In recent months, the Workers Party has actively campaigned against privatisation; the introduction of water and services charges; the reduction of welfare benefits; proposals to remove free travel for older people; attempts to make working people and their families pay to see a doctor; payment for prescription charges; and payment for essential public services.

Next week we celebrate May Day, the workers’ holiday. Socialists, trade unionists, workers and labour activists will come together across the world to commemorate and celebrate our common struggles. Some will do so under circumstances of severe repression, brutality and war. Our Party, the Workers Party, will stand with them.  

Belfast has a proud tradition of celebrating May Day. Next week, our Party will attend the annual Rally in support of workers’ freedoms and workers’ rights. We will highlight our determined opposition to the attacks on education, public housing, publicly funded services, the arts, libraries, museums, leisure centres and parks which have become targets for the withdrawal of funding or the introduction of charges.

We will continue our solidarity with the trade union demands in support of workers’ rights, pay and conditions and those workers who have been harassed and victimised for asserting their rights.  

Earlier this year, the Workers Party supported the historic events of industrial action organised by the labour movement in Northern Ireland when workers came together to demonstrate their power. The May Day Rally will be a further demonstration of that power, but we must now take a further step.

Our segregated and bankrupt political system which serves the interests of the tribal politicians, and the exploiting capitalist class, must be challenged.

Workers need to create a viable and effective electoral mechanism to defeat those interests and must take immediate steps to unite in a struggle in the interests of their class. Only an anti-sectarian, class-based, united workers’ struggle can deliver our objective – workers’ power and socialism.