UP TO 100,000 low-paid civil servants in job centres and benefit offices (DWP) and the Driving Standards Agency went on strike on 16 and 17 February for better pay.
"I've worked in the DWP for four years" said Patrick from Leytonstone job centre. "The pay has always been poor and the conditions are getting worse. This is the second time I've been on strike and I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was really worth fighting. On a weekly basis we are verbally abused and physically threatened. Enough is enough."
Civil servants are so low-paid that 20,000 are claiming the benefits they administer! Helen, an admin assistant at Bailey Court JobCentre Plus in Sheffield has ten years' service and is paid less than £12,000 a year.
"One claimant with no qualifications just got a job on higher pay than any of us staff on the picket line", she said.
On the first day of the strike a leaked report gave details of up to 80,000 job losses across the civil service. Janice Godrich, president of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) told the socialist:
"If the report was leaked to frighten people into not supporting the strike it didn't work. The numbers on strike exceeded more than we'd ever seen before in the DWP".
Low pay, job cuts, worsening conditions and declining public services - that's the reality for millions of workers under Blair and New Labour. While big business fat cats are given massive tax breaks of billions of pounds a year, they expect some of the lowest paid workers in the public sector to live on poverty wages.
New Labour are prepared to spend up to £10 billion on war and occupation in Iraq but refuse to give workers a decent wage.
But civil servants have shown that even the lowest paid workers have had enough and are prepared to fight back.
THE STRIKE action in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Driving Standards Agency has been incredibly well supported.
In the DWP we've seen 85%-90% of members supporting the strike. It's quite clear that their attitude to the dispute and their willingness to support the strike hardened after management reneged on a previous commitment to negotiate with the union.
The employer now needs to take members views on board and enter into serious negotiations to deal with the problems of low pay, pay deals below inflation and a discriminatory performance and appraisal system. If they don't enter into those negotiations it is clear members' attitudes will continue to harden. The union will keep up the pressure on the employer with a work to rule and further unpaid strike action to try and achieve our aims. There will be a PCS conference on 6 March to discuss the way forward.
At Brighton JobCentre the strike turnout was higher on the second day, with 80-85% out on Monday and 90% out on Tuesday. People were joining the union on the picket line.
In an office in Hastings, a non-member went to work, then came running out after an hour and asked for a membership form saying, "I can't stay in there any more". The big Child Support Agency office in Hastings had its first picket line ever.
It was not evenly supported - all the staff in the small JobCentre in Chichester went to work but the manager came out on strike!
Thomas House, a Socialist Party member at Sussex University, spoke at the strike rally about the AUT strike and the NUS week of action on fees (see back page). There were messages of support from local trade unions like the FBU and the trades council and postal workers respected the picket lines.
Other messages were received from a tutor from the Trade Union College of Finland, who had visited Brighton a couple of years ago and Annie McDonald from the Las Vegas Culinary Workers union, local 226. This is the biggest union in Las Vegas.
DESPITE MANAGEMENT propaganda that even Goebbels would have been proud of, and the fact that the union was not allowed to use email to communicate on any matters to do with industrial action, members' response was emphatic.
One of the highlights was when four casual staff from Charles Street Jobcentre Plus office who went to work on the first day of the strike, decided to stand on the picket line on the second day.
They said they didn't realise that pickets were actually decent people just defending other staff and not the aggressive animals management would have them believe.
This was very brave of them as casual staff in DWP can have their contract revoked at any time.
I was told that management stated that only a third of staff stayed away from work on both days. Nobody actually knows where management pluck these figures from but from the picket lines I attended it was clear that only minimal staff attended work and these were mainly non-members.
Hopefully this will send a message to our draconian management that they may have severely slashed official trade union time given to reps, but they won't break the solidarity shown by our members time and time again on disputes.
"IT'S NOT just an issue of low pay, although there's thousands of workers on less than £15,000, but also the issue of appraisals, which sticks people in pay bands. People end up doing the same job but being paid differently.
Management are also trying to break the union by cutting back on facility time and making it difficult to organise."
I'VE ONLY worked here for three months and I'm already on strike. I'm from France where workers have more of a tradition of going on strike. It's not just about pay, its about working conditions as well. Sometimes I just don't want to go to work in the morning.
