Walk the Walk

national | miscellaneous | news report

Thursday March 13, 2003 15:53

by Davy Carlin - W/Belfast SWP and anti war

carlindavid at hotmail dot com

Lets make it big

The Norths largest civil service branch {NIPSA Branch 8} votes to support anti war actions

The Norths largest civil service Branch {Branch 8 NIPSA} with almost 1000 members has today voted to give support to the Anti War coalition, to mobilise for the Belfast City Centre rally the day after the bombing starts, and called on the Nipsa leadership to lend support for a call to ICTU for a half day stoppage against the war. The proposals on the issue for Iraq were put by SWP activists on the Branch committee and was passed unanimously by the 25 or so union reps. Then a propsal was then raised at a called members meeting again moved by an SWP activist. Then followed an open debate and discussion by many in attendance with questions such as 'what was the alternative' and 'sure he's a dictator' etc. The discussion was open and free and as a member of a number of previous union branches and now in Branch 8 I believe such debate, discussion, accountability and democratic decisions on such issues is the only way a union branch should function. The vote was taken and almost unanimously the proposals were backed.

SWP activists within their union branches across the North are working for such active support within many unions for the Anti War Movement and their proposed actions and to bring about pressure from the base for a half day strike. This of course is working hand in hand with building local anti war branches in working class communites which will be organising feeder marches all across Belfast as we had done prior from a number of areas on Feb15 th from those working class communities into the town centre. This goes along also with the organisation of school students, BIHFE and the local universities to mobilise and take and support actions also. All these actions from the base will moblise many thousands of working class people from 'both traditions' to lend support or to take action against the oncoming war while at the same time attempting to build pressure on various leaderships to call and support strikes and walkouts - if they don't - then the more people from that base willing to get involved and take action the stronger and louder our voice and collective actions will be.