The Socialist 1 June 2011

Strike - to defend jobs and pensions

Rage against bankers

Fifa scandal

Glencore - Profiting from global hunger

New attacks on women's sexual and reproductive rights

Disabled protester - "inadvertently struck with a police baton"

Shoesmith sacking - social work under growing pressure

Gil Scott-Heron

News in brief

Egypt and Tunisia: Revolutions at the crossroads

Greece: unite the struggles and bring down the government

Strike - to defend jobs and pensions

Government plans for the NHS: Privatisation and world class profits!

"Frontline first" a dangerous tactic - unity is the key

Cardiff NHS protest against Topshop tax dodger

Demonstration against closure of day centre in Llandeilo

Southampton - council workers' strike spreads

Saltend construction workers' struggle ends

TUC disability conference

Lewisham teachers - Action threat spells victory

Newcastle East Coast rail call centre - Save jobs!

Workplace news in brief

18 years since Stephen Lawrence murder

Coventry action against academies grows

Yorkshire meetings make Jarrow plans

Lib Dems - a party rooted in capitalism

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Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/673/12138

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TUC disability conference

Disabled people are in the front line of the government's attacks on the welfare state. The government has made a critical error - they assumed that disabled people would be a pushover and they had no allies. Wrong on both counts.

Sickened by the government's cowardly attack, thousands of disabled people joined the TUC's march on 26 March and thousands took part in the "Hardest Hit" rally on 11 May.

The TUC disability conference on 25-26 May showed both the extent of the government's attack on disabled people and the courage and anger of the trade unionists who will stand in their path.

The Daily Mail attacks on benefit claimants, echoing the Tories' lies in a cruder form, have had the consequence of increasing hate crime against disabled people. The conference heard from John McArdle of Black Triangle on their work opposing defamation and victimisation of claimants.

It was guaranteed that any speaker who mentioned a public sector general strike would be applauded. John also suggested if Labour would not defend the National Health Service then unions should withdraw funding. He stopped short of saying what they should do to seek a political alternative but it was a very popular suggestion.

It was a very good conference and will inspire activists to forge the links between disabled groups and the mass of the trade union movement which can bring this government to its knees.