United Kingdom: Let's support the struggles. Not a soldier to replace the strikers
Author: Julio Santana – LIS United Kingdom
They are so afraid of the wave of strikes announced for the coming days that the conservatives propose using the military to replace strikers.. Those responsible for the economic and social disaster try to blame the workers for what is happening. Bipartisanship leads to new frustrations. We must support the claims in progress, reject the “iron fist” measures and demand a general strike. Democratic and combative union leaders are needed. And a new anti-capitalist left alternative.
Zahawi: reactionary and corrupt
Nadhim Zahawi is the president of the Conservative Party and minister without portfolio, since he does not currently lead any ministry. From that location, threatens to use the military to replace ambulance drivers and airport staff who go on strike on days 21 Y 23 from December. Zahawi is a hypocrite who remembers health patients, just when the strike was announced in theNHS. further, He is a corrupt rich man: in 2013 when I was a parliamentarian, passed the energy bills for its stables to the state.
Conservatives ask for a “tough hand”
Last Wednesday there were parliamentarians who insisted to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who had taken drastic measures. For example, the conservative Sir Christopher Chope proposed: "The problem is that it's not like all of this came up at the last minute.". We knew it was in sight. It's okay to talk tough, but people need to be protected now.”On the same page, Sunak threatened to ban strikes and their coordination in the public sector. For these reactionary purposes, The government stated that it is already training 2.000 members of the Armed Forces and volunteers.
A wave of complaints
Faced with the deterioration of salaries and living conditions, unions announced a wave of strikes. From December 1st to 11 January, the staggered claims agenda is made up of workers from: Royal Mail, secondary school teachers' union SSTA and members of the teachers' union NASUWT in Scotland, railway workers of different RMT specialties in Network Rail and 14 Business, RCN nurses union, ambulance drivers in GMB unions, Unison y UNITE, Scottish teachers union EIS (primary schools, primary member special schools and mixed primary/secondary special schools, and early years teachers). and the list, can be extended further. The social situation leaves no room to wait for the winter to pass or for the elections to arrive.. Because, Thousands of workers are forced to go on strike during the festive and winter break period.
They are terrified of strikes
Government threats to workers' rights of expression are not signs of strength or social support. They respond to the panic that the bourgeoisie and the British regime have towards social demands. They try to prevent the struggles from continuing to advance, unite and lead to the general strike. Government changes, of economic plans, of political leaders and even, of monarch, They failed to resolve workers' problems or calm social tension..
The other leg of the bipartisanship
Labor's Bridget Phillipson told the BBC that a"fair agreement for workers" and that there cannot be one«agreement position without negotiation».further, He stated that the unions are right to"discuss salaries and terms and conditions" and who are desperate to have a conversation and discussion about salaries, while ministers refuse to do so. As they have been doing with all the proposals, His advice is to support the government until the elections, for which they reach the height of speaking for the unions.
What is the Labor Party's policy towards strikes??
In the article“It is essential to end the two-party system” we point out the disastrous role of Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labor Party, towards the fights, who has gone so far as to prohibit his party from supporting strike pickets. And this second-rate deputy, dare to talk about"despair"? The situation of millions of workers who are on their way to destitution is desperate. Who will not be able to pay their energy bills to heat their homes, or that they will directly be left on the street due to the increase in rent.
Support the strikes, no strings attached
The most important tasks are in sight: support the struggles, boost your coordination, the general strike and reject any military presence and strikebreakers in conflicts. Many unions contribute millions of pounds to the Labor Party. This has to end. For example, the unionUNITE , have 45 million pounds strike fund. All possible money should be used to help workers in conflict. We are going to long strikes, in which they will try to impose discouragement, demoralization and fatigue. Workers must have all the resources available so that, through a strike fund, we can continue fighting, living and taking care of our families.
Have memory to have present and future
In 1972 Edward Heath's Conservative government faced strong strikes from the mining movement and dockers (the first after the great strike 1926). Finally, The government gave in to most of the strikers' demands. Two years later, in 1974, another miners' strike would force Heath to call a general election with the following question: “Who rules Britain?”?” At this moment there is a question that goes in the same direction: Whether the same rich and miserable bourgeois like Nadhim Zahawi decide or it is the workers who define their own social destinies.
Hit all together
HeTUC must promote the general strike. These are not normal times. The British bourgeoisie is clear about its privileged class interests. That is why it is intended that the working people be the ones who pay the costs of the capitalist crisis.. For them, no effort or suffering is enough. They always want more. The working class united by its own demands, mobilizing and imposing the general strike can show a different path from that of the government and the bosses. That is to say, so that the crisis is paid for by those who generated it, the capitalists.
Can be done
Based on the deterioration of living conditions and the workers' will to fight, strikes have become stronger again after many years. It is an opportunity to advance the union and political recomposition of the labor movement that cannot be missed.. New union leaders are needed, democratic and combative. And a new political tool, Left and anticapitalist. May it overcome the vicious circle formed by the parties of the old British two-party system.
