do differently? Certainly those hoping for any new ideas will have been disappointed. The main theme of the speech - 'One Nation' - was the rehashing of an old idea, and an old Tory idea at that. In fact it was first raised by Tory leader Benjamin Disraeli 140 years ago. Miliband considers him a One Nation politician and he made sure we knew, using the phrase 46 times in his speech! He was forced to reflect the worries of ordinary people, the millions of us who can't find work or are struggling to make ends meet. He correctly said that the system doesn't work for them. But the idea of 'One Nation' cannot square the opposing interests of workers trying to improve their pay and bosses who are trying to cut it. We live under capitalism, a system where society is divided up in to classes. Rarely is this more obvious than now when the super-rich are continuing to rake it in while working class people are expected to pay for their crisis. With four out of five ministers in this government being millionaires it is clear who they represent. Bosses are getting cuts to their tax and to health and safety regulations, we're getting cuts to our pay, jobs and services. Unfortunately, what little concrete proposals there were in Miliband's speech made clear that fundamentally Labour will continue with the same agenda. Listening to other speeches at the conference confirms this. Labour's only alternative to austerity is slightly slower austerity. In many local councils Labour councillors are already implementing huge cuts. They are another party of big business. The 'One Nation' rhetoric is simply a way of masking their true intent, as the claim "we're all in it together" or the idea of the 'Big Society' were for Cameron. Dave Prentis, general secretary of Labour-affiliated trade union Unison, although a Labour supporter was forced to concede that the speech "offered little hope to the millions of low-paid public service workers ... who are going through massive pay cuts, their jobs threatened and their services privatised." In fact Miliband did offer them something: "Tough settlements for the public services and that will make life harder for those who use them and harder for those who work in them." Ed Miliband was elected Labour leader two years ago, largely by the votes of trade unionists. Many hoped that he would lead a return to 'Old Labour'. This hasn't happened. Now members of Labour-affiliated unions should be asking why their money is still going to a party that doesn't represent them. We were right to point this out at the time when Ed was elected that Ed was not red ed but a continuation of New labour if not in name but in practise. Very little has changed inside labour the left are weaker than ever and some still think the party can be reclaimed. Amazingly some are following the celebrity cult culture which the labour left cling on to with the appearance of the young squeaky clean Owen Jones who who writes a column for the bourgeois press in the name of the Independent newspaper. To be fair a lot of what Jones writes is very good his book Chav’s is not bad but he still believes Labour can be reclaimed from within. He has no strategy for this and constantly points to the unions to use their union links more well Owen does this not mean that the unions need to be transformed first before all this. Union tops especially the right wing union leaders are quite happy to play the status quo and sound radical joining with Jones on panels such as CLASS Owens’s new left think tank with very limited demands it has to be said. Owen is very good at telling us what is wrong with the system but rarely offers any alternative despite calling himself a socialist. A socialist doesn’t just say what they are against they put forward an alternative. TUSC can be that political alternative and socialism is the system we need to replace capitalism with. We desperately need a party that will stand up for working-class and middle-class people. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), supported by the RMT transport union and a number of leading trade unionists in other unions is an important step towards such a party. TUSC candidates will stand in the Manchester Central by-election and the Bristol mayoral election in November on a clear programme of implacable opposition to all cuts. Workers don't need pious speeches about how hard things are, they need support when they fight back. TUSC supporters are proud to stand on picket lines with workers defending their standards of living. There's no attempt to hide whose interests we stand for - it is the 99%. With extracts taken from http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/15380/04-10-2012/miliband-placates-big-business-by-promising-more-tough-settlements-for-public-services

