Communists at the TUC September 2011

by Robert Griffiths

George ‘Captain of the

Titanic’ Osborne and his Tory-

LibDem crew of millionaires

refuse to change course. They

are steering Britain towards

the iceberg, while promising

more gambling chips and

champagne for the

passengers in luxury class

(the ones with the lifeboats).

As economic growth floundersaround zero, they plan to givemore public money to thebankers and cut the top rate ofincome tax.The banks have already

received £200 billion in‘quantitative easing’ from theBank of England, as part of the£1,350 billion bail-out packageof share purchases, loans and

guarantees.(‘Quantitative easing’ is the

term given to Bank of Englandoperations to buy bonds – mostlygovernment Treasury stock –held mainly by the banks andother financial institutions,usually funded from reserves orby printing money).Now the bankers are

demanding another £50 billionand Osborne and the ship’spurser, Bank of Englandgovernor Mervyn King, want togive it to them.The theory is that the banks

use this money both to rebuildtheir capital reserves and extendloans to housebuyers andbusinesses, thereby stimulatingthe economy.In reality, much of the original

£200 billion was used to

speculate on the stock exchangeand in the currency, commodityand financial markets. Thishelped push up world commodityprices and fuelled the marketfrenzy of recent weeks.And the Chancellor intends to

give the gamblers – sorry,‘investors’ – more to gamblewith!At the same time, he wants to

abolish the 50 per cent top rateof income tax on earnings above£150,00 a year. This would costthe Treasury almost £3 billion ayear in lost revenue.His junior crew members, the

LibDems, need a fig leaf shouldthis go ahead and so are arguingfor a ‘mansion tax’.But the policies that set

Britain on course for the icebergsremain unchanged. In particular, public spending

cuts of £21 billion this year andan extra £40 billion next willdestroy jobs, services andpurchasing power in theeconomy.The private sector boom that is

supposed to replace this lostpublic sector demand is notmaterialising. The Organisationfor Economic Cooperation andDevelopment, which bringstogether the world's developedcapitalist countries, warns ofanother recession ahead –especially in Britain.Yet OECD chiefs also peddle

the line that austerity andprivatisation measures shouldcontinue, alongside morequantitative easing. It’s asthough the whole Admiralty islost at sea in a fog of dogma.That is why this year's TUC

conference must help set clearbearings for the labourmovement.

continued overleaf

Two decadesof Unity! atthe TUC

Unity! has been published by

communist trade unionists

for nearly two decades. The

line it takes does not always

win full agreement – at first.

But often it is proved right

by later events.

Who now remembers theextravagant expectations thatthe TUC establishmentencouraged after the speech ofJacques Delors. Now as evenour remaining union rights arestripped away who thinks theEU will provide protection forjob security, pay levels andpensions. It is the EU that hasinstitutionalised the machineryof privatisation. Unity! said so.Unity! gave direction to the

movement among delegates toreject the Maastricht Treatywhen right wing leaders soughtaccomodation with the EUbigwigs. Who now among ourtrade union leadership iswilling to do penance for theirrole in blunting opposition toPFI? Lord Monks?Unity! championed solidarity

with Cuban socialism when theright parotted the Foreign Officeline. Unity! backed thePalestinian cause when theZionists lobbyists had the ear ofthe TUC and Labour Party.On the 11th September a

decade ago Unity! brought out aspecial afternoon issue thatspelled out how the people ofNew York were reaping awhirlwind sown by USimperialism. And Unity! warnedof a decade of wars to follow.

Unity

Unity! TUC 2011 Monday 12 September

by Anita Halpin

This year’s Congress is the

first of the downsized

versions which are intended

to take place every other

year.

