In this week's issue:

The Socialist 12 March 2008, issue 524

End the occupation

Anti-War demonstration 19 March 2005, photo Paul Mattsson

Five years of hell: The billions wasted on war and nuclear weapons should be spent on improving public services...

Gaza - end the bloodshed!

Iraq, Afghanistan: The bitter fruits of war and occupation

School student strikes

US & UK students in anti-war protest

Workplace news and analysis

Fight for a living wage!

PCS workers on strike. Mark Serwotka, (top row, third from left) joins strikers, photo Paul Mattsson

DWP staff on strike 17-18 March: Civil service union PCS members in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are livid that management have refused to engage in pay talks, writes Katrine Williams, PCS DWP Wales secretary, personal capacity.

Coastguards strike

Land Registry votes to reject pay offer

Wales further education pay dispute: Vote 'yes' in strike ballot

Andrew Price speaking at Socialist Party congress 2008, photo Paul Mattsson

Welsh members of the University and College Union (UCU) employed in the Further Education (FE) sector, are currently voting in a strike ballot in a pay dispute declared by their union with the Welsh employers' body fforwm, writes Andrew Price, UCU Wales lay negotiator on FE pay.

Shelter workers' strike success

Prison officers reject pay offer

John Hancock, speaking at Socialist Party congress 2008, photo Paul Mattsson

ON 8 March, John Hancock, (above) branch secretary of the Prison Officers Association (POA) in Wormwood Scrubs prison, west London, brought greetings to the Socialist Party's annual conference...

March for pay justice

Socialist Party NHS campaign

Derby nurses fight PFI pay cuts

Health workers rallied outside both the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary (DRI) and the Derby City Hospital (DCH) on 7 March in protest against the threatened cuts in nurses' pay, writes Staff nurse and Unison member, Derbyshire Royal Infirmary.

Hospital trusts... who makes the decisions?

Cuts continue despite financial surpluses

Post Office closures

Stroud - Save our post office!

PEOPLE IN Stroud, Gloucestershire are angry at proposals to close another five local post offices and will be demonstrating through the town centre on 15 March, writes Chris Moore, (Save Our Post Offices campaign)

London - Fight the closures

Socialist Party feature

World's poor hit by rocketing food prices

ONE IN six of the world's population (854 million) do not have enough food to eat. Every year, despite the recent boom in the world economy, another four million are added to this total.

International socialist news

New period of workers' militancy in Germany

A WAVE of industrial unrest has swept across Germany in recent weeks - affecting hospitals, local councils, airports, childcare facilities and public transport...

Socialist Party review

Profit motive and the whispering wind

This is a pilgrimage to cemeteries, graves, monuments and plaques commemorating pioneers, martyrs and countless anonymous fighters of the US workers' movement...