Socialists support solid newspaper workers strike!

NUJ members at Brighton's local newspaper The Argus made a stand against mounting job losses on Thursday 18 November as they walked out to start 48 hours of solid strike action.

Management plans to axe six local subbing and production jobs saw union members vote an overwhelming 91 per cent in favour of the walk-out. Click here to read on...

Workers bring France to a standstill

1968 and 2010...

France is increasingly becoming the centre of attention, not only for the European ruling classes, but also for many workers and youth around Europe. The battle around the pension reforms increasingly represents a crystallisation of the conflict between the forces of capitalism with their reactionary agenda of austerity, and the rising fight back of the working class.

A spectacular amount of people were drawn into the streets on Tuesday 12 October for what was already the fourth “day of action” (mass demonstrations and strikes) in France since the beginning of September, reaching the record level of 3.5 million demonstrators nationwide, a 20% rise compared previous marches. No less than 244 demonstrations were reported nationally. Even the police were forced to recognise that in every city, participation was, once again, on the rise.

Rarely in the rich history of the French class struggle could you find such a turn-out all on the same day. It seems like every move or comment coming from the government’s representatives is convincing more people to join the protests. Click here to read on...

Socialists rally in Hastings to support victimised PCS rep Sam Buckley

Full report to follow soon...

Demonstrate against union busting at Hastings CSA

Join the demo!
Meet 1pm at Hastings Pier, Saturday 18 September
Meet 9.30am by St Peters Church taxi rank, Brighton (for a return coach trip £5)

PCS Branch Secretary at Child Support Agency Hastings, Sam Buckley has recently become the fifth branch officer to be sacked on trumped up charges since November 2007. Several more reps are under threat as we speak. The national union regards this as deliberate union busting and is fully behind the campaign's demands for reinstatement, an end to bullying of staff and reps and a DWP Select Committee enquiry into management at CSA Hastings.

CSA Hastings has become known as "The Bermuda Triangle of the Civil Service" owing to the way that those who stand up to management disappear - so far the Branch has lost a Chair, two Vice Chairs, two Branch Secretaries and a Treasurer (although the Treasurer, Winston Resalsingh, was reinstated in the teeth of stated opposition from Area Management and South East HR) This is in stark contrast to how management treat BNP members -local neo-Nazi Frank Swaine has twice been given permission to stand for the BNP in council elections, despite Civil Service policy which obliges us all to promote diversity in the communities in which we live and work. Union reps handing out anti-BNP leaflets, by contrast, were threatened with disciplinary action and full time union officials thrown off the site by security. Managers still insist the hugely disproportionate number of union officers sacked is a complete coincidence. PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka, by contrast, told a packed AGM that DWP management was the worst in the Civil Service, that CSA management was the worst in the DWP and that Hastings management was the worst in the whole of the CSA!

Of the officers we have lost so far, Branch Chair Eddie Fleming was proved by a tribunal to have been unfairly dismissed – yet he was still refused his job back. Winston Resalsingh was sacked for asking if he was being discriminated against – he had to be reinstated and paid an out of court settlement after pressure from the national union got the case heard outside the area and it was found the managers dismissing him had failed to follow procedure, failed to show natural justice and failed to demonstrate impartiality. An attempt to sack the current Chair, Chris Brambleby had to be dropped after it was proved that someone had altered the minutes of ameeting in an apparent attempt to make him look worse.

A demonstration has been called backed by National, local and regional PCS and Hastings and District Trades Council among others which will assemble at 1pm at Hastings Pier Saturday18th September before moving off along the seafront at 1.30pm and marching to the town centre where a rally with speakers will be held.

Area management are eager to consolidate their "victory"-their first move has been to ban the local branch from issuing any leaflets to the members on the subject including outside the building and in their own time. National PCS pointed out to them that this is both unreasonable and unlawful and was ignored. As a result of this a mass leafletting session was held on Friday 30th July at Ashdown House. Despite the threats of Area Manager Robin Lulham, (who appeared to think he could issue orders to people who don’t work for him and weren’t on CSA property) to call the police it was a huge success. However the climate of fear was shown by the numbers of staff who were eager to sign the petition but on condition management were never told they had signed. Others made a point of ostentatiously shaking Sam’s hand in the full view of senior managers.

