Bristol IWW to support protests against Party Leaders and their failing
policies on 22 April
The Bristol branch of the British section of the Industrial Workers of the
World (IWW) Union is supporting calls for protests to be held outside the
3 Party Leaders live TV debate, due to be held in Bristol on 22 April. We
will not let them leave without knowing that ‘business as usual’ is not
good enough. Bristol IWW calls on all workers to stand firm against job &
service cuts, and tax rises, and to send a clear message to the
politicians and bosses on 22 April. Let us stand together in central
Bristol, from 4pm onwards. For more protest details see
http://www.bristol.indymedia.org
This tv debate, the second of three, is due to focus on international
affairs. As an internationalist organisation, we are only too aware of the
international nature of the current economic crisis, and we note that the
bosses and politicians internationally speak with one voice in insisting
that workers everywhere must pay for this crisis.
In the present British election, the 3 main parties are all agreed on one
thing. Whichever of them gets elected, the solution to the crisis is to
make us pay for it through cuts in jobs, pay, services and pension
entitlements, and by paying more taxes. As a workers union we utterly
reject this class-biased conclusion, and oppose absolutely any cuts in
jobs, pay and services.
Despite the recession caused by the greed and miscalculations of the
financial institutions and other corporations, Britain remains a very
wealthy economy. The problem lies in the unequal distribution of this
wealth, and the theft from British people by the corporations of the taxes
they avoid paying. Under the Labour government the trend of an increasing
wealth gap between the richest and poorest has continued, and it is
estimated that senior bosses now earn up to 80 times their workers average
wage.
Financial services call centre worker and IWW member Rose Tucker knows
that “Whilst front line staff are having our hours cut and pay frozen, our
senior execs continue to take big bonuses and tax perks. Its one rule for
them and another for us.”
IWW member and public sector worker Dave Johnson says “Our bosses conitnue
to fritter away money on external private consultants and jaunts to
conferences. All workers need to stand together to defend our jobs and the
services we provide to our communities. Labour have betrayed us, and we
all know the Tories are the bosses friends. To be honest we can run things
better without any of them.”
Andy Dee, IWW member in St Pauls, warns of the danger to workers from the
BNP “The racists & fascists in the BNP, and the misguided nationalists of
the EDL, are doing the bosses work by trying to divide us along ethnic and
cultural lines. The threat to my community isn’t from my muslim or white
neighbours, it comes from the rich and the racists.”
Bristol IWW believes there are many alternatives to the economic policies
backed by the political parties. Clamping down on the tax evasion by
Corporations and bosses, making the banks pay back what we’ve lent them,
freezing pay for higher paid managers, cancelling Trident and bringing our
troops home could provide sufficient funds for a more equal society. If
the system isn’t working, and it clearly isn’t, then its time to change
it, not just replace the face in no.10 Downing Street.
Bristol IWW
/mc/compose?to=bristoliww [at] riseup [dot] net“>bristoliww [at] riseup [dot] net
http://iww.org.uk/bristol
mobile 07506592180