Archive for August 2020

5 August 2020

From first wave to second? Capitalism's Covid failures

Boris Johnson's easing of lockdown appears to have hit its limits. Where now?

5 August 2020

Sick pay victory at Homerton hospital!

Workers and unions at Homerton hospital, east London are celebrating a major victory: winning NHS sick pay for all staff working for private contractor ISS.

5 August 2020

PCS union: Reject longer DWP opening hours

The government's headlong rush to pretend things are getting back to normal is impacting on PCS members working in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

5 August 2020

Workplace news in brief

Campaign group 'Sheffield needs a pay rise' and the fast food workers' union BFAWU organised a protest against wage theft at Papa John's pizza chain on 25 July.

5 August 2020

What would socialist universities look like?

Record numbers of 18-year-olds in the UK have applied to go to university this September. Applications are up 1.6% for UK students and 10% for international students.

5 August 2020

80 years since the murder of Leon Trotsky rally

The global economic crisis and the pandemic is causing mass misery for millions around the world not seen since the 1930s.

5 August 2020

Fighting to end racism and capitalism

Socialist Party black and Asian members' meeting: A very well-attended Socialist Party black and Asian members' meeting on 25 July was an opportunity to discuss the Covid crisis, the Black Lives Matter demos, and how we can build a mass working-class movement to smash racism

5 August 2020

Doncaster: Vigil for murdered women

Women and men attended a vigil in Doncaster on 22 July organised by the Women's Lives Matter campaign, after the alleged murder of five women from the town in the last two months

5 August 2020

The Socialist summer schedule

The Socialist is now in our summer schedule. This gives our editors a chance to take a well-deserved summer break.

5 August 2020

Unite union branch pledges to support socialist candidates who oppose cuts

The response by Tory Kent County Council to Covid-19 is to launch a public consultation entitled: "Have your say on Kent County Council's spending priorities and approach following the Covid-19 pandemic"

5 August 2020

Oppose BT site closures - national strike ballot needed

The site closure programme currently being planned by British Telecom (BT) will have devastating effects on workers in those areas.

5 August 2020

Cuba: Covid-19 and the 60-year-old embargo

Cuba has one of the lowest Covid-19 death rates in the world - 0.8 per 100,000, compared to 67 in the UK and 44.1 in the US

5 August 2020

Anniversary of nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Can the slide toward a new arms race be halted?: 75 years ago, as World War Two was drawing to a close, United States forces dropped two atomic bombs above the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

5 August 2020

GE Aviation workers march to save jobs

Over 400 GE Aircraft Engine Services workers and supporters marched through Caerphilly

5 August 2020

A-level results day 2020: Fight for our future!

13 August won't be 'business as usual' for young people, despite what the Tories say.

5 August 2020

NHS pay: 15% for all now

NHS staff remain in the middle of a gruelling battle against Covid-19, and are facing a second wave, yet many still have to struggle to afford the basics.
A national day of action on pay is taking place on 8 August.

5 August 2020

Labour payouts: unions must discuss political representation

Unite leader Len McCluskey rightly said Labour's leaders misused union members' money

5 August 2020

Socialist Party meetings: Online and in-person

Southampton Socialist Party was live, in two gardens and on Zoom from many homes on 30 July.

5 August 2020

Why I joined - Covid changed my outlook

I joined the Socialist Party a month into the lockdown. Previously, I had always avoided politics and tried to remain neutral. Covid made me change my entire outlook.

5 August 2020

Engage for Change Hull - trade union youth festival goes online

'Engage for Change' held an online, virtual festival on 25 July. Engage for Change aims to educate young working-class people on the role of trade unions through music and the arts.

5 August 2020

North London: Socialist Party speaks at BLM protest

A lively Black Lives Matter protest in Edmonton, north London, on 25 July didn't shy away from politics. The event organiser said the whole lives of black people have been political for centuries.

5 August 2020

Campaign stalls on jobs, pay, NHS and racism

All over workers are angry: Anger is deepening in London about the way workers have suffered disproportionately. We told people we will be challenging in the elections next year.

5 August 2020

Young Socialist day of action

The Tories want to make young people pay for the capitalist crisis. Young Socialists in London, however, made it clear that we are prepared to fight for our future.

5 August 2020

Capitalism's 'vaccine war' shows need for socialist cooperation

Covid-19 can travel round the world at jet speed. No one can feel secure without global action. Yet despite gushing words from government leaders about international cooperation on research and development, a 'vaccine war' is developing.

5 August 2020

Tories' obesity plans - blaming individuals not the profit system

First, the elderly were told to shield from Covid-19. Then, statistics revealed a disproportionate number of people from ethnic minorities were dying from the virus. Now, obesity is being linked to a serious risk of fatality from the virus.

