The following letter from a Unite member in Yorkshire shows the
increasing understanding of many union activists and stewards about the
need to have a leadership which both understands what the bosses are
really up to and knows what the movement must do in response.
As soon as Mervyn King, Governor of the
Bank of England, was introduced at the TUC in Manchester, Bob Crow and the rest
of the RMT delegation walked out in protest. “It is like a gathering of
Christians inviting the Devil round for Christmas dinner”, commented Brother
Crow. “The bankers are obviously on hard times these days, so he must have come
along to pass around the hat.”
According to the
propaganda of government and big business we have come through the worst of the
recession and are now set to prosper as the “green shoots” of recovery start to
grow. A recent survey by the Bank for International Settlements has shown that
for some this is clearly the case.
This Saturday Glasgow once again showed that we won’t tolerate fascists and the far-right on our streets.
The leaders of British trade unions representing more than 5 million
workers sign Hands Off Venezuela appeal in support of the Bolivarian
revolution and the PSUV candidates for the National Assembly elections.
The Pope’s visit to Britain comes in the midst of the most serious
crisis of capitalism since the Second World War, with a growing mood of
discontent among the workers. No doubt a little help for the British
Establishment in times like these from the Almighty will always come in
handy. The Pope is also hoping to boost the fortunes of the Church
after it has been shaken by scandals in one country after another.
The TUC has produced the latest and most detailed report yet
on the likely effect of the coalition’s plans to cut public services and
benefits. To no-ones surprise they have again confirmed that, contrary to the
government’s stated position at the time of the summer budget, these cuts will
hit the poorest hardest.
As the TUC meets in Manchester and calls are made for united concerted
action to fight the coalition cuts, Jerry Hicks, the Left candidate for the General
Secretary position in Unite, has issued a press statement on fighting
the cuts
Blair’s New Labour principles have conveniently provided a starting
point for the new education law the Tories’ have rushed through
parliament. This is intended to lead to a dramatic acceleration of the
academies programme, starting with schools judged ‘outstanding’ by the
schools inspectorate, Ofsted.
The Tories’ decision to cancel Labour’s Building Schools for the Future
(BSF) project is a blow to thousands of school children currently being
taught in the most dilapidated, uninspiring and antiquated schools.
They must now continue to be taught in substandard buildings
Labour, in it’s original programme, intended to spend £55bn over two
decades, and would have rebuilt or refurbished just about every
secondary school in the country. In Michael Gove’s drive to cut public
expenditure, it has proved to be too tempting a target to mis
Pressure, Pressure and yet more pressure. Life in our schools has never been tougher… here is an account of what’s going on from a secondary school teacher.
This year’s meeting of the TUC in Manchester could be the most
important for years. In the face of a vicious attack on the living
standards of the working class by the new coalition government, workers
will be looking to the trade union movement for a way of fighting back.
Jeremy Dear, General secretary of the NUJ and TUC General Council
member, looks at the issues to be dealt with on next week’s conference
agenda.