Well they are in power now and what are we seeing? London Transport workers are taking strike action over attempts by Transport For London (TfL) to close ticket offices and carry out measures that will have a direct affect on safety. Much of the Tube network has been either shut or is operating with major delays. London Fire Brigade workers organised by the FBU are also staging a series of walkouts over attempts by management to impose new rosters and terms of contracts – measures being backed up by threats to sack all staff who refuse to accept the new arrangements. On 5^th November, BBC workers in the NUJ are set to walk out over proposed cuts to their pension scheme which will see payout levels cut severely.  All these disputes have one thing in common – they are all against groups of workers perceived to be well organised and with a militant tradition. The bosses and their friends in government want to attack these workers first to lay down a marker to others.  However, it is the labour movement that should be laying down the marker – this government can be beaten.

This is just the tip of the iceberg now heading towards the coalition ship of government.  Like the Titanic they may be about to discover just how unsinkable they actually are.

Socialist Appeal is calling for all socialists to give maximum solidarity to those workers taking action now and to those who will follow them. Visit the picket lines of these workers on strike – the Underground workers are out now with picket lines outside major stations. The BBC workers will be out on the 5^th and 6^th November with a rally outside the BBC centre in London W12 at 12.00 midday.  The FBU in London will be holding their next strike on November 5^th unless management back down. There will also be a mass rally of firefighters on Wednesday 17^th November at lunchtime in Westminster Central Hall.

As the cuts start to take form, more workers will be starting to take action to defend jobs, conditions of service and the work they do. There is no alternative to fighting these attacks. The new year may well see authorities starting to issue redundancy notices as they plan the cuts for the 2011/12 financial year. It is now reckoned that more than a million jobs will go as a result of the spending review. This is the nature of capitalism in crisis. We need to struggle against these cuts but also against the whole rotten system. Only socialism can put an end to the madness of a society where the poor must pay for the greed of the rich.

Let this winter of discontent be followed by a glorious summer of united strike action, demonstrations, rallies and community action to take this coalition of millionaires on and show them where power really lies.