Home | The Socialist 8 - 14 June 2006 | Join the Socialist Party

2,000 sign up to Campaign for New Workers' Party

Two thousand people have now signed up in support of the founding declaration of the Campaign for a New Workers' Party (CNWP). This includes 40 members of trade union national executive committees, amongst them three more PCS NEC members who have recently signed up. 344 signatories have public positions in trade unions or other organisations.

Fiona Pashazadeh, CNWP National treasurer

In total, 1,371 trade union members have signed up from unions such as PCS, UNISON, RMT, TGWU, Natfhe, Amicus, GMB, NUT, CWU and USDAW. A significant number of signatures are from young people and students with many holding positions in student unions and other youth organisations as well as in trade unions.

There is now clear evidence of the potential for the campaign to grow. Supporters who are taking the declaration into their workplaces and around their local areas are getting good responses. A member of Morden & Oval RMT recently sent in nearly 50 names that he had collected from members of the RMT and ASLEF in his workplace and elsewhere.

Our target, as agreed at the CNWP conference in March, is to get 5,000 signatories by the end of 2006. We are well on the way to achieving this as long as the momentum already gained is stepped up. Those supporters who have collected a significant number of signatures have shown what can be accomplished by being prepared to bring up the campaign and the idea of establishing a new workers' party at every opportunity.

Every signatory should consider taking the declaration into their workplace, college or local community group and should approach any other potential supporters that they know.

We are also seeking affiliations from local trade union branches and community organisations. If you know of any groups who may be able to affiliate or donate to the campaign, please get in touch using the contact details below. Individual donations are also very welcome.

We are encouraging trade union branches to invite a speaker from the campaign to speak at a branch or regional meeting so supporters in trade unions should consider bringing this up as soon as they can.

Local meetings are continuing to take place around the country and details of those being held in June are available below.

To contact the CNWP, email info@cnwp.org.uk or write to CNWP, PO Box 858, London E11 1YG. To sign up, go to www.cnwp.org.uk.