ISSN 0951-8657. Published by Socialist Outlook, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU. 0 1995. All rights reserved. Printed by Newsfax International London E15. THE TIME to fight is now. That's the message of the Barclays Bank pickets, the railworkers demanding decent wages, the health workers and the further education lecturers who are balloting over pay.
People are sick to death of this discredited, divided and corrupt government. And they're fighting back.
Teachers are balloting on a one day strike.
Barclays bank workers are traditionally seen as "conservative". There was no sign of it last week - they're fuming at the super-profits the Bank has screwed out of its staff and customers - £1.86 billion last year. They are not prepared to put up with it any longer.
It is the union's first ever national strike. One in nine of the bank's branches were completely shut down. force.
While the rest of us are having to work harder, in worsening conditions for less money, the bosses are dishing out telephone number rises for themselves - complete with international prefixes.
ASLEF and the RMT are takes off. talking about joint action on the railways. The pay fight is the last chance for united action before the railways are broken up. Workers want a own leaderships. proper rise before the end of national pay bargaining.
A successful battle for six per cent would be a massive kick in the teeth for the Tories, and put a stick in the spokes of privatisation: big money. will not be so keen to buy up the companies if the Tories can't SATURDAY JUNE 17: ORGANISE THE LEFT guarantee a compliant work- secretary of the RCN has broken ranks with other health unTransport secretary Brian ions to go for a separate deal: Mawhinney has had to go as a result UNISON has put bleating to Kenneth Clarke to back its ballot on action -by lift the three per cent pay limit. another six weeks. It's dawning on the Tories that The only people who can they may not be able to hold save the Tory's bacon now are the line if industrial struggle the union leaders - and they're doing their very best!
But rail workers are finding Blair is joining the chorus. the same problem as others He's gone craven cap in hand who want to fight back. to the bosses, assuring them They're hamstrung by their that a future Labour government will do nothing to alter The RMT's officers have the balance of forces between done next to nothing to build bosses and workers. the demonstration on June 10. All those who want to roll Militants in the union have had back the years of Tory attacks to battle for activity at every have got to support industrial stage. Doug McAvoy the head action over the summer. We of the NUT has written to must combine this with a stratevery member of his union egy for the future. asking them to vote against the The Labour left conference union conference's strike call. on June 17 offers an opportuChristine Hancock the general nity to both build links with trades unionists taking action, and to discuss a way of battling back against the right-wing politics of Blair and his cohorts.
Organising the left is a vital task if we are to be successful. Building a left in the Labour Party must go hand in hand with fighting for action in the SOCIALIST POLICIES FOR A LABOUR Conference sponsored by Tribune, Defend Clause 4, Socialist Campaign Group of MPs Clause Four may be defeated, but the fight goes on for socialist policies in the Labour Party and the unions.
BIRMINGHAM Saturday June 17