Archive for June 2014
2 June 2014
Rhydyfelin library occupied by protesters
Community campaigners occupied Rhydyfelin library on 31 May in protest at its closure. Four of them chained themselves to the bookshelves
4 June 2014
Stevenage: March against the far-right, racist EDL
The far-right, racist English Defence League (EDL) is planning to hold a march in Stevenage on 7 June. They want to spread their hatred and racist propaganda
4 June 2014
PCS-Unite merger: Will it strengthen our fightback?
One of the main debates at PCS annual conference in May was on a possible merger with Unite the Union, writes John McInally, PCS national vice-president (personal capacity).
4 June 2014
Mark Harding: In an important victory for all trade unionists, RMT branch secretary Mark Harding has been found not guilty of charges relating to February's tube strike
4 June 2014
Why I joined the Socialist Party
I am Liam Langan, father of three, carer to my three adult brothers, martial arts instructor, taxi driver and the list goes on
4 June 2014
'Join the socialists' week of action
There will be a 'Join the Socialists' week of action from 14 to 21 June when Socialist Party branches will be holding public meetings, extra campaigning stalls and other activities
4 June 2014
Successful building in east London
Almost half the people attending the East London Socialist Party's post-election meeting were not yet Socialist Party members, including four people at their first SP meeting
4 June 2014
Plymouth Socialist Party branch is set to hit its recruitment target in a matter of weeks. This is largely due to people seeing how effective our organisation can be at defending working class people from
4 June 2014
Debt collectors: Low income families, whose tax credits were incorrectly calculated by the HMRC, are being hounded for overpayments by HMRC-contracted debt collection agencies
4 June 2014
Enough of 'all the same' capitalist politics!
Musician Paul Weller, when asked on breakfast TV last week if he's still political, replied: "Like the majority of people I'm disillusioned with it all..."
4 June 2014
Inclusive capitalism? You're having a laugh!
If you're going to have a press conference, have a dear one. Get the mayor of the City of London and Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild to organise it...
4 June 2014
Children handed poverty "life sentence"
Five million children condemned to poverty by 2020. This is the stark reality for low-income families in Britain
4 June 2014
On 5 June, Unison - the biggest trade union in health - is organising a day of protest over pay. And there is plenty for us to protest about
4 June 2014
Unite conference: Fighting policies needed
Unite's new Executive Council (EC) meets from 9 June for the first time following the results of this year's elections declared in April
4 June 2014
Leeds unions prepare for action
The trade unions within Leeds City Council's collective agreement - Unison, GMB, Unite and Ucatt, through the JTUC have formally notified the employer of our opposition to the cuts it is proposing
4 June 2014
NHS: Night shift and a cold rage
I'm a psychiatric nurse in a crisis/home treatment capacity in a South Yorkshire mental health trust
4 June 2014
Plan now for the fundraising collectathon
Fresh from pounding the streets in the historic TUSC election campaign, Socialist Party members are now turning their attention to developing working class struggles in the workplaces and communities against this rotten government
4 June 2014
TUSC: Next steps building political voice for workers
On 22 May the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition presented the biggest left-of-Labour electoral stand in generations
4 June 2014
US: How Seattle won a $15 minimum wage
Seattle is the first major US city to pass a $15 an hour minimum wage. 100,000 workers will be lifted out of poverty, and millions will be inspired all over the country and around the world
4 June 2014
Ireland: Electoral surge against austerity
Ireland was no exception to the rejection of pro-austerity governments in the European elections. Three sets of elections took place on 23 May: local, European and two parliamentary byelections
4 June 2014
"Enough is enough!" - 1.5m could strike over pay
On 10 July, 1.5 million public sector workers could be on strike against a derisory pay offer. The Unite, Unison, GMB, NUT and PCS unions could all be walking out together
4 June 2014
Bakers' Union interview: "We can stop race to bottom"
BFAWU president Ian Hodson spoke about the Fast Food Rights campaign to Claire Laker-Mansfield from Youth Fight for Jobs
4 June 2014
UCU: Members losing patience with leadership
The 2014 congress of the University and College Union (UCU) brought to the fore members' dissatisfaction with an eighth consecutive year of a right-wing leadership undermining lecturers' and academic staff's need to fight and circumventing union democracy
4 June 2014
Build for co-ordinated strike action against austerity on 10 July and beyond
4 June 2014
Victory for $15 campaign in Seattle
"We did this. Workers did this. Today's first victory for $15 will inspire people all over the nation," said socialist Seattle city councillor Kshama Sawant. She was speaking after the 2 June meeting of the city council which voted to adopt a minimum wage of more than double the federal US rate
5 June 2014
Vadim Kuramshin on hunger strike
The human rights lawyer Vadim Kuramshin in Kazakhstan has announced an indefinite hunger strike in protest at the cruel treatment he is suffering in prison.
