Militant, Committed and Diverse National Stop-the-War Demonstration

Workers' Daily Internet Edition : Article Index :

Militant, Committed and Diverse National Stop-the-War Demonstration

Public Sector Reform Pamphlet

Longbridge Workers Ballot Over Pay and Conditions

Iraq Challenges Britain To Find Weapons

No Confirmation of "Weapons of Mass Destruction"

by WDIE correspondent

On Saturday, March 2, the third National Anti-War March and Demonstration took place in London. Starting at Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, it set off at around 1:30 pm to march to Trafalgar Square. The last of the marchers reached Trafalgar Square at around 3:00 pm, and by this time the rally was in full swing. Not all the people could get into the square and remained on the streets. The demonstration, which according to organisers numbered 20,000, was very diverse. There were political activists, trade unionists, students, people of all religions, nationalities, ant-war coalitions and CND branches from different towns and regions. The March and Demonstration was organised by Stop the War Coalition and supported by CND. The police presence was backed up by a helicopter hovering above throughout the rally and march.

The marchers carried placards and banners denouncing the fraudulent "war on terrorism" and the planned aggression against Iraq. Some of the slogans included were: "Hands off Iraq!", "Two Bombs Don't Make A Right!", "War Is Legal Terrorism!", "Plan Colombia, Plan For War!", "Axis Of Fascism: Blair/Bush/Sharon!", "American War is about Money: War=$!".

The activists of RCPB(ML) participating in the demonstration disseminated over 100 copies of Workers’ Weekly, with its lead statement: "No to Aggression, Intervention, War and State Terrorism! The Working Class and People Must Fight for the Alternative!" What was noticeable was the readiness of people not only on the demonstration but along the route of the march to seriously discuss the issues, and the commitment of the participants in their opposition to the "war against terrorism" supposedly being carried out in their name. This reflected the strength and depth of the movement against the global politics of Anglo-US imperialism and the desire for the alternative.

The rally was well received by the marchers. The speakers were all prominent figures engaged in the ant-war movement, and included: George Galloway MP, a speaker from the Japanese Anti-War Movement, Yvonne Ridley (journalist), Jeremy Corbyn MP, Lindsey German (Editor: Socialist Review), Salma Yacoub (Birmingham Stop the War Coalition), Louise Christian (lawyer representing British detainees in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base), Jim Mortimer (former General Secretary of the Labour Party), Tariq Ali (broadcaster), Dr Saddiqui (Muslim Parliament).

All the speakers denounced Anglo-American aggression being carried out under the absurd label of "War on Terrorism", as it is US imperialism and the British state who perpetrate state terrorism and who are to be blamed for creating terrorism.

George Galloway spoke largely on Iraq, describing Bush, Blair and Sharon as the real "Axis of Evil" with their criminal acts in Afghanistan and Palestine and now organising to attack Iraq. "Hands off Iraq – no war against Iraq, end the occupation of Palestine," he said. "Iraq does not posses weapons of mass destruction to my knowledge. An attack on Iraq will spread the war. Let the Iraqi People Live!"

The speaker from the Japanese anti-war movement spoke of the need to make a global alliance against the "War on Terrorism", and international solidarity against war.

Yvonne Ridley, who had just returned from Afghanistan, spoke about the

death and destruction caused there and the phoney justification of Bush and Blair. Blair's policy on this war "stinks", she declared.

Jeremy Corbyn called for peace around the world, and drew attention to the use of weapons of mass destruction in Afghanistan – against a poor country. "Pathetic millions are expected to pay for America’s next ‘war on terrorism’," he said.

Lindsey German pointed out that the real evil of axis resides in Washington, London and Tel Aviv. Weapons of mass destruction are possessed by US and Britain and not Iraq. She emphasised that the biggest threat to peace is the United States and Tony Blair is the second biggest warmonger after Bush.

Salma Yacoub said that this is not a war on terror, as is shown by the destruction and instability in Afghanistan. And now Iraq is being targeted. Britain shares its guilt. He went on to say that further instability and further wars are being created and this is the hypocrisy of the "war on terror". "To attain peace, we must have justice. To have justice, we must have equality," he declared

Tariq Ali spoke of the hypocrisy of US and Britain in justifying war in Afghanistan. We are not going to demobilise but continue against war waged by US imperialism, he stressed. Tariq Ali also spoke extensively against attacking Iraq and what the consequences of that would be in the Middle East. He stated, "Only the people of Iraq have the right to change the regime."

There were five more speakers, and at 5:00 pm the main speaker thanked all the people for taking part and stressed the importance of opposing Anglo-American wars of aggression. A date was announced for the next march and demonstration on the basis of sending a strong message to the evil axis of Blair-Bush-Sharon. The next national demo will be held in London on Saturday, March 30, 2002.

The Prime Minister will publish a pamphlet on public sector reform on Thursday.

The Financial Times reported on February 28 that Tony Blair will ratchet up his argument for tax rises to pay for the health service with a 30-page pamphlet setting out his blueprint for public sector reform.

