Got this sent to me, I hope Davy does not mind

antrim | miscellaneous | news report Thursday April 15, 2004 15:07 by ATGWU

Davy Carlin and NIPSA

Read the SP on the SWP in the North on their site now heres another view

Comrades may be interested in reading this, I have elaborated {found time over easter to get a few articles done} on an article I had done previous,. It will be this article I will send to the Blanket giving an account of the NIPSA dispute in practical terms, and also ones poltical understanding of the left in general on such issues. This is to go up after the one I sent on the ARN which was also recently updated before it was sent along to the site, Davy Carlin


NIPSA, trade unionism and the left…

As like the Anti Racism Network {ARN} article this is in part a record of events on a particular issue as I firmly believe such should be recorded. This not only because of revisionism but more especially as one can look back and learn lessons if similar situations again arise. As stated previous my next set of articles will concentrate on the political lessons of struggle. I will also in the time ahead write a few articles on both Loyalism and Republicanism as well as dealing with local ‘bread and butter’ issues, which are usually lost within the ‘them and us’ of our political situation.

Part of the Labour movement.
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At the end of last year I had detailed the ongoing actions within NIPSA {Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance, Northern Ireland’s largest union} in an article on the Blanket site entitled {the close of the year 2003 - the Belfast SWP}. I below will give an update of that struggle as it still continues and escalates, and it should be noted that when the first ‘official’ strike began it was the first such collective action seen in over sixteen years. My detail will be concentrated on the mass actions of workers who took action, ‘officially’ and ‘unofficially’ against a government agenda of intensified bullying and intimidation of civil servants and the perceived seeking of the breaking of our trade union. Our crime – is to take a firm stand against low pay.

Firstly though I had remembered a few years back when we {SWP} had organised a march through Belfast city centre against low pay. That march several hundred strong was lead then by up to 150 fire fighters in full uniform, yet with now seeing in recent times those very same fire fighters also in strike actions again on the issue of pay { recorded on the Blanket}. Yet as we campaigned and raised solidarity for them we argued, as we argue presently - that as with the then Fire Fighter leadership strategy that the now NIPSA leadership strategy needs to advocate all out strike action for much longer periods if we are to win. The fire - fighter leadership action then as with the NIPSA Civil Service Executive now, have adopted a start stop approach to actions. This type of selective and stop start action in fact does little to win a dispute as recent history has shown. NIPSA members have shown though that they have been ready for the fight, yet it has been the weakness of the leadership of the Civil Service Executive {who have not been willing to take the step to move to firm escalation of the strike by calling for all out action}. It is their and that weakness that will seriously hamper any chance of winning if they continue down their still tentative route, which plays into management’s hands.

Belfast SWP have both NIPSA members and also leading NIPSA trade union Reps on Branch 8 committee ‘CSA’ {the largest branch in the civil service} which is also recognised around NIPSA as its strongest and most militant Branch. This due to the respect the Branch has from the workforce due to the dedicated work and firm stands that they had put in over the years for members and also for providing active solidarity on many other ‘external’ issues and campaigns. Which is why I believe it is of no co-incidence that when management and government started suspending Northern Ireland civil servants, they started and directed their attentions whole scale against us in Branch 8. This whole situation had started to escalate when management had imposed a deal, 0% in real terms and with that Branch 8 had said enough was enough. Firstly, and as reported previously a brief account of the actions at that time to put the developing situation into context.

‘So on the news that the ‘deal’ was to be imposed rank and file activists within Branch 8 NIPSA drew up placards and began marching around the floors of our thirteen story building in Belfast, with placards reading 'end poverty pay - all out.' And with that workers joined in behind and marched outside in their hundreds onto the streets of Belfast on ‘unofficial’ walkouts.
As the news spread around, other workers starting walking out of their offices all around Belfast with many marching upon Branch 8 to stand firm with their colleagues. With comrades now standing upon the steps of our workplace making addresses to the workers, other workers looked down out of the windows of surrounding buildings shouting out ‘we are on our way down’; and down they came. As the news spread others started walking out as far away as Derry. Such was its impact and the inspiring spontaneous mobilisation of workers that the N. Ireland minister stated that ‘the actions of workers at branch 8 were deplorable’.

