Articles from the Socialist, issue 560

10 December 2008

Share out the work

For a 35-hour week with no loss of pay.

Create more jobs

Nationalise job-shedding companies. For massive investment in public housing and infrastructure projects.

Save our NHS

The Socialist Party’s ‘Grim Reaper’ joins the Keep Our NHS Public ‘Defend our health service’ protest outside the Department of Health on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the health service, photo Paul Mattsson

OVER THE last four years, the health service’s national management board has been expanded from eight to 24 people, writes Judy Beishon.

Greece in widespread revolt

Protesters in Greece, photo Xekinima

THERE HAS been an explosion of anger across Greece following the fatal shooting of a 15 year-old in Athens by police.The killing has acted as a lightning rod for the pent-up anger among the youth and the working class at a government hit by corruption scandals and rocked by economic crisis. Andros Payiatsos of Xekinima (CWI in Greece) reports on this revolt from below.

Chicago workers occupy factory

Welfare ‘reform’ – fight these attacks

Editorial: The ‘reforms’ to welfare benefits announced in the Queen’s Speech last week are an attack on some of the poorest people and families…

Usdaw presidential election – support Robbie!

After winning an excellent 40% vote in the election for shopworkers’ union Usdaw general secretary, Socialist Party member Robbie Segal is standing for president of Usdaw, a shopworker writes.

Jean Charles de Menezes Coroner restricts inquest verdict

Lewisham’s Greens and the BNP ‘supporters list’

Student struggle in Spain – time of revolt

Student protests against the education reforms in the Declaration of Bologna, part of the 1999 EU agreement, commenced in Spain in May 2008. Johan Rivas and Denise Dudley write.

Wales – the true extent of student debt exposed

PCS gains steps towards settlement

The civil service and related bodies have been a particular target of the anti-public sector policies of the New Labour government, writes John McInally, PCS vice-president.

South Wales job losses

The National Shop Stewards Network is organising a meeting for car workers and those in ancillary industries:

Car industry in crisis – national meeting

The National Shop Stewards Network is organising a meeting for car workers and those in ancillary industries:

Saturday 14 February 2009, 12-4pm, The Birmingham and Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham B3 3BS.

Please encourage your union branch/workplace to sponsor this meeting and send delegates (£5 per delegate or visitor).

See also: www.shopstewards.net or PO Box 58262, London N1P 1ET.

In response to continual attacks by Sussex University management, this time aimed at associate tutors (ATs), a rally was held against plans to “casualise” the workforce, writes Lee Vernon and Sarah Wrack.

In brief

Water – essential of life or blue gold?

Lack of flood prevention investment by Severn Trent Water was a prime factor in the floods in Gloucestershire, photo Chris Moore

FRESH WATER IS now talked of in some business circles as ‘blue gold’, just as oil is called ‘black gold’. In these three articles, ROGER SHRIVES draws attention to some of the issues arising from the scandalous private exploitation of water, and calls for water supplies and sewerage to be taken out of the hands of profit-making multinationals.

Socialism and left unity – a critique of the Socialist Workers Party

Book review: When people first become interested in socialism they often ask: “Why are there different socialist groups? Why can’t we just get together and fight the common enemy?”…