Archive for October 2019

2 October 2019

Karro Foods victory Hull

Workers at Karro Foods in Hull have won a 7.1% pay increase over two years

2 October 2019

Active and strong member of Socialist Party reaches 80

Socialists in south east London are celebrating the 80th birthday of Peter Redfarn

2 October 2019

40 years on: Mandatory reselection more vital for Labour than ever

The election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in September 2015 fundamentally altered politics in the party. But for the last four years he has been hamstrung by the 80% of pro-capitalist Labour MPs who owe their political loyalty to the Kinnock/Blair eras.

2 October 2019

Battered Boris must go... and all the Tories with him!

Battered by his own MPs in parliament, his Oxbridge allies in the Supreme Court, and even some press barons, the isolated Tory leader has used his party conference as a platform for a right-wing populist election manifesto.

2 October 2019

Nationalisation only way to safeguard jobs and skills at Wrightbus

Wrightbus is one of the last remaining bus manufacturers in the UK. It produced the Routemaster, also known as the Boris bus, for the London Transport Authority.

2 October 2019

Labour's mass social housing pledge

Jeremy Corbyn used his Labour conference speech to repeat his call for "the largest council housebuilding programme in a generation".

2 October 2019

Them&Us

It's one world for the super rich and another world for us.

2 October 2019

Royal Mail dispute: Workers determined to fight bosses' injustices

A showdown between Royal Mail bosses and 120,000 workers is taking place as jobs and conditions come under attack.

2 October 2019

Hull: Construction workers' walkout forces employer to back down

The unofficial construction workers' dispute involving the building of a wood chip processing plant at Saltend Chemicals Park, in Hull, has been a struggle to prevent the blacklisting of two senior Unite and GMB union stewards - Paul Tattersfield and Keith Gibson.

2 October 2019

Crown Paints dispute - union senior steward speaks out

Workers, members of the GMB union, at Crown Paints in Hull have in recent weeks taken four days of strike action in pursuit of a just pay claim. Shane Allinson, GMB senior steward, has made a statement about the dispute

2 October 2019

End low pay - support Salford Royal security workers' action

Outsourced security staff in Salford Royal - an outstanding NHS hospital - have voted for strike action with a 100% turnout and 100% yes vote in a ballot!

2 October 2019

Catalonia independence movement two years on

The verdict of 12 Catalan nationalist leaders on charges arising from the failed independence struggle in 2017 is expected soon. Nine have been charged with rebellion, which can result in 25 years in prison.

2 October 2019

Egypt: Street protests challenge Trump's favourite dictator

Street protests in Cairo and several other Egyptian cities broke out on 20 and 21 September. Although only involving dozens or a few hundred, at first, they grew in numbers and spread to other cities.

2 October 2019

Now is the moment to join the Socialist Party

Have you been reading the Socialist and thinking about joining the Socialist Party? Now is an excellent time to join.

2 October 2019

The Socialist inbox

Letter's to the Socialist's editors

2 October 2019

Financing socialist struggle

Will we or won't we. You may be forgiven for thinking I'm talking about Brexit and whether we will exit on 31 October. Or it could be, will we or we won't have a general election in the coming days?

2 October 2019

Bromley libraries strikers proved right

Unite union members employed by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) in Bromley, south London, have been on indefinite strike since 6 June, in defence of the library service.

2 October 2019

Is a workers' Brexit deal possible?

The Leave vote in 2016 was a revolt against the capitalist establishment, a working-class 'cry of rage' against poverty and austerity while the rich get richer.

2 October 2019

PCS general secretary election - Support Marion Lloyd

For a proven track record of fighting for members' interests

2 October 2019

Socialism 2019: An unmissable event

Socialism '19 is about the questions confronting us and socialist ideas to point a way forward

2 October 2019

Freshers fairs 2019: Impatience for change and determination to fight

Students are looking for an explanation for the political crisis, and for a way to join a real fight for socialist change.

7 October 2019

Tony Mulhearn 1939-2019

We are sad to inform our readers, members of the Socialist Party and the broader labour movement, of the sad death at 80 of Tony Mulhearn, a titan, a courageous leader of the working-class movement in Merseyside, as well as a lifelong proud member of Militant, now the Socialist Party

9 October 2019

Selling the Socialist

Just some of the events where the Socialist newspaper was sold in the past week..

9 October 2019

Sainsbury's strikers win

Sainsbury's workers who took two 24-hour strikes at Waltham Point distribution centre have forced the bosses to concede on the main issue of the dispute - a massive reduction in sickness pay from 26 weeks to just two

9 October 2019

Lincolnshire health visitors strike

Lincolnshire health visitors are being balloted for further strike action with the county council trying to 'divide and rule' over future job roles

9 October 2019

Asda workers protest callous bosses

Workers organised with the GMB union protested outside more than 75 Asda stores across the UK on Thursday 3 October. Bosses have said they will fire anyone who doesn't sign up to 'Contract 6' by 2 November.

