Ritzy benefit video: “You don’t get me, I’m part of the union!”
Over a hundred people packed into The Grosvenor in Stockwell last night for the Ritzy strike benefit. The Ritzy workers have taken nine days of strike action so far and are looking to take more over the summer. The night began at 7pm and went on till the early hours with singing, dancing and bbq […]
Get organised! A guide from Ritzy and Curzon workers
In the past few months the strikes at the Ritzy cinema in Brixton and the growing campaign at Curzon cinema for the Living Wage have been an inspiration for those questioning how we can start to organise young workers or those on zero-hour contracts. Estelle Cooch sat down with Ritzy branch secretary Nia, Ritzy worker […]
Thousands protest in London against attacks on Gaza
Ten thousand people took part in a large demonstration in London this evening against the Israeli attacks on Gaza. Protests also took place in Birmingham and Leicester. More demonstrations are planned in other towns and cities over the weekend Neil Rogall reported from the London demo earlier: Thousands of people are blocking Kensington High St […]
Build in, build out, build up! July 10 strike report
Estelle Cooch writes: Over a million public sector workers went on strike today against pay, pensions and cuts. The strike was the biggest in several years and brought together unions that haven’t struck together since the two big pension strikes of 2011 – June and November 30th. It is worth recapping how the action came […]
Save Our Staff – or we’ll strike!
Shanice McBean reports from Kings College picket lines: Today UCU members at KCL were out on strike following the threat of 120 redundancies in the Health Schools. Fifty seven of these staff have now lost their jobs. Staff under threat are being targeted using arbitrary criteria, such as research grant income, to determine who gets […]
Lambeth College strike: Stage One ends, but prepare for Stage Two
by Matthew Cookson, UCU lead negotiator, EHWLC (personal capacity) Strikers at Lambeth College in south London marched back together to work today (Wednesday 9 July) after five and a half weeks of all-out action. The college lecturers have pledged to resume their strikes in the autumn term if the dispute is not resolved. The UCU […]
Up to 1.4 million to strike on #J10
Over 1.4 million workers from ten different unions are striking on #J10. NUT, PCS and FBU have called national strikes, while Unison, GMB and Unite have called out their local government sections. Local disputes in UCU (in King’s College London), Bectu (Ritzy Cinema) and RMT, TSSA and UNITE (London Underground) have been timed to coincide […]
Review: Strike for America
Tomorrow over a million public sector workers will go on strike. Amy Gilligan reviews Micah Uetricht’s recent book Strike for America: Chicago Teachers Against Austerity which looks at how teachers in Chicago organised and won. Originally published in the Summer 2014 edition of the rs21 magazine The story of the victorious Chicago teachers’ strike […]
Bullying in the workplace
Barbara Jeffery, UCU Branch Secretary Tower Hamlets College (pc) discusses how to tackle bullying in the workplace. First published in the Summer 2014 edition of the rs21 magazine. Research suggests that since the onset of austerity there has been a significant rise in bullying and harassment in the workplace. Studies show a definite link between […]
Yestival and a summer of independence
Christine Bird from Glasgow gives her take on a festival that brought together all parts of the movement for Scottish independence This past weekend, 5 and 6 July, 450 people attended Yestival on Glasgow’s Southside, with at least as many again at the Common Weal Festival at The Arches. Both pro-independence events brought together political […]
Sisi has silently launched a murderous crackdown in Egypt, activists warn
Reports are appearing on Arabic social media sites that Sisi’s regime in Egypt is ramping up repression against anti-coup protests. At least 11 demonstrators, including teenagers, were murdered by regime forces on Thursday and Friday last week. The dead include Ahmed Hussein, killed on Friday in Shubra el-Kheima, Egypt’s fourth largest city, and an 18 year […]
“Please boycott us!”: a report from the Ritzy’s 8th strike day
Today Ritzy workers launched their Boycott Picturehouse campaign after another successful strike day. Lois and Estelle report from the picket line: Ritzy workers went into their eighth strike day today after an increased ballot for strike action of 95 percent. We caught up with Robyn, BECTU rep at the Ritzy, about how the campaign was […]
Protesters take to the Tube to highlight Spain’s crackdown on abortion rights
(report by Lois JC and Shanice McBean, pics from mybellyismine.wordpress.com) Spanish activists have launched a campaign called Mi Bombo Es Mío (“my belly is mine”) in response to plans by the government to make abortion illegal in all but a handful of cases. The campaign is now spreading internationally. On Thursday and Friday last week women from Spanish and Irish abortion rights […]
Football, Anti-Racism and Solidarity – the case of Yorkshire St. Pauli
Chris Webster of Yorkshire St Pauli explains how the Yorkshire fan club of a German football team is challenging oppression and welcoming refugees and asylum seekers to Leeds. This article first appeared in the Northern Star, a bulletin of rs21 supporters in Leeds. The politics connected to St. Pauli is the main reason many of […]
Protest against Israeli terror in Palestine: 5 July, London
Palestinians are facing a horrific escalation of racism and violence as the Israeli state pursues a strategy of collective punishment.
