
The Socialist 6 May 2020
Bosses push to lift lockdown - they only care about profits

Bosses push to lift lockdown - they only care about profits
Bail out the real wealth creators, not the rich
Homes needed to end overcrowding
Homeless left on streets during pandemic
Pay full fees for virtual courses? - No way!
Your donations can keep the Socialist going
Test and trace: workers need a real plan
Tories using pandemic to shift lab testing out of NHS
Nationalise British Airways to stop 12,000 redundancies
Postal workers force Royal Mail back
No increase in transport capacity without adequate safety precautions for workers and passengers
Unsafe Workplace? "It's up to you" PCS tells reps and members
Further protests in Ireland against Debenhams closures - UK fightback needed
Rolls Royce threatens 8,000 job losses
EDF Energy workers furloughed on 100% pay
India: Fighting the curse of capitalism and coronavirus
US: Trump's public health cuts have condemned thousands worldwide
Trump puts profit before safety (again)
The Tyneside apprentices' strike during WW2
Going viral: Socialist comments and letters on the corona crisis
TV Review BBC Panorama: PPE shortage - how many lives will be lost?
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Further protests in Ireland against Debenhams closures - UK fightback needed
Among the slew of retail companies entering administration, Debenhams has the highest profile, not least for only recently coming out of administration after closures. A wave of warehouse and shop closures went through in 2017. A further three UK stores closed in December 2019, and then 19 more in January 2020.
This time the administration has been ended by its lenders buying out the company, including Bank of Ireland and Barclays who benefited from government support after the 2007-08 economic crisis, and engaging in attacks on workers.
These include the closures of all the company's stores in Ireland, sparking protests outside stores, which the police dispersed despite social distancing (see 'Irish police use Covid-19 emergency powers to disperse Dublin shop workers' protest' at socialistparty.org.uk). This was met by further workers' protests on 29 April at stores across the country.
While in receipt of government funds for furloughing staff, Debenhams is closing at least 11 UK stores. It is telling workers in those stores that they will need to claim redundancy from the government. In Wales, where the Welsh government isn't extending business rates relief to larger stores with rates above £500,000, the company has threatened to close its five largest Welsh stores.
We welcome the two rounds of protests by Debenhams workers in Ireland, and the support given to workers by the 450 plus-strong online rally organised by their trade union, Mandate. With a similar number of closures here, we have to ask why retail union Usdaw hasn't at least done the same.
In 2017, following the collapse of BHS, Usdaw conference adopted a policy of calling for collapsing retail companies to be brought into public ownership. Debenhams shouldn't be bailed out, it should be nationalised to save jobs. UK workers should take a lead from their colleagues in Ireland and get organised.
Socialist Party members in Usdaw
In this issue
What we think
Bosses push to lift lockdown - they only care about profits
Coronavirus news
Bail out the real wealth creators, not the rich
Homes needed to end overcrowding
Homeless left on streets during pandemic
Pay full fees for virtual courses? - No way!
Your donations can keep the Socialist going
Test and trace
Test and trace: workers need a real plan
Tories using pandemic to shift lab testing out of NHS
Workplace news
Nationalise British Airways to stop 12,000 redundancies
Postal workers force Royal Mail back
No increase in transport capacity without adequate safety precautions for workers and passengers
Unsafe Workplace? "It's up to you" PCS tells reps and members
Further protests in Ireland against Debenhams closures - UK fightback needed
Rolls Royce threatens 8,000 job losses
EDF Energy workers furloughed on 100% pay
International news
India: Fighting the curse of capitalism and coronavirus
US: Trump's public health cuts have condemned thousands worldwide
Trump puts profit before safety (again)
Lessons from history
The Tyneside apprentices' strike during WW2
Obituary
Readers' opinion
Going viral: Socialist comments and letters on the corona crisis
TV Review BBC Panorama: PPE shortage - how many lives will be lost?
Related links:
Arcadia and Debenhams closures: Nationalise to save jobs and pensions
Sainsbury's and Argos: Closures, cuts and soaring sales
Oppose BT site closures - national strike ballot needed
Debenhams: Fighting closures and redundancies
Coronavirus and school closures: what needs to be done now
Bristol North Socialist Party: The National Question - Scotland, Wales & N Ireland
Britain's fragile Covid equilibrium is coming to an end
Ireland: Debenham's occupier speaks out
Ireland: Debenham's workers occupy stores
Books that inspired me: The Road to Wigan Pier
Trump Twitter ban: only independent workers' voice can defeat right