The Socialist 11 March 2020

Coronavirus: Full NHS funding now

Coronavirus: Full NHS funding now

Coronavirus infects the world economy

Flybe collapse: nationalise to save jobs threatened by Covid-19 and downturn

Coronavirus: international cooperation needed, not capitalist competition

Supermarkets are ruled by profit - unions should control supply limits

For full pay during isolation: for public health as well as workers' wallets

Self-isolation patients speak: NHS facilities and advice not up to it

Italy on lockdown: lack of resources and democracy causes panic

South Korea shows capitalism has money to respond to coronavirus

Coronavirus news in brief

Domestic Violence bill: We still need to fight to save our services

News in brief

Postal workers mobilise to win strike reballot

Homerton Hospital workers fight for sick pay

Fighting to transform the union in my warehouse

Argos workers in Sainsbury's stores threatened with losing collective bargaining

Homeless charity workers to strike against intransigent management

Southampton trade unionists say "defend the right to strike!"

Strong support for PCS Broad Left Network

East London uni and bin worker strikes

How can Trump be ousted from the White House?

Salford 'no-cuts' budget includes cuts and tax rises

Stoke council unions beat pay cuts - now let's stop all cuts

Is there an anti-cuts rebellion in Scotland?

Socialist Party joins International Women's Day protests

Housing workers explain reality to idiot Boris Johnson

Swansea: Ask anyone about state of services, you will hear the real story

Camarthenshire: Councillors' 'walk of shame'

Student occupation in support of striking workers

Selling the Socialist

Socialist Party executive committee positions

Greece-Turkey border refugee crisis

Women's rights, trans rights and the labour movement

Film: Greed directed by Michael Winterbottom

Childcare - costly, inadequate and hard work

Book: Why you should be a trade unionist by Unite general secretary Len McCluskey

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News in brief

Amazon warehouse jungle

photos reynermedia, Steve Jurvetson, Scott Lewis, all CC, photo reynermedia, Steve Jurvetson, Scott Lewis, all CC (Click to enlarge)

Hundreds of injuries have taken place at Amazon warehouses in Britain in the past three years. The GMB union says that one worker at a London site was left unconscious after a head injury and stopped breathing. And figures show it's getting worse.

Amazon employs over 27,000 workers in the UK. Between 2016 and 2019, 622 serious injuries were reported, including five 'near misses'. Serious injuries are those severe enough to stop someone doing their normal job for seven days.

Workers at Amazon are paid £9.50 an hour. It would take them around 203 hours to match the £1,925 Amazon boss Jeff Bezos earns every second - safely sat in his plush office, lounging around in his mansion or sunning himself on a yacht, away from his company's dangerous warehouses.

Boris's 'golden age'

Boris Johnson's Queen's Speech in December bragged of a "golden age for the UK." The prime minister also pledged to upgrade workers' rights as part of a Tory Brexit.

The reality is a million miles away from this nonsense. After a decade of Tory-led governments, job security has never been more precarious.

The latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics show almost one million workers are now on zero-hour contracts - the highest on record. This figure represents a year-on-year increase of 130,000, or 15.4%.

And who benefits from this burgeoning business model? Not zero-hour workers - who worry about whether they'll have enough hours work to earn sufficient wages to pay the rent and household bills.

No, the only beneficiaries are the bosses, who can 'hire and fire' at will without the overhead of workers' rights. This is the "golden age" Boris hails - a golden age of Dickensian capitalism!

Zero-hour contracts with associated low pay, and the absence of other employment rights, must be fought. The best way to do that is through the trade unions.

In fact, late last year, members of the PCS union working for a private employer at government offices in central London secured the London Living Wage, increased sick leave, and paid holidays, as well as union recognition, by taking indefinite strike action over many weeks.

Currently, members of the University and College Union are striking to end casualisation, among other demands (see page 8). End zero-hour contracts - support the UCU strikers!

Floody stupid planning

Following the disastrous floods in Britain, 11,410 new homes are to be built in areas at high risk of flooding. One-tenth of all new homes in England since 2013 were built in the highest-risk areas, Guardian analysis has found.

Callous course cuts

The Tories are removing funding for 5,000 education courses. Their justification is that very few people have enrolled in the qualifications to be cut.

But many are specialist certificates for people with physical or learning disabilities. One course for the chop is for people with visual impairment to work in therapeutic and spa industries. It's never going to have big numbers enrolling, but it's crucial for those who do.

In this issue

Coronavirus

Coronavirus: Full NHS funding now