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Victory! Health workers walk out

Health workers are ready to defend their rights! That was the unmistakable message from the 160 domestics who walked off the floor at the Royal London hospital in Whitechapel, part of Barts Trust, London, on Thursday 6 April.

Hundreds march to save the NHS in Carlisle

The rally and demonstration in Carlisle called by Cumbria Health Campaigns Together on 8 April, against the Tory plan to privatise the NHS and particularly against the closure of hospitals and services locally, was a great success.

Carlisle NHS privateers leave patients at risk

What kind of people would build a hospital children’s ward with a firewall which stopped just above a false ceiling, allowing smoke and flames to spread? And keep these and other dangers hidden from the staff, patients and even management of the hospital?

NHS SOS round-up

Short reports on some of the latest attacks on the NHS.

School cuts can be beaten with a strategy to win

Our children’s education is under the greatest threat for more than a generation and an equally powerful response is needed. In the next couple of months, as schools begin to confirm their budgets and timetables for next year, we will more clearly see the scale of proposed school cuts.

Cuts leave schools unable to meet basic needs

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has proposed to fund free school meals for all primary school children by adding VAT tax on private education fees.

Cardiff: Labour right rattled by anti-cuts TUSC

The 100% anti-cuts, socialist alternative presented by the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) has been welcomed on the doorstep by people who are desperate to see an end to austerity. But some figures on the Labour right are less enthusiastic that we’re standing in the Welsh council elections.

Doncaster: Socialist Steve’s growing support

It’s been a great first week for Steve Williams’ Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) campaign for mayor.

Attacks ratchet-up Syrian conflict and fuel tensions between powers

Trump orders missile strikes against Shayrat air base: US president Donald Trump’s decision to launch missile attacks against the Shayrat air base in Syria ratcheted up the long running conflict there and dangerously fuelled tensions between the US and Russia and Iran.

France: Groundswell of support for left candidates

Old political elite discredited: In the forthcoming French presidential election opinion polls show that left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon is closing the gap on the three frontrunners.

Ireland: Bury the water charges

Simon Coveny, the Fine Gael Minister responsible for Water Charges in Ireland, endured a torrid time in the Dáil (Irish Parliament) on 6 April as Socialist Party member and Dublin South West TD (MP) Paul Murphy exposed his party’s attempts to smuggle the iniquitous water charges in through the back door.

Scrap the Tory ‘rape clause’ and all benefit attacks

Changes to child tax credits and the ‘Universal Credit’ benefit system will mean that people making a new claim from 6 April will have the number of children they can claim for capped at two. One exception to this is if the third child was born as a result of what the government calls “non-consensual conception.”

Thousands left with 50p for rent – cap rents, not benefits

Tory caps on housing benefits have left thousands of families with only 50p a week for rent.

47,000 kids exposed to illegal toxic air

Fight for publicly owned green energy and transport: Thousands of kids across Britain are having their living conditions worsened and lives potentially shortened as they are exposed to illegal levels of air pollution.

Them & Us

It’s one world for the super-rich, and another one for the rest of us including ‘champagne buttons’ and the ‘tampon tax’.

Solid strike across the rail network against unsafe driver-only operation

Train strikes brought large parts of the country to a standstill on 8 April. Train guards in the RMT union struck against driver-only operation (DOO) on Merseyrail which affected the Grand National horse race, on Northern Rail and again on Southern Rail, days before the franchise’s boss doubled his pay.

PCS election: Vote Democracy Alliance

The ballot for the 2017 national executive committee (NEC) election of civil servants’ union PCS opens on 20 April and closes 11 May.

Car workers strike at BMW in defence of pensions

By a huge 93%, car workers at BMW, producing the Mini and Rolls-Royce, have voted to strike for eight days in defence of their final salary pension scheme.

Derby teaching assistants accept offer to end pay dispute

Following negotiations and a ballot of Unison members the Derby teaching assistants’ dispute ended on 5 April. The members voted nine-to-one to accept the offer from Derby council.

PCS protest

50 PCS members walked out of the DWP administrative site at Annesley, Nottinghamshire for a lunchtime protest on 7 April.

Arts unions agree joint campaign work

Artists and culture workers have backed calls for no-cuts council budgets, and cross-union campaigns against poverty pay and under-representation of oppressed groups.

Livingstone, Labour and anti-Semitism

The continuing battle over Ken Livingstone’s Labour Party membership has shown how the issue of anti-Semitism has become an important part of the party’s internal struggle. With Jeremy Corbyn appearing to retreat under the pressure this could be an important turning point.

Excellent Socialist Party trade union meeting

An excellent meeting of over 100 Socialist Party trade union members took place in London on 8 April. It was a real show of strength of the presence and impact of the Socialist Party in the unions.

Last quarter’s fighting fund target smashed, now make our voice heard in elections

Socialist Party members throughout England and Wales are out campaigning in support of Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidates standing in local and mayoral elections. We are appealing to all readers and supporters of the Socialist to make a donation to help support those candidates.

Action against cuts at Solent University

Management at Solent University is rattled and failing to cover up its plans for extensive cuts and redundancies. Already staff in the UCU and Unison unions have voted 92% in favour of ‘no confidence’ in the vice-chancellor, who is paid £300,000 a year.

Police officers face misconduct charges over attack on ‘freedom ride’

Four police officers and one police community support officer are to face misconduct hearings relating to the ‘freedom ride’ protest by pensioners and disabled people on 23 June 2014.

Newham socialists attend ‘I, Daniel Blake’ film night

Newham Community Cinema held a showing of Ken Loach’s film ‘I, Daniel Blake’ on 8 April. On behalf of East London Socialist Party branch I was asked to introduce the film.

KCL housing ‘wall of shame’

King’s College London Socialist Students held a ‘wall of shame’ at the university about the terrible conditions faced by students both in halls of residence and renting privately in London.