The Prime Minister believes a detailed explanation of how the extra money would be used to modernise schools and hospitals is crucial if the public is to be persuaded to pay more tax.

The pamphlet is also a sign of anxiety in Downing Street that conflicting messages from the Prime Minister and colleagues have left staff angry and confused about their role in the reforming agenda.

Tony Blair's pamphlet, following his speech to the Scottish Labour Party Conference, will cover four main themes – the need for national standards and more accountability, devolution of budgets and decision-making to frontline staff, the need for more flexible working, and greater choice for users.

Tony Blair's pamphlet, primarily aimed at staff, will make the case for change from their point of view, said one Whitehall official.

"A lot of working practices are unsatisfactory from the staff's point of view as well as the public's, and many staff have shown they are up for change," said a government official.

According to the Financial Times, the Prime Minister believes he has only weeks to convince the public that he has a coherent plan for public sector reform and prepare the ground if the April 17 Budget is to set out proposals for higher tax.

by Ken Knapman

MG Rovers' 7,000 workers are being balloted over strike action from Monday. Workers have turned down a 2.5% offer and flexible working.

The situation inside Longbridge is far from happy. Since the take over by the Phoenix Consortium, led by John Towers, the company have used the situation to blackmail workers into accepting working conditions, which are often bordering on intolerable. It is only right that the workers fought to keep the factory afloat after the ditching by BMW. Since then big business, the media and politicians have expected the workers to accept increased exploitation and have marginalised them when it comes to how the plant should develop.

A large amount of pressure has come from outside because such an enormous amount of the local economy depends upon the survival of Longbridge. Many suppliers are totally dependent upon the company.

It is in this light that workers have to sympathise with the plight of MG Rover workers who are at present being balloted over strike action from this morning. Many workers are saying that they are at present in the frame of mind to reject the pay and conditions offer. Workers at the plant are also unhappy about the continuation of flexible working and a tiny 2.5% pay increase.

Rover Workers, like many workers elsewhere, were forced into flexible working conditions to increase productivity and competitiveness in a ruthless market, where only the fittest survive. It is common knowledge that these methods of flexibility only intensify the working day and add to maximum profit for the employers. The method usually leads to one person doing another's job and in the end a reduction in the workforce.

Workers need job security for themselves and their families. This is their prime interest. The Longbridge workers did not fight to save the plant in the interests of big business and the likes of John Towers and Harold Musgrove at the top. These people are only there on the backs of the workers, who have built up this plant with their labour over many, many years. Also they are in the present position thanks to the struggle of Longbridge workers and the support of the entire community who demanded that the plant should stay open.

Workers and their shop stewards are in the process of debating the future of the plant. Alternatives have been talked about as to the direction of the company. Some of the discussion has been around what form production should take in the future. Only when the workers decide their destiny and the direction of Longbridge, along with decisions about the rest of the economy can workers come fully out of the margins and have their say.

The company has taken the opposite view, as if it were its God-given right to command. Phoenix has said that if staff do not like the conditions, they should look for jobs elsewhere. It seems as though Towers and company have forgotten already how they got there. Of course there have been big objections to the stance of the management and it has since retracted this in part at least.

It has been clear from the start that since the BMW saga took place and the take-over of Phoenix in its opposition to the Alchemy venture capitalists, that the aims of the present management are the same as all of the others. These people are venture capitalists too. The company, who have left themselves at the mercy of the market, have looked at the models, cut where they deemed it necessary and seeking profit where they can are prepared to ditch it for a payoff later. The future of Longbridge is still not decided and the struggle of workers for their pay and conditions may seem an old issue but in reality it is part and parcel of the struggle for the workers to come out of the margins on behalf of their class and take forward all of the issues affecting them. This is the same path as the Longbridge workers started out on in the fight against BMW.

Iraq has challenged Britain to back up its claim that Iraq is developing weapons of mass destruction, saying it was ready to receive "right now" any British team in the country, an official spokesman was quoted as saying on Friday.

UN certification that no such weapons or means of producing them were still in the country was required after the 1991 Gulf War in order for sanctions against Iraq were to be lifted.

"Iraq is ready to receive right now any British team sent by Tony Blair and accompanied by the British media to show the world where and how is Iraq developing such weapons," the Iraqi spokesman was quoted as saying by the al-Thawra newspaper.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, speaking to the BBC on Friday, had said: "They have consistently refused to allow UN weapons inspections and that must mean we are deeply suspicious about is what is going on. They are a concern that we have to address."

The Iraqi spokesman was quoted as saying that Tony Blair's comments in a television interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp. were "aggressive and misleading", and challenged him to present "true information to support such allegations against Iraq".

Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri will meet with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan next week in New York to have "a focused discussion on the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, including the return of UN weapons inspectors to Iraq," a UN spokesman said on Monday.

The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman was unable to confirm on Monday that a dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction would be published.

Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush are to meet in Washington in April to "finalise Phase Two of the war against terrorism" when "action against Iraq will be at the top of the agenda".

The Observer had reported that "the British government was planning to publish evidence detailing Iraq's nuclear capabilities to quell criticism from its backbenches and to reassure the public".