
The Socialist 20 June 2018
Save our NHS

Desperate divisions in Tories - Corbyn and unions must act
Tory cash boost not enough - save our NHS
No to Trump's climate change chaos
Universal Credit delivers claimant misery
Seattle council repeals Amazon Tax
1000 issues of the Socialist: A vital weapon standing in proud traditions
Greetings from readers of the Socialist
How do we produce the Socialist?
DWP surrenders to union pressure - now vote Yes to smash pay cap for everyone
Rolls-Royce: fight all job cuts!
GMB union: NHS reps reject Tory pay offer
McStrikers and young workers take centre stage at bakers' union 2018 conference
Northern Rail strike reaches 21 days of action to save guards
Miners demand end to pensions robbery
Yorks NHS workers fight outsourcing
Unite agrees NSSN affiliation - come to the NSSN conference!
Tamil Solidarity Day: intense, lively, thought-provoking
Grenfell disaster: one year on, still no prosecutions, still no adequate housing..
Organisers' school - an opportunity to educate and discuss
Leeds: Disability campaigners force council to retreat
Wrenford centre: Stop heartless Tory cuts
Knowsley council pushed back on cuts and privatisation
Orgreave - no justice, no peace
Inspirational account of young Marx's political battles
Rousing, funny take on Marxism - from the man himself
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Knowsley council pushed back on cuts and privatisation
Merseyside Socialist Party reporters
The right-wing Labour group in Knowsley council, Merseyside, has been forced into a climbdown on two important measures.
It was their intention to sell off 10% of the public park areas in the borough for housebuilding, and to transfer the adult social care services to an arms-length company initially set up by neighbouring Sefton council, but to be joined also by Halton council; all three being Labour councils!
Both of these measures were opposed by Unison and the other affected unions.
The proposal to sell off parkland also provoked a campaign of public protest, and resulted in Labour losing two council seats in the May elections, one to the Green Party, and one to an independent who specifically campaigned on the parks issue.
The proposal to outsource adult social care was correctly seen by staff as an initial step that would ultimately lead to full privatisation, and on worse terms and conditions.
In Halton, Unison's objections to the transfer proposal resulted in the council pulling out of the scheme at an early stage, whereas Knowsley initially carried on.
Unison initiated a campaign of vigorously lobbying councillors, called a well-attended public meeting in order to involve parents and carers of users of adult social care services, and were joined by the other unions in this.
They also organised a consultative ballot of adult social care members, and on the basis of a 68% turnout, received a 97% vote for strike action!
Faced with such determined opposition, the council backed down, but the political question of the continued right-wing nature of Labour local government in the party's urban heartlands illustrated here, despite the Corbyn leadership, remains unresolved.
In this issue
What we think
Desperate divisions in Tories - Corbyn and unions must act
News
Tory cash boost not enough - save our NHS
No to Trump's climate change chaos
Universal Credit delivers claimant misery
International socialist news and analysis
Seattle council repeals Amazon Tax
1000 issues of the Socialist
1000 issues of the Socialist: A vital weapon standing in proud traditions
Greetings from readers of the Socialist
How do we produce the Socialist?
Workplace
DWP surrenders to union pressure - now vote Yes to smash pay cap for everyone
Rolls-Royce: fight all job cuts!
GMB union: NHS reps reject Tory pay offer
McStrikers and young workers take centre stage at bakers' union 2018 conference
Northern Rail strike reaches 21 days of action to save guards
Miners demand end to pensions robbery
Yorks NHS workers fight outsourcing
Unite agrees NSSN affiliation - come to the NSSN conference!
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Tamil Solidarity Day: intense, lively, thought-provoking
Grenfell disaster: one year on, still no prosecutions, still no adequate housing..
Organisers' school - an opportunity to educate and discuss
Leeds: Disability campaigners force council to retreat
Wrenford centre: Stop heartless Tory cuts
Knowsley council pushed back on cuts and privatisation
Orgreave - no justice, no peace
Opinion
Inspirational account of young Marx's political battles
Rousing, funny take on Marxism - from the man himself
Home | The Socialist 20 June 2018 | Join the Socialist Party
Related links:
Merseyside Matalan workers walk out over pay deal
Fight the far-right - fight for socialist policies
Plans to bring A-levels back to Knowsley abandoned
Protect lives and livelihoods, fight to defend the NHS
Tree-cutting council must admit it was wrong
Socialist Party national women's meeting
Londoners suffer and Khan piles on pressure
Nottingham City Council: Major battles against cuts ahead
Ryan Aldred: Why I'm standing for Usdaw's EC
London's May elections: Tories and Labour's Khan both vying to slash public services