Party Notes

17th June 2013

Three weeks to the start of Marxism!
ON THURSDAY it will be just three weeks until the start of Marxism 2013. Every comrade needs to be pushing to sign people up to ensure we have a large and vibrant event.
There is a real thirst for discussion from Turkey to South Africa, from the bedroom tax to fighting women’s oppression, from the battle against racism to how can we make the unions fight. And a revolutionary socialist alternative has to be at the start of the resistance.
The turmoil in Turkey and Greece underline the volatility of a world in crisis. Marxism is there to analyse it and discuss how to change it.

Mass publicity:
• Use the timetable as a leaflet and hand out on stalls, workplace sales, demos and protests. This works. We gave out hundreds of timetables at the IF event in Hyde Park and now a teacher who got a timetable there who wants to bring her entire sociology A Level class to Marxism.
• Detail matters. North London comrades confirmed the group booking of ten young people from the Day-Mer youth organisation last week. The presence of these Turkish/Kurdish comrades will be a huge boost to the event.
• Use the Marxism sign up sheets to get the email and phone number of any one interested and contact them quickly.
• Districts outside London need to ensure NOW that all those already booked have a way of getting down and that their travel and accommodation is sorted. Comrades need to contact all those who have signed up in advance.
• Look out for local festivals and events – Make sure your local Pride event is covered too.
• Keep going to the universities and colleges. Hundreds of timetables are being given out daily on the Central London stalls at SOAS and LSE. If your university has completely finished then go to your local FE college.

Activists/contacts/campaigners and trade unionists:
• All branches need a target list of comrades and non members to sign up. Particular effort should be made to get new members who have joined over the last year or so to come too. Set up ring rounds to systematically speak to every member and contact of the branch.
• Every comrade should think of one of two people they can ask to come – a friend, workmate, trade union activist or family member.

Make sure that Marxism is integrated with everything we do. Whatever demos and activities we are on we need to have Marxism materials with us and make it a central part of our work.

New posters have been sent out highlighting the meetings at Marxism on Racism and Resistance.
If you need more Marxism timetables please contact the Marxism Office on 020 7819 1190 TODAY so we can send them with your papers.

Marxism Creche and Stalls rota
Every district has been allocated a shift at the Marxism crèche and for sales stalls. It is very important that names are firmed up for these as soon as possible.

People’s Assembly THIS SATURDAY
People’s Assembly It’s on Saturday and nearly 3,500 people have registered. You need to be there. There are sub-assemblies where there will be a chance to participate and influence the discussion. Organisers are urging people to be there at 9am to register. So the party will need comrades there from 8am.
Comrades should register now at http://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/
If you are going to the People’s Assembly, please email charlie@swp.org.uk

There is plenty to raise at the assembly. The people there will be our audience, people who we have a huge amount in common in the desire to beat back the Tories and austerity.
We start from what unites us. We want to work together, and to fight alongside one another. But we will also debate how we can move forward.
The decision last week by the majority of the PCS executive to pull back from a national strike at the end of June is a blow to the resistance to austerity. And in Unison, due to a lack of a campaign from the leadership, workers in local government in England and Wales have reluctantly accepted a 1 percent pay deal.
We will be part of the organising on the day and at the same time push for the unions to turn words into action and not to rely on Labour – especially after Miliband has laid out even more clearly his acceptance of key elements of the Tories’ plans.

There is a real audience for our politics. At the Unison local government conference we had sold 80SWs by this morning, signed up two people to Marxism, and recruited three people – two of these joined because of an excellent fringe meeting on “Racism, Capitalism and the War on migrants”.

We also were part last week of protests against the G8, in solidarity with Taksim Square, and with the Greek resistance against the closure of the state broadcaster.

People United bus
Two People United buses will set off on a two week tour, starting in London from the People's Assembly at Central Hall Westminster on 22 June and ending on 5 July at Trafford hospital - the birthplace of the NHS - with a party to celebrate the 65th birthday of the now at risk National Health Service.
For details of events in your area go to http://www.unitetheunion.org/campaigning/events/peopleunitedhelpbuildthe...
The tour is backed by Unite, CWU, PCS, the TUC and Unison.

