The imposition of austerity and the move to authoritarian government - Part I

While bankers have caused the global financial crisis, it is now working people who are asked to pay for the bill. Austerity programme after austerity programme is passed across Europe. But people fight back and make clear that they are not prepared to accept this without a fight. Unsurprisingly, it is in this situation that there is a clear shift towards undemocratic, authoritarian government.

Europe Against Austerity

On Saturday, 1 October 2011, I attended the conference Europe Against Austerity in London. The conference was hosted by the British Coalition of Resistance. Representatives from all over Europe discussed the economic crisis, the way governments and the European Union were attempting to make working people pay for the bailout of banks as well as the possibilities of resistance against a European-wide policy of austerity.

An Autumn of Discontent?

Considering the full-scale attack on the public sector in the UK, including measures such as cuts to welfare benefits, imposed changes to public sector pension schemes, compulsory redundancies, the privatisation of several NHS hospitals, the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance and the introduction of tuition fees of up to £9000 per year in Higher Education amongst others, the annual congress of the Trades Union Congress in London from 12 to 14 September 2011 is of particular importance. Will British trade unions find a way forward to contest the cuts by the ConDem coalition government successfully?

Cave canem: the gobal financial crisis and the Left in Britain!

Considering the global financial crisis and the ConDem government’s current attempts to save money through drastic cuts to the public sector, the absence of more widespread protests and alternative proposals in Britain is surprising. Is the Left the dog that hasn’t barked?

Towards a public sector wide strike in the UK? Impressions from the annual congress of the University and College Union.

Several public sector unions in the UK are currently balloting for industrial action in order to go on strike together on 30 June. The Higher Education section of the University and College Union (UCU), however, failed to link up with this movement. Does this indicate a rather economistic approach with a narrow focus on interests of members while wider societal concerns are disregarded?

Large demonstration against ConDem cuts – what next?

The demonstration against the ConDem budget cuts was huge. More than 250000 people took part in the protest against the public sector cuts on Saturday, 26 March in London. Some even speak of more than half a million people being in the streets. The demonstration was called by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and many affiliated unions such as Unison, the University and College Union (UCU), the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), but also social movements organising user groups had mobilised widely. The question is, however, what next in order to stop the cuts?

The First Social Conference in Europe: a move towards wider resistance?

On 10 and 11 March 2011, I attended the First Social Conference in Europe. Around 80 representatives of European trade unions and social movements met in Brussels to move towards joint activities of resistance against neo-liberal restructuring. While the two days were very fruitful in relation to an open exchange of positions and the formulation of joint draft papers, a draft declaration, and a press release, the groups present ultimately failed to adopt priorities for joint actions in the short- to medium-term.