Paul Couchman, Surrey Unison (personal capacity) and Socialist Party member
Every year during February, I contact fellow activists in Surrey Unison – reps, officers, staff, even regional officers. I ask them if they would like to donate towards a May Day greeting in the Socialist.
I explain the importance of the newspaper, show them previous greetings from the branch and (if they want) give them a few back issues to look at. In contrast to most of the news you read or watch, the Socialist unequivocally backs workers in struggle. It contains within it comments from workers on strike, strategy to win our disputes and socialist ideas to win permanent gains for the working class. Strikers across the country will have seen the Socialist on their picket lines and read the material contained within.
In most trade unions you can take a motion to your branch asking it to take out a greeting in our May Day edition. If not, then send in a greeting from Socialist readers and supporters, making clear it’s paid for by donations.
This year I have raised over £300 from about 30 activists already, with a few pledges still to come in – so we should once again be able to have a full-page greeting. Not all branches have so many activists – we are a big and vibrant branch (currently balloting on our pay claim) but smaller branches with just a handful of activists could still raise £30 or £50 by being bold and asking.
The key is to be bold and confident in the ideas of socialism, in what we stand for, and why every pound that goes to support the Socialist can help to strengthen working-class struggle.
Let’s make this May Day issue the biggest yet!
Send greetings, see prices and make payments: socialistparty.org.uk/mayday
Resources and enquiries: [email protected]
