Archive for July 2018

4 July 2018

Issue 1000 extra 1,000 sales target smashed!

Inspired by reaching the milestone of 1,000 issues of the Socialist, sellers across England and Wales have responded magnificently by smashing through the 1,000 extra sales target for issue 1000

4 July 2018

NHS: underfunded, under attack

Kick out the privatisers, tax the super-rich: Surprise, surprise. Theresa May's so-called birthday present to the NHS - an extra £20 billion a year by 2023 - isn't quite the generous gesture it seems

4 July 2018

NHS at 70: a fight for our lives!

The NHS faces a fight for its survival, battered by austerity and privatisation - and only socialist policies can save it

4 July 2018

Welsh Labour NHS hypocrisy at Tredegar rally

Speakers denounced Tory attacks on the NHS in England but glossed over Labour cuts to NHS provision in Wales

4 July 2018

Tories pledge three-year private tenancies: fight for rent caps and council homes

Under pressure, the Tories have promised to introduce three-year minimum tenancies. But we need real security, rent caps and a mass building programme of council housing

4 July 2018

EU lets 200 refugees drown in three days

Fight for jobs, homes and services for all: Isn't it a coincidence that none of those dying in the Mediterranean have been super-wealthy members of the elite?

4 July 2018

British state complicit in torture and rendition: put Blair and Straw in the dock!

The Tories and Blairites must go - along with the whole rotten capitalist system which demands war for profit, and the unaccountable, repressive state which defends it

4 July 2018

Them & us

It's onw world for the super-rich and another for the rest of us. Profits for the bosses,slanders for firefighters; workers need 27% raise, bosses double wealth

4 July 2018

What we saw

Clown signs NHS petition in Swansea

4 July 2018

Obrador's crushing victory gives hope to Mexico's poor

Mexico's presidential election on 1 July saw the left anti-establishment candidate Amlo top the poll with 54%, crushing his establishment opponents

4 July 2018

'CAS nunca mas': stop mass lay-offs and precarious contracts in Peru!

Precarious public sector workers in Peru are suffering an appalling attack by the neoliberal government

4 July 2018

US unions facing new challenge after Supreme Court ruling

The judgement ended the practice which allows unions to seek "fair fees" from non-union members who benefit from collective bargaining

4 July 2018

Probation service: 'You are not a priority'

"Is anyone being physically attacked?" Not yet. "Then you are not a priority," say the police.

4 July 2018

Treasury imposes civil service pay limit - vote Yes to strike action

Only by voting Yes in the PCS union strike ballot, closing 23 July, will the government take notice

4 July 2018

Bin workers take strike action after talks with Kirklees council collapse

Kirklees bin workers are striking action from 3 to 9 July against a bullying manager

4 July 2018

Victory for London's young workers in privatiser's non-payment of 'living wage' scandal

Unite the Union has won a victory in its campaign to make London leisure services privatiser Greenwich Leisure Limited pay the London Living Wage to those aged 18 to 20

4 July 2018

Socialist Party members have big impact as Unite conference kicks off

Socialist Party members won motions on public ownership and combating racism and the far right

4 July 2018

Yorkshire NSSN meeting starts coordinating struggles

The first National Shop Stewards Network meeting in Harrogate on 27 June brought together fighting trade unionists including NHS, college and rail workers

4 July 2018

Swansea postal workers strike to defend colleague

Postal workers in Swansea will ballot for strikes in support of fellow Communication Workers' Union member Rodders, sacked after being accused of not following 'door-to-door' unaddressed mail delivery procedure

4 July 2018

New publication: Workers' control and workers' management

New book by Ted Mooney, leader of the 1960 apprentices' strike - in which 100,000 young workers took part

4 July 2018

Spycops inquiry - dancing to the police's tune

Despite being established over three years ago with a proposal to finish in 2018, the undercover policing inquiry is now scheduled to finish in 2023

4 July 2018

The Socialist inbox

Do you have something to say? Letters to the Socialist's editors. Austerity in schools; capitalist authoritarianism rising

4 July 2018

Social care funding crisis: no to an age levy - make the super-rich pay

We all know how desperately needed a funding solution is for social care and the NHS. But it can't be found through ordinary people chipping in even more to pay for it

4 July 2018

NSSN conference 2018

Editorial of the Socialist: Recent figures show that union membership and strikes are at historically low levels. The effect on workers is disastrous.