How struggle can pay, power to the South African miners

Our thoughts and solidarity remain with the brave South African miners brutally killed during the strikes and protests. They will not be forgotten. After six weeks of defiant strike action in the teeth of violent attacks by police acting on behalf of the mining bosses, when over 40 miners were killed, the Marikana platinum miners have won a significant 22% pay increase and a R2,000 payment for loss of earnings from mine owners, Lonmin. Members of the Democratic Socialist Movement (the Socialist Party's counterpart in South Africa) have played an important role in the miners' struggle, in particular, through the adoption of the demand for an industry-wide general strike. South African capitalists are fuming in the news media, complaining that the pay concession will lead to "contagion" throughout the rest of the mining industry. The following statement was issued by Rustenburg Joint Strike Coordinating Committee on 19 September: "The Rustenburg Joint Strike Coordinating Committee sees the settlement between the Lonmin management and strike committee as an important victory not just for the Lonmin workers but for the general strike without which the employer would not have come to the table. "We are inspired to continue the fight in the mines which continue to resist our united action. Lonmin's agreement to a 22% adjustment to wages, which means Rock Drill Operators' basic wages are up to R11, 078, plus a one-off "bonus" of R2, 000, constitutes a victory on its own when workers across the economy have been forced to accept effective wage cuts through below-inflation increases. But most important is the fact that the Lonmin bosses had to recognize the workers' power to organize themselves independently of them and their stooges. The framework of negotiations above the heads and behind the backs of us has been torn down. The concession that has been won has come at a very high price - 44 dead, many more injured, arrested, tortured and harassed. The settlement can never make up for the loss of the comrades who were murdered by the government in defense of the mining bosses or hide the true colours of the state that were exposed with the massacre on 16 August - the first state of emergency since the apartheid days. The only way we can begin to give them justice is by moving the struggle they spearheaded onto a higher level - we cannot continue dying fighting for crumbs. We therefore remain determined to spread the Rustenburg-wide general strike in demand of a R12, 500 living wages. The strike is growing stronger in nearly all Rustenburg mine operations - Anglo Platinum, the world's biggest platinum producer, Impala Platinum (second biggest), Samancor and Xstrata workers have now been joined in strike action by the workers of Royal Bafokeng's Rasimune mine as well as by organized communities. A very small minority of workers was back at the shafts Anglo tried to reopen [18 September]. We call on workers and communities across the country to join us and take the struggle for a better life into their own hands. We continue to be shot at, harassed and intimidated by the police and army that have been sent to Rustenburg. Yesterday, several striking Anglo workers were shot with rubber bullets, without provocation, by police. We urge Cosatu [Confederation of South African Trade Unions] delegates at their ongoing national congress to remember that 'an injury to one is an injury to all', to support our action unconditionally and to call a general strike for a R12, 500 living wage and for an end to the shooting of workers. We also call on workers and communities from throughout the country to join us in a march to Union Buildings, Pretoria on Saturday 29 September to demand justice for the comrades killed, national living wage of R12,500, the ending of the state of emergency, for a workers' and communities' independent investigation into the Marikana massacre, the re-employment of all workers unfairly dismissed from the mines, nationalization of the mines under democratic control of workers and communities, to allow for decent housing, clean running water, electricity, sanitation, roads and quality education and work for all." I’ve donated to the South African miners appeal any funds we can help their struggle out with would be greatly appreciated. In solidarity. ________________________________________ Socialism 2012 A leading trade union activist and Democratic Socialist Movement member from Rustenburg, South Africa, will be speaking at Socialism 2012 in London (3rd & 4th November 2012) on the miners' general strike and the political tasks facing the South African working class.

