Turning the unions into fighting class organisations is essential if we workers are to fight an effective struggle in defence of our economic interests. But we can have no illusions that this will be enough in itself. Even with militant unions, with mass democracy, mass activity and good leadership, our economic struggle will at best be a struggle within the capitalist system, not against the system itself. Capitalism really is in crisis. It has inbuilt contradictions which will inevitably propel it into such crises again and again, just as it has done ever since capitalism existed. It can never serve the working people, constantly increase living standards and production, or eliminate unemployment.
It cannot be “reformed” as the opportunists claim. The only final answer is to destroy capitalism and build socialism, and that is first, and foremost a struggle for the political power of the working class. Only with political power can we destroy capitalism, which the bosses will fight tooth and nail to protect, and build socialism.
The struggle for political power of the working class can only be led by a party which works unwaveringly for the interests of our class; a party made up of the most class conscious workers – a revolutionary Communist Party. We need our party to co-ordinate the struggle on a national basis, summing up the experience of all our different struggles and leading us forward. Indeed even the struggle to turn the unions into fighting class organisations cannot make major progress on a national basis without the leadership of the party.
The five slogans put forward by the RCLB represent the interests of the mass of workers, and guide us in the struggle to build fighting class unions. At the same time, in the course of this struggle, we call on all class conscious workers to rally round the RCLB and work hard to rebuild a genuine party of the working class – the revolutionary Communist Party.
BUILD THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE WORKING CLASS!
TURN THE UNIONS INTO FIGHTING CLASS ORGANISATIONS!