www.socialistparty.org.

uk | Socialist Party POA Conference Bulletin | May 2011

FIGHT PRISON PRIVATISATION!

DEFEND JOBS, PAY AND PENSIONS!
FOR A 24 HOUR PUBLIC SECTOR GENERAL STRIKE
T
he Con-Dems rhetoric that we
are ‘all in this together’ is a
lie. This is a government of the
millionaires, acting in the interests
of... millionaires! The axe is being
taken to public spending like never
before. The Con-Dems are doing this
to please the fat-cats and bankers
that wrecked the economy in the
first place. If they get away with
these cuts our communities and
living standards will be devastated.
A mass campaign is needed to turn
them back.
No part of the public sector is safe
from the Con-Dem axemen; for these
big-business, politicians there are
no sacred cows. Local government,
our NHS, even the police - all are
facing huge job cuts and attacks to their plans. Their wobble on NHS We support the POAs indicative
on the terms and conditions of ‘reforms’ immediately afterwards ballot for industrial action, and are
those that are left. In the prison shows the government is nervous proud to stand alongside you in this
service, the threat of large-scale and can be beaten back. the fight of our lives!
privatisation looms large, with
The Socialist Party believes that
all this would mean for pay and
the next step in the fight against • No to privatisation of prisons!
collective barganining rights. This is
the cuts needs to be a 24 hour • Defend jobs, pay and
alongside attacks on pensions that
public sector general strike; plans pensions!
all public sector workers face.
are underway to make this a relaity, • No to cuts in public services!
But this is a weak government with a number of public sector • For a 24 hour public sector
and it can be beaten! The massive unions balloting over pension general strike!
turnout on the TUC-organised attacks and 30 June the likely date
demonstration on 26 March for coordinated action.
showed the opposition that exists

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 www.socialistparty.org.uk | Socialist Party POA Conference Bulletin | May 2011

Birmingham prison officers determined to fight privatisation

Prison officers in the POA union at Winson
Green prison in Birmingham held a protest
meeting on Friday 1 April in response to
the vicious privatisation plan for the prison,
spelled out the day before in parliament.
Lenny Shail and Nick Brook-Hart,
West Midlands Socialist Party
Up to a hundred workers temporarily
walked out of the prison after the meeting,
to stand on the front steps as local branch
secretary Brian Clarke addressed the
media and a short protest rally.
Brian asked for a vote of confidence in the
prison governor James Shanley; no hand
was raised. Brian then asked for a vote of
confidence in the directors and managers
of the prison service; again no hand was
raised.
Brian made it clear that the union is
mandated to take industrial action up to
and including strike action if a public prison
is privatised. With similar meetings taking
place around the country, action would be
discussed locally, as well as nationally by
the POA national executive.
Workers at the prison were both emotional
and militant in their reaction to the plans.
They are proud of the service they provide
to the public and the inmates and warned
of the consequences of the present attacks
on the rights and conditions of the officers,
inmates and public.
One prison officer said: “No one goes
into this job to make a profit... the prison
service is about care”.
The POA members were damning towards
the Labour Party. “No one’s failed this
country more than this government, the
previous government and the bankers. It
was Jack Straw and Labour that started
these attacks in 2009, what a despicable
man”, said an officer.
Officers were also determined to not just
fight their battle, but to link it the struggle
‘to defend public services and ordinary
working people from the war by the Tories,
Lib Dems and Labour’.
As one worker said: “Saturday [the 26th
March TUC demo] was just the start, we
like every other ordinary working man and
woman will continue the fight against this
government”.
The Socialist Party stands fully behind
POA members and any steps they take in
their struggle against privatisation and in
defence of jobs and conditions.
Reprinted from the Socialist issue 665

www.socialistparty.org.uk
Find out more about the Socialist Party online. Recent highlights on our
website include:
Interview with POA assistant secretary, Joe Simpson http://bit.ly/kwCgg1
Cracks grow in Con-Dem coalition http://bit.ly/lz1ceq
NHS Cuts: Stop the Con-Dem wreckers http://bit.ly/kj3Gbj
Cardiff activists chase Nick Griffin out of town http://bit.ly/kuEg5X
Middle East and North Africa: Revolutions in danger http://bit.ly/l7c9L9
Paris commune 1871: When workers “stormed heaven” http://bit.ly/jo66DS

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from across the workers movement that
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arguing for a clear programme to fight the
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To subscribe, either fill out the form below
Prison Officers Association (POA) assistant secretary, Joe Simpson. or visit http://bit.ly/khIBH0.
speaking at a London Socialist Party meeting

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