May Day, May Day! Celebrate solidarity!

May Day Greetings 2017 (Click to enlarge)

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

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Coronavirus crisis - Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
Our 'fighting coronavirus workers' charter', outlines a programme to combat the virus and protect workers' living conditions.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.