For a People's Europe

On international Workers' Day 15 communist parties across the European Union came together to agree a common position against the Treaty on Stability, Co-ordination and Governance in the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). All the parties call upon workers throughout the EU to mobilise and resist these treaties and the anti-people policies of the EU and its allies.
All signatories expressed their solidarity with Irish workers and supported the call for a No vote by the Irish people in the referendum due on May 31.
Eugene McCartan, general secretary of the Communist Party of Ireland


Read the full text on the SW CPB site http://www.southwestcommunists.org.uk/129-for-a-people-s-europe

Depression

First short film by Maya Llamazares. Based on the financial crisis. The film demonstrates the struggle among the working class who have been the most effected within this rough period which could become an economical depression.

Contains footage from the recent Morning Star conference.

Government Destroying NHS Direct Services

UNISON members in the South West are taking action to highlight the threat to the services provided by NHS Direct.  Nursing and Health advisors providing the NHS Direct helpline services to Cornwall and the South West based at Exeter are today, Tuesday 1 May, holding a ‘work-in’ in protest against the Government’s plans to replace NHS Direct.

From midnight last night until to midnight tonight NHS Direct staff in Exeter are having a ‘work-in’, with extra staff are voluntarily coming in, in their own time to help staff the NHS Direct phone lines in a protest to the forthcoming changes from NHS Direct to the new 111 services, which will result in clinical staff losing their jobs and a reduction in clinical service provision.

A Budget for the Rich

Britain is still one of the world's richest societies. We can afford first-class public services, higher wages, decent pensions and welfare benefits.

But most of the wealth is owned by a small minority. The richest one-tenth own £4,000 billion in personal wealth.

The following flyer sets out measures that would make Britain a better, fairer society.

Open publication

Union leader threatens public sector strikes to disrupt London Olympics

Taken from tomorrow's Guardian. Here's some of the best quotes:

Government attacks on public sector justify targeting 2012 Games, says Unite general secretary Len McCluskey

"If the Olympics provide us with an opportunity, then that's exactly one that we should be looking at," said McCluskey.

"Our very way of life is being attacked. By then this crazy health and social care bill may have been passed, so we are looking at the privatisation of our National Health Service. I believe the unions, and the general community, have got every right to be out protesting."

"Our parents and our grandparents, having defeated fascism in Europe, came back determined to build a land fit for heroes. They gave us the welfare state, the National Health Service, universal education. All of that is being attacked," he said. "I, for one, am not prepared to stand by and have my children or grandchildren say to me, what did you do when this was being taken away from us?"

Read the full article here

Message from the Communist Party of Greece

Recently, demonstrations have been held in many countries across the world under the "umbrella" of slogans of "solidarity with Greece" and "we are all Greeks". Working class and popular solidarity are powerful weapons in the struggle of the peoples. But the workers must deal with any attempt to mislead them.

Which Greece needs solidarity? The Greece of the capitalists, who seek to acquire new loans from the EU and the IMF in order to strengthen the profitability of their capital, to reinforce their position against the people, or the Greece of the working class and the other popular strata, who are suffering due to the consequences of the capitalist crisis, for which they bear no responsibility?

In many of these events this issue remained unclear. And this is the case because there is an effort by certain forces (mainly of social-democracy, the opportunists of the Party of the European Left and the "Greens") to use vaguely the "solidarity with the Greek people" to whitewash their support which they had provided in the past to the Maastricht Treaty, and the other Euro-treaties, to the EU of capital itself, which is reactionary and in no way can be "democratised", as they are even now claiming.

2012 Party Campaign Plan

The following text is taken from the introduction to this year's party campaign plan
COMMUNIST PARTY CAMPAIGN AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2012

1. The Communist Party's central objective in the current period remains that of turning the financial and economic crisis of capitalism into a political crisis for the Con-Dem government and the ruling class. In the course of this struggle, it is likely that deeper questions would be raised within the working class and progressive movements about relations between the battle for reforms, political representation of the working class and the fight for state power.
2. Our strategy is to build a broad, democratic, popular anti-monopoly alliance aimed at the big capitalist monopolies and the British state power which promotes their interests. Such an alliance would have to be firmly based on the leading role of the organised working class, developing its power and winning recognition by trade unions, campaigning organisations and local communities of the class nature of the crisis. It also demands that divisions within the working class are overcome, notably between public and private sector workers, the employed and unemployed, men and women workers, workers in the regions and nations of Britain and between those of different national or ethnic origin, while also combating false-consciousness notions of 'Middle England', the so-called 'squeezed middle' and who is or not 'middle class'. We need tactics and slogans which emphasise collective interests and the common enemy, for working class and people's unity against the Con-Dem government and monopoly capital.

