All Organisations subcategories:
Committee for a Workers International
Nationalist and National Liberation
Pro capitalist and Imperialist
Left and radical keywords:
International Socialist Resistance (54)
Revolutionary Communist League (1)
Socialist Peoples Party (Denmark) (1)
Socialist Workers Party
22 May 2010
Search site for keywords: British Airways - Occupation - Socialist - SWP - Unite - Socialist Workers Party
Mistaken occupation of British Airways talks
Updated 23 May 2010 15:47
British Airways cabin crew on the picket line, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)
The defeat of Willie Walsh and the brutish British Airways (BA) management is the most important aspect to this dispute.
It is therefore unfortunate that the reported decision of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) members at the end of the Right to Work Conference to invade talks between British Airways management and Unite has partially obscured this issue.
This occupation was completely mistaken.
Whatever the nature of the deal being negotiated it is not for a group like the SWP to decide to break up talks.
Cabin crew
A decision to accept or reject a deal is solely the property of cabin crew and their democratically elected representatives.
In an industrial dispute the final decision on tactics to confront the employer must always rest with the strikers themselves.
Socialists can assist by sharing experiences and ideas in past disputes and building support and solidarity for the strike among the general public.
This has always been the method of the Socialist Party. We will offer our opinion on the course of a dispute to workers but we believe that any initiative taken in support of a dispute should be taken in consultation with the workers themselves.
Key task
A key task for socialists and trade union activists is to raise the confidence of workers to fight not to substitute themselves for workers in struggle.
This will mistakenly create the impression that a special minority of activists will do the fighting leaving workers as bystanders.
The Socialist Party stands for the maximum control of workers over their dispute.
It is the view of the Socialist Party that the actions of the SWP on Saturday was not in the best interests of striking cabin crew workers.
Such tactics will prove to be counter-productive. It is the mass action of cabin crew through their union that is the key to defeating Walsh, not the actions of a self appointed minority.
Despite this we are totally opposed to any victimisation of those who mistakenly took part in this protest.
The priority for all workers in the trade union movement now is to support the cabin crew workers against Walsh and BA management.
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999