Please support this demonstration and please help us spread the word!. For details about the dismissals, bullying and harrassment in Hastings, messages of solidarity, to become an official sponsor of the march,to get a speaker from the campaign, queries, donations etc please contact Branch Secretary Sam Buckley via swpsam@hotmail.com.

Join the Facebook group here and click here for an archive story on Eddie Fleming.

Thursday! Protest outside Brighton council cuts meeting

This evening, at Brighton Town Hall, the city's 54 councillors will be debating £3.68 million worth of cuts from this year's budget. The Socialist Party, trade union branches and campaign groups will be protesting outside to demand that no cuts are made. This economic crisis was not caused by ordinary people, so why should we pay for it?

Unions say: Vote on the budget, and vote it down!
Meet 4pm, Brighton Town Hall. Bring your banners!

Every councillor will be handed a copy of a letter from Brighton Trades Council as they enter the town hall as a reminder that they are meant to serve the people of this city and not simply carry out orders from their party headquarters in London.

At tonight's meeting the councillors will "debate" proposals to cut £3.68 million from this year's budgets, as a result of grant cuts from the coalition government, but they will not be allowed to vote on these cuts, nor propose alternatives. Instead, all the decisions will be taken by a small group of Conservative councillors in a week's time.

If councillors are to be denied a democratic say on these cuts, then they should take a show of hands at tonight's meeting to force the Conversatives out of using an undemocratic council policy originally bought in by the Labour government.

The cuts to be debated include:
- Cuts of £1,580,000 to education, young people and children's services in Brighton and Hove this year
- The removal of ring-fenced grants for vital services in Brighton and Hove this year, including: the Youth Opportunity Fund (worth £141,000), Aids/HIV support (worth £455,000), Stroke Strategy (worth £93,000)
- £600,000 cuts this year from the Playbuilder renovation of children's playgrounds
- Cuts of £600,000 this year from SureStart children's centres in Brighton and Hove
- Cuts of 25 per cent in budgets promised in the future

In addition to these measures, council employees working in local government are suffering a pay freeze (though an increase in councillors' allowances of 2.3 per cent is being proposed by the Local Government Association!).

Local people will suffer a rise in VAT to 20 per cent, and cuts to housing benefit and tax credits from next year, which will have the worst effect on the poorest in our society.

Yet at the same time the council is proposing to employ four strategic directors, each of whom will be on a salary almost as high as the prime minister's!

In its letter, Brighton, Hove and District TUC stands firm that, "it does not except that these cuts need to fall on the most vunerable in society. Those responsible for the financial crisis should be the ones to pay for it - principally the bankers and speculators - and money could be saved by not proceeding with useless schemes such as Trident, or paying large sums to strategic directors."

Socialists will support workers who fight against cuts in jobs, privatisation and any reduction in terms and conditions. Come to this evening's demonstration to put pressure on our councillors to fight back, and to show others that there are people making a stand against this ideological war upon the lives and communities of working people while the rich carry on as before.

Brighton socialists protest against the ConDem budget

[Words and pictures by Peter Knight, Brighton Thursday branch]

Up to 200 socialists and trade unionists from a range of city workplaces united to vent their anger at the ConDem budget on Tuesday 22 June at a Brighton, Hove and District Trades Union Council-organised demonstration outside Hove Town Hall.

Union reps from Unison, GMB, PCS, UCU and NUT trade unions, along with representatives from Brighton Benefits Campaign, all rounded on Chancellor George Osborne's repressive plans to attack public services and welfare rights that will see the poorest workers and the unemployed paying the price for the bankers' failure that underlines the current economic crisis.

With 25 per cent cuts being passed on to local council authorities, and an initial £3.5 million already set to be cut locally, the axe that threatens public services across Brighton and Hove falls into the hands of the city's 54 councillors.

All 54 were invited to attend the demonstration to publicly agree to the trade council's demands to vote down any budget presented to the city council that will result in: Redundancies in the council workforce; Cuts to the council’s public spending budget; The privatisation of any part of the public sector; Attacks on pay, pensions and working conditions of the council workforce; Increases in Council Tax.

A handful of Labour Party councillors attended but hypocritically spoke of their anger at the ConDem cuts - Labour itself was prepared to "cut deeper and harder than Thatcher did in the 1980s," announced former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling before the general election in May.

