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Unity!Unity!

If a week is a long time in politics, twenty-one days feels like a lifetime in the trade union movement. Between 30th November and 20th December, activists must have experienced a fair number of emotions. At this juncture though, emotion needs to be replaced with a mature rationale if we are not to set the movement back by decades. The Communist Party has called for the maximum amount of unity in the battles against the Tories and their Liberal poodles. Only by achieving such

unity can we hope to win. This remains the case now. The battle to protect pensions was always going to be difficult, with plenty of excuses possible for those who wished to back away from a fight; a large number of schemes, many unions and complex negotiations. But having said that, two broader issues were and remain clear Firstly, unity in militancy has been the watchword. Over 500,000 people marched in the spring of 2011; whilst significant numbers took strike action

in June and November – both of which made the government step back. Despite the diversity of the negotiating schema, the September TUC congress saw the entire movement declare that we were all in for the “fight of our lives”. There was no hint of a single day’s act to come, a gesture followed by a rush to deal with scheme specific details, buttressed by a vow of a sort of no-strike deal. In addition, all speakers to TUC debates talked in terms of continued action beyond November.

Public sector pensionsPublic sector pensions ——unity is the watchword!!!!unity is the watchword!!!!

This statement is a joint initiative of the Communist Party’s Civil Service Advisory and

of the Communist Party’s Industry, Services, Transport Advisory Steering Committee,

representing members working within PCS and Unite.

The trades unions in the

pensions dispute must fight

on,’ Communist Party national

trade union co-ordinator Anita

Halpin said in a statement.

“After all the government’s

`divide and rule’ tactics are just

a panic response to the success

of the N30 actions.” Making

clear that the coalition

government’s attack on public

services has no electoral

mandate and only serve the

big business agenda to pave

the way for radical

privatisation, Anita Halpin’s

statement calls for workers to

remain united in the face of

this class attack. “A defeat now

would give the green light to

the government and the ruling

class it represent to go further

to divide working women and

men,” the Communist Party

executive and political

committee member said. “All

public sector unions need a

united strategy, including

rolling strikes and targeted

indefinite action by key

workers across sectors and

regions and, most importantly,

th e deve lo p m en t o f

coordinated action with

workers in the private sector,

so building the broadest

defence of public services.”

Anita Halpin

Communists

call to hold

the line

News from Communist trade unionists Incorporating ‘redscare’ January 2012

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Whilst the Unite EC in early December reinforced all this by resolving that the union would be “working in cooperation with other public sector trade unions … to now work up a strategic plan to escalate the action to win decent pensions for all”. See:

However it appears as though the negotiators for Unite were not acting to this position and blithely went off, standing shoulder to shoulder with GMB’s and Unison’s retreat stance, but leaving PCS on their lonesome, despite their bilateral working agreement. Secondly, the deals on the table remain awful, as members will still have to pay more, to

work longer and for less. Whatever the so called improvements in one or more of the scheme specific talks may emerge, this remains the single salient fact. Moreover, it was union negotiators who accepted the shift from a broad front to a narrow sectional focus in face of the government’s formal proposal in the shape of a broadly standardised letter. They accepted this when they gave assurances required by 19th December that morally they should not have been able to give without prior consultation with not only their members but the entire movement. The Communist Party believes that these two broader issues should and can now prove the basis for unity in

struggle. Yet the speed by which the previously-agreed Public Sector Liaison Group position, which aimed to bring together the respective positions, shifted showed that a number of union officials blinked first. Perhaps, even, some of them had their blinkers ready and waiting all along. It will be for the lay leaderships of relevant unions to draw appropriate conclusions about the need to bolster mechanisms for democratic accountability. Brendan Barber confirmed the speculation that had begun four days earlier. Though cautious with his words, it was confirmed that most unions in the Health and Local Government sectors had reached a “Heads of Agreement” understanding with employers on the question of public sector pensions and consequently no more joined-up industrial action was anticipated. Unison, GMB and Unite issued a joint statement, which wobbled when Eric Pickles intervened. (Presumable the union’s left leadership had also

www.iansunitesite.org.uk/2011/12/unite-executive-

In his new year message, CP general secretary Robert Griffiths called for this year to be one of sustained struggle to block job losses, the further destruction of industry and the wholesale privatisation of our public services. ‘It is now more necessary than ever for organised workers to speak out and to act,’ he said. Griffiths stressed the need ‘to illuminate the many struggles now breaking out with an alternative economic and political strategy based around the People's Charter. ‘Unaccountable bankers, though rumbled and despised, continue to hold economic and political power. The fight continues to establish the sovereignty of the people against big business and build broad opposition to EU-imposed austerity. ‘As cuts bite ever deeper, more and more people are recognising that this government is a reactionary and dangerous regime with no popular mandate; it’s time they went; neither the country nor its people can afford for them to stay the full five years.’