Learning the lessons from the socialist alliance

Just last week we had a excellent discussion at eastern region regional committee on the socialist alliance and the lessons we need to reinforce today in light of what developed at the last TUSC conference. I was not about during the days of the SA but those who were have clearly not learnt from the lessons of history still. The Socialist alliance was set up in the mid 90’s as a reaction to a growing feeling that the left needed to unite. We at the time were swept along by this and the old phrase aimed at socialists all the time is why you don’t all just get together. It’s not as simple as that and I’ll try to explain why here. In the socialist alliance which at first was made up of socialist party members and a few other independents on the left looked to contest elections on a federal structure initially. Until 1998 this was fine but when the SWP got involved seriously for the first time things changed. While I respect many in the SWP their general manner and approach to working with others on the left is a lot different to ours unfortunately. The SWP felt that a situation that we need demands a party and put forward calls for the SA to move to a more party based structure featuring a one member one vote set up. This was forced through eventually and this enabled the SWP along with a few other groups on the left involved at that stage including socialist resistance to pack the meetings and get their agenda through in affect putting them in control of the organisation. While one member one vote sounds democratic it really isn’t and we should not be afraid to stand up and say this. This move was the start of the end for the SA as it enabled factions in the SA with larger numbers to dominate. With TUSC we are still at an early stage with a federal structure with an elected steering committee with all having a vote and a veto. We do not feel at this stage moving towards a membership system will solve all our problems. For a start is it really fair giving a small left group with about 80 member’s equal weight in terms of voting as a trade union like the RMT who represent 80 thousand odd members and were democratically elected by their NEC to represent their members at the TUSC conference? At this stage we need to be taking the argument into the trade unions and setting up TUSC supporters groups inside the unions to get the name out there this coupled with standing TUSC candidates as widely as we possibly can next may in the county council elections will start to draw more workers in our direction. I don’t accept the argument that getting poor results at this stage is a sign we have failed. We will get some better results and some not so good. As we know as Marxists things do not progress in a straight line and there will be set backs but also times we can make big steps forward. The significance of the RMT fully supporting TUSC now financially and politically is key. But we must look to get more trade union support individual members and official structures involved. TUSC is not the final product it’s a working progress. But one we must be careful with and look to build where we can. If we look back in history the early labour party was a set up of federal partners from the co op to the trade unions Fabians society etc they didn’t go to a full membership system for a long time not until 1918 Individuals had to join via one of the affiliated organisations - yet are people really saying it wasn't a 'party'? On electoral activity, in fact, the early Labour Party had the approach that the affiliated organisations were to be "left free to select their own candidates without hindrance, the one condition being that, when returned to parliament, the candidate should agree to form one of the Labour Group there". We want to participate in an alliance of equals, with the right to conduct our own activity with our own ideas and methods, while working in common where we can. We believe that the new forces that will emerge to fill the vacuum created by the crisis of working class political representation - community campaigners, trade unionists fighting austerity and privatisation etc - will also wish to preserve their autonomy, while working with others. But that means we need an Alliance, with a federal constitution, and not a structure that allows the domination of any one organisation. While the SA was a step forward in one sense it also tech’s us some important lessons that simply uniting the left will not do it may make some of the smaller left groups feel warmer being in a bigger organisation but does it really help us advance the need for political representation for working people towards a new mass workers party anymore? I don’t think it does. While the trade unions are not perfect their members are rank-and-file working class people who we need to be attracting in this coming period not worrying about membership cards or whether we have a vote or not.

