The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) encourages all union branches and trades councils to organise #KillTheBill rallies, public meetings and protests to help build opposition to the Tory Trade Union Bill - email us the details of your events and we'll publicise them online and in the Socialist.

Kill the Bill meetings:

Manchester

3 November, 7pm, at the Britons Protection, 50 Great Bridgewater Street, M1 5LE

Liverpool

3 November, 7.30pm, at the Casa pub, 29 Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BQ

Pay strike first

900 PCS and Prospect members working at the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) took strike action for the first time ever on 14 September, staging a half day walkout as part of a dispute over pay. Members at the NERC, which funds and carries out impartial environmental science research, have been given the choice of either accepting an inadequate buyout or remaining on their current contract but with no future pay increases. PCS members and their colleagues in Prospect walked out at 17 sites.

Open Uni attack

500 jobs are at risk as Open University plans to close regional centres. The jobs could disappear from seven Open University centres in England under controversial plans described as 'catastrophic' by UCU. Thousands of current and potential students could be affected by the move, which would see the removal of vital services such as careers counselling, study advice and support for disabled students.

Reinstate John

John Vasey, a CWU postal rep in Wakefield, West Yorkshire has been sacked on what his work colleagues recognise as stitched-up charges. The Socialist Party calls on all our members and supporters to join John's campaign for reinstatement:

Please send messages of protest to Jon Millidge, Royal Mail Group HR Director, c/o Tallents House, South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9PB.

Donate to the Socialist Party

Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.