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Socialist Party news and analysis
The misery continues. As we go to press there are still 118 flood warnings and 166 flood alerts. Four people have died. Thousands of houses and properties are under water
Floods reveal rottenness of government cuts
Climate change policy failure: Commenting on the most exceptional period of rainfall since records began 248 years ago, the Met Office’s Chief Scientist, Julia Slingo, has said that “all the evidence suggests there is a link to climate change”
High rents + low wages – End this housing misery
‘Generation rent’ is becoming more like ‘three generations rent’. The website spareroom.com has recently revealed that in 2013 more than 60,000 over-40s placed ‘room wanted’ adverts on the site
Scotland: ‘Project Fear’ goes into overdrive
The growing conflict over Scottish independence has dramatically escalated following the coordinated intervention by the main pro-union parties
Affordable childcare? And where are the jobs?
Barclay’s bonuses – laughing all the way to the bank
It has been announced that Barclays Bank is to cut 10,000-12,000 jobs in 2014, 7,000 of which will be in the UK
International socialist news and analysis
Bosnia: mass protests show potential of working class
A revolt of workers, students, the jobless and war veterans has swept across Bosnia Herzegovina, in protest at dire economic and social conditions and institutionalised ethnic division
Socialist Party workplace news
Doncaster care workers vote for seven-day strike
Care UK workers in Doncaster have voted by over 90% for serious action against attacks on pay and conditions
Care worker action escalates in Glasgow
The Glasgow care workers strike action is growing stronger and more solid. After taking two 48-hour strikes in January nearly 400 Unison members involved completed a 72-hour strike over the Valentine’s weekend
Runcorn: Workers’ solidarity scores victory
There was an unofficial walkout by construction workers at Runcorn thermal power station on 13 February in another dispute over safety issues on the site in north west England
Newham primary school strike over new pay scheme
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Time to strike the bedroom tax a killer blow
Across Britain the implementation of the bedroom tax has created seething anger
Service users “terrified” by cuts in Worcester
80 people whistled, rattled and jeered at a midday protest as Worcestershire county council voted to cut £98 million of services
Kent: Marching to save children’s centres
Anti-cuts councillor exposes devastating cuts plans
Lewisham Labour mayor Steve Bullock’s council policy is cuts, cuts and more cuts. There have already been £82 million of them, £17 million are planned after May’s council election
Medway council will “rue the day” they attacked library
Over 60 people attended a public meeting in Strood, one of the Medway towns in Kent, on 15 February to discuss the next moves in a grassroots campaign to save the local library
Fast Food Rights day of action
In Newcastle we had an excellent Fast Food Rights day of action on 15 February. We staged a protest outside McDonalds which included activists from Youth Fight for Jobs and the bakers union BFAWU
Stop the deportation of Jermaine Strachen
Socialist Party conferences prepare for year ahead
Wales: Around 50 Socialist Party Wales members from all parts of the country held a very successful annual conference in Cardiff on 16 February
The Socialist readers’ comments
Working nights is bad for your health
For years scientists and trade unions have compiled a growing body of evidence, warning of the dangers of night shifts
I work for the police as a call handler. I have to work shift patterns that include nights. We provide a service over 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Cycling deaths must be stopped
Britain’s cyclists have seen another bad week for safety. The police responded to the last surge in fatalities in London cycling by ordering a clampdown on cyclists. Nick Auvache investigates
‘Criminal’ waste and ‘legal’ waste
A lot of food is wasted in Britain. At farms, ‘wonky’ vegetables are rejected; at warehouses huge amounts of packaged foods are discarded because of split packets or minor blemishes
Campaign against “Lobbying Bill”
The Transparency of Lobbying, Third Party Funding and Trade Union Administration Bill (Lobbying Bill) will become law shortly