Publications Index | Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’s Internet Archive
Socialist Review Index (1993–1996) | Socialist Review 177 Contents
From Socialist Review, No. 177, July/August 1994.
Copyright © Socialist Review.
Copied with thanks from the Socialist Review Archive.
Marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
Chris Bambery’s article (June SR) on building resistance to the Tories, the bosses, the Nazis and, in the process, building the SWP was excellent and very timely. But there was a small error which it is worthwhile pointing out.
Chris wrote: ‘In Glasgow a dispute at the Royal Infirmary made headline news north of the border after porters and cleaners voted to strike against privatisation’. This was probably a slip of the pen as Chris must know that privatisation of these services went ahead a year ago. And if they remain in private hands this is not because the workers suffered an even partial defeat. Rather, it is because they limited their demands to a fight against vicious attacks on wages and conditions – winning a magnificent and massively popular victory.
On a paper sale the week after the GRI victory people signing a petition in support of another local hospital told me the only reason the GRI workers managed to maintain their wages and conditions was because an obscure piece of European legislation was uncovered.
If the bosses or their governments and courts want to pretend to themselves that they were not defeated by workers’ struggle but only discovered that there were laws which prevented them doing what they intended, that is a matter for them. We however must explain to those workers who might have been fooled that it was class struggle.
Also, had the SWP and others not immediately built support for this struggle, vastly increasing the likelihood of solidarity action at other local hospitals, management would probably not have collapsed until the resolve of the workers was put to the test.
Without the substantial efforts of Socialist Worker supporters the impact of this victory would have been nothing like as great because far fewer people would have been given an opportunity to openly identify with these workers.
|
|
Tom Delargy |
Socialist Review Index | ETOL Main Page
Last updated: 9 May 2017