Tcs unity a4 2015

POLITICS

by Robert Griffiths

MOST CONTENDERSfor the Labour Partyleadership are falling

over each other in their rushto disown the mansion tax andsing the praises of bigbusiness, the European Union,military spending and a newTrident nuclear weaponssystem.

One could be forgiven forthinking they are running for a seatin the Tory Cabinet.

Only Jeremy Corbyn is puttingthe case for taxing the rich and thecapitalist monopolies, investing inpublic services instead of privatisingthem, building more councilhousing, taking energy and therailways back into public ownership,repealing anti-trade union laws andrejecting Britain’s costly, immoraland useless weapons of massdestruction. He also takes a moresceptical view of the anti-democratic, pro-austerity,pro-privatisation, anti-trade unionand increasingly militaristic EU.

A Labour Party campaigning forthese kinds of policies wouldenthuse not only many of its core,loyal supporters. It could also beginto attract back some of the four-plus million Labour voters lost since1997.

Although Labour’s share of thevote actually increased by morethan the Tory share at the 2015General Election, including inEngland, it represented only 21 percent of all those on Britain’selectoral registers, and fewer thanone in five (19 per cent) of theadult population as a whole.

Eighteen million people in Britaineither refused to vote on 7 May orfailed to register in the first place.

Most were either young people,housing tenants, immigrants orfrom particular ethnic minorities.

These are people Labour needsto motivate, enthuse and inspire.They might have aspirations too –for a job, a house, for social justiceand a decent future.

When 13.5 million people votedLabour in 1997, they wanted agovernment that would haltprivatisation, introduce a minimumwage, extend rights for people atwork, invest in our public servicesand welfare state, renationalise therailways and give real powers to thepeoples of Scotland and Wales.

Labour delivered most of thosepledges in its first term of office.Since then, it has embracedprivatisation, the City, big businessand militarism – with the exceptionof Syria, thanks to the anti-warmovement.

Unless Labour changes course,there is no reason to believe that itwill turn back the SNP or UKIP, let

alone defeat the Tories in 2020.That’s why the Communist

Party urges trade unionists,socialists and social democrats inthe Labour Party – many of whomwe work closely with across a rangeof issues – to do all in their powerto win back the party from theNew Labourites.

They will receive support fromthe Morning Star and many othersocialists and Communists whendoing so.

The proposal at last year’sCampaign for Labour PartyDemocracy conference for a tradeunion party, affiliated to Labour atleast initially, would improve theprospects for advance.

But if no significant progress ismade by next year’s Labour Partyconference, the whole of the leftand the labour movement shouldface that reality.

In particular, affiliated unions willhave to consider what steps wouldbe necessary to re-establish a massparty of labour, one capable ofwinning a General Election andenacting policies that benefit themillions of people, not themultimillionaires. H

Robert Griffithsis theCommunistParty’s generalsecretary the

Communist Party Crewe 2015 Workers of all lands, Unite!unity!

Labour must change course

Trades councilshave a logo!

Congratulations to Carla Paillardfrom Merseyside CountyAssociation of Trades UnionCouncils who entered thewinning design for thecompetition to devise a logo forthe trades councils movement.

So £50 of book tokens are ontheir way to her whileMerseyside receives £200. Thethree runners up were fromDorchester, Southampton andWolverhampton. Congratulationsto all.

AUSTERITY

by Moz Greenshields

LAST YEAR Unity! called for a‘mass anti-austeritymovement in ourcommunities and unionmemberships would go a longway to resolving the longrunning question of properpolitical representation,growing directly out of theorganised working class’ andwarned that, as ‘the LabourParty turns its back on us, theissue needs to be resolved andsoon.’

We need now, as never before,our trades unions embedded in ourcommunities. Our Conferenceagenda reflects solidarity and unity,rejecting the rotten dog-eat-dogworld of the capitalist market. Weneed to win that struggle of ideas,as well as the very real class battlesthat are its context, in all ourcommunities.

Our trades union councils needto build real class consciousnessthroughout Britain. Anti-austeritycampaigning strengthens.

Next week will see the hugePeople’s Assembly demonstrationwhere hopefully every trades

council will be well represented. Butwe have also just seen the electoral‘green light’ to the Tories’ escalatingattack.

The issue that needed to beresolved in 2014 remains. It isn’tsimple. It is not just right-wingleaders that make Labour souseless. Not just ‘cowards flinchingand traitors sneering’ as the RedFlag puts it. It’s surrender to, andembrace of capitalism – culminatingin the coming leadership electionand Labour Party Conference – hasmuch deeper origins.

