Unite Against The Racists

Fight for a socialist alternative

THE RACIST, neo-Nazi British National Party (BNP) are standing around 200 candidates in the local elections on 1 May. The right-wing policies of cuts and privatisation, pursued by many councils, have got worse. And the BNP hope to make significant gains in the elections. The UNISON-TUC union demonstration on 26 April in Manchester can play an important part in stopping this.

A Manchester Socialist Party member

Cuts in jobs and services have hammered working-class areas of Manchester and Lancashire. Low-paid service sector 'Mc-jobs' are often all that's on offer. Housing prices and rents continue to rise in many areas, with others mired in 'negative equity' (houses worth less than they were bought for).

At the same time, the government and media blame asylum seekers for everything from crime to disease. In this climate the BNP has made some electoral gains.

But they have no real answers. United working class action is the only solution to the problems we face. Around seven million workers are unionised, with over one million in the public-sector union UNISON alone.

Up to a million local government workers in UNISON, GMB and TGWU went on strike last August against low pay and cuts. Pay on average is 9% higher in union-organised workplaces. More workers win industrial tribunals if they are represented by their trade union.

Many workers have taken industrial action in the last year, such as the firefighters. Yet we're fighting with one hand behind our back while the unions offer no political alternative to Labour.

In France last year millions of workers, minorities and youth took to the streets against the French National Front in a massive show of opposition to the neo-Nazis.

A united movement of working class and young people can halt the BNP. This must be built from below, by youth from the communities and colleges, and workers from the unions.

The fight against the far right, and against the conditions they feed on means a fight for decent jobs, homes, services, and education.

It means a fight for a new mass party of the working class and for the socialist transformation of society.

Unite Against The Racists

Fight for a socialist alternative

A Manchester Socialist Party member

Demonstration

Saturday 26 April, 10:30am,

Castlefield Basin, Castlefield, Manchester.

Marching to Albert Square for about 2pm.