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
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