The Socialist issue 349

29 May 2004

£125,000,000 a month. That’s how much the government says it is spending on the Iraq conflict. Several defence experts argue that the real figure is £250 million…

AFTER STRUGGLING to pronounce “Abu Ghraib” – the now notorious jail where Iraqi prisoners were tortured by US forces – president George Bush announced he would tear it down and build a new maximum security prison…

Fight The Great Pensions Robbery

PENSIONS MINISTER Andrew Smith recently announced a £400 million pensions compensation package. But this reform was only squeezed out of the Treasury to save the government’s Pension Bill…

AS WE went to press, 120 firefighters had been suspended across Greater Manchester. Last week a Salford watch refused to operate new equipment without the agreed pay rise. In the following hours, management scuttled from station to station, suspending…

FIREFIGHTERS, RAIL and tube workers, civil servants, health workers and local government workers – all appear to be lining up to ‘have a go’ in the next few months over pay, pensions, working conditions and job cuts…

RAIL, MARITIME and Transport Workers’ Union (RMT) members on London Underground are to be balloted for strike action over pay. Action could take place on 10 June, the day of the Greater London Assembly elections when Ken Livingstone will be seeking…

IN THE elections for the National Executive Committee (NEC) and senior full-time officers in the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the left won almost a clean sweep when the results were announced on 24 May…

LibDems: Just another big business party

THE LIBERAL Democrats launched their Euro 2004 election bid on an anti-war ticket. What a rip-off! Polls show around half of voters oppose the war on Iraq. Support for Labour amongst Britain’s Muslims has halved from 75% at the last general election…

OVER 60 Socialist Party members and supporters have delivered 100,000 leaflets for the 14 candidates that we’re standing in 12 wards in Coventry’s council elections…

Go to the Socialism2004 pages
Aside from the main rallies, Socialism 2004 comprises many other political sessions grouped into themed courses.
Among this year’s courses is one with the broad theme of ‘Marxism and Globalisation’.
MICHAEL CALDERBANK describes what the course will cover.

Wanted: A Real Childcare Strategy

THIS MONTH is the sixth anniversary of the government’s childcare strategy…

UNDER THE grotesque misnomer "Operation Rainbow", the Israeli regime sent its soldiers on an horrific killing spree in the refugee camp Rafah in the Gaza strip…