‘TUC get off your knees! Call a general strike!’ shouted an enthusiastic Young Socialists lobby of the first day of the TUC Congress in Brighton yesterday.
The determined 100-strong lobby continued to chant: ‘No boot camps! No zero-hours contracts! Youth demand jobs!’ ‘Hands off Syria! Trade unions must act!’ and ‘Refugees – let them in! Tory government – kick them out!’ ‘Defend the NHS! Kick out the privateers!’ ‘Smash the anti-union laws! Call a general strike!’
Jasmine Norton, from Walthamstow Young Socialists, told News Line: ‘We want no tuition fees and to defend the NHS. We have to occupy hospitals to stop closures and there has to be strike action to scrap tuition fees.’ Kornel Gaal, Wood Green YS, said: ‘The TUC needs to stand up for the workers which it represents. They should organise a general strike to achieve free education, defend the NHS and end zero-hours contracts.’
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey told News Line: ‘There’s a new mood in the country and we’ll see where that takes us.’ WRP Assistant General Secretary Jonty Leff put to McCluskey: ‘It’s a disgrace that the TUC took the general strike motion off the agenda. Are you in support of a general strike?’ The Unite leader replied, ‘Yes’, adding: ‘It is on the agenda and it will be an interesting debate.’
A group of West London Council of Action campaigners, fighting to defend Ealing Hospital, also lobbied McCluskey. Surinder Kaur told News Line afterwards: ‘We asked him: “How can you help us?” and he asked us, “Are you members of a union?” I said: “Yes I am!” but he was ignoring us and running away. We want the unions to take strike action against privatisation, and a general strike to smash the anti-union laws.’
News Line spoke to the BFAW (bakers union) Midland regional officer George Atwall. He said: ‘I support the YS lobby, the youth are the future of Britain. We need to challenge the Tory anti-union laws and austerity. I also want to see the end of tuition fees. There has to be a general strike, we have to get the Tories out.’
Chris Kitchen, NUM miners union general secretary said: ‘We need to start to share the wealth and get a fair deal for all workers. A general strike would be nice if we can organise it – it will take some doing.’
Steven Hedley RMT (rail union) assistant general secretary said in passing: ‘I’m rushing to a meeting! We support a general strike – renationalise the railways!’ GMB general secretary Paul Kenny when asked shouldn’t the unions organise the general strike, said: ‘I’m for civil disobedience. I’m sure we’ll see a level of civil disobedience we haven’t seen for donkeys’ years.’
