A report from Islington Hands Off Our Public Services about the People's Assembly Against Austerity on 22 June 2013. 4,000-plus delegates heard that they should set up local assemblies against austerity and debate a draft statement. Union leaders said they would back industrial action supported by workers.
Thousands of people gather at the People's Assembly
Packed workshop debates unionisation
Union leaders at the People’s Assembly Against Austerity on 22 June pledged support for anti-cuts strike action.
The TUC’s Frances O’Grady, Unite’s Len McCluskey, NUT’s Christine Blower and PCS’ Mark Serwotka told 4,000-plus delegates that it was time to step up the campaign against the Coalition.
Throughout the day, delegates were calling on union leaders to make good on a past TUC motion to consider a general strike.
At the plenary session, Len McCluskey told delegates: “We must work together to build the right support, to create the right climate for mass industrial action.
"When Unite members are ready and willing to take that industrial action to make the politicians change course, then we will not let the anti-union laws get in our way.”
Mark Serwotka, who leads the civil service PCS, said the industrial action already taken by his union would have been more successful with support from other unions.
He also went further after Labour leader, Ed Milliband, announced earlier today that a future government led by him would stick to Coalition spending plans.
He said: “There’s an awful political consensus in this country across the Tories, Lib Dems and Labour that believes that austerity is the only way forward. We have got to say that’s not acceptable.”
The Assembly passed a statement that organizers want local forums to discuss, amend and support at another conference in Manchester in the Spring.
The statement included setting up local assemblies, a national day of disobedience on November 5 and the Spring, backing NHS demonstrations on July 5 and a demonstration at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on 29 September.
The big turnout prompted speakers to say that the fight back had reached a new stage.
TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady said: “If you hurt us we will retaliate. It’s time to mobilize in our workplace and on the streets. The People’s Assembly is about taking this campaign to a whole new level.”
Writer, Owen Jones told delegates: “We are here to fight back. We are here for supermarket workers. We are here for disabled people forced into degrading, dehumanizing assessments by ATOS. We are here for millions of young people looking for work. We are here for 5 million people stuck on council housing waiting lists.”
He also said: “We need unity but that doesn’t mean snuffing out difference. We need debate but we also recognise that we are on the same side.”
Leading figures at the conference included Tony Benn, Ken Livingstone, Diane Abbott MP, comedian Mark Steel, filmmaker Ken Loach. John Hiliary from War on Want, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, Zita Holbourne from Black People Rising Against the Cuts.
The draft People's Assembly Against Austerity:
http://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/draft-statement/
The TUC’s Frances O’Grady, Unite’s Len McCluskey, NUT’s Christine Blower and PCS’ Mark Serwotka told 4,000-plus delegates that it was time to step up the campaign against the Coalition.
Throughout the day, delegates were calling on union leaders to make good on a past TUC motion to consider a general strike.
At the plenary session, Len McCluskey told delegates: “We must work together to build the right support, to create the right climate for mass industrial action.
"When Unite members are ready and willing to take that industrial action to make the politicians change course, then we will not let the anti-union laws get in our way.”
Mark Serwotka, who leads the civil service PCS, said the industrial action already taken by his union would have been more successful with support from other unions.
He also went further after Labour leader, Ed Milliband, announced earlier today that a future government led by him would stick to Coalition spending plans.
He said: “There’s an awful political consensus in this country across the Tories, Lib Dems and Labour that believes that austerity is the only way forward. We have got to say that’s not acceptable.”
The Assembly passed a statement that organizers want local forums to discuss, amend and support at another conference in Manchester in the Spring.
The statement included setting up local assemblies, a national day of disobedience on November 5 and the Spring, backing NHS demonstrations on July 5 and a demonstration at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on 29 September.
The big turnout prompted speakers to say that the fight back had reached a new stage.
TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady said: “If you hurt us we will retaliate. It’s time to mobilize in our workplace and on the streets. The People’s Assembly is about taking this campaign to a whole new level.”
Writer, Owen Jones told delegates: “We are here to fight back. We are here for supermarket workers. We are here for disabled people forced into degrading, dehumanizing assessments by ATOS. We are here for millions of young people looking for work. We are here for 5 million people stuck on council housing waiting lists.”
He also said: “We need unity but that doesn’t mean snuffing out difference. We need debate but we also recognise that we are on the same side.”
Leading figures at the conference included Tony Benn, Ken Livingstone, Diane Abbott MP, comedian Mark Steel, filmmaker Ken Loach. John Hiliary from War on Want, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, Zita Holbourne from Black People Rising Against the Cuts.
