Interview with Danish newspaper

Individualisation has shrouded our joint day of struggleMargaret Thatcher was largely a contributory reason for Kevin Parkin when he began participating in May 1 demonstrations.In 1984, the struggle for unions developed, and Britain had a Conservative Government when Thatcher pointed out that the predominantly 'red' unions were a security risk which was why union members could no longer be employed by GCHQ. An abbreviation for the government's communications headquarters, which is part of the intelligence service that monitors all forms of communication.The fight against unions seemed like a red rag to Kevin Parkin. "On May 1st we used to attend demonstrations at GCHQ in Cheltenham. I worked then in Leeds, and we came by buses from large parts of the country. There was an important social aspect of meeting people from all over the country and noticing how they were involved in the same causes", says Kevin Parkin.He was born in 1949 and has now long left the labour market. But that does not mean he is no longer occupied by the same causes. Kristeligt Dagblad met him at the headquarters of The Socialist Party of Great Britain. He is a member of this small party, and he is standing as a local councillor in the local borough elections on Thursday.  He is one of the members who will be participating in the 1st May demonstration in London, starting at the Karl Marx Memorial Library and ending in Trafalgar Square.His first job was as an office assistant in an insurance company when he was 15 years old. He was more or less compelled to leave school because he needed to help make money for his mother who was alone with him and his little brother. The parents had separated when he was four years old. Kevin Parkin grew up in a social housing development in the London district of Brixton.He is still talking about the special relationship there was when everyone was in the same boat and helped each other. Despite his background of the working class, he does not feel the Labour Party is something for him. "When it comes to Labour, I do not have any respect for them. I have never seen Tony Blair as a socialist. Gordon Brown would cope with the economic ups and downs, but then you have to realize that it is not possible to do much under capitalism ", says Kevin Parkin, with reference to the two latest Prime Ministers from the Labour Party.After his time in the insurance industry he found himself in the Post Office telecommunications department. This was where he became an active unionist in the trade union for public employees. "The telecommunications department was first separated as an independent unit to be privatised like British Telecom, but then I left the enterprise", says Kevin Parkin. He then volunteered for early retirement as a 55-year-old, something that would not be possible today."Trade unions were stronger then. That power has eroded, but maybe it's only one giant, asleep.  He can also see what happened to the unions. "It came with Margaret Thatcher and her thoughts about individualisation. She put up social housing for sale, she fought miners and we saw how the media mogul Rupert Murdoch fought the printing workers. I knew people who stood as pickets. For Murdoch, it was about making more money while the workers fought for better conditions", remembers the trade unionist who still sees a need to mark the workers' international campaign day. "People still come to May 1st, although it may not be in the same number as before. But It's a good reason to express feelings about togetherness and companionship, and the day is still in people's consciousness. But sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what comes out of it. It's good to be with people who share your view, but the question is whether it changes anything", recognizes Kevin Parkin.He also emphasises that it is the workers' international campaign day and when 1 May is marked in London, it is also about international solidarity: "Workers' rights are still important. But it is the struggle for a free Palestine and concern about the bombings in Syria as well. You can say that's all part of workers' struggle and you have to have an international view and not just that of a little Englander."