The Tory-led County Council plan to close nearly half (20) of our local libraries. A similar number of youth centres are to be closed down, with over £4 million cuts to youth services announced. This is an attack on the standards of living that we have fought for over decades of struggle.
Article taken from Issue 2 of The Ox-Fly - Oxford's radical newsletter:
http://oxfly.theoarc.org.uk
Article taken from Issue 2 of The Ox-Fly - Oxford's radical newsletter:
http://oxfly.theoarc.org.uk
Keith Mitchell (Council leader) claims "we are all going to bear the pain". Well it's true that we, workers, students, pensioners and the unemployed are all going to suffer. But are Keith Mitchell and his type really going to "bear the pain"? On his salary of nearly £200,000 does he really expect us to buy that? We - the working class - are in this together. We are all being attacked by these cuts; and we must all resist together if we want any chance of winning. But politicians and bosses are not suffering from the recession; we are picking up the bill for their mess.
Mitchell claims 'Big Society' volunteers will step in to save these services. The Council has said that librarians and other staff are likely to make up some of the 1000 County Council job cuts. So what this really reveals is not a 'Big Society', but a plan to squeeze even more profit out of us - by not paying us! They are providing less and less; while we have to work more and more. 'Volunteers' would be acting almost as scabs. But if they don't, the libraries will close and the jobs will be cut anyway. The solution is to fight back, both workers and service users, and make closures impossible.
He also claims they are doing their best to protect weakest and most vulnerable. He should try saying that to a user of one of the Care Homes that he is withdrawing funding from. Or to the many homeless people who relied on the Gap Project for help, now being closed.
But these cuts are not coming because we have a Tory County Council - they are happening because this is the way the ruling class has decided international capitalism is going to go. That is why these cuts are repeated across the globe; and our resistance must be international too.
After all, it was Labour that promised cuts "worse than Thatcher". The Labour City Council has just announced 100 jobs losses and £10 million cuts over the next 4 years. We mustn't allow Labour to take over our movements by pretending to oppose the cuts. Already they've been given a platform at demos.
Beating these cuts is too important to leave in the hands of the Labour Party - or any other group who want to represent us. We can win, if we put trust in ourselves and control our own struggles.
Mitchell claims 'Big Society' volunteers will step in to save these services. The Council has said that librarians and other staff are likely to make up some of the 1000 County Council job cuts. So what this really reveals is not a 'Big Society', but a plan to squeeze even more profit out of us - by not paying us! They are providing less and less; while we have to work more and more. 'Volunteers' would be acting almost as scabs. But if they don't, the libraries will close and the jobs will be cut anyway. The solution is to fight back, both workers and service users, and make closures impossible.
He also claims they are doing their best to protect weakest and most vulnerable. He should try saying that to a user of one of the Care Homes that he is withdrawing funding from. Or to the many homeless people who relied on the Gap Project for help, now being closed.
But these cuts are not coming because we have a Tory County Council - they are happening because this is the way the ruling class has decided international capitalism is going to go. That is why these cuts are repeated across the globe; and our resistance must be international too.
After all, it was Labour that promised cuts "worse than Thatcher". The Labour City Council has just announced 100 jobs losses and £10 million cuts over the next 4 years. We mustn't allow Labour to take over our movements by pretending to oppose the cuts. Already they've been given a platform at demos.
Beating these cuts is too important to leave in the hands of the Labour Party - or any other group who want to represent us. We can win, if we put trust in ourselves and control our own struggles.
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