May 18, 2010
Much recently, the national leadership of Labour Party has been coming out especially in the press expressing readiness to “collaborate” with the labour movement to make the party “the most populous paty”Declaring that “workers must not be apolitical”,Dan Iwuanyanwu correctly stated that the party was formed by the labour movement and would have to remain a party of labour.
Much recently, the national leadership of Labour Party has been coming out especially in the press expressing readiness to “collaborate” with the labour movement to make the party “the most populous paty”Declaring that “workers must not be apolitical”,Dan Iwuanyanwu correctly stated that the party was formed by the labour movement and would have to remain a party of labour.
However, the current speech-making by the party leadership in this direction is an echo of the consistent campaign of the genuine pro-labour strata for the party to be built as a mass-based toiling masses alternative.Equally,this is more of an attempt by an opportunistic leadership to balance the forces within the party –one calling for workers to take control of the day-to-day running of the party and the other trend of selling out the tickets of the party to disgruntled elements like Andy Uba and Ayodele Fayose.
Practically mobilizing workers
Apart from the laudable fact that the national party leadership as well as Olusegun Mimiko is calling on the labour movement to stand candidates on the party platform in the 2011 general elections,it must match words with action by practically mobilizing workers.A National Mobilisation and Recruitment Committee must be formed to organize symposia ,public meetings and rallies across the zones in schools,communities and workplaces to draw workers into the party.
Furthermore ,the demands of the Campaign for Mass-Based Labour Party comes to fore :
* Opening up of the party at all levels to workers ,peasants,marketwomen,okada riders,professionals and other pro-labour strata of the society(in this case,the Lagos State chapter must open up the party for regular meetings and involvement of rank-and –file of workers in the decision-making process of the party)
* Functional structures of the party at workplaces,communities and villages ,with ward and local leaders democratically-elected by the rank-and-file ofworkers,peasants and youths,subject to recall.
* Regular state congresses made up of the rank-and-file of working people to democratically elect state executives,subject ro recall.
Added to this is the need for membership forms to be mass-produced and the party relaunched in states and places where there are low membership.It is in such a well-organised,rounded-out manner that a serious nationally-coordinated membership need to be carried out.
Sharpening the party as a working people’s political alternative
However, the party can only appeal to the mass of working masses as an alternative if it breaks from its present collaboration with well-known bourgeois renegades like Uba and Fayose who have criminal cases around their neck. Without that, the diabolical aim of the opportunistic leadership will be achieved –keep the party in the store for the bourgeois politicians while keeping lip-service about workers joining the party-which they won’t on that basis.
This is where labour leaders, trade unionists and rank-and-file of worker,artisans,peasants and youth can make real the fears of the leadership by actually taking up a central role in the running of the party. They must also demand democratically-elected for guidelines for membership and candidacy, which must include open declaration of assets and evidence of clearance from criminal offences,failure of which warrants repudiation .Working class candidates running on the platform of the party must be fielded on the basis of:
· Taking minimum wage of the average worker,professionals,artisan,etc if voted into office.
· Donate the rest to the labour movement (for struggles) and massive developmental programmes
· Partaking in regular party and union,association or professional body activities.
· Subject to recall.
It is in this fashion that the party can rapidly win the support of the generality of working people.
Opportunistic leadership must be replaced
Such a bold campaign to displace elements like Uba and Fayose must be linked with replacing the current opportunistic leadership with a militant Marxist leadership. The complete process of mobilizing the working class to take a central role ,as outlined above will require such a leadership and their current leadership will be given the exit. Left cadres in the party will step in to take up this challenge. The genuine ideas of Marxism will gain echo and the conditions to transform the party into a genuine revolutionary force would emerge.
With such a revolutionary leadership at the head of the party,it would be possible for it to be the galvanizing force of the working class. Struggles ahead will be fought on class and political basis .The hurricane from below will blow away the current ruling capitalist elite .
For a fighting toiling masses alternative on a socialist programme
To draw the mass of working people into its folds, the party must be a fighting toiling masses’ alternative that will engage in the day-to-day struggles of working people-workplace strikes, factory occupation, student struggles, community protests and peasants action. It must be a party of struggle of working people and for their struggles.It must also be consciously different in outlook and programme to the ruling but ruining capitalist parties.
It must also take up a well rounded socialist programme for outright opposition to privatization, deregulation and commercialization and stand for the public ownership of the commanding heights of the economy under democratic working class control. However, a critical perusal of the manifesto of the party fall short of this..