4 July 2018

Socialism 2018: a weekend of discussion and debate

Join us on 10-11 November to discuss austerity, Trump, Corbyn, racism, Brexit, Marxism, trade unions, women's liberation - and more

4 July 2018

Thousands march against NHS cuts and privatisation

NHS campaigners and workers marched in defence of our health service on 30 June

4 July 2018

Service users and families protest learning disability service cuts

Service users and carers protested outside Rotherham Town Hall against the council's decision to close centres

4 July 2018

#AmazonTax shows need for socialist fighters

Seattle socialist councillor Kshama Sawant helped lead a campaign for a city tax on big business

4 July 2018

No to sexism! No to Trump!

On 13 July, Theresa May is rolling out the red carpet for sexist, racist, billionaire Trump. Join young people who are walking out of schools and colleges to protest

6 July 2018

Pressure building on councillors to stop fire service cuts

Firefighters on Merseyside are resisting devastating cuts being implemented by the Labour-run fire authority

9 July 2018

Walk Out against Trump and Tories

Donald Trump - the racist, sexist billionaire who currently occupies the White House - will be in the UK on Friday 13 July.
He is not welcome. He must be met with protest on an unprecedented scale.

9 July 2018

Tram workers strike against 'derisory' pay offer

"Liberating" is how one Unite member described his first day on strike

10 July 2018

Liberation struggle is class struggle: the fight for Trans Equality

A response to a letter in the Morning Star

10 July 2018

Tories in crisis - Act now to get them out!

Theresa May is clinging to power by a thread. For the first time since 1982 two cabinet ministers have resigned within 24 hours, as the Brexit civil war has ignited into a full scale conflict.

10 July 2018

Stop the FLA - No to racism

On 14 July another 'Free Tommy' demo called by the 'Democratic' Football Lads Alliance will take place

11 July 2018

Minister's benefits lie: sack the Tories - and scrap universal credit

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrogantly refuses to step down, after admitting to "inadvertently" misleading MPs about problems with the already unpopular 'universal credit' welfare restructure.

11 July 2018

Them & Us

It's one world for the super-rich, and another one for the rest of us including union votes and Lords 'elections', bosses' Brexit ransom and migrant kids.

11 July 2018

US: "We've had to build a huge culture of resistance"

Interview with socialist student activist in the US: In the lead up to the walkouts and protests against Trump's UK visit, Lily Branchett from Birmingham University Socialist Students interviewed Greyson Arbeider, a student activist in Ohio and member of Socialist Alternative (cothinkers of the Socialist Party in the US).

11 July 2018

Big victory for Wigan NHS strike against privatisation

In an outstanding example of how privatisation in the NHS is not inevitable, striking workers in Wigan have forced their NHS trust to drop all plans for outsourcing cleaning, catering and domestic services.

11 July 2018

Campaign in full flow to squeeze out every last Yes vote in pay ballot

The PCS civil servants' union pay strike ballot ends 23 July. In the time left we need to squeeze out every last vote.

11 July 2018

Hackney traffic wardens strike for better pay and protection at work

Unite the Union members employed as parking enforcement officers by APCOA Parking in Hackney, east London, began six days of strike action on 9 July.

11 July 2018

Summer of discontent on the cards in Huddersfield bin workers' dispute

50 bin workers, union members and supporters came together for a march on 6 July from the waste depot to Huddersfield Town Hall in protest against bullying and racism by management, and a refusal to allow bin workers to take leave for holidays and medical appointments.

11 July 2018

Tyneside shopfitting plant lays off 61 workers

At the start of their day shift at the end of June, management at HMY retail group dropped a bombshell on their workforce when they announced 61 redundancies - all of their production workers.