5 August 2020

'First you clap us then you slap us'

Hundreds of healthcare workers marched from St Thomas' hospital in London to 10 Downing Street

10 August 2020

Revolutionary mood in Lebanon following horrific explosion

12 August 2020

After Scottish government U-turn, Young Socialists fight for a future on A-Level results day

Join one of the actions in 12 towns and cities across the country

19 August 2020

Students 2 : 0 Tories - Protests work!

The anger of school students has forced a humiliating double U-turn over A-level and GCSE grade moderation. Now fight for a decent future for all young people!

19 August 2020

80th anniversary of Leon Trotsky's assassination

A revolutionary whose ideas and methods retain their validity

19 August 2020

New book: Leon Trotsky - A Revolutionary Whose Ideas Couldn't Be Killed

New publication from Socialist Books. Leon Trotsky - A Revolutionary Whose Ideas Couldn't Be Killed is a collection of articles from the Committee for a Workers International (CWI).

19 August 2020

75 years since the publication of Animal Farm: From 'two legs bad' to 'two legs better'

What does Orwell's fable actually say about revolution?

19 August 2020

Student protests force government retreat

Reports from just some of the campaign actions which the Socialist Party and Young Socialists took part in...

19 August 2020

"As a working-class student, I already faced struggles"

While A-level students were dealing with downgrading, I and many of my peers were yet to even receive our BTEC grades

19 August 2020

September school return must be safe for all workers and students

After six months the Tory government has still not been able to provide an efficient and smooth-running test, track, trace and isolation system for Covid-19 cases in all localities

19 August 2020

300 Covid cases at Northampton food plant - management to blame, not the workers!

Nearly 300 new Covid-19 cases have been detected in Greencore Food Distribution in Northampton in just one week

19 August 2020

Tory track and trace failure

After wasting months, with Covid cases rising in more areas, the government has been forced to partly retreat from its failing centralised and privately run Track and Trace scheme in England

19 August 2020

Tory planning deregulation: a charter for building profitable slums

Under the slogan 'build, build, build', the Tories have announced that the old system of urban planning is to be scrapped

19 August 2020

Mass protests and strikes rock Belarus

Unprecedented numbers have been out on protests across Belarus, with reports of 200,000 demonstrating in the capital Minsk on Sunday 16 August

19 August 2020

To push change we need to be organised - why we joined the Socialist Party

I joined the Socialist Party looking for a real alternative to combat austerity, racism and erosion of workers' rights.

19 August 2020

Yorkshire: Celebrating the life and ideas of Leon Trotsky

Yorkshire Socialist Party held a political education meeting on Zoom on the ideas of Leon Trotsky, and the relevance and influence of his work today.

19 August 2020

NHS pay: unions must take fight to U-turn Tories

If the pandemic increased public appreciation of the NHS, the government has delivered a kick in the teeth

19 August 2020

Support the Tower Hamlets council workers, vote for Hugo Pierre!

Hugo Pierre, candidate for Unison general secretary, supported council workers on strike against plans to re-engage them on worse terms and conditions

19 August 2020

Black Lives Matter: this generation is willing to stand up and fight

Reports from West London and Brighton

19 August 2020

We can't take any more cuts

Fighting council cuts in Hampshire and Nottingham

19 August 2020

Nottingham: oppose the far right and attempts to divide us

Far-right groups are proposing an event in Nottingham on Saturday 22 August

19 August 2020

Your donations help us campaign

Donate to the Socialist Party

19 August 2020

Leeds: Little London residents are celebrating

Private developer Engie has withdrawn its application to build an 18-storey monster block

19 August 2020

Sheffield: Support Sue

We joined the protest in support of evicted care worker Sue on 7 August

19 August 2020

Brighton: Another luxury development

Another luxury housing development being built while thousands languish in inadequate accommodation

19 August 2020

The Socialist: back to weekly soon

The Socialist is in its fortnightly summer schedule - weekly will resume from 3 September

19 August 2020

Revolutionary mood in Lebanon following horrific explosion

In the face of daily furious protests on the streets, one by one Lebanon's government ministers resigned, until the whole cabinet resigned on 10 August

19 August 2020

Vote Yes in DWP ballot! Reject longer opening hours

PCS members in all the DWP's Jobcentres and 21 Universal Credit service centres must vote Yes in the ballot which starts 17 August

20 August 2020

Students 2 : 0 Tories

Protests and anger by school students have forced the Tories into a humiliating double U-turn over A-level and GCSE grade moderation.

27 August 2020

London protest on Phulbari Day demands delisting of GMC from the London Stock Exchange

A vibrant rally and meeting was held in front of the London Stock exchange