S FAR AS THE TORIES ARE concerned, 2014 will see no let up in their relentless austerity programme to make us pay
for the crisis caused by the rich . In the first week of the New Year, Tory chancellor George Osborne told us that 2014 would be a year of hard truths. The Tories want us to simply accept that there is no alternative to the further 25 billion cuts they plan before 2018. Alarmingly, half of these are to come from welfare! The Tories may be arguing amongst themselves about exactly how the cuts should fall, but they are united in their aim to make working class peoples lives misery by slashing welfare, jobs and pay. As the rich get richer, prices have risen faster than wages for 41 of the 42 months the Tories have been in power. The huge wage squeeze means workers have lost more than 30 a week since 2007. In the past five years workers average pay has dropped by 6.3 percent in real terms. Younger workers now face having to work until they are 70! And as workers return from the Christmas break, they are being hit hard by the new round of rail fare riseswhich have now increased by 20 percent under the Tories.
BLAME THE ETONIANS NOT THE MIGRANTS
union branch, activists push for delegations and transport to the nearest event, to say that migrants are welcome here. The real answer to poor housing, low pay, and cuts to jobs and services is united resistance. The 4,000 strong Peoples Assemby to discuss alternatives to austerity was an important development. It showed the mood to resist.
As austerity cuts continue to bite hard...
www.socialistworker.co.uk
Strength
Firefighters striking on New Years Eve 2013
Reality
but nasty government to divide and rule. Who actually benefits from scapegoating migrants? Its the Tories and the richnot working class people. We allow ourselves to be divided at our own peril.
Whipping
Meanwhile, one in ten pensioners are staying in bed to keep warm as energy bills rocket. Tory cuts have driven 500,000 more people onto reliance on food banks. The level of attacks are savage, but we can stop them if we fight back together. Thats why the Tories and the media are whipping up anti-migrant racism over the lifting of restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian citizens working in Britain. This is nothing but an attempt by a weak
We have to counter the myths being peddled in the media. Immigrants are not to blame for the slashing of living standaradsthe Tories and the rich are. The anti-migrant frenzy plays into the hands of the likes of racist UKIP, and the fascists. It is shameful that, while calling for cuts and attacking our unions, Labour leaders have lined up with the right rather than condemn the scapegoating. Stand Up to Racism and Fascism demonstrations will take place in London, Glasgow and Cardiff on 22 March. These demonstrations have already received widespread official support from across the movement and political spectrum (see www.uaf.org.uk). It is crucial that in every workplace and
Every union branch should send delegates to the Peoples Assembly conference on 15 March (see www.thepeoplesassembly. org.uk). When 2.5 million workers struck in November 2011, we saw the strength our unions have to fight and win. But strikes were followed up when union leaders held back. We need to mount pressure for the return of coordinated strikes. But we also need action now in every workplace and union under attack. At the Hovis factory in Wigan, workers defeated zero hours contracts through determined, militant strikes. We can stop the assault, but we need to get organised and build the pressure for action now.
ACTIVISTS DIARY
Sat 15 March
Peoples Assembly Recall Conference Emanuel Centre, Central London www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk
Sat 22 March
Stand Up to Racism and Fascism Rallies and Demos, London, Glasgow, Cardiff www.uaf.org.uk
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