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The Socialist 1 October 2014

Pay cuts: Angry and ready to strike!

No to imperialist war

US led bombings will worsen divisions

Hong Kong: "umbrella revolution" changes everything

More brutal cuts from the imploding Tories

Labour: no real alternative

Housing - a history of class struggle

Them & Us

Pay cuts: Angry and ready to strike!

Local government pay: Reject employers' proposal

Hove Park victory: academies can be stopped

Doncaster Care UK workers start record strike

Continuing Bob Crow's legacy after RMT election

CWU's political fund and political voice

York University - Student housing letting agency victory

Round up: Socialist Students at the freshers fairs

What party should students vote for?

Support the E15 mums

Scotland is in a party joining mood

Fire and rescue... rescued

Wet books: send bucks!

Labour's housing failure

A day in the life of an agency worker

Film review: Still the enemy within

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Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/827/19322

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CWU needs a political fund but also political representation

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is this month balloting all members on whether to retain its political fund.

All trade unions with such a fund legally have to hold a full postal ballot every ten years.

Recent CWU campaigns, including opposing Royal Mail privatisation, the remote sourcing of BT call centres and post office closures, have relied heavily on the political fund.

The union leadership, recognising the anger towards the Labour Party from rank and file members, has stated that: "Political fund review ballots are not about affiliation to the Labour Party."

Labour allowed the Con-Dem government to privatise the Royal Mail without so much as a whimper.

The Labour leadership went further by overturning the decision of its conference to renationalise the service if it wins the 2015 general election!

The CWU should run a separate poll over its affiliation to the Labour Party.

It is important that trade union members have a political voice. For that reason the Socialist Party supports the retention of the political fund.

But this support is alongside campaigning for disaffiliation from the pro-austerity Labour Party and laying the foundations for a new mass workers' party.