UNITE AND TAKE ON THE TORIES T

Dont let racists use the Woolwich murder to divide us...

HE HORRIFIC MURDER OF Lee Rigby, a British soldier, in Woolwich last week has led to a racist backlash. We must stand united against attempts to divide us and scapegoat a section of our community. Its disgusting that the racist EDL and nazi BNP are trying to capitalise off the back of it. We cannot allow them to get on the front foot. Thats why every trade unionist should join local mobilisations to stand united against racism. The EDL and BNP have been boosted by the Tories attempts to demonise Muslims with talk of increasing surveillance and monitoring Islamic societies in universities and by their scapegoating of migrants. This weak and nasty government is pandering to Islamophobia because it suits them if working class people are divided. At the same time they are coming for our jobs, our services, our pay and our working conditions on an unprecedented scale.

www.socialistworker.co.uk

On 30 November 2011, 2.5 million public sector workers struck together to defend pensions. It was united and hardhitting resistance showing we have the potential power to defeat this government.

Stand

Unity against the EDL

Offensive

We can stop them. Thousands of people are involved in strikes against the government and the bosses offensive. Thousands more are being balloted for strikes. Recent weeks have seen five national strikes of 4,000 Crown Post Office workers over pay and against closures. The PCS civil service workers union has strikes planned throughout June. This includes 150,000 DWP and tax office workers striking together throughout next week in rolling regional strikes. Last weeks PCS conference voted for another national strike at the end of June. Teachers in the NUT & NASUWT are set to beging rolling regional strikes, beginning in the North West of England on 27 June. Hundreds of teachers have been attending the joint regional rallies. In Brighton, GMB refuse workers walked out unofficially for two days, occupying their canteen to kick start a battle against a pay cut of up to 4,000.

Workers at Molson Coors brewery in Burton-on-Trent just voted by 97 percent on a 95 percent turnout to strike back over a proposed 9,000 pay cut. In Yorkshire, ambulance workers in Unite are set to strike to defend union recognition. 3,000 Unison members across three hospitals have just voted by 95 percent to escalate strikes against an attack on the lowest paid. 130,000 CWU members at Royal Mail are balloting nationally to fight over pay, privatisation and workload. Firefighters in the FBU look set to strike over pensions and the RMT is balloting transport workers for strikes. The current consultations over the 1 percent pay offer in Local Government also open the possibility of strikes. But we urgently need a united fight back. We need more coordinated strikes.

But the union leaders failed to escalate the strikes that could have won. We need our union leaders to up the ante now. Workers are looking for a lead to fight the attacks. The national teachers strike planned for November is an opportunity to do this. We need to stand up to the racists after Woolwich and prevent them getting a foothold. And we need to push our union leaders to call the kind of strikes that can beat the Tories.

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