The draft People's Assembly Against Austerity:
http://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/draft-statement/ 
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Comments
Hide the following 29 comments
Assembly or meeting?
24.06.2013 10:58
Assembly Mook
Judging by the "special" attendees.....
24.06.2013 11:37
there was certainly no discussions only speaches from the ego driven millionaire champagne socialists as listed above.
Aunty Christ
People's Assembly
24.06.2013 12:32
There were workshops and sessions for all delegates with speakers. The report highlights statements made to all delegates.
Simon
Half baked
24.06.2013 17:17
Fb
Assembly with participation
24.06.2013 19:19
If it's an assembly than the usual format and context is that everyone speaks and debates with decent facilitation on hand to ensure that everyone gets a chance to speak and no-one dominates or pushes through decisions not agreed by all. Through feeding back whatever is discussed and decided upon to a wider meeting, the whole assembly then can begin the process of deciding what will come out of the assembly events. It's a long but worthwhile process.
Although the assembly idea and how it seeks to do things has some problems, it's definitely one way to challenge more hierarchical ways of doing things. It also means that everyone is listened too, that the means to do things in this way remains open-minded and facilitates learning and it tries to limit the dominance of political parties or unions who desire to push their line on the assembly (unless the assembly agrees that this is the best thing to do).
Ass Mook
Real People's Assemblies from Istanbul this month
24.06.2013 20:52
"Yesterday, the Beşiktaş Assembly in Abbasaga park tripled its amount of participants. In total there were ten popular assemblies going on in Istanbul alone. There was at least one in Izmir that we know of. Most if not all of them are adopting the same hand signals as the Spanish Assemblies.
These meetings have nothing to do with Taksim Solidarity any more. They are spontaneous initiatives by local people who are fed up with Erdogan’s disregard for the Turkish citizens, their rights and freedoms, their history, beliefs and traditions.
... On the way down to the assembly, in Üsküdar district, people are doing their daily pot and pan bashing at dusk, like the one I witnessed in Mecidiyeköy the other day. Bear in mind that Üsküdar is a predominantly muslem district of the city.
We arrive in Kadıköy, and truly, I couldn’t believe this was happening. Well over two thousand people were gathered on the green, to express their anger with the government’s eviction of Gezi, and to share their hope for a better Turkey. Like anywhere else, it was a cross section of the population, which included all races and creeds.
“Once these assemblies get started, you can’t stop them,” Jack says. “This is going to be checkmate.”
There is a sense of euphoria in the air, the happiness people experience when the artificial walls of society are being torn down. We are all one. And it’s true what they say. After Gezi, nothing will ever be the same."
Video of one of the 6th June Assembly at Taksim Sq / Gezi Park, Istanbul:
Gezi Gezi
Homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VQ1UKAyVqZI
What's your point?
24.06.2013 22:22
It seems some of you are trying to come up with lame excuses to attack organized opposition to public sector cuts designed to make the UK economy worse than it already is.
Simon
People's Assembly in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
24.06.2013 22:32
Somehow, I don't think this is about undermining struggles here as about inspiring them and not getting fooled that the Labour party is going to be doing the working classes and the new poverty stricken middle classes sectors any favours re: cuts and austerity. The People's Assembly in London on Saturday refused Ken Loach to make his speech as it was deemed to be too anti-labour. Lets have some real assemblies!!
Gezi Gezi
Homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1r2lO9yJm8
@Simon
25.06.2013 10:57
won't get fooled again
Brazil!!??
25.06.2013 11:39
I'm now getting worried about you.
Firstly, if there's some organisation that can command the support of the working and middle-class to mobilise against the greed of the 0.1%, please let us know.
Secondly, if Brazil is your model then you must be living in a parallel universe. At least, according to Newsnight, the protesters are thoroughly middle-class. They seem unable to come up with any convincing explanations of why they are protesting. They are likely to claim they don't like corruption (as if it's worse now) and want better education for the poor.
The problem with this is that Brazil has seen a massive reduction in poverty, greater economic growth, a voice in international affairs, and has got one of the most progressive governments in Latin America.
This is what the protesters are protesting about.
The real goal is to undermine a government that is independent of the US and replace it with a US-toadie.
Is that what you want?
