Socialist Fight

Build GRL rank-and-file in Unite! No support for sell-out McCluskey! No cuts, fight for needs budgets!

n the good old tradition of Ken Jackson, Roger Lyons and Derek Simpson Len McCluskey has sought to extend his term of office in a snap election, three years early and with the shortest possible timetable; nominations from 1st January 2013 to 15th February 2013, Ballot period 18th March 2013 till 12th April 2013, Declaration 15th April 2013.

that stopped. He argues that a novel method of payment by results would offer much better value for money for Unite members. He added that in his view Unite should only fund those MPs that support Unites policies.

Why has the SP, a self-declared Trotskyist party, decided to support the bureaucrat McCluskey without giving the rank-and-file second-placed canThis is obviously an appalling undemocratic manoeuvre to use the apparatus didate in the last election a hearing? to ensure the re-election with all oppo- Is it, in the words of the AWLs apoloThe disgraceful Miliband slogan which Len gist for the bureaucracy Jim Denham, nents at the obvious disadvantage of McCluskey had Unites stewards sporting on not possessing the resources of the inensuring the continuity of left pro- their hi viz vests on the first 500, 000 Grand cumbent. As ever the stooge United gressive leadership in the labour Old Duke of York demo on 26 March 2011. Left front provide a cover they met on movements leading organisation the 8th following McCluskeys declaraand to reaffirm its present dynamic, for this reason that the bloc of Stalin tion on the 7th with no other possible progressive course with the strike-breaker Purcell was so candidate given the chance to address criminal. Remember what Trotsky had to say the meeting no need for the second about the British TU bureaucracy, Note: Purcell, Hicks and Cook were the placed candidate in the last Gen Sec election Jerry Hicks to walk out this time In the capitalist states, the most mon- Lefts at the time of the 1926 General he was not even invited. The Socialist strous forms of bureaucratism are to be Strike, in fact a lot more left than the Party and the NSSN has decided to sup- observed precisely in the trade unionsIt present squad of Crow, Serwotka and port Len McCluskey without giving any is thanks to it that the whole structure of McCluskey. Trotsky did not make any other candidate a hearing. capitalism now stands upright, above all qualitative differentiation between them and the Rights, in fact it was the Apparently McCluskey does not want his in Europe and especially in Britain. If Lefts who dealt the fatal body blow to there were not a bureaucracy of the re-election campaign to coincide with trade unions, then the police, the army, the General Strike in the end. the General Election in 2015 to avoid It is no secret that the main aim of the embarrassment to the Labour party. But the courts, the lords, the monarchy SP/NSSN is to recruit Unite to its panit is here that Unite would have the op- would appear before the proletarian masses as nothing but pitiful ridiculous theon of Left unions/Gen Secs to comportunity to put the maximum pressure plete its line up of RMT, PCS, CWU, on Labour, surely now the next govern- playthings. The bureaucracy of the trade unions is the backbone of British NUM, POA, NUJ, BFAWU. Unite sponment. But as Jerry Hicks said I guess imperialism sored its Jarrow Crusade and relations this all goes hand in hand/glove with Unites political strategy of reclaiming The Marxist will say to the British work- seem to be developing. Unlike Trotsky Labour, or the one way relationship as ers: The trade union bureaucracy is the the SP/NSSN makes a qualitative differwould be a better description. Unite in chief instrument for your oppression by ences between the Lefts and the Rights in the TU, see NSSN statement the last 2 years alone has handed over the bourgeois state. Power must be 6 million of its members money to Lawrested from the hands of the bourgeoi- of 30 November 2012 anniversary of 2011: bour, as well as the 10s of millions over sie and for that its principal agent, the the years. trade union bureaucracy, must be over- But some of the union leaders settled According to Jerry Hicks it is about time thrown. Parenthetically, it is especially and killed the momentum (in 2011), despite the best efforts of those like PCS, POA, RMT, Unite, ISU, NIPSA and UCU McCluskey champions two-tier workforce in Ellesmere Port Duncan Aldred, chairman, Vauxhall Motors welcomed the deal that instituted a two- who tried to salvage the dispute this May. tier workforce at Ellesmere Port. He hailed the groundbreaking levels of flexibility
and could require workers to work round the clock to meet production targets if necessary. Wages have been cut by almost half for new starters. Pension and health plans have been abolished. Unites Len McCluskey was unrepentant: From a position of uncertainty earlier this year, there is now a potential for a future at the plant until 2020 and beyond. Importantly this move will also bring component supplier plants back into the UK, a development that strengthens our manufacturing base generally. However, he said he recognised that Ellesmere Port's good news could spell bad news for other GM operations in Europe. But still British jobs for British workers at any cost is his chauvinist anti-internationalist class-collaborationist outlook!