DEVOLVED PAY bargaining sucks! We have 150 different bargaining units, which is good for bosses but not workers. It makes the largest departments have the lowest in wages."
I WILL be on strike in support of the union's stand against the university employers. This is not a dispute just about a pay rise.
When a grading review was introduced up and down the country we were assured that there would be no losers. I am angry that they are now attempting to bring in a new salary structure that will lead to the abandonment of national wage-bargaining, widespread downgrading of staff and substantial pay losses across the sector. This will mean that our pay will be decided on where we live, not what we do.
I am also concerned, as an "academic related" member of staff, which includes senior administrators, library and computing staff, that our link with academic staff will be severed. This will leave us in a very vulnerable and exposed position and the AUT will not be able to negotiate for us - and as a group we make up 25% of the AUT's membership.
It's therefore important that we support the strike action, and it's gratifying that the AUT has linked up with the National Union of Students to shut down universities next week and campaign jointly against the marketisation of higher education.
"This is about defending higher education as a whole. It's not just about top-up fees and pay and conditions. "These are all elements of New Labour's agenda for the marketisation of education."
"The AUT and students are affected by the same cuts so it makes sense that we respond in a united struggle."
"Students were already planning action against top-up fees, so this is a golden opportunity to link up with lecturers in the AUT and be more visible and powerful and show people that the campaign is still going on."
RECENTLY SOCIALIST Party councillors Chris Flood and Ian Page put forward a motion calling on Lewisham council and the three local Labour MPs to oppose top-up tuition fees. Here is part of Chris's speech.
"TOP-UP fees of up to £3,000 a year will mean many more students leaving university with huge debts of over £20,000. After tuition fees came in, we saw applications to university fall, especially from the poorest section of society.
Last year university applications from young people in England and Wales rose after falling in 2002, which is welcome. But the universities' 'clearing house' UCAS said applications from under-21 year olds in England rose by 1.5% and by 1.1% in Wales, whereas those from Scottish students, who don't have to pay tuition fees upfront, increased by 2.9%.
The argument that top-up fees will actually make students better off as the repayment threshold will increase is dishonest - student debt is set to double.
The government says higher education is a ticket to higher earnings. This might apply to someone working with a City firm but what about someone working in the public sector such as teaching and the NHS?
And the new funding arrangements will not solve the £8 billion black hole of under-investment in universities. Oxford University Chancellor Chris Patten warns that top up fees of £3,000 a year would only scratch the surface of higher education's funding crisis.
If we support this "co-payment" system, "marketisation", in principle then we'll be supporting future 'co-payments' in health and other public sector areas.
The government say everyone should contribute something to their education, But people already do... it's called taxation!
They then say 80% of taxpayers never went to university - so why should they pay? But on that basis why should those without children pay for schools, or those without cars pay for roads? Once political parties start to question who should pay for what, the idea of national collective provision crumbles.
This legislation will adversely affect applications, worsen debt and do little to address the current funding crisis. We call on this council and our local MPs to support Goldsmiths College, its students and future students by opposing this legislation and supporting our motion."
After hearing Chris speak, Lewisham council's Labour leadership ruled out voting as they don't deal with higher education! But such bureaucratic manoeuvres wouldn't be able to save New Labour nationally if the burning anger over top-up fees was fully organised.
"I HELP to organise International Socialist Resistance (ISR) in Walthamstow, the group referred to in the article, and am one of the people who acting headteacher John McCormack met leafleting at Walthamstow School for Girls.
Mr McCormack complains that we campaign amongst school students, recently against the war on Iraq and now against university top-up fees. Millions of people opposed the war in Iraq, and millions oppose top-up fees.
On the day war started, tens of thousands of school students took action all over the country. In Walthamstow alone, over 3,000 walked out of school and college and demonstrated through the borough before going to parliament. Students at Walthamstow School for Girls were among the most inspiring on that day, making their own banners and showing great determination to have their voices heard.
The issue of tuition fees and access to decent education is a burning one for young people. It is a disgrace that after having a free education themselves, Labour government ministers are turning education into a privilege for the rich. Many young people feel they have no choice but to fight for their own futures.
The media accuse young people of being apathetic, but when they show that they are not, they are just being "led astray". The strikes and protests against the war and fees show how serious young people are about both international events and issues directly affecting them. Most of these students have had great support from their parents and teachers.
