Maximum Unity - Fight on all fronts - now's the time!

[october_lost]

ok well so what are you saying?? if people are not in a political group they are in "political isolation"

Worth a thread all on its own.

The benefits of joing a political organisation are none if you dont agree with any of the aims & principles, or if they throw up structures which basically mute your energy or creativity. Im not suggesting political groups either feds, parties, networks, unions etc have a monopoly on class struggle but they offer benefits that cant be over looked, for example the sharing and pooling of resources, propaganda, greater co-ordination of political work, internal debates which clarify goals etc, the manpower they can gather and greater attraction of new interested activists they can bring in.

Im not looking down on anyone, but I dont see why there isnt a greater co-ordination of political activity, and an organisation is a clear starting point.

 

[Maggot]

Apartheid in South Africa, the Berlin wall, Soviet Union - when I was young I thought the latter would be there forever. Now they are gone - things can look bleak and maybe not all revolutionary aka Groucho.

But none of those things existed in a democracy.

I like Groucho, but he is seriously deluded if he believes there's gonna be a revolt.

 

[Groucho]

But none of those things existed in a democracy.

I like Groucho, but he is seriously deluded if he believes there's gonna be a revolt.

I was drunk when I wrote that garbled O/P, but yes I do believe there's going to be a revolt.

i. There has to be or else we are going to see the end of 'public services'
ii. There is a growing mood for a united fight throughout the public sector unions.

There are obstacles. The TU leadership, lack of militant tradition, legacy of defeats of the 80s. The point is that all three can be overcome; the more people pushing for it the more likely it is.

I don't believe that our 'democracy' will be enough to stop a revolt - are people happy? Are people's needs being met?

 

[audiotech]

Support the postal workers. They are bloody fuming.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/forum/index.php

 

[Groucho]

Support the postal workers. They are bloody fuming.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/forum/index.php

They certainly are. Management have put up lcd screens to show management propoganda and...they are being smashed.

Management seminars on 'why you should have a pay cut' have resulted in mass refusals to take part.

A leaflet featuring a cartoon of the management has been widely disseminated and management have written out banning it from display, but in one office it was put up behind a perspex cover screwed on to the wall!

Posters produced by the rank and file Post Worker group are all over the workplaces.

The highest workplace sales sales of Socialist Worker ever recorded have taken place recently at Post sorting offices.

A rally of 150 London post workers reps with delegations of Civil Servants including my beautiful branch banner heard PCS General Secretary, Mark Serwotka's call for united action receive an enthusiastic response.

The ballot for strike action against the pay freeze is heading for a 65% plus majority.

Also set to ballot - NUT for strikes in Sept, UNISON health for action short of a strike and...

...a historic moment...

the RCN, the fuckin RCN! are balloting members on whether they should balot members for a strike

 

[october_lost]

You a postie Groucho?

 

[Groucho]

You a postie Groucho?

No, a Civil Servant. I talk to posties though. And teachers, I talk to teachers too...

 

[october_lost]

Posters produced by the rank and file Post Worker group are all over the workplaces.

Whose behind this then?

 

[Groucho]

Whose behind this then?

It's a rank and file group which includes SWP members and many others.

 

[treelover]

sure its not an SWP front?

 

[treelover]

I see a certain 'royal mail manager' has registered with that site, without posting, intimidation? , could even be that Allan Leighton, wouldn't put it past him.

 

[In Bloom]

Sorry Groucho, I couldn't resist

Maximum Unity - Fight on all fronts - now's the time!

 

[TremulousTetra]

I'm all in favour of unions in principle, but not sure they are the panacea you are suggesting, given their liking for pursuing their own narrow interests (and even the interests of their leaders).
I'm not trying to be divisive here, as I agree that the left should stop their fucking bitching about other parts of the left and just do what they believe in without worry too much about others.

spot-on!

 

[Groucho]

 

[TremulousTetra]

sure its not an SWP front?

of course it is, and SW is a front for the state.

 

[yokerist]

used to always say:
"management suck arse"

on the walls of the bogs when I used to temp as a sorter

 

[Luciona]

34.5% pay rise for our cleaners!

GO GROUCHO GO GROUCHO **does hands in circle thing***

I second your challenge to the apathy and defeatism and reinforce the need for organised workers!!!!!

RECENT VICTORY AFTER WE LOBBIED OUTSIDE MY BUILDING YESTERDAY:
A co-ordinated Trade Union campaign has as achieved a major victory for low paid workers in London Fire

Attempt to block London living wage for cleaners defeated
21-6-2007

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, said today that the vote to pay the London Living Wage of £7.20 an hour to fire station cleaners at a meeting of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority showed that progress on this issue depends on continuing to build support for the living wage.

The fire authority agreed by nine votes to eight in favour of paying the living wage to cleaners of fire stations and other premises.

Ken Livingstone said:

“This was a hard fought victory against those who prefer poverty pay to a living wage. The members of the fire authority who voted to apply decent wages to their cleaning staff are to be congratulated, but it shows there is a very sharp dividing line on this issue in London.

‘Given that eight members of the fire authority were willing to vote for low pay, it is quite clear that we are going to have to continue to campaign to make the living wage a reality for employees in the capital.

‘Londoners have the right to ask some very tough questions of each of the fire authority members who voted for poverty pay.

‘Voting to keep cleaners on low pay is both wrong and completely out of touch with the needs of our city.

‘I will work with trade unions and community groups such as London Citizens and all those who oppose poverty pay to secure fair pay for fire station cleaners.”

Reverend Paul Regan, trustee of London Citizens said,

"On behalf of London Citizens I would like to say how pleased we are that the contracts for the fire authority cleaners will be based on the London Living Wage."

 

[Luciona]

- if you are in UNISON demand that talk becomes action. The leadership support Gordon Brown for fuck's sake - demand to know why!

Working on a letter. Fuming about our leadership generally

 

[Groucho]

GO GROUCHO GO GROUCHO **does hands in circle thing***

I second your challenge to the apathy and defeatism and reinforce the need for organised workers!!!!!

RECENT VICTORY AFTER WE LOBBIED OUTSIDE MY BUILDING YESTERDAY:
A co-ordinated Trade Union campaign has as achieved a major victory for low paid workers in London Fire

Attempt to block London living wage for cleaners defeated
21-6-2007

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, said today that the vote to pay the London Living Wage of £7.20 an hour to fire station cleaners at a meeting of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority showed that progress on this issue depends on continuing to build support for the living wage.

The fire authority agreed by nine votes to eight in favour of paying the living wage to cleaners of fire stations and other premises.

Ken Livingstone said:

“This was a hard fought victory against those who prefer poverty pay to a living wage. The members of the fire authority who voted to apply decent wages to their cleaning staff are to be congratulated, but it shows there is a very sharp dividing line on this issue in London.

‘Given that eight members of the fire authority were willing to vote for low pay, it is quite clear that we are going to have to continue to campaign to make the living wage a reality for employees in the capital.

‘Londoners have the right to ask some very tough questions of each of the fire authority members who voted for poverty pay.

‘Voting to keep cleaners on low pay is both wrong and completely out of touch with the needs of our city.

‘I will work with trade unions and community groups such as London Citizens and all those who oppose poverty pay to secure fair pay for fire station cleaners.”

Reverend Paul Regan, trustee of London Citizens said,

"On behalf of London Citizens I would like to say how pleased we are that the contracts for the fire authority cleaners will be based on the London Living Wage."

Wahoo!

Good to hear from you, too.

 

[CUMBRIANDRAGON]

Let the fight begin