Archive for April 2018

1 April 2018

Coventry solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza

Click for the Coventry Socialist Party website, which carries news of a protest held in Coventry in solidarity with the Palestinians who faced horrific brutality from the Israeli military on Friday

4 April 2018

End the housing crisis! We can't wait till 2022!

Labour councils must act now: We need council candidates in May who will fight the crisis

4 April 2018

BT can afford more - reject pensions offer

Only the threat of industrial action will force the employer back - as we are seeing in the universities due to the UCU strike

4 April 2018

Leeds NHS delays staff privatisation plan

Bosses plan to transfer staff including estates, facilities, domestic, cleaning, portering and others into trust-owned private companies

4 April 2018

Catalonia: new Francoist coup - general strike now!

The arrest of exiled former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has reignited the Catalan independence struggle

4 April 2018

Gaza - protest is not terrorism!

Walking in your own land is not generally considered a crime, but for two million Palestinians imprisoned in Gaza such action is viewed as a threat to the state of Israel by the right

4 April 2018

Retail crunch: even giants not immune as 21,000 jobs disappear

Fight for living wages and public ownership: A recovery in the retail sector requires a recovery in the pockets of ordinary workers

4 April 2018

Right-wing Vote Leave campaign may have broken spending laws

Fight for a socialist, internationalist Brexit: The allegations emphasise that in Brexit, as in all things, workers have nothing in common with the bosses and their politicians

4 April 2018

May Day! The Socialist needs you!

You can help make sure this May Day is celebrated prominently in the pages of the Socialist by getting in May Day greetings for our special issue

4 April 2018

Reject the deal - keep the action on

Consultation of UCU branches has been rushed, and there is a feeling among many members that it has been railroaded through

4 April 2018

Northern Ireland: peace process on the brink

20 years since the Good Friday Agreement: The establishment's narrative is that the 1998 agreement brought to an end a seemingly irrational tribal war - but this obscures Northern Ireland's class struggles and ongoing sectarian deadlock

4 April 2018

Bromley library workers walk out over 'insulting' pay offer

Workers at all 14 of Bromley's libraries started indefinite strike action on 28 March over a "paltry and insulting" pay offer

4 April 2018

Teachers vote to ballot for strike to win 5% raise

Members of the National Education Union have voted to ballot for strikes over pay at their conference in Brighton

4 April 2018

RMT strikes in Newcastle and London

Northern Rail workers strike to save the guard; DLR workers strike to defend conditions

4 April 2018

Students protest as NUS restricts debate

National Union of Students conference 2018: thanks to the actions of the right-wing leadership, the conference was devoid of serious political discussion on the most important issues facing the movement

4 April 2018

Bristol and Bath students join detained asylum seekers' protest

Detainees waved back after protesters chanted, drummed and kicked on the metal fences - the mood became more solemn as they spoke and led chanting from within via loudspeaker

4 April 2018

London tenants and workers protest against social housing auction

Outside the upmarket Marriott hotel, tenants and workers protested against an auction of their social housing

4 April 2018

Obituary: Lorraine Dardis (1965-2018)

Lorraine Dardis, a founding member of our US co-thinkers, now known as Socialist Alternative, has tragically died, aged only 53

4 April 2018

The Socialist inbox

Do you have something to say? Letters to the editors. Microplastics, jailed TUSC agent writes, antisemitism smears, and more.

4 April 2018

Fight the Tory enemy

Why isn't the scandal of children going hungry on every front page, rather than the false antisemitism claims of the politicians responsible for it? End austerity - challenge racism - defend Corbyn - stand firm against the Blairites

6 April 2018

Socialists respond to shooting tragedies

A 16-year-old boy has been shot dead in Walthamstow and a girl, age 17, in Tottenham

10 April 2018

More staff join strike action at Barnsley school

Striking teachers and support staff, together with parents at St Helens primary in Barnsley, chanted: "What do we want? A happy school!"

