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.
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.
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!
The Palestine movement is yearning for solutions. The mood in Britain is charged with anger – against the genocide, austerity, and general insecurity about the future. The unions could provide a lightning rod for this energy, but for this a bold programme is required.
After years of rumours and hearsay, an interim report commissioned by Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has revealed a “pervasive fraud environment”. Corruption, bureaucracy, and shady backroom deals disarm the workers. Clear out the bureaucrats!
Sheffield revolutionary communists recently joined a mass picket in support of Sheffield’s bin workers, on indefinite strike for nearly a year. The mood is militant – but union-busting Veolia will stop at nothing to keep its superprofits. To win, the strike must be broadened out against the anti-union laws!