Some trade unionists and lefts are falling into a dangerous trap by trusting Labour to save the working class from these cuts, as the political force to defend jobs and services. Socialist Party speakers at the rally were supported by loud applause when they reminded those there of Labour's record of privatisations, wars, job cuts, school closures and relentless attack after attack on trade union rights and living conditions for millions of working people during their 13 years in power.

And instead of explictly supporting the trade council's demands, Labour councillor Gill Mitchell blamed the stitch up by the Conservative run-council in denying opposition parties the democratic right to vote at the emergency council budget meeting on 15 July where £3.5 million worth of cuts are lined up.

No councillors from either the Tories or Liberal Democrats dared to show their faces, but four Green Party councillors came to protest with councillor Jason Kitcat saying that they "will vote against all the cuts, we will vote aginst all the Tory plans."

A video clip from the demonstration of the Labour and Green party comments can be found here.

Following on from the Brighton, Hove and District Trades Union Council March for Jobs demonstration earlier this year, trade unionists and Socialist Party members are playing a key role in continuing to organise against the attacks facing working people and to mount pressure on the city's elected representatives not to carry out these unjustified cuts.

United pressure from the city's trade unions and communities can force back the ConDems and their cuts agenda, just as the Tories were defeated by Liverpool city council in the 1980s and by the 15 million-strong "can't pay won't pay" campaign that brought down the hated Poll Tax and eventually former prime minister Margaret Thatcher herself.

Organised trade union and community pressure can force councillors to begin a fight back but the Socialist Party is not confident that Labour or Green parties can be relied on to stop these cuts.

Socialist Party members except that Labour and Green parties will talk tough by expressing opposition to the ConDem attacks to score political points. But it will be actions that count when it comes to defending the working class and Labour's record in office is littered with betrayal after betrayal. As for the Greens, its record elsewhere in office does not hold up well.

Instead of relying on these bourgeois parties that can only claim to represent everyone's interests, the Socialist Party argues for the creation of an independent working class party that can genuinely defend the working class and make the rich pay for the crisis caused by their system - capitalism.

The Socialist Party played a key role in the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition which put down a marker when it stood in Brighton Kemptown at the general election and plans are now underway to stand working class candidates in next year's local council elections.

With 10 months until the polling stations open across the city, now is the time to continue to build the political fight back, alongside continuing to agitate for trade union national demonstrations and general strike action to put a stop to every cut.

This Saturday - National Shop Stewards Network conference!

"We are entering a stormy period where the seeming inertia of the trade union movement can be swept aside in mighty battles, laws or no laws. Now is the time to act." Bill Mullins, Socialist Party industrial organiser

11am Saturday 26 June, South Camden Community School, London NW1 1RG

or 8.30am Brighton Station for group tickets. Call 07709 696561 for more local NSSN info or visit www.shopstewards.net

Demonstrate against the Con-Dem budget!

Protest supported by UNISON, GMB, PCS, RMT, Keep Our NHS Public, Right to work, Brighton Benefits Campaign & Youth Fight For Jobs.

On 22 June the government will unveil its 'emergency budget', after having already announced £6 billion of cuts. Now this coalition of millionaires is due to impose yet more cuts in public services. It really is an emergency!

Hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost on top of already soaring unemployment, public services will suffer enormously as resources are stripped out and our welfare state is dismantled. The problems with debt were created by huge bank bailouts but it is going to be the working class that foots the bill.

After the second world war, in a situation of even higher debt, the NHS and the welfare state was created. Now it seems debt will be used as the excuse to pull them apart, while we continue to spend money on Trident nuclear submarines, and let the super rich evade taxes.

We are protesting to say to the government that we won't pay for the crisis, and to tell our councillors that their job is to represent us, not push through government cuts.

Join us in saying NO to the cuts!
Click here to join the event on Facebook...
Click here to read the editorial in the Socialist...

May Day! International Workers' Day!

Workers’ unity across Europe to resist the attacks!
We will not pay for the bosses’ crisis!

Support Greek general strike on 5 May - call for international solidarity!