ISR does not insist that school students strike; we encourage young people to discuss, to take advice, and to decide for themselves what action they want to take.
Strike action is not truancy. It is a method of protest used by workers and young people worldwide to make their voices heard. Even the Independent newspaper, in November last year, said school students should have the right to strike.
Of course attending school is important - that's why we campaign for free access to good quality education. But I don't recall John McCormack writing to the press to complain about young people missing school to greet the England rugby team, or about the lack of secondary school places in London which means that hundreds of young people miss weeks of lessons.
School students are not too young to protest. You can join the army at 15, you can work for peanuts from the age of 13. But it seems that when it comes to protesting about the deaths of thousands of people in unnecessary wars, or fighting for free education, young people are told they can't think for themselves.
The article stated that ISR has no contact number. This is untrue. All our leaflets have our postal address, phone number, email address and website all clearly displayed. I enclose a copy of the leaflet we distributed outside Walthamstow School for Girls. Contrary to the sinister implications in your article, we welcome calls from young people, parents and teachers. Our phone number is 020 8558 7947.
Why is Mr McCormack so afraid of his students having opinions, and protesting about something which directly affects their lives? I challenge him to a debate in his school on tuition fees and young people's right to protest."
Paula Mitchell
RECENTLY THE Socialist Party took part in a debate, part of the course for A-level politics students, at Ounsdale High School in Wombourne just outside Wolverhampton. The Freedom Party, a small split from the far-right BNP, have a councillor here.
The debate included the Socialist Party, Tories, Greens, and the Lib Dems.
We were given five minutes to put our case, with a big majority in the audience voting for the Socialist Party.
However, this provoked a sharp leftward move by the Lib Dems and the final vote showed that they won with 15 votes, followed by ourselves with 11, the Tories with three and the Greens with just one.
Quite a few students showed an interest in the party.
All Socialist Party branches should write to schools and colleges asking to speak in such events to put our ideas across.
He told the socialist: "The legacy of outgoing general secretary McAvoy's leadership is of failure. Ordinary teachers have a deadening workload which has driven many of them out of teaching. Many older teachers would like to take early retirement but now the government is trying to block that.
"There's under-funding, there's a pay freeze, there's performance related pay, SATs, privatisation, management bullying. There's OFSTED, there's teaching on the cheap. There's so many issues there's huge discontent in the staff room.
"But many ordinary teachers are really angry that the union has let them down.
And that's why I'm standing to change the NUT union. Teachers need to see there's someone at the top of the union who's actually in touch with them, who understands what the problems facing teachers are and is actually going to do something about them."
Martin is standing as a teachers' leader on a teacher's salary, for an end to teachers' excessive workloads and for the union to organise effective action against performance pay and the pay freeze.
He's also standing for a serious campaign to end SATs and league tables and for unity in action against the government's plans for teaching on the cheap - for strike action to oppose unqualified staff taking teaching posts and for decent pay and conditions for all education staff.
He's also campaigning to defend the right to retire at 60 on a full pension.
To find out more about the campaign see the website:
http://elect-martin.tripod.com
email: [email protected]
tel: 07946 445488
ONLY AT the age of nine was Jack seen to be walking for the first time. It was with the aid of the water in the school baths but his achievement inspired the whole school and all his family.
It started when another pupil noticed his concentrated and determined attempt to cross the width of the pool, on his own, and without the attention of his peers. When half way across the awed witness shouted, "Jack is walking!" A moment's silence followed and then the whole class began to chant in time, "Jack is walking, Jack is walking, Jack is walking...."
When Jack reached the other side he raised his arms in victory and screamed with great vigour, "Yeesssss!" The chant then changed to "Jack! Jack! Jack!" The teachers were exhilarated and gave the class 'Free Time'.
While the children enjoyed themselves the staff stood silently remembering what they had been privileged to witness, some wept with joy. One teacher said he had never experienced a more fulfilling moment in his entire teaching career.
Later the teacher in charge, after some thought, realised this was an opportunity to be built on and went to see Jack's teacher. He suggested that Jack followed a week-long programme devised to develop the potential they had all witnessed.
The teacher said no. The next year was Year 6 and Year 6 is SATs year. There's no way we can have any pupil out of class in SATs year. Literacy and numeracy are too important.
The other teacher, astonished, made clear his feelings about this decision, muttered his profanity under his breath, and walked away.
