‘The only way to solve the problems facing the working class today is for the working class to take state power and smash capitalism.’
This was the message from Workers Revolutionary Party General Secretary Frank Sweeney to more than 200 workers and youth at the Anniversary Rally, in central London, yesterday.
The rally was held to mark the 36th anniversary of the daily News Line, the 65th anniversary of the assassination of Leon Trotsky and the 10th anniversary of the victorious Hillingdon Hospital strike.
Sweeney said: ‘The youth uprising in France is a developing revolution, which is going to ignite the whole of Europe, particularly Britain.
‘Britain is a powder keg.
‘Blair says that what the police want is more important than what the House of Commons wants.’
Sweeney paid tribute to the many Gate Gourmet workers attending the meeting, saying: ‘They have refused to be betrayed by TGWU General Secretary Tony Woodley.
‘The deal he has tried to foist on them has been rejected.
‘Earlier this year, during the general election, Woodley helped to get rid of 6,600 Rover jobs at Longbridge in Birmingham.
‘Woodley’s days are numbered. The Gate Gourmet workers have cooked his goose.’
Sweeney concluded: ‘What’s important at Gate Gourmet and in all struggles is leadership.
‘The working class needs a Marxist leadership. Join the Workers Revolutionary Party today.’
Hillingdon Hospital strike leader Malkiat Bilku said: ‘We beat the big employer and the trade union leaders, who said we would never win. It was a bitter struggle which took five long years.
‘I salute the Gate Gourmet workers. You have to take the fight to the trade union leaders.
‘The first thing we learned in our struggle was that the whole working class was behind us, and it is stronger than the bosses and the treacherous trade union leaders.
‘From day one, we said we would get our jobs back and there will be no compromise.
‘I pay tribute to the News Line and the Workers Revolutionary Party. Without your support we would never have won.
‘Every union, the TGWU, UNISON, the postal and railway unions all need a new leadership.
‘Forward to victory. Build a new leadership in the trade unions to beat the Blair government.’
Locked out Gate Gourmet worker Parmjit Bains told the rally: ‘Over 700 workers are sacked at Gate Gourmet. Every day we are gathering on the picket line.
‘The TGWU leaders and management held a meeting and came up with what they called a Compromise Agreement.
‘It has conditions saying that we can’t work on the airport. Under it, our future is blocked.
‘People will not sign because there is nothing in it for us, it is only for the management.
‘We told this to Tony Woodley when met him at the TUC last week.
‘We are meeting TGWU civil aviation chief Brendan Gold on Thursday. I’m going to say we need a national demonstration.’
Alex Pereira, the cousin of young Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, told the rally: ‘They killed my cousin and said he was a terrorist.
‘I put myself in the same place as many families in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa.
‘We are fighting not just for Jean. It is for everyone.’
He added: ‘Bush and Blair say they have to stop terrorists, but they are creating terrorism.’
Other speakers included News Line Editor Paddy O’Regan, YS National Secretary Nash Campbell, WRP Assistant General Secretary Jonty Leff, ATUA Secretary Dave Wiltshire, Bill Rogers, Chingford Aslef Chair and other Gate Gourmet workers.
