In this week's issue:

The Socialist 17 March 2010, issue BA workers, civil servants: defending jobs and conditions

BA workers, civil servants: Defending jobs and conditions

PCS demonstration through central London during two day strike, photo Paul Mattsson

The sickening bonanza for the rich goes on; last week the Forbes 'rich list' showed that the number of billionaires on the planet has increased significantly over the last year, and they have seen their incomes soar...

Support British Airways cabin crew

The planned seven days of strike action in two separate walkouts on 20-22 March and 27-30 March by British Airways (BA) cabin crew opens up a new chapter in their ongoing dispute with BA management, writes Neil Cafferky.

PCS Budget Day action

Following their well-supported two day strike on 8 and 9 March, up to 200,000 civil servants in the PCS union will be on strike again on budget day - Wednesday 24 March, writes John McInally, national vice-president PCS, personal capacity.

'Winners' and losers in Royal Mail deal

Workplace news in brief

State infiltration - a warning to the workers' movement

The state, cartoon by Alan Hardman, photo Alan Hardman

Last Sunday's Observer (14 March 2010) led with a scurrilous 'exposé' of how "an officer from a secretive unit of the Metropolitan police" was "working undercover among anti-racist groups in Britain, during which he routinely engaged in violence against members of the public and uniformed policemen... "

Youth Fight for Jobs day of action

Barking Youth Fight for Jobs demo, photo Paul Mattsson

Barking, East London: On Saturday 13 March Youth Fight for Jobs organised demonstrations and campaigning activity against youth unemployment, cuts in education and the racist BNP...

Unison leadership's "scorched earth policy"

Defend the Four protest lobby against Unison outside Congress House, photo B. Severn

EIGHTY PEOPLE from Unison branches across London took part in a protest against the appalling actions of the union's leadership in the witch-hunt against four Socialist Party members, writes Paula Mitchell.

Coventry: Voters need socialist fighters - not service cutters

Dave Nellist at the Campaign for a New Workers' Party discussion forum at Socialism 2008, photo Paul Mattsson

"You know Dave Nellist and the Socialists - they are the ones who stand up for people like us". This was the comment of a woman to her daughter at one of our recent campaign stalls, a sentiment that...

Free the Tamil refugees

Tube Lines: Another fine mess

News in brief

Defend higher education

Course closures, funding cuts, job losses, fees... The last 18 months, since the start of the economic crisis, have seen students and campus trade unions organising protest action in Britain on a scale not seen since the movement to oppose the introduction of tuition fees in 1997-1998...

Defending public education in the USA

Another general strike brings Greece to a halt

ON THURSDAY 11 March, Greece was again brought to a standstill by the third general strike in a few weeks against the government's third draconian austerity package since the start of the year, writes Andreas Payiatsos, Xekinima (CWI Greece), Athens, and Niall Mulholland (CWI).

Iceland: 93% reject bankers' bailout

Interview with Skúli Jón Kristinsson, CWI Iceland We have seen recently some angry protests and demonstrations on the streets of Reykjavik. What is this "parliament of the street"?...

Thatcher's enemy within: 25 years after the end of the miners' strike

When the 1984-85 miners' strike ended, most of Britain's 180,000 miners had been on strike for a year in a battle to save their pits, their communities and trade unionism...

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

General Election launch rally: TUSC has been set up in opposition to public spending cuts and privatisation, for investment in publicly owned and controlled renewable energy, for the repeal of the anti-trade union laws, and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, writes www.tusc.org.uk.

Surrey workers fight cuts

THE JUGGERNAUT of cuts and closures is already being felt in Surrey, which people usually see as a place of leafy suburbs and stockbrokers, writes Paul Couchman, Save Our Services in Surrey (personal capacity).

Fighting the cuts at Leeds University

Unite to save Northcott Theatre

Cuts mean poorest people priced out of the legal system

Legal aid in crisis: "Do you think they'll evict me?" - this is the question I was asked recently at the County Court. I was the duty solicitor representing a housing association tenant who had £2,200 rent arrears. Usually...