Retribution in Iraq
by Jack Farmer If you like a laugh, it’s always worth looking up what Tony Blair has to say about events in the Middle East. In his latest intervention he insisted that the current crisis in Iraq had nothing to do with the US-British led invasion of 2003: “We have to liberate ourselves from the notion […]
Marx’s Ecology
This article is an edited version of John Cowsill‘s presentation at the Ecosocialism: Fracking, Climate and Revolution conference. He also published an early draft in his blog notes. Introduction We’ve had report after report from the IPCC, the UN, and leading scientists about the fact that human activity is causing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to rise […]
Hong Kong’s new mass movement
‘Beijing and the Hong Kong government have succeeded in producing a genuine mass movement which will not easily be demobilised’. Sue Sparks reports on the mass protests in Hong Kong earlier this week. July 1st in Hong Kong is Handover Day, the anniversary of the handing back of Hong Kong by the British to China […]
Event: Stand Up Against Austerity
Stand up for the People’s Assembly Monday 7 July, 7pm Hammersmith Apollo (Eventim Apollo Hammersmith) Join the People’s Assembly for an evening of comedy from some of the best comedians in the country. As well as an essential way to raise much needed funds for the campaign, this will be an unmissable night out! […]
Rolf Harris is guilty
Yesterday Rolf Harris was found guilty of 12 counts of indecently assaulting four girls. David Renton argues that his conviction goes some way in corroding the stereotypes with which rape and sexual violence are surrounded One theme running through the evidence given by the the women assaulted by Rolf Harris was the destructive effect his behaviour has […]
Ukraine: The alternative road ahead (public meeting)
Ukraine is suffering from war and a deep social crisis that has implications for all of Europe. Many are asking what has happened in Ukraine. What is the role of Russia and the West? How should we respond? This forum is a unique opportunity to hear an alternative, first-hand analysis from leading socialists and trade […]
London: Thousands celebrate Algeria’s World Cup success
Across London, thousands celebrated Algeria’s victory against Russia during the World Cup, as Algeria progressed for the first time in its history to the top 16. Mona and Syed report: Crowds packed out Trafalgar Square on 26 June, celebrating into the night. Walthamstow, which has a strong Algerian community, erupted into a spontaneous street festival. Algeria supporters brought drums […]
The Politics of Pride
As the LGBT movement takes to the streets at London Pride today, Colin Wilson reflects on the challenges facing the movement for liberation today. The official guide for Pride London is a remarkably political document. Perhaps, with the Head of Political Broadcasting at Number Ten chairing the Pride committee, that should come as no big surprise. It’s not […]
‘No to Pinkwashing’ at Pride
Members of No to Pinkwashing – No to Israeli Apartheid will be joining the LGBT Pride march in London this Saturday. Colin Wilson explains the background of the campaign. “Pinkwashing” is a cynical Israeli PR strategy, which relies on the claim that Israel has a good record on LGBT issues to divert attention from the […]
Protest against Spain’s anti-abortion bill: 7pm, Friday 27 June, London SW1X 8SB
Abortion rights are under attack in the Spanish state. The right wing government wants to make abortion illegal in all but very restricted circumstances. This is the most fundamental attack on women’s rights in a European country for decades. It must be stopped. The bill will be heard in parliament on Friday 27 June. The Women’s Assembly from the […]
Report: PCS Strikes in second day
Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members at Revenue and Customs (HMRC) continued their rolling action.
Tottenham attacks: antifascist vigil attracts 200 in show of unity and defiance
(report and pics from Shanice McBean) Some 200 anti-fascists gathered outside Tottenham town hall in north London on Monday evening following antisemitic attacks by Polish fascist group Zjednoczeni Emigranci on Saturday. The crowd was a healthy mix of local residents plus the organised left including Unite Against Fascism and Anti Fascist Network, This turnout at 24 hours’ notice is positive sign […]
Six pointers for antifascists after the 21 June attacks in Tottenham
See also: Antifascist vigil attracts 200 in show of unity and defiance On Saturday night a free music festival in Tottenham, north London, was violently attacked by a racist gang targeting audience members in general and, judging from media reports, Jews in particular. North London Antifascists has details, including video and evidence pointing to […]
Resistance in Rio
In the run up to the World Cup, strikes and protests swept across Brazil. Ali S, based in Brazil, looks at the background and character of the protests. This is an article from the Summer 2014 rs21 magazine During the explosion of protests in Brazil in June 2013, protesters held placards stating anything they wanted, […]