General strike now needed!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/general ... eeded.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The CWU has thrown its weight behind the growing chorus of demands for a 24-hour general strike against Government-led attacks on working people and the vital services they rely on.

Committing the CWU to join forces with other trade unions and campaigning organisations in the fight against Coalition Government attempts to make working people pay for a crisis caused by bankers, delegates at the union's Annual Conference in Bournemouth unanimously called on the CWU's leadership to seek to co-ordinate campaigns and strikes with other unions.

Faced with an unprecedented ideological attack on workers' rights - amplified by yesterday's thinly veiled threat by Business Secretary Vince Cable (pictured) to curtail the right to strike by UK workers - delegates agreed that only strike action on a scale already seen in France and Greece will force the Cameron Government to change tack and urged the TUC to co-ordinate a 24-hour general strike.

Pointing out that, left unchallenged, the Government's current policies will see a return to levels of inequality in Britain which haven't been seen since Victorian times, Eastern regional secretary Paul Moffat (pictured) told Conference: "We've seen cuts on vulnerable groups, youth services, the elderly, the NHS, schools, teachers, education, police officers, prison services and all local services - in fact all areas of state provision and services in this country - without any regard for the long-term consequences.

"These attacks are not determined by mere economic choice but by a clear ideological policy. It will lead to mass unemployment, irreversible damage to public services including Royal Mail and exploitation of ordinary people in favour of the privileged few in this country."

Paul Garraway of South Central No 1 branch stressed: "It's imperative that we fight these cuts and defend these services before we lose them. They say we're all in this together, but are they suffering? The bankers continue to get their bonuses and the champagne continues to flow for the rich, and what do we get? A bigger share of the poverty! I don't remember the good times being that good, yet now we are expected to foot the bill for a crisis we did not create.

"It's time to unite and fight back. On June 30 the PCS, UCU, NUT and ATL unions will be taking action against these cuts. Over 800 000 workers will be on strike. On that day I will be stood alongside my partner outside her school. This is our fight, and we must all be doing our part."

Rob Wotherspoon of Bristol branch cited the "sickening" statistic revealed in the Sunday Times 'rich list' that, at a time when workers are seeing their real incomes reduce for the fourth year running, the collective fortunes of the richest 1,000 people in Britain actually increased by 18% last year - something which hasn't happened since the 1870s.

"There's no recession for the rich...but this Government of millionaires isn't satisfied with that," he said. "They want more and they want to get more by attacking our public services and our employment rights.

"Without a general strike we're not going to beat back these attacks."

With the strike of June 30 now looming, Midlands Regional Secretary Lee Baron (pictured) stressed the importance of all trade unionists standing united and refusing to cross each others picket lines.

"When we do that we break the law...but it's a simple principle. We'd rather break the law than break their pickets any day of the week.

"If this generation is remembered for anything it has got to be the generation that put and end to the politics of greed and reintroduced into this country the politics of fairness once again."

Mark Taggart of Manchester Clerical agreed: "A 24 hour strike in the public and private sector will be met by writs, challenges from the Government, the CBI and businesses. It potentially propels the trade union movement into a legal quagmire, but that is not an excuse for not supporting it.

"We have responsibility as a trade union to aspire for working people in the UK. We have a responsibility to fight for their interests, and we need to fulfil that responsibility."

Supporting the motion, senior deputy general secretary Tony Kearns (pictured) warned of the "trickery of the law which talks about when you can and cannot take industrial action", but stressed: "This is a 'make your mind up time' for this union. We're sick and tired of hearing David Cameron saying 'we're all in this together', because the reason he says that is that if we're all in this together as part of the solution we must have been all part of the problem - and that simply isn't the case.

"What we're seeing is an ideological attack by this Government. This is the systematic deconstruction of the society that we live in - there is no other way of describing it.

"George Osborne's mantra that everything can be privatised is a threat to every single thing that we hold dear and the very fabric of the society that we have enjoyed living in for the past 60, 70 or in some cases 80 years."

Ultimately, Tony concluded, the CWU has no option but to stand up and be counted in the fight against "a race to the right".

[Cut Off King]

Is there enough time to ballot the CWU members to take part in the June 30th strike ?

