Nationalise

For democratic workers’ control

Don’t compensate fat-cat owners

Reece Wilson, Basingstoke Socialist Party

Across the board, under the Tories, services are wrecked. The Tories help their rich mates get richer, while we get inflated prices and deteriorating privatised services.

British Gas made £3.3 billion profit, whilst millions of people live in unheated houses, unable to afford their bills.

The same is true of the water companies – £72 billion profit since they were privatised. They haven’t used this money to stop an average of 825 sewage spills per day. Now they are allegedly ‘sorry’. But still they’re increasing our bills by 7.5%.

Royal Mail was only privatised ten years ago, and is threatening administration. As the Socialist Party has previously said, this is “directly due to gross mismanagement and privatisation, carving up the organisation to leech out huge sums from the most profitable parts”.

Train operating companies have made more than £300 million ‘profit’ since the pandemic by attacking working conditions on the railways, cutting corners with safety, and refusing to give workers the pay rise they deserve. The privatised rail services are not providing a decent service to anyone other than lining the pockets of their shareholders.

Failing

The government has been forced to take some of these failing companies under its own control. Five rail franchises are currently run by a government operator, with two more on the way.

But the taxpayer should not foot the bill. We need to open the books of these racketeering companies. That way the public, workers’ representatives and the trade unions can see where the money has gone.

We need socialist nationalisation that does not leave the old bosses in charge. That approach should only pay compensation to the previous owners on the basis of proven need, not to the fat cats. Public services should be placed under workers’ control. We need decisions taken democratically by elected committees of workers and service users, so public services can be planned to actually serve the public.

This way, we could begin to end fuel poverty, invest into infrastructure so our waterways are not polluted, and provide free public transport that truly serves communities. Workers could get an inflation-proof pay rise, so they’re recognised for the hard work they perform and are protected from the cost-of-living crisis. By fighting for a democratically planned socialist economy, we could ensure a decent life for all.

Energy, water, NHS, Royal Mail and BT: ‘Kick out the profiteers – fight for socialist nationalisation’