11 July 2018

Unite conference sees union go in a fighting, socialist direction

Unite policy conference in Brighton on 2-6 July was notable for delegates urging its leadership to take the initiative on the big issues facing workers: Brexit, fighting austerity, racism and the far right.

11 July 2018

Women's Lives Matter launched in Leeds to fight domestic violence service cuts

After it was reported that services protecting women against domestic violence in Leeds have been cut by 59%, we helped call a public meeting to launch 'Women's Lives Matter' in Leeds.

11 July 2018

NHS Leeds: Campaigners halt outsourcing... for now

Campaigners had a big reason to be cheerful at the events marking the 70th anniversary of the NHS in Leeds.

11 July 2018

Yes to NHS - No to PFI!

On 5 July, nearly 100 local residents and trade unionists came out to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS but also to protest outside the half-built Midland Metropolitan Hospital in Smethwick.

11 July 2018

Tories fractured... election possibility... give us the resources!

Fighting fund target smashed - now plan for next quarter: Socialist Party members raised a magnificent £8,453 in the final week of the fighting fund campaign for the April to June quarter. With this last huge effort we reached our national target, raising a grand total of £30,606.

11 July 2018

Issue 1000 drive shows sales potential

Our branch organised a lot of extra sales activities for issue 1000 of the Socialist, which meant we almost trebled our normal weekly sales.

11 July 2018

600 more retail jobs on the line: workers must not pay for the bosses' high street crunch!

Among the latest victims are almost 600 retail workers employed by Calvetron Brands, many in department stores. Hardly a day goes by in 2018 without more news of woes on the high street.

11 July 2018

Hit the streets against Trump and capitalism

5 reasons to walk out on 13 July: As we go to press, Donald Trump is on his way to Britain. This billionaire bigot is hoping for a red carpet reception. But the most important 'welcome' he will receive will be on the streets.

11 July 2018

Britain bakes as water pipelines leak

June was the driest month on record in south east and central southern England, while Scotland recorded its highest ever temperature of 33.2C in Motherwell.

11 July 2018

NSSN conference 2018: Mood for fighting action and coordination

"I'm sick and tired of hearing that the trade union movement is on its way out," declared Linda Taaffe in opening the conference

13 July 2018

School students protest and walk out against Trump

On Friday 13th July, school students responded to the call of Socialist Students to protest - and walk out

16 July 2018

250,000-strong human tide sweeps London against visit of bigoted billionaire Donald Trump

A human tide swept central London on 13 July in an historic mobilisation against US president Donald Trump

16 July 2018

Confronting the FLA pro-Trump protest - build a workers movement to defeat the far-right

A demo called by the 'Democratic' Football Lads Alliance (FLA) in London on Saturday 14 July was much smaller than the 15,000 they gathered on 9 June

16 July 2018

Confronting the FLA pro-Trump demo - build a workers movement to defeat the far-right

A demo called by the 'Democratic' FLA in London on 14 July was much smaller than the 15,000 they gathered on 9 June.

17 July 2018

Victory for postal workers against management victimisation

Swansea postal workers won the reinstatement of Martin Henwood after threatening to strike

18 July 2018

'Vote Leave' fined: For a workers' Brexit

The electoral commission has fined the right-wing, pro-big business 'Vote Leave' campaign £61,000 for breaking the law.

20 July 2018

Tory crisis deepens - demand a general election now!

As the Brexit white paper staggered its way through the House of Commons, the crisis in the Tory party has just deepened and deepened

25 July 2018

EDF Energy strike victory against vehicle tracker device

Unite the Union members employed by EDF Energy in its metering and debt sections in south London, and the South East and South West regions, have won a huge victory in a long-running battle over the introduction of tracker devices in vehicles

25 July 2018

Durham Miners' Gala 2018

The Socialist Party took part in the Durham Miners' Gala, the largest trade union gathering in Europe, on 14 July

25 July 2018

Government fails to deliver on funding and teachers' pay - demand action to win 5%

The union's mistaken approach must urgently be corrected

25 July 2018

Blacklisting of Militant supporters by Thatcher government revealed

On 24 July, The Guardian published an article revealing that Thatcher's government worked with MI5 and Special Branch to draw up a blacklist of civil servants deemed to be 'subversives'.

