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F
ireghters are the latest group of
workers to announce that they are
joining the mass strike on 10 July.
FBU members have been involved in a
long running battle with the government
over pensions. Teyve decided to link
their action to the wider ght against the
Tories.
And theyre not the only ones.
Te reghters decision follows the
announcement by civil service workers,
members of PCS, that they will strike on
10 July.
Unite and GMB members in local
government also voted overwhelmingly to
join Unison members in local government
on strike on 10 July and teachers had
already announced they would strike that
day. NIPSA union members in Northern
Ireland are will also be out
Around 1.5 million people will strike
together on 10 July.
Squeeze
A massive squeeze on living standards
has dragged on since the economic crisis
began way back in 2008.
And despite Tory talk of recovery,
public sector pay is capped at 1 percent
(at best), pensions and conditions are still
under attack and public services are being
slashed.
If there is a recovery then its a recovery
for the rich not for the rest of us. Tats what
makes 10 July so important, because
it could herald the beginning of the
resistance we need to turn things around.
Everyone must push to make 10 July
the biggest possible success. Tat means
organising picket lines, protest and rallies
in every town and city.
We need to make the strike a focus
for everyone who wants to ght back. If
any group of workers has a dispute they
should be out on 10 July.
And everyone from pensioners to
students to disabled people to anti-cuts
and bedroom tax campaigners should get
involved too.

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General 02/07/14
But while we go all out to build for the
biggest possible strike on 10 July we also
have to ask what happens next.
In November 2011 some 2.5 million
people were on strike against attacks on
pensions. But when the government made
a lousy oer some union leaders called o
the strikes.
Tis time things have to be dierent.
We simply cant aord to lose this ght.
After 10 July we have to push our
union leaders to organise united strikes
again in the autumn.
Te TUC has called for a monster
protest on 18 October under the slogan
Britain needs a pay rise.
But if were really going to get decent
pay then well need more strikes and with
larger numbers involvedand in the
private sector as well as the pubic sector if
possible.
A one-day strike will not be enough.
Te government and the employers need
to know that they are going to face a
political and industrial campaign that will
really hurt them if they dont back down.
Labour
Some people are already arguing that we
should wait for a Labour government
rather than striking.
But Labour has already said that if it is
elected the 1 percent pay cap will stay, and
that a Miliband government will stick to
Tory spending limits. Tat means more
low pay and more cuts. So we have to
ght now.
Tere is growing anger across
Britain at what austerity means. Tens
of thousands marched on the Peoples
Assembly protest in London on 21 June.
Strikes like the all-out action at
Lambeth College in South London have
received overwhelming support.
Now we need to use 10 July to pull
all the ghts together and increase the
pressure for an even bigger battle in the
autumn.
Marxism
2014
1914-2014: A century of war, crisis
and revolution What are the
alternatives for today?
A ve day political festival hosted by
the Socialist Workers Party
10-14 July, Central London
www.marxismfestival.org.uk
Egyptians protest against military repression
STRIKE TOGETHER 10 JULY
THEN STEP UP THE FIGHT
As 1.5 million workers prepare for action