Learning lessons in dark times
Things are dark now for socialists almost everywhere. Nationalism, nativism and violent reaction are on the march across the globe.
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Things are dark now for socialists almost everywhere. Nationalism, nativism and violent reaction are on the march across the globe.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the more heartening signs has been how people are demanding that care workers get far more recognition and reward.
The labour movement needs to fight for full public ownership and proper funding of the care sector and for care workers to win radically better pay, conditions, and respect.
All right, I admit, I am not a down and out (whatever that's supposed to mean).
I still have a roof over my head and some support from social housing key workers. I'm still registered as a person actively pursuing something like full-time employment, and am thus entitled to claim and receive Universal Credit. I'm still officially on the payroll of a number of regional employment agencies.
In Solidarity 539 (18 March), I told the story of Labour’s rise and drew lessons for rebuilding independent working-class politics – as opposed to Lib-Lab-type “progressive” politics – today.
One aspect I’d like to explore further: how in its first years Labour grew out of, built and led a successful fight to overturn legal anti-strike restrictions and assert workers’ right to strike. That also has lessons for today.
Keir Starmer has signalled he intends to ignore Labour’s conference policy against Indian state oppression in Kashmir, as part of attempts to appeal to the Hindu right.
The “heroes” narrative about NHS and other essential workers is dangerous. As a nurse on the Panorama programme on PPE said, it has an implication that unnecessary deaths are workers willingly sacrificing themselves. It absolves the government of responsibility.
It also carries an implication that those workers rebelling against these conditions lack the courage of their colleagues who accept risks due to lack of PPE.
30 million workers in the USA have applied for unemployment benefit since March. 35 million workers are on government-funded furlough schemes in Europe (10 million in Germany, 11.3 million in France). 1.8 million have applied for Universal Credit in Britain, and 700,000 have got advance payments. Signals are also increasing of a new wave of job cuts as the lockdowns ease and creditors start chasing debts.
At work, postal workers continue to make demands around the provision of PPE, and the implementation of adequate distancing measures at work.
The walkouts that have taken place around the country have built up pressure around these demands, and they have largely been achieved in the offices where I work, with PPE being provided and staggered shift times in place to ensure numbers in the workplace don’t exceed levels at which it’s possible to distance safely. We also want to stop delivering junk mail, and prioritise essential personal mail.
Our union (PCS) National Executive Committee will meet this week to discuss a formal position on criteria for any possible return to work. The majority of civil servants can work from home, so there’s no reason why any return to the workplace shouldn’t be voluntary.
This week access to the control room and the manager’s offices is more restricted. Lack of contact with Ops and the assistants means no information about bin wagon drivers is coming through to us, although the email from the union suggests drivers are almost at breaking point:
“We have requested an additional payment (Covid Clear up) for the increased weights that are coming through and also the risk of infection. This fell on deaf ears locally so the union will be raising it nationally this week.
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