Devon Socialist Party

Industrial action at Appledore shipyard is currently suspended pending negotiations currently taking place between the unions and Babcock Marine.

The suspension has come at the same time as an announcement by the company of record profits of £50 million in the first half of the year, up 30%! This is the same company that continues to make threats of closure and losing contracts in response to the reasonable request by Appledore workers that they earn the same as other Babcock workers in equivalent jobs. At the moment, they earn around £60-80 per week less than their counterparts at Devonport dockyard. They tried to claim that this was due to the higher cost of living in Plymouth, something easily contradicted by a worker who had previously lived in Plymouth!

In reality, they have tried to take advantage of the fact that North Devon is a low wage area. They, and the company that preceded them, have made no investment at the site, the consequence of which is that a site previously used as a model for overseas fact finders now has grass growing all over the roof. In addition to the pay insult, picketers have been unhappy about a number of issues at the site. There is widespread bullying by management (including threatening middle managers with the sack if they went on strike), and unilateral decisions taken, such as to change shifts and deploy workers to other sites. The petty attitude of management is exemplified by a previous round of negotiations, in Hatherleigh, when in response to an unofficial overtime ban, managers refused to meet with and speak to shop stewards situated in another room. The union officials had to act as messengers and go-betweens!

In response to our comments on the picket line that the workers themselves should run the shipyard, pickets gave examples of management incompetance and short-term thinking. For instance, apprentices were not allowed to go on day release to college, the skills base is kept narrow, and civilian contracts have been turned down.

It is clear that private ownership cannot develop and safeguard the future of the shipyard in Appledore. We renew our call for the nationalisation of the yard and for its placement under democratic workers control.

We also reaffirm our complete support and solidarity for this action, which has remained solid, with as many as 50 on the picket line at times. Unanimous support has also come from the Confederation of Ship Building and Engineering Unions (CSEU).

We would like to make a solidarity appeal, for support and donations to the Appledore shipyard workers. If you would to express your support or to make a donation to the strike fund, please email North Devon Socialist Party at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will give you the details of how to help, and pass on your messages.

On Saturday, members of the Socialist Party and Socialist Students from across Devon descended on London for the Socialist Party's annual weekend of debate and discussion, Socialism 2008.

The Devon delegation attended sessions on the two days covering topics as varied as the environment, how to build a revolutionary party, racism, China, the 1978/79 Iranian revolution, how to fight the BNP, how to build in the unions and many others.

As always, the level of discussion, both from the introducing speaker and those attending sessions, was very high. There were many matters to debate, and contributions made, all in a freindly and inclusive manner.

On the Saturday night, the rally saw speakers from Britain and all over the world share their experiences and analyses of the changing world situation. The theme was that 'Marx was right', as the economic crisis -and our prediction that it would occur - clearly shows. A worker from the Ford Transit plant in Southampton explained how he and his co-workers had acted, in the face of indifference from the official union structures, to organise what has become a prominent campaign to save the plant and their jobs.

In the wake of her excellent result in the USDAW general secretary elections, Robbie Segal explained the lessons of the campaign, which found real resonance with shop workers despite the attempts of the official pro-New Labour union bureaucracy to suppress her candidacy. She will soon be standing for the Presidency of the union, and shortly we will be carrying details of how you can help the campaign to democratise the union and improve the lot of some of Britain's most exploited and bullied workers.

The recently elected Deputy Youth Mayor for Lewisham, Natalie Powell-Davies, gave us an insight into how she won the support of so many young people with clarity and passion, demonstrating that young people can be won over with a clear, campaigning, practical programme and someone who is sure to provide a strong voice for them.

There was a real international flavour to the rally also, with speakers also from Greece, Germany, Italy and China. In Greece, mass protests and militancy have led to the development of a new left force, SYRIZA. Nikos Anastasiadis, from Xekinima, our sister organisation in that country, presented an inspiring video of the struggles that have taken place before outlining the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Fang Guoli from China, outlined the critical role that genuine revolutionaries and Trotskyists have to play in China, and cautioned against despondency that we 'are in winter' as one day 'it will be spring'.

As most years, there were rousing and often amusing contributions from Peter Taaffe, general secretary of the Socialist Party, and Tony Mulhearn of the Liverpool 47, who reminded us of what a genuine workers party could achieve, with the Liverpool struggle's legacy still standing 'in bricks and mortar'.

Janice Godrich brought solidarity greetings from the International Socialists in Scotland, and outlined the effects that a socialist leadership could have in a trade union, in this case the PCS (civil servants union), of which Janice is the President. The left wing leadership of the PCS has radically democratised the union and involved rank and file members in activity and campaigning like never before in that union. As a consequence, its membership is growing and it has achieved notable successes for its members which many predicted were 'impossible'.

In a similar vein, Onay Kasab, a Socialist Party member in UNISON, related the possibilities opened up when a principled branch leadership delivers for its members. Against a backdrop of many council workers receiving quite significant wage cuts, Greenwich UNISON, which Kas is the secretary of, secured a deal which meant that not a single worker had their pay reduced, while some had substantial increases. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, Kas and three other Socialist Party members are currently facing disciplinary action at the hands of the union hierarchy, on trumped up charges as part of a witchhunt against left activists in the union. To find out more and offer your support, please visit the 'Defend the Four' website, located here.

The final rally on the Sunday afternoon saw the future of political representation for working class people discussed by Cllr. Dave Nellist (of the Socialist Party, and chair of the Campaign for a New Workers' Party), comedian and author Mark Steel (formerly of the Socialist Workers Party), Kevin Ovenden (of Respect) and Hannah Sell (deputy general secretary of the Socialist Party). There was a friendly atmosphere, and consensus that the need for an alternative to the pro-capitalist policies of the three main establishment parties was needed now, more than ever.

Socialism is always a fascinating, morale boosting, informative event. This year more than ever this was transfused by a spirit of defiance and fightback, that we will not pay for the crisis the bosses and the banks have created.

Members and non-members of North Devon Socialist Party gathered last night in Barnstaple, and enjoyed extensive discussions about the American elections, building the left in the US and in Britain, and future activities of North Devon Socialist Party. 

On Friday, workers at Appledore shipyard took part in the first of six days of strike action, which will continue tomorrow and every Friday and Monday after that up until the 17th November.