A weekend of protest in Manchester and Scotland

Manchester

05 October 35,000 people travelled to Manchester city centre on Sunday 2nd October to march against the anti-working class policies of the Conservative party.  

Photo ©Paul Mattsson

The Tory conference usually attracts a protest – but not on this scale. Last year for example, 7,000 protested in Birmingham. The reason for the dramatic increase in numbers is surely down to the increasing reaction to the £81 billion cuts package that the Con-Dem coalition is trying to push through, but also the decision of the Trades Union Congress to organise the march this year.

Many trade unionists were present – with a large Unison contingent. Workers currently facing battles over job losses also joined in, including a very noisy group of Remploy workers and staff from BAE Systems.

After marching to the rally point the Liverpool Socialist Singers gave a rousing rendition of The Internationale whilst the Salford and Education feeder marchers arrived.

From the platform a wide range of trade union speakers and community activists spoke.

Mary Bousted (ATL)  and Christine Blower (NUT), the general secretaries of the two teaching unions that took strike action to defend pensions on 30th June, spoke of their pride in the action they took and the tremendous public support they received. Both unions have ballots secured for further strike action, with others also preparing for a ballot.

Coordinated action

The importance of coordinating action was highlighted by Len McCluskey of Unite, the biggest union in Britain, who declared:

“We need coordinated industrial action. If you want to call that a general strike then so be it.

“We need civil disobedience. That's the oldest form of democracy. We should take the lead from the students.”

Unless anything drastically changes, the coordinated strike action McCluskey talks of will happen on Wednesday 30th November – when up to 3 million workers could join the action.

Looking towards this next step, Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the civil servants union, PCS, had a warning for the government:

‘We are now on the edge of the biggest strike in Britain in 80 years ... If after the 30th of November they don't back down - carry on making cuts, carry on robbing pensions - then we have to strike again and again until we win.’

Also speaking was Tony Lloyd, Labour MP for Manchester Central, who made no mention of the anti-strike rhetoric from his leader Ed Miliband or Labour-run Manchester council, which is currently implementing the Tories’ wish to cut £110 million from the budget this year. Perhaps this is why he was heckled by some!

Soon after his speech the impact of some of those cuts was mentioned by Danielle Leadbetter of Save Manchester Sure Start.

Working class people should take heart from the numbers and the mood of this protest and go back to their workplaces and communities, confident and ready to build for the huge fight back planned on 30th November.  

Photo ©Paul Mattsson
 

Scotland

As towns and cities across the UK basked in a record October heatwave, the 1st October “People First” demonstration in Glasgow took place in an unrelenting deluge of rain. The PCS emerged as the most popular union on the demo, not just for its leading role in fighting the cuts, but also for its generosity in handing out many “PCS ponchos” for soaking marchers.

Torrential rain

Despite the horrendous weather around 15,000 marched against the impact of the cuts that are getting deeper by the day. The demo was made up overwhelmingly of public sector trade unionists. Large delegations were there from unions planning strike action on 30th November including Unison, PCS, the EIS, Unite the union and the FBU.

Workers involved in strike action including Remploy, Quarriers and Stow college staff was out in force. Students from Abertay Uni and Angus College who are facing cuts to courses marched alongside students from Strathclyde who hade been occupying the university in protest at sky-high tuition fees being imposed on students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Disabled rights campaigners demanded an end to the attacks on benefits and the services they rely on.  

The turnout was significant given the weather and the STUC’s lacklustre attempts to build the event. The decision of public sector unions to ballot for a coordinated strike on 30th November, which has the potential to be a one-day general strike across the public services, played an important role in mobilising the turnout.

Ironically given the proximity to November 30th , set to be the largest strike since 1926, the STUC attempted to build the event around “civic Scotland” The churches, NGO’s charity’s etc were billed as providing the majority of speakers, rather than putting the trade union movement at the centre of the demo. No public sector trade unionist for example was on the platform – an incredible omission. In the end because of the weather the rally only had one speaker – Tony Benn. 

The Scottish Anti-Cuts Alliance held a joint meeting with PCS Scotland entitled “striking for the alternative” after the demo. 50 trade unionists came along – glad to be in out of the rain - to here PCS president Janice Godrich, Brian Smith of SACA (see picture) and Jamie Cocozza  - one of the YFJ Jarrow to London marchers.

Build for November 30th

The focus for the next few weeks is to build the workplace, stewards and city-wide trade union meetings to build support for the strike ballots that are taking place. It is vital that big majorities are secured for action on the 30th November strike – which has the potential to shake the government to its creaky foundations. It will also take the struggle against the cuts onto a higher level.