This is a true story, which can be authenticated. Sadly it reflects the deterioration in education as increasingly the curriculum is further narrowed and distorted at every level. The fact that common sense is also now a casualty for many in the profession is a clear sign that things have gone far enough.
Teachers must campaign to build a leadership, which will in turn build its members' confidence so that we can end the damage being done to a generation of children.
THREE SHOP stewards from Aldergrove Airport, Belfast, who were sacked for daring to strike in support of a pay rise, have won an important part of their battle for justice.
Gordon McNeill and Madan Gupta (now Socialist Party members) were, along with Chris Bowyer, sacked for organising a strike by low-paid workers in May 2002 against their employer ICTS.
Gordon explained how their union official Joe McCusker
"called us out on official strike. Then, when we were on strike, he told ICTS that he had repudiated our action - the company then used this as their excuse to sack us... A week earlier he had given ICTS an assurance that there would be no strike.
"The TGWU code of practice clearly says that, where a shop steward is dismissed, an immediate inquiry will be set up to investigate... Up to now, this right has been denied us."
The workers ask why this happened. "Were we set up? What links, if any, existed between our official and our employer, ICTS? We have been asking these questions for nearly two years and have not been given answers. That is why we need an inquiry."
So angry were these workers that Gordon and Madan even threatened to begin a hunger strike in Belfast's TGWU building.
On hearing this news, Teresa Mackay, Socialist Party member and TGWU activist in the agricultural workers' section, rang general secretary Tony Woodley's office to argue the workers' case.
Gordon and Madan agreed to call off their hunger strike after the TGWU agreed to their call for an inquiry to investigate all that happened during their dispute, including the events leading up to their sacking and for McCusker to sign an affidavit clarifying that he told them that their strike was both legal and official.
Gordon McNeill said they were very pleased with the outcome.
"The unfortunate thing is that it has taken almost two years and the desperate step of a hunger strike to get this result."
Gordon and Madan are now confident the truth will come out.
"This decision now leaves us free to do what we wanted to do all along; concentrate our fight against our employer, ICTS, to make sure other low-paying companies cannot get away with sacking workers for going on strike."
Unions Mobilise Against BNP
AROUND 250 members of many different trade unions gathered in a demonstration to defend the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) headquarters on 16 February.
Molly Cooper NUJ national executive member, (personal capacity)
The fascist BNP had said they were going to picket the NUJ HQ, over supposed biased reporting of an attack on a white youth in Oldham.
However, the BNP’s real 'concern' for justice is shown by the intimidation and threats NUJ members have faced in recent months, for reporting on the fascists and exposing their racist and criminal activities.
The BNP picket kept up this policy of intimidation.
This demonstration sent a clear message to the BNP that their attempts to intimidate the trade union movement will not be tolerated.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber spoke at the rally.
After another NUJ member and myself drew up a leaflet for the local Sixth Form College, some young college students joined the protest.
Against this united show of strength by the trade union movement, the BNP could only turn out 37 fascists on their picket.
The trade union movement must now unite its members in a campaign to provide a political alternative to the BNP.
A fight for jobs not racism, against public sector cuts and privatisation, for decent housing etc. can mobilise working-class people and stop the threat of fascism.
Cumbria rail disaster
Privatisation Kills
ONCE AGAIN, Britain's privatised, split and profit-obsessed rail system has led to deaths on the track. On 14 February, four rail repair workers were killed by a runaway wagon on a mountainous stretch of line in Cumbria.
An unmanned wagon full of scrap rails was, according to new evidence, secured merely by two small pieces of wood jammed under the wheels. Nothing could stop it from gaining speed on the slope - some rail workers claim it could have reached 80-90 mph.
The wagon carried no lights, the workers could not see it coming. Their new clumsy safety helmets, which were disliked by the workers, may also have prevented them hearing approaching trains.
Why are there still tragic incidents like this on a modern railway? Privatisation is the main reason - firms put their profits before safety. In January 2003, just a short distance from the scene of this disaster, a runaway wagon careered out of control for almost two miles before it was stopped.
Both incidents involved modified road trailers on sloping track and both were on sections where privatised maintenance firm Carillion Rail was in charge.
