THE THREE biggest unions in Britain lent official support to a conference in defence of the Welfare State on December 3.
Leaders of the TGWU, GMB and UNISON gave speeches stressing the need for a coordinated fight back by the labour movement against the Tory onslaught on pensions, benefits, grants and vital public services.
This gathering of unions comprising almost half the affiliated TUC membership also included MPs Ken Livingstone and Bryan Gould, giving a taste of how powerful a labour movement alliance could be built to unite and mobilise the millions who stand to lose out from the new Tory offensive.
But while the conference discussed a fightback, back-room discusions among Labour leaders have been debating whether the Party should itself call for scrapping universal child benefit - one of the few benefits even the Tories have not yet attacked!
Any such concession to the Tory demolition of the welfare state must be categorically reHOME NEWS jected. Instead the unions must force the Labour Party to lead a ยก For a Red, Green and Feminist Youth Movement i Public Meeting - All Welcome 7pm Thursday 16 December Davenant Centre Whitechapel High Street Whitechapel tube Bill Morris root and branch defence of welfare rights.
This means the unions conducting a massive campaign to alert and mobilise their members, and organising the millions of nemployed, especially the 200,000 who stand to lose benefits immediately as a result of the budget.
And it means Labour constituency parties getting out into every area to warn pensioners, single mothers and the public at large that crucial rights are at stake, making the welfare state a central issue at every local election.
Union members must not wait for the likes of Bill Morris or John Edmonds to take the initiative: resolutions to National Executives demanding a real campaign must be passed by every union and Labour Party branch.
Liberation!
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SWALLIAM SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 54, December 11 1993, Page 3