Now -read the book!

Here is a link to my memoirs which, if you are a glutton for punishment, you can purchase online at https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/an-obscure-footnote-in-trade-union-history.
Men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name. (William Morris - A Dream of John Ball)

Monday, June 21, 2010

Class War stepped up by the bosses

The class war in this country is generally fought in a fairly one-sided way. Today's announcement by the bosses' organisation the CBI that they want to raise new obstacles to lawful industrial action whilst shortening the time period for consultation on redundancies is certainly evidence of this (http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/7d5aad93026f5007802577450051b71f?OpenDocument).



The TUC are spot on in condemning the hypocrisy of this attack on workers' rights (http://www.tuc.org.uk/law/tuc-18114-f0.cfm). Whilst it is of course a disgrace that New Labour in Government did not reverse the anti-union laws of the 80s and 90s (which would have meant we started from a better position to confront ConDem cuts) our focus must now be on the fight against this Government.



We need a Trade Union Freedom Bill now more than ever (http://www.tuc.org.uk/law/index.cfm?mins=560) and the commitment of John McDonnell MP to use his first place in the ballot for Private Members' Bills to put the TUC Bill before Parliament (http://l-r-c.org.uk/press/as-one-door-closes-another-one-opens.-john-mcdonnell-tops-the-private-membe/) will - at the least - force a public debate on trade union rights which has been needed for years.



(We will also be able to see which of the five contenders for Leader of the Labour Party will support a Bill drafted by the TUC and reflecting the agreed policies of the trade unions!)



Whatever the Government does to the legal shackles on our trade unions (and we cannot rule out their being tightened) this will not prevent popular anger being expressed.



When a Government of millionaires decree that the UK cannot afford free swimming for the under 16s and over 60s you have to wonder how many of them have their own swimming pools!



A class war is being fought against us and it is time we fought back. Unison Conference was united in agreeing a plan of campaign which starts right now (http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=1894).

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