10 April 2018

Alienation and austerity behind London deaths - fight for socialism

Grief, anger and fear. These have been the dominant feelings in many working class communities, especially in London, following the deaths of a number of young people

10 April 2018

No to bombing Syria

The appalling devastation in Ghouta has been added to by the horror of a chemical weapons attack

11 April 2018

Ireland: March against misogyny and injustice

Socialist Party (CWI in Ireland) members were to the fore in organising rallies and marches throughout the country, North and South, against rape culture and misogyny

11 April 2018

Workers' protests against state repression in China and Hong Kong

The 'Stop Repression in Hong Kong' campaign, supported by the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI), is planning a day of worldwide protests on Friday 4 May against increasing political repression in Hong Kong and China

11 April 2018

McStrike: ballot for strike action at six McDonald's stores

The bakers' union BFAWU has notified McDonald's that it is balloting workers at six stores with a view to authorising a strike later this year

11 April 2018

Gender pay gap figures show need for trade union action

Figures released by 10,000 large companies reveal what most of us already knew: there is a huge gender pay gap in Britain. The median across the firms is 9.8% - but some had gaps of over 70%

11 April 2018

Child poverty to hit 5m by 2021 - strikes can stop the cuts

"My children have grey skin, poor teeth, poor hair, poor nails. They are thinner... when you see them with children of the same age who are from an affluent area, they just look tiny."

11 April 2018

NEU conference: Teachers vote to strike over pay and workload

The National Education Union (NEU) conference (NUT section - the last ever before fully merged conference next year) took place in Brighton against the backdrop of a perfect storm building in our schools

11 April 2018

PCS elections: Vote for Democracy Alliance candidates!

Ballot papers for the PCS civil service union national executive committee and group elections will start arriving on 20 April

11 April 2018

Taking the anti-austerity message to the chancellor's back yard

In one of the best local demos for many years, Surrey County Unison members turned out, alongside others

11 April 2018

South West Socialist Party conference

Almost 50 members of the Socialist Party from across the South West attended our highly successful regional conference on 7 April, including members from areas where we've never had representation before

11 April 2018

FCC Wilmington refuse workers' strike in hull stands firm

International solidarity from Spanish school students: The refuse workers at FCC Wilmington waste processing in Hull continue to stand firm in their demand for equal sick pay

11 April 2018

Aberdeen workers step up strike action against profiteering First Bus

The Aberdeen bus workers' strike is an inspiration to the entire trade union movement in Scotland and beyond

11 April 2018

A socialist approach to Corbyn and a customs union

Pete Watson, from Nottingham Socialist Party branch, takes up some of the issues raised in the editorials of issues 984 and 985 of the Socialist, which commented on Jeremy Corbyn's February speech on Brexit. Pete's points are followed by a reply from Socialist Party executive committee member Judy Beishon.

11 April 2018

Save our NHS candidate contesting South Yorkshire mayor election

Pointless. The election of a South Yorkshire metro mayor in May, at the cost of £1 million, is set to be one of the most pointless polls ever

11 April 2018

Socialist Party meeting to discuss fightback against cuts to women's services

On 8 April around 20 members of the Socialist Party who are involved or want to be involved in fighting the attacks on women's and domestic violence services met up to discuss the next steps for this struggle

11 April 2018

To produce the Socialist we need a building - help us keep ours!

Computers, phones, desks, meeting table, printers, distribution equipment, archives and a space for editors to work together. Without any of these there would be no Socialist newspaper each week - in print or online.

11 April 2018

Fighting fire cuts in Wirral

On our 31 March campaign stall to prevent the night time closure of Wallasey fire station, a careless passer-by dropped a cigarette into a litter bin

11 April 2018

Hull City supporters fight to reclaim their club and the game

Hull City AFC supporters are currently fighting for their club to use their full name and for concessionary prices for the young, elderly and disabled

11 April 2018

May elections: a chance to fight attacks on health and social care

Here's how councils can stop health cuts: Too often, councils will wring their hands and pass the buck when it comes to standing up to Tory plans for our NHS

11 April 2018

Defend socialist councillor Kshama Sawant against lawsuits

Seattle's socialist city council member Kshama Sawant is facing two defamation lawsuits, the aim of which is to silence an outstanding representative of working people and the oppressed

11 April 2018

Poland: huge demos against right wing government's abortion ban

A bill banning abortion in cases of foetal malformation has been suddenly enacted by the right-wing PiS - Law and Justice Party - dominated Sejm (parliament)

11 April 2018

Striking analysis in heat of 1917 will deepen any reader's understanding

Non-fiction: Trotsky in 1917: 'Trotsky in 1917' is the most complete collection in English of some of the contributions of Leon Trotsky, one of the Russian revolution's key leaders alongside Vladimir Lenin, in that crucial year

11 April 2018

Moving look at school students' many perspectives on sexism

Fiction: The Nowhere Girls: 'The Nowhere Girls' is written from the perspective of a variety of young women school students at Prescott High School in the US, although it mainly chronicles the three founding members of the Nowhere Girls, Rosina, Erin and Grace

11 April 2018

The Socialist inbox

Letters to the Socialist's editors including homelessness, economics, Iran, North Korea, hospital cuts, Russia and Universal Credit.

