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Resist Tory attacks on trade unions!
The call for free trade unions is an essential part of resistance to the Tory government and against austerity, writes KEN LIVINGSTONE
CWU members on the picketline

THIS year is the 50th anniversary of the Pentonville Five — dockers from east London who were jailed in 1972 for their part in defying the anti-union laws introduced by the Conservative then government of Edward Heath. 

The five were freed by the mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of workers who struck and demonstrated in their support and the subsequent threat by the TUC to call a general strike if the five were not released. Faced with such a broad array of forces the government backed down and the five were freed.

Today we’re in different days and with different customs — but at heart Conservatives don’t fundamentally change. In between partying and extravagantly redecorating the flat at No 10, Boris Johnson did manage to do a small amount of work in his time as prime minister. 

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