The economic crisis, the rulingclass assault, and the struggleagainst it have had the effect ofincreasing class consciousnessamongst those most involved, suchas those of us at Conference. Butmillions of workers are notcurrently engaging with ourmovement – a consequence ofdecades of social, political,economic, propaganda, ideologicaland repressive action by the rulingclass – and resulting in loweredlevels of class consciousness.

This relative lack of grass rootschallenge to the power andpressure of the City, big business,the EU and the Troika has allowedthe Labour Party’s right wing toassert itself and seen Labour

socialists despairing.If we are going to reassert and

re-establish real working classpolitical representation, it has to bethrough the reassertion and re-establishment of real classconsciousness, engagement andactivity. Any attempt at a quick fixby cobbling together disparateleftist groups would be asunsuccessful as similar “idealistadventures” in the past.

Our trades union movementneeds now to help resolve the issueby taking the issues from thisconference and placing them inlively local and national discussionand debate about how to win them,and how to ensure proper politicalrepresentation of the working class,by the working class, for theworking class.

It’s a union and community issue– a class issue - our trades councilsissue!

Moz Greenshieldsis secretary theDerby AreaTrades UnionCouncil, amember ofTUCJCC and CPEC

Defence or defiance?Derbyshire and the fight fordemocracy by Graham StevensonPublished in collaboration withDerby Area Trades Union Council £11.95 ISBN 978-1-907464-09-7

Building an economy forthe people An alternativeeconomic and political strategy for21st Century Britain

Contributiors include MarkBaimbridge; Brian Burkitt; MaryDavis; John Foster; Marjorie Mayo;Jonathan Michie; Seumas Milne;Andrew Murray; Roger Seifert;Prem Sikka; and Philip Whyman£6.95 (+£1 p&p) ISBN 978-1-907464-08-9

The Communist Party welcomesthe decision to hold a referendumbut is well aware that ‘negotiations’with the European Union will be acharade, used by the Tories topromote their right-wing agendaattacking migrant workers andemployment rights while protectingCity corruption from even themildest EU regulation.

For all its posturing, theCameron government favourscontinued British membership ofthe pro-big business, pro-austerity,pro-privatisation EU, in keeping withthe interests of the Tories’ chiefpaymasters in the City.

The Communist Party willcampaign alongside its left andprogressive allies for a popular voteagainst EU membership in thereferendum.

BooksRegaining our consciousness

A weekend of discussion, debate, culture, music and food with national and international speakers from the labour,progressive and anti-imperialist movements

31 July – 2 August Marx Memorial Library & Workers School 37a Clerkenwell Green London EC1R 0DU

marx-memorial-library.org.uk/redstar-2

RedStarFestival

H

MORNING STAR

by Ben Chacko

WHEN THE first DailyWorker rolled off the pressesin 1930, Britain was reelingfrom the Great Depression.

Working people faced soaringunemployment and hunger.Politicians and the monopolymedia demanded savage cuts towages and public spending in thename of

balancing the books. Soundfamiliar?

The Daily Worker wasfounded to counter that narrative,to provide a voice for the millionsand not the millionaires.

On its first day a reporterphoned from the Daily Herald toask if it would come out again aday later. Eighty-five years on, ourname may have changed - we'vebeen the Morning Star since 1966- but we're still here and still trueto that mission.

The Star is a co-operative - theonly co-operatively ownednational daily in the country. Thatmeans we answer only to ourreaders, not to some tax-dodgingnon-dom press baron.

Last month's election amplydemonstrated the distorting effecta monopoly media owned by non-dom tycoons can have on publicdebate.

Indeed, the first post-electionedition of satirical magazinePrivate Eye noted that every dailynewspaper owned by a non-dombacked the Conservatives (or thecoalition) in the election, whileevery one that was not backedLabour (it didn’t mention the

Morning Star, but such censorshipis routine — the point holds).

We remain the authentic voiceof working people in struggle -reporting on the stories the restof the press won't touch.

We're the only paper to standshoulder to shoulder with thetrade union movement, backingworkers taking industrial action tosecure the pay and conditions theydeserve.

We are the paper of the labourmovement, with nine tradeunions and one trade unionregion represented on theelected managementcommittee.

And we're the only paperto expose the lies andpropaganda of the rulingclass, opposing imperialismand fighting for peace andsocialism across the world.

The Morning Star isproud of the role it plays inthe labour movement andas the sole voice forsocialism in the Britishmedia.

