THE start of 2023 has seen new anti-trade union legislation that has further confirmed that this is an increasingly authoritarian government intent on ever-tightening restrictions on our right to resist. 

The attacks on our right to strike are the latest addition to the long list of reactionary legislation that includes the so-called Public Order Bill and many other attacks.

As Richard Burgon MP recently said, “It’s clear that, faced with mounting unpopularity, the government is curtailing some of the basic freedoms that we have in a democratic society to oppose its decisions: at the ballot box, through peaceful protest and through strike action.”

While threatening to deny trade unions their fundamental rights, Tory ministers also recently met numerous trade unions from different sectors early in the year to discuss public-sector pay in the face of growing industrial action — but the unions’ reaction across the board was that no real movement was made. 

At the time of writing, this means that strike action is set to escalate, including with the PCS announcing 100,000 members will be on strike on what is shaping up to be a major day of action this Wednesday February 1. 

Additionally, the National Education Union is out on the same day after an impressive ballot result for industrial action, and is taking its message across the country, including with a demonstration in London.

Others will also be on strike this Wednesday and on numerous other days throughout the month.

The ongoing Tory refusal to budge on pay is the logical outcome of the 2022 Autumn Statement, which confirmed the seemingly never-ending locking-in of austerity.

We must be clear that this means the social emergency we face — including in terms of deepening levels of poverty and inequality — is going to get ever-scarier and more inhumane.

It also means public services such as the NHS and local government that are already at breaking point will face massive crises. 

In terms of the NHS, we can already see how the Tories are planning to use this to launch another disastrous privatisation binge and undermine even further the NHS’s founding principles.

All of the above has confirmed that despite the “repackaging” in parts of the media when Rishi Sunak replaced the hapless Liz Truss as Tory leader, this is as right-wing and Thatcherite a government as ever.

They are the same old nasty party. And as the ongoing tax and corruption scandals illustrate so starkly, it is a government of the rich, for the rich — it is more interested in defending the profits and privileges of the millionaires than defending the jobs and livelihoods of millions.

While this is going on, Labour has a welcome and consistent poll lead, but with Tory MPs not likely to vote for an election until late 2024, urgent resistance to the Tories’ attacks is increasingly coming from trade unions and social movements.

And in the context of this growing resistance, the Labour front bench’s response is often disappointing, to put it mildly.

A clear example of this was the attempt to stop frontbenchers backing strikes or going to picket lines. 

Alongside this we have seen developments in policy, such as Wes Streeting’s increasing support for private-sector involvement in the NHS, deeply alienate many of those same people who are facing the brunt of the Tory attacks.

In this context, the left must rise to the challenges we face.

First, we must of course be part of all the movements mushrooming up across our communities against the ruling-class offensive.

And in this area, moves to co-ordinate actions between different social movement and trade union struggles should be particularly welcomed and encouraged. 

When Extinction Rebellion and the Don’t Pay campaign both gave support to — and added supplementary actions to — a recent day of action called by Enough is Enough and trade unions around the cost-of-living crisis, it helped amplify the core messages of the day and bring together different activists and causes that have a common enemy not only in this Tory government, but the whole rotten system.

The work around righttostrike.org, and the preceding action planning event which has presented numerous campaigning initiatives from across the board on this vital issue in one place, should also be applauded. 

At the time of writing, it has received support from StrikeMap, the Peace and Justice Project, the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom, Arise Festival, the People’s Assembly and others.

In terms of the specific role those of us on the Labour left play, we need to urgently look at ways that its different elements can work much better together to win support for these vital struggles in the Labour Party, and indeed expose the front bench’s failure to get behind them. 

One way to do this, could be for different key organisations to try and circulate a model motion each month on the same key issue, or even better the same model motion, that could then be taken to CLPs across the country. 

Recent and relevant examples on where this should be eminently possible include backing strikes, firmly opposing the Tories’ attacks on refugees and their rights, and on standing up for civil liberties, including our right to strike.

Let’s make 2023 the year of mass waves of resistance to the Tories, where we put our values of solidarity and unity into practice.

This Wednesday’s day of action will be a great part of that — as our contribution, Arise - A Festival of Left Ideas is bringing together striking unions with community campaigners, MPs and others for a massive online rally at 6.30pm. 

PCS leader Mark Serwotka will update on the strikes, the FBU will tell us about their ballot result, NHS Workers Say No will say how you can get involved with the NHS strikes and upcoming national demo, and we will hear short reports from across the country. Be there!

Matt Willgress is the national co-ordinator of Arise — A Festival of Left Ideas. 

You can follow Arise – A Festival of Left Ideas at www.facebook.com/ariseleftfestival and twitter.com/arise_festival.

Online Rally Building the Fightback in 2023 — 6.30pm, Wednesday February 1. With Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary; Diane Abbott MP; Dave Ward, CWU general secretary; Richard Burgon MP; Helen O’Connor, GMB Southern Region and People’s Assembly; Liz Cabeza, Acorn (Haringey); Nabeela Mowlana, Young Labour; Holly Turner, NHS Workers Say No; Riccardo La Torre, FBU; John McDonnell MP & more. Get your tickets at bit.ly/fightback23.