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Socialist Party news and analysis
Livingstone suspension: ‘Slow coup’ against Corbyn.
The furore around charges of anti-Semitism engulfing the Labour Party is, in reality, an orchestrated and cynical new stage of the campaign by the right-wing pro-capitalist wing of the Labour Party to try and prepare the ground for ditching Jeremy Corbyn at the earliest possible opportunity.
Bring down the Tories: organise to fight austerity
The trade unions, representing millions of workers and their families, have the potential – if they campaign, organise and coordinate their actions – to dump this rotten government. The unions should call a national demo in support of the junior doctors and against cuts. This should be used to build for coordinated strike action – the beginning of a serious movement to end austerity.
Doctors and teachers lead buoyant London march
Political censorship used against TUSC candidates
Bristol and Liverpool councils have carried out what can only be described as political censorship of socialists contesting mayoral elections on 5 May. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) national steering committee has agreed to formally complain to the cities’ returning officers.
Ex-TUC chief lines up with David Cameron
Brendan Barber, former leader of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has co-authored an article with David Cameron backing the European Union (EU).
Nearly two fifths of renters think they will never escape the rent trap. A poll for the Observer found 37% of renters believe they will never own their own home.
Aston Villa owners threaten 500 jobs
Fans of relegated Premier League football club Aston Villa will have been pleased the club’s end-of-season awards were scrapped – after a woeful season on and off the pitch. But many will be dismayed by management’s announcement that 500 jobs will go.
It’s one world for the super-rich, and another one for the rest of us.
1926 general strike
1926 general strike: when workers tasted power
The 1926 general strike – whose 90th anniversary we celebrate this month – was, alongside the movement of the Chartists in the 19th century, the most important event in the history of the British working class.
Hillsborough
Hillsborough verdict – a magnificent testimony to courage and fortitude
The recent verdict of the inquests into the Hillsborough football stadium disaster of 1989, which killed 96 people vindicates the 27-year campaign for the truth, which battled against establishment lies and slurs on the victims. Tony Mulhearn, who was an anti-cuts, socialist city councillor in Liverpool from 1984 to 1987, responds.
NUS conference
This year’s National Union of Students (NUS) conference took place amid a growing mood of anger at austerity in education, and renewed eagerness to fight back. This mood was reflected in the leadership elections and some of the motions passed.
Socialist Party workplace news
Solidarity with junior doctors: TUC call a national demonstration now!
The BMA’s junior doctor committee meets on 7 May to discuss future action following the latest, escalated round of strikes on 26 and 27 April which included a full withdrawal of labour for the first time. The meeting should include a call to the TUC general council to back the junior doctors by calling a national demonstration. This demand was put forward by the civil servants’ union PCS and firefighters’ union FBU but was scandalously rejected by the TUC on 27 April. The TUC has, at every turn, left the junior doctors’ struggle isolated.
Usdaw conference shifts left and demands “backbone” from the union
Against a backdrop of attacks on supermarket premium payments and retail job losses, the conference of Usdaw, the shop workers’ union, took place in Blackpool on 24-27 April.
Civil service: fighting the pay freeze
PCS has been campaigning against austerity for many years including the public sector pay freeze. We have argued that the best way to defeat the pay freeze is to build joint coordinated action across the public sector but despite this being official TUC policy, they and other key unions have failed to build this action. While continuing to press this demand, PCS is campaigning to win settlements that will improve our members’ wages wherever possible.
Library assistants strike against unviable shift patterns
Society of Radiographers conference: “We may be small but we are going to fight back!”
For the first time the Socialist Party took part in the annual conference of the Society of Radiographers. In 2014 radiographers took industrial action over pay for the first time since 1982 with the brilliant slogan “no raise means no rays”!
Short reports on some of the latest trade union struggles including Blacklisting victory, Leicester teachers campaign and POA conference.
International socialist news and analysis
Eyewitness account of France protests: build a general strike movement!
Striking workers from the railways, car factories, supermarkets, hospitals, offices and banks joined students and youth in mass demonstrations across France on 28 April. Led by lycée (further education) students, the Paris march was 60,000 strong, according to the CGT union federation.
Ireland: Campaigners celebrate suspension of water charges
Enda Kenny, Fine Gael’s acting Taoiseach (prime minister), has been forced into a humiliating climbdown over the imposition of unfair water charges. The suspension of the hated levy is a victory for anti-water charge campaigners, particularly the Socialist Party (CWI Ireland) and its strategy of building a mass non-payment campaign.
Socialist Party comments and reviews
Letters to the Socialist’s editors on junior doctors, the EU referendum, Paul Mason and protesters’ rights.