Star date: 4th May 2019

ECCLES HOMELESS, DANCERS, BANDS AND HUNDREDS OF TRADE UNIONISTS CELEBRATE MAY DAY

Hundreds of people attended today's May Day parade, which began in Bexley Square and meandered to the Sacred Trinity Church, complete with dancers, banners, a pipe band and a samba band.

A feeder march from the Eccles Saving People Shelter drew attention to the eviction of over a dozen homeless people from the Shelter next Tuesday, with one of its occupants speaking at the subsequent rally slating Andy Burnham for false promises.

Full details here...

Today began with occupants of the Saving People Shelter in Eccles, together with supporters, marching from Church Street to Bexley Square to meet up with hundreds of trade unionists and activists celebrating May Day in Salford.

The Shelter, which has provided a roof and support for dozens of homeless people over the winter months, is due to be evicted next Tuesday 7th May, after a judge ruled out an appeal against the action recently.*

The Shelter reps carried a banner reading Homelessness Kills on the May Day parade, which went from Bexley Square to the Sacred Trinity Church, complete with dancers, a pipe band, a samba band, and dozens and dozens of trade unionists and political party activists.

At the subsequent rally outside the Church, Steve from the Shelter laid out his own history of homelessness, before laying into Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, as Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett and Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey watched on...

"Andy Burnham promised to get people off the streets and nothing has been done yet" said Steve "There's thirteen brothers like myself in this shelter with no place to go and no-one to help us. All we get is shifted and moved on.

"Where's the help that was promised by Andy Burnham?" he asked "It's just lies after lies after lies, and empty promises. There's no shelter, only prosecutions...It's a disgrace."

Andy Burnham was also slated at the rally by a member of the Fire Brigades Union over proposed cuts to the service, as he listed dangerous cuts that have already taken place, instigated by the Government.

Earlier, Steve Turner, Assistant General Secretary of Unite the Union, had given a bit of May Day's history, dating from Chicago 133 years ago, when four protesters were murdered by military police for wanting an eight hour day and decent pay. He talked about the Peterloo Massacre two hundred years ago and the Battle of Bexley Square in the 1930s, when police again attacked working class people for wanting a better world.

Steve added that from all those events and more the trade union movement was built "that defeated the spectre of fascism" with a socialist narrative. He brought events up to the present day and the need for that spirit again...

"Build a strong, powerful confident trade union and socialist narrative...a different politics" he urged "Organise, take the argument back into workplaces and communities to defeat of the spectre of fascism And Yaxley-Lennon needs to know that there will never be a safe place for fascists on the streets of Salford or any other town, city or village. Solidarity, socialism and a strong trade union movement are the answer."

Also speaking at the rally were Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, and Salford and Eccles MP, Rebecca Long-Bailey, who reminded people that Margaret Thatcher became Prime minister forty years ago today...

"...That totally transformed the way our economy treated our communities, and the affects of that change are still being felt today" she said "She told us back then that we could all own our own council houses. That's fantastic but now most of those council houses that have been sold and are owned by private landlords. Then she told us we could all be shareholders; that we could own the National Grid ourselves if we wanted to buy our own shares. But most of the things that were privatised are owned by foreign companies, not by people here in Britain...

"And she told us that when our factories closed down and the jobs went overseas, our mines, our industries, right across the north west, we were told not to worry because we were going to be a service economy and that jobs would be there for our children: well they weren't" she added "And now we have a Government that wants to finish the job, to dismantle our welfare state and public services and to create even more division within our communities.

"The sad thing is that Margret Thatcher also said that 'There's no such thing as society', and this Government doesn't seem to disagree with that because we've had nearly three years of nothing but Brexit in the headlines; nothing but Brexit in Parliament; and all the issues that are important to people in Salford are being ignored" she argued "All the while we've got people starving in this city, we've got people in work having to use foodbanks...

"And so it does my heart good when I see a mass movement like we're seeing in Salford today right across the trade union and labour movement, coming together to show Salford  that we've had enough" she concluded "...We won't be divided as a community, we'll fight the hatred we see on our doorstep that tries to put neighbour against neighbour, trying to convince us all that it's each of our faults for the mess that our economy's in. Well it's not. We know that the economy works for a select few and we're not going to accept that anymore..."

To see a video of the full march see the Salford Star YouTube Channel – click here

*For more background on the Eccles Saving People Shelter – click here

Tomorrow, Sunday 5th May, sees the Manchester May Day Day Festival – details to follow...