The Socialist 24 March 2010

Strikers can beat BA bosses

BA cabin crew can win

Message of support for striking BA workers from Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins:

Striking British Airways cabin crew pickets speak to The Socialist

Support trade union and socialist alternative: Workers reject main parties

Trade unionist and Socialist Coalition

Salford: The growth of 'Hazel Must Go!'

Woolwich and Greenwich: For a workers' MP on a worker's wage

Stoke Central: Fighting for the millions not the millionaires

Trade unionist and Socialist Coalition general election launch rally

'MPs for hire' scandal

Hewitt's big business alliance

New workers' party needed

MPs: in it for the money

Far-right EDL outnumbered in Bolton, police try to even the odds!

EDL attend anti-racist meeting

Nottingham anti-EDL anti-BNP conference

Sussex: Students gain a victory - but fight must go on!

Cuts to higher education announced: Students fight back

Socialist Party youth meeting

On the march against cuts

March 1990 anti-poll tax demonstration

Massive rejection of Sarkozy's policies presages a 'third round on the streets'

Obama's neutered health bill limps through

Nottingham council targets the vulnerable

Dickens is back: Implications of poverty revealed in London

Barking council: Late developers

Battling against school academies in Hastings

HP workers take further action

Rail safety disputes

Previous issues, etc

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On the march against cuts

Across the country, students and lecturers have been standing side by side in struggles against cuts. This was repeated again in London on 20 March when hundreds of further and higher education lecturers were joined on their demonstration by students, university admin staff, members of the National Union of Teachers and other workers.

Ben Robinson

The demonstration was timed for the Saturday after the university budget (ie cuts) announcements on 18 March. Unfortunately this was also just before many universities had their holidays, so the protest only showed a part of the anger that is shaking universities. In addition to the demonstration, there was a successful strike at Sussex University on 18 March.

Queen Mary University management have reversed an earlier announcement about compulsory redundancies due to a campaign from staff and students. However, jobs are still being lost and it's likely that in future rounds of cuts, management will plan sackings.

Kings College London, where the demonstration started, is facing big job cuts, including Britain's last professor of palaeography. These cuts will affect everyone in education, and those hoping to return to retrain.

Localised job cuts will turn into a national slaughter. At Sussex University, vice chancellor Michael Farthing attempted to deny all responsibility for the cuts. But if management were seriously opposed to cuts they should refuse to implement them.

A national strategy is needed from the lecturers' union UCU to fight all cuts, linking with other university and college unions, including in joint national strike action.

The demonstration was a start, and an indication of the way the movement can develop. This needs to be urgently built on in all areas. There is a pressing need for a national campaign to link up the staff trade unions, fighting students unions and anti-cuts campaigns to say no to cuts, no to closures, no to higher fees.

In this issue

Strikers can beat BA bosses