Britain Campaign for new workers' party launched |
| The discussion within the labour movement in Britain on the need for a new party of the working class is now gathering momentum. Since 1997 trade unions have given £100 million to New Labour and have received only attacks on wages, pensions and services in return. There is no prospect of reclaiming the Labour Party as some union leaders have argued. It is clearly time the unions stopped funding this right wing party and began the task of building an alternative. A more serious debate on this is now opening up. The rail union, the RMT, has called a conference on 21 January to discuss the political way forward for the labour movement. The Socialist Party in England and Wales have launched a "Campaign for a New Workers' Party" and will be following up the RMT Conference with an initial national conference of this Campaign on 19 March. As
opposed to other left formations that have emerged in recent years but
have failed to get off the ground, the Socialist Party argues that any
new group should be broad based, allowing for the affiliation of existing
organisations, and should be democratic. Should a new party begin to develop
in England and Wales the issue of building a similar organisation in Northern
Ireland would be placed firmly on the agenda. |
| On 16-17 December, the Greek section of the CWI (to which the Socialist Party is affiliated) met at their annual national conference. The conference took place just days after the massive general strike of public and private sector workers against government cuts. The New Democracy government has been implementing a vicious neo liberal agenda of privatisation and attacks on pensions and wages. Last year, workers’ wages grew by less than the rate of inflation meaning most workers received a pay cut. Xekinima (CWI in Greece) has grown steadily over the last year especially among young people who are looking in greater numbers for a socialist alternative. This was reflected at the conference in the number of young delegates. |
| 14 trade union leaders of the transport workers’ union were arrested on 22 December for taking industrial action to demand higher wages for bus drivers. Wages
have been frozen for the last four years while prices for basic necessities
have soared. Following the jailings, workers responded by taking strike
action and while a number of workers have been released, Mansoor Ossanlou,
the leader of the transport union is still imprisoned. |
| 83,000 people died and an estimated 3 million were left homeless as a result of the 8 October earthquake in Pakistan. Tens of thousands have been left to fend for themselves over the harsh winter. Workers have been hit with massive price rises as greedy bosses try to make super profits from the misery and desperation of people. The Socialist Party has raised over €6,200 (in Ireland) for trade union sponsored aid relief. The ATGWU Retired Members Branch donated €500, as did the Dublin Care Services Branch of IMPACT. Staff and students at St John Bosco’s school in Cabra, Dublin raised a marvellous €1,250 before Christmas and UCD Students’ Union donated €500. However, more money is needed. Please raise money in your workplace or school and forward it to the Trade Union Rights Campaign - Pakistan at; TURCP,
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