from Workers World, published March 18, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, the government’s response to the crisis has been criminally negligent, while capitalists would rather risk workers’ health than stop production for profit.
As the ruling class shows itself to be incapable of addressing the crisis, how can we, as working class and oppressed people, organize to meet our needs? What demands can we put forward in response?
Workers World Party proposes the following 10 demands – which are a work in progress based on the fluidity of the crisis – as an initial socialist response to COVID-19:
- Free healthcare for all
- Nationalize the healthcare system under community control. Build emergency hospitals
- Full pay, benefits and guaranteed income for all
- Food, housing, medical supplies, and utilities including internet for all
- Suspend rent, evictions, mortgages, utility shutoffs and ALL debt
- Prioritize resources for communities of color, migrants, LGBTQ2+ people, seniors, youth, people with disabilities
- Empty prisons and detention centers. Shut down ICE. End racist attacks
- Community control. No cops. No military
- $2 Trillion to the workers, not the banks
- End U.S. wars, sanctions, and environmental destruction