Yet I tell you what was and is deplorable Mr Minister - the imposing of a 0% deal in real terms and the keeping of workers on poverty wages. So with that the rank and file workers, Catholic and Protestant in their many many hundreds strong, took the lead, immediately downed ‘tools’ when the ‘deal’ was imposed, and walked out, clapped as other workers marched towards them in solidarity and with that together stood firm and united on that day. Thus in doing so taking to the streets of Belfast and beyond, in solidarity and against poverty wages.
This active and visual action led the way in showing both how much workers are sickened by the way they are being treated by management and government and provided a small example of the real power held by the workers as the businesses came to a virtual standstill. These workers therefore took that lead, stood firm against low pay and excuse the pun, walked the walk. As one worker and recently new union representative, recently interviewed and newly inspired, has stated (who had never been in such actions).

I have seen trade union activists in different trade unions during my time as a NIPSA member (8-9 years) and before, looking time and again to trade union election after election to try and bring change. Or looking to provide activist based leadership and involvement (from on top), but unfortunately providing just the very occasional sign of either. I believe that those unofficial walkouts were probably the largest and most feel-good immediate reaction responses against low pay that has been initiated, responded to, and more importantly led by ordinary union members, that NIPSA has seen in God knows how many years and, most probably, has ever seen.'

Such walkouts had also happened this time last year which seen walkouts and actions this time by school students against the war in Iraq {recorded on the Blanket}. A joint press conference was held then by the Irish Congress of Trades Unions and ‘Schools Against War {SAW} and chaired by my comrade Dan {SAW and Belfast SWP} before the school student actions. Again the actions taken through the SAW walkouts, marches, sit downs and venting of anger at the US consul as like the NIPSA members now, sent out a clear message of opposition on those particular issues.


This NIPSA rank and file action gave workers inspiration and many of the rank and file workers who took the lead in this case, as was to be the case in the next mass ‘unofficial walkouts’ were grouped around the newssheet of ‘uncivil servant’. So for the next while NIPSA continued with selective strike action and work to rule but once again management moved to escalate the situation by issuing threats.

So with these threats to remove ‘flexi time’ and with blunt refusals to even negotiate etc and just a week or so after the Anti Racism Network rally {ARN}, thousands of civil servants again walked out on unofficial action. This on Feb 5th when management issued the threats. Below again is a report of again Branch 8’s initiations and actions.

‘At 11.30 am Feb 5th branch 8 members of NIPSA with chants of ‘Tommy O’Reilly on yer bike, we’re going out on strike’ walked out of their office and went onto the streets of Belfast. 500 strong we marched up Great Victoria street's roads in central Belfast and passed Belfast City Hall in what the media called 'wildcat strikes' and the civil service management called 'illegal'.

Like the first 'unofficial wildcat actions' a few weeks prior that lead the Northern Ireland minister to state that 'Branch 8 actions are deplorable' as branch 8 had previously brought hundreds on walkouts onto the streets from Belfast to Derry against low pay. This time though it was thousands {three to four thousand}.

Many of such activists to again take the initiative and lead being grouped around the ever growing rank and file workers newssheet ‘uncivil servant’ {established only a very short time}. This network has seen such spontaneous mass ‘wildcat actions’ against low pay that has not been seen under the period of previous {over many years} and present ‘broad left’ groups whose ‘main’ focus is primarily on trade union electoralism. Therefore these mass actions from below {rank and file workers actions} far outweighed anything on such similar matters that had ever gone before this in NIPSA. More importantly though the actions have give both inspiration to workers and shown also where the real powers lays, which comes from below. As one recent leading senior NIPSA official acknowledged at a mass meeting of Branch 8 ‘ if every branch was like Branch 8 we would have won this fight in the first week’.

In saying that he hit the nail on the hit, that is, the NIPSA broad lefts years and years of primarily focusing on trade union electoralism had now seen the weakness in that strategy. With the emphasis therefore on getting people elected to positions within the union leaderships, therefore very little was done on the ground within the branches. That is why although, yes, stand for elections but the primary focus should be on building strong and active branches, as those around ‘uncivil servant’ are attempting to do. This as has been shown in the recent actions and indeed through the realisations of some ‘left’ union activists and officials who have tended to concentrate in the main on electoralism over the years.

The original issue on these actions was in relation to a pay increase or in this case no pay increase and the first 'unofficial wildcat strikes' a few weeks back was when management imposed the 'deal'.
Management threats this time of withdrawal of flexi working hours etc, therefore seen similar actions by workers {this time in their thousands} who showed that we are up for the fight against both management threats and poverty pay..