Carillion is a privatising 'octopus' - its £2 billion turnover comes from various activities - health, rail etc. Even the privatised train operators have complained about its rail business' poor standard of upkeep and almost non-existent supervision of track workers.
Carillion, the other four contractors on the line and Network Rail clearly didn't act on the lessons of the 2003 crash. Why didn't they fit automatic hydraulic trailer brake systems to all such wagons? Was it greed for profit?
We clearly can't trust privatised rail companies to keep up safety for workers or passengers. The rail union RMT were quite right to demand a public inquiry into this case and into safety management across the rail system.
We don't want a Hutton-style whitewash where upper-crust experts shrink from recommending that private rail owners are put on trial for corporate manslaughter.
We need a real inquiry by working people, passengers and rail workers, which can show the folly of leaving safety to profit-driven privatisers.
The Socialist Party argues for a publicly owned rail and transport industry under democratic working-class control and management which can make real investments in improving safety on the system.
Socialist Party conference 2004
Socialism On The March
Exactly one year after 2 million people took to the streets of London to oppose the Iraq war the Socialist Party held its national conference. After a year of intense activity some 250 delegates and visitors came together to assess the Socialist Party's progress and discuss the way forward. New members who had joined as a result of the anti-war movement came together with veterans of past struggles. This was the one of the most successful Socialist Party conferences ever.
(Socialist Party members can get full reports at their next branch meetings and from their national committee members.)
The world after the Iraq war
"THE WAR in Iraq has had an effect like no other event - particularly as far as a war is concerned - for a decade or more, and its effects will be felt for a long time," said Peter Taaffe, who opened the key discussion on the Iraq war.
It could result in the toppling of the main imperialist warmongers Bush and Blair. Their 'popularity' has slumped after the failure to find weapons of mass destruction and the deepening 'quagmire' of the occupation. The plans of the White House neo-conservatives for the military and political reconquest of the Middle East by the US are in tatters. Adding to the chaos in Iraq is the failure of imperialism to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Bush and Blair also pose a threat to the working class in the US and Britain with their 'war on terrorism'. This 'war' is being used as a cover to attack democratic rights by introducing widespread draconian laws.
In the debate Alistair Tice, Yorkshire, said the US will spend a colossal $400 billion on the military this year (at the cost of cutting spending on public services). The relationship between the White House and defence contractors is "incestuous". Moreover, war itself was increasingly being privatised. The second largest military force in Iraq was now 10,000 privately contracted military personnel.
Jim Hensman, Coventry, reminded delegates that the growth of right-wing political Islam and al-Qa'ida was a consequence of imperialism.
US strategy during the 'cold war' with the Soviet Union had been to finance and arm such groups. Moreover, economic collapse, Western-backed Arab regimes and, crucially, the lack of a socialist alternative, have combined to bolster such reactionary forces.
Clare Doyle, Committee for a Workers' International, pointed out that movements of the working class against capitalism can cut across reactionary developments. For example, on 24 April 2003 there was an all-India, 50-million strong general strike against the Hindu-chauvinist BJP government's privatisation plans.
The faltering world economic situation also came under scrutiny. Michael Calderbank, London, explained the unsustainable 'neo-liberal' policies of the US. "Bush's economics of the madhouse is a slur on the insane".
In his reply, national committee member Lynn Walsh said the war and occupation had rebounded on the US ruling class.
He added that the mass anti-war movements, including the 15 February 2003 demos when millions marched worldwide, showed the potential of mobilising not only against the imperialist war but against the underlying capitalist system itself. This fact was recognised by the New York Times which said, a "second superpower has emerged".
Lynn explained that the 'job loss US recovery' couldn't sustain a world economic revival as it was based on tax cuts for the rich, the housing bubble, credit boom and massive indebtedness. He added that workers worldwide were fighting this "neo-liberal hell" with strikes and even general strike movements.
Britain - new battles
THE DEBATE on political developments in Britain was introduced by Hannah Sell. Hannah began by explaining how the big business policies of New Labour government, the war on Iraq and the Hutton inquiry white-wash, punitive tuition fees, privatisation and attacks on the public sector, are transforming the political outlook amongst the working class. This is reflected in the historic decision of the RMT to fund the Scottish Socialist Party, leading to its expulsion from the Labour Party.
RMT union activist Arwyn Thomas, Lambeth, said that in 12 out of 15 RMT London Underground branches which had held meetings to discuss breaking with Labour, not one person had spoken in favour of retaining the link.
