We’ve seen cuts to education, leading to the destruction of EMA, tripled uni fees, mass redundancies and course closures. We’re now witnessing – if we fail to stand up and beat it – the virtual privatisation of education. But the government’s austerity measures are not just attacking education – pensioners, the unemployed, workers in all industries in both public and private sector are all facing massive cuts – leaving no-one spared!
Last night, Liverpool Solidarity Federation members were amongst protesters gathered outside Liverpool Town Hall. They demonstrated as Liverpool City Council held a Budget Question Time in order to seek views on how they could save £50m in the coming year. Whilst the audience inside gave the councilors a hard time, those outside disrupted traffic by blocking off a road.
Read Liverpool members' individual reflections on the day on the Truth, Reason & Liberty and Working Class Self-Organisation blogs.
In this issue:
With friends like these, who needs enemies? To beat the cuts, workers need to act independently of the trade union laws... and it's already happening.
Dispatches from the frontlines: Three London education workers speak about cuts, organising and casualisation in the sector.
Victory for the cleaners: unofficial action by Senate House and Guildhall cleaners gets results in London.
Sparks fly: electricians direct action over pay cuts.
Plus: your basic rights at work, pensions, NHS privatisation, letters, international round up and much more.
WYSF took part in the "Hardest hit" demo in Leeds against benefit cuts today. Overall a good turn out, and we were well received. We gave out "poverty pimps" leaflets against ATOS and the other companies as well as a leaflet about Scope and their attack on smaller disability organisations. Speeches were the usual with 2 exceptions, PCS union rep asked people to join the Nov 30th strike and pickets, and a young man who spoke passionately about the affects of the cuts, criticising all politicians including Miliband, this got a loud cheer. All in all a good day
Today saw the start of the Royal College of GPs conference in Liverpool. Keep Our NHS Public held a protest outside the venue, the BT Convention Centre, as health minister Andrew Lansley was set to be the day's keynote speaker. Members of Liverpool Solidarity Federation joined the action.
As the land was private property, the security had taken the trouble to set up a protest pen using steel barricades, in which the demonstrators were to be contained. Liverpool Solfed members and others were resistant to this, but too many of those who turned up complied willingly either by going inside or by keeping their distance from the centre whilst giving out leaflets. The minority who chose not to be caged - especially as there were no police present! - simply kept moving about so that they were never static enough to be herded back to the pen.
Solfed has been busy for the London Anarchist Bookfair, which is on at Queen Mary University this Saturday. Alongside launching a new range of posters and pamphlets, we will be running a large stall with books, mugs and even shopping bags (oh yes, we went to a great deal of trouble in the irony stakes), alongside hosting two key talks for the day.
The first talk, starting at noon (Room 3.23), will play off our popular workplace organiser training sessions, looking at the nuts and bolts of how to turn your workplace from a soul-crushing bore into a hive of lively rebellious activity.
Solfed has been busy for the London Anarchist Bookfair, which is on at Queen Mary University this Saturday. Alongside launching a new range of posters and pamphlets, we will be running a large stall with books, mugs and even shopping bags (oh yes, we went to a great deal of trouble in the irony stakes), alongside hosting two key talks for the day.
The first talk, starting at noon (Room 3.23), will play off our popular workplace organiser training sessions, looking at the nuts and bolts of how to turn your workplace from a soul-crushing bore into a hive of lively rebellious activity.
The North and South London Locals of the Solidarity Federation extend our solidarity to the workers at Queen Mary University. With the threat of redundancies across campus, workers have become energised, linked up with students, and exhibited a growing degree of organisation. In response, university management have suspended the Queen Mary UNISON branch secretary on trumped up disciplinary charges.
While the Solidarity Federation recognises the power of the union rests not in its officials, but in an active and self-organised membership, management clearly believe they can defeat their workforce by 'beheading' the union. Such attacks must be resisted.