Is the 'Hard Left' capable of working with SOG activists?

Today I am asking the question of whether those who come from the 'hard left' can understand and indeed work with activists from Self Organised Groups. Unison has, of course, a vibrant and well developed SOG structure that has enabled progressive change and this has been mostly constructive and beneficial to members. But it is a sad fact also t that leaders of SOGs and mainly BWG have been treated quite badly by the hard left.

There is of course the question of what we mean when we refer to the 'hard left' so for the benefit of those reading this 'hard left' refers to small groups on the left that consider themselves to be independent formations or parties and of course there are many versions of these. I have personally, for example, worked with SWP activists in my own branch and have found them to be progressive, adaptable and helpful in most instances, no one can ever doubt their dedication to helping and supporting members. But there are smaller groups that have their own independent agendas and ideologies that prevent them from understanding the reasons for having Self Organised Groups as they believe that all struggle relates to class, in other words they may reject the notion that race, for example, is a significant factor affecting inequality and oppression. I think this may be a temporary thing and that they may finally understand the reasons for having to work with SOG's when they reach a higher state of development.

So you have two opposing groups. On the one hand there are those of us (many in the London region) who are active within the SOG union structures and then there are those on the left who simply contain us. They are not sure why we are here but they can see that we are growing larger in numbers and have therefore adapted and have 'made' themselves work with us. But of course this is very noticeable in many cases and the scramble to get people on election tickets to make it look like they are inclusive does not do justice to the cause. So more must be done to ensure that the two sides work better with each other. Those of us who come from SOG's would probably have to do more to get our people to see the left with less suspicion and the left (mostly hard left) has to get their act together to ensure that SOG's trust them more.

I am pleased that there is a movement within the London region for SOGs and mainly Black Activists to get together next week to look at the real problem and see how we can change things. I am personally against forming separate organisations and in favor of forcing existing outfits that we are very much part of to deal with the issues we have and if the hard left wants to work with us then they should start examining their own methods and way of approach. It is simply not good enough to be contained or for organisations like the United Left (not necessarily hard left) to be wanting to talk to us whenever there is an election coming up. I shall be very vocal on this and make my views known at the meeting next week. I see the meeting as the starting point for something much bigger where all community groups with a link to Black activism unite and put their energy towards achieving real change.