Unite in Defence of the Workers’ Rights and Interests!
Now Is the Time to Fight for the Alternative!

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Unite in Defence of the Workers’ Rights and Interests! Now Is the Time to Fight for the Alternative!

In fighting for the repeal of the anti-trade union laws and for an Act which embodies and guarantees the rights of workers to defend their interests, it is essential that the workers themselves consciously participate in such a movement. It is a necessity that workers should acquaint themselves with what is required for such an Act to be passed by Parliament. But even more so is it a necessity to develop a movement to ensure that the workers’ right to organise in whatever way they can to defend their interests is not restricted, and also to ensure that the workers are the ones who have a decisive say in the economy.

            The necessity is for all workers to take up the struggle to make their voices heard in Parliament. It is in essence a struggle for the right to be the decision-makers, to control the economy, to empower the people. This struggle takes place alongside the struggle in society as a whole against the exploitation of their labour.

            What is required for this? Workers themselves must become worker politicians. What does this mean? It is to collectively identify and fight for their interests. First and foremost, it is essential that workers find ways and means to get together to inform themselves and discuss matters which are affecting their very lives, including the social system in which they exist, political and economic affairs and how they are organised at work. To be political in this sense is not simply to discuss what the Labour Party is doing, or what is happening in parliament, but to identify and discuss their interests as collectives, at work and in society, and what must be changed so that they have the power to guarantee that their interests will not be trampled but will prevail. They must determine their own agenda.

            There are specific things which must be taken up in this fight. It is a reality that a component part of this fight is the campaign to repeal the anti-worker laws and to put in place legislation which will guarantee workers freedom to organise as they think fit and to take action to defend their interests without being subject to punitive action by the state and the employers. RCPB(ML) salutes all those workers, trade unions and activists who are active in this struggle. The issue is how the voice and power of the organised workers can be manifest in the legislative body. The perspective is that the economy, the society is ours, is the workers’, we who create the wealth, who are the indispensable part of the socialised economy. It is the perspective that it is our economy, we decide!

            What is required, what steps are needed, in order to ensure this voice is heard in Parliament and which can give voice to the demand that monopoly right be restricted and the dictate of the monopolies condemned and effectively opposed? Certainly one thing which is indispensable is that the workers must fight for the alternative, for their independent programme. This programme defends the rights of all in society, and demands that society stop enriching the owners of capital and instead invests the wealth of society in social programmes and in building an economy which is not based on relations of exploitation abroad or at home. Workers must take a stand for this programme, fight for it and defend it, wherever they are, in whatever party they are organised, irrespective of political beliefs or creed.

            At the same time, to effect change, it is necessary that workers take the step of selecting candidates from among their ranks to stand as independent candidates, that is, candidates who are there to represent the interests of their fellow workers, their collectives and the whole society, for parliament. This is a movement which must grow. Already there are examples, both from the ranks of the workers and also from the ranks of the anti-war movement. There is motion to build a Workers’ Opposition. This is a political movement, whether expressed in the terms of a shop stewards’ network, or in terms of workers being able to vote for their best representatives. It is a movement which has the character of voting not for some extraneous force but voting for one’s own collective – a movement which has the aim of placing firmly in Parliament as representative of an organised force an opposition to the programme of paying the rich and following the neo-liberal agenda of the monopolies. Experience shows that implementing this neo-liberal agenda is the role of Westminster at the present time, and this cannot and must not continue! This is not an issue of another parliamentary party, that is, one which has the character of a machine to win votes. The issue is for workers to be political, and the requirement is that the workers’ movement give rise to worker politicians.

            This step itself has an aim. It is to safeguard the future, to activate and give play to the social consciousness of the mass of human beings, and to achieve that power which will guarantee the rights of the working class, along with those of all sections of society. It is to bring into being an anti-war, pro-social and pro-worker government. The workers themselves are the force, organised as a class which is conscious of its own existence and fights for the interests of that class, who will spearhead this programme.

            The serious attacks on the workers and on society demand mass conscious participation of the workers as a whole to resist and to turn things around. It is not an issue of a balance of power or achieving a level playing field. The fight to defend the interests of the working class and people and to safeguard the future of society is not posed like that. This is because the ruling elite, which presently has power in its hands and is acting against the interests of working people and in the interests of capital, has the whole power of the state and its legislative body and government executive on its side.

            It is crucial that this campaign to repeal the anti-worker laws and to bring into being an Act which guarantees the rights of the workers to organise does succeed. The reality is that this is a step towards restraining the power of the monopolies and the financiers. It is the organised force of the working class which must be brought to bear to restrict the power of the monopolies who act with absolute irresponsibility towards society. So the motion to bring into being a Workers’ Opposition with worker politicians at the helm must become a mass movement. A movement must be built and flourish that strengthens the trade unions on the basis of conscious participation of the workers, and on the basis of the principles of the working class that an injury to one is an injury to all, and all for one and one for all. This mass movement must be one that looks reality in the eye and is prepared to engage in a contest of strength with the ruling elite.

            The economy is our economy. This society is our society. We must safeguard its future and have control over decisions that affect our lives, the well-being of our communities and the socialised economy as a whole. We have the right to say no to any agenda that will damage the economy, the society and our future.

            Our Party calls on all workers to organise themselves politically to exercise their right to set the direction of the economy and to determine the course of political affairs. Plant and build the alternative by selecting and electing from amongst your peers representatives to parliament to build a Workers' Opposition! This will contribute to building a powerful force to resist the neo-liberal agenda no matter who its proponents are, a powerful force to defend the interests of the working class and to advocate and implement its pro-social, anti-war agenda. What we are fighting for is nothing less than a self-reliant economy, not one based on sucking dry the human and material resources of the peoples of the world but instead is owned and controlled by the producers. What we are fighting for is nothing less than a political system in which our say is decisive and which guarantees the rights of all members of society. Is this too much to demand?!

Repeal all anti-worker, anti-union laws!
For the rights and freedoms of the workers and their trade unions!
Build the Workers’ Opposition!

For details of today's demonstration and rally, see United Campaign to repeal the anti-trade union laws.