Statement of GUE/NGL (United Left) MEPs in solidarity with Greek and all European workers. Below we publish a statement issued on behalf of MEPs from the GUE/NGL (United Left) group in the European parliament. The initiative for the statement was taken by Joe Higgins, Socialist Party (CWI in Ireland) MEP. Eleven MEPs (named below) have individually agreed to endorse the statement.

While governments in Europe are divided on how to deal with the deepening crisis in the eurozone, they are all united about who should pay for this crisis. The establishment is committed to making working class people right across Europe pay for the capitalist crisis - through cutbacks in public services and a slashing of wages.

Greek workers are currently subject to savage assaults on their living standards. Workers in Portugal, Spain and Ireland all face similar attacks, as do working people throughout Europe.

We want to send out a clear message of solidarity to all European workers, pensioners and young people. We oppose the attempts by the European establishment to whip up nationalist tensions to divide us. As international workers’ day approaches on 1 May we stress the need for international action to defend the interests of working people.

We call for a united stand of workers across Europe to respond to the IMF, the international financial markets and the neo-liberal politicians in Europe with the declaration: "We will not pay for your crisis!"

We support the planned general strike action in Greece on 5 May and call for international solidarity actions on that date as a step towards major European-wide mobilisations against the crisis and the attacks on workers.

* Workers’ solidarity across Europe with Greek workers who are under attack.
* No to the dictatorship of the financial markets, credit ratings institutions and the IMF.
* Unity of all workers across Europe - we will not pay for the bosses’ crisis!

Individually supported by the following MEPs:
Joe Higgins, Socialist Party (CWI in Ireland)
Nikolas Chountis, Syriza (Greece)
Rui Tavares, Left Bloc (Portugal)
Miguel Portas, Left Bloc (Portugal)
Marisa Matias, Left Bloc (Portugal)
Jurgen Klute, Die Linke (Germany)
Sabine Wils, Die Linke (Germany)
Sabine Losing, Die Linke (Germany)
Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, AKEL (Cyprus)
Willy Meyer, Izquierda Unida (Spain)
Eva Britt-Svennson, Left Party (Sweden)

From www.socialistworld.net - website of the committee for a workers' international, CWI

Trade unionist coalition launched for election

[by Peter Knight, Brighton Thursday branch]



Hundreds of trade unionists and socialist packed into a conference room at Friends Meeting house in central London on Thursday evening to mark the launch of a working class, anti-cuts coalition standing in the upcoming general election.

Workers and trade union representatives, who are involved in industrial struggles against big business and the government intent on making working people pay the price for the economic crisis, have united to form the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) to fight the election in 42 constituencies across the country.

TUSC is backed by the Socialist Party as well as a number of leading trade unionists including the RMT general secretary Bob Crow.

Assistant general secretary of the PSC Chris Baugh addressed the rally just a day after leading hundreds of thousands of civil servants out on strike on Budget day who had voted to take action to oppose a government attack on their redundancy rights. He said: “We welcome the opportunity to fill the void left by New Labour’s abandonment of working people.”

The union link with New Labour was highlighted as a central issue for workers in dispute against attacks on jobs, wages and conditions, with more and more union members supporting calls for dissaffiliation from the party that has now turned its back on them.

Baugh, talking to Radio 4’s Today programme which recorded the meeting, added: “I think the BA cabin crew is a classic example where Unite is a major contributor [to Labour], and yet the Prime Minister and other ministers have denounced what is and what we believe is a just cause.”

“We reject that fatalism and defeatism. We need to reinstate the idea of an independent workers’ party,” said Baugh.

Karen Reisman, a nurse and TUSC candidate standing in Manchester, emphasised that the coalition is gaining an echo across the country among many ordinary people in building that independent political voice.

“There are lots more people, who actually think that after 13 years of betrayal they cannot stomach putting their cross against Labour again. People want something different,” she said.

Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist received only the average wage of his constituents during his nine year’s as a Labour MP between 1983 and 1992, in stark contrast to today’s ministers and their shocking expenses scandal. Quoting Scottish socialist John Maclean, he said: “Representatives should rise with their class, not out of it!”

Nellist is standing under the TUSC banner against New Labour MP Bob Ainsworth in Coventry North East.

Along with introducing Brighton Kemptown TUSC candidate Dave Hill to the audience, Nellist added: “TUSC is not just a case of a vote; it’s to get involved and to make sure the working class have the voice when the main parties attack working people.”

