SOCIALIST UNITY

from Izquierda Unida 

Más de 2 millones de trabajadores y trabajadoras en Catalunya y más de 10 en el conjunto del Estado han hablado con la Huelga, ésta ha sido un éxito y ahora la pelota está en el tejado del Gobierno del Estado que debe rectificar, hacer marcha atrás y olvidar sus proyectos de Reforma laboral, congelación de pensiones, recortes salariales, los ajustes presupuestarios y la prolongación de la edad de jubilación, así como los copagos.

More than 2 million workers in Catalonia and over 10 million throughout the Spanish state backed the strike. It has been a success and now the ball is at the foot of the State Government , to turn back and forget this labor reform bill, pension freeze, wage cuts, budget adjustments and extension of retirement age.

Notable over the past few weeks has been a wave of scaremongering over the role of the unions in this country, with the inference being drawn that they constitute a fifth column which threatens to undermine not only the government, but indeed the nation’s democracy.

In particular the leader of the RMT, Bob Crow, has had his name verily thrown around in the media like that of a latter day outlaw. Here is a man it would seem who on his own possesses the kind of power and malign intent that should have society quaking in its boots.

On the recent edition of BBC’s Question Time that was devoted to the labour leadership contenders, host David Dimbleby brought up Bob Crow’s name when he challenged Ed Miliband to confirm that if elected he would stand up to the unions. Following on from that, during Ed Miliband’s first major television interview after his election as leader with Andrew Marr, Bob Crow’s name was again brought up as a spectre hanging over the new leader’s head, used to emphasise widespread media allegations that Miliband junior’s election was solely down to the dastardly machinations of the unions. No matter that the RMT union is unaffiliated to the Labour Party and therefore its members had no say in its leadership election, the message was clear: the trade union movement in this country is a force for bad, an anachronism which should be done away with.

Indeed, it would appear that if the CBI and Mayor of London Boris Johnson get their way, moves are afoot to get that very process underway. In anticipation of a wave of industrial action in response to the government’s planned implementation of swingeing spending cuts, both have articulated proposals to curtail the ability of the unions to take effective industrial action, advocating new legislation in order to do so. This is despite the fact that Britain already has the most stringent trade union laws of any advanced European economy, which militate against the ability of said unions to mount effective industrial action as and when required.

This was brought home during the ongoing and extremely acrimonious dispute between cabin crew and management at BA, when a ballot in favour of strike action by the workers during last year’s Christmas period was deemed invalid by the courts as a result of a challenge by BA chief executive, Willie Walsh.

The pattern has been set. In response to an economic recession caused as a direct result of the greed and irresponsibility of the financial sector, employers reserve the right to lay off, reduce wages and/or alter the terms and conditions of their employees without dissent or reference to the unions which represent them. In this they have the support of a coalition government which has drawn up plans to introduce draconian cuts to public spending, cuts that will result in a spike in unemployment the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the early 1980s. All that stands in the government’s way are the unions and their ability to resist.

For the working class the trade union movement was born as a necessary defence against the power of employers and the government to destroy their livelihoods and communities. As such, in inverse proportion to the intensity of the attacks being levelled against them, the unions retain their validity and role in society as that necessary defence.

As for Bob Crow, if a man can ever be judged by his enemies, he can at least take comfort in the fact that he must be doing something right.

The Tories are sending very odd messages about rural affairs. In her speech to Tory Party conference Caroline Spelman, Minister of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said

Across the world, demand for food will increase by 70% in the next 40 years. And it’s the food and farming industry which has to face these challenges.

But they were neglected under the last government. Not just them, but the whole rural way of life - with the loss of post offices, buses and other key services. We must put that right.

Labour left a legacy where both farmers and rural businesses have no access to the internet. And not just them, but a whole generation of children disadvantaged simply because they can’t log on. That’s why we’re determined to tackle this digital divide.

The fact is Labour has run our rural areas down. Frankly we’ve got to make up for lost time.

The exclusion of rural areas from broadband access is because the current distribution has been led by the free market following the profit motive. Rural Post Offices and bus services have been lost though a combination of loss of subsidies, and the declining population in rural areas. The transformation of rural villages has come though second home ownership and rich people retiring to the country, and the lack of affordable and social housing which forces young families to move away.

Spelman’s speech suggests that these issues will be adressed, but that would require a social democratic approach, increasing subsidies, planning incentives for businesses to move to rural areas, and encouraging the growth of social housing. While the Tories are cutting back essential public services, there will surely be no government subsidy for extending broadband converage into remote rural areas, nor does it seem likely that broadband providers will be compelled by legislation to provide a univseral service.

As Mike Walker editor of the progressive rural journal Country Standard, have describes Spelman’s speech as “a manifesto of someone interested in sitting in an arm chair and sipping a gin and tonic in Whitehall rather than a Minister who is will roll up their sleeves and fight on behalf of rural communities”

What is interesting is that Spelman only talks about farming; but agriculture is not the largest employer in most rural areas. Cuts to local government spending will devastate the economy of many small, rural towns; and many areas are also very vulnerabe to reduction in Ministry of Defence expenditure.

The latest survey of the British services sector- which accounts for 70% or so of output, shows a modest rebound, the first monthly rise since February. However the spokesperson for Markit, who conduct the survey, says the underlying readings provide little grounds for optimism.

The new business component slowed to a 15-month low of 51.3 from 51.4. Business expectations for the coming year increased to a four-month high but remained subdued by historic standards.

“Service providers cited lost public sector contracts, uncertainty regarding the impact of public sector austerity measures to be announced in October’s Comprehensive Spending Review and fears relating to the possibility of a setback in the economic recovery as factors undermining new business inflows”.

