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May Day Greetings

1 March 2015

Dear Comrade,

Every year Socialist Worker celebrates May Day, the

international workers day, by producing a special
supplement of greetings from across the trade union and
labour movement.

Picture: Guy Smallman

May Day is a day of solidarity across the working class. As

the assault on our class deepens, we need that solidarity
more than ever.
Socialist Worker is proud to stand side by side with
everyone fighting back.
Over the past year we have reported on workers disputes
and built solidarity with themincluding firefighters
walkouts, strikes by care workers in Doncaster,
London
feature
bus drivers and workers at the National Gallery in their
battle against privatisation.
10

Socialist Worker

14 February

Thousands of firefighters struck and marched over pensions

11
in February this year
Socialist Worker

lists say

What socia

ht
Isis and the fig m
rialis
against impe

We have covered the struggles of activists against the

Tories vicious bedroom tax and benefit cuts.
LE will be
MOST PEOP bly horrified by Isiss
understanda the burning alive
ty,
latest atroci military pilot Moaz
of Jordanian
.
al-Kasasbeh
reactionary
Isis is a deeply , carrying out
group
and sectarian political opponents
its
murders of
us and ethnic
and other religioour rulers are
But
clamp
minorities.
s to further
using its attack s in Britain,
down on Muslim rt for their
suppo
and bolster in the region.
intervention
has always
US imperialism
a grip on Iraq
tried to keep large oil deposits.
its
because of it has inflicted
nt
To do this
a whole differe
horrors on Western sanctions in
level to Isis. the last war have
the 1990s and n Iraqis.
on
killed two millio
the 2003 invasi
And during d Fallujah with
shelle
iary
the West
horus incend
white phosp tortured civilians.
weapons and ct of such
Isis is a produ also of the
and
imperialism Arab revolutions to
failure of the h.
break throug

ny countries
rkers from ma strike last
Migrant wo
Londons bus
took part in told Raymie Kiernan
rs
ike
tain, what
week. Str
y came to Bri
about why thereally likeand how
rk
their lives are end their rights at wo
def
ne
they fight to
pay for everyo
and drive up

We have argued against the Tories scapegoating of P

migrant workers for the crisis their system has generated.

y
ans sa
olitici
rs are a
migrant worke claim
isis fighters
ting
they
probl em. be tough
AQI was
It was hard star
grow. While
they must ra t i o n to
country
(AQI) could narrow politics,
g
over in a new the war.
on immi
s
rs born
small and had
organisation
prote ct worke y see
many Sunni
was
after fleeing g that, I
it
osedl
se
supp
becau
who
tolerated it
in Brita in, an enemy.
ve.
Rememberin the
in parnts as
militarily effectiUS once again
rs
migra
worke
out
of
But here the rule. AQIs
try to help
But one group ed these myths.
and
whove
smash
some 23
used divide
ticular has
s started
rs make up
young drivers nd or
sectarian attack Sunni
Migrant workens passenger transother
Britai
to alienate s so the US promised
come from Pola
rises to 47
percent of
The figure workers
like that.
organisation s power sharing in
port industry.
somewhere
London, whereacross the
Sunni group crushing it.
percent in
to raise wages
Awaale
exchange for a chance that
are striking
Somalia
bus companies. myth that
be
18
There was
from
ls
could
g
capita
fightin
ures the
this sectarian
Their fight punct wages. Instead it
ripples of
down
me when the tion spread to

