The 12-week series of rolling strikes by council workers employed by Southampton City Council in England, against the imposition of fire and rehire contracts by the Conservative authority, has been hailed by the Unison and Unite trade unions as the example to be followed nationally in the fight against the government’s massive austerity cuts.

The Trades Union Congress has also endorsed the Southampton strikes as the model for its November 30 “Day of Action” against the attack on public sector workers pensions.

But the trade union campaign in Southampton did nothing to stop the council implementing pay cuts of up to 5.5 percent. That it is the “model” to be followed by the trade unions makes clear that the TUC is hostile to a genuine mobilisation of the working class to bring down the coalition government.

We invite all workers and youth to attend our public meeting to discuss the real lesson from Southampton—the need for working people to urgently break free of the stranglehold of the trade unions and the Labour Party and strike out on the road of independent industrial and political struggle.

Wednesday, September 28, 7 p.m.

Central Baptist Church
Devonshire Road
Southampton
SO15 2GY