Our friends on the Left.......

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 11 Jul 2007, 16:37

give some good coverage. While I couldn't agree with everything our comrades say, they always give us good coverage:

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=12380

DirtyHarry · Post by **DirtyHarry** » 11 Jul 2007, 19:28

They always support the working man / woman in their struggles with the scum bosses.

Par_BS23 · Post by **Par_BS23** » 11 Jul 2007, 22:56

I may not agree with all their belief's but their motives and support come from the heart

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 13 Jul 2007, 17:29

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=12409

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 18 Jul 2007, 17:30

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=12494

Comrade Kimber hits the nail on the head again.

Post by **Laz** » 20 Jul 2007, 20:45

some of their reports are interesting and to their credit they tend to be very sympathetic but it often seems they only ever get involved in an issue in order to shift papers and put their party on a pedestal, theyre tolerable as they are but i think if they ever had enough numbers theyd represent a conservative force.

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 20 Jul 2007, 22:00

Laz wrote:some of their reports are interesting and to their credit they tend to be very sympathetic but it often seems they only ever get involved in an issue in order to shift papers and put their party on a pedestal, theyre tolerable as they are but i think if they ever had enough numbers theyd represent a conservative force.

There does seem an element of opportunism where the SWP are concerned, but I've met many genuine people down the years who I am happy to know as comrades. I would draw a distinction between the central commitee and the rank and file whose hearts do seem to be in the right place.

Post by **Laz** » 21 Jul 2007, 14:27

I would draw a distinction between the central commitee and the rank and file whose hearts do seem to be in the right place.

very good point mate, the general membership of the SWP appear to be very sound people with good intentions, but as you say there is a divide between the central comittee who define policy and the membership at the bottom, that is the main problem with them, they are a Political Party with the usual structure of a political party, even though they are socialist in outlook their internal organisation is far from democratic nor based on consensus decision making, their means and ends do not match up in the slightest.

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 25 Jul 2007, 20:54

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/TheSoc ... ntents.htm

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 04 Aug 2007, 01:03

I'll be the first to admit that I don't agree with many things about the SWP, AWL or the SP, but I'll also be the first to admit that they have supported us in fine style. I like to have a look about the web to see what different parties are saying about us. One notable absence is the Communist Party of Great Britain's 'Weekly Worker' who don't seem to realise we've been out on strike for four days. Here is a letter from this weeks 'Weekly Worker' which I think should hit home to these people.

Art vanguard
So thousands of working class homes are underwater and the Labour Party remains committed to building â€˜cheapâ€™ homes for the poorest on flood plains. Postal workers are involved in a dispute that is a gift for communists who want to expose the absurdity of the capitalist system, while Royal Mail has allowed its new competitors to cherry-pick the best parts of the business and struck a deal under which its employees will still be expected to deliver the mail that has been surrendered to the competition.

No doubt the CPGB has deemed involvement in the strike â€˜economisticâ€™ and beneath them, so that they can ponder the commodification of art rather than the issues that are currently affecting the working class they pompously proclaim themselves to be the vanguard of.

Tommy Teutel

Of course I realise several hundred thousand public sector workers in conflict with the Government is small beer compared to these middle-class imposters trying to get a couple of hundred votes in a Tower Hamlets council election or Jack Conrad's latest desultory dig at the SWP, but the CPGB are supposed to be a workers party. A couple of lines of coverage on the dispute might not be too much to ask, but when you're constantly looking back ninety years to something some dead Russian might have said, I expect the real world passes you by.

Nice letter Tommy. I'm surprised they printed it!

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 12 Aug 2007, 11:13

It's taken them weeks, but here it is!

http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/685/cwu.htm

Coverage at last from the Weekly Worker, but unfortunately they seem unable to report on the dispute without resorting to their characteristic sectarianism.

The Sarge · Post by **The Sarge** » 12 Aug 2007, 12:36

That's a good round up IWW - well done. As they say any publicity is good publicity, and heaven knows there's precious little in the mainstream press.

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 12 Aug 2007, 12:55

The Sarge wrote:That's a good round up IWW - well done. As they say any publicity is good publicity, and heaven knows there's precious little in the mainstream press.

I'm in complete agreement with you there Sarge. Again, looking about the web I see our colleagues in Ireland are being set up in similar fashion to ourselves.

http://wsm.ie/news_viewer/2640

The Smoking Gnu · Post by **The Smoking Gnu** » 12 Aug 2007, 14:47

IWW Fellow Worker wrote:It's taken them weeks, but here it is!

http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/685/cwu.htm

Coverage at last from the Weekly Worker, but unfortunately they seem unable to report on the dispute without resorting to their characteristic sectarianism.

So all what's 'left' (no pun intended) of the Communist Party can do is slag off our union and other self-proclaimed socialists. This sort of bullshit reminds me why I packed in left-wing politics years ago. For what it's worth "comrades", we don't want a "political solution" to the strike (except that 'everything's political' of course), we want a solution "at trade union level" because that's what the dispute is - a dispute between management, and members of a trade union, i.e. us!

We're very grateful to the people who have come to the pickets lines supporting us, whether they're members of the SWP, Respect, or whatever, but I take it they're supporting us as fellow trade unionists, not as a recruiting drive or to sell papers.

The same applies to coverage in the left wing press. Trade unionist should be able to expect support from all organisations who claim to be the "vanguard of the working class". Criticism, where appropriate, should be voiced when the outcome is clear. Anything else just gives support to the enemy. For the benefit of the CPGB, the enemy is Leighton, Crozier, and the "Labour" government. Not the SWP, and not (unless they sell us out) the leadership of the CWU!

TSG

The Sarge · Post by **The Sarge** » 12 Aug 2007, 15:32

IWW Fellow Worker wrote:
The Sarge wrote:That's a good round up IWW - well done. As they say any publicity is good publicity, and heaven knows there's precious little in the mainstream press.
I'm in complete agreement with you there Sarge. Again, looking about the web I see our colleagues in Ireland are being set up in similar fashion to ourselves.

http://wsm.ie/news_viewer/2640

Christ! It seems that there is a standard international model to wreck public postal services. I always remember the destruction of the railways after privatisation, and I fear that dear old RM will end up franchised out of existence like BR, if the powers that be get their way.

Still, I guess every DO would have a 'Tie Rack', 'Knickerbox' and a selection of coffee shops for the public to spend their 'dwell time' in.