Fight for The Right to Work: A conference to build the resistance

For too long thousands of jobs have been destroyed without resistance. For too long the issue of unemployment—especially youth unemployment—has been ignored. It is time to organise the fightback.

The occupations and campaigns at Visteon, the occupations at Prisme in Dundee and the occupation at Waterford Crystal have changed the atmosphere inside the working class movement.

We desperately need more resistance.

The economic crisis, internationally and domestically, is leading to soaring unemployment, insecurity and devastation of communities.

UK unemployment is well over 2 million and headed sharply upwards. Young people are particularly badly affected. There are already 820,000 unemployed under the age of 25, and 600,000 people leave school this summer. Many will not find jobs.

The government has found hundreds of billions to bailout banks and financial institutions.

But instead of saving jobs, Gordon Brown is pressing ahead with policies that cut them—from Royal Mail to local government to the civil service to the NHS.

Individual unions and the TUC should be leading the fight against job losses by opposing redundancies, resisting closures and demanding a transformation of government policy.

This is a conference to learn from the experience of resistance, encourage more struggles, and bring together trade unionists, the unemployed, school and college leavers.

It’s a chance to increase the pressure on trade union leaders, develop the networks of resistance, and come up with campaigning ideas over the most crucial issue facing workers today.

Make sure you are there, and get your union branch, stewards’ committee, campaign organisation or student union to send delegates.

Download timetable

Victory at Linamar

Comrades, the threatened sacking of Rob Williams, the Unite union convenor at the Linamar plant has been dramatically reversed. Workers at the former Ford/ Visteon factory in Wales had threatened to enter a program of indefinite strike action.

The day before action was due to commence, bosses caved in and re-instated Rob unconditionally. This fantastic example is a clear demonstration of what determined, militant action can acheive with the backing of our union and solidarity networks. All the members who helped out with collections, visits to the factory, and organising solidarity should be commended for their great work.

All-out industrial action is the exception, not the norm, even in this time of heavy recession and massive attacks on workers pay and conditions. Our job is to fan the flames of resistance wherever they appear, and make sure that when workers do fight, they win. Only with a few victories under our belt can we show the rest of the class that standing up for their rights is worth more than lying down.

Call to action: Visteon

Urgent message to all comrades in North London

The Tottenham branch of the SWP is organising a demonstration of support and solidarity with the occupying workers of the Visteon car plant in Enfield. All comrades are urged to be outside the factory, near Ponder's End, no later than 7pm on Friday.

Union bosses will be meeting with Ford bosses to negotiate a deal, but we need to send the message that we are with the workers in their brave fight for justice. Bailiffs have already attempted to remove them on several occasions, which has led to barricades being erected on the entrances to the main plant room.

Solidarity has been universal so far, but we need more. More collecting, more campaigning, and more physical presence at the site. Keep going comrades, this could be the one to light off the bonfire.

Comrades can catch the train to Ponders End from Tottenham Hale station, which runs every half an hour. There will be some car transport available at the station.

Emergency Public Meeting: Why 'British Jobs for British Workers' is no solution to the economic crisis

Millions of working people across Britain are fearful and angry at the mounting economic crisis. Manu­fac­turing industry is now shedding jobs at a rate of 30,000 a month. Now this fear and anger has exploded into unofficial strike action with thousands of workers in oil refineries and power plants walking out.

They are right to want to fight this recession. But the central slogan of the current wave of strike action, “British jobs for British workers”, targets the wrong people and points in a dangerous direction. But “foreign workers” are not to blame for mounting unemployment, rampant subcontracting or worsening pay and conditions on construction sites.

The blame for these things lies squarely with the bosses – of whatever nationality – aided and abetted by neoliberal politicians such as trade secretary Lord Mandelson, the high priest of the free market.

It is our responsibility to argue against right-wing ideas in the strike movement, and put forward the case for solidarity with workers regardless of their nationality. There will be a meeting of the Tottenham branch, to discuss the impact of the current strikes and our response to them at Kitap Evi bookshop, Tottenham High Road, on Thursday the 5th at 7.30pm. All comrades are encouraged to attend.

http://www.swp.org.uk/resources/general030209.pdf

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=17051