Anti austerity commission october 2017

Please note request for ACTION by all on social media Party policy Commissions are established by the Executive Committee to research, advise, propose & help implement Party policy in specific areas of work CPB Handbook

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he last Anti-Austerity Commission looked at the experiences around Britain of comrades with a commitment in this important area of Party work and agreed some priorities for us all. And it’s very good news…

Now we need all members and Branches, Districts & Nations to take this up.

We agreed to propose to the People’s Assembly to… o publish a new edition of “In Place of Austerity – a Programme for the People” – taking into account recent developments including the Labour Party election manifesto & electoral successes, and BREXIT o Organise a series of events, meetings and actions around Britain to publicise it and win further support and activity in the labour, trade union, anti-cuts and progressive movement. o Give renewed emphasis to working with our supporter Trade Unions to reach their members directly, and in their workplaces and trades union branches o Promote sustained direct action in opposition to austerity at local level o Provide support & training for local People’s Assemblies in this work

You’ll see overleaf that the People’s Assembly has published the new edition of Rob Griffiths pamphlet “In Place of Austerity” (attached). We’re proposing this be distributed FREE electronically for very wide email/social media use. £2+post hard copy.

PLEASE CAN YOU….  SEND OUT BY EMAIL TO ALL YOUR CONTACTS & POST ON WEBSITES, FACEBOOK & OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA. Order hard copies (details at end)  Organise an event locally about “In Place of Austerity”?  Get the pamphlet into workplaces & Trade Unions, the Star review on noticeboards& in journals/magazines?  Discuss in the Party and local movement what direct anti-austerity action could be effective in your area?  Take part in People’s Assembly national events, support & training? contact us antiausterity@communist-party.org.uk

Morning Star review “In Place of Austerity – a programme for the people” “It is essential that we, together with the Trade Unions, continue to build the mass movement further to force the Tories out of office, and to help elect and sustain a future anti-austerity progressive government – which, of course, would be under fierce attack by the bankers, big business monopoly corporations and their pet politicians and media. This is the clear aim of the People’s Assembly.”

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n its strongest ever policy statement and plan of action, the recently published pamphlet, “In Place of Austerity – a programme for the people”, The People’s Assembly reasserts its position right at the head of those with the very widespread view that the Tories cannot be allowed to continue in office, and the fast growing awareness that our movement - the People’s Assembly and our Trade Unions - needs to go beyond protest to organise to get them out.

Tracing the origins of austerity to the policies of government following the 2008 financial and economic crisis - which they claimed to be aimed at “deficit reduction”- the policy statement says, “Many people now say that austerity policies have failed – and indeed deficit targets are routinely “missed”, and there has been no debt reduction… in fact it has steadily grown from under 40% of GDP in 2008 to just under 90% in 2017. But the real aim of austerity was to stabilise the post crisis economy in favour of the bankers and big business billionaires, raising the rate of profit at the expense of the working class. In that they have succeeded, and will continue to do so, if we let them.”

The opening section of the pamphlet pulls together very useful evidence and statistics – from pay and pensions to jobs and working conditions, from privatisation of services to community infrastructure, from benefit cuts to taxation policy, from NHS and State education to the growth of bogus or enforced “selfemployment”, from wealth gap and poverty to housing and transport…. and much more.

The second section argues for a “People’s Programme” – a comprehensive and coherent set of practical economic and social policies, first of all “to expand our public services… and to support and modernise Britain’s industrial base rather than sacrificing it on the altar of financial speculation” It goes on to promote “Policies for sustainable growth” including directed capital investment and public ownership – specifically of the banks, energy, water, post, telecommunications and transport - and democratic control over taxation, monetary policy and interest rates. It advocates a “broadly based, sustainable industrial economy with one million anti-global warming green jobs, by developing a rational link between R&D, investment in plant and productive capacity, vocational training and integrated strategic economic planning at local, regional and national levels” Turning to worker’s rights that go with this approach to the economy, the policy statement advocates new Trade Union and Labour Law, as researched and detailed by People’s Assembly’s partner, the Institute of

Employment Rights. This includes legislation guaranteeing Trade Union freedom to organise, rebuilding collective bargaining and collective agreements across all sections of the economy, limiting the export of capital and jobs, and state intervention and public ownership to support essential industries and jobs within them threatened by capitalist crisis, neglect, and export of capital and jobs.

The principles of fairness at work are examined – demanding real enforcement of equal pay, an increased minimum wage, an end to pay freezes, increased quality vocational training, investment in jobs for workers with disabilities, preventing the super exploitation of migrant labour, abolishing zero hours contracts and precarious working.

There is recognition that much of the “People’s Programme” could not be achieved under European Union rules. “Many people who voted against BREXIT did so because they feared what the next steps might be in austerity Britain. But many who voted to leave the European Union did so because of its fierce imposition of austerity economics and politics across Europe, its privatisation and anti-union directives & court judgements, and EU punishment of the people of countries that dared to vote for anti-austerity governments.

We need to unite those who voted either way in the referendum in favour of a “People’s BREXIT” – and integrate this into our growing movement” Can it be afforded? Clearly in 21st Century Britain of huge wealth and income disparity – it is a question, the pamphlet says, not of whether the wealth exists, but of wealth distribution. It puts forward a 6 point progressive tax plan, raising revenue for the needs of ordinary people by taxing the super-

rich and corporate monopolies, ending tax havens and cracking down on tax evasion and avoidance. It also introduces “Quantative Easing For The People”, an interesting approach… expressly forbidden by EU financiers in EU Article 123… but now a real possibility.

This short pamphlet is indispensable to antiausterity campaigners and trade union members. It small enough in size to fit in your bag or back pocket – but large enough in analysis, concepts, policies, hard facts – and fighting strategy - to really contribute to the struggle and really help change minds.

As it reminds us, “We need to pull people together to take on the government, and the big monopolies and finance interests who are behind them and who are so determined to turn the screw on us. As Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC said at the founding conference of the People’s Assembly “We are facing a class war”. We know that this will not end in a draw. Either we defeat those who are attacking us, or they will inflict a defeat on us. There are great opportunities right now. Together, we must seize the time!”

“IN PLACE OF AUSTERITY” Free electronic copy (attached). Order copies £2 + postage individual copy (bulk reductions) From The People’s Assembly, 52 Beachy Road, London E3 2NS 020 8525 6988 office@thepeoplesassembly.org.uk www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk or “In Place of Austerity”, Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon CR0 1BD 020 8686 1659