UCU lecturers at their emergency branch meeting yesterday demanded that the TUC organise a national demonstration and march to parliament on its 1st February ‘Day of Action’ tomorrow as the start of an indefinite general strike against the government’s anti-strike bill.
The resolution from UCU CONEL (College of North East London) Branch called for the resignation of the General Council of the TUC if they fail to do this so they can be replaced by other union leaders who will organise an indefinite general strike to bring down the Tory government.
Branch voted unanimously 11-0 for the following resolution: ‘Branch condemns the passivity of the TUC for failing to organise a mass national protest, march and rally for its “right to strike” protest day on 1st February, the day hundreds of thousands of trade unionists in the PCS, RMT, NEU, UCU RCN and many others are striking against the Tory government’s anti-strike Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill which will effectively destroy free, independent and democratic trade unions in Britain.
‘This attack is existential for the trade union movement. As the TUC itself admits, it abolishes workers’ “right to strike”, forces them to cross strike picket lines or be summarily sacked, and allows fines of a million pounds for non-compliance to the diktats of the Tory government and law courts.
‘This anti-union assault to destroy the unions and privatise the NHS is driven by the acute debt-fuelled financial crisis.
‘The government is attempting to repay its over 2 trillion pounds of debt with rampant inflation, permanent austerity and wage cutting, mass redundancies, NHS privatisation, casualisation, P&O style fire-and-rehire industrial relations and waging war against Russia.
‘This attempt to bring in a police state dictatorship must be defeated by mass strike action by the whole working class to defeat the legislation and bring down the Tory government.
‘Leaving workers to protest on isolated picket lines and regional protests around the country will not defeat this government amid the biggest strike wave for generations.
‘Branch demands that the TUC calls a national demonstration and march to Parliament on 1st February.
‘Branch demands that the TUC calls an indefinite general strike to defeat this legislation and the Police Bill.
‘Branch demands that the TUC resign if it fails to take this action to defend the existence of the democratic right-to- strike so they can be replaced by trade union leaders who will do so.
‘Branch calls on the UCU NEC to adopt this resolution for action and raise its demands in the TUC General Council.’
