Strike Wave and the Revival of Class Struggle in Britain

The working class in the UK is preparing for industrial strikes in other major sectors after the historic strikes of the rail workers. From transportation to communication, from healthcare to education, workers in many sectors go to the strike ballot and choose the path of struggle with the courage and inspiration from the rail workers’ strike. After tens of thousands of RMT members carried out the largest railway strike of the last 30 years in June, decades of lull in other sectors is coming to an end. As inflation soars, real wages fall and the cost-of-living rises, the UK is becoming an important link in the “summer of discontent” gripping the world. The dynamics of class struggle are being fuelled as class contradictions sharpen.

The UK was shaken by a massive wave of strikes in 1970s. The winter of 1979, when the mobilisation peaked, was called the “winter of discontent.” In response, the rulers enacted anti-union, anti-worker laws to prevent the struggle of workers, they tried to bring the working class to heel. Privatizations were implemented in line with the neo-liberal capitalist policies and many gains of the working class were taken away. Even though it increased its actions in certain periods, as the mine workers did in 1984, the working class failed to respond strong enough to these attacks of the capitalist class. Today, after many years, the working class is taking action again with their unions. Compared to the 70s, the number of unionized workers, which has decreased by almost half, increases and massive protests and strikes are coming up.

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The British rulers took a hostile attitude towards the RMT strike, reminding them of their historic fears. They presented the strike as a “frightening development” to prevent public support for the strike, which was called “the start of a summer of discontent” by the media. The bourgeois media have launched a vigorous smear campaign against the RMT, union leaders and striking workers. However, they failed to suppress the public support. Despite the attacks of the Conservative Party government and the smear campaign of the bourgeois media, the RMT strike received the support of 70 percent of the working people.

This is because the deepening economic crisis and the cost-of-living hit all layers of the working class. The inflation rate has reached 10 per cent, hit the record for decades. There’s been an extreme increase in all prices from fuel to rent. The austerity policies were implemented, and the budget for health, education and basic public services and so on was cut during the pandemic. All resources and stimulus packages were transferred to big corporations. The profits of the bosses increased astronomically, while the wages were melting in the face of inflation. All of this cause the discontent and anger build up pushing the workers to struggle. The common problems of workers strengthen the sense of unity and solidarity. The need to act and fight together to address the problems of workers is growing, putting aside artificial differences. That’s exactly why hundreds of thousands of workers are raising the “class war” slogan against the war started by the bosses. Workers are preparing to boost the strike wave after the RMT.

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Along with 41,000 rail workers from RMT, thousands of train drivers from the Train Drivers’ Union (ASLEF) and white-collar workers from the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) are also going to strike. Around 115,000 Royal Mail workers organised in the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have voted to strike with a yes vote of 97.1%. 40,000 British Telecom workers who are also members of the CWU, education workers who are members of the National Education Union (NEU), tens of thousands of workers of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) are announcing their strike time table. In addition, municipal, bus and airport workers who are members of UNITE are also calling for strikes; doctors, nurses, teachers, criminal barristers and hundreds of thousands of workers from many sectors are preparing for the strike wave that will spread throughout summer and autumn. In all sectors, workers stand against the rising cost-of-living, mass layoffs, and the extortion of basic workers’ rights, especially pensions. The Conservative government, shaken by a political crisis, has made a new law to break the strikes. According to this, the bosses will be able to employ workers in temporary status during a strike.

Although the capitalist class tries to suppress the struggle of the working class, the working class engages in the struggle again and again. The working class in Britain armed with the strike weapon reminds the bourgeoisie of the miners’ strikes of 1984 and the 1926 general strike, the country’s first and only general strike. The 1926 general strike began in response to the attack on the wages and working conditions of 1.2 million coal miners, and millions of workers participated in the 9-day strike. In the strike, traditional banners were carried, the demands of the working class and the longing for socialism were expressed. The 1926 general strike, which took place in the working class’s history of struggle, led the way for the movement of workers that rose in 1970s. The bourgeoisie has always feared strikes and is in fear once again! Picking up itself and taking the path of past generations of workers, the working class in Britain is taking up its tradition with the demands, slogans, banners, struggle and solidarity songs it has voiced in picket lines and in the streets.