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SUPPORT THE STRIKES ORGANISE RESISTANCE
T
ens of thousands of teachers are set to strike next Thursday 17 October in London, the south, south west and northern regions. The strike called by the NUT and NASUWT unions is the second of two regional strikes. On Tuesday 1 October thousands of teachers joined marches and rallies to protest the governments attacks on their pay. Michael Gove is wrecking our childrens educationmany teachers carried Gove Out! placards. The day before the teachers strike thousands of firefighters are set to join a national demonstration in London, called by the firefighters union, the FBU. The demonstration, which is over attacks on their pensions, job cuts, privatisation and fire service cuts, follows a 4-hour warningshot strike by firefighters on Wednesday 25 September. The 55,000 people who joined the demonstration at the Tory party conference in Manchester showed the desire there is to see a united and determined fight back. We need united, coordinated strikes if we are going to push the Tories back. It is great that the TUC told striking teachers last week that it is prepared to coordinate strikes if members ask it to. We need these words to become actions.
We can fight and win...
Labour
Privatisation
Over 100,000 postal workers in the CWU union are currently being balloted for strikes over privatisation, workload and job cuts. Royal Mail is set to be floated on the stock market next Tuesday 15 October. Last week university workers in Unison voted for strikes nationally over pay. Health workers around the country are discussing their next steps after Jeremy Hunt announced at the end of last week that he was withdrawing the measly one percent pay increase that they were set to receive next April. It amounts to an 11 percent pay cut in real terms for health workers since the Tories came to power. Union leaders in the civil service union, PCS, are set to meet on 22 October to decide future strike action.
Its good that Ed Miliband has now made election pledges over scrapping the bedroom tax, turning the tide on the scourge of zero hours contracts and building houses. But we cant just have a wait for Labour strategy. The best way to fight back is through strikes, protests and building the unions. The recent strike win for Hovis workers in Wigan, the reinstatement of a suspended Glasgow social care worker following an unofficial walk out by her colleagues, and the reinstatement of sacked electrician Frank Morris on the Crossrail projectall show the potential for us to stand up to the bosses and win. The Peoples Assembly Bonfire of Austerity day of action on Tuesday 5 November is an excellent opportunity to set up protests on issues from the defence of our health service, to scrapping the bedroom tax to fighting zero-hours contracts. Who wouldnt give a penny for the Guy if its got a Cameron mask on it?! Next Saturday 19 October, hundreds of people will gather from around Britain to discuss how we can fight for a strategy to win against the bosses and to beat the Toriesmake sure you are there.
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