But there is a seeming insurmountable problem for the SP/NSSN. As Jerry Hicks has pointed out above McCluskey is the main supporter of the Labour party leadership. The SP/NSSN are for standing as TUSC against Labour, making relationships very difficult, no matter how opportunist they have become on other matters like supporting undemocratic

Contact: Socialist Fight: PO Box 59188, London, NW2 9LJ. Email: Socialist_Fight@yahoo.co.uk

manoeuvres like snap re-elections. Like Trotsky we are opposed to breaking the TU/Labour party link, we are for democratising it and fighting for a genuine rank -and-file movement in the TU to do that. Jerry Hicks stood on this platform in 2010, the SWP supported him following a revolt in their membership against the leadership. And there is no qualitative difference between the TU bureaucrat McCluskey and Ed Miliband. See the photo of McCluskey endorsing cuts too far too fast above. This is what Trotsky has to say about that relationship,

We must prepare for this by renewing the Labour movement, linking up with We have seen only a fraction of the cuts those within and outside the Labour to come first planned by Chancellor party who want to fight. We begin with George Osborne in 2010the total is the core organised working class movealmost 600 billion, and that is without ment, the trade unions, and from there the readjustments necessitated by the we must take the struggle into the Lashrinkage of the economy and tax take bour party. To do this we promote the due to these deflationary policies. So far principles and practices of the R+F in all Up to now, we have not mentioned the less than 15% has been implemented. our areas of work. These principles Labour Party which, in Britain, the clas- What are the prospects of the official should include, sic country of trade unions, is only a Labour movement leading a fightback Build Rank and File movements in the political transposition of the same against these vicious cuts? Even if LaTUs! trade union bureaucracy. The same bour wins in 2015 it will continue these Democratise the unions! leaders guide the trade unions, betray cuts without let-up. Shadow chancellor Elections of all union officials! the General Strike, lead the electoral Ed Balls told the Guardian, The public campaign and later on sit in the minis Officials to be paid no more than the want to know that we are going to be tries. The Labour Party and the trade average skilled workers wage! ruthless and disciplined in how we go unions these are not two principles, Public works at TU rates of pay to about public spending. And at the Lathey are only a technical division of bour Conference, we cannot make any give work to the unemployed! labour. Together they are the fundacommitments now that the next Labour No to the two-tier workforce! mental support of the domination of the government will be able to reverse par Defeat the anti-union laws! British bourgeoisie. The latter cannot be ticular tax rises or spending cuts. No to British Jobs for British Workers! overthrown without overthrowing the Labourite bureaucracy. And that cannot And what are the intentions of the trade Forward to the International Solidarbe attained by opposing the trade union union and Labour council leaders, surely ity of all the working class and opas such to the state as such, but by the they will lead a fightback? They have no pressed! intention of doing so. active opposition of the Communist Build a National Housing Campaign to Party to the Labourite bureaucracy in At a meeting with about fifty of its fight for decent social housing for all! all fields of social life. In the trade unCouncillors, including Council and La Defend the NHS, no privatisation! ions, in strikes, in the electoral cambour group leaders, on 12 November paign, in parliament and in power. The 2010 in Leeds, Unite newly elected Gen- Nationalise the banks and major industries under the control of workers principal task of a real party of the pro- eral Secretary Len McCluskey got his letariat consists of putting itself at the deputy Gail Cartmell to instruct them to and working class communities! head of the working masses, organized carry out all the cuts by setting legal Open the books so committees of in trade unions and unorganized, to budgets whilst hypocritically protesting. workers and consumers can determine wrest power from the bourgeoisie and where frauds and swindles have ocNot one balked at this disgraceful into strike a death-blow to the dangers of struction. Not a single Labour councillor curred. state-ism. voted against the cuts imposed in April No to popular fronts with the politi2011, despite panic and soul-searching cal representatives of any capitalist Chancellor Ed Balls told The Guardian, in Lambeth and Hackney. There was no class to defeat fascism, stop war or for The public want to know that we are question of setting needs budgets to any other reason. No to sectarian abstention from the Unite allows two-tier workforce on the London buses class struggle. For more than two years now the Unite have allowed the London bus companies to Release Irish, Palestinian, Naxalite, impose temporary contracts on all new starters which abandon all the gains won Kurdish, Tamil and all other antiback since the last disaster, the wage cutting and privatisation of 1993-4. They have Imperialist POWs! made no peep of opposition whilst this two tier workforce is imposed and the race For the Anti-Imperialist United Front to the bottom has accelerated, they have organised no meetings to oppose this and to defeat predatory Imperialist wars! pathetically they have tried to keep the drivers from finding out about what is going For a steeply progressive wealth tax! on. To avoid a fightback on these vitally important issues Unite organised strike action over a far less important issue; a 500 Olympics payment for all drivers in Lon For an indefinite General Strike to don which was conceded in the end, though not to all bus workers. The attitude was bring down the Con-Dem government! f*** the new drivers, look after yourself. We must fight against bureaucracy and Rebuild the Revolutionary Internafor rank and file control of the union. We say to all drivers dont leave Unite only tional, the Trotskyist Fourth Internaby staying in the union can we win it back. If you have left in disgust and joined the tional! IWW or any other union we will form a united front with you to fight against the Socialist Fight 11 December 2012 bosses and Unites sell-outs.

going to be ruthless and disciplined in how we go about public spending. And at the Labour Conference, we cannot make any commitments now that the next Labour government will be able to reverse particular tax rises or spending cuts.

protect the vulnerable against the cuts. Len McCluskey made his usual anti-cuts speech at this years TUC but meekly acquiesced to the cuts agenda at the Labour party conference.

Contact: Socialist Fight: PO Box 59188, London, NW2 9LJ. Email: Socialist_Fight@yahoo.co.uk