On budget day, hundreds of thousands of workers went on strike against a backdrop of sweeping cuts to their pay and a government unleashing vicious attacks on asylum seekers.
Addressing a huge strike rally in Cardiff, Kwabena Devonish from Stand up to Racism launched a blistering attack on the UK government and urged everyone to join the march against racism this weekend. Below is the speech in full.
This Saturday, Cardiff will host a major march and rally against racism. The march is backed by the Wales TUC and leading figures in Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour, as well as asylum seeker, environmental and anti-austerity groups. Crowds will gather at 11:00 am City Hall, marching to the Senedd with speeches at both ends. Click here for more information and transport.
Cover Image: Kwabena Devonish addresses a Wales TUC strike rally in Cardiff, by Adwitiya Pal
“We’ve seen Suella Braverman describe migrants coming here as an invasion.
We’ve seen the UK Government’s pathetic plans to send people to Rwanda and their plans to criminalise people who come here “illegally.”
But there is no legal route to seek asylum in the UK. In order for us to pay for the crisis, they continue to punish us as workers. They continue to launch attacks on our pensions, on our contracts and they continue to push us in a way that is unsustainable.
We can’t continue to live in a society where you can work 40 hours a week and still not afford to feed yourself.
With inflation continuing to build, as workers we have a right to fight for better, to fight for more.
You can see how the government and bosses are fighting back with hiring and firing tactics, with precarious working contracts. This fightback is because we are the ones who make the profit. We are the ones who hold the true power, and that is why they continue to fight back against us. But that is why we must continue to fight.
Exploitation is a key component of the capitalist system and racism is a key part of that as well. Racism is used as another way to break up the workforce. Racism is used as a distraction to look over there while they take from our pockets.
Racism is used as way to divide us. This current government is telling us to look at our shores in fear of foreign rapists when no unions have received a pay deal that’s worth the paper it’s written on.
This shows that the true threat to our living standards and the true threat to our way of life is not coming from overseas. It already lives here, it lives in 10 Downing St.
Our fight today is not with anyone who is here. Our fight is with those coming to our shores by mega yacht, not small boats.
Our fight is with people you will never see on a picket line. As workers it is so important that we unite against racism and exploitation. Because if you allow it for one, then you allow it for all.
We have seen that precarious contracts are no longer reserved for outsourced employers who exploit migrants. Now they’re being used for teachers and junior doctors.
This kind of system will consume us all if we don’t fight back. If we cannot allow it for one then we cannot allow it for anyone.
We cannot allow this government to divide us and to point the finger at those who are vulnerable.
We all want better for everyone, not just some of us.
So let’s continue to fight. This Saturday we have a demonstration at Cardiff City Hall, the March Against Racism. I hope to see you all there.
We will have people from different campaigns talking about injustices and inequalities. We’ll have Siyanda Mngaza talking about her fight for justice. She was racially assaulted and she was subsequently put into prison for four years.
We’ll have John Actie from the Cardiff 5 coming to speak about their injustice that happened in Cardiff. One of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history happened in this city.
And we’ll have refugees coming to speak about how they navigated this awful system and how they continue to fight against it, because they want to create a country of compassion, to provide sanctuary for people. So on Saturday, let’s come together and fight against this government and fight against the bosses and fight against the fascists.
Let’s say loud and clear: refugees are welcome here, no to fascism, no to racism and let’s push back bosses, not boats.”
Crowds will gather at 11:00 am City Hall, Saturday 18th March, marching to the Senedd with speeches at both ends. Click here for more information and transport.
