Con-Dems' cuts can be stopped

Support call for national demo

Anti-cuts protest, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)

The sheer scale of the attack set out in the government's cuts exceeds even the more dire predictions. All will suffer except that tiny minority in society, profiteers and bankers, who have hit the jackpot with boardroom pay increases of 55% and bank bonuses totalling £7 billion.

John McInally, vice-president Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) personal capacity

A bonanza of outsourcing represents a massive transfer of wealth and power from the state and working people, to allow big business to squeeze every last drop of profit from us.

1.6 million jobs are set to go, 700,000 in the public and 900,000 in the private sectors. Having lost 100,000 jobs under Labour, the civil service and related bodies are under the axe again, with huge jobs losses, including 14,000 in justice, 13,000 in taxation and 15,000 in welfare (DWP).

Such cuts will devastate lives, services and communities.

The arguments for cuts are a huge con-trick. Cuts are neither necessary nor inevitable, if we organise in our workplaces and communities we can defeat them.

Anger and opposition is growing. There is a perceptible shift in the debate, up to now dominated by a shock and awe offensive telling us "there is no alternative".

Now people ask, is all this really necessary? Even the media's rigged polls now show a majority against cuts.

It is time for our movement to organise as never before to stop this millionaire coalition cabinet in its tracks.

Demonstrations on the 23 October in Bristol, London, Cardiff, Wrexham, Sheffield, Cambridge, Norwich, Leeds and elsewhere were tremendous.

National demonstration before Christmas

In Edinburgh the Scottish TUC organised a march and rally of over 20,000. The TUC has called a demonstration for 26 March. While we must all build to ensure it is the major success it can be, it is far too late.

PCS's national executive committee believes there must be a national demonstration before Christmas to build the campaign.

We have written to the TUC and its Public Sector Liaison Group that meets on 8 November, calling on them to organise a national demonstration in late November or early December.

Other unions have also been contacted in order to achieve a consensus and build support for this initiative.

PCS is determined a demonstration will take place and confident it will be a major success. The Tory/Liberal coalition's cuts "strategy", for which there is no mandate, aims to make us pay for the failure of the banks and big business.

Nothing less than a political coup is being attempted against the interests of the vast majority in society.

This demonstration would be a necessary and serious warning to the coalition government - we will resolutely organise to oppose and defeat you.

Socialist Party welcomes initiative

The Socialist Party welcomes the PCS initiative. At this stage, the most likely date seems to be Saturday 11 December. The Socialist Party appeals to all trade union branches to pass the NSSN motion on page 2 appealing to their trade union executives and the TUC general council to support the PCS's call for a demonstration.

We believe this should be a step towards a one-day public-sector strike.

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In The Socialist 3 November 2010:

Anti-cuts campaign

Con-Dems' cuts can be stopped