Socialist Appeal - Protest in Birmingham

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Protest in Birmingham

By Darrall and Andy
Monday, 19 September 2011
It was billed as a "March and Rally for the Alternative: Jobs, Growth and Justice". On Sunday, September 18th, over two thousand trade unionists and political activists descended on Birmingham to march and rally with the aim of trying to bring pressure on the Lib Dems at their conference in the city to break with the Tory policies of the Condem government. There was no shortage of passion nor of commitment. Trade union banners from the Midlands and other parts were much in evidence - PCS, UCU, UCATT, UNITE, UNISON, NUT, NASUWT, CWU, GMB and local Trade Union Councils. Working class people had given up their Sunday to make their voice heard. But the voice could have been louder. There were thousands of police on duty as they had been told to expect some twenty to thirty thousand protesters. In the event about one tenth of that came. Despite the relatively low numbers however the march and subsequent rally were enthusiastic and lively. Speakers came from national trade unions - among them Mark Serwotka (PCS), Christine Blower (NUT) and Billy Hayes (CWU). The message from all was the same delivered with varying degrees of passion - we as working class people are all in this together, we must stand united and fight, we did not cause this crisis so we should not pay for it and we need a new policy to create jobs, to defend services, to make the rich pay through higher taxation and for a Robin Hood tax on the banks. The sentiments we all agree with but there was not even the slightest hint of how this wish list is to be achieved - except through more marches and demonstrations, The next one is a nationally-organised one by the TUC in Manchester on Sunday, October 2nd. The Tories will be in conference there. And no doubt the ring of steel that surrounded the Lib Dem conference in Birmingham will be even greater at the Tory Party conference. This march yesterday was important. It gave us in the movement a chance to see our strength, to judge our numbers as we go forward to mass battles and days of action in the autumn. And the Right to Work campaign has to be congratulated for providing the initial impetus to the event, an event that was later sponsored by the Midlands TUC. However, some serious questions need to be asked. We can have all the marches and demonstrations that we want but they alone will not budge this government from its programme. If nine general strikes in Greece and countless more in other countries have not managed to change the austerity policies of national governments, how can marching through the streets of large cities achieve that aim? The only result of the Duke of York syndrome - march them up to the top of the hill and march them down again - is to invite demoralisation as the results do not match the energy expended. And it is this political answer that was missing. How can we create jobs under capitalism when public services are being cut and tens of thousands of public sector workers are being thrown on the scrap heap to satisfy the bond holders in the money markets? Why should capitalists invest to modernise productive technique when what is being produced now cannot be sold due to the near collapse of consumer spending? Growth can only come about if people have money in their pockets and are able and willing to spend it to buy goods and services. Wage freezes, job losses and rising inflation cut demand as do cutbacks in public spending nationally and locally. To put more money in the pockets of consumers to stimulate demand would mean higher wages or lower taxes. The former leads to lower profits which the capitalists will not accept and the latter leads to lower revenues for the state, thus creating an even bigger state deficit. The bond holders will not accept this as there could be the risk of sovereign debt where money loaned to the government may not be repaid. We are all in favour of taxing the rich even more. Even some of the richest people in the world have stated that they would like to pay more tax, to make their contribution to overcoming this crisis. For them, however, they want to give a little now to avoid losing the lot as they can see that wave upon wave of social and political unrest is on the horizon. We who work and pay our taxes under PAYE have money taken of us BEFORE we see our pay. The rich employ armies of tax experts and accountants to work out how much they should pay AFTER they have had their pay and profits. So how do we get out hands on their wealth to ensure that they pay their way? Whichever way we look under capitalism, those who own and control the system have ensured over decades and centuries that they have fail safe methods in hand to protect their wealth and privileges. That is why a political solution to the problems we face is absolutely necessary and that political solution must break with capitalism. That is what was missing from the speakers. It is as if despite all the commitments they have to improving the lives of their members and of working class people in general, they do not see the possibility of changing the system and therefore seek solutions within the confines of capitalism. With this scenario, workers will continue to pay the price for the failings of capitalism until the labour and trade union movement returns to its roots and fights for an end to capitalism and the beginnings of a new socialist society. That fight begins with the taking into public ownership under democratic control of the banking and finance sector as well as the large monopolies that dominate the economy. This is the political solution that we must fight for at all levels of the movement. What has been the effect of the march and rally on the Lib Dems hiding behind ten foot tall steel barriers? Not much! We have had a bit of Tory bashing by delegates and MPs just to prove how robust Nick Clegg is. However, the conference still endorses the Health bill and Vince Cable is still selling the Tory refrain that 'Cuts Are Necessary'. Liberals are just like the bullied schoolboy who in the summer holidays tells his mates how he is going to stand up to the bully, but on the first day of the new term it will be, 'Yes David , No David. Whatever you say David' And all of this ties in with the main, and in my opinion misguided, slogan shouted on the march by many students. "Nick Clegg, shame on you, shame on you for turning blue." The Lib Dems may posture as being "radical" and "progressive" which is easy to be when the economy is growing and there is some fat to be distributed to those lower down the rewards chain. But when capitalism is in trouble, it is all hands to the pump to save the system from itself. In other words the Lib Dems were born out of the original defenders of capitalism and have always been blue with a faint yellow coat. Darrall Cozens, UCU, Coventry TUC and Coventry NW Labour Party. Andy Fenwick Unite Worcester TUC and Worcester Labour Party

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