Hannah said our demand for a new mass workers' party to replace Labour is beginning to chime with trade unionists.
Union activist Glenn Kelly, Hackney, said the break with New Labour is being complicated both by the union leaders claiming that they can 'reclaim' Labour from Blair's grip and also by those who fudge the building of a new party by talking solely of 'democratising' the unions' political funds.
Hannah referred to the Socialist Workers Party-dominated Respect coalition, headed by the expelled Labour MP, George Galloway. This body has less democratic structures and a weaker political programme than the SWP-led Socialist Alliance which it eclipses. In fact, by going even more politically broad with Respect, the SWP leaders have had to rubbish the Alliance for its 'explicit socialism'.
Ian Page, London, recounted the Socialist Party's council by-election success in Lewisham. There, said Ian, electors weren't put off voting for Chris Flood because of the "S-word" (socialism).
Clive Heemskerk, national committee, warned that a continuing political vacuum to the left of Labour would let the right-wing media dominate issues like asylum and immigration, allowing the growth of far-right and neo-fascist parties like the BNP.
Teresa Mackay, Ipswich, said the unions must organise and champion the cause of the super-exploited migrant workers and expose profits-hungry global capitalism.
Guest Speakers
THREE GUEST speakers inspired the conference.
First was Tony Mulhearn, one of the leading figures in the historic battle which Liverpool City council had with Thatcher's Tories. "We were politicians who carried out the policies we were elected on," he explained, and he detailed the successful battle to create jobs and build homes, schools and leisure facilities.
Then, as now, almost all other Labour councillors were carrying out Tory cuts and showing themselves to be incapable of mobilising a battle to protect the interests of the working class.
Joe Higgins, a member of parliament in Southern Ireland, spoke on the battle against the hated bin tax, for which he and other Socialist Party members were jailed. The Socialist Party has built up enormous respect during this struggle, so they'll be standing 14 candidates in the local elections in June and Joe will be standing in the European elections.
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) branch secretary Steve Minney brought greetings from the Nottinghamshire NUM. He painted a vivid picture of the historic battle the miners had with the Tory government 20 years ago. He thanked Militant (the Socialist Party's predecessor) for the help we gave in the strike. He ended with: "The NUM supports you in the struggle for socialism."
Party building: the trade unions
BILL MULLINS introduced the discussion on trade union work by reporting that 19 Socialist Party members, including CWI members from Scotland and Northern Ireland, have positions on trade union national executive committees.
The current upsurge in strike and other industrial action has exposed the weaknesses of some of the current trade union leaders and underlined the need to rebuild the shop stewards' movement.
Roger Bannister, Merseyside, reported on the important victory that Knowsley UNISON had scored, to defend the 35-hour week and to reduce the working hours of other staff. Management wanted to extend working hours to harmonise with those working the longest but strike action forced through the exact opposite.
He went on to say that workers are clearly prepared to struggle, many for the first time - much of the increased militancy has come from people new to action. But many groups of workers are frustrated by their own trade union leadership even including some of the 'left' leaders.
Josie Nicholls from Leicester explained how Socialist Party branches were intervening into an increasing number of disputes, many quite bitter struggles, like the Leicester College strike (see page 7). The conference carried a message of support to the strikers.
Dave Simpson from Manchester spoke about the effect the firefighters' strike had had on him as a relatively new FBU branch secretary. Trying to provide a local leadership during the dispute was difficult but the experience had opened his eyes to politics and inspired him to join the Socialist Party.
There were many more contributions from delegates in unions and workplaces all over the country, showing the wealth of experience and fighting spirit in the party's ranks. Many delegates underlined the importance of the socialist in leading and intervening in workers' struggles.
When Ken Smith summed up the debate he warned of disputes likely in many industries, for example the post office and the rail industry. And the debate about the trade unions' links with the Labour Party will continue, with political fund ballots looming in several unions.
Resolutions were carried on organising in the trade unions and intervening in strikes.
Party building: youth and student work
OPENING THE discussion on 'youth and student work' Clare James, national committee, spoke about the radicalisation of thousands of young people over the last year.
The war against Iraq had sparked off huge demonstrations worldwide and led many young people to question capitalist society.