There is also an Austerity Uncovered bus tour, sponsored by the TUC. Go to www.austerityuncovered.org

Unite Against Fascism
Over 200 people came to a UAF meeting in Muswell Hill last week. Go to http://uaf.org.uk/2013/06/packed-meeting-in-muswell-hill/ and there were meetings in Cambridge http://uaf.org.uk/2013/06/cambridge-unites-against-racism/ and South London. Forthcoming meetings include:

OXFORD
Tuesday 18 June, 7pm
Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate’s
Called by Oxford UAF
Supported by: Oxford and District Trades Council, Ruskin College UCU, Unite 342 Branch.

THANET
Wednesday 19 June, 7.30pm
The Red Hall, 11 Grosvenor Road, Broadstairs

BIRMINGHAM
Wednesday 26 June, 7.30pm,
Priory Rooms, Quaker Meeting House, 40 Bull Street,
B4 6AF

IPSWICH
Thursday 27 June, 7.30pm
Unite the Union Office, Grimwade Street

1. Keep using the UAF statement http://uaf.org.uk/2013/06/woolwich-statement/ and then hold a broadly-based UAF meeting. We want to involve trade unions, faith groups, LGBT groups and others in supporting UAF and building a big meeting.
2. Raise money to put the statement in the Guardian – it costs £7,000. Donations can be made at http://uaf.org.uk/2013/06/woolwich-statement/

IF YOU SEND JUST ONE SOLIDARITY MESSAGE THIS WEEK….THEN MAKE IT THIS ONE
All out to back Brighton GMB Cityclean workers.
Some 500 workers and supporters marched through Brighton on Saturday on day two of the Cityclean strike. Workers face huge pay cuts at the hands of green council leader Jason Kitcat. The seven day strike started on Friday and the picket lines have been big. Everyone should get messages of support to the GMB members and invite them to speak at upcoming union meetings.
Rush messages of support and invites for speakers to meetings to mark.turner@brighton-hove.gov.uk
You can download a Unite the Resistance collection sheet for the Cityclean workers at http://uniteresist.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/UtR-brighton-bins-coll...
Sign the petition and make a donation to the strike fund at http://www.gmb-southern.org.uk/bhcc
You can also follow the Cityclean workers on twitter @gmbcityclean

Teachers set for big pay strike, 27 June
The first joint strike by NUT and NASUWT members over pay is on Thursday 27 June in the north west of England with more regional and national strikes planned for next term.
We should be trying to get the maximum possible support for picket lines and protests from trade union, student union and campaign groups.
It’s crucial that every NUT association and every school group is “twinned” with a school or association in the north west. If you need details or help with how to do this please contact Sally Kincaid urgently on Kincaidsally@aol.com

• In London there will be a major
solidarity protest with the action in the North West on Tuesday 25 June, assembling at 5pm at the Plaza outside Westminster Cathedral, Victoria. Every teacher, parent and governor should be fighting to get people along. We should try to get trade union, student union and campaign banners onto the demonstration.
On the day of the strike there will be rallies.
Manchester: March 10am from City Centre to rally in Whitworth Park at 11am.
Preston Rally: 11 am at Flag Market
Liverpool Rally: 11 am St Georges Hall and March tbc
Chester- Rally 11am Racecourse

We should be fighting to get banners and delegations to the picket lines, rallies and demonstrations.

Bedroom Tax
PICKET THE TORY HOUSING MINISTERS
From 9am. Thursday 27 June. Manchester Central conference centre. Housing Minister Mark Prisk and welfare reform minister Lord Freud speaking.

For details of the Benefit Justice campaign and the federation, or to link your local group to others, go to http://antibedroomtax.org.uk/ or email benefitjustice@gmail.com or call 0203 371 2031 (answerphone).