So as we marched through the streets yet again on our 'illegal wildcat strikes' workers from other offices opened their widows from on high and started leaning out waving, cheering, clapping and chanting with us as we made our way onto the main roads and avenues and through side streets, from one side of central Belfast to the other. This as so we could meet up with other workers who had also walked out in solidarity and against the threats by civil service management. As we arrived at the meeting point with my comrade Ryan leading the chants on the mega phone thousands of workers who had already arrived cheered, raised their fists in solidarity into the air, or clapped at our arrival. And as we gathered at the management’s office we sang in Unison
‘We would rather be the pickets than the scabs
‘We would rather be the pickets than the scabs
‘We would rather be the pickets, rather be the pickets
‘Rather be the pickets than the scabs’.

Ryan, Chair of Branch 8 interviewed in that days Belfast Telegraph {North’s Biggest seller} stated that 'workers were angry at what they viewed as threats and intimidation by management and today’s walkout is about expressing our anger'

Management in the same piece stated that 'this industrial action has begun to impact significantly on services'.

The next day official action was to take place and as I walked around civil service departments in Belfast city centre many were simply shut or with their shutters down with pickets outside. Outside Branch 8 our picket around 30 strong sang spirited songs to, and with pickets stationed across the road who had now tripled their picket line since December’s action.

Management had underestimated the strength of workers feelings on the issue and the bully boy tactics and threats by management, workers had shown will not work. These actions while important and historic within NIPSA's history is more importantly though in the process of building both the confidence of workers in all aspects of society and secondly showing to date that this group of workers are up for the fight against the government agenda of poverty pay. If successful it will give inspiration to others, but to be successful we should learn the lessons of the recent successful postal workers actions in Britain.

For one it has as with many campaigns, struggles and actions one has been involved in taught me lessons. I had originally seen and wondered at other left and socialist organisations whose main focus is on trade union elections. They hold trade unionists that hold senior positions in the trade union bureaucracy {who themselves are good genuine individual left activists}. Yet it is their political organisations concentration on such elections without building anything on the ground that had shown the weakness of that strategy. This has been shown in the NIPSA strike where its leadership has been the weakest link with the workers more militant and that leadership more tentative. It has shown how a rank and file strategy of building from the bottom up, rather than building from the top down can have a far better chance of winning such a dispute as was acknowledged by that senior union official.

Thankfully now in NIPSA a new layer of activists has emerged around the newssheet uncivil servant. They are the activists attempting to build the strongest activists based, rank and file lead branches. They are the activists who took the initiative to lead those historic unofficial militant walkouts of workers. They are the activists who are advocating all out strike action as to not play into managements hand and to more importantly to have a strategy that can win this strike. The lessons for oneself as a socialist are clear that focusing on trade union elections without building anything on the ground will not work.

I site but two recent examples of differing ways of organising, solely as it is important as to how the difference in strategy can be seen in practical terms for socialists. The Socialist Enviornmental Alliance {SEA} was seeking to establish its self in Belfast as it had already done firmly in Derry. Its reason was to stand in the forthcoming European elections and as one who sees elections as tactical rather than a means to an end; this therefore was a time I believe when one should put forward a candidate. Not only given the increasing stalemate and political nature of the orange and green or indeed the development of the new international movements. It is though that we are also witnessing an emergence of new local activists and activist based cross community campaigns, which are part of the growing movement.

Yet such are in themselves creating and initiating mass local mobilisations and actions from fighting against low pay to taking a stand against racism. Such issues that are mobilising on mass scale locally in very recent times are also part of the priorities of the International movement. Therefore while it was important after the mass anti war protests of Feb 15th 2003 to provide a voice, it is essential now given at times the unprecedented specific mass mobilisations and militant workers actions happening on those variety of local issues. This is coupled with more and more new activists emerging, engaging, working, organising, agitating and networking together on a whole host of campaigns. A half a dozen community and activist based anti racism branches in Belfast alone, several activists based SEA branches developing also around Belfast, new networks of militant trade union activists who are to the fore of mass workers struggles and militant actions, these are just some of the developments in Belfast over the last several weeks. Such initiatives are also beginning or are already being developed outside Belfast as with the Derry SEA and its various local campaign initiatives for example. And of course we are essentially seeing the under laying factors within those local struggles reflected as part of the International movement.

