Autumn of discontent posted by Richard Seymour

Motions tabled for the Trade Union Congress (TUC) conference in Manchester next month call for co-ordinated action by unions including the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Unison, the National Union of Teachers, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

Unison, Britain's biggest public sector trade union with 1.3 million members, has called on unions to join a Europe-wide day of action in September.

It said the TUC should back the European Trade Union Confederation's planned European Day of Action on 29 September, which will include a rally in Brussels timed to coincide with a meeting of European Union finance ministers.

This is a start, but it has to be the start of something far bigger. The idea of Europe-wide action is excellent, long past due, but a proportionate response to this ruling class offensive will have to involve more than single day actions.

Labels: capitalism, europe, jobs, militancy, neoliberalism, right to work, ruling class, spending cuts, tories, trade unions