1.8.20 Vol. 32 No 26 (Print Day Wednesday) Online

Printed & Published by the Communist Party of Ireland

Natural justice ? OVER the past few months the

rage against racism has circled

the world with millions of people

showing solidarity and protesting

against the violence and killing

of black people in America. It seem against all natural justice

that in Belfast the Police Service

Northern Ireland (PSNI) have shown

themselves to be inept at taking on

board the anti-racist agenda when

they issued fines to the Black Lives

Matter protesters.

It is now well known that the en-

forcement powers allowing the PSNI

to fine up to 70 people for breaches of

coronavirus lockdown regulations

during the socially distanced protests

on June 6 were passed by ministers at

11pm the night before the demonstra-

tion.

And these same enforcement pow-

ers were bypassed when it came to

crowds gathering at the cenotaph.

Whatever the police intentions were

on the 6 June the action should now

be to drop the fines and apologise to

the protesters.

Ethnic minority leaders are refusing

to engage with Chief Constable

Simon Byrne until he makes a public

apology and the "PSNI drop all fines

and threat of legal action.”

Lawyer and activist Adekanmi

Abayomi claimed the fines breach the

law because they were only issued "to

Black Lives Matter protesters whilst

they saw nothing wrong with the

other protests.”

Whilst the PSNI insist they are

"committed to discharging its policing

responsibilities in an inclusive, non-

biased, lawful and proportionate man-

ner," their actions show otherwise.

The Equality Commission said the

Executive is charged with leading on

this work and it has a role in coordi-

nating departmental action to identify

and address institutional racism.

It has a duty to work to eliminate

unlawful racial discrimination and

harassment, to promote equality of

opportunity, to promote good rela-

tions between persons of different

racial groups and to keep the working

of the legislation under review.

They have called on the Executive

to review the situation and they state

that the Executive's Racial Equality

Strategy 2015-2025 recognises “the

need for all public bodies and others

to ensure that they take urgent steps to

identify institutional racism and to

tackle it as a matter of urgency where

it exists.”

However the question of the action

by the police is a tangible example of

where it exists and all law enforce-

ment bodies should rule the PSNI out

of order and support the demands of

those who were fined.

Racist attacks are on the increase

and in the past four years police figures

show that racist hate incidents in North-

ern Ireland have outnumbered sectarian

hate incidents. In addition there have

been almost 3,500 race hate crimes re-

ported to police in the past five years,

but just 363 court convictions.

Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commis-

sioner of the Equality Commission said:

“All sectors of our society should be

concerned about racism and make every

effort to eradicate it. Racism is not ac-

ceptable and has no place in Northern

Ireland in the 21st century.”

But having said that practical measures

are needed to prevent racist actions.

At one of the first BLM protests in

June more than a hundred people gath-

ered at Writers' Square in Belfast for a

solidarity vigil for George Floyd.

Some people carried banners and held

posters stating 'Black Lives Matter'.

An address was given by a member of

the Connolly Youth Movement before a

minute's silence was held.

Coming up to the anniversary of in-

ternment without trial, as we remember

the acts of discrimination and denial of

civil rights, we support and join the

Black Lives Matters protesters in their

demands.

For Peace, Independence and Socialism

By Lynda Walker

Unity 1.8.20 Page 2

Editorial Unity is published each week

by the Communist Party of

Ireland.

PO Box 85, Belfast BT1 1SR.

IT is no coincidence that the two countries with the worst

recordings of deaths due to Covid-19 have found different enemies

to combat, after all there is nothing like a distraction tactic to cover

up your own failings and incompetence. The attacks on Russia and

China by the US and eagerly latched onto by Britain is just such an

example of the usage of such a tactic .

In the US the Democrats went on a crusade to convince the

world that the victory of Trump in 2016 was more to do with

Russian interference than a reflection on the reputation 9f Clinton.

In all that time no evidence has been produced on how the

Russians won the election for Trump, chiefly because there is none.