come here. driver,

migrants drive bosses are to blame
we have to
society overco
revolu
War
the
fight there, e, an east London bus forces
the Egyptian
smashed Iraqi
shows that
ons
Awaal
also
workforce can
The US has
of war, sancti
Iraq in 2011. governments
imper ialism
and that a united
elves in search
through a cycle t shock therapy.
pay for all.
, said that
But the Iraq fertilised the
to win better to London from Eritrea people to uproot thems
se
and free markebrutal crackdown
h. While
brutal respon
was
Alem came
is a bus driver of a better life.
The Wests
AQIs growt
Worker, I
in 1998 and
to cross
ground for
after the war nce
east Africa, London.
told Socialist my family came
it was able
He
Iraq,
on protests
e
in
resista
al
-paid
lia and
peopl
beaten
p in Syria.
nation
in south west
the
e we have Sierra born in Soma I was eight in 1993.
and regrou
triggered a
Finding well st
the border
To face it down
when
In my garag
the Syrian
after US
, Eritrea,
to
Britain
every
se
at
to
chaos
Ghana
movement.
ia,
rule
the
In respon
and
regime
work was almo
from Ethiop roon, South Africa We were fleeing
US used divide
dishu.
tion, the Assad
civil
Then my
Leone , Came of Europe, he told troops came to Moga g a new life in
and revolu ed a brutal sectarian
turn.
impossible. me about
parts
line
startin
was
t to turn Shia
launch
and many
Awaale said ry can be difficult.
on the picket
First it sough another.
AQI, now Isis, ant
ds told
list Worker
war where
count
t one
frien
had
domin
ent
I
Socia
agains
into
the
e
said.
differ
a
ians
he
Sunni
all the
politic
at first,
able to becom
last week.
Shia
It brought Shia
It was hard h and to adapt to this
London. I like ures and
t and got the
faction.
Englis
the governmenchy to bless the
place.
coun- to learn
different cult here
Jobs
things in my help completely new
school. Whena
clerical hierar
were doing
nds
Rise
and
do great at
ns have also
ns.
they
had
grou
If
jobs
olutio
didnt
electio
and
I
back
create
2004
y
about a bit
was a large
The counter-rev
or
try that would ng houses, nobod
e the better.
While there and Kurdish
I left I driftedthat were short-term
mor
d Isiss rise. that the
as buildi
the
fuelle
such
Shia
jobs
us,
in
of
say
t
here.
e
s
turnou
to come
ng string
Many peopl
ity of Sunni
Islamist
would want se there is nothi
Emilia
Isis is with
areas, the major
election.
problem withas a whole. But
But becau
from Hungary
boycotted theian Shia politicians
genous set
movements
The sectar
not a homo
Islamism is backward ideas.
y moved to n, using
then quickl
s
of inherently
their positio
s such as Hama
consolidate corruption.
Islamist group
bases and
.
nepotism and d the space in which in Palestine have built
imperialism
This create Al Qaida in Iraq
les against of
strugg
led
nner
ble
Isiss foreru
se it
But Isis is incapa
ialism becau
defeating imper reactionary to its
and
is sectarian
t
core.
ative agains
The real alternwith the sort of
lies
imperialism
the Middle
that swept
revolutions
t
2011.
East in
people agains .
These can unite
their own rulers
and
Worker
imperialism we have to fight
Picture: SocialiSt
to
In Britain
london
pts to use Isis
, south west
build
ue in Putney
our rulers attem
over a barbec
air strikes and
strikers bond
justify more movement.
the anti-war

Socialist Worker has included unrivalled coverage of trade

unionists and activists from around the world. We have
carried reports from revolutionaries in Egypt and provided
analysis of international crises such as that in Ukraine.

union
We are inviting your organisation and/or trade
is
The alternative
in the sort ofthat
revolutions ion
reg
swept the
in 2011

2015

THE WORLD

UNITED

F
WORKERS O

2015

14 February

of a team
of being part
from a feeling
drivers
of mates.
out the young
doing
I try to helpPoland or somewhere
If they were country
to
who are from expla ined. I try
he
things in my te jobs
like that,
I found things
how tough
ber
remem
that would crea
such as
at first here. gh many workers stick
and help us es
But althou elsewhere makes life
ing hous
r.
together, racism
build
harde
much
want to
in the
for migrants
faced racism
nobody would come
I have never said. But its differle
ed
come here. We
garage, Awaapolice. I was attack
.
ent with the some white thugs. Imd
work
to
treate
on a bus by
would have a white
Alem
been
sure the police
had
it
if
from Eritrea
it differentlyed by black people.
in
driver attackwho came to work
, he told
restau rants Ive been
the mid
Patric e,
worki ng in
Jama ica in
Now
Britai n from a similar experience. Socia list Work er.
years, I should
had
Ive been driving buses for eight hing else by
1990s, has
ist Worker,
somet
He told Social spat at driving a bus. really have done
t
your own now.
cussed off and
that he hadnI
Go back to
ned
say,
now.
e
explai
lo
Peopl
Britain.
Gonza
this is my home
ed to stay in
country, but
always plann the purpose of workhere with
and then
the came
ten years
Problemseager to challenge mic
ing for about back home, he said.
Patrice was
nts cause econo
building a house
view that migra le come to better
Peop
and
place
to work,
probl ems.
Home
such a great mic
to live and
their lives, elves with what little But Portugal is not
econo
ts
now with the en who
satisfy themshe said. Imm igran
to be right
two childr

