By Anton
A general strike has been proposed in Britain for may day- international workers day. This would last 24 hours, and is meant to show the general discontent with the cuts and austerity program that Cameron and Osborne are pushing forward. The cuts are not the focus of this article, though; the focus of the article is the proposed general strike.
A twenty four hour general strike would have minimal effect, which shows us that either the unions are class collaborationist, or they are weak and this general strike would be a feeble display of defiance against Cameron, that would be nothing but symbolic. If the unions truly wanted to end the cuts, they would bring the people responsible for them to their knees- i.e. bring the Tory government to submission.
This is easily obtainable as the country can not function without the workers, and everyone bar the workers themselves know the power they have.
An indefinite general strike would halt all production, all work, all services and would mean that the government, sooner or later, would have to agree to the demands of the workers.
Engels:
“One fine morning all the workers in every industry in a country, or perhaps in every country, will cease work, and thereby compel the ruling class either to submit in about four weeks, or to launch an attack on the workers so that the latter will have the right to defend themselves, and may use the opportunity to overthrow the old society.”
We have seen the awesome power of the mass strike as it brought the Tsarist government to near collapse in 1905, and to complete collapse in the February revolution of 1917 in Russia. The workers make every cog in the capitalist system turn, and can also make it grind to a halt.
Cameron can’t sweep the streets, Clegg can’t stack the shelves, Osborne won’t collect the bins.
To all unions
An indefinite general strike is needed. You can get whatever you want if you hold out for long enough and do not sell the workers out! Do not repeat the mistakes of the 1926 general strike!
