It is with great sadness that supporters of Waltham Forest Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition heard the news of RMT general secretary Bob Crow passing at our local hospital, Whipps Cross.
The workers at that hospital felt compelled to make a statement which expressed sadness at losing such a steadfast spokesman for the trade union movement. This hospital is one which has fought cuts, down-bandings and privatisations and in Bob Crow they recognised someone who recognised their fight and supported them.
They said: “Members at the hospital, including porters and domestic workers, that attended meetings nationally and in Walthamstow, east London, at which Bob spoke over the recent years, have drawn encouragement and inspiration at the speeches Bob gave.
“Bob’s life and activity is an example for our class and our movement to emulate in the battles we must wage to defeat once and for all austerity, poverty, inequality and injustice.”
Bob Crow was a founding member of TUSC and sat on its national steering committee. He spoke at a packed TUSC public meeting in Walthamstow in 2012 where he described the need for a new political party in Britain to challenge the cuts and privatisation agenda (see photo).
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition have consistently organised lobbies of councillors to ask them not to pass cuts on, but they have not listened. The national Labour Party has told us that cuts will continue well into the next Parliament.
In the latest RMT strike in London millions of Londoners viewed the power of ordinary workers when they organise through their trade unions to stop cuts and austerity. It seemed that the only people in London prepared to condemn tube workers were Ed Miliband and Harriet Harman.
Bob Crow didn’t accept the lie that we should pay for the bankers’ crisis. He led a fight against it and he encouraged others to do the same.
There is footage of him speaking at this year’s Durham Miners Gala where he described how Kier Hardy was stoned in some of the mining communities when he first suggested that workers leave the Liberal Party as it no longer represented their interests. In the course of time Kier Hardy was proved right and we believe that we in TUSC stand more in Kier Hardy’s traditions than the modern Labour Party.
Labour locally has passed a budget cut equivalent to £100 million, 700 jobs have been lost, whole swathes of our council housing have been sold off or stock transferred to Housing Associations which are implementing the hated Bedroom Tax with gusto.
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition in Waltham Forest will be fielding candidates in every ward in the forthcoming local elections. We hope to continue with Bob’s fighting legacy by not accepting the ‘logic’ of cuts. We urge all those who want to join the fightback to get in touch and help us.
