‘AMAZON and all companies and industries must be nationalised and put under public ownership,’ Jonty Leff, Workers Revolutionary Party candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch said addressing a demonstration outside Amazon HQ in Shoreditch.
The protest coincided with Cyber Monday when millions of packages are delivered at knock down prices.
‘As you know,’ Leff continued,’ in Amazon warehouses robots that pack three times faster than humans have been installed.
‘It is a case of work like a robot or a robot will take your job!’ ‘This is capitalism, and capitalism must be overthrown.
‘We are for breaking with the EU now. The Labour Party have betrayed on this issue. They said they would respect the result of the EU referendum … now they say they want a second one. They have angered a lot of people and will pay a political price for that, especially in the north east of the country and south Wales. We say break with European capitalism, break with the EU, break with British capitalism bring down this Tory government. We are for a workers government and socialism.
‘We want socialist revolution. Vote Workers Revolutionary Party.’
General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Francis O’Grady, addressed the demonstration she said: ‘We commend the GMB Union for exposing the terrible working conditions at Amazon and for campaigning for the freedom of workers to organise.
‘We need a government that will stand up for workers. Ensure a £10 an hour minimum wage for all ages. We say “we are not robots!” ’
Mick Rix, national organiser of the GMB said: ‘This is the first time we have hit Amazon with a protest outside their HQs. Today we released Amazon’s tax figures. We estimate £89 million has not been paid in tax by Amazon in this country. Imagine how many doctors that could have paid for. How many extra nurses or teachers.
‘This is despite Amazon making record profits. Millions of packages are delivered by couriers who are bogusly considered self employed. Traffic accidents are up, they are given impossible targets. Stupid stunts like Black Friday and Cyber Monday should be banned!
‘Over 600 ambulances were called to Amazon sites last year.
‘Workers knocked unconscious, involved in explosions.
‘The way they treat pregnant workers is a disgrace. Pregnant women forced to stand for ten hours, bend, carry and pack. We will fight these abuses and we will win.’
- Joshua Ogunleye, WRP candidate for Camberwell and Peckham, joined the RMT picket at Waterloo Station yesterday on the first day of their 27 days of strike action this month.
The issue is keeping a guard with safety critical training on every train. Joshua said: ‘I came here to support this strike. I am for the complete nationalisation of the rail system with no compensation to the bosses.
‘The private system is a shambles, putting peoples’ lives at risk. We shouldn’t wait for the franchises to run out.
‘Only a workers government and socialism can deliver these services. Everyone should vote WRP where we are standing.’
Eddie Dempsey RMT regional organiser, told News Line: ‘This is the first day of our 27 day strike. A strike of this length is unprecedented on the railways. This shows the level of concern among our members over the vital issue of safety.
‘I believe the government has intervened to prevent an agreement being made.
‘We were at a point in the negotiations where we were just about to shake hands on a deal, and by the next day everything had changed.
‘Our members are angry and frustrated. We did a deal over guards with Great Western Rail, which is part of the same group of companies, and we’re even dealing with some of the same managers. Then something suddenly changed. I am convinced it’s political.’
- Outside St Charles Hospital in North Kensington, WRP candidate Scott Dore won a great response for his policies to kick the privateers out of the NHS.
Delvin Ahmed, visiting the hospital with her daughter said: ‘I am opposed to privatisation and zero-hours contracts.
‘I work for the minimum wage in a GP surgery and it is just not enough to live on.
‘My rent is £480 a month and housing benefit only covers 30 per cent of it.
‘I only get child benefit for two of my three children, so by the end of the month I have no money left.’
Visiting the hospital Kawther Hamed said: ‘I support your policies and will talk to my family members.
‘Seven of them are entitled to vote.
‘I am opposed to the EU because where I come from, Somalia, they pay money to the government there to stop people travelling to Europe.
‘Some of my family where we’re trying to leave the country were shot and killed by the army there.’