Wakefield – bus strike
To help build support for striking Arriva bus drivers in West Yorkshire, and get the main Unite union message over, the Socialist Party organised town centre campaign stalls on 11 and 12 June.
The employer can hardly ignore the huge public support for the workers’ action. 28 people buying a copy of the Socialist – with an article that exposed the employer’s latest ‘improved’ pay offer as anything but – reflects this.
The generous donations the Socialist Party received enable us to continue helping rally wider solidarity and produce an updated leaflet in support of the strike. A case of workers in struggle, the public and the Socialist Party going hand in hand!
John Vasey
Selby – striking together
Socialist Party members recently expanded our solidarity campaign stalls for Arriva bus drivers beyond Wakefield to Dewsbury and Selby. In Selby on 23 June, we found a high level of support for the strike in what is a Tory safe seat. Being outside a Morrisons store, we spoke to a number of staff all disappointed with their pay rise, but supporting the idea of striking together for better pay.
Bernard Davies
Ponders End – striking workers are brilliant
When the Socialist Party was campaigning in north London on 22 June, I met a former nurse who worked for the NHS for 39 years from 1966. She was pleased that health workers have been asking for a 15% pay rise, because “we never had that when I was working there”.
When I asked her about the rail strikes, she simply replied: “I think it’s brilliant”.
Ian Pattison
Daymer Turkish and Kurdish festival
Speaking after Labour’s Hackney mayor, Unite union’s national lead for local government, Onay Kasab, talked about the Hackney council strike: “You cannot be a weekend revolutionary without dealing with your own workers first and foremost”.
One of the many people who stopped by the London Socialist Party stall spoke about the huge gap between rich and poor. Another told us about the dire situation facing the working class in Turkey.
40 people bought a copy of the Socialist, and many signed our petition calling for trade union action for inflation-proof pay rises.
Berkay Kartav
