TORY PM Truss told MPs yesterday, during her parliamentary questions crisis statement, of the way that she intends to get out of the crisis that her Tory government is in, and keep her job as Premier.
This is a crisis of her own making after the IMF and the bosses rejected her plans to slash the taxes of the super-rich and instead rely on massive loans that the working class would have to be made to repay with interest.
She pledged to MPs: ‘We will crack down on the militant railway unions.’ She issued her threat the day after the RMT rail union announced another round of rail strikes, which are to take place on 3rd, 5th and 7th November, after the government and the bosses refused to carry on with negotiations.
She announced: ‘We are going to deliver to stop the militant trade unions disrupting our railways.’
She went on: ‘We are bringing forward policies that are going to make sure our railways are protected.’ Referring to Labour leader Starmer, she said: ‘He backs the strikers, we back the strivers.’
In fact, Starmer is as opposed to rail strikes as she is, but Truss is not one to overworry about accuracy. She returned to the same anti-railway workers theme: ‘I have been taking steps and we will be taking steps to crack down on the militant unions.’
Returning to the theme again, Truss pledged new anti-union laws: ‘We’re going to legislate to make sure we keep our railways open.’
And in answer to Starmer’s fifth question, as to why she was still prime minister after the economic and political catastrophe she has presided over, Truss replied: ‘I’m a fighter not a quitter. We are going to stop the militant trade unions from disrupting our railways.’
The RMT announced on Tuesday that it will take three days of coordinated strike action next month after Network Rail attempted to impose drastic changes in working practices on their staff.
Following intense negotiations with RMT, there was an agreement where the company would commit to an improved offer on pay, and be working towards a negotiated settlement.
However, in a dramatic U-turn, Network Rail bosses reneged on their promises of an improved pay offer and sought to impose job cuts, more unsocial hours and detrimental changes to rosters. THIS WAS A PROVOCATION.
In a crass attempt to cut the union out of national negotiations, Network Rail has written directly to staff, undermining delicate talks, and has tried to rehash a previous deal that RMT has categorically rejected.
Strikes on Network Rail will now take place on November 3, 5 and 7. In separate disputes on London Underground and Overground networks (Arriva Rail London), RMT members will take strike action on November 3.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘The dishonesty of Network Rail bosses has reached a new low in this national rail dispute.
‘On the one hand they were telling our negotiators that they were prepared to do a deal, while planning to torpedo negotiations by imposing unacceptable changes to our members’ terms and conditions.
‘Our members are livid with these duplicitous tactics, and they will now respond in kind with sustained strike action.’
Meanwhile, the capitalist crisis is deepening with UK food prices rising at their fastest rate in 42 years, as the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze household budgets.
Food costs jumped 14.6% in the year to September – the biggest rise since 1980 – with bread, cereal, meat and dairy prices all climbing.
Overall inflation, the rate at which UK prices rise, surged to 10.1% last month and is expected to climb further.
The rise in the cost of groceries has been accelerated by the war in Ukraine, where the US and the UK have been frantically arming the Ukrainian right-wing regime and its supporters to try and weaken Russia, and bring about regime change there.
The Bank of England says inflation could peak at 11% in October, after inflation figures have factored in the big rise in energy bills that came in at the start of this month. All of this crisis is now being dumped onto the backs of the working class who will have to pay for it all.
There is only one way forward. The TUC must be made to call a general strike to bring down the Tories and bring in a Workers Government and socialism. Put an emergency motion for a general strike at the TUC conference today! This is the only way out of the crisis!