Prison Officers’ Association general secretary Brian Caton marked the significance of the launch. He said: “Tonight should be remembered for centuries to come, because it’s a time when we’ve decided we’re going to have a party for the people, by the people, that’s going to support working men and women, and not abandon them to the scrapheap in favour of bankers, bent businessmen and big business generally.”

Find out more about the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition at www.tusc.org.uk

If you would like to get involved and want some leaflets to give out to your workmates, friends, family and your local community, get in touch with us locally at brightontusc.blogspot.com or call 07894 716095. Thank you.

Support striking BA Cabin Crew workers

Defending jobs and conditions

The sickening bonanza for the rich goes on; last week the Forbes “rich list” showed that the number of billionaires on the planet has increased significantly over the last year, and they have seen their incomes soar.

Here in Britain, the Audit Commission has released the results of a study on the severance packages of council chief executives. In a 33 month period, 37 individuals received £9.5 million. It is from this wealthy layer and their representatives in the main political parties that venom and condemnation is unleashed on civil servants and British Airways cabin crew - workers who have been forced to vote for strike action to stop a relentless driving down of their terms and conditions.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis declared that a strike of BA cabin crew would be “totally unjustified” - this from a man who was not even elected to parliament, about a strike that was democratically decided by an overwhelming majority of the cabin crew. New Labour leader Gordon Brown joined the baying mob, by calling the BA strike “deplorable.”

Yet the BA workers’ trade union, Unite, is the largest donor to New Labour, giving £11 million of its members’ money to the party over the last four years alone. So Brown urges on the imposed “race to the bottom” for working class people’s living standards, while raking in their union subs to fund further vicious attacks.

Members of the PCS union are mainly in the public sector, British Airways cabin crew are in the private sector, but both cases they have been forced to fight simply to defend previously agreed contracts and conditions - an aim that is a million miles away from the greed of the fat cats who are behind the denigrations of their struggles.

An enormous class chasm separates the interests of the workers being forced into action and those who are leading the attacks on them.

But the potential strength of all the working and middle class people under attack, or threatened with attacks, is enormous. Not just hundreds, or thousands, but millions of other workers will be able to identify with the plight of those taking strike action now, and would be willing to give support if the trade union movement mobilises it.

• Support the striking BA Cabin Crew
• Nationalise to defend jobs and conditions
• End the undemocratic anti-trade union laws
• End all trade union links with New Labour
• Support the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition in the general election: http://www.tusc.org.uk/

Visit airstrikes.wordpress.com for more information.

UCU strike against university cuts!

[Words Peter Knight, pictures Dave Hill]




Today lecturers and staff at the University of Sussex gave management their thoughts on the proposed plans to cut over 115 staff along with other vital services - by taking strike action and walking out.

The strike ballot recorded the largest turnout in UCU history - with 80.9% of members voting. Over three-quarters of staff (76%) supported strike action and over four-fifths (82%) agreed to action short of a strike.

Picket lines were lively this morning as hundreds of students and workers offered each other support against the university managment.

One lecturer on strike said: "People see the cuts as a blow to the heart of the university. Education should be at the heart of the university's mission, but it's being downgraded. The support from students has been extremely heartening, to see how willing they are to support the campaign against cuts."

Socialist Students and others from the Stop The Cuts campaign have been in occupation in one of the university's largest lecture halls for eight days in support of the university workers and in opposition to the cuts. This morning they came out and joined the workers on strike.

At a senate meeting last night, over 800 passed a vote of no confidence in vice-chancellor Michael Farthing and the administration. University management have failed to consult with staff properly, bullied and victimised staff and students with suspensions and the threat of redundancies and, in scenes never before witnessed on the university campus, called in riot police to violently attack a peaceful demonstration opposing the cuts.

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate for Brighton Kemptown Dave Hill joined the picket line in solidarity with both workers and students. He said: "Sussex university students are leading the way nationally in acting to stop the cuts. Now Sussex university UCU, together with Leeds University UCU, have both voted to take strike action to stop the cuts. UCU estimates that over the next three years 15,000 jobs at universities and colleges across the country are under threat - not just lecturers, but porters, secretaries, admin staff, cleaners - all sorts of workers - faced with job cuts unless there is solidarity in opposing them! Students and workers, unite and fight!"