As with the recent report from the Intelligence and Security

Committee at Westminster allegations were made as to Russian

interference in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and the

2016 EU referendum.

It is significant that two of the MPs giving the report are

members of parties, SNP and Labour, who lost out on the results of

both polls.

What the Russian state has to gain from so-called interference is

anybody’s guess.

Strange though is the fact that those giving the report pointed

the finger at the government for not getting a “grip on the

problem.”

However the government stated there was “no evidence” of

successful Russian interference in the Brexit vote, a comment that

will cause confusion and begs the question of where has all this

stuff sprung from.

On the question of China and the banning of Huawei, this is

simply instigated by the White House and especially Mike Pompeo,

a very reactionary successor to the very reactionary John Bolton.

Throw in Hong Kong and the alleged persecution of the Uighur

Muslims and the scene is set. Never mind Covid-19, this is more

important .

What is disturbing but not really surprising is the role of the

Labour Party, especially the shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy

whose response was to criticise the Tory government for not being

hard enough on both the Russians and the Chinese, proving that

reaction is firmly embedded in the ‘people’s party.’

No coincidence

Unity

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Unity sends greetings of

solidarity on the centenary of the

Communist Party in Britain - a Centenary

for Socialism:

‘And our demands

most moderate are –

We only want the

earth.’

Link to above events website ewww.communistparty.org.uk/centenary

Unity 1.8.20 Page 3

Dear comrades, On behalf of

the National Women’s Commit-

tee of the Communist Party of

Ireland and the Connolly Youth

Movement we wish to express

solidarity with our sisters and

comrades on the anniversary of

el Movimiento 26 de Julio. We recently hosted an event to

highlight the significant role of

women during and following the

Cuban revolution, which continues

to be an inspiration to so many of

us. As we continue our fight against

the destructive system of neoliberal

capitalism, we have an additional

struggle to dismantle the system of

patriarchy that further oppresses

women.

It is not enough for us to realise a

socialist society if the old systems of

patriarchy remain in place and we

look to our comrades in Cuba to

learn from their vast experience.

We recognise the problems that

women and their families face in

Cuba because of the ongoing hostil-

ity and the Blockade of the United

States of America, and we support

the campaigns to end the Blockade.

Cuba continues to move forward in

building an increasingly just, pros-

perous and sustainable society, and

to support those in need in other

parts of the world.

More than 400,000 health care

workers have completed missions in

164 countries, over 56 years.

The most notable of these involved

Cuban participation in the fight

against cholera in Haiti, Ebola in Af-

rica and the Covid-19 battle being

waged today by several brigades of

Solidarity with Cuban women

THIS year’s Madge Davison

Memorial Lecture, organised by

the Communist Party of Ireland

will take place on August 1 from

1pm to 2pm as part of the Vir-

tual Féile an Phobail. Under discussion will be the

‘Past, present and future of the

Housing Executive’.

Stewart Smyth, a

researcher, trade

unionist and activ-

ist, will draw on

the history of how

the NI Housing

Executive was

formed though the

Civil Rights struggle to becoming

a recognised international leader

in public housing before becom-

ing subjected to privatisation

threats and political indifference.

He will argue that all is not lost

and post Covid-19 a revitalised

and fully funded Housing Execu-

tive is essential to provide decent,

secure housing and to generate

jobs and economic activity. Here's the link to the Féile's website

https://feile-an-

phobail.heysummit.com/talks/leacht-

chuimhneachain-madge-davison-

memorial-lecture/

the Henry Reeve Contingent in 31 na-

tions.

We continue to learn so much from

the advancement of women’s rights in

Cuba where the revolutionary ideals

encourage our ideas for the same

achievements in Ireland.

We are grateful to learn from the ex-

ceptional work that has been done so

far by the Federación de Mujeres in

particular.

Whilst July the 26th 2020 will not

be same the physical encounter that is

usually held, it will still be a historic

occasion and as the Cubans them-

selves would say, “There is no better

way to honour the rebellious spirit

that Cubans assumed, once and for

all, in 1953, than to win the Covid-19

battle, which is the next victory that

we must now achieve.”