Working class struggle returns to Greece

This fantastic article below posted on the CWI website gives a excellent account of the current state of Greece and how a socialist programme could be fought for and could transform the situation there.you can find out more at www.socialistworld.net "One of the biggest strikes and demonstrations in the recent period in Greece took place on Wednesday 26 September." Interview with Andros Payiatsos, Xekinima (CWI Greece) The Greek working class has put up an incredible struggle against the vicious austerity measures raining down on them. Since 2010 Greece has been rocked by 17 general strikes, three of them lasting 48 hours. A prime minister has been removed and a government brought down. After some quiet months a one-day strike was called for 26 September. The following day Andros Payiatsos, leader of Xekinima spoke to the Socialist (Paper of the Socialist Party, CWI England & Wales). Xekinima is the Greek section of the Committee for a Workers’ International. After a quiet summer is the Greek struggle back on the agenda? One of the biggest strikes and demonstrations in the recent period in Greece took place on Wednesday 26 September. There have been small sectional strikes all along but nothing on this scale in the recent months. We estimate about 100,000 in the streets of Athens, which is big, and many tens of thousands in other cities in the rest of Greece. The mood was good on the demo. It was quite determined and rather optimistic – this is in contrast to the mood in the previous period. After the victory of New Democracy in June and the formation of the new government a lull developed because there was a feeling of ‘we can’t get rid of them’ following the elections. But this lull was partially overcome by the size of the demo. Also the Greek people are watching with intense interest what is taking place in Spain and Portugal. This has given them hope. The Guardian newspaper reflected some of the anger: Echoing a view held by many Greeks, Penelope Angelou, an unemployed mother, said passing the measures would be tantamount to a "parliamentary coup". “These parties were given our vote back in June because they promised to re-negotiate the terms of the loan agreement," she said, referring to the onerous conditions of the bailout accord Athens signed with its "troika" of creditors — the EU, ECB and IMF – earlier this year. "We are all tired," she said. "This is the third year of non-stop cuts and tax increases which have made us poor and divided us as a society. And they have not solved our problem. The recession is going from bad to worse.” Given the situation people must have little confidence in the government? New Democracy is in deep crisis and its supporters are deserting the ship. Samaras was elected on the basis of forcing the Troika to renegotiate the memorandum but in fact he’s heading in the other direction. Is the effect of austerity on people’s lives a factor? It’s a desperate situation for the masses because the situation already is extremely bad. According to the EU statistics of July 68% of the population lives below the poverty line – this is a staggering figure. But it’s realistic – we know because we live here. It’s the first time they are giving the figures that reflect the effect of their policies. Unemployment is now officially at 23.6%. This official figure, of course, hides all those who have just given up looking for a job. And youth unemployment is an unbelievable 55%. So this is an absolute catastrophe for Greek society. Then, in these conditions, they try to impose further cuts of €11.5 billion in the course of two years – this is more than 5% of the GDP of the economy. Unsurprisingly there is a mass exodus into migration and into the countryside; back to the villages where people can survive by living with their families and maybe cultivating a bit of a living from the land. All the youth are thinking of leaving the country. It’s a mass phenomenon – there are no youth, particularly university students who can see any point in staying in the country – although they want to stay in the country. Even left activists who want to stay and fight – they have no options as this is not just poverty – this is absolute emiseration. Can you comment on reports that the opposition movement has reached the police and army? For the whole of September we have seen protest action by state forces. Sections of the police have gone on strike including protesting against the riot police. Yesterday there was a press statement by the firefighters who said we refuse to be used by the state to suppress demonstrations. This is a he crisis in society and in the economy and it is even reflected in the security forces and we have seen demonstrations by army officers. What way forward does Xekinima suggest? We call for a clear plan of a programme of repeated sectional and general strikes and mass occupations of workplaces with the concrete aim of bringing down the government. This is the slogan we have used for the past weeks