Socialist Party CWU Conference Bulletin 2011

WE NEED A POLITICAL VOICE One thing that holds back the union from playing a full role in defending our members both as workers and service users is its continuing support for the Labour Party. Labour started priva tisation of Royal Ma il. Labour councils have carried out cuts equally as vicious as Tory councils yet our union still tell us to vote for a party that will butcher our public services. A cut is a cut whether it’s a Labour cut or a Tory cut. Telling our members to wait until 2015 and vote for a party that will cut more slowly is not good enough! The focus from last years conference was to seek a left leader of Labour in John McDonnell. But in modern Labour there was no space for a socialist like John. Less than 20 Labour MP’s could be found to back him in even opposing the Tory pensions changes from RPI to CPI ! When he moved his modest trade union rights bill less than 90 MP’s supported him, some were even Libs and Tories... We should aid the building of a party that represents working people now! · Defend pay and conditions · Oppose job cuts · Stop the Pensions Robbery · Oppose all public spending cuts · For a fighting CWU leadership · No to biennial elections * For a democratic, fighting union * Build a new workers’ party We also face attacks on the public services we all rely on from the savage cuts in public spending announced by the government and councils across the country . Widespread, coordinated industrial action backed up by movements of local communities and service users is what’s needed to stop the cuts. Our union must support all such movements and, as we did so well on the March 26 demo, continue to play a full part in anti-cuts campaigns. We should try to link our own action with that of other Trades Unions. A one day strike of Royal Mail members against privatisa- tion on 30 June when other public sector workers will be taking strike action would show the government that we won’t accept attacks on Royal Mail lying down. Whatever happens, CWU should support workers taking action on June 30 and we should march with them on the regional and city-wide demonstrations. The TUC and many union leaders (with a few honourable exceptions) have not been forceful enough in standing up to this vicious go vernment. The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN), which the CWU supports, has organised pressure on union leaders to take actions. It formed a national anti-cuts campaign and organised a march to the T UC congress last September, addressed by Billy Hayes, demanding a national demon- stration and coordinated strike action. The TUC, 6 months late, belatedly acted on the first demand, but pressure needs to be kept up on the second. CWU members can help in this, and the 5 th National Conference of the NSSN on 11 th June will be an opportunity to discuss with other trade unionists from across the country about what can be done. The engineering construction workers at the BP plant at Saltend in Yorkshire are showing how to fight the bosses. They were locked out when they refused to let employers tear up their pay and conditions and have mobilised solidarity action from other workers, bypassing the anti- trade union laws. We should follow their example where workers express a desire for industrial action. There is an urgent need to increase the effectiveness of the union. We let the employers get away with too much. There should be no concession bargaining. In the face of continued industrial and political attack, we need a combative response with a leadership determined to see it through. For more on the Socialist Party in the CWU At conference or after Contact : 07530 429441 Web: www.socialistparty.org.uk Would you like me to cut more slowly? With thanks to UNITED TRADE UNION ACTION TO STOP CUTS

Socialist Party CWU Conference Bulletin 2011

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Transcript of Socialist Party CWU Conference Bulletin 2011