The Socialist 4 October 2007

Support postal workers: decisive action can win

"We've had the battle - now this is war!"

Protests make bosses ditch closure plan

Iraq: end the occupation nightmare

Stop the War Coalition (STWC) national demonstration

Tory party fears an autumn election

Banking turmoil continues

Corporate Labour

Come to the NHS demo!

Swansea meeting

Classroom assistants on strike

Supermarket price-fixing scandal

Success! Double whammy for nursery campaign

EU's anti-working class 'reforms'

Fighting nuclear power

Students want to fight back

Che Guevara - revolutionary fighter

Socialism 2007: Ideas for our future

Socialism 2007.net

Burma: Dictatorship under threat

QPR buy-out - Reclaim the game!

It's a free world, a film by Ken Loach

Anno 1701 - Dawn of Discovery

Local government pay offer: It's time for action

Remploy workers win partial victory

Care workers on strike

National Shop Stewards Network makes plans

Previous issues, etc

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National Shop Stewards Network makes plans

The latest meeting of the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) steering committee took place on 29 September against a growing tide of trade union action, particularly in the public sector. This was reflected in the reports given of disputes that have taken place, continuing or are looming.

Kevin Parslow, assistant secretary NSSN, personal capacity

A major item at this meeting was the election of officers to lead the network in the coming period. Amongst those elected were Socialist Party member Linda Taaffe as secretary and CWU activist Dave Chapple as chairperson. Three other Socialist Party members, including Visteon convenor Rob Williams as vice-chairperson, were elected to the ten-person officer group.

Reports were also given on the progress in setting up meetings of the network in the regions and Scotland and Wales, details of which will be put up on the website: www.shopstewards.net

Also important will be building the funds to get the NSSN financially independent, although the committee was very grateful for the support of the RMT in setting up and supporting the network in its early stages. To raise regular amounts of cash it will be seeking affiliations and donations from trade union branches and stewards' committees.

Finally, attempts to remove the input of political parties in the network were heavily defeated. This was seen partly as a thinly-veiled attack on socialist groups, including the Socialist Party, whose members had striven hard to make the network a success.

It was recognised that a general socialist perspective was absolutely necessary to encourage involvement in the network of ordinary trade unionists and to make it representative of workers looking for an industrial and political alternative to New Labour.

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Support postal workers: decisive action can win