Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/983/26924
From The Socialist newspaper, 21 February 2018
May Day, May Day! Celebrate solidarity!
Paul Gerrard, North West Socialist Party paper organiser
No, we're not in distress! But we do want to celebrate May Day, and we want to see a paper full of May Day greetings that proudly reflects the hard work of our members but also the solidarity we've worked for across the labour movement.
Every Socialist Party branch should have this on their agenda each week, urgently drawing up lists of organisations to approach, checking which members are going to chase them up, and, importantly, monitoring progress each week.
In 2017 in the North West we had a target of nine greetings, and we achieved ten, so this year we're aiming for 12. Already the Lancashire branch has drawn up an impressive 'hit-list' of four trades councils, two anti-cuts campaigns, two trade union branches and a Socialist Students group. In each case someone is checking contact details of secretaries and the dates when they meet so we can approach them in good time.
Following Manchester's 'mini strike wave' around Christmas and on the strength of the outstanding coverage in the Socialist, we are approaching housing maintenance and bus workers. After the successful strike at Arriva in Merseyside and Cheshire we're targeting all the Unite the Union branches affected. Plus of course the RMT branches who are still locked in battle over driver-only operation.
What you need to know:
- Urgent - for trade union branches and trades councils make sure May Day greetings for the Socialist comes up in 'correspondence', ideally at their March meetings
- If you can't get a donation from your union branch use a sign-up sheet to get donations and book greetings in the name of 'Socialist Party members and supporters in X union'
- There is a 20% discount on greetings placed by 30 March, so, for example, a 1/8 page advert costs £72 instead of £90
- Final date is 11 April
Lets' make this a record-breaking May Day edition of our paper!
- Do you want resources? Do you have suggestions? Can we help you get those greetings in? Email jamesivens@socialistparty.org.uk
- You can see prices and send greetings at socialistparty.org.uk/mayday
Why not click here to join the Socialist Party, or click here to donate to the Socialist Party.
In The Socialist 21 February 2018:
Socialist Party news and analysis
Chatsworth ward victory shows we can save our NHS
Tories raid £1bn from NHS facilities budget - unions must act
Blairite mayor faces open election after democratic 'irregularities' - fight for a no-cuts mayor
Facebook sides with state repression - reinstate the Tamil Solidarity page
Workplace news and analysis
Usdaw victory - Socialist Party member Amy Murphy wins presidential election
Bosses divided - university pension strikes can win!
After 80 strike days Mears workers achieve victory
Newham academies strike continues with three schools to strike together
What we think
Northern Ireland talks process paralysed
Socialist Students
How can students and young people fight the Tories?
Leicester Uni makes Tory fee tripler David Willetts chancellor - sack Willetts!
International socialist news and analysis
South Africa: Ramaphosa is a safe pair of hands for capitalism
Russia: Ali Feruz, journalist and human rights activist, freed from jail
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Building the campaign against clearances of the working class
Northants council crisis - protesters demand an end to cuts and privatisation
Victory: Pontllanfraith leisure centre saved
Labour councillors push through savage cuts in Kirklees budget
May Day, May Day! Celebrate solidarity!
Bradford protests against kids' service cuts
Successful Socialist Party Wales conference sets tone for the year ahead
Tremendous determination on show at West Midlands conference
Lively discussion at East Midlands Socialist Party conference
Nottingham hospital black alert
Cardiff Refugee Rights gig success
Outrageous sentence for TUSC agent in 'misleading electors' court case
Opinion
German engineering strike puts shorter week on agenda - but could have won more
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