PCS: group action but no national strike
Last week’s PCS executive voted against a national strike on 27 June (alongside striking teachers in the North West) despite a call for action in June being backed by the recent PCS conference.
Socialist Worker supporters on the executive voted for the national action to go ahead. Instead of strikes there will now be protests by PCS members on the day.
It is regrettable there is no national strike – it would have been the best response to the new attacks on public sector pay that chancellor George Osborne is due to announce on 26 June in his spending review.
A consultation of PCS branches will now take place about the next round of action.
The latest round of group action by the PCS, today and tomorrow (Tuesday) is set to disrupt courts, naval bases and military training establishments.
Action in support of the national campaign against cuts to jobs, terms and conditions and services continues with a series of stoppages and walkouts next Monday (17 June) and Tuesday across the justice and defence sectors and the Forestry Commission.
PCS members working for the Ministry of Justice, Crown Prosecution Service, Ministry of Defence, Forestry Commission, National Offender Management Service and G4S and Mitie staff working within the MoJ are all involved.

Unite the Resistance
Get the Tories out: demonstrate at the Tory conference
Sunday 29 September, 12 noon, Manchester
Initiated by UtR and supported by many union branches and individuals. Put this date in your diary/phone now! It will be a major demo.

Scottish UtR events 25 June
Turning Words into Action…One Night, Three Cities!
Stop Blacklisting, Scrap Anti-Trade Union Laws, Support the PCS, End the Assault on Welfare, Bin the Bedroom Tax!
Dundee: 24 June, 7.30pm, Dundee Voluntary Action, 10 Constitution Road, DD1 1LL
Edinburgh: 25 June, 7.30pm, Augustine Church, 41 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EL
Glasgow: 25 June, 7.30pm, Jurys Inn, Jamaica Street, G1 4QE
Supported by UNITE R&F M&E Construction Branch and UNITE Scottish Housing Association Branch

Pensioners’ parliament
This important event takes place from 18-20 June, Winter Gardens, Blackpool. It is preceded by a demo and rally. If you are going, or would like further information, please contact Mary on fairymill@ntlworld.com or ring the national office.

Looking at the Disputes Committee
The SWP’s special conference in March elected a group of comrades to look at issues around the disputes committee including safeguarding confidentiality, how findings should be reported to the party and to clarify our disciplinary procedures more generally and propose changes where necessary.
This body would like to invite constructive suggestions on these issues from party members. We will only accept submissions from individuals, and not motions or group documents, and it would be helpful if comrades can keep contributions to fewer than 1,000 words.
Comrades who have already written in the internal bulletins do not need to resubmit their contributions as we are already looking at these.
We hope that suggestions from party members can form a useful part of our deliberations and we are not going to publish submissions or post them online.
We hope that other comrades will also respect this process by not circulating or publishing their contributions online. Please email suggestions before 30 June to dcsuggestions@swp.org.uk

Branch meetings
It’s well worth producing regular leaflets for your branch meetings. A large number of people who are joining at the moment meet us on an activity, come to a branch meeting and then are recruited. Some good titles for meetings include: Repression and resistance in Turkey; Lessons from France and Denmark – what would a Labour government be like? Syria – Imperialism and resistance; Bangladesh, Primark and capitalism; How do we stop Fascism?
The politics of Islamophobia; Who are the British?
Socialist and trade unions; How can trade unions win?
The uses and abuses of Gramsci; What’s the solution to debt?; 50 years since the March on Washington; Capitalism and corruption; The Tories’ vision for education and ours; Sexuality and Socialism – the fight for LGBT liberation; Can Marxism explain oppression?; Do we need a revolution to save the planet? Revolutionaries and the united front; Their democracy and ours

Students: Marxism, occupation and demo
Every university, college and school needs to be pushing around Marxism. In the north west of England we need full support for the teachers’ strike on 27 June, and in London a big push to get banners and students on the solidarity demo on 25 June.