Women (and men) as teachers, shop

assistants, healthcare workers, food

producers, engineers, are amongst all

those who send greetings to the Cu-

ban people.

The Communist Party of Ireland

once again would like to extend warm

wishes to all comrades on this historic

anniversary as we reaffirm our sup-

port for revolutionary Cuba-Viva

Cuba

¡Hasta la victoria siempre!

National Women’s Committee CPI

The National Women’s Committee of the Communist Party of

Ireland and the Connolly Youth Movement, has written to the

Communist Party of Cuba and the Federation of Cuban Women

to express their solidarity with their sisters and comrades on the

anniversary of the 26 July Movement.

Unity 1.8.20 Page 4

AT the time of writing the

UK has the third large instance

of Covid-19 related deaths be-

hind the US and Brazil.

This despite the Prime Minis-

ter claiming that “we have a

world beating” response to the

virus. There is an obvious relief from

the government that the UK has

been relegated to third place but

then Brazil is run by a right-wing

maniac who claimed the virus was

“a little flu," not unlike his mate in

the White House.

Solomon Hughes, writing in the

Morning Star asked, “why is Brit-

ain's coronavirus response so

poor ?”

His response was that the failure

had deep roots within the ideology

of successive governments that

have been committed to central-

ised, privatised solutions and hos-

tile to the public sector.

He makes the point that it isn’t

just about Johnson's incompetence,

“although that counts,” but more

about the way to deal with Covid-

19.

He argues that there is a need to

have strong local health authorities

and a belief in the importance of

active government and regulation.

However, as Hughes writes, Brit-

ain has been a world leader in de-

regulation, laissez-faire govern-

ment and the weakening of health

and local authorities through priva-

tisation and defunding.

He adds that the thrust of British

politics over the past 40 years,

through Thatcherism, “New La-

bour” or post crash austerity has set

us up to fail.

Hughes blames Johnson for the

delay in pressing for social distanc-

ing with the reluctance to close

bars and restaurants as an example.

Johnson himself is drawn to lais-

sez-faire policies pushing harder

on the deregulation and the

“bonfire of red tape” started by the

Thatcher and not wanting “health

and safety” rules to interfere with

“the economy.”

But as Hughes points out, this

short term approach has actually

hurt the economy more in the long

term, “a point even some of John-

son’s more free-marketeer support-

ers now accept.”

He goes on to state that the virus,

allowed to spread, exploited vul-

nerabilities created by privatisa-

tion, deregulation and too-low

spending.

The first “vulnerability,” he

writes, are the care homes where

older residents are especially vul-

nerable.

They have struggled to get PPE,

have low-paid agency staff moving

from home to home and where we

have seen older NHS patients

“discharged” to care homes to

“protect” the NHS.

This situation has led to infec-

tions.

Hughes then asks, “why was the

care sector in such a weak state ?

“Why was the NHS ‘protected’

at the care sector's cost ?”

His answer is, “because care

homes have been largely priva-

tised.”

He tells us that in the 1980s local

authorities provided 63 per cent of

residential care home places and

the private sector 17 per cent.

Now the private care firms domi-

nate the market.

He claims that some of the pri-

vate equity firms that own the big

care home chains squeeze money

out of the homes into their off-

shore accounts.

He also makes the point that po-

litical parties find it easier to un-

derfund care services they do not

directly provide and equally find it

easier to keep the results at arms

length.

The second “vulnerability” is the

NHS itself.

Whilst the government was under

popular pressure not to cut NHS

spending, the Tories, with their dis-

like for public welfare spending, re-

sponded by running the NHS per-

manently - “hot” - keeping spend-

ing low by pushing it to its limits.

Hughes quotes the attempt to

make nursing staff pay for their

own training and holding down

wages as reducing capacity.