5 June 2014
11-day strike at Tilbury docks
Moves by the hardline management of SCA Logistics, based at Tilbury docks, to drive down wages by introducing zero hours contracts has sparked an 11-day strike which started this morning, Thursday 5 June
6 June 2014
Stop Leeds college nursery closures
Around 25 people turned up to a public meeting in Armley to discuss Leeds City College's imminent threat to close nurseries at its St Bartholomews, Brundenell and Thomas Danby sites which will see the loss of 30 jobs and a valuable service for parents who wish to take up Further Education courses
6 June 2014
Firefighters announce one-day strike
Firefighters in England and Wales will strike again over attacks on their pensions after the government confirmed it would implement a new scheme without further negotiations
6 June 2014
Cuts consensus: Labour joins with Ukip to back Tory council
Any illusions in the anti-establishment credentials of Portsmouth's new Ukip councillors were swiftly dashed when they joined forces with New Labour and the Tories
10 June 2014
Brazil: Solidarity with sacked Metro workers
A Metro strike in Sao Paolo state in Brazil is underway; 60 striking workers have been sacked and are appealing for international solidarity
10 June 2014
10 June 2014
After the Floods: Over 800 attend Spelthorne public meeting
Spelthorne residents, many of whom had been victims of the flooding, expressed anger towards the panel of 'experts'
11 June 2014
'Trojan Horse': who is attacking education?
Birmingham schools: For the last two months, news headlines have been dominated by the so-called 'Trojan Horse' story
11 June 2014
Newark byelection: capitalist parties in crisis
The Tories claimed the Newark byelection as a complete victory and much of the media has suggested it marks the start of the bursting of the Ukip bubble. Neither claim is reality
11 June 2014
Film review: Dramatic, inspiring and full of life, 'Jimmy's Hall', based on the true story of left-wing worker-activist Jimmy Gralton, is in many ways director Ken Loach's sequel to his outstanding 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley', writes Niall Mulholland.
11 June 2014
George joined the Socialist Party around the time I became branch secretary of East London branch in January 2013. He was an upbeat and treasured member of the branch
11 June 2014
When I joined the civil service some years ago, staff from a higher education background such as I were respected professionals with career prospects, writes Andrew Wilkins.
11 June 2014
Bakers' union calls for general strike
"My message to Frances O' Grady and the TUC is this: We've done the marches, attended the rallies and got nowhere... Stop beating about the bush and call for a general strike"
11 June 2014
Greece: CWI councillors elected
Syriza, the left party in Greece, is now the first party - 3.9 % ahead of right-wing capitalist party New Democracy in the European elections
11 June 2014
Spain: European elections redefine political map
Victor Egio (CWI member, local councillor in Santomera, Murcia, and member of Izquierda Unida, writing in a personal capacity) responds to the results of the European elections in Spain
11 June 2014
Now is the time to join the Socialists!
From 14 to 21 June the Socialist Party is hosting a ‘recruitment week’ to put special emphasis on building our party
11 June 2014
Firefighters to walk out for 24-hours
The FBU union plans a 24-hour strike across England and Wales to protect firefighters' pensions, following 12 shorter strikes since September 2013
11 June 2014
Care UK workers continue dispute
The inspiring Doncaster Care UK workers, having taken 34 days of strike action against pay cuts and NHS privatisation, voted at the end of their last strike on 18 May to take another 14 days of action in June, writes Alistair Tice.
