UP to 10,000 workers, trade unionists, students and youth marched on May Day in London from Clerkenwell Green to Trafalgar Square, carrying banners and flags including Palestinian flags, supporting the Palestinian hunger strikers.
The SERTUC banner led the march, followed by those of ASLEF, Unite, RMT, NUT, Unison, and PCS, along with a Justice for the Shrewsbury Pickets banner. Young Socialists banners read: ‘Kick the Tories Out on June the 8th’, 100 Years of Russian Revolution, Forward to the British October’ while another read: ‘Support Palestinian Hunger Strikers, UK Must Apologise for Balfour Declaration, UK must Recognise Palestine!’
A large delegation of Palestinians carrying their flags marched with the Young Socialists.
Mahmoud told News Line: ‘I have come to this May Day march to support the hunger strike of 1,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. Today is “Day 15” in the hunger strike. Most of the prisoners are illegally jailed under administrative detention, with no trial, no charge and no chance to defend themselves. All they have is their body.
‘They want basic prisoners’ rights that are established around the world – family visits, education, medical treatment etc. There are terrible restrictions for Palestinian prisoners. The British Trade Unions must take action to support the prisoners.
‘Boycott Israel! Impose trade union sanctions on Israel, and force the British government to apologise for the Balfour Declaration. In this centenary Balfour must be reversed, and in this 70th year of occupation, since 1947, the occupation of Palestine must end.’
Also carrying a Palestinian flag, Lara Khalidi said: ‘We are here to support workers’ rights, and the Palestinian hunger strikers – who are workers by the way. They are very brave, fighting for justice. It is a worldwide struggle against Zionism and imperialism. It is not just a Palestinian cause, it is a cause for every person who fights against imperialism and injustice in this world.
‘It is important at this stage to step up the boycott of Israel, including Hewlett Packard, and G4S.
‘The prisoners are fighting with an empty stomach and with our support by going on the street, they will win. The crucial step is that the trade unions take up the fight seriously, and impose a real boycott on Israel.’
A number of trade unionists spoke to News Line. Carol Mayer from the rail union RMT said: ‘I’ve been on all the picket lines for the Southern rail strike. The safety of having a guard is vital. Imagine a senior citizen or anyone else getting ill. A lone driver can’t do anything. The working class and the trade union movement absolutely supports the fight for guards.
‘Palestine is also a working class issue. Kick Israel out of EUFA and FIFA. The Palestinian hunger strikers are brilliant. May they get what they want, and may Palestine be free in my lifetime.’
Finola Kelly, a PCS member told News Line: ‘Myself and eight other union members were sacked by e-mail on the 9th of February by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and given one day to clear our desks. Technically it was a budget cut. They said they were reducing the number of staff. ‘But we say it was blacklisting, because there were loads of jobs and the people who were sacked were all trade unionists. I was Vice Chair of the branch and leading the fight to oppose redundancies. We are fighting for reinstatement and we are starting a programme of weekly strike action in our Glasgow Office on 15th May.’
Dozens of Turkish Workers Party banners were carried by hundreds of Turkish workers on the march. Toga Aramaz, from the British ALEVI Federation said: ‘We have a banner here saying, “No to the Referendum, No to the Dictatorship”. We want Erdogan out. He has no respect for minorities or the rights of workers. We support the class struggle and victory to the working class.’
Holding the Unite London and Eastern Region banner, Gary Holdcroft, a GLAXO worker from Ware in Hertfordshire, said: ‘This May Day march is more important than ever. Workers’ rights are being destroyed on a daily basis. May and the Tories need to be kicked out. The trade unions need to step up now. Strike actions and occupations are needed to defend the NHS and all jobs and services.’
Holding the ‘Keep Our St. Helier Hospital’ banner Sandra Ash said: ‘The South West London STP ( Sustainability and Transformation Plan) aims to shut one or two of our five acute hospitals, and St Helier and Epsom are top of the list. The Chief executive of Epsom and St Helier Trust is Daniel Elkeles, and he was the senior responsible officer of “Shaping a Healthier Future in West Londo”, which organised the closure of the A&E at Hammersmith and Central Middlesex Hospitals, and the Maternity and Charlie Chaplin Ward at Ealing. We need trade union action to save this hospital or there will be a diabolical reduction in bed numbers and NHS staff.’
Natalie Parsons, the BECTU (media technicians’ union) Rep at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, told News Line: ‘There are about 50 Picture House staff on the march today, from the five cinemas that are in dispute. We have had about 40 strikes about the chain since last August, We are fighting for a living wage and also company sick pay, maternity and paternity rights.
‘We are really excited that the strength and the reach of our campaign is growing. The need for a living wage, is becoming more and more apparent. We are really happy that BECTU is supporting us and proud of our role. We are striking again in the first week of June and we are going to step up the fight, confident that we are heading for victory.’
At the rally in Trafalgar Square, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said: ‘The first acts of the Labour government will be to end Zero-Hours Contracts, introduce a £10 minimum wage, and bring in real trade union rights for all, and new rights for women workers ending the terrible situation where thousands are sacked when they become pregnant.
‘We will end the pay freeze in the public sector. In the first 100 days we will scrap the Trade Union Act. We will get rid of it. We want to mobilise all the support we can. There are two and a half million young people who are not registered to vote. We want them to vote Labour. We will scrap tuition fees and restore housing benefits. Seize the moment, this is our chance. Take it!’
PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: ‘Whatever happens in this election, we’ve got to kick the private sector out of the NHS. We go into this election saying: “If you care about Public Services Vote Labour”, but whatever the outcome, we in the trade union movement have the responsibility to get off our knees.
‘Our union has called for coordinated acton of all public sector unions. The health unions, education, civil servants. We must fight together with coordination, and then we will be unstoppable.’