13 April 2018

Fighting the cuts to women's services

See report: Socialist Party meeting to discuss fightback against cuts to women's services - which discussed the next steps for this struggle

13 April 2018

No to the bombing of Syria!

Build a mass movement against the war: Theresa May, leading a Tory government with no majority, used ‘royal prerogative’ to authorise the bombing of Syria, afraid of losing a vote in parliament

18 April 2018

Labour councillors could stop unsafe 'driver-only operation' tomorrow

Safety-critical staff are to be replaced with a bank of tiny TV screens in the driver's cab.

18 April 2018

For a fighting, democratic Labour Party

The Socialist Party has written to the new left Labour Party general secretary, to discuss the Socialist Party's right to affiliate to Labour

18 April 2018

Young people need homes

Vote TUSC to fight youth homelessness and the housing crisis:
Youth homelessness is on the rise - the housing crisis and delays in benefit payments are major factors

18 April 2018

TUSC campaigners challenge youth club cuts

Hounslow's Labour-led council has recently decided to chop a further £27.4 million from the 2018-19 budget including slashing all funding for youth clubs, meaning they will close in the next few months

18 April 2018

Catalonia: 1m marchers demand self-determination

Over a million people came out onto the streets of Barcelona on 15 April to demand Catalan self-determination and show solidarity with Catalonia's imprisoned pro-independence parliamentary deputies

18 April 2018

Haringey TUSC fights Blairite cuts

In Haringey, where many right-wing pro-housing privatisation Labour councillors were deselected, in Seven Sisters ward there are TUSC candidates standing against the rump of discredited right-wingers still in place

18 April 2018

Huddersfield TUSC takes on the Blairites

The TUSC campaign in Huddersfield is focusing on two seats held by Blairite candidates in Ashbrow and Crosland Moor

18 April 2018

Butterfields tenants join TUSC campaign

In 2016 Socialist Party members helped Butterfields tenants fight eviction - they achieved a famous victory

18 April 2018

1,400 beds empty as patients lay in corridors: health unions must act now

1,429 beds are now in 82 'ghost wards' - unusable despite overcrowding in hospitals over the winter crisis

18 April 2018

Billions for the bosses, benefit cuts for us

Capitalist wealth distribution is now at its most unequal and set to widen further

18 April 2018

Them & Us

It's one world for the super-rich, and another for the rest of us. World's first billionaire; banker frets about Marx; paupers' funerals; fake apprenticeships

18 April 2018

Enoch Powell's racist 'Rivers of Blood' rant 50 years on

Tory MP Enoch Powell made his infamous 'Rivers of Blood' racist rant 50 years ago - we say the struggle against racism must also be the struggle for socialism

18 April 2018

Bromley libraries - indefinite strike action continues

Bromley workers have responded magnificently - but outrageously GLL has bussed in strike breakers from other boroughs

18 April 2018

PCS rejects Acas offer - further strikes announced

PCS served notice to conciliation servuce Acas on 11 April to start a programme of industrial action if the employer does not offer to improve chronic short staffing, downgrading and moving jobs out of London

18 April 2018

Vote for a left, fighting PCS leadership

It is vital that local reps act quickly to persuade members to vote for the Democracy Alliance slate

18 April 2018

Avenue School strikers and parents win judicial review

Striking staff and the parents that support them are demanding a ballot, which the governing board seems to be scared of granting - as it's clear the majority of parents oppose academisation

18 April 2018

Workers' victory over anti-union Scottish council

The Scottish National Party administration in West Dunbartonshire has reversed cuts to trade union convenors and union facility time

18 April 2018

Give us your change (and more) to fight for system change!

Socialist Party members strained every sinew to try and reach the target of £30,000 for the first quarter of the year; in the end we fell just short, raising £28,372

18 April 2018

Building fund: £150,000 milestone smashed!

