Campaigning work of British section of REVOLUTION, May-July 2008

Workers solidarity, stop the attacks on youth, resistance to fascism – REVOLUTION is fighting on all fronts in Britain!

The last month hasn’t been a quiet one for REVOLUTION in the UK, despite school, college and university students coming to the end of their exams and waiting for the summer holidays.

We are working in changing times in Britain; we are fighting the attacks of a Labour government that is suffering a slow electoral death. They are intent on making the workers pay for the bosses’ economic woes as we enter a recession. In recent elections the chief beneficiaries of Labour’s unpopularity were the Tories, and, to a lesser extent, the far right BNP – a clear warning to the working class and the left, if we fail to build an alternative Labour.

So, REVOLUTION threw its self into a national demonstration against the BNP held in London on the June 21, campaigning through stalls, the web and local meetings. Our message – to physically no platform these fascist thugs – went down well and we made lots of new contacts. Our contingent on the June demonstration was lively and vocal and many trade unionists and youth joined in our chants. It was also great to know that whilst we were campaigning, REVOLUTION members in Sweden were also organising against the fascists many miles away!

On June 16, REVOLUTION members showed solidarity with local government workers on strike across the UK. They are fighting against a 2 percent “pay rise”. Just a few days earlier a major national newspaper declared prices for essential goods – like food and fuel - had risen up to 18.5 percent! As well as showing our support on picket lines, we went to demonstrations and rallies held by the workers. In Leeds, workers chanted “low pay – no way!” as speakers, judging the militant mood of the rally attacked Labour and called for opposition to the pay cut. One speaker even said “We’re not calling for storming parliament here… though maybe we need to!”

In London lots of young trade unionists joined the demonstration. Local government workers from East London led chants linking the pay freeze to the huge amount of money spent occupying Iraq. In the rally afterwards, Labour Party supporting officials forced to attack the pay cut were met with chants calling for the Trade Unions to break their link with Labour. We had an excellent response to our call for the Unions to set up a new working class party to oppose war and privatisation and for wages to be linked to prices.

After a recent and successful stall in London REVOLUTION’s next task is to campaign against police ‘stop and search’ attacks on youth. Increased police oppression is currently being rolled out across working class areas as a response to the hysterical media campaign over knife crime. We are organising a petitioning campaign, targeted at working class areas and stations where these draconian police attacks go on.

REVOLUTION will also be taking part in the climate camp against plans to build a coal power station at Kingsnorth in Kent – despite coal being the dirtiest, most carbon emitting fuel.

Global warming, economic crisis, attacks on demoracy? Well, you can see why our next meeting in Leeds is called “Why capitalism doesn’t work”. So lets overthrow it!