Events are moving quickly. Everyday one crisis seems to give rise to another. We are in a period of sharp and sudden changes. With the conference season ahead, the leaders of the labour movement must seize the opportunity to present a socialist alternative to crisis and austerity.
Events are moving quickly. Everyday one crisis seems to give rise to another. The horrors of Iraq, Gaza and Ukraine have been followed by a government collapse in France and a default in Argentina, adding a further twist to the worldwide instability. We are in a period of sharp and sudden changes.
Instability and uncertainty
Here, the unemployed are forced into self-employment as Britain is pushed further down the road of low-paid casual labour. Job security has vanished. Britain has now lower labour costs than Spain, as real wages are relentlessly pushed downwards. Whatever the so-called recovery, it has been at the expense of the working class.
Around the world things are looking dark on the economic front. Japan and Italy are seeing major downturns, the eurozone is officially stagnant. In Britain, productivity has not recovered. What improvement there is in consumption is being fueled by the use of savings by people – over £23 billion was used up in 2013, a record – which cannot be spent twice. The slump in wage income will have an effect as inflation continues to dig in. The big rises in rail ticket prices will also hit hard – no wonder so many people now support rail renationalisation.
The attempt by the Cameron government to brush up its image through a reshuffle in time for the election has fooled nobody. According to opinion polls, this government is heading for defeat. The crisis of capitalism continues to reflect itself at Westminster. With the demise of Cameron in sight, Boris Johnson has announced his intention to return to parliament. He will certainly challenge for the Tory Party leadership.
For a one-day general strike
September will open with it the party conference season. With the general election now under nine months away, these conferences are effectively marking the start of their pre-election campaigns.
However, the first conference to take place will be that of the Trades Union Congress. In recent years, the attention given to the TUC has declined as the leadership has failed to deliver any serious action that could challenge the government. However, the decision of the 2012 Congress, re-affirmed last year, to consider the calling of a one-day general strike, remains on the table. This summer we saw a one-day general strike of the public sector is all but name. Further such action is set for October 14th. This will be followed by the massive march in London on October 18th.
“This autumn is where we make a stand. This far – no further”, states Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON. “This is our time – and it’s not a time for self pity.”
We sincerely hope Brother Prentis and the rest of the trade union leaders translate these words – which we have heard before – into deeds.
However, the coalition government will not be moved simply by big marches in London. The time has come to ramp up the action to show this Coalition of the rich where real power lies. A one-day strike could be an effective first blow in undermining the confidence of the Tories and their rich backers.
Labour must offer a socialist programme
The need for an industrial fight against the Tories and their programme of austerity and enforced poverty needs to be matched on the political front. This leads us to the Labour Party conference taking place just a few weeks later. Again this will be a pre-election conference where Labour will be setting out its stall for 2015. Sadly, it is looking like being a very threadbare. Only very minor reforms are being raised that do not cost money. The Labour leadership talks about letting the public sector bid for rail franchises where they come up for renewal. This is ridiculous. Labour should stand for renationalising the lot, bringing the rail network back into public ownership. This demand alone would win enormous support.
Labour talks about more regulation for the banks. However, banks can easily avoid such measures as they have in the past. We say: nationalise all the banks and finance houses so that they serve us not the other way around.
Labour talks of a more “caring” economy. But under capitalism this is not possible. Everything is geared to profit. We say: nationalise all the monopolies under workers control and management as part of a socialist plan of production. Only then can the resources of society be used for everyone’s benefit. Such a programme would ensure a landslide victory for Labour.
Fight the Tories with socialist policies
Instead we are being offered a “softer” version of the Tory cuts programme. Ed Balls talks about matching the Tory spending levels! Pandering to big business could well serve to somehow let the Tories back in. We already know that the Tories are intending several more years of cuts, pay freeze and other attacks on the working class. The opinion polls are currently favouring Labour but, given the failure by Miliband and Balls to offer a real alternative, this could well change. Labour should be standing on a programme to reverse all cuts.
The lack of an alternative explains why no one seems to be looking towards the next election with any optimism. Labour was created to support working people not big business. It was founded by the trade unions to give voice to the working class and not a home for careerism.
Labour could rally millions behind its banner if it offered revolutionary change. This can only be done by fighting capitalism and offering a real alternative – the socialist transformation of society.
