The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) have announced an electoral alliance with a number of left parties in the UK, including the Socialist Party. The alliance's main objective is a protest against the EU constitution which was re-branded as the Lisbon Treaty. It ingrains free market economics into EU law. The EU is nothing more than an undemocratic, big business club trying to take more and more control, forcing privatisation and anti-trade union directives onto nations.
While this is a temporary alliance, it is still a very important and historic move that a major trade union, the fastest growing and most militant in the UK, is finally making a stand against the 30 years the three major political parties have been drunk on capitalism, creating anti-trade union laws, privatisation and allowing profit for the rich to soar and wages for workers stagnate and go down.
Much like the oil refinery strikes, the media are trying to paint this workers' movement as nationalistic and protectionist, despite Bob Crow, leader of the RMT and No2EU, making it very clear that "We want a workers' Europe, not the bosses' EU. Workers in Britain have more in common with workers across Europe than we do with Freddie Goodwin and other bosses".
The campaign is also a fight against the Far Right like the BNP and UKIP. Both parties try to manipulate people and pretend to represent workers but the reality is different. The problem is as people become more and more disillusioned with the three main parties, the bosses parties, groups like the BNP and UKIP can thrive with an shallow, false solutions aimed at dividing workers. Until now we only had a negative message to say, 'don't vote BNP...but don't vote for the other three too'... But things are now different, as we finally have a pro workers alliance that people can vote for!
The elections will be taking place on June 4th. For more information visit the No 2 EU, Yes to Democracy site by clicking here.
