Mark Thomas call to the unions and Coalition of Resistance Press Release

Spent yesterday recovering from the Coalition of Resistance conference on Saturday where I was chairing one workshop, speaking at another and also on the Conferences Arrangements Committee - so feeling pretty whacked afterwards.

Below Mark Thomas calls for unity between trade unionists and students. I believe that this is already happening today with students from UCL on the picket lines with the striking Underground workers.



And here is the press release issued today by the Coalition of Resistance.

Coalition of Resistance


Tel: 07939 242 229

Web: www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk

Email: coalitionofresistance@mail.com

CONTACT : David Wilson 07951 579 064

PRESS RELEASE 29 November 2010:

DAVID CAMERON WILL GET HIS "BIG SOCIETY"

David Cameron will get his "big society" quicker than he thinks, judging by the huge attendance at a conference called last Saturday 27 November by the Coalition of Resistance to Cuts and Privatisation.

Over 1200 delegates packed the conference, which brought together MPs, trade unions, campaigning organisations from across the country, student activists, representatives from pensioner groups -- all corners of society facing government plans to cut public services to the bone.

Speakers at the conference -- from MP John McDonnell to Len McCluskey, the newly elected leader of Britain's largest trade union UNITE -- all had the same message, the spirit of which was captured by 15-year-old school Barnaby Raine, who joined last week's protests against education cuts:

"If the police think that 'kettling' students will stop us coming on demonstrations ever again, they are sorely mistaken. Students have only two choices: either they lay down and accept what the government throws at them, or they fight back."

The student protests and occupations are inspiring new levels of militancy and audacious action, which will be taken up across all the campaigns to stop the government cuts.

As MP John McDonnell told the conference, we will build a fast gathering, united movement of opposition, which will see strikes, demonstrations, occupations, direct action and campaigns of civil disobedience, on a scale not seen for a generation.

Tony Benn, who was elected president of the Coalition of Resistance, said David Cameron is going to see what a "big society" really looks like.

He spelled out the task we are facing: a government which aims to roll back 60 years of progress, and return to the dark days before the creation of the welfare state, must be stopped in its tracks.

The Coalition of Resistance will support all anti cuts campaigns and is calling for the widest solidarity with the national day of student protests on Tuesday 30 November. A national week of action against the cuts is planned for February 2011 and the Coalition of Resistance is committed to help make the TUC demonstration against the cuts on 26 March one of the biggest protests ever seen in Britain.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

David Wilson 07951 579 064

Lindsey German 07810 540 584