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From The Socialist newspaper, 8 April 2020
Anger as London local authorities bulldoze through powers to discipline workers
Coronavirus (Click to enlarge)
Unite the Union has expressed serious concerns over plans which will give local authority employers in London new powers to redeploy workers, under the threat of disciplinary action.
Rather than harnessing the growing spirit of volunteerism, local government employers in London are attempting to bulldoze through excessive new measures during the current COVID 19 crisis.
Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: "We understand that the capital faces a health crisis and local government workers are rising to the challenge, but this is the wrong approach.
"It's a poor way to treat public service workers who are providing vital services day in, day out.
"We have seen how people have come forward to volunteer all over the country - yet London councils seem to think that volunteering should be accompanied with threats. That is not volunteering, it's force. We have already had some members in London reporting that they have been threatened with disciplinary action.
"Local government employers must quickly drop these measures and continue to harness the spirit of volunteerism rather than resorting to threats and damaging morale at a time of crisis. Workers are pulling together, but threats could quickly lead to fear and anger."
- The proposed new 'framework' from London Local Authorities is entitled: 'Deployment of Staff in Emergency Situations for London Local Authorities'. The 'framework' is intended to take precedence over normal local government human resources policies.
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
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In The Socialist 8 April 2020:
What we think
End of the Corbyn era - Organise to fight for socialist policies
Workers take action while union leaders call truce with government and bosses
International news
Coronavirus: Amazon workers threaten revolution!
Coronavirus, capitalism and fighting for socialism worldwide
Coronavirus news
Dispatches from the front: shortages of NHS staff, equipment - and union leadership
Expired PPE relabelled for NHS use
The minimum wage must go up! Fund coronavirus workers, not bosses' profits!
Capitalism causes crisis profiteering: fight for workers' oversight and public ownership
Under the microscope: Pandemic news in brief
Workplace news
Where's the PPE Welsh Assembly?
EE puts workers' health and safety at risk
Things will never be the same again
Anger as London local authorities bulldoze through powers to discipline workers
A day in the life of a frontline worker
Victory for Medway bin workers
Socialists in Unite meet via Zoom: Struggles continue in the workplaces
World War Two
Class collaboration and worker militancy in World War Two Britain
Campaigns
Labour leadership election: Starmer wins but the fight for socialism goes on
Coronavirus crisis finance appeal
May Day greetings: we need to fund independent workers' media now more than ever
Getting the Socialist out safely under lockdown
Readers' opinion
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