if they do not back down…

ESCALATE THE ACTION!

TUC: Name the Day for a 48-hour public sector strike!

Today is Britain's largest strike since 1926! Up to 3 million workers are on strike in the greatest response so far to the government's attacks on public sector workers and service users.

Faced with economic crisis, many people felt that if they took a little bit of pain, reduced their hours or took a pay cut, then the storm might pass. But the attack on pensions is only a foot in the door. All of the gains of working-class people, from the NHS to education to housing and much more, will be left vulnerable if these attacks go through.

We say:

• No increase in the retirement age
• No compulsory shift to career average
• No increase in contributions, and
• Reinstate the link with RPI for pension calculation.

Decisions on negotiations and further action should not be left in the hands of the trade union leaders; we demand democratic control of the negotiations at every stage. Unless this is secured, the trade unions must escalate action after November 30th. That means action up to and including a 48 hour public sector strike, with an appeal to private sector unions to co-ordinate action for whatever day is picked.

The ConDems try to justify these attacks saying they are necessary for the economy. But they are not, and we did not cause this crisis. For years the super-rich and big business sought greater and greater profits in the financial markets, and the New Labour government helped them by cutting regulation. But their profits were also 'made' by driving down workers wages, attacking working conditions and privatising public services. This millionaire’s government wants us to pay for a crisis they built while public sector workers shouldered pay and recruitment freezes.

The battle is about much more than pensions. In order to defend our hard-won wages and pension rights it is necessary both to defeat this government, along with every government attempting to make us pay for the crisis. That means campaigning to rid society of the profit system.

The Socialist Party campaigns for a new workers’ party to build a mass, democratic force of the working-class alongside others in the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition. We are fighting for a socialist transformation of society, where the economy and our lives are not held to ransom for the profits of the few, and the needs of society can be democratically decided.

Greece, Italy, Spain, Britain: How Can we Defeat Austerity? - Socialist Party public meeting – Tuesday 13th December, 7-30pm, back of the Pig in Paradise

More info/get in touch – info.bhsp@gmail.com – www.socialisthastings.blogspot.com

The Government's Slave Labour Scheme

By Robbie Segal, USDAW NEC and Folkestone Socialist Party

Tesco, Poundland, Argos, Sainsbury are just a few companies we have agreements with and all have embraced the ConDem's ‘job experience programme’ for young unemployed. This latest scheme forces young people -16 to 21 year olds - to spend eight weeks working a 30 hour week as slaves. They receive no payment for their work and if they refuse to participate they lose their job seeker's allowance. For trade unionists, this is a form of slavery - working for nothing.

Tesco made £1.9 profit for the first half of 2011. Tesco, the biggest private employer in the UK is also the biggest private employer in Europe. There are now 293,676 staff employed in the UK and 492,714 worldwide. There are 5,380 stores worldwide and of these 2,715 are in the UK. The idea of cheap or free labour is tempting to the benefices of the profit system but, surely, companies like Tesco can afford to make up these young peoples’ wages to the same paid to other members of staff.

So why has Usdaw been silent on the subject? Usdaw's activists have raised the issue but we have heard little from our so-called leaders. Hannett's clique have now admitted that when Tesco introduced the scheme they were ignored. If partnership was genuine then Usdaw would have been informed. Tesco sees Usdaw as another arm of their Personnel Department and we are relied upon to help implement their controversial changes. This illustrate the bankruptcy of the failed 'social partnership' approach.

Instead of running a campaign to save police jobs we should be fighting to ensure these modern-day slaves are paid the same wages as our members which, unfortunately, is little more than the minimum wage. Such a campaign would act as an example of how trade unions are relevant to young people today.

Youth unemployment has climbed to over one million which means a staggering 22% of 16 - 26 year-olds and in some areas over one in three are on the dole. Rather than implement genuine training programmes to develop real skills, both the major political parties’ - ConDems and Labour - response is to establish this cheap labour work experience scheme. This is tinkering with the problem. What actual skills are being gained during these eight weeks? The answer is very little.

As well as defending young people’s right to work, the Socialist Partyadvocates a massive housing building programme of publicly owned housing on an environmentally sustainable basis, to provide good quality homes on low rent. As part of this policy, workers could also pass on useful skills to a new generation of construction workers.

The Activist advocates that society should be based on socialist principles, where the resources of society are used for the benefit of all rather than at present where the rich few take the lion’s share of the world's wealth.

This ConDem's work scheme comes after the millionaires' government scrapped the Education Maintenance Allowance. Whatever path these young people choose, they end up losing. It is the responsibility of the trade unions to join them in the fight for a future.

If you would like to receive a regular copy of the Activist, Socialist Party USDAW newsletter, then send your email address to:shopworker@socialistparty.org.uk