Workers Control not published by No one is illegal, (free) Reviewed by John Nicholson The well-known slogan "Workers of the world unite" means what it says. It does not mean "Only workers with the correct immigration status unite"
Facing media hysteria and the echoing defensiveness of the Labour Government, maybe its understandable that trades unions have not been leading the opposition to immigration
Even union activists with revolutionary socialist credentials have argued that they personally oppose controls but that "ordinary" people are not ready for "premature" abolition.
Sometimes they put forward defences of religion, management or even insanity.
The first says success in fighting deportations only comes through prayer or divine intervention - but we never saw God on the demonstrations.
The second says we should argue for "fair" or "benign" controls - but it is in their very nature to be unjust, inequitable and racist.
The third just know the controls are insane - but any Marxist can show that immigration controls are just the product of imperialism, through which newly industrialised countries control the global movement of labour.
That's where the "No-One Illegal" pamphlet "Workers Control not Immigration Controls" comes in.
Sponsored by several trades There is a better way than jailing refugees
councils and trade union branches - and endorsed by the general secretary of NAFTHE - this was widely distributed on May Day demonstrations in Manchester and
London in support of refugees - a day which saw millions marching for migrants' right to work in the It calls for the right to work for all migrants, the right of the undocumented not to be restricted to slave labour, and for unions to recruit all workers irrespective of immigration status. Everyone interested in achieving these demands is invited to come to Manchester (Saturday July 15th 2006 in Cross St Chapel, Cross St) to build the Trade Union Conference Against Immigration Controls.
The pamphlets are free, available from No One Is Illegal: 16 Wood St, Bolton BL1 IDY, email [email protected] web www.noii.org.uk
page 24 of the scan
socialist www.socialistresistance.net It is clear as we go to press that the so called "aid" plan for Palestine from the 'Quartet' - the US, the UN, the EU and Russia - is not worth the paper it is written on.
As Tony Richardson explains in our centre pages, Palestinians are dying both as a result of military attacks by the Israelis and for lack of medicine, food and water.
The attempt by imperialism to turn the Palestinian people against their elected gov'ANY ernment is an outrage -and a short sighted one.
We need the maximum turn out on the demonstration on May 20 to demand Freedom for Palestine, and a halt to sanctions. "They are taking food from our children's mouths!" A Hamas leader speaks at a protest demonstration opposing the UE-US sanctions. See pages 12-13.
March for
Palestine Saturday May 20 Assemble
12pm/noon on the
Embankment for the march. Rally in
Trafalgar Square
Palestine
see centre
pages