They have reduced slack in the

NHS so it can only cope with Covid

-19 by completely displacing much

other health care.

As regards PPE the supply was

made vulnerable by what he de-

scribes as privatised penny-

pinching, “just in time” methods.

Hughes states that the third

“vulnerability” is the taking of

power away from local authorities

in order to privatise and defund.

The government's attempts to

contain the virus is a cheap skate

privatised scheme run by corpora-

tions such as Serco and Sodexco

employing “low-pay workers in

high-vis jackets” operating in car

parks and call centres.

Hughes accuses the Tories of tak-

ing this route as the firms getting

these contracts are their mates.

He gives the example of Mitie

contracted do do a “drive-through

testing service” where Tory peer

Baroness Couttie sits on its board.

Rupert Soames , a grandson of

Winston Churchill, was appointed

chief executive of Serco in 2014

and Health Minister Edward Argar

was previously Serco’s chief lobby-

ist.

Hughes concludes that the Tories’

solution is to slap on another layer

of shoddy, privatised quick fixers.

Not exactly a “world beating” re-

sponse.

Not a world beating response

Media Review

Unity 1.8.20 Page 5

SEVENTY-five years after

the member states of this or-

ganization signed the United

Nations Charter, strict adher-

ence to its purposes and princi-

ples, to international law and

the preservation of multilateral-

ism are more important than

ever.

We are facing multiple crises

as a result of the COVID-19

pandemic, with devastating ef-

fects, visible in all spheres of

society, expected to last and ag-

gravate pending global chal-

lenges.

The international panorama

is increasingly complex.

Conflicts and the arms race

are proliferating.

Non-conventional wars for

the purpose of domination, acts

of aggression, unilateral coer-

cive measures, the manipulation

and politicization of human

rights and disrespect for the self

-determination of peoples are

intensifying.

Multilateralism is attacked,

international agreements ig-

nored and the role of organiza-

tions such as the UN and the

World Health Organization is

discounted.

At the same time, the current

unjust international economic

order deepens inequality and

underdevelopment; while in-

creasing poverty, hunger, mar-

ginalization and limited access

to essential services, such as

health care.

International

cooperation

The moment and common

sense demand that the interna-

tional community set aside po-

litical differences and seek joint

solutions to global problems

through international coopera-

tion.

It is the duty of all to keep

the commitments we made

when we signed the UN Char-

ter, which continues to be an en-

during, universal and indispen-

sable basis for promoting a just,

democratic and equitable inter-

national order that responds to

the demands of the peoples of

the world for peace, develop-

ment and justice, and contrib-

utes to meeting the Agenda

2030 for Sustainable Develop-

ment.

I take advantage of the op-

portunity to reiterate, to your

Excellency, the assurance of my

highest consideration and es-

teem.

Miguel Díaz-Canel

Bermúdez

THE aggression against the

workers, in both the private

and public sector of Pakistan,

continues.

One of the latest attacks

was the decision of the Na-

tional Tourism Coordination

Board to terminate the services

of 450 regular employees of

the Pakistan Tourism Develop-

ment Corporation. The workers who have taken

the burden of the pandemic risk-

ing their own lives, producing all

goods, and providing all services

are once again facing the brutal-

ity of unemployment.

This unacceptable decision of

NTCB leads hundreds of families

to poverty and insecurity and is

added to the long list of dismiss-

als, violation of workers’ rights,

cutting of benefits, unpaid sala-

ries, and employer arbitrariness.

The World Federation of

Trade Unions, representing 105

million workers in 130 countries

of the five continents, strongly

condemn the dismissal of 450

regular workers of NTCB.

We demand the immediate

withdrawal of all the dismissals

and the respect of workers’ rights

and benefits.

We demand the full payment

of wages of the lockdown period

and the safeguarding of the work-

ers’ jobs and a proper income for

all vulnerable people in Pakistan.

Letter from the president of Cuba

to the secretary-general of the

United Nations

WFTU expresses

solidarity with

tourism workers

in Pakistan