A review of thesearrangements is promised afterCongress and delegates will beconsulted this week.It was claimed that half the

number of delegates would notnecessarily affect the balancebetween full-time and laymembers and that Congresscould still be inclusive anddiverse. Brendan Barber didaccept that this put a heavyonus on affiliates to achieve afull diversity. Did your union manage to

achieve an improved balance orare grey suits still in themajority? Look around, did

other unions manage to do this?Further, as most of the media

is London based, it was arguedthat the media profile ofCongress could potentially beenhanced. Again, look round the hall, is

there a big media presence?There’s certainly no livecoverage programmed on theBBC Parliament channel.Affiliates range from a few

large general unions to manymore small specialist unions butthey are all equal members ofthe TUC.Smaller delegations has a

greater knock-on effect forsmaller unions; many of theirindustrial sectors and equalitystructures will, perforce, bedisenfranchised.Judge for yourselves, but the

Communist Party argues that a

full-blown Congress has servedthe working class movementwell and we should reject thenew arrangements and insteadstrive to make the parliament oflabour more representative andmore effective in representingthe interests of the workingpeople of Britain.One result of this smaller

Congress is that there is limitedaccess, so apologies to those ofyou who are missing your dailydose of Unity! If you are luckyenough to get a copy pleasepass it around your delegation. All this year’s editions of

Unity! from Bombardier toTolpuddle can be found on ourwebsite at www.communist-party.org.uk.

Anita Halpin is the CommunistParty’s trade union organiser

Workers’ parliament weakened

COmmUnisT ReviewQuarterly theoretical anddiscussion journal

Pamphlets, Communist Reviewand books fromwww.communist-party.org.uk

or CPB Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon CRO2 1BD

Women and Classby Mary Davis

The Politics of Britain’sEconomic Crisis by JohnFoster

continued from page 1

The composite motion on analternative economic strategyputs forward a left-wingprogramme of policies. It isimportant that these shouldinclude the direction of capitaland public ownership of theenergy, public transport andfinancial sectors. Without such policies, it will

be impossible to build amodern, productive andsustainable economy in Britain.However, it must also berecognised that the EUCommission and Court ofJustice, and the EuropeanCentral Bank, would seek toblock them using thefundamental treaties of theEuropean Union.A Wealth Tax would be the

most effective way of reducingthe enormous inequality in oursociety. For example, a modest 2per cent tax on the richest 10per cent of the population wouldyield £79 billion in a singleyear.Instead of being slashed,

public spending could behugely increased to providemore jobs, better services,higher pensions and benefitsand a million affordable newhomes.But first we need to defend

the public sector from thisillegitimate coalitiongovernment. Nobody voted for it– least of all the six millionLibDem voters who fell for NickClegg's line that his sorry bandof stowaways represented thereal alternative to the Tories.This means that last year's

TUC resolution for coordinatedaction against the cuts has to beturned into generalised strikeaction, defending jobs andservices as well as pensions.Unions, trades councils,

pensioners, students and localcommunity organisations mustbe brought together in solidarity.The TUC should take the

lead in projecting the People'sCharter for Change, which wasadopted at the 2009 conferenceand already contains many ofthe policies being supported byunions this year.

The new edition of theCommunist Party’s programmeBritain’s Road to Socialism,proposes an alternativeeconomic and political strategyto:H Defend jobs, public servicesand living standards throughmass action.H Project a Left WingProgramme of policies in theinterests of the working classand the people generally.H Build a popular, democratic,anti-monopoly alliance led bythe labour movement.H Elect a left governmentbacked by the mass movementto implement the LWP and openthe path to socialist revolution. The order to turn the tiller

‘hard a-starboard’ – to turn theship left – came too late to savethe RMS Titanic. We need to turn left in Britain

before enormous damage isdone to the economy, our localcommunities and millions oflives.Robert Griffiths is theCommunist Party generalsecretary

2

by Carolyn Jones

This year’s TUC may be

smaller and shorter but the

issues to be discussed and

the decisions to be taken

couldn’t be bigger.  Happily,

it looks like unions are ready

to step up to the plate.  