We're proud of the way we'reevolving, with the paper publishinga wide range of contributors fromacross the left. In 2015 our paperis bigger, brighter and better thanever.

But we need more readers,whether of the printed paper orof our new e-edition, in order tomake that voice - the voice ofresistance - heard louder andmore widely and to ensure we'restill championing the rights ofworking people after another 85years.

If you aren't yet a reader of theworld's onlyEnglish-languagesocialist daily -what'sstopping you?

And if youlike the paper ora particular story orfeature tell your friends andcomrades and remind them that asworking people face this Torygovernment intent on acceleratingthe ruling-class offensive againstus, the role of the Morning Star ismore important than ever. H

Ben Chacko is editor of theMorning Star

The daily miracle ... alive and kicking at 85

WORKERS’ RIGHTS

by Carolyn Jones

THE LATEST TradeUnion Bill holds fewsurprises. We knew it

was coming. So what’s theTory battle plan?

First they came for the strikersJohn Hendy QC defines collectivebargaining without the right tostrike as collective begging. By demanding a 50 per cent

turnout threshold in a ballot and anadditional 40 per cent yes voterequirement in ‘core publicservices’ (health, education,transport and fire services). Add tothis the new time limitations onballot mandates and the Bill is anopen invitation to employers andcourts to interfere and delaylegitimate industrial disputes and itwill be well-nigh impossible forunions to organise lawful strikes.To make it worse, even during

official industrial action, new lawswill allow bosses to bus in agencyworkers to cover the jobs of strikers,abandoning a law that’s been inplace since 1973. Any attempt topicket the workplace to prevent theuse of ‘scab’ labour will be subjectto new criminal sanctions, backedup by the new and intrusivesurveillance legislation.

Then they came for the trade union reps Workers in unionised workplaces

enjoy better terms and conditionsand trade unions help to rebalancepower relations in the workplace –a fact commonly recognised by 70per cent of respondents in MORIpolls who see unions as ‘essential toprotect workers’ interests’.The last government put a cap

on trade union facility time,restricted full time release andbanned paid time off for trade unionactivities in the civil service. Thisgovernment now proposes to extendthese restrictions across localgovernment and into the privatesector.

Then they came for trade union finances Plans are also in place to change

how unions collect theirmembership fees – both throughindividual payments and through

check-off arrangements. Believingthat money is power, the Tories aredetermined to try and underminetrade union finances to make itdifficult for unions to operateeffectively.

Then they removed our rights Undermining the role of unions atwork is fuelled by the Torydetermination to deregulate theworkplace. They want a labourmarket free from what they call ‘redtape’ and what we call rights atwork. They want to use the UK labour

market as an example of what couldbe achieved throughout Europe ifgovernments were determinedenough to resist unions, removeemployment rights and restrict therights of workers to withdraw theirlabour.

Then they removedour benefits The back drop to this BullingdonBoy Bill, is a set of additionalproposals aimed at slashing benefitsand creating a reserve army ofworkers forced to beg for any typeof ‘apprenticeship’ or free work onoffer – including as scab agencyworkers.

Now we must stand togetherThis is a divide and rule Bill.

The Tory aspirations are clear. Theywant cheap workers, unable towithdraw their labour, unprotectedby either trade unions oremployment rights and threatenedwith destitution if they refuse toaccept low-standard work. The Tories believe that money is

power. We know that power lies innumbers and that by standingtogether and supporting each otherwe stand a better chance ofwinning. Our aspirations have to be to

educate, agitate and organise. Weare the many – they are the few.H

Carolyn Jonesis director ofthe Institute ofEmploymentRights

More information atwww.tradeunionfreedom.co.ukwww.ier.org.uk

Danger! Tory TradeUnion Bill unleashed

I want to join the Communist Party/Young Communist League

name

address

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age if under 28 email

return to Communist Party Ruskin House 23 Coombe Road CroydonCR0 1BD [email protected] 02086861659 H TC

Join the revolutionary partyof working class power

by Bill Greenshields

Immediately following theGeneral Election result thePeople’s Assembly ‘sign up’web page for the 20 Junedemonstration acted as aproxy petition expressing theanger and frustration of allthose who had worked so hardat getting the anti austeritymessage across.

The numbers registering for thedemo ticked up into the tens ofthousands in a matter of days. Butanger and frustration is not enough.True, the electoral disproportionalrepresentation system workedagainst us. The Labour Party’s grimadherence to austerity delivered anon representation system forworking class voters and abstainers.But the fact is, given the scale of thefive-year ruling class attack throughtheir preferred beast theConservative Party, we should haveseen an anti-austerity landslide.