9 October 2019

Cynical Tories' domestic violence bill not enough

How do you leave a violent partner? Well you need guts for a start, as many are attacked or even killed after leaving abusive relationships. 55% of women killed by their ex-partner in 2017 died within the first month of separation, and 87% in the first year.

9 October 2019

Labour and the fight for a shorter working week

Labour conference has resolved the next Labour government should reduce the average full-time working week to four days (32 hours) - without loss of pay - within a decade. This will be welcomed by workers.

9 October 2019

Vote yes to Royal Mail strike action to take on the bullying bosses

On 15 October the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will announce the ballot result for industrial action over management plans to end Royal Mail group as a real public service.

9 October 2019

Birmingham HS2 protest against bosses' attacks on trade union organisation

Unite the Union organised a protest outside the regional headquarters of HS2 in Birmingham on 7 October.

9 October 2019

Equity manifesto lays out anti-austerity model for arts

Performing arts union Equity has launched a manifesto for a big expansion of culture provision and jobs. It calls for a massive hike in public funding, higher wages, more public ownership, and greater input from artists and communities into what gets made.

9 October 2019

Vote for socialist fighter Jared Wood in RMT elections

Socialist Party member Jared Wood is standing for the RMT transport union's national executive committee in the London transport region.

9 October 2019

Unison's retired members reflect growing anger

Unison's retired members conference met in Southport from 1-2 October, and the debates reflected the growing anger of older people.

9 October 2019

Chinese revolution of 1944-49: 'The second greatest event in human history'

On 1 October 1949 the leader of the Stalinist Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Mao Zedong, declared the formation of the People's Republic of China.

9 October 2019

Trump, impeachment and the need for an independent workers' party

Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat speaker of the House of Representatives, has announced the beginning of an impeachment process against President Trump.

9 October 2019

Socialism: The alternative to capitalist austerity, low pay and crisis

Capitalism means chaos for the majority of us, while the bosses get rich off the work we do.

9 October 2019

Best way to fight back? Join the Socialist Party

Why I joined the Socialist Party: I was looking for a clear left alternative to the big issues: Moments in history like this make us question what we can do to influence things. As individuals, ordinary people have little power against the immense force of world events.

9 October 2019

Socialism 2019: why I'm going... and why you should too!

We asked people who have bought tickets for Socialism 2019 why they are coming. Their answers show how this festival of ideas taking place on 2 and 3 November is an unmissable event for everyone wanting to fight the bosses and the Tories and to defend working-class living standards.

9 October 2019

Waltham Forest: mobilisation needed to defend abortion rights

Trade unionists, community campaigners and members of the Socialist Party protested against anti-abortion activists holding up huge images of foetuses in the Walthamstow square on 5 October.

9 October 2019

Huge opposition to Barry rehab ward closure

"That was challenging and uncomfortable" - the Cardiff and Vale Health Board chief executive's closing remark at a public engagement meeting on NHS cuts in Barry, South Wales.

9 October 2019

'The little people can win' - Leeds tenants push back demolition

After over two years of campaigning, the residents of Woodsworth Drive and Sugar Hill Close in Leeds have had plans to demolish their homes voted down unanimously by Leeds City Council's planning committee.

9 October 2019

York freshers success

The University of York freshers fair revealed an enthusiastic response to Socialist ideas. Queues of students lined up to hear about our chance to take down the Tories and fight for workers' control of society.

9 October 2019

Book review: She Said - Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement

On 5 October two years ago, the #MeToo movement exploded - first on social media, then spreading to protests on the streets and in workplaces - becoming a global phenomenon.

9 October 2019

Film review: Joker - Sympathising with a monster created by today's incendiary conditions

The most striking thing about this film is how gritty and believable it is. Based on the origin story of one of the most iconic comic book villains of all time, and situated in Gotham City, a carbon copy of New York City, this film is set in the 80s.

9 October 2019

BEIS: Outsourced caterers' indefinite strike victory

More than nine months of action, including three months on indefinite strike, have paid off

9 October 2019

Corbyn promises 'power in the hands of workers' - how can Labour do it?

While the government and the employers are busy gloating at the 'record numbers' of workers in employment, the figures hide a harsh reality for millions.

9 October 2019

Brexit theatrics continue

As 'Brexit Day' on 31 October approaches, the roller coaster crisis for British capitalism intensifies

9 October 2019

Cutting, lying Tories - kick them out!

Boris Johnson, self-portrayed 'man of the people', has begun his election campaigning. At Tory party conference he announced policies that, on the face of it, would be very popular. One of these is to build "40 new hospitals" in ten years.

9 October 2019

Attacks on Caerphilly waste management workers

Unison and GMB trade union banners brightened the rain outside Caerphilly council offices on 3 October. The air rang with chants as waste management workers and their supporters demanded fair play for themselves and five unfairly sacked workmates.

10 October 2019

Trump gives green light to Turkey to attack Kurds

Turkey has launched a military assault on Kurdish areas in north Syria