Yet despite this there are those who still believe that the time is not quite right {to stand in elections, yet some of whom have before advocated and indeed stood in far far less favourable times?} well, to those persons I say that I believe that they are quite simply wrong. Therefore it is my belief that an ‘activist based non-sectarian electoral voice’ as part of the movement is essential at this time. Which represents and reflects both the anti capitalism of the movement and therefore with it the immediate local issues at hand. I see it as a case of looking to, and the involvement of the new and not primarily the old {left}. Therefore as the SEA has moved in that direction then for one it is something I would actively support and actively promote, as the time is right.

The SEA therefore {as it is in Derry} and as it is to be in Belfast, is that of an activist based campaigning organisation working on the ground within the communities and trade unions etc. The meeting called in Belfast {to establish the Belfast SEA} attracted up to eighty persons, with an introduction by one person as to the reason of the meeting then it was opened for discussion. Those in attendance were on the ground and leading activists within anti racism, anti war and anti poverty campaigns. The meeting also seen leading, Gay, Women’s and environmental campaigners in attendance, as well as leading rank and file activists from several trade unions. Persons from solidarity campaigns, left wing journalists, student activists and many other leading on the ground activists within local communities amongst others from around Belfast were also there.

This make up came from Catholic and Protestant areas and overwhelmingly non-party aligned and activist based and as importantly was reflective of the movement. For one I see this as the way to organise and to work together, and in doing so new moods of activism and activists therefore have come together in recent times. In doing so we have therefore seen the initiation of mass mobilisations and militant actions on various issues involving Catholic and Protestants in recent times on the streets and in the workplaces around the city of Belfast and beyond. It is the case of being part of the movement at a local level and to do that one most learn new ways to organising and seek to reach out for engagement.

Yet two days later another meeting was called by a Belfast Socialist Party, on building a socialist alternative. Their platform of speakers included a President of the largest Trade union, the leading figure of another Trade union and a Socialist TD {MP} from the South of Ireland. That meeting attracted little more than a dozen persons, in fact no one outside of their own organisation. While I can hold respect for those on the platform as socialist activist I again learnt a lesson similar to the NIPSA issue. That is, that if one works in campaigns in a fraternal way putting the interest of the campaign as the priority then people will acknowledge that. More importantly that the campaign should be activist based and activists lead from below, where genuine activists can begin to feel empowered and equal participants.

Therefore I have learnt that many independent and genuine activists will not necessarily go along to a meeting of Presidents of this or leaders of that {more especially if the speakers all belong to the same political party}. But they would go along to meetings that they know will be activist based and those who will be in attendance have a recent history of broad based campaign activity with various others. As importantly that they know {due to their recent history} that such activists will work fraternally and in equal partnership on a common issue with them and with others. In effect making the issue the priority. For me personally such issues are important when working with others and more especially given the development of the new movements.

This is being reflected also internationally where new methods of organising and working together are being thrown up within the process of those new movements. What we are seeing now is new networks of activists and new ideas on organisation and how one works together coming to the fore. Therefore those who dwell on purism, sectarian party politics, and methods of the past will unfortunately be left there as new situations, {which mean adapting to those very situations} need to, and begin to occur, this in many spheres of ‘organisational politics’.

The work of the rank and file ‘Uncivil Servant’ activists who initiated the magnificent militant civil servant walkouts which eventually seen thousands of workers walking out unofficially, saying enough was enough. Or the Anti Racism Network {ARN} mass rally of thousands a week or so prior, with now ARN activist based branches established all around Belfast and beyond, has seen both of these local issues having a number of things in common. Firstly it is the coming together of activists on a common issue, where the issue and unity with others is the priority. With that both have been able to initiate mass actions and mobilisations. Secondly activists within each, work from the bottom up both within the trade union and now the ARN local branches thus developing empowerment of activists. Yet although these are local issues they are part of the wider issues, which the movement takes up. This from the issue of low pay to the issue of racism and fundamentally to the issue of Capitalism and how that very system needs to see revolutionary change, and of course, how this is brought about.

Yet, and finally on the NIPSA issue, our struggle against poverty pay continues, but that struggle needs a firm strategy that will win, as I believe we can. Yet that is only a very small part in an internationalist struggle as at the end of the day for those of us that are internationalists, we have also a whole world to win.
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