11 June 2014
Sun don't shine: The Sun newspaper continues to attract deserved opprobrium from those affected by the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster when 96 Liverpool FC fans died
11 June 2014
PFI profit machine: Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes in the NHS, schools, councils, etc, are notorious for being a gigantic rip-off of the public purse
11 June 2014
30th anniversary of the historic miners' strike: On Saturday 14 June 2014 there will be a celebration of struggle and resistance marking the 30th anniversary of the great miners' strike
11 June 2014
A counter-march organised by the trades council sent a clear message that the EDL's divisive methods will not go unopposed
11 June 2014
World Cup carnival can't hide corruption and injustice
It is impossible not to notice that the World Cup has begun. While it may send some people scurrying for the TV remote, billions of football fans across the globe have been looking forward to one of the
11 June 2014
Counter-revolution crushes democracy movement: On 3 to 4 June 1989, Deng Xiaoping and other aged leaders of China's so-called 'communist' party, ordered 200,000 troops to crush a two-month long movement of workers and students against bureaucratic rule and for workers' democracy
11 June 2014
Housing workers strike against rep suspension
Between 6 and 9 June, commuters on Camden's Chalk Farm Road were treated to the familiar sight of union members with Unite flags and placards outside One Housing Group (OHG) headquarters, writes A Unite housing workers' branch officer.
11 June 2014
Unison: No waiting for Labour - fight the job cuts
Unison conference: While low pay and the pay freeze are a major issue for public sector workers, job cuts are increasingly a threat, writes Glenn Kelly
11 June 2014
Baby feed death: People have rightly been horrified and outraged at the recent tragic death of a premature baby in St Thomas's hospital in London
11 June 2014
10 July: United action can beat austerity
Trade union members want action on the most basic demand of all: pay
12 June 2014
Escalation of FBU dispute begins
FBU members are striking for 24 hours today against attacks on their pension scheme
12 June 2014
Victory! Library to re-open on Monday
In a stunning victory campaigners have forced Rhondda Cynon Taff council to re-open Rhydyfelin library
13 June 2014
Miliband forced to retreat from sinking to depth of boosting the Sun
Labour Party leader Ed Miliband has had to apologise for posing with a copy of the Sun newspaper
16 June 2014
Safety Glass workers strike for a real pay rise
Workers strike for an above inflation above rise and an agreement on agency workers
17 June 2014
17 June 2014
At the time of Bush and Blair's catastrophic and criminal invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Socialist Party warned it could lead to the break-up of Iraq and terrible sectarian war that is now being played out in front of the eyes of the world
18 June 2014
Austerity kills: Research in the British Journal of Psychiatry has shown that during the first two years of recession following the world capitalist financial meltdown in 2007, an additional 10,000 suicides were recorded across Europe and North America
18 June 2014
Nottinghamshire fire cuts - "pushed to breaking point"
Nottinghamshire fire service proposes cuts of £2.4 million. Warsop and Collingham - small, isolated towns - would lose their retained firefighters, providing crucial cover for nearby villages
18 June 2014
Birmingham: new Socialist Party branch
The new Birmingham South East branch is up and running. Based in Acocks Green, a working-class suburb of Birmingham , the new branch regularly held local Saturday stalls and established a foothold among
18 June 2014
Socialist Party Summer Camp 2014
August Bank Holiday weekend: The venue is on the A602, just off A10. Nearest station is Ware
18 June 2014
Book review: The man who loved dogs
Cuban writer Leonardo Padura's masterful novel, The Man Who Loved Dogs, is about the exile years of Leon Trotsky and his assassin, Roman Mercader, writes Niall Mulholland.
18 June 2014
Tory Lady's advice bureau: Last year, former Tory whip Lady Rawlings made the press by advising people on low budgets to use electric blankets and hot water bottles to keep warm instead of heating their whole house, writes Keith Whitehead.
18 June 2014
Trades council conference: workers won't wait for TUC
Trades councils held their conference in Cardiff on 14/15 June. This year, there was a pleasant sting in its tail!
