Britain’s biggest car manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover, is slashing thousands of jobs. This is a graphic illustration of Britain’s industrial decline, and a humiliation for Burnham’s ‘pro-industry’ Labour government. Workers can have no trust in these sellouts!
Disappointingly, Unison’s recent ballot of 200,000 council and school workers failed to pass the threshold set by the anti-union laws. Elsewhere, the trade union leaders are prevaricating. In issue 54 of The Communist, our readers discuss the way forward.
The Communist’s industrial correspondents discuss the peerage of Unison’s former top-dog bureaucrat, Christina McAnea; Unite’s general secretary elections; and the announced NEU teachers’ ballot. Plus: the latest bastard bosses of the week, luxury hotels and construction!
Unite’s elections last month saw a big swing for general secretary Sharon Graham’s slate. This is a small indication of the appetite for industrial militancy, among the ranks of the second biggest union in the country. It rests on the leadership now to unleash this mood.
An RCP member recently interviewed workers from the 2022 Felixstowe dock strikes – who were dismissed on the flimsiest of pretences. This scandal shows how far the bosses will go to defend their interests. The unions must respond in kind in the struggles to come.
Two weeks ago, Unite voted to cut affiliation to Labour by 40 percent. As we wrote in issue 44 of The Communist, this is a step in the right direction – however, the trade union leaders have yet to break decisively with the government, and take the path of militant opposition.
Starmer’s government has been riddled with crises through February. At this point, you would hope to see Britain’s trade union leaders on the offensive. Alas, blinkered by their reformist approach, their response has been very limited.
Desperate to wrap up the heroic eleven-month bin strikes, believing it will save councillors’ skins at May’s local elections, Birmingham City Council are now going for an injunction against megapickets. Defend the right to protest with militant union action!
Labour hail Andy Burnham’s Bee Network as a “bus revolution” – but workers see otherwise. TfGM tram and bus workers have gone on strike and will be taking further action later in December. Manchester RCP members report from on the ground.
The Birmingham bin strike has escalated: agency workers formerly used by the Labour council to break the strike have balloted to join it! Unite should seize this opportunity to broaden the movement further: against all austerity, job cuts and anti-worker attacks!
Workers at Britain’s biggest arms manufacturer are set to strike in the coming weeks, over below-inflation pay offers. However, Unite’s leadership is dragging its heels. Their class collaboration is tied up with their support for British militarism.
In the latest issue of The Communist, we hear from our readers about the UCU’s ballot over job cuts and below-inflation wage increases; nearly 3,000 arms workers going on strike; and more!