A “No Austerity Conference” took place on 14 February 2015 in Liverpool with over 100 people, including representatives from local community organisations and trade union activists. The impetus for the conference came out of the victory gained by the campaign to stop the closure of 11 Liverpool libraries by the local Labour Council.
Filmmaker Ken Loach sent a message of solidarity saying “This conference and campaigns like it are absolutely vital.” Solidarity greetings and support were also read out from Alan Gibbons, Mark Rowe FBU along with international greetings from Solidaires (France), Railway workers (Belgium) and the Italian ‘No Austerity’ movement.
The morning session heard from individual s and groups who are actively fighting against cuts and closures on the streets. In the afternoon the discussion focussed on developing a programme to fight against all austerity and attacks on the working class. It was an example of real workers’ democracy. The programme belongs to everyone who developed it, want to support it, and want to build it. It is a programme for the struggles and campaigns on the streets and also in the elections.
The conference was opened by Juliet Edgar (Reclaim) and Martin Ralph (Old Swan Against the Cuts) and Larry Bowles the conference chair for the morning read greetings from Belgium, France, Italy and Brazil. and Lesley Mahmood chaired the afternoon session.
Speakers in the morning included: Sue Ferguson on the libraries victory and the need now to stop outsourcing, Joe Boyd on fracking, Jayne Pinder on SOS Wirral and the library campaign, Laurence Clark for Disabled People Against Cuts, Kelly Butchard speaking on Knowsley campaign over the libraries. Marie Pendaraki, spoke on the crisis facing Greece, Syriza and the working class, Peter Glover speaking for TUSC and education, Guy and Paul, from Save our Sanity Sam Semof speaking for Keep Our NHS public, Valantina Barrera speaking for the UCU local campaign against zero hour contracts and casualisation. Not everyone who wanted to speak could do so for example the delegation from the UCU Liverpool City College
Glenroy Watson, chair of RMT Finsbury Park Branch and a Black activist, opened the afternoon session as he was delayed travelling from London.
Greetings were heard from the FBU secretary for Merseyside, Mark Rowe who had agreed to speak but was not able to attend.
The three workshops took place: What are our experiences, What are our demands; Learning from each other. We also want to congratulate the Reclaim team who provided a mountain of food.
In the afternoon we had report backs and then discussed the programme, the conference discussion built the programme in a very good way, showing what workers democracy is really like. The programme belongs to all who build it and support and want to develop it. It is a programme of struggle for the streets and for the elections. It is an anti-austerity programme.
No Austerity conference agreed a new programme of struggle, for the struggle on the streets and for the elections; No Austerity demo in April; to publish the programme and a pamphlet from the conference; to support all candidates in the elections against the austerity parties including the Labour Party who agree with the programme; next organising meeting 24 February 6pm Unite.
Greetings from Belgium, Italy and France called for further connections and joint struggle. Liverpool TUC is already part of the International network of solidarity. Belgium railway workers want to be kept in touch, Solidiares say we should join the international union network of struggle and solidarity; Italian No Austerity hope we can builds something new.
The conference was an example of how we can unite the struggles against austerity with the community, the trade unions and the working class. It was based in workers democracy, their direct action and for fighting programme.
The conference agreed to fight positively against austerity. Programme agreed on 14 February 2015
-
No to Austerity
-
Free, high quality public and council services – owned by the people, for the people. Re-nationalisation!
-
Keep our libraries council-run, properly maintained and fully staffed with trained librarians.
-
Against any increases in council tax
-
Free public transport for children and students
-
For a fully comprehensive, integrated, publicly accountable and publicly provided, free at the point of delivery NHS, based on need.
-
For fully publicly funded education & the means to education (Sure Start, libraries)
-
Real contracts for workers, proper permanent jobs! Minimum wage of £10 an hour.
-
Restore – pensioners’ and disabled people’s rights
-
Restore a real benefits safety net; stop all sanctions!
-
For a renewable energy policy – not dependent on fossil fuels, nuclear energy and fracking!
-
Scrap Trident and nuclear weapons – use the £100bn for sustainable energy
-
Equality for all people; irrespective of race, culture, sexuality, gender, age and disability.
-
For a society that nurtures, protects and cherishes all its children! Full rights for the child.
-
Full rights for women.
-
Full rights for all immigrants.
-
We are a society – an injury to one is an injury to all. Replant the seed of social solidarity among the young.
-
What we win, we win by mobilising – support building local anti-austerity groups in all neighbourhoods. Work towards diversifying the movement.
-
Support all international struggles against austerity!
Contact:
Liverpoolagainstthecuts@gmail.com; oldswanagainstthecuts@aol.com; thereclaimgroup@aol.co.uk
March for No Austerity: communities and unions
11.30, Saturday, 25 April 2015
Assemble at Central Library
* One of the conference organisers