[kingofmcr]

the working class hold the key to who is elected in this country but a huge amount dont bother to vote ..giving rise to the middle class holding the key ..did everyone who voted tory think it would be different this time ...NOOOOOO chance ..tory is for the toffs ..no matter what they might spin to say otherwise

[brothermagrew]

An interesting TUC ToUChstone pamphlet (Britain's Livelihood Crisis) can be downloaded and viewed at:

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-19639-f0.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[fishtank]

The media holds the key to who is elected in this country.

[forestbodd]

well well the pennys dropped an all out strike is thee only way.i hate to say this but royal mail will beat us in thee end but gang together we can put up a fight look at the french.they slag labour of for our troubles know but who realy cared under blair we all had happy days and know all we have is dome and gloom.who will buy royal mail if its in such a dire way its the miners all over again but they have know council houses to sell us this time.our homes are worthless and our pensoins are worthless we must fight for a say in what happens to us.in years to come we will have an army of people penny less then who will we blame labour again.every day its says jobs going well i cllect from firms and every one is flooded with E.U.workers our own unoin have stood by and watched manpower in partnership with royal mail flood the floors with thees people and when the strike comes there army of people will be ready to do our jobs.keep your friends close an your enemies closer.

[Swinder]

Is there enough time to ballot the CWU members to take part in the June 30th strike ?

Assuming a general strike follows the same rules as a typical strike they'd have 3 weeks and 2 days for all the required preparation, though 7 days notice would have to be given prior to the day of action. Effectively they would have roughly 2 weeks to distribute, collect and then count so it is entirely possible. It is worth noting though that the total votes used would be a fraction of those that do actively vote, this is simply because the time span would be so short.

[fishtank]

I think a general strike or large scale coordinated industrial action would probably be deemed as political and unlawful anyway...so the legalities of the ballot are somewhat....irrelevant.
Nobody is quite sure how it would pan out in the courts at the moment....it's been a while.

[tvpunter]

Wish i was born middle class and didn't have to fight so much.....working class is so fuckinn stressful.

[north london driver]

Is there enough time to ballot the CWU members to take part in the June 30th strike ?

is this why our union and management are talking about the closures of offices in london
so the ballot is put back so it dont clash with a national strike.as when london does walk
nothing will be mentioned on t.v or radio as our own cwu headquaters will be banging
on about a national strike and how all the unions stand together.
yet there are london members who dont know if they will have a job by xmas.

and good luck to the burnley posties in there dispute.

[kingofmcr]

The media holds the key to who is elected in this country.

anyone who
lets the sun decide how they should vote ..needs major brain surgery
conservatives will never change ..labours failure was mass immigration on an
unpresadented scale...instead getting work for all .there answer was open the flood gates

[Judgee]

the working class hold the key to who is elected in this country but a huge amount dont bother to vote ..giving rise to the middle class holding the key ..did everyone who voted tory think it would be different this time ...NOOOOOO chance ..tory is for the toffs ..no matter what they might spin to say otherwise

Well wasn't exactly impress with labour either.... problem is we now have no realistic choice for a party that represents the grafters!

I guess it's trying to pick the lesser of two evils and there isn't alot between them really is there? Oh and erm that other party the Lib cons of course!

[Broxi51]

I hope we join in a general strike. I am f***ing sick fed up with working my 40 hours and
having less and less money due to the increase in food & utilities. I dont use my car anymore
as fuel prices are sky high. My sky is down to the basic and will soon be cancelled as it is a luxury.
Scottish power have just announced another 19% increase in Gas from August.
So, yes, I want to strike and to give a 2 finger salute to Cameron, Clegg, Cable et al. f***ing tossers

[silly suffolk]

Wish i was born middle class and didn't have to fight so much.....working class is so fuckinn stressful.

bloody right, beer and bacca cost a fortune, and me whippits are eating me out of house and home

[anini]

we have debt reaching 1 trillion
unfunded liabilities
we'll be paying 60 billion in interest alone in two years
and somehow the unions and labour party think this can go on forever
now I'm not a tory but even i realise (as did mugabe and Wiemar Germany that you cant spend yourself out of trouble.