Morning Star National Conference

This government is an unelected bankers’ dictatorship, alongside the other dictatorships already imposed by the EU in Greece and Italy. A broad mass movement can force it to retreat, thereby preparing the ground for its removal – and progress towards alternatives based on the People's Charter and the Alternative Economic Strategy. The labour movement - and the trade unions within it - have to meet and plan strategically if they are to win victories. How can we make the Labour Party leadership be part of the solution, not part of the problem? How can we forge a mass broad alliance?

Speakers include: Michael Meacher MP, Michelle Stanistreet (NUJ), Sally Hunt (UCU - tbc), Len McCluskey (Unite), Bob Crow (RMT); Kelvin Hopkins MP, Bill Greenshields (People’s Charter), Anita Halpin (Morning Star Management Committee); John Haylett (Morning Star political editor) Owen Jones (author of "Chavs: the demonisation of the working class"), Megan Dobney (SERTUC), Hugh Lanning (PCS), Paul Mackney (former UCU Gen Sec, Vice-Chair of the Coalition of Resistance)

Download the full flyer here

Broadening the Battlelines

This pamphlet by CP Chair and former NUT President Bill Greenshields addresses the immediate issues confronting public sector trade unions in their battle against the ConDem governments plans.

Open publication - Free publishing - More britain

N30 - Why unions HAD to strike for ALL

Why were the strikes important? Why are the trade unions so vital to the fight against the coalition government? How did the strikes help those not in unions or not on strike?

Lets make one thing clear - these strikes have to be about far more than public sector pensions. Yes, because of the anti-union laws in Britain, the unions need to have a specific reason to strike. The public sector pension reforms were that reason.

But while striking over unjustified pension reforms is perfectly valid, this struggle needs to be seen in the wider context of the anti-cuts movement. To not see the strikes in this context lends ammunition to the anti-strike, right wing attacks on the trade unions.

The Peoples Charter: New group in Torrington

As of February 2012 the Peoples Charter movement will be expanding into Torridge and West Devon. I shall be setting up a group for Torrington and the surrounding area (to also include the local college Petroc), in order to help promote awareness for alternative economics and the community.

Occupy Plymouth

Taken from http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Protest-group-sets-camp/story-13778063-detail/story.html

THE FIRST of what are expected to be many tents were erected in Plymouth city centre, as protesters highlighted the nation's growing discontent with the financial crisis.
The Occupy Plymouth activists chose the Jigsaw Garden, opposite the Roland Levinsky building at Drake Circus, to build the encampment, and shortly after noon on Saturday, the first three tents were pegged down.
By nightfall they were joined by several more tents, with others expected to follow over the next few days.
The Occupy Movement said it hopes to bring together hundreds more like-minded people in the coming days, claiming they will "stay for as long as possible", mirroring protests across the globe.
Some of the early arrivals wore Guy Fawkes masks made famous by the V for Vendetta graphic novel and film, and now used as the symbol for Anonymous – considered the world's most famous group of hacker-anarchists.
Tim Gulliver, media spokesman for the Occupy Plymouth group, said the plan was "to stay for as long as possible."
Tim, from Peverell, said the group – started on Facebook – had held two planning meetings and has the support of Plymouth Trades Union Council and various political organisations.
He said the aim was to "draw attention to the inequalities in society" and speak for 'the 99 per cent'.
He said: "Figures from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs show that the richest one per cent of the population owns 23 per cent of the total UK wealth.
"The Times Rich List shows how the rich are getting richer every year. We clearly aren't all in this together.
"We come from different political backgrounds and from none. We come from across Plymouth and the surrounding area.
"We are old and young, in work, out of work and in education. What unites us is the knowledge that the system we live under is wrong, unsustainable and economically and ethically bankrupt.
"We have come together to stand against the greed of corporate Britain and the belief that the 'free market' can solve all of our problems.
"We are part of a global movement because the system we stand against is global in its exploitation.
"We live in a country of vast inequality and have a government that is more concerned about business profits than people.
"We are the 99 per cent."
Tony Staunton, secretary of Plymouth Trades Union Council, said he believed the protest offered hope and inspiration to workers facing cuts and unemployment.
He said: "This is the start of the English revolution. We have applauded the revolts across southern Europe and the Middle East against the plunder of the super-rich, now we are fighting back here at home.
"The demand is simple – the super-rich corporate executives and bankers have taken all the taxpayers' money, and we want it all back!"
A lone Police Community Support Officer was on hand as the first activists arrived.
PCSO Tyrst Fentem spoke briefly with them, as the first tents were placed on the private land. He said he merely warned them to keep safe, particularly at night, and to contact police if they felt threatened by anyone.

The People's Charter - Not just an anti-cuts campaign

Recently the People's Charter was described to me as "the CPB's anti-cuts campaign".

The People's Charter is not an anti-cuts movement. Yes, if adopted, it would mean that none of the government's cuts would be enacted. But more than that, it is a document for the future. It is a set of policies and demands that lay the groundwork for the building of socialism in this country.

As for the CPB reference, I hand over to John Hendy QC

Taken from the Morning Star 17/05/2011