As of last week we have smashed through £150,000 in pledged donations - this is an incredible feat of collective sacrifice by determined working class fighters

18 April 2018

The Socialist - a fighting, campaigning, workers' paper

We need to ensure that the Socialist is at the forefront of our campaigning

18 April 2018

Hull says no to war, no to austerity

Around 200 people turned out at short notice in Hull on 14 April to protest against the bombing of Syria

18 April 2018

Victorious Fearnville Fields campaigners thank the Socialist

"We would like to express our thanks to your paper for its coverage of our campaign"

18 April 2018

Vital depiction of fight for Aids prevention and treatment

Film - 120 BPM: Activists in 'Act Up' in the 1980s and 90s organised militant political action against the ongoing Aids crisis

18 April 2018

The Socialist inbox

Do you have something to say? Letters to the Socialist's editors. Antisemitism smears, imperialism's double standards, defend local football

18 April 2018

Usdaw conference 2018: time for new era of fighting trade unionism

President-elect Amy Murphy writes for the Socialist: "We need to support our members who want to take industrial action in defence of pay and conditions"

18 April 2018

UCU members vote to end pensions dispute

Universities UK has been forced to state that 100% defined contribution pensions are off the table

18 April 2018

Local paper reveals Labour candidate 'tried to defect to the Tories'

A Grimsby Labour councillor tried to defect to the Conservatives after Jeremy Corbyn's re-election as leader

22 April 2018

Bromley library workers win strike campaign

Bromley library workers have won a huge victory. This follows all out, indefinite strike action which began on 28th March

23 April 2018

College protest against job losses

Over 100 Hull College staff and students protested against the planned axing of up to 400 jobs

24 April 2018

School strike forces head to say privatisation will stop

Privatisation at Avenue school could be on the verge of defeat

25 April 2018

Tories out!

Vote against austerity, privatisation and racism: vote TUSC! Act against the Blairite saboteurs! For eight years Tory-led governments have tried to create a 'hostile environment' for all working class people

25 April 2018

Windrush scandal: Tories and Blairites must go

Windrush workers who became pillars of public services now find themselves denied access to the NHS, sacked from jobs they've held for a lifetime, detained for undefined periods, and some even deported

25 April 2018

Southampton: the cuts or no cuts election

In Southampton we are in the enviable position of campaigning to get Keith Morrell re-elected as a socialist anti-cuts councillor for a second time

25 April 2018

RMT Labour Party affiliation debate - where do socialists stand?

Dialogue with the Labour Party is welcome, but it must be honest. Unfortunately, many of the replies to the RMT's questions dress up the reality of the position, and are sometimes completely misleading

25 April 2018

Sheffield and South Yorkshire: no to closures - defend our NHS

In the eight years of Tory-led governments, 95 NHS walk-in centres have been closed - 40% of the original number

25 April 2018

McDonald's strikers: "We demand a living wage and decent conditions"

There is an overwhelming mandate for the upcoming 'McStrike' which is due to take place on 1 May

25 April 2018

Retail union backs zero-hour ban, leaders oppose rank-and-file coordination

Usdaw conference 2018: The left is making steps forward while the right-wing bureaucracy continues trying to hold back struggle at the annual delegate meeting

25 April 2018

Journalists' union leaders defeat call for political fund, but potential for left grows

NUJ conference 2018: Against strong opposition from the NEC, and misinformation, the political fund motion fell - but with a significant minority in favour, the issue will not go away

25 April 2018

France 1968: when workers were on the brink of taking power

It's 50 years since the greatest general strike in history

27 April 2018

Role of trade union leaders

7) The right wing trade union leaders, who were determined to get rid of Jeremy Corbyn just months ago, are resigned, for the moment, to his continued leadership for a period

27 April 2018

Character of Corbynism

11) The Labour leadership also bear responsibility for the complications in the post-election situation

27 April 2018

Tories in crisis

22) Not only Labour but also the Tory Party has an element of two parties in one, with the different wings completely hostile to the other

27 April 2018

British capitalism in crisis

27) That is not to suggest, as the capitalist remainers do, that the crisis of British capitalism is caused by Brexit

27 April 2018

Prospects for a Labour government?

34) The capitalist class fears that Corbyn will come to power and, under the impact of an economic crisis be pushed further to the left

27 April 2018

Labour councils

40) Another factor that could act to undermine support for Corbyn among a certain layer of the working class is the role of Labour where it is already in power: in numerous local authorities

27 April 2018

British Perspectives 2018

1) In the January 2017 British Perspectives document we raised the possibility of Theresa May calling a general election

27 April 2018

Stop Trump! Build for mass walkouts and protests on 13 July!

By preparing now for unprecedented resistance, we can stop Trump coming to Britain