Warwick University under Occupation!!
On Friday evening, around 20 students occupied the Council Chamber at Warwick University against Vice Chancellor Nigel Thrift’s £42,000 pay increase. The greedy VC now earns 22 times more than the lowest paid member of staff on campus.
The occupation is now in its fourth day. Messages of solidarity and support can be sent to solidarity.ppu@gmail.com
Updates on the occupation can be found on FB, Twitter and the wordpress blog: http://protectthepublicuniversity.wordpress.com/
SWSS groups should send messages of solidarity straight away and get the word out to all contacts about the occupation. Go to http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art/33626/Warwick+university+is+in+occu...

Protest Cuts to UAL disability support
University of the Arts London management looks set to go ahead with cuts to disability provision and academic support. These proposals mean valued support staff will have their pay cut, students risk having to travel miles for assessments and the possibility of private providers circling in the future. Staff and students were excluded from the recent review.
UCU has called a demonstration outside the Court of Governors meeting on Monday 8 July, assemble 3.45pm at UAL 272 High Holborn, WC1V 7EY.

Prides 2013
Every branch should be mobilising for the local Pride, and involving the whole party.
If possible book an official stall for the intervention and help to shape the event by mobilising unions, anti-bedroom tax groups, anti-racist groups etc. Make sure Marxism 2013 is a strong element of our presence.
We will need every London branch to provide comrades for London Pride on 29 June. Start collecting names now!

The most immediate dates are:
Essex (Chelmsford) 22/23 June
Doncaster 29 June
Swansea 29 June
London 29 June
Sheffield 6 July

Industrial notes
Strike at Chesterfield College
Following a one day strike, UCU members at Chesterfield college will strike again on Tuesday and Thursday this week. They will be joined by NASUWT members.
Rush messages of support to parkersl@chesterfield.ac.uk and donations – cheques payable to Chesterfield College UCU – to 356a Ashgate Road , Chesterfield S40 4BW.
Sign the online petition in support of Chesterfield UCU at http://www.change.org/petitions/principal-and-governors-of-chesterfield-...

UCU strike, Kirklees College Workers at this college in Huddersfield and Dewsbury strike this Thursday, 20 June, after a 79 percent vote for action in their recent ballot.
Almost 60 staff face pay cuts of between £2,000 and £12,000 a year or detrimental changes to their terms and conditions and six staff are still at risk of losing their jobs.
Send messages of support to Sharon Archer: sarcher@KirkleesCollege.ac.uk

Strikes this week at John Gulson School in Coventry
Teachers at John Gulson Primary School are striking again this week tomorrow and Wednesday over excessive observations and an unfair appraisal policy. Please send messages of support to montyhaul@hotmail.com and coventry.nut@btconnect.com

Hanson brick workers still on strike-back solidarity picket, 3 July
Hanson brick workers have called a second solidarity picket on Monday 3 July at 6am when both shifts (all 13 striking workers) will be on the picket line. Send messages of support to Stan Dow at stanley.dow@ntlworld.com or to 41 Inhams Road, Whittlesey, Peterborough PE7 1TT.

Unite ambulance workers’ strike in Yorkshire: 22 June
On 22 June, the day of the People’s Assembly, Yorkshire ambulance service workers in Unite are set to strike as their third day of action in the dispute over patient safety.

Mid Yorks Unison health workers agree settlement after 75 percent vote for more strikes
In Mid Yorkshire Unison NHS branch, some 3,000 workers voted by 75 percent on a 20 percent turnout in their ballot for an escalation of a fight over pay that has already seen around 500 workers across three hospitals take nine strike days since November. There has now been a deal agreed.

In Oxfordshire, at the Southern Health Trust, bosses told health workers they face a 15 percent cut in wages. In response, 90 percent of health workers have voted to strike in a local ballot. They held a lobby at a trust scrutiny meeting last week. Rush messages of support to admin@ouh.org.uk

