The LRC case regarding the current spate of wildcat strikes is here
http://leap-lrc.blogspot.com/2009/01/wildcat-strikes-eu-and-uk-labour-law.html
Monday, 2 February 2009
CLAWING BACK THE CONFUSION OVER THE WILDCAT STRIKES
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11 comments:
Susan, that seems like one persons view not the view of the LRC, tiny outfits like permanent revolution have come out with statements, surely the LRC must by now.These strikes are the most significant for many yerars and look likely to grow, JM and Co should come out and support them,
By the way, I wonder if you saw Newsnight, the BBC News has been at its editing tricks, again.
'Earlier on BBC 1 news interviewed a striker who said something along the lines of " these portuguese, Eyeties (sic) you can't work with them". The same interview was just shown on Newsnight where the full sentence was shown,"you can't work with them, we're segregated, they are coming in in full companies....". So the BBC 1 news cut the interview to make him look like he was making a racist comment, when he wasn't (leaving aside the language he was using).'
It is interesting that you admit that these are wildcat strikes. As a lifelong Labour voter I loathe scnes of mobs and yobs waving their BNP slogans. It reminds me of the workers who marched with banners saying Enoch was Right, back in the 1960s. Yobs on the hard left are as bad as the thugs of the hard right.
A great spot, Frenetic, which if I'll borrow for a post at my place later if I may (full accreditation etc).
I believe an official statement is imminent from the LRC - I've said elsehwre I condemn the dlogans but not the action which is NOT about xeonphobia but the fact employers are using cheap labour and there needs to be unity on pay and conditions. I should not have used the term "wildcat" - a moment of lazy writing - it's straight out of Daiy Mail and I should have known better.
Frenetic, you may like to know your original spot has been picked up, who knows how, at commentisfree and at Harry's place. I've posted on both to make sure you get the credit where it's due
Can you put up the details of the low wages paid for these people, it would be interesting.
I was part of a gang or group of workers who worked in France and Germany doing contracts I was highly paid, but this group had been together for many years. nobody said sod all about that.
But the fact is when people are out of work they will fight for a job, I know I've done it myself, the problem with New Labour it thinks we are all lazy enjoying life on the dole, well they would none of them have done a job themselves.
But unless you can prove these workers are low paid or on low wages then tell us. Or more then like they are a group who have like other workers have worked on other contracts like this and the company trusts them. But of course you might be right and they are getting low wages and you have some knowledge of this
Not a good sign that the LRC still hasn't released a statement, even though the strike is probabably over the SP were pretty on the ball though
"I believe an official statement is imminent from the LRC."
Waiting for Godot, Susan?
Dave Draycott
No-one is waiting for Godot.Godotnever arrived. The position from the left is quite clear.
We condemn the nationalist slogans and regard them as an utter distraction from the fact that we need to address the fact that workers from outside the EU have been pawns in a game which is called capitalism. Maximum profit, minimum benefit for the workers.
"No-one" is waiting for Godot, Godot never arrived."
Precisely my point. Godot never arrived, the LRC statement is still imminent, John McDonald remains silent as far as I am aware, and the strike looks like it is about to be settled. You're still waiting for Godot. Attempting to side-step this by talking about the position of the Left being clear is just that an ill-executed side-step. What is the LRC and John's position. Also the Left in general are not united - from those like the SWP who have attacked the strikers to John Cruddas who has identified the real issue as being around terms of employment whilst rejecting the British jobs for British workers slogan. His co-authored piece came out almost immediately. Polly Toynbee in the Guardian and todays piece by Seumas Milne in the Guardian are also usefull. My own Unions's website (Unite) has also pointed out what we need to do such as looking to overturn the Viking and Laval rulings of the European Court of Justice. The strikes are "not about immigration or race,it's about class"(Dennis Simpson.)" Also I would point out to anonymous who seemed to characterise all the strikers as yobs, with echoes of Enoch Powell, that hundreds of Polish worker joined the sympathy stoppage at Langage Power Station in Plymouth on Tuesday (this is in Seumas Milne's piece.)
Silence is not an answer. We can't afford to wait for Godot.
Dave Draycott
The LRC has supported the overturning of the Viking and Laval rulings at its AGM via a motion moved by the Bakers' Union which is an LRC affiliate
I don't know how many times you wish me to reiterate the view that this is about "terms of employment" whilst rejecting the racist slogans. The LRC's LEAP blog - which I posted a link to several days ago - makes that point quite clear.If this is an exercise in point-scoring well I think it's pretty fruitless. Sutely wea ll unite around the points you have made, Dave. And that includes the LRC.
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