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Socialist Worker 1 April 2020

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VIRUS SHOWS CAPITALIST
SYSTEM FAILS MILLIONS

HE coronavirus crisis for the government to give every shelter after one person tested
has exposed capitalism adult in Britain £2,000. positive for coronavirus.
as a brutal and inhumane There’s more than enough It can seem that governments
system that fails to meet money to do that. Last year’s are intervening in ways that
Tpeople’s most basic needs. Sunday Times Rich List showed would have previously seemed
Tens of thousands of people will that the richest 1,000 people in unimaginable.
die from Covid-19 because the Britain are worth £771 billion. The Tories have pledged to
system refuses to provide enough These are desperate times underwrite some wages of some
equipment, care and medication to when people need money in their workers who are laid off due to
save them. pockets now. the crisis. But lots of people will
Millions more will suffer But those at the top want to get nothing.
Food sent to primary school children in Bristol PICTURE: PETER OVERTON extreme poverty, starvation keep “business as usual” as much And their measures are still
Poor quality food sent to and other horrors because as possible. geared towards helping the rich.
governments fail to give them the
So their suspension of rail
There are over 100,000 empty
support they need.
hotel rooms in Las Vegas in the US. franchises is aimed at protecting
children on free meals resources to defend the system. Yet crowds of homeless people the profi ts of private rail fi rms, by
But states can always fi nd
saving them from collapse.
are being forced to sleep in a car
In South Africa, cops have fi red
Across the world, states have
rubber bullets at people queuing park. thrown trillions at the banks
Hundreds of homeless people
THERE WAS fury last that the school paid them.“I haven’t heard outside supermarkets. had been thrown out of a 500-bed during the coronavirus crisis.
week over the poor £11 to a contractor for anything,” said the In Kenya, commuters have faced There are obscene amounts of
quality of food being each one. parent. “If you had to police tear gas. In France, cops had wealth in the world and the rich
sent to some children It’s a disgrace that register for it, surely issued 38,994 fi nes after just fi ve keep grabbing more of it.
days of lockdown and arrested
who receive free poor children are they would have told drew up plans to loan other ‘‘ The truth is that wealth isn’t
school meals. being given such everyone?” And an hundreds. Britain is heading in the Millions more will theirs—it’s ours.
Bristol primary meagre supplies. But NEU union member same direction. The capitalist system is based
school head teacher some are receiving in London said the And during the crisis, the Tories suffer but states on bosses exploiting workers,
Peter Overton tweeted nothing at all. system for ensuring paying them less than the value of
a picture of what was One parent in Leeds children are fed is in countries £1 billion of our money always find their work and keeping the extra
being sent to children told Socialist Worker “chaos”. so they can keep buying British as profi t.
from his school. their son usually The government arms. money to defend We need to take it back, scrap
It included a loaf receives free school claimed children on More than half a million people their rotten system and fi ght for a
of bread, a packet of meals but had received free school meals are going without while trying to world run by ordinary people for
low-quality butter, nothing since schools would receive food or claim the measly Universal Credit the system ordinary people.
crisps, cheese, snacks closed. vouchers when schools benefi t. It would cost £104 billion
and fruit—and was The council closed. It claimed to
supposed to last a there says it is be looking out for the
week. delivering packed most vulnerable.
Overton described lunches to children But once again, A WARNING FROM HUNGARY
the package as whose parents have the claims don’t quite
“shameful” adding registered to receive match the reality.
Library workers take action Ha dictatorship on Monday would now have the powers haven’t gone as far as their friend
UNGARY’S government
needed to tackle the virus.
Orban.
effectively declared itself
Anyone who promotes
But their Coronavirus Act has
against unsafe conditions under the guise of combating “distorted facts” that may “alarm given the cops more powers to
stop, harass and detain people.
or agitate” the public faces prison
coronavirus.
Its parliament voted to allow for up to fi ve years. Spooks have more freedom to
the government—run by the far What’s more, there’s no time access people’s private data.
COUNCIL workers in of the staff.” The requirements for right Viktor Orban and his Fidesz limit on the new powers. It’s And all this went through
Tower Hamlets, east bosses have even told work, they wouldn’t party—to rule by decree. effectively up to the government with barely a peep of opposition.
London, forced the workers they weren’t be returning to Idea That means it can do what it to decide when—or if—it gives Labour was happy just to ask for a
closure of library hubs allowed to wear face Stores the next day. likes without having to go through them up. six-month review of the powers.
in the borough after masks, because “they “They said to HR parliament. It should be a warning of the But once a government has
bosses played fast didn’t work”. that they wouldn’t All by-elections and dangers of letting governments use won the argument for new laws,
and loose with safety Matt said, “Hand be coming back in referendums have been suspended. coronavirus to bring in sweeping it’s far easier for them to argue to
measures. washing stations were because their buildings Orban said the government new powers. In Britain, the Tories keep them.
Workers across installed in buildings— aren’t safe,” said Matt.
seven “Idea Stores” but without any hand He added, “Now
in the borough—said fluid. we have to fight to
they wouldn’t come “Computers weren’t make sure that those
back to work because being cleaned, and of us that are fit, and
bosses were ignoring different people were want to help, have the
health advice. using them every equipment to do it at
Matt, an idea store hour. our own homes.
worker and Unison Frustrated by the “We could be Sign up to our morning newsletter Breakfast in Red
union rep, told lack of the action from phoning vulnerable and get the latest news every day.
Socialist Worker that the top, Idea Store people, setting up
workers felt “absolute workers took matters story times online. For updates and analysis on the stories that matter go
anger and hatred at into their own hands. “We can do all to socialistworker.co.uk/breakfastinred
the bosses. On Monday around that, but we’re not
“There’s a complete 60 workers signed going to be told we
and utter contempt a letter declaring can do them in unsafe
that they kept opening that because the buildings.”
stores despite the council hadn’t put Workers’ names have
threat to the health in the minimum been changed