Today's strike is part of a national day of action called by Socialist Students against all university and education cuts. As the senate meeting was taking place last night, news came through of a student occupation at Aberdeen University. Workers and students have been uniting up and down the country to oppose these attacks on education.

Today's action coincides with the annoucement of funding cuts to universities across the country, including Sussex, which will result in a blow for standards, massive job cuts and fewer places for students who are already suffering with debt, a job-less future, low pay and fees in excess of £3,000 a year. So much for "education, education, education."

We say: "Defend education! Victory to the strikers! Ballot the other campus union members threatened with cuts! Keep open the university creche! An end to macho-management! No redundancies! Stop the cuts! Vote Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition! Campaign for a New Workers' Party!"

For the latest information and background on the fight back against education cuts click here...

Trades Council demo unites Brighton fight back

[Words and pictures, Peter Knight - Brighton Thursday branch]













"They say cut back, we say fight back" was the chant that roared through the streets of Brighton on Saturday as hundreds of working class trade union activists, socialists and campaigners brought the city's streets to a standstill.

In one of the largest trade union organised demonstrations in Brighton for many years, over 600 people representing union branches from workplaces right across the city united to inspire others to join a growing fight back against mounting job losses and the monstrous attacks on public services.

Recent work place closures in the city have seen the loss of hundreds of jobs with bookshops, bank branches, off licenses and manufacturing plants closing down in the last year.

With the continuing threat of redundancies and savage service cuts looming over the heads of thousands more local workers, the Brighton, Hove and District Trades Union Council organised March for Jobs demonstration has provided the spark for a united fight back campaign.

Socialist Party members played a central role in organising the event which was supported by local trade union branches including the GMB, NUJ, NUT, PCS, RMT, UCU, Unison and Unite.

Last week the local Save Our Nursery campaign, which has united parents and workers against plans to close an outstanding childcare service at the University of Brighton, forced management to consider a union proposal to keep the nursery open after a large vocal rally boosted by Socialist Party members was held outside the board of governors' meeting.

Carole Hanson, secretary of the University of Brighton Unison branch representing the nursery workers, said at the rally on Saturday: "The impact that action has had on our branch, to see those workers absolutely united against the cuts to the nursery, the cuts to provision, the cuts to their jobs, has galvanised our branch into action and it's really uniting people in their opposition to any cuts."

The fight towards victory for the Save Our Nursery campaign saw their contingent lead the March for Jobs demonstration.

GMB members from the Brighton bin depot joined the march to inspire fellow workers in struggle after their victorious battle last year. Over 300 refuse workers were facing massive cuts in their pay of up to a third, but took united action and forced the council into a quick retreat after only a two day strike.

Dave Russell, GMB rep at the Hollingdean depot in Brighton, said at the rally: "We won the battle but the war has only just begun. I hope our victory can inspire you in yours."

Job centre workers in the Public and Commercial Services union, who are due to walk out on strike on Monday and Tuesday, marched side by side with unemployed campaigners who are being attacked with cuts to already poverty level benefits. Both unemployed and public sector workers face ongoing privatisation plans or the introduction of punishments for not excepting low paid or unpaid work.

But organised activists remain confident of the unity that the March for Jobs event provided. Kevin Dale, a PCS rep at Brighton job centre, said: "PCS workers are taking industrial action in defence of their compensation scheme which, if cut, cheapens everything up for the privatisation and cuts to come. So we're taking all out action on Monday and Tuesday. Today's demo gives us every confidence we can win this battle."

Dominic McFadden from the PCS national executive committee echoed one of the demonstration's key slogans when he spoke at the rally at the end of the march. Yellow placards with the slogan "jobs and services not bail outs for the rich" were waived in the air by the crowd at Brighton town hall as he said: "When moat-owning Douglas Hogg MP steps down at the next election he will walk away with a pension pot worth more than £40,000 a year. The average pension for a civil service worker is only £84 a week. So much for gold plated public sector pensions. Perhaps the government could collect the billions of avoided and evaded tax payments owed by the rich before they start attacking low paid public sector workers."

With 76 per cent of an 80 per cent turnout backing strike action - a national record turn out for a UCU ballot - workers at the University of Sussex are growing in confidence that united action can force a nervous management to concede defeat over plans to axe over 100 jobs.

