Bosses’ fire and rehire, an end to the eviction ban, a public sector pay freeze, hiking council tax, the impending end of furlough: attacks on young people and workers are raining down. After more than a year of pandemic, with the rich prioritising their profits over our health, and ‘bodies piling high in their thousands’ – beneath the surface people are seething with anger at the bosses and their politicians.
That is why they want to restrict our right to protest using the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. But they do so from a position of weakness, not strength. The Tory cabinet, and the whole of the capitalist establishment, is rotten through with cronyism, corruption and sleaze – and this is becoming clearer for all to see. Ministers and advisors are breaking ranks, dropping leaks, and trying to distance themselves from the Covid-disaster government.
They are terrified at the prospect of all of the anger and discontent being expressed as an organised force. The trade union movement – bringing together millions of workers, and armed with the weapon of strike action – is uniquely positioned to organise and lead the resistance. The coming together of local trade union councils and ‘Kill the bill’ protesters to organise events on May Day was a step in the right direction.
To ensure that workers and young people do not foot the bill for Covid, we need to defend our democratic right to protest. We need trade unions led by fighting, combative leaderships, and we need a new, mass political voice for workers. If you are prepared to struggle for this, and to fight for socialist change – then join the Socialist Party.