So we have a lot of strategicthinking to do. Demonstrations suchas 20 June must continue to showthat the anti-austerity campaign isalive and well, to allow us to feeland express our solidarity andconfidence, to motivate andmobilise others. The TUC needs totake this up with a furtherdemonstration in the autumn.

But demonstrations will not winthe class war, the class war that willnow intensify at the hands of theTories. We need a huge movementreaching deep down intocommunities and trades unionmemberships – an unstoppableforce made up of ordinary people,many of whom feel impotent in theface of the scale of attack, and

directionless without having beenconvinced of any alternative policy.

So The People’s Manifesto –updated, refreshed and renewed,must lie at the centre of our work –and direct contact with people atthe most local level … door todoor, street to street, pub to pub, incommunity organisations, villagehalls, workplaces, trades unioncouncil and union meetings andgatherings of every kind.

We need to prepare and do theday-to-day organising work forcoordinated union action, forgeneralised strike action, for civildisobedience … NOT just ‘call’ forit, and shout slogans about it.

The Tories will step up theattack, and will attempt to provokeus into responses that we cannotsustain – planning to use the fullforce of the state with newrepressive measures, to defeat us.We now need a strategy for winningnot just protesting. Our aim is notjust to make a lot of noise. It is toinflict the kind of decisive defeat onthe ruling class and its governmentthat they plan for us.

Class war does not end in adraw.

Bill Greenshieldsis a DerbyTrades UnionCouncildelegate. Herepresents theCommunist Party onthe national committee of thePeople’s AssemblyThe People’s Manifesto is availablefrom The People’s Assembly, 52Beachy Road, London E3 [email protected]@thepeoplesassembly.org.uk

WHETHER IT'Srushing through the'snooper's charter'

(aka The Investigatory PowersBill) or threatening to pull outof the European Court ofHuman Rights, the Torieshave our rights and freedomssharply in their sights sothey're clearly not reallybuilding ‘one nation’. Here LizPayne explains how thestruggle to defend and extendhuman rights has always beena class issueHowever universal statements

such as ‘all men are born free andequal’ appear to be, the ruling classnever for a moment thought theyapplied to working people. Human rights for workers are the

antithesis of capitalism andimperialism. As Marx observed: ‘Thewhole history of modern industryshows that capital, if not checked,will recklessly and ruthlessly workto cast down the whole working classto the utmost state of degradation’. Human rights for the mass of

ordinary people, at home and or inthe colonies, have never been ofconcern to the financiers, profiteersand industrialists. The hallmarks of those with

power and wealth are exploitation inthe workplace; competitive wars forresources, labour and markets; massoppression of populations;degradation of environments;crushing of opposition. But throughout capitalism’s

history, working people have foughtback bravely and consistently forrights and freedoms in theirworkplaces, homes andcommunities. The 1948 UN Universal

Declaration on Human Rightsmarked a major victory in thisstruggle, achieved with the supportand championship of the socialistcountries. It stated unequivocally(and correctly) that disregard andcontempt for human rights hadresulted in ‘barbarous acts whichhave outraged the conscience ofhumankind’ and that, ‘human rights

must be protected by the rule oflaw’. Two years later in Europe, The

Convention for the Protection ofHuman Rights and FundamentalFreedoms was agreed by the Councilof Europe and was underpinned bythe European Court of HumanRights, which may I remind PMCameron is not an EU institutioneven though he uses its allegedfailings as part of his rationale for‘renegotiations’ with the EU and hisjustification to smash human rightsat home.But human rights declarations

have not deterred internationalcapital from its ruthless exploitationand impoverishment of peoples in allparts of the world. So, the strugglefor civil, democratic and humanrights continues.Hopes that the collapse of the

socialist states, might somehowbring peace and progress inachieving rights and justice werequickly dashed, destroyed by thescramble of profiteers for ‘freed up’resources, goods and markets andthe wars and devastation thatensued. In the current deep economic

crisis and capitalism’s attack onworking people everywhere, thesuper rich and governments whoback them see no gain in promotinghuman rights. On the contrary, fromtheir perspective, doing the thingsthat respect for human rights forbids– silencing opposition, ruling by fearand taking by force what popularassent will never yield – is necessaryfor survival. There is no benign faceto capitalism, whatever it may tellus. The issue of rights is now centre

stage in the struggle againstcapitalism and for a just anddemocratic future and our task, asEngels put it, is to ‘re-conquer’human rights.

Liz Payne ischair of theCommunistParty

Time to reconquer our human rights