Superb by Mick Lynch in this clip published by Joe.co.uk from last night’s Parliament Square gathering against the government’s planned anti-union laws:
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One of the last real persons in a seat of power who actually gives a shit about the people of this country
And what he was getting at is that a future Labour government is not (necessarily) an answer to Tory anti-strike laws as they head towards statute books. AS WSWS Thomas Scripps wrote:
“A day of protests announced by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for February 1 was buttressed by an announced strike that day of teachers in England and Wales, joining 100,000 Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members. The train drivers’ union ASLEF; Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union (train driver members); and the University and College Union has since also announced strikes for February 1. But strike action was lent nothing more than incidental significance. The central message at the Downing Street rally was that nothing could be done until a Labour government arrives to save the day—underscored by the presence of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and three MPs from the party’s left rump.
“Zarah Sultana announced that she would be voting against the law and that “thankfully a Labour Party that’s remembered what Labour stands for will also be voting against this Bill.” Taking up this lie, headline speaker RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch appealed to Labour’s front bench to say, “We are with you, we are going to defeat this law, we are going to defeat this government, we’re going to drive them out of power, we’re going to support you in your disputes, and we’re going to guarantee that you win those disputes, and when we win that election we’re going to repeal all the trade union laws.”
“Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, he went on breathlessly, should “come and stand with us… stand up for socialism, stand up for workers.
“Returning briefly from this parallel dimension, Lynch felt obliged to say that he would not be “waiting for professional politicians”, that “the future now is in our hands” and “the working class is back, and we’re going to fight for our rights.” “
Solidarity
No speech written down on paper, because he believes in what he is saying. Then look at Starmer, every word written down, even his “jokes” and he just reads it word for word. Mr Woodentop, “triangulating.”
A more-than-worthy successor to Bob Crow. 👍
Where are you so called front bench labour MPs who are supposed to stand up for working class people but wont go on a picket line WHAT THE FUCK DO STARMER AND HIS FUCKING SCABBY BASTARDS FRONT BENCH STAND FOR BECAUSE I CANT SEE THEM STANDING UP FOR THE WORKING CLASSES HOW ANYONE CAN EVEN THINK OF VOTING IN ANOTHER TORY PARTY IN THE NAME OF NEW NEW LABOUR WHO REPRESENT THE FEW NOT THE MANY FUCKING RATS
Where were Labour’s frontbench?
They were doing their job in the House of Commons arguing against the anti trade union legislation contained within the ‘Minimum Service Level Bill’
Addressing the Commons during the debate, the deputy Labour leader said: “I cannot recall a measure that is at once so irrational and so insulting. Not only is it a vindictive assault on the basic freedoms of British working people, but this legislation is as empty of detail as it is full of holes.”
Rayner urged Shapps to apologise for how he had represented ambulance staff during recent parliamentary debates, arguing that workers had been “awfully smeared” by the Business Secretary. She also criticised the government for giving parliament “next to no time” to scrutinise the legislation.
“They seek in this bill to grab sweeping new powers to impose burdens on employers and remove basic rights from workers across our public service. An attack on every nurse, health worker and firefighter in this country,” she declared.
Rayner confirmed that Labour would repeal the legislation in government, telling MPs: “The ‘sacking nurses’ bill is one of the most indefensible and foolish pieces of legislation to come before this House in modern times.
“It threatens teachers and nurses with the sack during a recruitment and retention crisis. It mounts an outright assault on the fundamental freedom of working people while doing nothing, absolutely nothing, to actually resolve the crises at hand.”
https://labourlist.org/2023/01/minimum-service-levels-bill-passes-second-reading-by-309-votes-to-249/
“They were doing their job in the House of Commons arguing against the anti trade union legislation contained within the ‘Minimum Service Level Bill’” ………………. and they achieved what?
goldbach – Well you can blame the catastrophic loss of 60 seats for that, let’s wait and see how the bill is amended as it meanders its way through parliament..
Yes, and we all know why THAT happened, don’t we Mr H.
God, you’re such a complete and utter fraud, and oh-so transparent! And one can’t help but wonder why you bother spending so much time on a left-wing/JC-supporting blog posting numerous comments to try and discredit Jeremy, when you know that just about everyone sees right through you. AND your agenda!
Allan – Yes we do, the f”wits who abandoned Jeremy and their chance of a left wing government to vote alongside the ERG for a Tory wet dream policy. It never ceases to amaze me how stupid the self appointed guardian’s of ‘the left’ can be.
Brian, filling in their exes. Creativity can be time consuming. Don’t forget that 😉 they support workers. Deep down, really deep and it’s winter and cold and damp.
The fucking Liebour party has never reversed Tory Laws!!
Why can we never get the full speeches??? It’s always the same mistakes!.
You can bet your last penny that none of Joe.co.uk’s Parliament Square footage or the ideas that Mick Lynch is expressing will appear in the MSM.
Enough IS Enough.
18.1 2023, went to Brid Hospital. Plenty of NHS workers on the picket line. We had a good chat and they told me that I had just missed a support group of transport strikers who stood with them. Morale was high.