The Socialist 26 September 2012

Action against austerity

Action against austerity

Teachers: march together, then strike together against austerity

Reasons to join the 20 October demo, reasons to build for a 24-hour strike

General strike, the biggest weapon

Model resolution for a 24-hour general strike

Labour Party conference: Can Labour give a lead in the fight against austerity?

Afghanistan war: end this 'pointless waste of life'

Spain: March on Madrid kicks off a hot autumn of struggle

South Africa: 'Lonmin settlement a victory - struggle pays!'

TUSC conference: A step forward for working class political representation

Murdoch empire: a whole barrel of bad apples

Action needed to save NHS from privatisation

Them & Us

Workers strike as Argos tightens the screws

Knowsley council fears anti-privatisation campaign

Solidarity with workers sacked from Crossrail

Workplace news in brief

No excuse! Thousands protest against victim blaming on London Slutwalk

Scrap student fees

Enthusiastic start to the year for Socialist Students

Why Hull council should defy the government's cuts to services

Tameside library closures - "Get used to it" says councillor

Opportunistic speeches at Hull march against NHS cuts

Cellist Alfia Nakipbekova speaks out about Kazakhstan

Opencast mining: "Protect us from Provectus"

Belfast Outdoor Relief Strike 1932

Previous issues, etc

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General strike, the biggest weapon

I have worked for 50 years in the construction industry and I'm a member of the Ucatt union. In 2011 I went on the 26 March anti-cuts protest in London where I met many Socialist Party members.

In June I was on a protest march in Winchester and signed up to the Socialist Party. The Labour Party is not socialist or even in favour of serious reforms within the capitalist system.

Hampshire Socialist Party asked me to do some research and speak on the general strike and on the 1926 strike that is the best-known example.

I learned that the strike and general strike, if skilfully used, are the biggest weapons in the hands of the working class.

The Socialist Party, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and National Shop Stewards Network have already built up some inspiring support. But we can't do this on our own. We have to ask trade unionists to join us.

We are saying: let's all march together on 20 October then afterwards prepare to strike together. Then we should try to contact workers in other countries to organise a European continental-wide general strike.

Dave Boyes, Hampshire Socialist Party

Socialist Books

1926 General Strike: Workers Taste Power, by Peter Taaffe £7.50
France 1968: Month of Revolution. Lessons of the general strike, by Clare Doyle £7.50
The General Strike (pamphlet). Includes three articles by Leon Trotsky £1