Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/1168/33800
Excerpt from The Socialist newspaper, February 23, 2022
Brighton Bin Strike. Photo: Brighton SP (Click to enlarge)
Brighton Socialist Party
Austerity has left Brighton without vital services, a housing crisis and growing poverty as wages are slashed, with rising bills, council taxes and charges. More than £170million a year has been cut from the council’s annual budget by the Conservative central government since 2010.
Unable to resist Tory cuts, Brighton Green and Labor councils have made massive cuts to jobs and services. The Green Council are now preparing to cut another £18million.
But municipal workers and communities fought back. Moulsecombe Primary School has fought against academisation and the GMB union has secured £4million in pay rises for Brighton’s lowest paid council workers.
Although inflation is over 7%, the board reserves only 2% for compensation of board employees. The council is sitting on £39million in reserves, and that doesn’t include any assets they own or could borrow to protect and improve services.
These resources could be used to establish a legal, balanced and uncut budget and launch a mass campaign to restore public funding. Cuts, closures, increases in taxes, rents, parking fees and asset stripping must end.
We need a municipal budget to meet the needs of the city and elected officials ready to fight. And we want to build a mass campaign uniting municipal workers, their unions and our local communities to fight for the £170m stolen from Brighton by the Tory government, so we can reverse the cuts and build a socialist recovery for all .
The Socialist Party is part of the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), along with transport union RMT and others, to offer an electoral alternative to the cuts-friendly political establishment.
Brighton TUSC meeting
- What do you want from the council of Brighton?
- Tuesday, February 22, 7 p.m., Phoenix Community Center, 2 Phoenix Place BN2 9ND
Financial appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in many ways. It is clear to many that it is the working class that makes society work, not the CEOs of big business.
The results of austerity have been clearly demonstrated as public services struggle to cope with the crisis.
- Socialist Party hardware is more vital than ever, so we can continue to flag workers fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing, and more.
- We must be prepared for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm labor movements with a socialist program – a program that puts the health and needs of humanity ahead of the profits of the few.
Inevitably, during the crisis, we were unable to sell the socialist and raise funds as we normally would.
We therefore urgently call on all our viewers to donate to our Fight Fund.
In The Socialist of February 23, 2022:
News
Let’s unite and fight for a decent pay rise
Johnson abandons Covid safety measures
Tories call on teachers to erase Britain’s real history
Bus services under threat
International information
Ukraine: Unity of workers against capitalist warmongers and imperialist interference
Canada: Prime Minister Trudeau invokes the Emergencies Act to end the “freedom convoy”
One year after military coup in Myanmar, mass resistance continues
NHS
Privatization and NHS crisis
Erdington by-election
The Erdington by-election and the fight for a new mass workers’ party
Vote Nellist for a Labor MP in Birmingham Erdington
Workplace News
Tube workers strike to defend wages, pensions and conditions
Academics continue strike against attacks from bosses
Coventry bin strikers lobby labor council to break strike
The scaffs scaffs action forces the bosses to the table
Usdaw: “Restore Max” Action Week
Union support for candidates in the anti-cuts elections
Barts NHS workers will go out again on February 28
Just Eat couriers continue their action to fight wage cuts
Railway strike in Sheffield
Students
Workers and students unite and fight
Fighting fees and commodification after March 2 student walkout
Campaign news
Restore reduced Cardiff services
Brighton Green and job cuts – workers and communities fight back
Surrey: Unions and campaigns say they are running as an anti-cuts candidate
Newham City Farm – closed without consultation
London Socialist Party Women’s Meeting
March 1: launch of the new Socialist Party website
Review
TV Review: It’s Gonna Hurt
House
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The Socialist February 23, 2022 |
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