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
Do you have something to say? Letters to the editors. Microplastics, jailed TUSC agent writes, antisemitism smears, and more.
4 April 2018
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
11) The Labour leadership also bear responsibility for the complications in the post-election situation
27 April 2018
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
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
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
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
17 Jan Socialist Party national women's meeting: Perspectives for women and class struggle in Britain
20 Jan All-London TUSC meeting
20 Jan Socialist Students national meeting: Refund the rent, cancel the fees and fight for free education
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