THE RMT’s Bob Crow yesterday called for ‘general coordinated strike action allied to community direct action’ to resist the ConDem coalition government’s assault on jobs, living standards and public services.
Speaking to delegates at transport union RMT’s annual conference in Aberdeen yesterday, General Secretary Bob Crow issued a ‘call to arms’ to the entire Labour and trade union movement and the communities under attack.
He called for a ‘sustained campaign of generalised strikes across both the public and private sectors and community direct action to defend public services in the teeth of the fiscal fascism being unleashed by this ConDem government.’
Crow said: ‘This ConDem administration has thrown down the biggest challenge to the trade union movement since Margaret Thatcher took on the National Union of Mineworkers.
‘I have no hesitation in saying that it will take general and coordinated strike action across the public and private sectors to stop their savage assault on jobs, living standards and public services.
‘The trade unions must form alliances with community groups, campaigns and pensioners organisations in the biggest show of united resistance since the success of the anti-poll tax movement.
‘Waving banners and placards will not be enough – it will take direct action to stop the Cameron and Clegg cuts machine.
‘We have a right-wing Tory government propped up by a Liberal Party that has binned every commitment that it gave to voters in the run up to the election in order to grab power.
‘That’s why we say this administration has no mandate for its cuts and that’s why we argue that bulldozing through their austerity measures amounts to fiscal fascism.
‘It was zombie capitalism that dragged us into this mess and our people should not be made to pay to clear it up.
‘The trade unions can only fight these attacks from the front foot.
‘We have a government of millionaire public school boys who are determined to rule by fear – fear of losing your job, fear of losing your home and fear of losing your benefits and the public services that you rely on.
‘RMT says don’t fear them, fight them. Our trade union has a slogan, “never on our knees”, and from Aberdeen we want those words to ring out on the Millionaires Row of Clegg and Cameron.
‘They started this fight with the working class and we are up for it.’
