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What we think
Talk of a split by Blairite Remainer MPs has increased, with the Observer newspaper reporting on 3 February that “rebel Labour MPs are set to quit the party and form centre group”.
Workplace news
College lecturers strike for a pay rise
Reports of college strikes around the country for better pay.
University and College Union elections
16 further education colleges just took strike action over pay and conditions. In higher education, we are fighting to beat the Tories’ anti-union laws in the equality and pay ballot.
PCS: Campaign for Chris Baugh for AGS
Socialist Party member Chris Baugh won the recent re-run election for the broad left of the civil servants’ union PCS – Left Unity (LU) – nomination to be its assistant general secretary (AGS) candidate. Chris won by 181 votes to 163.
Traffic wardens’ strike is just the ticket
London traffic warden strikes for better pay.
Unison: Democracy and the right to speak out are under threat
Three members of public sector union Unison’s national executive council (NEC), including two Socialist Party supporters, have received a letter from the union stating that there have been complaints made that they “breached collective responsibility” at the NEC meeting on 6 December and that they are now under investigation.
Historic strike of nurses in Ireland
Nearly 40,000 nurses and other health workers in Ireland started a 24-hour strike on 30 January to demand a pay rise. Their union, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, has more strike days planned in February.
Backing for the Birmingham homecarers
Birmingham’s homecare workers could lose up to £4,100 if the Labour council cuts their hours. Over 80 people attended the Trade Union Congress solidarity rally for the striking workers on 29 January.
News
Tory Brexit farce, Corbyn and unions: Call mass action now
For all those of us living in the real world, the pantomime season is long since over. But, as the Tory Brexit crisis plays itself out daily in parliament, it can just seem like a toffs’ slanging match stuck on a loop.
Cash-starved health service ripped off by big pharma – fund our NHS now!
The NHS has been priced out of buying a life-saving drug by pharmaceutical company Vertex. The cystic fibrosis drug, which can extend the life of children, costs £105,000 a year – a price which the NHS says is “unaffordable”.
Struggling unis account for bulk of unconditional offers – end education marketisation!
It has been revealed that 20 universities are responsible for the massive spike in unconditional offers to students.
Billionaires avoid paying and even talking about tax! Take the wealth off the 1%
Lords and the homeless – its one world for the super-rich and another for the rest of us
Iranian revolution
40 years since the Iranian revolution: Learning the lessons for today’s new working-class struggles
Forty years ago a great revolution against a dictatorial monarchy was in progress in Iran. Recalling those days still inspires us: scenes of comradeship despite the shortages due to long days of nationwide strikes, initiatives by ordinary people to run their communities and workplaces
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Haringey ‘Corbyn council’ must fight borough regeneration
The Latin American market and cafe at Wards Corner in Haringey, north London, has provided a much-loved community hub for two decades. For over ten years the traders and community have fought plans for demolition and ‘regeneration’.
Victory! Campaign reverses Wallasey fire cuts
The small town of Wallasey, on the Wirral, tucked away in a corner of the North West, is very much the same as any other small town, ordinary and unassuming.
Sheffield tree campaigners’ legal win
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has ruled that seven Sheffield Trees Action Group campaigners were wrongly arrested in 2016 and 2017.
It has been a busy week campaigning in Coxford ward in Southampton. Workers and residents need a councillor who will continue former councillor Keith Morrell’s anti-cuts stand in the 14 March by-election.
Worcestershire: save the libraries, reverse all the cuts
Worcestershire’s Tory county council wants to close nine community libraries, and sack workers and reduce opening hours in at least six others. We say no! Enough is enough!
‘Stansted 15’ deportation protesters could face jail
At the time of going to press, 15 young people will be anxiously facing the judge at Chelmsford Crown Court, waiting to be sentenced. Many fear it will be jail.
North West Socialist Party conference
The Socialist Party’s North West region held a very successful conference on Saturday 2 February, with nearly 50 members attending from across the region
International socialist news and analysis
United States: LA teachers’ strike defeats privatisers
After a six-day strike, the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union ratified a new contract with the Los Angeles Unified School District in California on 22 January.
France gilets jaunes’ backed by mass strike action
The ‘gilets jaunes’ (yellow vests) movement in France is by no means over. Saturday 2 February saw ‘Act 13’ of the series of weekend demonstrations, swelled by anger at the blinding by rubber bullets of gilets jaunes protesters including a prominent member of the movement, Jerome Rodrigues.
Sweden: dock strikes test new government
Dock workers in Sweden are striking for their trade union rights. The employers have closed down their union offices and stopped recognising elected representatives of their main union.
United States: strike ends federal shutdown
Opinion
Film: Vice – Dick Cheney – a cold and calculating opportunist
“So?” is Dick Che-ney’s response to the fact that two-thirds of Americans said the 2003 Iraq war was not worth fighting. ‘Vice’ closes with this.
Theatre: Ballad of Johnny Longstaff
Three times BBC Radio 2 folk award winners, The Young’uns began their Ballad of Johnny Longstaff tour at Hull University on 28 January and Hull Socialist Party branch was there to see it.
Letters to the Socialist’s editors including probation service failures and Venezuela.