30.05.2001

Greenwich and Woolwich

Looking to the future

While energetically campaigning for our candidate, Kirstie Paton (Workers Power), members of the Greenwich and Woolwich SA managed to make time for a fruitful discussion last week. The May 24 meeting was scheduled to hear a speaker from the Dudley hospital dispute. However, the strikers had sent apologies and the agenda was changed to reports of the Dudley and postal strikes and a general political opening by comrade Paton.

The 30-plus meeting, scheduled as a public event, was entirely made up of the left. The Socialist Workers Party, who usually comprise an absolute majority, were on this occasion outnumbered by a large contingent from Workers Power, its youth section, Revolution, the Alliance for Workers? Liberty and International Bolshevik Tendency, together with members of the Republican Communist Network, CPGB and a lone unaffiliated comrade.

Andy Reid (SWP) reported that the Dudley strike had ended the day before with the transfer of all staff to a PFI company. Comrade Reid stated that the strikers considered that their long and resolute fight against privatisation had been a success in so far as they had held out for so long and so publicly; also because they had decided to return not bowed or beaten - but ready to fight to maintain wages and conditions. Comrade Reid went on to castigate the official union bureaucracy who did little to back the strike.

The Dudley and postal workers? strikes were an ?underlying reason for the existence of the SA?, even though it was an electoral alliance, said comrade Reid. This simple yet balanced report, whilst only alluding to the role the SA could play beyond the election, whilst not yet making explicit the inescapable logic of forming a party, raised it to the top of the agenda - all of the following discussions revolved around the fundamental question: what next?

Ian Crosson (SWP) followed with a report on the unofficial postal workers? strike. He began in ebullient mood, saying that it was the first time in 20 years he had been on two pickets in two days - he had also been out in support of members of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education, who had backed the union call for a one-day strike in support of their pay claim. Comrade Crosson highlighted the significance of the action by members of the Communication Workers Union.

Contrasting the Natfhe and CWU pickets, he reported that all of the lecturers had heard of the SA, whereas most postal workers had not. He went on to say that the SA had certainly picked up votes by joining the postal workers? picket and declaring our support for the strike. Another SWP comrade, Monica Axon, who had been down to the Dartford sorting office, reported how scabbing managers had donned overalls to sort mail through the night and then drive Royal Mail vans the following morning. SWP full-timer Hannah Dee made a very upbeat contribution about the revival of class struggle and pointed to the role the SA could play in building support.

Whilst there has been a noticeable upturn in strike actions - and the unofficial strike by postal workers was certainly a breath of fresh air - there is a tendency for younger, less experienced comrades, to get overexcited by these developments. A more sober and strategic view was offered by George McColl (WP). Referring to the CWU as one of the most rightwing unions, comrade McColl said that there was, nevertheless, a great tradition of militancy amongst the rank and file of that union. However, this was not yet translated into a socialist consciousness, said comrade McColl.

The reality of four years of New Labour had shifted the attitude of a section of regional and district officers, and a resolution to CWU conference to allow support for candidates other than Labour (similar to that recently agreed by the Fire Brigades Union) was now on the table. This provided ?opportunities for the SA as a party to put down roots in the working class?, argued comrade McColl - implicit here was the aim of developing exactly the socialist consciousness now lacking.

During a broad-ranging political opening comrade Paton had marked the recent FBU decision as a historic shift from automatic support for Labour. This, however, was in contradiction to the advice Workers Power gives to voters where there is no SA candidate.

There followed one comrade after another from Workers Power, the CPGB, AWL and Revolution all arguing for a party - most wanting a revolutionary party and not a rerun of Labour. Many suggested we already have a party in practice. Comrade Reid, however, reflecting the SWP?s tentative approach, thought it necessary to first achieve a respectable vote and then ?see where we go?. He noted that this was the ?first time there had been a serious left challenge since Phil Piratin and Willie Gallagher?.

When it came to activities, our committee had decided upon yet another public meeting in the week before the election. I referred to the advice of SA national officers, who argued that ?preaching to the converted? in public meetings was not a priority in the last two weeks. I then went on to disagree with another part of the national officers? advice in arguing for a push on canvassing: we need to talk face to face with as many workers as possible.

Comrade Dee argued that we did not have the resources to canvass, adding that we had a last chance to ?pull people in? with a public meeting. The vote was overwhelmingly for the proposal. With a week to organise and going on our actual experience thus far, I expect we will have another nice meeting amongst ourselves.

Perhaps the recent mini-wave of industrial action has infiltrated the consciousness of secondary school students at Crown Woods school. On Friday about half of year 10, plus some year eights and nines went on strike against the new, ?90,000-a-year ?super headmaster?. This New Labour wonder boy is radically altering school hours after a rigged ballot - parents had to decide between two options, both of which amounted to ?agree with me?. Or if they failed to vote, that was also taken as acceptance.

The headteacher also intends to lock the kids in at lunchtime and bring in private caterers. He has a raft of plans for attracting ?investment?. Crown Woods, though not officially one of the PFI schools, is apparently a wonderful business opportunity. The impromptu strike lasted one and a half hours and gained sympathy from dinner ladies and a number of teachers. The superhead ended the strike by dishing out exclusions to ?ringleaders?.

Shades of Blairism, second term.

Alan Stevens