Although the party adopts “pan-African, democratic socialist principle” ,it does not fully reflect an anti-corporate position as shown by its position on privatization,liberalization,etc.It stated that “public enterprise privatization where at all considered necessary must be based on a process-driven consent of Nigerian citizens especially those working in the considered enterprises and whose welfare must be guaranteed .This is inherently contradictory; privatization which entails the handover of public assets to few individuals cannot bring about “welfare” for workers .The examples of NITEL and NEPA(PHCN)are in point –they have only resorted in job losses and rip-off for capitalists. Working people need to take over the working means itself.
Education –With this nebulous economic programme,the party aims if voted to power to fund free and functional education at all levels. It went further to state that it would encourage “private sector” to fund independent research institutions. It is a common fact that under the current neo-liberal regime ,the private sector with the cheque-book mentality has only made quality education a commodity for the highest bidder .
Health- It intends to “create enabling environment for the establishment of more health facilities by private individuals and private sector to support and compliment the effort of government”. In short, the party aims to run public services on the fiat of the diktat of the market. This is nothing but an inherently contradictory position. “Private sector” are run for the motive of profit and cannot guarantee the provision of public services for the mass of working people.
Economy –It claims that the party shall “engage the phenomenon of globalization and liberalization by adopting a cautious and step by step approach based on national interest”. On the local industries ,it will “review tariffs to stimulate them and foster competitiveness of products to targeted industries in the international market”.
Neo-liberalism is the ruling global economic idea and it has only landed billions of working people in mass misery.Its policies of globalization and liberalization has only produced few billionaires at the expense of the billions of working masses. Therefore , a genuine party of the working masses that will guarantee genuine total transformation must break out of the orbit of free market and embrace an outright socialist programme of placing the commanding heights of the economy into the hands of the working class. Under a serious mass radicalization,the programme of the party will come under scrutiny and the genuine ideas of Marxism will gain echo.
A socialist programme will entail:
· Repudiation of the fictitious foreign debt and maximization for the total infrastructural development of Nigeria.
· Nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy under the democratic control of workers,peasants,artisans and youth.
· Democratic management of public enterprises by committees of peasants, artisans and youth.
· Free and functional education up to tertiary level.
· Free health for all.
· A massive public work programme to build hospitals, roads, railways,schools and generate jobs for everyone.
· A minimum wage of N52,OOO.OO both for elected office holders, subject to recall and for all workers with opposition to mass retrenchment.
· A democratic and centrally-planned production with centrally-controlled economy to safeguard available means for everyone without disparity.
This is impossible under a neo-liberal programme.Forward to a socialist Nigeria as part of voluntary confederation of Socialist Africa! Forward to socialist internationalism!
Ayo Ademiluyi,
[email protected],
Surulere,Lagos.
However, the current speech-making by the party leadership in this direction is an echo of the consistent campaign of the genuine pro-labour strata for the party to be built as a mass-based toiling masses alternative.Equally,this is more of an attempt by an opportunistic leadership to balance the forces within the party –one calling for workers to take control of the day-to-day running of the party and the other trend of selling out the tickets of the party to disgruntled elements like Andy Uba and Ayodele Fayose.
Practically mobilizing workers
Apart from the laudable fact that the national party leadership as well as Olusegun Mimiko is calling on the labour movement to stand candidates on the party platform in the 2011 general elections,it must match words with action by practically mobilizing workers.A National Mobilisation and Recruitment Committee must be formed to organize symposia ,public meetings and rallies across the zones in schools,communities and workplaces to draw workers into the party.
Furthermore ,the demands of the Campaign for Mass-Based Labour Party comes to fore :
* Opening up of the party at all levels to workers ,peasants,marketwomen,okada riders,professionals and other pro-labour strata of the society(in this case,the Lagos State chapter must open up the party for regular meetings and involvement of rank-and –file of workers in the decision-making process of the party)
* Functional structures of the party at workplaces,communities and villages ,with ward and local leaders democratically-elected by the rank-and-file ofworkers,peasants and youths,subject to recall.
* Regular state congresses made up of the rank-and-file of working people to democratically elect state executives,subject ro recall.
Added to this is the need for membership forms to be mass-produced and the party relaunched in states and places where there are low membership.It is in such a well-organised,rounded-out manner that a serious nationally-coordinated membership need to be carried out.
Sharpening the party as a working people’s political alternative
However, the party can only appeal to the mass of working masses as an alternative if it breaks from its present collaboration with well-known bourgeois renegades like Uba and Fayose who have criminal cases around their neck. Without that, the diabolical aim of the opportunistic leadership will be achieved –keep the party in the store for the bourgeois politicians while keeping lip-service about workers joining the party-which they won’t on that basis.