Simon
Progress
25.06.2013 13:27
Have you ever been to Brazil or did you read that in a book of progressive pipe dreams? There has been a reduction in poverty due to the Worker's Party (PT) Bolsa Familia programme but there is a long way to go to also tackle the structural poverty, racism, environmental damage that is rife in Brazil. The current PT government has not continued that one progressive policy and is currently the party in power that is going ahead with an economy based on more and more consumer debt, expanding demolitions and displacements of favelas and poor communities to host the Olympics in 2016, continuing with the Belo Monte dam disaster, seeking to expand Brazil's oil economy and so on. At the same time the more accountable and public participatory budgeting and internal democracy of the party has been weakened to the point of the PT becoming just like any other party in power. It's along time since anyone hight up in PT talks about 'socialism'.
It's impossible to reduce Brazil's political and social situation down to this common fallacy of everything's getting better for poor people. It is also impossible to reduce down the attendees and content of the latest round of protests and struggles there as you try to do. Spending ten minutes watching many of the videos from Rio, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Salvador and so one would show that the current demos are not mostly middle class people.
It's true that there is a fear that the right-wing are playing up anti-PT sentiment in the demos of which there has been some. But people there are not stupid and can make there own criticisms of PT (which was unable to denounce the extreme police violence of the the last fortnight) without the country swinging to the Right. PT just because it has a long legacy from it's more militant and democratic days is not above criticism.
Gezi Gezi
Have I seen these people some place before?
25.06.2013 13:31
?
sectarianism
25.06.2013 13:34
mf
distinguish between the leaders and the grassroots
25.06.2013 17:27
Re-reading the comments, I don't think that's a fair picture. Cynicism about the event in these comments seems to have been mainly cynicism about the celebrity-esque top speakers and union bosses, not a wholesale dismissal of everybody that attended.
Personally, I have a very different attitude towards the "rank and file" audience members than to the main speakers and organisers, and though I can't speak for anyone else, I imagine most of those that commented above do as well.
The challenge is to maintain a healthy level of cynicism towards those at the top of such organisations - as others have said we still remember what they did to the antiwar movement - while finding ways to co-operate with those at a grassroots level. Very difficult to do this without either being co-opted into a PR drive for Labour, or on the other hand duplicating effort and causing unnecessary conflict with people who actually have similar aims.
anonymous
Apologies and a question
25.06.2013 19:08
I certainly do not dismiss out of hand the 4000 people who came looking for something within the People's Assembly that could begin / continue / innovate resistance to both cuts and austerity and the system that contains and makes possible this continued class war.
My question though is simple - is there anything new here being proposed from activists and unionists? What do people envisage happening out of local assemblies and what are the structures that need to put them into place to avoid them being sucked down into a front group for numerous left parties or simple grassroots activism that seeks at the end of the day to suggest that a Labour government would be better than the present Tory one.
Following on there seems a lot to learn from people's assemblies as I have posted from Turkey and Brazil and those historically from Spain, France, Greece and so on. Lots to learn on the positives and negatives of the assembly form as a way of building struggle, creating political agency, maintaining democratic horizontal structures that intend to keep the assemblies open and able to listen to all and to avoid them being taken over by parties and sects.
Although it seems like to make criticisms of the old and newer Left parties and of Union leaders is some kind of attack on the whole anti-austerity movement, it isn't. Many people active in campaigns and struggles have long years of experience of the political maneuvering, agenda fixing, underminding of autonomy and so on from many of those standing at the top table giving speeches. If the People's Assembly is to be useful then it has to recognise this.
At their worst anarchists can be unwilling to do anything if it's not solely with other anarchists. But at their best, when working hard on community campiagns, work struggles and so on anarchists can also try to keep such struggles open and inclusive where people learn how to work together, how to practically diversify skills and experiences and how to make useful critiques of those who treat activists like sheep or like voters.
Gezi Gezi
Card sharks R us!
26.06.2013 18:46
Unfortunately not. The Labour official position is in support of the governments program of austerity because its the only ground Labour are familiar with. Over the years they have traded with the Conservatives on a number of issues each of which has led them into a parrallel political debate in which the Conservatives cut the size of government, while Labour promise to increase it. This formula has worked for years now and both the Conservatives and Labour are happy with it.
The Labour party are just sticking to the tired formula that they beleive will work this time round...for no other reason than it has worked so often before. The Labour poli-sci unit will keep on keeping on until the electorate get tired enough of the austerity meme to want a change, then Labour will slip in to steal the zeal. By this mechanism, are the Labour and Conservative "children of Thatcher" regiment able to broker political power to the exclusion of all others.
So we live in a single party state in which the party of government is able to present itself as being a dualopoly.
Whoever you vote for, the policy is always the same.
Our democracy is not functioning properly.