18 June 2014
EDF energy strike: A third day of strike action by Unite members working at EDF in London, the South East, South West and Eastern region took place on 16 June
18 June 2014
Come to the NSSN conference on 5 July
Why I'm going to the conference: The 2014 National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) conference will take place just days before over one million workers could be taking action against cuts in our pay
18 June 2014
Report shows huge support for taxing rich
Where's our recovery?: Francis Bacon, the 17th century philosopher, said that money was like muck - no good unless it is spread evenly
18 June 2014
Survey shows potential for new mass workers' party
The Tories' much vaunted economic recovery failed to impress the voters in the recent elections. Now, a Guardian opinion poll has found that only 18% of the public believe they are benefiting
18 June 2014
Unison local government members want action on pay
Local government conference for Unison opened up in a very difficult period for local government workers
18 June 2014
Bakers call for £10 minimum wage
The June Bakers' Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) conference called for a living wage of £10 an hour for all workers
18 June 2014
Lambeth College indefinite strike
Lambeth College teachers in the lecturers' union UCU have entered their third week of indefinite strike action which started on 3 June
18 June 2014
Rhydyfelin library has reopened after Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT) council closed it for just 16 days. Over 100 people from Rhydyfelin were jubilant as the library opened
18 June 2014
Who do they think they're fooling? With the number of registered unemployed reportedly at an all-time low for this recession, the government again claims their policies are working
18 June 2014
Kshama Sawant to speak at Socialism 2014
Capitalism has created a world in which just 85 people have as much wealth as the poorest half of humanity. While the rich get richer we are made to pay for a crisis of their system
18 June 2014
Orgreave 30th anniversary - solidarity and celebration
Alan Munro, Sheffield Socialist Party reports on Orgreave mass picnic and festival where he was a steward
18 June 2014
Brazil: Upsurge in struggles of workers and homeless as the World Cup begins
In the context of a wave of struggle and protests in the run-up to the World Cup, the São Paulo Metro workers began a powerful strike on 5 June (temporarily suspended at the time of writing)
18 June 2014
Last week I got a text from a worried workmate: "1,400 redundancies, what we going to do mate?" "We will have to fight" was my response as we discussed the announcement that 1,400 jobs are to go from Kirklees council
18 June 2014
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition campaign reports
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) campaign in Yorkshire was a success before a single vote was cast
19 June 2014
Defending jobs, pay and services at Whipps Cross hospital
In April, the Unison branch secretary and stewards employed by Initial at Whipps Cross hospital resigned from Unison.
19 June 2014
Members of the PCS at all seven sites of the National Museum Wales walked out on strike yesterday in dispute over pay
20 June 2014
Who's speaking 'crap' Baron Heseltine?
Baron Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, with his estimated personal fortune of £300 million, believes people who challenge the myth of 'more people working' are talking 'crap'
23 June 2014
Firefighters in good spirits during Saturday's strike
'As with the last strike it's been absolutely solid across the brigade', commented FBU Salford secretary Paul Davies
23 June 2014
Safety Glass strikers demonstrate their strength
With a tremendous show of strength 200 Tyneside Safety Glass strikers marched through a Gateshead trading estate
23 June 2014
24 June 2014
Coulson convicted: now overturn conviction of Tommy Sheridan
Andy Coulson and other News International figures gave 'evidence' during the trial of Scottish socialist Tommy Sheridan for perjury that led to Tommy's conviction
24 June 2014
Fighting for young people in Blackwall and Cubitt Town
The contrast between the dilapidated ex-council blocks and the beacon of privilege that towers behind in Canary Wharf is extreme
24 June 2014
HMRC workers in Shipley had a well staffed picket line on Tuesday 24th June as part of rolling strike action across the department against the latest attacks by their management
25 June 2014
Review: 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century' The poorest fifth of Britain's households are among the most economically deprived in Western Europe with living standards on a par with Slovenia and the Czech Republic
25 June 2014
Tottenham: Stop fascist attacks
Over 300 people gathered for a protest vigil in Tottenham on 23 June after a small music festival in Markfield Park was attacked by Polish fascists
25 June 2014
National scandal: The Living Wage Commission has called for one million workers to enjoy a 'living wage' by 2020. Chairman Archbishop Sentamu said: "Working and still living in poverty is a national scandal."
25 June 2014
On 17 June, Unite rep Bryan Kennedy found out - by letter - that he had been sacked by One Housing Group (OHG). Bryan had been suspended since February. He will appeal this decision
25 June 2014
Western hypocrisy as Iraq disintegrates
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis) continues making territorial gains, controlling much of western Iraq along the border with Syria and has captured Iraq's largest oil refinery
25 June 2014
Blame the profit system not its victims!
Miliband attacks young unemployed: In the same week that a new TUC report showed the dismal job prospects for young people in Con-Dem Britain, due to the miserable failure of British capitalism to invest, Labour leader Ed Miliband has launched yet another attack on us
25 June 2014
NHS: The world's best - but for how long?
