THE far left is usually an uncritical supporter of industrial action in any and all circumstances, rightly adopting Rosa Luxemburg’s stance that ‘where the chains of capitalism are forged, there they must be broken’.

Yet the two rounds of ‘British jobs for British workers’ wildcats this year have been the only exception to this rule I can remember since the 1970s. As I argued at the time, it is vital to avoid confusing form and content; however unfortunate the formulations invoked, the substantive issue of upholding the rate for the job was surely supportable.

The controversy may now reignite, after 7,000 GMB members in oil refineries and power stations around Britain voted heavily in support of official strike action over the issue. The result of a ballot of 30,000 workers organised in the same sector by Unite is expected next week, with ‘yes’ very much on the cards.

The seven sites involved are BP’s Forties pipeline facility at Grangemouth, the Ineos refinery at Grangemouth, Sellafield, Shell’s refinery at Stanlow, RWE’s power plants at Staythorpe in Nottinghamshire and Aberthaw in South Glamorgan and Chevron’s refinery in Pembroke.

Any stoppages are likely to be co-ordinated, and the result could see power cuts across the country. This is shaping up to be the most important blue-collar strike for 20 years, and now is not the time for sterile sectarian abstentionism.

Thought for the day:

When workers rise against exploitation and oppression with nationalist slogans, you say: “The rising is correct; please change the slogans.” You do not say: “The rising is bad because the slogans are bad.”

- Ernest Mandel, in an entirely different context.