This article is based on an article first published in Socialist Voice, paper of Socialist Party, 9th April 2004
Forty years ago on March 6th the great miners’ strike began. For a year 140,000 members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) were engaged in a titanic battle with Margaret Thatcher’s Tory government and the full force of the state.
Ultimately, they went down to defeat but it was an honourable defeat. It was a dispute that would have been won were it not for the betrayal of the right wing trade union and the Labour Party leaderships.
First published 12th November 2007 by Socialist Voice, paper of the Socialist Party in Ireland
In an article headlined “Three thousand classroom assistants poised to take more strike action. A militant struggle against ‘power-sharing’ government attacks” the 2007 classroom assistants strike was described and analysed. This historic strike was not over when this article was published and would take some more weeks to run its course. Further articles from the archives will be published in the coming weeks alongside new commentary.
The article is being republished on the day that the power-sharing Executive returns after a two year absence caused by a DUP boycott. The Executive parties have all made noises about settling the current pay disputes, but all thinking workers know that none are friends of the trade unions. The classroom assistants took action when an Executive was in place, and their lived experience tells us all we need to know about the role of political parties which accept the rules of the capitalist system. Workers can and will win disputes. Their chances will be multiplied if they learn the lessons of past disputes and if they elect leaders who are willing to fight.
Three thousand classroom assistants in Northern Ireland are locked in a battle with the Education Boards, the Assembly [local power-sharing government], the Executive [government cabinet] and the Education Minister, Catriona Ruane. They have already taken ten days of strike action since 26 September, and further action, at the time of writing, looks inevitable.
Left candidate, Carmel Gates, has won the election for the General Secretary position in Northern Ireland’s largest union NIPSA (Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance) gaining 44% of the vote. Her nearest contender won 34%, and the two other candidates scored 12% and 10% respectively. Carmel is a supporter of the Militant Left (CWI in Ireland).
