Urgent: one week to build Europe Against Austerity

Via Counterfire: 

Europe is facing its biggest crisis since the 1930s.

Commentators are admitting the situation is desperate, and that politicians are paralysed. Austerity is driving the economies back towards recession and increasing debt - and in the case of Greece possible collapse.

A Greek default looks almost certain - and soon. In Greece this will mean mass unemployment and immiseration not seen in Europe since the 1930s. It will threaten the European banking system and will send shockwaves through the rest of the world economy.

The European conference against austerity - in London on Saturday 1 October - will now be an emergency conference on the euro crisis and in solidarity with the people of Greece.

Leading activists are coming from all parts of the movement from the German Left Party to the Indignados from Spain. The Portuguese Left Bloc is sending an MP and trade union delegates are coming from all over the continent.

Olivier Besancenot, a leading figure in the New Anticapitalist Party in France, will be there alongside striking Le Havre dockworkers. It could be a historic conference which can start co-ordinating resistance across Europe.

People are now signing up fast online. Two days ago the Greek teachers union got in touch to say that they are sending representatives. Yesterday they were on strike.

If asked, most groups here will send delegations. Cambridge trades council report there will be delegations from a number of the local unions. A delegation of at least 20 is expected from the Oxford anti cuts movement.

Westminster Unison is contacting all its members to organise a delegation as is Ipswich PCS (civil service union) and an East London teachers' union. 5000 leaflets have been distributed by the University of London Union.

Counterfire is urging all members and supporters to go flat out to build the event from now. We need to make sure everyone understands how urgent the situation is and what a difference the conference could make.

As well as ensuring local activists we know are coming and promoting the conference on facebook, e-mail and twitter we should be contacting local anti cuts groups, Stop the War groups, UK Uncut, pensioners' groups, trades councils, trade unions, student unions etc and ask them to organise delegations.

This is a chance the movement can't afford to miss.

Register for the Europe Against Austerity conference

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