This is where labour leaders, trade unionists and rank-and-file of worker,artisans,peasants and youth can make real the fears of the leadership by actually taking up a central role in the running of the party. They must also demand democratically-elected for guidelines for membership and candidacy, which must include open declaration of assets and evidence of clearance from criminal offences,failure of which warrants repudiation .Working class candidates running on the platform of the party must be fielded on the basis of:
· Taking minimum wage of the average worker,professionals,artisan,etc if voted into office.
· Donate the rest to the labour movement (for struggles) and massive developmental programmes
· Partaking in regular party and union,association or professional body activities.
· Subject to recall.
It is in this fashion that the party can rapidly win the support of the generality of working people.
Opportunistic leadership must be replaced
Such a bold campaign to displace elements like Uba and Fayose must be linked with replacing the current opportunistic leadership with a militant Marxist leadership. The complete process of mobilizing the working class to take a central role ,as outlined above will require such a leadership and their current leadership will be given the exit. Left cadres in the party will step in to take up this challenge. The genuine ideas of Marxism will gain echo and the conditions to transform the party into a genuine revolutionary force would emerge.
With such a revolutionary leadership at the head of the party,it would be possible for it to be the galvanizing force of the working class. Struggles ahead will be fought on class and political basis .The hurricane from below will blow away the current ruling capitalist elite .
For a fighting toiling masses alternative on a socialist programme
To draw the mass of working people into its folds, the party must be a fighting toiling masses’ alternative that will engage in the day-to-day struggles of working people-workplace strikes, factory occupation, student struggles, community protests and peasants action. It must be a party of struggle of working people and for their struggles.It must also be consciously different in outlook and programme to the ruling but ruining capitalist parties.
It must also take up a well rounded socialist programme for outright opposition to privatization, deregulation and commercialization and stand for the public ownership of the commanding heights of the economy under democratic working class control. However, a critical perusal of the manifesto of the party fall short of this..
Although the party adopts “pan-African, democratic socialist principle” ,it does not fully reflect an anti-corporate position as shown by its position on privatization,liberalization,etc.It stated that “public enterprise privatization where at all considered necessary must be based on a process-driven consent of Nigerian citizens especially those working in the considered enterprises and whose welfare must be guaranteed .This is inherently contradictory; privatization which entails the handover of public assets to few individuals cannot bring about “welfare” for workers .The examples of NITEL and NEPA(PHCN)are in point –they have only resorted in job losses and rip-off for capitalists. Working people need to take over the working means itself.
Education –With this nebulous economic programme,the party aims if voted to power to fund free and functional education at all levels. It went further to state that it would encourage “private sector” to fund independent research institutions. It is a common fact that under the current neo-liberal regime ,the private sector with the cheque-book mentality has only made quality education a commodity for the highest bidder .
Health- It intends to “create enabling environment for the establishment of more health facilities by private individuals and private sector to support and compliment the effort of government”. In short, the party aims to run public services on the fiat of the diktat of the market. This is nothing but an inherently contradictory position. “Private sector” are run for the motive of profit and cannot guarantee the provision of public services for the mass of working people.
Economy –It claims that the party shall “engage the phenomenon of globalization and liberalization by adopting a cautious and step by step approach based on national interest”. On the local industries ,it will “review tariffs to stimulate them and foster competitiveness of products to targeted industries in the international market”.
Neo-liberalism is the ruling global economic idea and it has only landed billions of working people in mass misery.Its policies of globalization and liberalization has only produced few billionaires at the expense of the billions of working masses. Therefore , a genuine party of the working masses that will guarantee genuine total transformation must break out of the orbit of free market and embrace an outright socialist programme of placing the commanding heights of the economy into the hands of the working class. Under a serious mass radicalization,the programme of the party will come under scrutiny and the genuine ideas of Marxism will gain echo.
A socialist programme will entail:
· Repudiation of the fictitious foreign debt and maximization for the total infrastructural development of Nigeria.
· Nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy under the democratic control of workers,peasants,artisans and youth.
· Democratic management of public enterprises by committees of peasants, artisans and youth.
· Free and functional education up to tertiary level.
· Free health for all.
· A massive public work programme to build hospitals, roads, railways,schools and generate jobs for everyone.
· A minimum wage of N52,OOO.OO both for elected office holders, subject to recall and for all workers with opposition to mass retrenchment.
· A democratic and centrally-planned production with centrally-controlled economy to safeguard available means for everyone without disparity.
This is impossible under a neo-liberal programme.Forward to a socialist Nigeria as part of voluntary confederation of Socialist Africa! Forward to socialist internationalism!
Ayo Ademiluyi,
[email protected],
Surulere,Lagos.
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