The Young Communist League sends revolutionary greetings to the workers and youth of the world on May Day 2023!
International Workers’ Day is a day of both celebration of how far we have come, inspiring revolutionary optimism across the world, and sober reflection, on what the working class of each nation must do to advance its struggle.
From rising trade union activity and strike action in major sectors of the economy, a new wave of climate activism which has successfully energised many workers and young people who were previously uninvolved and a willingness from working people to disregard and openly challenge ruling class laws and restrictions to advance the struggle, it has become clear this year that the working class are inspired with a fresh militancy.
In the face of economic crisis and falling profits, the short sighted hunger of the capitalist class to extract more and more profit from an already impoverished working class has backfired. With bills and shop prices soaring, wages stagnating (unless contested by trade union activity), and landlords holding such power, this last year has motivated many workers previously not politicised to become active and step up to the plate of struggle.
This fills us with confidence for the future of our class and the struggle for Socialism here in Britain – we are only beginning to see the scale of what we can achieve.
But we must not let this militancy be a flash in the pan of history. As the vanguard of the working class, Communists will fight to consolidate this power, and ensure the sparks that fly this year light a fire that burns across Britain, paving our way to Socialism in our lifetime.
We must be determined and diligent in our work, leading our classmates into struggle, ensuring our unions have the fighting direction they need, sharing our experience in the broad movement, strengthening it organisationally and politically.
In the face of the increasing recklessness of imperialism and the drive to war in Europe and a new cold war against China, we must redouble our efforts in the fight for peace and nuclear disarmament. Working people and the youth of all countries have nothing to gain from imperialist war – and we have everything to lose.
Britain’s Young Communists recognise that the working people face the struggles they do due to the economic system that dominates our lives and oppresses us each and every day – capitalism. We also know that we can not idly hope that isolated struggles in workplaces will spontaneously produce a mass movement for Socialist change. We must actively create this.
Britain’s Communists’ response is clear:
• Join your trade union and be active in your workplace and support your local picket lines.
• The industrial battles taking place must be lauded, supported and broadened – the fight against stagnant wages offers the labour movement today restate its relevance to a new generation, build on rising trade union membership numbers and class consciousness across Britain.
• The labour movement must fight for a class understanding of the cost of profits crisis and how this relates to the current industrial battles.
• We must galvanise resistance to any further Tory anti-strike laws – as well as other attacks on civil liberties – and develop this into movement for trade union freedom.
• Fight for real measures to help working people battle spiralling costs for food, energy and essentials remains paramount – and the labour movement must place itself at the centre of this struggle.
• The current industrial battles and resistance to the Tory government can and must be the springboard for a fight to remove the Tories from power and win a progressive government that can roll back attacks on working people and the labour movement.
• We cannot allow the prospect of a right-wing labour government to placate social democratic elements in the labour movement to undermine rising militancy. We must continue to call out the right wing nature of the current labour leadership.
• Britain desperately needs a strong Communist Party and YCL to strengthen the broad movement and play a decisive role in this struggle.
If you recognise the necessity of these next steps, and you are willing to put in the work to make them happen, you should apply to join the Young Communist League and the Communist Party.
This May Day, take that step, and join the fight for socialism in our lifetime!
Lenin! Party! YCL!
Central Committee
Young Communist League
1 May 2023
London, Britain
