The Socialist 25 March 2009 Make the bosses pay! Capitalist crisis: Make the bosses pay! Map of Youth March for Jobs route Tide of job losses must be fought Rail union launches euro election challenge Students need a mass fighting organisation Campaign for a new workers' party MPs - an honourable profession! France: Three million take to the streets in national strike Canada: "Fighting back makes a difference" Mass demo in New York against budget cuts Scotland: International Socialists conference a big step forward Dundee Prisme occupation: Workers remain defiant Stop the slaughter of Tamils: London campaign meeting New allegations hit Unison's right wing Unison Four to face further hearings Wales: United battle needed to stop college cuts Fighting for justice for cleaners! PCS Land Registry jobs and pay campaign |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Home | The Socialist 25 March 2009 | Join the Socialist Party Capitalist crisis: Make the bosses pay!Build for a one-day general strike
As the global economic crisis intensifies, the world's leaders - the G20 - are meeting this week next to the symbolic heart of the economic maelstrom - the City of London. For over twenty years, the City has been an unregulated financiers' paradise, where Fred 'the Shred' Goodwin and his ilk made vast sums of money on an unprecedented scale. Hannah SellNew Labour, and the Tories before them, are responsible for deregulating the City and creating a nirvana for hedge fund and other speculative traders. As government minister Peter Mandelson famously said, New Labour is "intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich." Now it is us - working class people and the poor in Britain and worldwide - who are being expected to pay the price for economic crisis. In Britain unemployment has passed two million and is expected to reach three million by the end of 2009. Youth unemployment is now over 15% and rising rapidly. Globally, the managing director of the World Bank has warned that, unless the G20 take action, the economic crisis is likely to cost 90 million lives, and lead to an increase in the number of people going hungry of nearly one billion. On Thursday 2 April, Youth Fight for Jobs will be marching to the G20 demanding the right to a decent job and a free education for all young people. The Trades Union Congress is also demonstrating in coalition with numerous other organisations on Saturday 28 March - asking the G20 to "put people first". However, it is ruled out that the G20 will 'put people first' and take effective action to prevent the tragedy that is unfolding for billions worldwide. The actions of the world's governments to date speak for themselves. The banks have been rescued while the rest of us have been left to drown. In Britain £1.22 trillion has been used to underwrite the banking system compared to less than 0.1% of that - £800 million - put into job creation.
The G20 demonstrations are a start but we need much more. The trade union movement needs to go on to launch a mass campaign in defence of jobs, pay and public services. As the Lindsey oil refinery strike showed, if workers fight we can win victories. The government is consciously trying to divide public and private sector workers. The trade unions need to bring them together in a united struggle. In France last week three million workers and young people took to the streets in over 200 cities. We need a similar day of action here in Britain as a step towards a 24 hour general strike. The demands of such a movement should include:
In this issue
Socialist Party editorial
Socialist Party election campaign
Socialist Party campaigns
Socialist Party feature Socialist Party marxist analysis International socialist news and analysis
Socialist Party workplace news
Home | The Socialist 25 March 2009 | Join the Socialist Party |
Related links:
| |||||||||||||||
Google search the site
Printable version
email to friend