25 July 2018

Sheffield tram workers strike for 72 hours

Sheffield Supertram drivers and conductors, members of Unite the Union, took 72 hours' further strike action in pursuit of their pay claim on 20-22 July.

25 July 2018

Them & Us

It's one world for the super-rich, and another one for the rest of us including Boris's millionaire mansion and working homeless.

25 July 2018

School students: why we walked out against Trump

Students from several schools in London walked out to join protests against Donald Trump on 13 July, led by Socialist Students and Young Socialists.

25 July 2018

Protesting Trump's visit - action around the country

Short reports of protest action against Trump's visit around the country

25 July 2018

Tories' LGBT Action Plan: 'A cynical ploy with no solutions'

Two thirds of LGBT+ people are afraid of holding their partner's hand in public, or being open about their sexuality for fear of a negative reaction.

25 July 2018

Fighting for trans rights at Bristol pride

The biggest Bristol Pride yet took place on the 14 June. Following the attempts by anti-trans rights campaigners to hijack London pride, Bristol Socialist Party was out campaigning to support trans rights and fight for the rights of all LGBT+ people and oppressed groups in society.

25 July 2018

10,000 at Northern Pride

Initial estimates put the draw for Northern Pride in Newcastle at way over 10,000. LGBT+ people from across Britain were drawn to the energetic and vibrant event to celebrate our sexuality.

25 July 2018

Obituary: Ged Travers 1957-2018

Socialist Party members in Coventry were saddened to learn that Ged Travers passed away on Saturday 14 July, after two years of a brave and dignified struggle against cancer.

25 July 2018

Plastic waste - capitalism's Frankenstein monster

Plastic waste is now penetrating every corner of the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic and including the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth.

25 July 2018

Universal credit causes £24m rent arrears

The inept Tory government is yet again in the firing line after further details emerged about the shambolic roll-out of the cruel 'universal credit' welfare system.

25 July 2018

New health secretary, same privatisation agenda

Anyone breathing a sigh of relief at seeing the back of Jeremy Hunt as health secretary should take a closer look at his replacement Matt Hancock.

25 July 2018

Dodgy MP lobbied for genocidal Sri Lankan leader

Ian Paisley Jr, Democratic Unionist Party MP for North Antrim, Northern Ireland, is set to be suspended from the House of Commons for 30 sitting days.

25 July 2018

Corbyn and unions must act to bring down government in crisis

We need to sweep this rotten lot out! A mass mobilisation is needed to boot out the Tories and demand a election.

25 July 2018

PCS members back fightback on pay - keep building pressure

The PCS strike ballot returned a massive majority for action but fell short of the 50% turnout required by the Tory anti-union laws.

25 July 2018

The case for socialist nationalisation

The Alternative Models of Ownership report, launched in June 2017, was commissioned by shadow chancellor John McDonnell.

25 July 2018

Recycling workers win right to sick pay

FCC recycling workers in Hull suspended their strike after FCC agreed to a sick pay scheme.

25 July 2018

Kentish Road victory: Respite centre saved by determined campaign

"This has not been the city council's finest hour", said Southampton Labour's new leader as he announced that Kentish Road Respite Centre is to be reopened. He apologised to all the families who use the centre for what they have been put through.

26 July 2018

Fight the racist far right

On 14 July, a number of RMT union members were subjected to a violent attack. Update 1.8.18: Tommy Robinson released

27 July 2018

Staff strike in the NEU

Many members of the New Education Union were shocked to see their union offices closed due to a strike

27 July 2018

Seven strike days to save guards begin

RMT union members on South Western Railway struck on 26 July against 'driver-only operation'