The struggles must continue

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finally exercised control?). The Tory’s foray gave space for tactical withdrawals by some, in the face of a rising tide of amazed incredulity. Unite had remained largely quiet, apart from an initial reaction which spoke of the union’s position being “ambivalent”, or even “ambiguous”!! It would be six days before this “spokesman’s” comment was corrected. It was left to PCS alone to maintain a position consistent with that which had appeared uncontroversial only a few short days earlier. The Government recognised this when it chose to attack that union alone in the Commons’ debate, making it was clear that it also did not care if PCS members (or any others) voted to reject any shabby deal as the State would merely impose one. Thankfully, NUT, NASUWT, and UCU, - along with UCAC

in Wales and EIS in Scotland - have made clear that they will refuse to sign-up by the imposed deadline. Whilst Len McCluskey of Unite finally issued a statement on 21st December stressing that his union had not accepted the offer. It will remain difficult to make a rational assessment of developments while so many details remain unclear as to what extent the offers in various sectors have actually been improved (or not) since strike ballot results were announced. However, it is perhaps telling that Cabinet Office Secretary Francis Maude claimed on 20th December that “no more money” was on the table and Danny Alexander assured Parliament the next day that the Government will still be able to make the planned "tens of billions of pounds" of savings if the 'deal' goes through.

In light of the above, while the coalition of the 29 willing TUC-affiliated unions was always fragile, it appears that the split has been incited by a package valued at somewhat less than thirty-pieces of silver. That fact is a travesty to the work put in by thousands of left progressives in union branches, Trades Councils, Regional TUCs and National Executives. The turn-out on 30th November was hailed by all unions and it provided the clearest mandate imaginable for a continued campaign – not just from members of the unions involved but also from various polls which indicated wider public support of 60% upwards. It also appeared to represent a giant leap forward in respect of inter-union cooperation. There has been some, almost apologetic, attempts to claim that the developments of 19th December were nothing more than the unions taking the latest offers back to their members via various democratic structures. Significantly, in the civil service, an absolute condition of being invited back to the table for

continued discussions in the New Year was a written undertaking to “recommend these elements of the design to your Executive with a view to agreement”. While not representing a settlement, this condition effectively required an endorsement of the offer – something PCS were not prepared to concede. Other unions remain unclear if they were asked to make the same commitment. Are union leaderships perhaps too nervous of taking on the government, especially over legal consequences? As unions stress the need to consult their constituent base within specific pension schemes, it could be perfectly legitimate for them to put the question to members not only as to whether they accept the individual settlement on offer to them but also whether they are prepared to allow the unions of teachers and civil servants to be isolated, contrary to the declarations made at the Trades Union Congress. Does anyone really believe that members, now mobilised to the hilt, are going to refuse such a chance?

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The Institute of Employment Rights has argued forcibly that the Human Rights Act 1998 obliges the courts to give effect to the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (not the EU-body!). This court has already held that Article 11 of the associated convention, which guarantees freedom of assembly and association, requires states to allow peaceful protests and strikes protesting against government policy. Leading employment lawyers Ewing and Hendy believe that it would be impossible to gain an injunction to ban a national day of action called by the TUC against the government's austerity package. Will any union lead the way on this? So how has it come to this and where do we go from here? Conspiracy theorists have attempted to draw a link to the New Labour leadership but it is difficult to see what benefit there could be to Miliband or the General Secretaries of the affiliated unions of such a scenario. But perhaps there are those who still worry that strikes can be unpopular? Not these strikes! Not now. A more rational explanation might be offered by a truth that dare not speak its name – that of organisation - or to be more precise - the lack of it. In the euphoria of N30 many of us were guilty of talking up our successes and glossing over our weaknesses. It was becoming clear that the “long, hard and dirty fight” that some leaders promised at Congress would be the minimum required to move the government to any significant extent. If that is the case, we must turn

outwards and involve all those potential members of trade unions and the non employed in action. The danger in the meantime is two-fold. Firstly, Mark Serwotka is rightly identified as the Chief Architect of N30. He has rallied the naysayers, charmed the unconvinced and acted as a totem for left activists everywhere. In every interview and panel show, he has provided a clear, rational and highly impressive leadership of the campaign which has embarrassed Ministers and exposed some other General Secretaries in equal measure. The narrative of the last few days has clearly been part of campaign to damage him and that must not be allowed to happen. Secondly, although the anger of activists with some union leaders is understandable, maximum unity remains essential to win this struggle. Rank and file members must ultimately have the final say and seeking to interfere with the internal democracy of other organisations, either by calling for occupations of HQ buildings, lobbying representative meetings or hosting events badged as one thing when in fact they are another are damaging tactics which should be avoided. In the immediate future

Communists will work in the

United Left in Unite and PCS

Left Unity, as well as with all

other progressive forces to

build as broad based

campaign as possible in

defence of pensions – public,

private and state and against

the attacks on our class.

WHICH WAY

FORWARD NEXT? Morning Star Day Conference

for the whole labour and anti-cuts movement

Saturday March 31st Bishopsgate Institute, London

Major speakers; elect your delegates now; for further info:

conference.morningstar@gmail.com