In an interview with Tony Blair in “Marxism Today” in 1990, he was asked the following.

MT: You are driving through a hot desolate expanse (Iraq?). Whats playing on your stereo.
TB: Tom Petty, Running down a dream

What do you think would be the most appropriate thing for him to be listening to?

My suggestion:

by Victor Grossman, from the Morning Star

Once again the time has come in Germany for bells to ring, fireworks to explode, politicians to declaim and the media to drench us with joyful, endless reminders of events of 20 years ago and the evils that were overcome.

Last November it was the fall of the wall. Now it’s German unity which is so loudly commemorated - the final demise in 1990 of the German Democratic Republic.

A majority certainly did rejoice back then, including those whose families had been separated. There were also those who had felt isolated from the “real,” Western world with its liberties, its free election choices and its consumerism and travel opportunities.

Perhaps one-sixth in the East had mixed feelings. They too had often been dismayed by the republic’s leadership, which had sometimes been careerist, too isolated from the people it ruled over, helpless in many ways while too often brutal in counter-productive attempts to stay in power.

Yet that one-sixth consisted of people who had for years devoted themselves to building an anti-fascist East Germany with no poverty, no homelessness, equal rights for women, loving care for children and free education for all. Despite all the blunders which many recognised and deplored it had achieved much of this agenda.

Now, whether good or bad, it was all to go down the drain along with all their lives’ endeavours. Few of these people applauded the speeches, were awed by the fireworks or sang the Western anthem Deutschland Uber Alles. Many just despaired. (more…)

Let us take a trip down memory lane, and recall a court case in 2003 involving a reality TV contestant, called Cheryl Tweedy, who later married footballer, Ashley Cole, to become the nation’s favourite X-factor judge, Cheryl Cole:

Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy has denied making racist comments to a toilet attendant she is accused of assaulting.

The 19-year-old singer from Newcastle, whose band is currently No 1 in the pop charts, was arrested after an alleged assault on a black washroom attendant in a nightclub early on 11 January.

It was reported that Tweedy screamed racial abuse at London law student Sophie Amogbokpa, 39, before punching her in the face, leaving her with a badly swollen eye.

Ms Amogbokpa told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “I was shocked. I don’t care how many number ones she’s had, if she was nobody, she shouldn’t have said those things to me or hit me.

“I had done nothing to her and whoever gives me an eye like this should be punished.”

She said Ms Tweedy had been irate and called her “a black bitch” and other racist names - saying she wanted to hit her again.

Cheryl Cole has now entered a storm of controversy over her failure to progress extremely talented youngster of Zimbabwean origin, Gamu Nhengu. Apparently, Over 128,000 people have joined the ‘Gamu should have got through’ group on Facebook.

Instead, two white contestants Cher Lloyd and Katie Waissel were chosen by Cheryl Cole for the finals, despite very poor auditions. In fairness, we should point out that Cheryl Cole has always denied being a racist, and did marry a black man.

So how did the other X-factor judges get on? Let us go back through time again, and recall Dannii Minogue’s interview in November 2002 with GQ magazine. Dannii spoke warmly of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the French fascist leader, claiming his virulent attacks on Asians and asylum seekers “stuck a chord with people”. She launched a tirade against Asians living in Australia, complaining that “even some of the street signs are in Asian [sic]”. Dannii also lashed out at asylum seekers, Gypsies and people who live on council estates. The BNP responded with a message on its website, proclaiming that “Kylie’s sister backs the BNP!”,

To be fair to Dannii Minogue, she later claimed she had been quoted out of context, saying that she was mortified to be linked to the BNP, and she says that she is proud that Australia is a melting pot of cultures.

But then this year on X-factor she put forward three white boys for the finals, and rejected the enormously talented Paije Richardson. As the Daily Mirror pointed out “His voice must sound totally different in person than on the telly, otherwise Dannii’s a complete idiot.”

Paije Richardson is black.

Across the world this Thursday ,7 October, will be marked by Trade Unions as ‘World Day for Decent Work’ (see http://www.wddw.org ) The campaign’s core message is for an economics that put speople first couldn’t be more timely with the Con-Dem government onslaught on jobs and working conditions.

For the second year running the TUC is working with Philosophy Football on their Stand Up Decent Work event. A night of ideas and entertainment will mix TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber opening the night with the superb comedy of Shappi Khorsandi closing it. Contributions include the performance poetry of Luke Wright, Kat Banyard author of ‘The Equality Illusion’ and the soulful sounds of East European brass from marching band Fanfara. And adding an international dimension, from Bangladesh ZM Kamrul Anam, leader of the country’s textile workers trade union who with their recent strike are at the cutting edge of the global campaign against sweatshop labour.

see here for more details

Thursday 7 October at TUC Congress Centre, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1. Starts 7pm, Advance booking essential from www.philosophyfootball.com  or call 020 8802 3499

The Sheridan trial is already bringing up some interesting details. The former minutes secretary of the Scottish Socialist Party, Barbara Scott, gives evidence. 

She told the court: ‘I took [the minutes] and gave them to the police, because the libel trial had been won by Tommy, and that meant a crime had been committed, because he was lying.

‘He said I had fabricated evidence and falsified notes. I felt it was a crime against me and a crime against my comrades, and I felt it was my duty to report it.

‘I went to the police to clear my name, because I didn’t lie. I went and told them I had some evidence that proved there was perjury committed in the libel case.’

Once Tommy Sheridan had unwisely embarked upon a libel action against News International, then those witnesses summoned to give evidence had to do so, and speak according to their conscience, telling the truth as they saw it. Members and former members of the SSP gave evidence on both sides in that case

However, no one was under any obligation to voluntarily go to the police. The libel action had already left a legacy of bitterness, a police prosecution could only make things much worse.