The democrats are strangling the life out of it!
anonymous
Keep complaining
26.06.2013 23:23
If it all goes to plan, Economy wins and elections are no longer necessary.
That would abolish anarchist aspiration to self determination. That would abolish socialist aspiration to class solidarity. That would abolish social-democrat aspiration to a tolerant society. That would abolish most things that changed between the execution of the last Monarch claiming Divine Rights and now.
The truth is that Democracy is about to be abolished and all some people can do is complain that champagne socialists, street fighting scum and the lumpen proletariat have all noticed and are all commenting.
The question is not, "do you like the SWP manipulation machine?" but "do you want to live in an authoritarian, free market disaster?"
Remember: when the election comes, democracy will be transferred from the electorate to the boards of directors of whichever companies have thought it through. Forget critiques of my naïve analysis. I really do not care. Either you support Democracy or you support Economy. But you only get one go.
Sid Rawle Pine Scatter Cushion
The end is bloody nigh...said the fat controller.
27.06.2013 11:18
Sorry to bust yer bubble but that is complete nonsense.
Without the distraction of the voting palava, Parliament cannot live.
Democracy is a soap opera.
The fat lady does nothing but sing...and sing about how fat she is!
That is power.
Without the opera and its spectacle, what do you have to live for?
Revolution???
Into the heart of the belly of the beast we marched. The beast knew nothing.
anonymous
Dear Anonymous
27.06.2013 12:13
Why would I be bothered with your analysis of Parliamentary Democracy? Standard Situationist fodder shaming me into silence. Nudging for Anarchy, as it were. I mean Democracy. Not Parliamentary Democracy. Not Representative Democracy. Not Liberal Democracy. But Democracy unencumbered by the trappings and restrictions of obedience. You could debate calling it autonomy if you wanted. It would not really matter to me.
The next election, regardless of what you would like it to mean, will have practical consequences. Draw your attention to those consequences and stop bullying passing strangers with shame. Economy has long disguised itself as Democracy. That is what liberalism is all about: keeping Autonomy out of Democracy.
"Democracy and Economy" that is the choice. There will be no more need for anybody to correct my political naivety should that choice not be changed. When I say "changed" I mean that you have less than two years to provide a functional alternative to the "Democracy and Economy". Not because you want to be in Parliament getting expenses but because the alternative is the Work Programme Open Death Camp.
Sid Rawles Pine Scatter Cushion
Look into my eyes.
27.06.2013 17:53
Ah yes, the ole "situationist" mem again. Haven't heard that one for a while. Maybe that says something about me, you or even postman Pat. Maybe me saying something about postman Pat says something itself about postman Pat, or me. Maybe even saying something about saying something about postman Pat says something about say...etc etc etc.
"The next election, regardless of what you would like it to mean, will have practical consequences."
Yes, I do believe it will. No matter. It will all be over by then.
"Draw your attention to those consequences and stop bullying passing strangers with shame."
Take a gander champ and peruse the landscape you see before you. This is England. What is for the English is what the English want. What the English want...is what the English are for. How many times is it that the fight has started in England but been snuffed out by the largesse of generosity of those who came to defend the state. What defence do we have against such generosity of spirit and wealth? We have none. And were is this generosity now, but in the pockets of a new class of defenders and opportunists.
The state has made many allies...and we are better off for it.
Take a long hard look at that little majik box in your living room. You know, that majik box that your government use to try to convince you that they care about you. The box that tells you that its all about you, its all about how much they love and adore you. Take a long hard look at that little majik box again, and see what it is...that is not being said.
That is us.
And it is your turn next.
anonymous
Dear Anonymous
27.06.2013 20:17
I should aquire one of those majick boxes.
Is England, England, England fashionable then? I did wonder. And being powerless? Is that fashionable too. I did wonder about that too. And where the beaches are.
I see you are on the side of Economy, then. Well done.
Sid Rawles Pine Scatter Cushion
The end.
27.06.2013 22:39
You have dried up.
anonymous
Dearest Anonymous
28.06.2013 06:16
Or, perhaps, I have gone beyond your capacity to keep up and your ignorance has made this ironic. The problem would seem to be that I should stick to your political analysis. I seem to be taking a different route. This is vexing for you. So you have resorted to instructing me. Which is fine. Wrong, but fine.
Therein is the illustration of the very practical problem for the People's Assembly. You take a Careerist attitude towards politics (be the brand Left, Right, Centre or Whatever) and so, when an Anti-Careerist attitude (however mild) happens along, you get vexed. You have to win. You must edit that voice until it is nothing more than background noise.
