We won’t pay for their crisis
Nationalise all the banks on the basis of democratic public ownership – run by representatives of banking workers and trade unions, the wider working class, as well as the government. Take them completely out of the hands of the fat cats who made the mess! Compensation should be paid only on the basis of proven need.
The nationalised banks should offer cheap loans and mortgages for housing and for the planned development of industry and services. Stop house repossessions!
Open the books of the major companies that dominate the economy; let popular committees of workers, trade unionists and consumer groups see where the profits have gone and what their financial situation really is. No job losses!
End fuel poverty by implementing a windfall tax on the oil and gas companies as a step towards nationalising them.
Work & income
Trade union struggle to increase the minimum wage to £8 an hour without exemptions as an immediate step towards £10 an hour.
For an annual increase in the minimum wage linked to average earnings. Introduce a sliding scale of wages with automatic increases to cover inflation.
All workers, including part-timers, temps, casual and migrant workers to have trade union rates of pay, employment protection, and sickness and holiday rights from day one of employment.
An immediate 50% increase in the state retirement pension, as a step towards a living pension. Reinstate the link with average earnings now.
Reject ‘Welfare to Work’. For the right to decent benefits, education, training, or a job, without compulsion.
A maximum 35-hour week with no loss of pay.
Public services
No to privatisation and the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Renationalise all privatised utilities and services, with compensation paid only on the basis of proven need.
Fully fund all services and run them under accountable, democratic committees that include representatives of service workers and users.
Free, publicly run, good quality education, available to all at any age. Abolish university tuition fees now and introduce a living grant. No to academies!
A socialist NHS to provide for everyone’s health needs – free at the point of use and under democratic control. Kick out private contractors!
Keep council housing publicly owned. For a massive building programme of publicly owned housing, on an environmentally sustainable basis, to provide good quality homes with low rents.
Environment
Major research and investment into replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and into ending the problems of built-in obsolescence and unrecycled waste.
Public ownership of the energy generating industries.
No to nuclear power. No to the Trident nuclear missile programme.
A democratically planned, low fare, publicly owned transport system, as part of an overall plan against environmental pollution.
Rights
Oppose discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, disability, sexuality, age, and all other forms of prejudice.
Repeal all laws that trample over civil liberties.
For the right to protest! End police harassment.
Defend abortion rights. For a woman’s right to choose when and whether to have children.
For the right to asylum. No to racist immigration laws.
Trade unions
Scrap the anti-trade union laws!
For trade unions independent of the capitalist state, with members having democratic control over their own policies, constitutions and democratic procedures.
For all trade union officials to be regularly elected, subject to recall and paid a worker’s wage.
New workers’ party
For a new mass workers’ party drawing together workers, young people and activists from workplace, community, environmental and anti-war campaigns, to provide a fighting, political alternative to the pro-big business parties.
Trade unions to disaffiliate from New Labour now and aid the building of a new workers’ party!
Socialism and internationalism
No to imperialist wars and occupations. Withdraw all troops immediately from Iraq and Afghanistan!
Tax the super-rich! For a socialist government to take into public ownership the top 150 companies and banks that dominate the British economy, and run them under democratic working class control and management.
Compensation to be paid only on the basis of proven need. A democratic socialist plan of production based on the interests of the overwhelming majority of people, and in a way that safeguards the environment.
No to the bosses’ neo-liberal European Union! For a socialist Europe and a socialist world!