and especially yesterday. It is going down very well. You can hear it everywhere. We especially appeal to the public utility unions which are at the centre of the storm. The initial response of the Greek people to the call for a 24-hour general strike was, ‘this is nothing, this is ridiculous’, ‘we can’t bring the government down with one 24-hour general strike and they won’t come down even with one 48-hour general strike’. ‘We need something much much more than that’. So there is a mass tendency in the direction of an all-out strike. If the union leaders were to call it they would get a huge response – but they won’t. They just want to let off steam. You can also say now that nearly the whole of the left – excluding the majority in the leadership of Syriza – accepts the programme (which we initially posed from the beginning of 2010 when the debt crisis came to the fore) that the debt cannot be paid, that the banks have to be nationalised, that the commanding heights of the economy have to be nationalised, and it has to be put under democratic control of society. It’s also accepted by millions of people whether they take part in the demonstrations and strikes or not. The question now is how to build a movement on the ground to bring the government down and to replace it with a left government which will be pushed by the mass movement to implement this programme. We also explain the need for the whole of the Southern Europe to be united in huge and unbeatable/invincible struggles. Golden Dawn has been rising in the polls. What does this signify? Golden Dawn did not take part in yesterday’s demo - they never take part in workers’ demos, only some of them on the side of the riot police. But that does not mean they are not a factor, they are the only force in society which is rising in the polls. Apart from Golden Dawn, all the parties are falling in the polls. While in some polls Syriza is now the most popular party because New Democracy has fallen more, the fact that the left is also falling in the polls is something which should warn the parties of the left. But at the same time it’s correct to say that Golden Dawn itself may have gone through its, let’s say, golden period. They’ve been using violence since 6 May elections every day – attacking migrants, attacking lefts, attacking LGBT people, etc. This has been creating an impression that they are a very determined force which contributes to why people go behind their banner and support them in the polls. But it’s starting to consolidate a resistance. For the first time we have had a number of counter demos that have pushed them back which is very important. This is the first time they are starting to feel defeat. On one occasion we had migrants mobilising against them and pushing them back when they tried to attack them. This is very important, but needs to be linked to a wider movement. Xekinima’s national initiative to build mass anti-fascist local committees and campaigns is very successful with some fantastic effects. We think that the movement is beginning to respond. We hope that we’ll be able to push them in a corner but at the end of the day the perspectives for GD and the far right mainly depends on the role of the parties of the left. We are fighting to push these parties in a more leftward and determined direction, while at the same time striving to build support for Xekinima and the ideas of revolutionary socialism – this is the only way the crisis can be solved. Greece – the unfolding social tragedy The savage austerity policies, implemented in Greece by the ruling class, the government and the Troika of the EU, ECB and IMF have already had disastrous effects on the lives of millions. Living standards have crashed as a result of mass unemployment, the onslaught on wages, and tax rises in combination with the huge cuts in social welfare and the complete destruction of social benefits and the social state. With no exaggeration the Athens Doctors Association wrote to the government of the danger of a humanitarian crisis taking place in the country if the ‘new’ austerity measures of €11.5 billion are implemented. Nikos Kanellis, Xekinima, CWI in Greece, writes of the impact of austerity on the lives of those who bear no responsibility for the crisis. Public health collapses The public health system is being destroyed day by day. Public hospitals are often short of the necessary materials for proper and safe treatment of patients. There is a shortage of nurses and doctors and tens of clinics in different hospitals are closed because of the cuts. It was reported that patients at the Leros mental health hospital were malnourished because public funding fell short of covering the food needs of the hospital. This is not the only such case. Pharmacists refuse to give any more medicine on credit as the government refuses to provide the necessary funding to pay back old debts. Pharmacists say they cannot buy new medicine from big medicine dealers whose policy is upfront cash. Those who suffer from serious and permanent