Workers should not pay for the Covid-19 recovery.
TUSC Wales today announced that Mark Evans, a leading trade unionist in Wales, is to head their list of candidates for South Wales West.
Mark represents Wales on Council workers' union Unison's Local Government Executive and has been the branch secretary of Carmarthenshire County Unison branch for over a decade.
He has led Carmarthenshire branch to fight cuts to jobs and services proposed by Labour, Plaid and Independent-led councils and calls for councils to implement a needs-led legal no-cuts budget.
(Photo credit: Walesonline)
The branch has been to the fore in holding the local authority to account on Health and Safety during COVID-19 and has successfully stopped cuts to services and jobs on many occasions.
Mark has been a socialist, trade union activist, community campaigner and opponent of racism and the far right all his adult life.
Mark, speaking in his capacity as a candidate for the Senedd elections, said "I have seen the consequence of ten years of Tory austerity on council staff and our working-class communities. Carmarthenshire council, for example, has had £120m stolen from it in central funding since 2010 with disastrous consequences. One in five Local Government jobs has been cut in Wales, damaging services and the local economy and putting huge pressure on the workers who are left having had to work harder for less.
"I have seen the failure of the WelshLabour Government to mount even a token resistance to the Tories. It is working class people in Wales working in the public and private sector who have kept this county and vital services running. They should not pay for the COVID-19 -19 crisis.
"It is an honour to be selected to stand as a TUSC candidate for South West Wales. We need real socialists in the Senedd who will represent the interests of working-class people. We need to show trade unionists, young people and the rest of our class who are suffering poverty, inequality, insecure employment, and low wages that there is a socialist alternate to the pro-big business policies of all the main parties.
"The Welsh Government should organise a mass campaign involving the trade unions, campaigners, local authorities, and working-class communities, demanding the return of the money stolen by the Tories through cuts to out budget since 2010. I will campaign for the building of a new mass workers party based on the trade unions and young people to offer this socialist alternative."
Mark follows the example of Militant (now Socialist Party) MPs like Dave Nellist and has pledged to receive only the wage of an average skilled worker if elected as an MS, donating the rest back to the trade union and socialist movement.
Contact TUSC Wales on 07772215281
email: tuscwales@gmail.com
Facebook: TUSC Wales - CULS Cymru
website: tusc.org.uk
A selection of press coverage of campaigning work in which Mark has been involved:
1) Demanding a legal no-cuts budget:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/31m-budget-cuts-devastate-services-13969107
https://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/19098129.unison-wants-carmarthenshire-implement-no-cuts-budget/
2) Supporting Black Lives Matter and the fight against racism:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/picton-carmarthen-black-lives-matter-18657135
3) Opposing the privatisation of services by Plaid Cymru:
https://www.llanellionline.news/unison-statement-councils-plan-outsource-trade-waste/
4) Fighting cuts to services and victimisation by Labour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ashfFQ5szo
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