Bob Crow…you rock!

You know when you are doing something right is when the right-wing attack you. And boy…the pro-Boris Johnson right-wing media is in frenzied witch hunting mode regarding  Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT for the two day strike this week.

The level of vitriol leveled at the man was appalling, I read some of the articles and some of the right-wing propaganda thrown at him made me very angry along with the language too such as the RMT holding Londoners to ransom….

Also this insidious article by Simon Heffer is calling for a change in the law regarding strike action (believe me, if the Tories win the next election they could ban strikes).

Does the right-wing press think it is easy to organise a strike with the vile and oppressive anti-trade union legislation brought in by the Tories? It is a minefield and another reason why this Labour government is a disgrace is failing to repeal the damned laws!!

And do these right-wingers think it is easy to strike? You lose pay but you do it out of fighting for your rights. Workers’ withdrawing their labour.

Also, in a recession with high unemployment you want a good strong principled trade union leader to fight for your rights.

I have been on strike a couple of times, organised picket lines and argued with people not to scab by crossing a picket line.

These right-wingers remind me of someone (non-union and very anti-trade union) I used to work with who proclaimed that the RMT were ‘bringing the country to its knees’ by striking. My reaction (along with other union members) was, ‘if only’!

I also argued that capitalism alienates, isolates, exploits and oppresses people day-in and day-out yet when people fight back, strike action being one of the strategies, others whinge about it. I know what side I am on and christ….I really wish the unions would bring NL down to its knees!!!

You rock Bob Crow!

So here’s to you Bob Crow, and activists in the RMT. Long may you continue to be a thorn in the side of management and capitalism overall.

John McDonnell: It’s now or never…

An excellent piece from John McDonnell. He’s right, real change has to happen or it will be total electoral wipeout of tsunami proportions. It’s bleeding obvious but whether Gordon Brown takes heed….well, I won’t hold my breath. I don’t see any evidence of NL rejecting neoliberalism.

 John McD says: But what happens if Brown refuses to contemplate real change? If we go beyond November without real change visibly under way, what hope is left of Labour not only remaining in government but also surviving as an effective political force at all?

At that stage the only responsible act in the long-term interests of our movement would be to offer a real change in political direction by mounting a challenge to the political leadership of the party and letting the members of the party decide. Let me give notice now that this is the path I will take.

If this route is blocked again by MPs failing to nominate, then the alternative is Labour MPs making it clear at the next election that they stand on a policy platform of real change as “change candidates”.

Of course, they will be standing as Labour candidates but binding together as a slate of candidates committed within Labour to advocating a change programme, setting out the policy programme they will be advocating as a group and supporting in parliament if elected. Only in this way can we demonstrate to the supporters that want to come home to Labour that there is the hope and prospect of change.

Dave Semple has interesting things to say here about what is to be done.