conditions and diseases (such as diabetes, heart conditions, or cancer) need hundreds of euros every month in order to stay alive. The Athens Doctors Association reported that numerous people who have no health insurance visit the Social Clinic of Athens (organised by the Association and the church) for free medical treatment. There are cases of people who were diagnosed with cancer but could not afford to be immediately operated on. They even reported pregnant women who put their life and their child’s life in danger because they could not spend the €800 that are needed for a cesarean. Mass unemployment and poverty At the same time poverty is expanding day by day on a mass scale. Millions live close or under the poverty line. According to an EU survey last July, a staggering 68% live below the poverty line – compared to 21% back in 2009! According to recent research by the GSEE (Greek TUC) the real income of working class people has returned to the level of the late 1970s. This is not only the result of mass unemployment, which has now officially reached 23. 6%, or 1,168,761 people with 1,000 people losing their job every day. Young people and mainly women are the more affected as youth unemployment is 53.9% (for people between 15 and 24) and 62.1% for women at the same age. Given the fact that 59% of unemployed search for a job for more than a year (long-term unemployment) it is no exaggeration to speak of a ‘lost generation’. Young people, the most dynamic part of society, are out of production and this pushes greater and greater numbers to take to the road of migration. 25,000 Greeks migrated to Germany alone during 2011 and this tendency will develop as the social disaster spreads. Workers in vice-grip of poverty Poverty does only have to do with unemployment. More and more workers are unable to make ends meet as their wages are slashed. The minimum wage is now around €480 a month (since the second memorandum, voted on 12 February) and for those under 25 and on ‘training schemes’ 430 € a month. It is also officially estimated that around 400,000 people work but they are not being paid on time and in many cases this would mean getting paid with a delay even of three or four months or nine months. According to the GSEE only 10% of the workforce in the private sector are being paid on time. Now the Troika and Greek ruling class demand that workers in Greece work six days a week and up to 13 hours a day. This means that working hours per week will rise from 40 to 78 and at the same time as workers will be less protected from being fired. If these plans are put into practice, on top of all the attacks of the last two years, the working class will be turned into slaves. These attacks have left tens of thousands of people homeless and around 250,000 rely on soup kitchens organised by the church and the charities. In Crete, one of the wealthiest areas of Greece, it is estimated that 8,500 families are dependent on ‘social supermarkets’ in order to cover their everyday food and other basic needs. ‘Social markets’ organised by local councils, charity organisations or left-wing volunteers, distribute food and basic goods for free to the poorest people. Suicides and depression The fear of unemployment and poverty, the debts that are accumulated by thousands of families, the uncertainty of what is more to come in the future are the bases of mass depression among big layers of society. The numbers who ask for psychological help have risen by 20-30% and suicide attempts have risen by 22% over the last two years. The whole society was shocked in late May when a 60 year old unemployed musician committed suicide together with his 90 year old mother, jumping from the roof of the block of flats where they lived. In the letter that was found, the man explained that because of unemployment he was not able to continue to take care of his mother who suffered from Alzheimers and he could no longer stand asking for charity and food from others. In his last poem he condemned the bankers and the rulers for the drama of Greek society urging society to seek revenge and to throw off those in power responsible for this situation. The hope of struggle And actually this is the only way forward, the struggle for the overthrow of the government and the ruling class that turns the lives of millions into a tragedy. Over the past two years millions have come to the streets again and again in 17 general strikes, three for 48 hours, and numerous mass protests. There have also been heroic sectional strikes, demonstrations and occupations. Leftward radicalisation and hope for change was expressed in the elections of May and June with the mass support and vote for Syriza. But until now the working class and mass movement hasn’t succeeded in the struggle to bring down the government, Troika and the rule of the capitalist class. This is in large part due to a lack of a mass socialist and revolutionary party. The building of these forces is the task of all genuine socialists and working class militants.