Support on the local campuses is growing with the Stop The Cuts campaign uniting workers and students who have organised peaceful occupations and demonstrations in which Socialist Students have played a leading role.

However, in a sign of desperation, the university's vice chancellor Michael Farthing called in police to violently break up the latest protest expelling six of the students without any hearing.

Socialist Students and workers involved in the Stop The Cuts campaign joined Saturday's demonstration to gather signatures in support of the six victimised students. Along with their petition and news of a demonstration planned for next week, they also provided the march with the chant "workers and students unite and fight" highlighting the strength and depth of the unity that is building across the city.

Radical poet Attila the Stockbroker provided some lively and stirring music and prose that captured the upbeat mood of workers and their families on the demonstration.

The anger over job losses and cuts is not lost in the local labour movement, but the March for Jobs demonstration has given everyone involved in struggle a massive boost that has united a lot of the battles taking place across the city.

Bill North, general secretary of Brighton, Hove and District Trades Union Council said: "What we've achieved today has been absolutely brilliant but if we left it there we would have failed. This is the start of a campaign for jobs and services that can be built to defeat those who wish to make us pay for their crisis. We’ve shown that we can work together, act together so let's stick together and let people know there is a fight back going on."

BRIGHTON WORKERS FIGHT BACK!

March for Jobs!
First up, Brighton Hove and District trades council involving Socialist Party members have organised a March for Jobs demonstration for this Saturday 6 March starting at 12 midday on The Level, Brighton.

With jobs losses and the threat of job cuts and public service cuts looming, as the private sector and the main political parties prepare to make working people pay for this crisis of capitalism, it is as important as ever that workers, pensioners, the unemployed, students and youth mobilise and unite to fight back against these unjustified attacks.

Visit brightontradescouncil.blogspot.com for more info.

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
The trade union movement is leading the way in many workplaces to defend their members and the working class. But none of the political parties standing in the coming general are going to stand and fight for working people. In fact, they all want to lay the burden of the recession onto the shoulders of working people while the fat cats are fed larger and larger bonuses paid for by us!

For years working people were told there was no money for decent pay, pensions, homes, health, jobs and education. But suddenly there is enough to bail out the capitalist gambling and speculation that has caused this mess! We say enough is enough.

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition is a political alliance preparing to standing in constituencies right across the country consisting of leading trade union fighters and socialist campaigners striving to defend working class communities, jobs and services against the cuts on offer from the capitalist parties.

With RMT General Secretary Bob Crow and Socialist Party Deputy General Secretary Hannah Sell speaking at this Brighton launch to introduce your TUSC Brighton Kemptown candidate Dave Hill, this meeting offers workers the opportunity to get involved in the crucial political fight back that links together the industrial and electorial battles against the job losses and cuts that our not the fault of working people.

Visit www.tusc.org.uk, brightontusc.blogspot.com, Facebook: Brighton TUSC

Join us at the March for Jobs and the TUSC election launch.

March for jobs!

Demonstrate: Saturday 6 March 2010
Assemble 12 midday at The Level, Brighton

A demonstration has been organised by trade union activists and campaigners as a call to action to fight back against the unjustified job losses taking place across the city and the country.

Delegates and organisers, including local Socialist Party members, put together plans for the demonstration at a meeting held by Brighton, Hove and District Trades Council and are urging trade union branches, students, the unemployed, workers and their families to take part in this important march which will take place on Saturday 6 March.

Assembling at The Level at 12 midday, the demonstration will march past significant workplaces and sites in the city effected by the current threat of job losses. It will march to Brighton town hall where a rally will be held to put forward demands to defend all jobs and prevent any public service cuts as part of a fight back campaign against these unjustified attacks on working people.

Across Brighton & Hove working people are being threatened with thousands of job losses as workplaces close down. The devastating news of 220 redundancies at manufacturing firm Edwards last week adds to the job purge currently taking place against workers.

Track maintenance crews organised in the RMT union will be balloting for strike action over 1,500 job losses on the railways. If these job cuts go ahead safety will be severely threatened for both workers and travellers with already overstretched services.

