The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called a Day of Action for pensions justice on Wednesday November 30. Up to 3 million public sector workers from 20 unions are expected to take part in the biggest strike since the General Strike in 1926.
The formal dispute is over public sector pensions (well-explained here http://pensionsjustice.org.uk/the_attack_on_pensions ). But it is clear that November 30th also represents a fundamental challenge to the cuts and privatisation programme of the ConDem Government.
The Coalition of Resistance (CoR) has called for the maximum possible co-ordinated strike action. In addition, we want all anti-cuts committees and activists, whether in a union or not, to pull out all the stops to turn November 30th into a Festival of Resistance, with pensioners, students and unemployed people joining together in a massive day of defence for jobs, the NHS, the Welfare State, and free education.
Len McCluskey, UNITE general secretary, has said: “Every conceivable form of protest and action should be considered, from civil disobedience through to co-ordinated industrial strikes in the face of the type of onslaught we are looking at.”
How to make November 30th a Festival of Resistance
In your Workplace
- Get a massive turn-out for a YES vote in the strike ballots – turnout will be critical
- Map the workplace and systematically check everyone has voted, decorate the walls!
- Organise Joint Action Committees and/or revive joint union committees
- Create Action Contact lists of mobile numbers and emails
- Make links and swap speakers with other groups, e.g. health with education, fire service with probation, pensioners with students
- Make links with other disputes, e.g. the electricians from JIB sites
- Invite support from your local students
In your community
- Link anti-cuts committees with union branches, pensioners, students, UK Uncut – LINK
- Organise street stalls on TUC Action Saturdays (29 October or 5 November and 19 November) leafleting town centres etc
- Have a petition on the (paper-pasting foldable) stall from your local anti-cuts group or union; take a loud hailer (buy one if you don’t have one); songs and street theatre go down well
- Tell the local media what you are doing, phone up the local radio and offer to do a phone-in
- Organise fund-raising events, concerts, socials, even jumble sales
- Organise public meetings, lobbies of the council etc
- Publicise the local Anti-Cuts Campaign, Coalition of Resistance etc
In your College or University
- Organise N30 Action Committee on campus
- Contact striking unions (UCU, UNISON, UNITE, GMB) on campus
- Create Action Contact lists of mobile numbers and emails
- Contact other local striking unions, the Trades (Union) Council, pensioner groups etc
- Organise lobbies of official bodies and other public protests
- Organise joint meetings with anti-cuts groups
- Prepare for protest occupations or similar action around N30
Nationally
- Make sure you and your organisation are affiliated to CoR http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/2011/06/affiliate-or-join-the-coalition-of-resistance
- Order badges, leaflets, placards, broadsheets and pamphlets from the Coalition of Resistance
- Contact your union for campaign materials
- Publicise and back the many anti-cuts lobbies, marches and rallies advertised on the CoR website
- Support the Wed Nov 9 NUS demonstration
- Keep CoR informed of what you are doing – reports@coalitionofresistance.org.uk
- Link up and let everyone else know what you are doing through social networks
On November 30
- Ensure maximum picketing
- If the FBU is on strike, those not balloted, could ask is it safe to work?
- Organise a March and/or Rally
- Be imaginative, take them by surprise
- Make local placards and bedsheet banners
- Consider strategic occupations, e.g. workplaces, town centres and squares
- Be prepared to outstay your welcome
Forthcoming Events
Mon 24 – Sat 29 Oct – National Pensioners Convention (NPC)’s Rights in Retirement Campaign week– www.npcuk.org
Mon 24 Oct – 1830 COR rally at UCL (org by ULU) with Tony Benn, Melissa Benn, Des Freedman Amener Amer, Sean Rillo Raczka
Tues 25 Oct – Support the NPC’s challenge to change from RPI to CPI outside the Royal Courts of Justice (on the Strand)
Wed 26 Oct – Teacher Unions’ joint pensions lobby of Parliament (involving ASCL, ATL, NAHT, NASUWT, NUT, UCAC and UCU) http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/13810 or http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5212
Sat 29 Oct – 1100-1700 Education Activists’ Network Conference – The New College of Resistance http://educationactivistnetwork.wordpress.com
Wed 9 Nov - Defend Education, Fight Privatisation Demonstration called by NCAEC (The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts) + Education Activists Network, and supported by NUS
Thurs 17 Nov – CoR, UCU and NUS Rally at Goldsmiths College with Seumas Milne (Guardian)
Sat 19 Nov – Unite the Resistance Convention 1000-1700 at Royal Horticultural Halls SW1 2PE
Wed 30 Nov – Make TUC Day of Action on Pensions a Festival of Resistance – official TUC website: www.tuc.org.uk
NOW MONEY HAS ITS OWN WAY
AND MONEY HAS TO GROW
IT GROWS ON HUMAN BLOOD AND BONE
AS ANY CHILD WOULD KNOW
ITS IRON STUFF AND PAPER STUFF
WITH NO LIFE OF ITS OWN
SO IT TAKES ITS GROWING SAP
FROM HUMAN BLOOD AND BONE MALVINA REYNOLDS
A Force For Resistance it should be but We Need Resistance about Every Day
to the Destructive Public Spending Cuts and Part of this is Switching Off the TV Set Idiot Box and Boybotting Regime Propaganda Newspapers