For a European-wide 24-hour general strike

As the Socialist goes to press, workers in Europe are preparing, on 14 November, for a “day of action and protest” against austerity called by the European Trades Union Congress.

To the fore of this anti-capitalist austerity protests are trade unionists in Portugal, Spain and Italy who have organised a one-day general strike.

Their action represents the opening shot in the call for a European-wide general strike demanded by the Socialist Party and the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) to fight the bosses’ and capitalist politicians’ attempts to off-load the capitalist crisis onto the backs of the working class.

In Belgium, a series of job cuts including the complete closure of the Ford plant in Genk has produced a mighty surge of pressure from below which has brought a general strike within reach.

In many countries at least symbolic or limited actions are being planned for N14. Alongside these in Britain, the campaign set in motion by the National Shop Stewards Network for a 24-hour general strike, which the TUC voted in September to “consider”, is gathering momentum.

N14 needs to be followed up with a serious plan of sustained and escalating actions to both fight the attacks in each country and link them internationally, building towards a European 24-hour general strike.

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