Geraint Thomas, Caerphilly Socialist Party
“Save our ‘stute’”, chanted the hundreds marching through the town of Blackwood against the eye-watering £45 million cuts proposed by Caerphilly Council. The council plans to scrap the meals on wheels service, and close the miners’ institute and local museum. Cheered on by passers-by, the rally took place at the square overlooked by the miners’ institute.
Working-class people from across the community were rightly furious at these cuts, and took up our socialist leaflets and papers happily. People understand the callousness of the cuts, and the effect that gutting these services and institutions would have on the community. The council’s waste of paying consultants to suggest cuts, as well as the winter fuel payment cuts by Westminster, came up regularly in our conversations.
This only highlights that the governments (now Labour at every level) do not care about working-class communities’ needs. At least, not enough to take on the interests of big business instead.
Although a Plaid Cymru Senedd (Welsh parliament) member and councillor spoke at the rally in support of the campaign, we know that they do not have any fundamental answers to the question of austerity. In practice, they have carried out different cuts instead of no cuts.
It’s never been more clear that every gain made, every service ran by councils, has been won by working-class struggle. The anger was palpable, and people were looking for a lead from the trade unions, as we are ready to fight to keep what we have left.
We in particular think that the council workers’ unions and branches across the area should call for the following:
- A consultative ballot for industrial action against all service cuts
- Build for support in the communities across the borough. Produce material for people’s homes and shop windows. Call for community groups to organise lobbies of their individual councillors
- A follow up the protest with a lobby of the council
- Demand support from the trade union movement at a regional and national level. Call for serious pressure on the Senedd and Westminster to fork up the cash. If Labour politicians won’t support our communities, we should ask why our unions are affiliated to Labour, and why we don’t stand candidates of our own instead, who are prepared to fight all the cuts