not our fault. problems. Ive got they are now six
they have,
wagesits
dont lower n bus dispute bears this go to school here, this is home for
Basically
The Londo
ing low pay,
s are inflict all workers and four.
nts
out. Bosse
me now.
ted at migra
ng to pay
lo was frustra rity or low
and are refusi for the same job. They
Gonza
auste
of ranks andt being blamed for
the same wage
said the
d a series
drivers, he
workersbu
have create
pay. Like other
and divide
blame.
rates to try ng.
bosses are to ny has big offices set
it isnt worki no time for the bosses
This compa
nia, he said.t
london
Patrice has look down on us and up in Poland and Lithua
recrui
rs who keep
go there to rate.
look
. They
the worke erever they come
we
rately
racists
or
when
delibe
tunioppor
a lower
They
is shit, but
movingwh picket line in
and the more
rants,
an arsehole, people and pay them
all they see
experience
all we see is
nies, not immig
fromon the south london, on
y I learned ties it presents.
up at them
.
ng with
l,
It is the compa
paid. Luckil
that worki
camberwel
undercut wages
view that
facing
he said.
really poorly then a mate suggested
who try and
Awaa le said ent countries cre- thursday of last week
ed the racist
the problemsise, are
Alem reject to Britain to claim
to drive, andat getting a job on the people from differ phere.
Gonzalo said
otherw
: Guy Smallman
atmos
to work, for workers, migrant or prices going
migrants come
I have a go
people Picture
come here
go
to ates a goodgarage there are said.
Weve had start cutting
benefits. We for our children to
buses.
the same.
, he
In our
, I dont wantl! It
then they
over the world
our family andsaid.
Awaale added
a natura
from
up for so long
he
for
ul, but I was to the pace from all wife at work. Shes
l,
ng
said.
boastf
to schoo
mnot
name
sound
wages, he
drive r worki
I met my
to get used
has an Irish
biggest proble
Gonz alo, a s. Whe n I came to
still took time the stress of the job. Ireland. Our child .
This is the
out
agree
be
and
d
o,
n
.
s can
li name
I starte
Abelli
about
of Londo
immigration people coming here are
and a Soma
years ago
for bus driver
be worried
London 17
Conditions bosses relentless drive
tions. Ive
A lot of
People wont
d
poor condi
. But
ey.
e
stressfulan
living in verysix guys living in one
s things worse
that in Hackn that there is a cultur
comes
for profit make
seen five or paying 30 each a week
He added
sides too.
people that
it,
there are plus from Hung ary put e of looking out for
room, maybe is no way to live.
the peopl
As Emili a
in rent. That is 1,200 a month, Ive
e
enjoy it. I like
to
not
I help peopl
I really do
My rent
can I afford
companies, try
the fact that as part of my
Its
children. How
an hour
I meet and
my
ons
got
9.30
of
who
questi
r rate
out with their
live on a starte
immigrants, wages.
job every day. Socialist Worker she
eight years? work of all bus drived off
to undercut e here and forAlem
Hungary
said the
Emilia told
eand
Ive been cuss
for herself in
ordinary peopl
while
saw no future ng well paid work was
People com very poor
ers benefits all be treated equally.
and spat at Bosses
of
because findisible.
they should our rightsthe rights e
live in
then
need
Thes
almost impos
driving a bus.
no
We
said.
s
workers, he
look down
conditionsit
millions from
the worlds
and racists they see
are making
Londons
And
Diversity
companies have to share it with the
attracted by
way to live. gone up.
at us and all n we
She was also
us all. They
already
diversity.
prices have
changed
people.
s who had
is shit. But whe all we
have been
I had friend London, she said.
Some names
lo
them
in
Gonza
at
ent
live
up
to
differ
look
come
from Portugal
me about how
hole.
They told size and all the differsee is an arse
life wastheand backgrounds. There
Patrice
ry.
ent cultures
rison in Hunga
from Jamaica
is no compa cultural difference the
The more . The more you can
better I think

MIgrant workers working on London buses speak to Socialist

Worker about their battle to drive up pay

group to contribute a May Day message, in the tradition of

internationalism and solidarity.
Youll find enclosed a model motion to present to your
branch along with a price breakdown for greetings. Please
make every effort to get your greetings to us as soon as
possible and by Wednesday 15 April at the latest.
Please contact us if you have any questions.

Raymie Kiernan
Socialist Worker

Picture: Josh Brown

Yours fraternally,

Anti bedroom tax activists targeted the Tory party conference in

Edinburgh last year