Now is the new
winter of Britain’s discontent. Over 2 million workers took
to the streets Nov. 30 to combat recent government austerity measures
and stand up for economic justice. A coalition of 30 trade unions led
the action. This marks Britain’s largest mass working-class action
since the famous “Winter of Discontent” strikes of 1979.
Britain is the
latest country to succumb to the pressures of the global financial
elite—the already super-rich whose wealth has been growing
exponentially. The favored tactic of the politicians supporting the
financial oligarchy consists of paring government budgets and gutting
regulations—that is, implementing austerity measures aimed at the
poor and working class. Britain’s government is on the verge of
implementing more public-sector job cuts, a wage freeze, a 3 percent
increase on employee pension contributions, and a two-year increase
in the retirement age.
The plight is
evident in comments made by public employee Kevin Smith, a
54-year-old security officer: “We had no [wage] rise the last
two years, before that we were getting lower than inflation rises. So
how long is it going to last?”
For years, the
working class in many of the “most advanced” nations, included
Britain, has seen a sharp decline in real wages. In Britain, the
injustice has reached its boiling point.
As expected, Prime
Minister David Cameron downplayed the public outcry and callously
attempted to rationalize his measures. “It’s something of a damp
squib,” he said, claiming that 40 percent of schools were open and
the main London airports were working properly. According to Cameron,
“[A]s people live longer it is only fair that you should make a
greater [pension] contribution.”
It is smug
arrogance for Cameron to talk about workers’ lack of contributions.
During even the best of economic times, in both the public and
private sectors, raises are only occasionally doled out, and when
wage increases are won, they are often at rates that lag behind the
cost of living. The working class has sacrificed and contributed
enough!
Eleanor Smith,
president of the UNISON trade union, summed up worker frustration:
“The government wants us to work longer, pay more and at the end
get less. How fair is that?”
Millions around the
world are finally coming to understand the inherent unfairness of
capitalism. We have reached an exciting historical period. A period
in which the oppressed classes are refusing to be trampled, are
standing up and are pushing back.
