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What we think
Tories in crisis – Act now to get them out!
Theresa May is clinging to power by a thread. For the first time since 1982 two cabinet ministers have resigned within 24 hours, as the Brexit civil war has ignited into a full scale conflict.
News
600 more retail jobs on the line: workers must not pay for the bosses’ high street crunch!
Among the latest victims are almost 600 retail workers employed by Calvetron Brands, many in department stores. Hardly a day goes by in 2018 without more news of woes on the high street.
Britain bakes as water pipelines leak
June was the driest month on record in south east and central southern England, while Scotland recorded its highest ever temperature of 33.2C in Motherwell.
Minister’s benefits lie: sack the Tories – and scrap universal credit
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrogantly refuses to step down, after admitting to “inadvertently” misleading MPs about problems with the already unpopular ‘universal credit’ welfare restructure.
It’s one world for the super-rich, and another one for the rest of us including union votes and Lords ‘elections’, bosses’ Brexit ransom and migrant kids.
Trump and the US
Hit the streets against Trump and capitalism
5 reasons to walk out on 13 July: As we go to press, Donald Trump is on his way to Britain. This billionaire bigot is hoping for a red carpet reception. But the most important ‘welcome’ he will receive will be on the streets.
US: “We’ve had to build a huge culture of resistance”
Interview with socialist student activist in the US: In the lead up to the walkouts and protests against Trump’s UK visit, Lily Branchett from Birmingham University Socialist Students interviewed Greyson Arbeider, a student activist in Ohio and member of Socialist Alternative (cothinkers of the Socialist Party in the US).
NSSN conference
NSSN conference 2018: Mood for fighting action and coordination
“I’m sick and tired of hearing that the trade union movement is on its way out,” declared Linda Taaffe in opening the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) conference on 7 July. Part of the reason the lie can be told she said, “is the TUC itself. Where has the TUC been in the recent period?”
Workplace
Big victory for Wigan NHS strike against privatisation
In an outstanding example of how privatisation in the NHS is not inevitable, striking workers in Wigan have forced their NHS trust to drop all plans for outsourcing cleaning, catering and domestic services.
Campaign in full flow to squeeze out every last Yes vote in pay ballot
The PCS civil servants’ union pay strike ballot ends 23 July. In the time left we need to squeeze out every last vote.
Hackney traffic wardens strike for better pay and protection at work
Unite the Union members employed as parking enforcement officers by APCOA Parking in Hackney, east London, began six days of strike action on 9 July.
Summer of discontent on the cards in Huddersfield bin workers’ dispute
50 bin workers, union members and supporters came together for a march on 6 July from the waste depot to Huddersfield Town Hall in protest against bullying and racism by management, and a refusal to allow bin workers to take leave for holidays and medical appointments.
Tyneside shopfitting plant lays off 61 workers
At the start of their day shift at the end of June, management at HMY retail group dropped a bombshell on their workforce when they announced 61 redundancies – all of their production workers.
Unite conference sees union go in a fighting, socialist direction
Unite policy conference in Brighton on 2-6 July was notable for delegates urging its leadership to take the initiative on the big issues facing workers: Brexit, fighting austerity, racism and the far right.
Pressure building on councillors to stop fire service cuts
Tram workers strike against ‘derisory’ pay offer
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
On 14 July another ‘Free Tommy’ demo called by the ‘Democratic’ Football Lads Alliance will take place
Women’s Lives Matter launched in Leeds to fight domestic violence service cuts
After it was reported that services protecting women against domestic violence in Leeds have been cut by 59%, we helped call a public meeting to launch ‘Women’s Lives Matter’ in Leeds.
Service users and families protest learning disability service cuts
NHS Leeds: Campaigners halt outsourcing… for now
Campaigners had a big reason to be cheerful at the events marking the 70th anniversary of the NHS in Leeds.
On 5 July, nearly 100 local residents and trade unionists came out to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS but also to protest outside the half-built Midland Metropolitan Hospital in Smethwick.
Tories fractured… election possibility… give us the resources!
Fighting fund target smashed – now plan for next quarter: Socialist Party members raised a magnificent £8,453 in the final week of the fighting fund campaign for the April to June quarter. With this last huge effort we reached our national target, raising a grand total of £30,606.
Issue 1000 drive shows sales potential
Our branch organised a lot of extra sales activities for issue 1000 of the Socialist, which meant we almost trebled our normal weekly sales.