The agenda suggests a highdegree of unity both in anunderstanding of the problemsfacing members and adetermination to fight back. And we’ve seen what can

happen when unions standtogether in resistance. Followingresolutions passed at the 2010TUC, workers took to the streetsin their thousands. First, callingfor alternative economic policies(TUC march and rally on 26March 2011). Then standing inopposition to cuts in publicsector pensions (30 June 2011). Since then we’ve seen people

take to the streets again – onlythis time without thecoordinating hand of theorganised working class. InAugust we saw riots on thestreets. Clearly that action wasnot based on class conscious

decisions. But nor was it simplycriminal activities of a so-called‘feral’ minority. Riots reflect feelings of

alienation, anger and a desire toshare in society’s wealth – awealth created by workers butincreasingly appropriated by therich. This year’s TUC motionsreflect that anger and if passedand acted upon, could herald aunion-led fight-back againstcapitalism’s excesses. The TUC agenda starts with a

strong call for radical,alternative economic andindustrial strategies. It rejectsthe government’s ideologicallydriven debt-reduction policies,calling instead for policies ofgrowth including investment viastate controlled banks in greenmanufacturing, in services andin infrastructure projects.Rejecting the notion that “thereis no alternative”, PCS lead thecall for coordinated industrialaction against cuts and againstthe government’s destructivepolicies. But the strongest calls for

coordinated action in support ofalternative policies are

inevitably found in thenumerous motions relating toworkers’ pensions. This is a fightthat is not going away. Thehypocrisy of those politicianswho call for the full force of thelaw to be used against looterspinching goods worth £5 whileat the same time pinchingpensions worth thousands fromthe pockets of public sectorworkers, will come to the fore. More calls for coordinated

action, civil disobedience andindustrial, legal and politicalstrategies of resistance are to befound in the composite motionon rights at work and in theequal rights section. So will thisTUC deliver policies that willresult in the the labourmovement leading a classconscious fightback based on astrategic, progressive, economicalternative to the capitalistsystem? In case it is argued that such

coordinated action is unlawfulunder UK labour laws, KeithEwing and John Hendy from theInstitute of Employment Rightshave prepared timely andpersuasive arguments to show

how days of action againstGovernment austerity cuts areprotected under internationallaw via the United Kingdom’sHuman Rights Act 1998. Our Day of Action has come!

Carolyn Jones is the director ofthe Institute of EmploymentRights

j Days of Action: thelegality of protest strikesagainst government cutsby Keith Ewing and John HendyQC from www.ier.org.uk.

Unity! TUC 2011 Monday 12 September

Our day of action has come

MorningStardaily paper of the left80p from yournewsagent

H

3

nmanifesto Press

Politics andanalysis, actionand culture

making the linkbetween workingclass power andliberation www.manifestopress.org.uk

Unity! TUC 2011 Monday 12 September4

by Moz Greenshields

Awarding the £1.4billion

contract for Thameslink

rolling stock to siemens in

Germany, rather than

Bombardier in Derby has

galvanisied a whole

community against the

government.

But the opposition of thewhole of Derby, led by the tradeunions, is not enough. It needsto become a national campaignto be reflected in every townand city wherever there isindustrial contraction andclosure, and escalatingunemployment. Over 50,000 Derby people

signed a petition to Parliamentto “Save Bombardier” in lessthan three weeks. Ten thousandpeople marched in support ofBombardier workers. 1400Bombardier workers would bethrown on the dole if thegovernment decision stands –and up to another 20,000 jobsin the Midlands supply chainare threatened. What clearerdemonstration that thegovernment have no interest inthe well being of the Britishpeople… and are only

concerned to preserve the ruleslaid down by the Europeancapitalist states and theirEuropean Union?There is a simple truth

