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Invitation to join the Coalition of Resistance

A letter to Trade Unions Dear Secretary, This summer, under my aegis, and that of other campaigners, the Coalition of Resistance (COR) was formed to enable people across the country to make a stand against so-called inevitable cuts and privatisation. More information can be found at www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk and, for specific items, in the small print…

Liam
2–3 minutes

tbA letter to Trade Unions

Dear Secretary,

This summer, under my aegis, and that of other campaigners, the Coalition of Resistance (COR) was formed to enable people across the country to make a stand against so-called inevitable cuts and privatisation. More information can be found at www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk and, for specific items, in the small print links below.

We feel, as this year’s Congress demonstrated, that trade unions are central to this resistance. We see our role as fighting alongside unions and linking them with community campaigns to mobilise civil society to resist the malicious dismantling of the welfare state.
We are affiliated to no political party and aim to support, encourage and link up local, national and international campaigns against reactionary and ideological ‘austerity’ measures. See more about us here. 

The Coalition issued a statement in the summer which has been very well received, with many thousands signing individually to express their support. Its policy objectives are broadly in line with those of most unions and the TUC. See here .
We are in comradely discussion with campaigns with similar ‘footprints’ such as the People’s Charter and many, many local campaign groups.

We have organised a conference on Saturday 27 November 2010 at the Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London WC1H 9DB to discuss the future direction of the campaign of the campaign and ask you to consider sending representatives and circulating the calling notice to branches and delegates. See here

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Representatives of COR would be very happy to meet with anyone who wishes to discuss what we are trying to do.
Finally, do join our mailing list:

Yours sincerely,
Tony Benn and Paul Mackney (former General Secretary of NATFHE/UCU – for the Steering Committee)

And here’s a model resolution

This branch  is committed to taking an active part in defending jobs and public services against the attacks which the government is preparing on them.

We will seek to work with national and locally based organisations which share this view. We will aim to encourage them to work together to build the largest possible movement of public sector staff, trade unionists, service users and supportive public figures who are willing to resist rather than support cuts and job losses. To this end, we welcome the establishment of the local anti-cuts campaign.

We  note that, the National Organising Conference called by the Coalition of Resistance on Saturday November 27 in the Camden Centre, London offers an opportunity to meet with many others who take a similar approach and this branch  agrees to affiliate to the Coalition  of Resistance and to sponsor up to six delegates to attend.

4 responses to “Invitation to join the Coalition of Resistance”

  1. Donkey Avatar
    Donkey

    That’s a bit strange for Tony Benn to say he is not affiliated to any political party when as far as I know he is still a member of the Labour party.

    I am fully supportive of the coalition of resistance against the cuts and privatisation aslong as it exactly that. The movement must oppose CONDEM cuts and local cuts whether imosed by Tory, Lib Dems or the Next Labour party. Should we need reminding the Next Labour party under not so red Ed is continues to be wedded to it’s election pledge to implement cuts albeit at a slower pace, it continues to be committed to neo liberal capitalist economics and an im perialist foreign policy and refuses to oppose the anti trade union legislation.

    That does not however mean that the coalition of resistance should in any way reject the support of Labour voters, supporters, local councillors and MP’s who do oppose all cuts and privatisation from whichever party at whichever level.

    The best aim as I can see it is for the anti cuts movement to work towards putting forward viable and popular anti cuts candidates at the next local elections to clear oput the cutters aside helping organise and coordinate support for further mass protests, demonstrations and strikes.

    The present pledge by the TUC for a march next march is seen by many activists as far too late with the danger that the movement might be in danger of losing momentuum just at the time when it needs a big spur.

    We need a national mass demonstration before Christmas and perhaps such a demonstration organised without the TUC but through the myriad of local grassroots community campaigns and through rank and file trade union organisations and The Left might be more possible and political. Necessary it is though ! Is this viable ?

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  2. birminghamresist Avatar
    birminghamresist

    It looks pretty clear to me that he means COR as a whole, rather than individuals within it, are not affiliated to a particular party…

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  3. Donkey Avatar
    Donkey

    Fair enough but that doesnt help clear up the fudge about COR’s position regarding Next Labour and the cuts and Labour coucils and councillors throughout implementing cuts.

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  4. David Ellis Avatar
    David Ellis

    My biggest fear about CoR, which on the face of it is a decent initiative, is that, in the name of unity, it will be thoroughly apolitical. Instead of becoming an alternative political centre of opposition to the Coalition to that offered by the New Labour conmen it will become a leftish adjunct to the whole labour movement bureaucracy pontificating now and again about this and that and holding the odd march but never really elaborating a programme for action to actually defeat the cuts. It would be a shame if it were to become like the StWC which is now nothing more than a dead weight on any forces that actually want to at least try to stop the war or keep the issue alive. It is thoroughly apolitical and makes no pretence to elaborate new and militant ways forward for the anti war movement or how to broaden that movement into the organised working class. StWC should be a lesson in the dangers of setting yourself up as an apolitical umbrella group and hopefully what will be discussed and adopted at CoR’s big meeting is a radical analysis, perspective and program of action for a coalition that really wants to fight the cuts.

    For me, if the top of its programmatic demands is not the consolidation and nationalisation of the banks for a state monopoly on credit it will have already slipped into the New Labour narrative combined perhaps with mere demagoguery.

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