Southampton – Sink Tory cuts

On Wednesday mass meetings of Unite and Unison Southampton council workers will discuss the next steps in their fight against cuts.

Southampton Tory councillors have found £500,000 to ease the pain of pay cuts while borrowing £5 million for their doomed Titanic museum no one wants to run.

The successful strikes of recent months and the enormous public support have shown that the cuts of the Tory council will not be accepted. Royston Smith and the Tory council policies are holed and sinking.

With the 24-hour national public sector strike looming on 30 November, over 3 million workers will join the fight against the cuts.

With the growing call to avert a new recession and move to Plan B, ending cuts, and following the scandals of Murdochgate and Fox/Wittery, the future of the Con-Dem coalition is in the balance.

In the face of the growing opposition, it is possible that the Con – Dem austerity cuts can be stopped, and pay, pensions, jobs and services protected.

After the months of sacrifices made by striking council workers, this opportunity to escalate the action must be seized with a resounding NO vote to this pitiful offer from Southampton council.

National strike action – fight all cuts

The importance of the 30 November national public sector strike must not be underestimated. It will show the massive opposition that is growing to the austerity agenda and will give huge confidence to all those facing the cuts.

Most importantly it will amplify the message of Mark Serwotka’s speech in Southampton that the fight must be against all cuts. United we are strong.

It is essential the connection is made in Southampton between all trade unions, private and public, whose members will suffer the proposed council cuts in reduced services and higher taxes , and that all are called on to back the campaign.

This means a call for a mass demonstration in the city on a Saturday to mobilise the full backing and support of the trade unions, our communities, youth, students and pensioners against the cuts.

A show of mass support will then give confidence to council workers to support a campaign of escalated strike action to reverse the cuts.

Further coordinated action

After 30 November, if the Con-Dem government does not back down on pension cuts, further strike will need to be called.

This action should be linked to further council strikes if the ballot rejects this offer. Southampton Socialist Party believes the most effective way to build the campaign is through council-wide strike action as opposed to selective action.

Southampton Socialist Party

Fight the Cuts, Fight for Socialism Rally

Tuesday 6 December, 7.30pm

Sir James Matthews Building, Above Bar St, Southampton, SO14 7NN

Speaker: Peter Taaffe Socialist Party, General Secretary