CWU: The CWU has announced two more strike dates in the national dispute of 4,000 members over threatened closures and pay at all 373 Crown Post offices.
They will be out this Thursday 20 June for a half day strike from 2pm, and then again on Saturday 29 June for a full day strike, with picket lines up from 8am onwards across the country.
The workers voted by 88 percent—by 9 to 1—for the action. Bosses are refusing to budge, despite the fact that the company is preparing to announce a £94 million profit, well surpassing its target by more than £10 million. This will likely mean large bonuses for senior executives.
These will be the 6th and 7th strike days since Easter, and it is vital comrades go all out to make sure the strikers are inundated with solidarity messages on the day and that every SWP branch has a plan around getting local picket lines covered.
The first of these two strikes will take place just the day after the announcement of results from two other ballots (results will be out on Wednesday this week) among CWU members—some 130,000 members in Royal Mail have been balloting for a campaign against privatisation, in defence of pay and for a reasonable workload, while members in o2 have been balloting for strikes in an ongoing dispute about outsourcing, job losses and job security.
A leaflet will be sent out on Wednesday next week, after the two ballot results are out, to be used on the picket lines the next day at

FBU: Fight the London fire cuts demo and pensions fight London mayor Boris Johnson wants to close 12 fire stations, remove 18 engines and slash 520 frontline firefighter posts as part of the cuts package, even though his own fire authority voted against the plans. The public consultation ends on 17 June.
The FBU is calling on firefighters to join a protest against fire brigade cuts at the next session of Mayor’s Question Time, to take place at City Hall from 9.00am on 19 June.
• The FBU conference saw a unanimous vote for a ballot on pensions but the union has now moved to further talks. The attached leaflet needs to go into fire stations arguing to “start the fight now” on pensions.

Unite: RAF stations to be hit by pay strike
A total of 240 Unite and GMB members employed by contactor ISS, which provides food services, cleaning, and other services at eight RAF stations in England and Wales will strike on Thursday over pay. Strikes will take place at
Cranwell, Scampton and Kirton-in-Lindsey in Lincolnshire, Valley in Anglesey, Shawbury and Cosford in Shropshire, Llanwrst in Conwy and Fairbourne in Gwynedd.

NUJ
Our Media Not Theirs: Rally for Media Reform
17 June, 7pm @ University of Westminster, 309 Regents Street, London W1
http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2927

Turning the Page on Media Sexism
26 June, 6pm @ NUJ headquarters, Headland House, Grays Inn Road, London WC1X
http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2928

One Housing strike
Workers will strike for three days this week. After a 3 year pay freeze workers face new contracts and pay cuts of up to £8,000 a year. Collections to Unite branch 1/1111 account no: 20040639 sort code 08-60-01. There were will be picket lines at sites in North and Central London. Please send messages of solidarity to both unite.le1111@gmail.com and bryan.kennedy13@gmail.com (Bryan is the One convenor).

Union Conferences
Will you be attending your union’s conference as a delegate or observer? Please see below dates of upcoming conferences and contact the industrial department if you’ll be at one of them.
RMT – 22 – 28 June, Brighton
BMA – 23 – 27 June, Edinburgh

Bookmarks
New publications out now!
SWP branches get 20 percent off Bookmarks books - make sure you order our new books for your bookstall.

Immigration: The Myths Spread to Divide Us
A Socialist Worker pamphlet by Charlie Kimber, £2
Migrants are not to blame for low wages, housing shortages or "British workers" losing their jobs. Working class unity is essential to beat back attacks from the bosses and their friends in government. Fully updated 2nd edition - an
essential tool. Extra discounts for bulk orders.

Jim Larkin and the Great Dublin Lockout of 1913
John Newsinger, £4
A key struggle in Irish labour history – and a fight that could and should have been won. On the centenary of the Lockout we can learn valuable lessons in rank and file solidarity, organising casual workers, and the importance of leadership.

Fighting Fit: A Memoir
Chanie Rosenberg, £5
Stories from Chanie’s remarkable life show the human side of a revolutionary. Also includes Chanie’s illustrated pamphlet on the great Russian modernist artist, Malevich & Revolution - with colour illustrations

For any information about stock, orders or opening hours phone 020 7637 1848 or go to: www.bookmarksbookshop.co.uk, email: enquiries@bookmarks.uk.com or write to: Bookmarks, 1 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B 3QE