[Marxism] British Wildcat Strike Wave?

[Jscotlive at aol.com]

sartesian:
 
Sticking to that issue, that false issue of a "foreign" source undermining  
"UK wages and conditions" is perfect recipe for defeat of class struggle.  
It's about class not location.

Reply:
 
The main slogan of the strike 'British Jobs for British Workers' I'll allow  
was initially adopted by the workers involved, and their leaders, as a dig  at 
British PM, Gordon Brown, who came out with this atrocious and  misleading 
term during a keynote speech recently. Brown knew when he said  it that it was a 
lie, as under EU legislation workers of member states are able  to travel to 
and work within other member states. That this Italian  subcontractor has 
exploited this legislation to import the entire workforce for  a specific contract 
has laid bare the reality of the free market and the  EU, despite the various 
strands of progressive legislation that  have been passed under its auspices, 
as at bottom a bosses' charter in the  interests of the corporations.
 
Worryingly, however, has been an ugly turn quickly taken by this strike. In  
all the news footage I've seen of the strike thus far, I see nothing but white 
 workers holding up placards carrying a slogan that is a gift to the far 
right  and will in effect play into the hands of the bosses by pitting worker 
against  worker.
 
I blame of course Brown for playing politics with nationalism, covering  
himself in the Union Jack in order to appease Tory scum and to distract from the  
reality of a free market to which he was a major proponent. But I also blame 
the  trade union bureaucracy for tailing the reactionary consciousness which 
has  taken hold of the strike rather than working to turn the strike into a 
clear and  unambiguous fight against the bosses.
 
J