{"id":9372,"date":"2020-03-18T22:46:18","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T22:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lavozlit.com\/?p=9372"},"modified":"2020-03-18T22:46:18","modified_gmt":"2020-03-18T22:46:18","slug":"britain-stop-capitalism-to-stop-the-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/workersvoiceus.org\/es\/2020\/03\/18\/britain-stop-capitalism-to-stop-the-virus\/","title":{"rendered":"[Britain] Stop Capitalism to Stop the Virus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Full pay and full sick pay for all \u2013 take all workers in-house!<\/em>
\nNHS take over all private health provision!<\/em>
\nISL [English IWL\/LIT section] Statement<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe outbreak of the COVID-19 virus emerged in China as a consequence of the huge and lucrative wildlife market, which continued to grow despite evidence of its link to the SARS epidemic 2003. In China, the farming and trading of wild animals continued and grew with a general lack of regulations just as occurs with the extraction of raw materials and pursuit of profit in many industries. In this \u201cglobalised\u201d world where the drive is to extract maximum value conditions are forced downward creating a world division of labour without safeguards and rights. Billions of workers across the world face a living hell as capitalist production has no concern for the health, safety and well-being of human beings.
\nIn the UK, the COVID-19 crisis has arrived at a time when many are still trying to overcome the flood disaster that has devastated their lives and homes and at a time of increasing economic fragility following Johnson\u2019s Brexit. Each crisis compounds and reinforces this crisis because the anarchy of government austerity policies have removed people\u2019s safety nets, without appropriate health and benefit support and an increased precarity in their work and living conditions.
\nThe world division of labour aims to maximise exploitation and profit, it means that plans based on profit not need. Currently ventilators for patients critically ill with Coronavirus are a matter of life and death and in Britain there are only 5000 ventilators. Ventilators are manufactured in the sweatshops of China. NHS privatisation has meant ensuring not what may be needed but based on what is considered an \u201caverage\u201d or lesser need. This assumes that health services can be run like \u201cjust-in-time\u201d production \u2013 a methodology in manufacturing that is now clearly considered to be fragile and unstable.
\nBritain, due to austerity cuts and privatisation, has the least number of intensive-care beds per person of any country in Europe. In 2018 the NHS had just 4,100 intensive care and high-dependency beds.
\nEvery European country is facing the crisis with the methods of EU brutality. In Italy closing down the country did not mean stopping production and safe guarding workers. A strikes emerged because of anger against the government disregard of workers\u2019 safety. We are in full solidarity with Italian workers who are striking. The EU and each EU country\u2019s rulers are putting the interests of profit higher than people\u2019s health. The best way to defend workers and people of Europe is to end the EU of banks and austerity. Solidarity to all workers in their struggle to defend lives.
\nJohnson aims to save banks and big business<\/strong>
\nJohnson\u2019s government plan for COVID-19, just like the budgets they have passed, is aimed to save the banks and business through tax breaks and with a few weak measures for the population which puts many workers\u2019 lives at risk. Workers\u2019 lives matter
\nFor example, the WHO (World Health Organization) stressed that countries should track and test every case of coronavirus to stop the pandemic, a day after the Johnson announced that only the most seriously ill in hospitals would be tested.
\nThere is not enough safety equipment for staff carrying out the testing and there is not enough or any deep cleaning of public transport. Yet the last go government package as we write is 350bn.
\nIncrease NHS funding to rapidly expand beds and staff<\/strong>
\nProfit over people means a lack of capacity in the NHS to cope with Coronavirus \u2013 ICU beds, A&E provision, trolley waits of well over the 4-hour target, 43,000 nurse vacancies, community hospitals closed, the fragmentation of our National Health Service into disconnected marketised segments. Drastic measures must rapidly reverse the cuts.
\nThat means emergency legislation so that all health services must be under the control of the NHS \u2013 remove all privatised provision and increase NHS funding to meet the needs of population to face the crisis. Make banks and big business pay.
\nFull workers protection<\/strong>
\nHealth and medical care in public places such as transport must be improved and measures taken to safeguard any workers in factories, workplaces and all public spaces.
\nFull protecting for all precarious and vulnerable workers is not being implemented. Reports show precarious workers are not being paid or are being sacked such as in London. The Private company ISS did not pay staff or provide them with protective clothing at Lewisham Hospital in London.
\nCleaning, portering and catering staff at Lewisham Hospital, where Coronavirus cases have been treated, walked out. ISS and outsourcing companies are not fit to employ anyone.
\nPrecarious work in public and private workplaces now endangers all, precarious workers provide essential work for all. All workers must have proper contracts, conditions of work and pay, and must have full sick pay, not the miserly \u20a418.00 (that the TUC agreed that figure) a day that will not pay for housing, fuel, food and family costs. Precarious work has to be banned by emergency legislation.
\nTenants<\/strong>
\nThe government\u2019s recent budget made no plan to protect renters from eviction or rent arrears. Their commitment to pay for statutory sick pay falls far short of the figure most renters pay every month. The average rent for a one bedroom flat according to the BBC is \u00a3650 per month. 4 weeks statutory sick pay is \u00a3377.
\nSome major UK banks are already announcing mortgage and payment holidays for mortgage holders. There are 2.5 million private landlords in this country, and the security and safety of renters cannot be left to a landlord\u2019s good will, otherwise evictions will take place.
\nA workers programme to meet the crisis<\/strong>
\nWe offer the following programme that unions and neighbourhood committees should develop:<\/p>\n