Public & Commercial Services union Affiliate to HOPI

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Saturday May 31, 2008 22:11 by pat c - HOPI

The annual conference of the Public and Commercial Services union held on May 21-23 conference in Brighton overwhelmingly agreed to affiliate to Hands Off the People of Iran. The motion was proposed by Dave Vincent of the CPGB but its adoption was largely due to the supoort of Socialist Party activists in the union. The only opposition to the motion came from the SWP.

Two SWP members opposed the motion . They claimed that Hopi had been excluded from the Stop the War Coalition because it is “divisive”. They also said the people of Iran had freely chosen the theocratic regime, whereas Hopi insisted on secularism. This was challenged another delegate, who stated that elections in Iran were not free. The Socialist Party member who was speaking for the PCS EC also exposed the SWP lies.

In his reply to the debate Dave Vincent stated that PCS was the 13th union to affiliate to the Stop the War Coalition (througha motion also proposed by himself), but that the PCS would be the first to affiliate to Hopi. The Conference went on to overwhelmingly adopt the motion. Out of 1,000 delegates only 50 voted against the motion.

Motion as adopted:

This Conference notes the continuing threat of war against Iran. We are
opposed to any imperialist intervention, sanctions or war on Iran. The
United States and its allies can only play a negative role. The death and
destruction in Iraq today is an example of the kind of 'democracy'
imperialism brings. The monies expended by our Government on the illegal
war in Iraq would have been far better spent on improving our public
services here.

Real democracy can only be won from below. That is why we defend the
Iranian people in their struggle against the theocratic regime. It is also
actively repressing its own people, with trade unionists, gays, students and
women's rights activists imprisoned and tortured.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of workers arrested
for their trade union or political activities.

Conference agrees to affiliate PCS to the' Hands off the People of Iran'
Campaign at a cost of £100.

Its aims are:

• to oppose the build up of the case being made by some Western
Governments for a war against Iran -or other military intervention in
Iran,
• to argue for practical solidarity with the active rank and file of Iranian
workers in their struggle for independent workers' organisations
• to build a principled anti-imperialist solidarity movement with the
ordinary people of Iran.

PCS members have no quarrel with fellow workers and ordinary people in
Iran and we oppose our Government lining up to support the US that may
result in the killing of innocent civilians as happened on a massive scale in
Iraq.

Any war on Iran should not be in our name.

We resolve to publicise those struggles taking place in Iran that are for aims
and values similar to those enshrined in our PCS rules and to make available
resources and mailing lists for the advertisement of such campaigns where
the campaign's work/demonstrations are being undertaken in Britain."

http://hopidisc.blogspot.com/