The National Health Service (NHS) is the best healthcare system in the world!
25 June 2014
Miliband - the emperor with no clothes
Labour leads in the opinion polls, just, but normally, a year before a general election, if an opposition is to win it should be further ahead
25 June 2014
Since the defeat of the miners' strike 30 years ago successive governments have continued the work started by Thatcher to take back all the gains in living standards previously won by workers
25 June 2014
Unison conference: members call for united action
Unison conference, which met on 18-20 June, was dominated by three debates: strike action over pay, the Labour Party and a lack of democracy on the conference floor
25 June 2014
GMB members question Labour link
You can tell the general election is less than a year away when Ed Miliband, Rachel Reeves and three other senior Labour politicians descend on GMB congress to whip up the Labour vote
25 June 2014
Ritzy Cinema strike: Ritzy Cinema workers in Lambeth from the BECTU union were out on strike for a seventh time last weekend in demand of a living wage from Picturehouse Cinemas
25 June 2014
Victory! York socialists win university letting agency
York Student Socialist Society recently won a major victory. Our proposal for the student union at York university to open its own letting agency will become reality from August.
25 June 2014
Winning recruits for socialism
The Socialist Party's recruitment week was very successful. We carry reports on two of the best results
25 June 2014
Grimsby Socialist Party members supported UK Uncut protests against Vodafone on 14 June. The local store was forced to shut up shop that afternoon due to the protest's success
25 June 2014
A day in the life of a supermarket worker
I work for Tesco in a busy city centre shop. Sales figures in my shop are high, but morale is low. Like all retail workers, we are underpaid
25 June 2014
When Thatcher unleashed her attack dogs
30th anniversary of the miners' strike: Members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) during their year-long (1984-85) battle against pit closures and mass redundancies faced the full might of the state from the Tory Thatcher government
25 June 2014
Gerry Conlon: Fighter against state injustice
The death of Gerry Conlon in Belfast has been met with mass sympathy across the world as people are reminded of the British capitalist state's vile injustice against the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven
25 June 2014
Hong Kong: Pro-Beijing newspaper attacks socialists
The pro-Beijing newspaper, Ta Kung Pao, recently ran a front-page attack on pro-democracy legislator Leung Kwok-hung (known as 'Long Hair') and Socialist Action (CWI Hong Kong).
25 June 2014
Israel: Nationalist thugs assault CWI members
Protest in Tel Aviv against military raids: On 21 June dozens of protesters - Jews and Arabs, including Socialist Struggle Movement (SSM) activists - held a demonstration in front of the defence ministry in Tel Aviv
25 June 2014
How can Unite lead fight against cuts?
Around 700 delegates and 100 youth observers will attend Unite's policy conference that begins on 30 June and will set the union's agenda for the next two years
25 June 2014
In March Sainsbury's posted the first drop in like-for-like sales in nine years, the Co-operative group went into meltdown, and Morrisons announced £176 million in pre-tax losses for 2013
25 June 2014
10 July: All out to end poverty pay
It's official: local government workers in Unison have voted to strike on 10 July (J10) against the Con-Dem government's pay freeze
25 June 2014
People's Assembly demo shows anti-austerity anger
On 21 June, a demonstration called by the People's Assembly marched to parliament to show opposition to austerity
25 June 2014
Coulson conviction: Cameron must resign!
An 'apology' from David Cameron, is nowhere near enough. He is desperately trying to wriggle his way out of this latest stinking scandal: the now undisputed criminality of the man he appointed as his chief press officer. Cameron and his rotten government should resign immediately and a general election be called
25 June 2014
'Freedom Riders' attacked by police
Around 60 of us had travelled together by train into Sheffield without paying as part of the continuing Freedom Ride campaign
26 June 2014
Pathology workers in Northampton hospital take action
Unite members in Pathology at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) are commenced industrial action at midnight on 25 June
26 June 2014
27 June 2014
GMB council workers to join 10 July strike
The GMB said council and school workers voted by three to one to walk out on 10 July over a pay offer worth 1% to most
30 June 2014
22 May Hackney & Islington Socialist Party: 10 years since the end of the war in Sri Lanka
23 May Wirral Socialist Party: How Teamsters made Minneapolis a union town
23 May East London Socialist Party: Socialist change to end climate change
23 May North London Socialist Party: End Israeli state slaughter
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