Hundreds of jobs at Borders and Threshers in Brighton have already gone, more than 600 redundancies have been announced across two Lloyds sites, Brighton & Hove City Council wants to shed 150 workers and Sussex University plan to axe nearly 200 jobs.

Brighton, Hove and District Trades Council general secretary Bill North said: "Billions of pounds are being handed out to bankers and chief executives of companies technically owned by the taxpayer at a time when more and more people are being thrown out of work with nothing being done to protect these jobs. This completely distorted and unjustified situation cannot continue any longer.

"In the Brighton area hundreds of working people are being threatened with a worsening situation as job losses mount up.

"However, time and time again it has been shown that strong, organised trade unions can and do make a positive difference, defending jobs and conditions when they are under threat.

"If you’re not in a trade union - join one. If you are - get active.

"There is huge anger at the alarming lack of protection for workers at the same time bllions in bonuses are dished out to the rich and this demonstration will give people the opportunity to make a stand and will send out a clear message to bosses and the government: we will not pay for your crisis."

2010 - A year for workers' resistance and the growth of socialist ideas

The British capitalists, together with their counterparts worldwide, have unleashed a barrage of propaganda - disguised as "irrefutable facts" - to soften up working class people for an unparalleled assault on their living standards. The International Monetary Fund says this will mean "ten years of austerity". Like their previous Tory ideologue, Margaret Thatcher, they wish to create the impression that "there is no alternative".

General secretary of the Socialist Party, Peter Taaffe, comments on the political outlook for 2010 and the likely reaction of trade unionists and working class people in general. Click here to read on...

PUBLIC MEETING: What can the workers do? 6pm Wednesday 9 December, Phoenix Community Centre, Phoenix Place, Brighton

6pm Wednesday 9 DecemberPhoenix Community Centre, Phoenix Place, Brighton

The local hub of the trade union movement has called a public meeting to discuss the job cuts taking place across the city.

Brighton, Hove & District Trades Council, alongside the campaign group Youth Fight for Jobs, is inviting all workers and their families to the afterwork meeting being held at 6pm Wednesday 9 December at the Phoenix Community Centre, Phoenix Place, Brighton.

Across Brighton & Hove working people are being threatened with redundancy as workplaces close down. It is getting harder than ever to find work in Brighton and Hove.

As well as Lloyds, Borders and Threshers shutting, Brighton council is looking to lose 150 workers and Sussex University want to axe nearly 200 jobs.

If not challenged companies will try to make job cuts on the cheap even when they are half-owned by the taxpayer.

However, time and time again it has been shown that strong unions can and do make a positive difference when jobs are under threat.

General secretary of Brighton, Hove and District Trades Union Council Bill North said: “As the local offical body of the trade union movement it is important that we join together to help all workers facing job cuts and attacks. Our collective strength has a huge positive impact in defending working people against these unjustified job losses. We need to get organised against job losses and for job creation and this meeting provides us with an opportunity to discuss how we can work together to win the best deal for all workers.”

Sarah Wrack from Youth Fight for Jobs, a youth-led campaign which held a 1,000-strong march and demonstration in London last month against youth unemployment, said: “Nearly 1 million 16 to 24-year-olds are already facing years on the dole because of this crisis of capitalism. In Brighton a majority of these jobs cuts are once again expected to be dished out to young workers already struggling to pay back massive student debts as well as trying to live, eat and keep warm. We urge all young workers to attend this important meeting to find out what can be done to rescue a future out of this mess.”

CONTACT DETAILS:

Brighton, Hove & District Trades Council

07709 696561

secretary@lewes-eastbourne-and-wealden.nut.org.uk

Youth Fight for Jobs

07984 027754

brightonyouthfightforjobs@gmail.com

http://www.youthfightforjobs.com/

Facebook: Brighton Youth Fight for Jobs

Protesting against job losses on Sussex Uni campus

On December 3 an emergency senate meeting called by the university to discuss savage cuts was picketed by over 400 students. Management plan to cut 115 jobs and vital campus services such as subsidised day care for children and the Unisex centre are to close which will affect students at Sussex and Brighton universities.

At the mass protest the UCU trade union warned through a vote of no confidence in the cuts proposal at the meeting that it will ballot its members for strike action. Students and staff have set up a united Stop the Cuts campaign which has been successful in mobilising large protests over the last few weeks.

Click here to read on...