Stephen Lawrence murder - the untold story

How socialists and the local community fought back against racism and the BNP

Youth Against Racism in Europe (YRE) and Panther platform in Welling campaign to drive the racists out after the murder of Stephen Lawrence, photo R. Newton (Click to enlarge)

On 3 January 2012 Gary Dobson and David Norris were found guilty of the horrific murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence and sentenced to life imprisonment. Stephen was murdered almost 19 years ago in a racist attack by a white gang in south London.

Media coverage after the trial has focussed on the issues which emerged after the murder - such as institutionalised police racism and police incompetence, and how much has changed since. But there has been little mention of the presence of the far-right racist British National Party (BNP) in the area at the time and also the united community and trade union anti-racist campaign to drive them out.

Lois Austin, (pictured above, speaking) then a leading activist in Youth Against Racism in Europe (YRE) and the Labour Party Young Socialists, whose branches initiated the campaign, spoke to the Socialist:

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Very Important - Next Steps in the Pensions Battle

Please see this brief report from PCS Left Unity conference on organising to continue the struggle against pension 'reforms' (work longer, pay more, get less) -

www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/13440/08-01-2012/organising-to-step-up-the-pensions-struggle

And video of speech by Mark Serwotka: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDmeTAu2HwY

Summary of the proposed offer:www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/13377/21-12-2011/why-you-should-reject-the-pensions-deal-the-facts-for-workers-across-the-public-sector

Since then, Unite Local Government have rejected the offer. UNISON Local Government executive voted 24 - 10 to accept, this means they have agreed to accept the framework agreement which strips £900m from the scheme, as the basis for talks. Higher Education voted 6-5 in favour.

It is important to plan special conferences where the members can overturn the leadership decision.

Wording required from branches to call a special local government conference:

"This Branch requisitions a Special Conference of the Local Government Service Group to consider the policy of the Service Group in relation to the Local Government Pension Scheme."

Only this wording must be used nothing else no add ons or anything. Need to get branches representing 25% membership of each sector group. For other service groups delete local government and insert name of service group. To be sent to Heather Wakefield and Chris Tansley at UNISON HQ. Deadline is eight weeks from the first one being submitted, so eight weeks from now effectively.

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PCS Left Unity Conference open to all trade union members - building the campaign against attacks on pensions

Why you should reject the pensions deal

N30: millions of public sector workers went on strike on 30 November 2011, photo Senan (Click to enlarge)

Reject the pensions 'deal' - stay united - fight until we win!

• When Lib Dem minister Danny Alexander put the government's pensions proposals to parliament on 20 December he said clearly that the government had achieved all its "savings goals" and would save tens of billions of pounds. That money is being stolen from public sector workers' pensions.
• There is no increase in the 'cost ceiling'. This means that even where there have been some small improvements for some workers' accrual rates (the rate per year at which pension benefits are built up) they are being paid for by cuts in the pensions of other workers in the same scheme.
• The amount that workers will have to pay into their pensions will still increase for all public sector pension schemes, by an average of 3.2% of salary, phased in over three years. This means that someone earning £25,000 will have to pay £800 a year more - effectively an immediate £800 per year pay cut! In health, the leadership of UNISON is claiming it has won a concession because those earning less than £26,000 will not have to pay more into their pensions for one year. However, even this puny concession is being paid for by higher paid public sector workers having to pay more.
• The 'offer' ties retirement age to state pension age. This means that anyone born on or after 6 April 1960 but before 6 April 1961 will retire at between 66 and 67 years old. People born after 6 April 1961 will not get to retire until they are 67 or older.
• Pensions will be linked to the CPI rather than the RPI inflation index. This will mean that over an average 20-year retirement, pensions will be worth up to 20% less.
• In local government the government has agreed to delay implementing these attacks by a year, until 2014, but only on the basis of the unions signing up now to misery a year down the line.
• This attack is not about the cost of the schemes, but about the government's attempts to make public sector workers pay for a crisis they didn't create!

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