The Socialist Party and International Socialist Resistance (ISR) have proved that we can tap into this mood and the search for socialist ideas, particularly over our call for school student strikes on the day the war started.
58 delegates were young people. Colin Wray noted how two years ago he was the only young conference delegate from Sheffield. Now he was one of five. Socialist Student societies at both universities and a flourishing ISR branch showed the potential for attracting young people with socialist ideas.
Peter O'Hare reported that the average age of the Manchester branch is less than 23. He stressed the need for young members to be given responsibility in the branches.
Tom Baldwin from Bristol emphasised the importance of persevering in discussing with young people interested in socialist ideas in order to get them to join.
Greg Maughan from Northumbria University said that consistent work on his campus, with regular campaign stalls and meetings was the key to being recognised and building support.
Michael Wainwright, who had joined the Labour Party (LP) when he was 15, was impressed by how democratic the conference was, in contrast to LP conferences, and by the clarity of the political ideas being discussed.
Summing up, Lois Austin said that, worldwide, 74 million youth are unemployed. Millions more are growing up in poverty, without access to education. The future is bleak for young people under capitalism but there is the potential to win them to socialism and the idea of building a movement that can overthrow capitalism.
The conference agreed to aim for half of new members to be young people and that every branch should have two school student members by the end of the year.
In addition, a national youth committee will be established which will be elected by the national committee. Its aim is to politically develop young members. Conference also agreed, as a priority, to continue to build ISR over the next year.
Party building: recruitment, campaigns...
THE SESSION on building the Socialist Party gave a real picture of how our party has grown since the last conference. Introducing the debate, Judy Beishon explained how the war in Iraq radicalised tens of thousands of young people, many of whom are looking for an alternative to a system which creates war and poverty.
Half of the new members who joined the Socialist Party in 2003 were under the age of 26 and in some areas, such as Manchester and Sheffield, branches are mainly comprised of young people.
Delegates reported on campaigns that they have been leading in local areas: Denise Thomas, Cardiff, spoke about how Socialist Party members initiated the community campaign to stop the downgrading of the maternity unit at Baglan hospital.
Socialist Party councillor Rob Windsor, explained how our councillors can give a voice to working-class people and can be a catalyst for movements locally. However, he added, in everything we are doing we shouldn't forget to ask people to join the Socialist Party.
Vicky Perrin, a new member from Halifax, spoke about how her local branch has supported her in her work as an education support assistant. The Socialist Party can provide the 'yes' answers, she said, to all those people who only know what they are against.
Manchester and Bristol branches have organised very successful special meetings to discuss many of the questions that new party members have about socialism and the Socialist Party.
Ruth Williams, Hackney, reported that fighting discrimination such as homophobic bullying in schools has been taken up by the party's revitalised Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) group.
Zena Awad, national committee, described the work of the Black and Asian group, how it produced a newspaper Nidal Eshtraki for the anti-war work and was producing a pamphlet on right-wing political Islam and socialism.
Conference agreed targets for building the Socialist Party and increasing sales of the socialist and Socialism Today. A resolution from Swansea branch was also passed outlining the importance of campaigning on issues of particular concern to women, such as low pay, childcare and against sexism, and how we can involve more women in our party.
Branches will be building for the "No more lies" national demonstration on 20 March in London, called by the Stop the War Coalition.
In June the Socialist Party will be standing candidates in the local elections and on 26 and 27 June we will be holding Socialism 2004, our annual weekend of discussion and debate.
International
The SOCIALIST Party is affiliated to the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI).
Tony Saunois, CWI general secretary, reported to the conference about some of the inspiring work that the CWI is involved in, in 36 countries around the world.
"There has been a renewal of industrial struggle in Europe" said Tony "and in some countries we have been able to shape those movements".
Eckhard Geitz from Germany gave a first-hand account of how CWI members in SAV helped bring out 200,000 students and school students on strike against the war with Iraq. They also played a key role in bringing about a demonstration of 100,000 workers in Berlin against cuts.
Across Latin America there have been uprisings of workers, the urban poor and indigenous peoples. Tony spoke about the new workers' party that has been established in Brazil by workers disillusioned with President Lula and his PT party. In Sao Paulo, three out of 18 members of the organising committee are CWI members. In Chile, a number of young people have joined our party.
