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500,000 health workers to strike on 29 January and 25 February
Back strikes
to save our NHS
T
he NHS will be the central issue in
the general election on 7 May. A poll
conducted by Tory ex-deputy chairman
Lord Ashcroft shows that over 50
percent of the 20,000 voters surveyed
believed the state of the NHS has
worsened under Camerons coalition.
The survey also shows that people
dont trust the Tories to care for the
NHS and believe its being lined up for
further privatisation and charges for
services.
Its no wonder people feel that way,
with hospitals on emergency alert and
the Accident and Emergency service in
crisis.
Growing
Thats why its good to see the fight
to save our NHS is growing. Over
half a million health workers across
England are set to strike on Thursday
29 January (for 12 hours from 9am) and
Wednesday 25 February (for 24 hours).
The strikes are against poverty pay,
but they could also galvanise the wider
fightback to defend the health service
and resist austerity.
In every workplace across Britain we
should be taking collections and sending
messages of support to back the health
strikers.
We should build for the biggest
possible delegations from our
National demonstration
Rage
against
racism
Stop the scapegoating of immigrants
No to Islamophobia Yes to diversity
No to anti-Semitism
Saturday 21 March, central London
Called by Stand up to Racism
Backed by Unite, Unison, PCS and UAF
The other big election issue is
immigration. UKIP and the Tories are
telling us to blame migrants for the
economic mess that the bankers and
politicians created. Too often Labour
has gone along with this rubbish rather
than challenging it.
Scapegoating
NHS workers striking last year Photo: Guy Smallman
workplaces to health workers picket
lines and protests on strike days.
We cant rely on Ed Miliband and
Labour to stop the attacks on public
services and workers standard of living
after the general election. Labour has
already announced it will stick to Tory
spending plans. That will mean more
cuts and that the curbs on wages will
continue.
Election
We have to fight back now and not wait
for the election. Thats why the health
strikes are so important, as was the
strike by well over 20,000 bus workers in
London on Tuesday. Privatisation means
that there are over 80 different wage
rates at the 18 London bus companies.
Unite union members struck to win one
rate for the job across the capital.
After the tragic events in France there
is a real danger that scapegoating of
migrants and Muslims as an enemy
within will intensify.
On busworkers and NHS picket
lines, workers from all over the world
are represented. These are the people
who care for our families and get us to
work in the morning. They are part of
the solution, not part of the problem!
We have to reject this divide and rule
nonsense. If we stand together we can
beat austerity. But if were divided its the
bosses and the Tories who will have the last
laugh.
On 21 March everyone who can,
should get to the demonstrations against
racism in Glasgow, Cardiff and London.
And in the election we should give
our votes to candidates who will stand
up for working class people.
The Trade Unionist and Socialist
Coalition and Left Unity are standing
socialist candidates. We should back
them.
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General strike 14/01/15
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