Which is where those voices dry up.
You are killing democracy in favour of economy. The sleight of hand conflation of democracy with parliament. Which is fine. It is part of the next election. Where you are taking the role that suits you best. But you ignore one thing. Which is plain and in front of you.
You mopped me up. Well done.
Sid Rawles Pine Scatter Cushion
Name the organisation
28.06.2013 10:17
I still wish to know what organisation, forum, assembly, meeting, etc, unconnected to the Labour movement that is going to mobilise working-class and middle-class people to oppose the creation of a society for the 0.1%?
Says, Gezi Gezi
'It's impossible to reduce Brazil's political and social situation down to this common fallacy of everything's getting better for poor people.'
It's not poor people who are protesting against the Brazilian government. It's the middle and upper middle classes.
Simon
Amplify our message, or be done.
28.06.2013 11:49
You said this...and say it you certainly did.
And you say you are part of a "People's Assembly"...you are not.
We the people have spoken, and you the shephard are done.
anonymous
Dear Simon
28.06.2013 15:25
[I still wish to know] what organisation, forum, assembly, meeting, etc, unconnected to the Labour movement that is going to mobilise working-class and middle-class people to oppose the creation of a society for the 0.1%?
Nobody.
The SWP is locked into being the official bad boy brand at the edge of Left politics and the BNP the official bad boy brand of the Right. At the Centre are the Parliamentary Parties and in the future there is nothing but a free market economy with the abolition of Democracy.
Nobody is coming to save anybody. Nobody is getting up and mobilising and all of those other good things the compliant Careerists of Left, Right and Centre Politics say the 99% must do. The 99% have had enough of Careerists and Managerialists. It is pretty much a done deal between the Political Class and the Economic Class that the Cattle Class (or 99% if you prefer) should become a managed commodity.
But I have dried up. I have nothing useful to say because someone coopting the word "anonymous" has told me. The ersatz-anonymous has forgotten the very simple claims of the real Anonymous: expect us.
Nobody is coming to save anybody. It is not a happy ending and there will be no magical salvation. The People's Assembly might have all the right voices (or left if you prefer) but what it does not have is The People. They are off, too busy, surviving. Pedalling ever faster to stay still. It will not end well and it will not be a predictable, manageable, career enhancing moment.
But I am supposed to be waking up and smelling the coffee and not watching my imaginary television. Such is life.
Sid Rawles Pine Scatter Cushion
Labour Movement
28.06.2013 20:28
No-one says that radical change of this society has to be disconnected from the Labour movement. The Labour movement is a myriad of those of want that change and includes all sorts of collectives, groups, societys, networks and so on.
However, this large Labour movement may have to
1) disconnect from those who can only think that a Labour government can make any change in society as if a Labour government would reverse any of the austerity measures and cuts that the Con-dems have brought in. The People's Assembly seemed to be full of those people.
2) disconnect from parties and sects and union officials who do not operate with the principles and committment to open, consensus based democratic ways of organising.
Ass Mook
Middles Classes of Brazil?
28.06.2013 20:44
Simon, you previously said you got your facts on this kind of opinion from Newsnight. Maybe Google some videos or read accounts from the protests in Fortaleza yesterday and don't believe what Newsnight tells you.
Quote: Victoria Ferreira, a 16-year-old protesting near the Castelao stadium in Fortaleza, said it was ironic that "if something broke out here, some violence, there would be no hospitals to take care of us". The demos in Fortaleza are not middle class dominared. Forteleza is one of the poorests cities in the world.
Or from Campo Grande, in the west of Rio where the demos were not middle class people.
Or last week, 2500 people marched from Rocinha favela to Sergio Cabral's (Governor of Rio) house in Leblon. Those people are not middle class people.
The same for Salvador or Recife. Those demos were not just the middle classes.
The amazing thing about the demos is that all sorts of people are coming out to the streets to protest. The worst thing when the media focuses on the middle class content of some of the bigger demos and then the whole thing gets skewed to being about corruption or even smeared as an attempt to portray the demos as right wing or solely being against the Workers Party.
In fact, just as is normal in Brazil, this strategy is just more of the same of making invisible poor peoples and the daily violence and injustice they face. That poor people's voices are making themselves heard in Brazil is brilliant. And that the question of police violence is finally coming to be heard is also great as police violence operates with total impunity - see the killings in Mare favala this week.
Gezi Gezi
Protestors chase off the mounted cops in Belo Horizonte
29.06.2013 13:40
Gezi Gezi
Homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_p3DvkDsicM#at=209