In many countries, CWI members are fighting to build our international in difficult conditions. In Israel, members have been imprisoned for refusing to serve in the army in the occupied territories against the Palestinians. In war-torn Sri Lanka, both Sinhalese and Tamil workers are joining our party.
CWI members from throughout the Asian subcontinent attended the recent World Social Forum in Mumbai, India. Applications to join the CWI have been pouring in and we have now established the beginnings of a new branch in Mumbai and have supporters in Tamil Nadu.
The second-largest party of the CWI is in Nigeria, where members are carrying out mass work and played a leading role in the recent movement against fuel price rises. The CWI is also gaining support in new areas including Poland, Ghana, Serbia and Bulgaria.
Party finances and structures
AN ENCOURAGING report was given by Jane James, the Socialist Party's national treasurer. Since the last conference the income from regular donations had increased but the demands on our finances are also increasing with the upswing in class struggle in Britain and internationally.
On the big anti-war demos we were the only people putting forward a clear analysis and arguing for a socialist alternative. But all the material like leaflets and placards costs money. Resolutions with new financial targets were passed, including for the fighting fund and paper sales.
National Committee
CHANGES WERE made to the structure of the party's national committee (NC) to make it smaller and more able to meet the new challenges. Some of the new generation of party members were elected to the NC.
A new team of Auditors and an Appeals Committee composed of branch members were elected at conference
Fundraising
Socialist Party councillor Chris Flood, Lewisham, made the fundraising appeal to help meet the Party's campaigning commitments over the coming weeks and months. Delegates responded by donating in large and small amounts a fantastic £8,992.
In addition, many present increased their current membership dues. We urge all our party members to do the same.
A thirst for ideas netted over £1,200 at the bookstall. In addition copies of Socialist Party's publications - Empire defeated: Vietnam War - the lessons for today, Socialism in the 21st Century, and the Introducing Marxism pack were sold and bulk orders for branch sales taken.
"I'VE REALLY enjoyed this conference, it's been very educational, very stimulating and a fantastic experience for a new member. The main discussions showed what I needed to read more on.
"The fact that as the newest recruit in my Socialist Party branch I was able to speak in a session, showed what a good forum this conference was."
Vicky Perrin, Halifax, and a low-paid educational support worker with Calderdale council.
"IT'S BEEN a very busy weekend but I found it an inspiring conference and very reassuring about the democratic way our decisions are made."
Bernie Lyons, Bristol, and PCS member.
Audio version of this document
To hear an audio version of this document click here.
What the Socialist Party stands for
The Socialist Party fights for socialism – a democratic society run for the needs of all and not the profits of a few. We also oppose every cut, fighting in our day-to-day campaigning for every possible improvement for working class people.
The organised working class has the potential power to stop the cuts and transform society.As capitalism dominates the globe, the struggle for genuine socialism must be international.
The Socialist Party is part of the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI), a socialist international that organises in many countries.
Our demands include:
Public services
- No to ALL cuts in jobs, public services and benefits. Defend our pensions.
- 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 and 'free schools'!
- 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.
Work and income
- Trade union struggle for an immediate increase in the minimum wage to £12 an hour without exemptions as a step towards a real living wage of at least £15 an hour. For an annual increase in the minimum wage linked to average earnings. Scrap zero hour contracts.
- 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.
- Reject 'workfare'. For the right to decent benefits, education, training, or a job, without compulsion.
- Scrap the anti-trade union laws! For fighting trade unions, democratically controlled by their members. Full-time union officials to be regularly elected and receive no more than a worker's wage. Support the National Shop Stewards Network.
- A 35-hour week with no loss of pay.
Environment
- Major research and investment into replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and into ending the problems of early obsolescence and unrecycled waste.
- Public ownership of the energy generating industries. No to nuclear power. No to Trident.
- 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, gender, 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.
- For the right to vote at 16.
Mass workers' party
- For a mass workers’ party drawing together workers, young people and activists from workplace, community, environmental, anti-racist and anti-cuts campaigns, to provide a fighting, political alternative to the pro-big business parties.
Socialism and internationalism
- No to imperialist wars and occupations.
- Tax the super-rich! For a socialist government to take into public ownership the top 150 companies and the banking system 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' neoliberal European Union and single market. For a socialist Europe and a socialist world!
Audio version of this document
To hear an audio version of this document click here.
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/5648