Rape is no joke join the campaign

As socialists we oppose all forms of discrimination be it racial, sexual, disability, gender religious or any but something which has made big waves of late is the subject of rape. Now with such high profile case’s as Julian Assange in the media and other figures like George Galloway making such foolish disrespectful comments on rape it is time to take rape seriously and campaign against it and how it is portrayed in society to highlight the affect it has on women and society as a whole. Socialist students have set up a campaign “rape is no joke” in response to many comedians on the comedy circuit using rape as a butt of jokes. We feel this is offensive and should be fought. With comedians these days there is a tendency to normalise jokes about rape. We feel rape is no joke and should not be made light of. Often portrayed as 'ironic' their sexist jokes can actually normalise sexism, making cat-calling, sexual harassment of women and similar jokes somehow acceptable. It can also further perpetuate the bullying of women who call out people making inappropriate jokes as 'prudes' and lacking a sense of humour. How can a woman feel safe walking home at night if she fears that the men she passes laugh about raping women? Socialist Party leaflet: Socialist Party thinks: leaflet This is why I support Socialist Students' new campaign, 'Rape is no joke'. For the 80,000 women raped every year, rape jokes undermine their horrible experiences. Such 'humour' plays a role in the very high number of women who do not report being raped to the police. But women shouldn't have to stand alone against this. We need to stand together against sexism in comedy with comedians who want to sort out the industry as well as students and young people who want to stop rape jokes. Socialist Students is calling on comedians and venues to sign pledges that say: "I agree with the aims of Rape Is No Joke to change the culture of acceptance of rape jokes in the comedy circuit. These jokes add to a wider culture that too often doesn't take rape or rape victims seriously. It is important to make a stand to say that rape is nothing to be laughed at. I pledge to only host comedians who/ agree not to use rape jokes in performances." Sexism But sexism, unfortunately, goes much further than rape jokes. There's no denying things have come a long way for women in Britain over the last century - winning the right to vote, access to abortion, contraception and - in the eyes of the law at least - equal pay. But vicious austerity puts many of these steps forward at risk. 'Rape is no joke' is part of a wider campaign against sexism and misogyny in society. Fear of sexual violence affects women everyday - and can mean women feel scared to walk home alone at night or change their style of dress, their transport routes or their lifestyle through fear of sexual assault. Socialist Women have marched on Slutwalk 2012 to fight for rape to be dealt with as the serious subject it is. We want decent support services and resources. We also want a change in attitude. We face the fight of our lives - to defend the rights and the welfare state that working class women and men built and fought for. Over the years, when women have moved into action on workplace and education issues they start to recognise and challenge discrimination which affects them as women as well as as workers and students. Today women are at the forefront of the battles over public sector pensions and jobs, as well as against the cuts in education. Collective action, such as a 24-hour general strike will also help to undermine sexist attitudes. You can also follow news and campaigns updates on twitter @NoRapeJokes with extracts taken from socialist party leaflets and Helen Patison's excellent piece on www.socialistparty.org.uk

Solidarity with workers in Europe fighting austerity

As we head out of a relatively quiet summer on the struggles of workers in the main we now enter a hot autumn of struggle this has started in Ernest in Spain tonight as a protest movement has clashed with riot police in Madrid. This blog express’s its solidarity with these protesters and opposes police brutality. Spanish police have fired rubber bullets and baton-charged protesters attending a rally against austerity. The clashes broke out as protesters tried to tear down barriers blocking access to the parliament in Madrid. Spanish media reported that at least 20 people had been arrested and more than a dozen injured. The "Occupy Congress" protest comes as the government prepares to unveil further austerity measures on Thursday in a bid to shrink its budget deficit. Spain is in its second recession in three years and unemployment is near 25%, with youth unemployment far higher. The government will unveil the draft budget for 2013 on Thursday and is expected to present new cost-saving reforms to reassure lenders about the state of the country's public finances. Emergency funds The demonstrators - known as Indignants - say "Occupy Congress" is a protest against the kidnapping of democracy. Thousands of people had massed in Plaza de Neptuno square in central Madrid for the march on parliament. But their route towards the parliament building's main entrance was blocked off by metal railings, police vans and hundreds of Spanish riot police. One of the main protest groups, Coordinadora #25S, said the Indignants only planned to march around parliament Mark Smith, who lives near the site of the protest, said: "I saw riot police with their batons charging at protesters trying to split up the crowd." Tuesday's demonstration was organised via social media sites and many young people turned out, says the BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid - but the protest's public profile meant the police were ready for them. Spain’s at a position now where a quarter of the population are unemployed and many are now struggling to feed themselves. I read earlier this week that 8000 people a day in Greece go to food banks to get fed. This is modern day Europe everyone. Austerity is biting hard but workers are fighting back. In Greece tomorrow there is another nationwide 24 hour general strike things are starting to hot up. Its essential we show solidarity with our European brothers and sisters from South Africa, Spain to Greece the best thing we can do is demand our TUC name the day for a 24 hour general strike in Britain too. Fight fire with fire. With extracts from the BBC.