running through the complexissues surrounding theBombardier struggle. TheBombardier bid was backed byDeutsche Bank. The Siemensbid was backed by its ownfinancial organisation. TheBombardier backers have only aBB+ credit rating, while thoseof Siemens have A+ rating. Sothe Bombardier bid – though inevery other way recognised assuperior to the Siemens bid –would cost 1.5% a year more ininterest… and was thereforeruled out by government.To put it plainly, the British

rail engineering industry and20,000 jobs are to be massivelyundermined – potentiallydestroyed – because of the rulesof the banking and financeindustry, the European Unionprocurement rules that serve it,and the willing support for thesefrom the British government.At the same time, the

government plans to deliver alesson to British workers thatunless they compete with

workers in other countries, theycan expect unemployment.Lower wages, worse conditionsand understaffing just mightallow them to keep their jobs –that’s the government message.It is the capitalist “race to thebottom” – endorsed by the EUEvidence of this lies in the

government’s McNulty Report inMay of this year, recommendingslashing £1 billion a year fromour railways, massively cuttingstaffing and workers’ wages inorder to “compete”. It proposes30% “efficiency savings” by2018, and demands "dueattention is given toconformance with EU andpublic law restrictions and EUdirectives”.In Derby, the Bombardier

workers’ committee, the jointunions (GMB, RMT, TSSA andUNITE), the Trade UnionCouncil, and a newlyestablished community supportgroup are carrying on the fight,and are determined to win. In arecent meeting with Hammond.the Secretary of State, heconceded for the first time thatthe deal with Siemens could bereversed… and we aredetermined it will be.But the Bombardier battle

now needs to be taken upnationally, both in directsolidarity and also in workers allover the country taking up theissues facing their town. Moz Greenshields is secretary ofDerby Trades Union Council anda member of the CommunistParty executive committeeBombardier – how

government is failing the

‘march of the makers’ |

Wednesday 14 September lunchHear Bombardier workers;Diana Holland Unite; Bob Crow,RMT & others. Chair DanMilmo, Guardian IndustrialEditor Radisson KenilworthHotel, Great Russell Street

Save manufacturing in BritainFringe today

12.45pm Unite| DefendingAccess to JusticeShami Chakrabarti Liberty;Mark Lewis, Milly Dowlerfamily solicitor; Andy SlaughterMP, shadow justice ministerRadisson Kenilworth Hotel12.45pm-2pm | NationalPensioners ConventionFair Pensions For AllChristine Blower NUT; DotGibson NPC and Mark SerwotkaFrank Cooper 6th Floor,Congress House Refreshments 5.30pm IER, UnitedCampaign & Unite|Fighting Unfair Cuts,Resisting Unjust LawsChristine Blower NUT; BobCrow RMT and UC; Prof. KeithEwing IER; John Hendy QCIER and UC; Len McCluskeyUnite; Michelle StanistreetNUJ; Sarah VealeTUC. Chair:Carolyn Jones IER Friendship Centre, BloomsburyCentral Baptist Church, 235Shaftesbury Ave. Refreshments 5.30pm RMT | Slavery -Shame of the Past and aModern Curse Bob CrowRMT and others Chair: AlexGordon RMT. Entertainment:Catcher Brunei Theatre, SOAS,Thornhaugh Street, RussellSquare, Drinks and buffet5.30pm PSC|BuildingSolidarity with PalestinePalestinian Ambassador ManuelHassassian plus Palestiniantrade unionists ThompsonsCongress House Refreshments &Palestinian food5.30pm-6.45pm Fightingfor Justice in Latin AmericaEsther Armenteros CubanAmbassador; Samuel MoncadaVenezuelan Ambassador;Guisell Morales-EchaverryNicaraguan Charge d’Affaires;Billy Hayes CWU and JFCchair; Len McCluskey Unite;Christine Blower NUTBloomsbury Hotel Havana Club rum cocktails &Colombian beers.

www.communist-party.org.uk www.solidnet.org www.morningstaronline.co.uk www.21stcenturymanifesto.wordpress.com