A sunny success for the People’s Assembly
Anindya Bhattacharyya writes: Saturday’s march through central London was a test for the People’s Assembly Against Austerity’s – the first time it had organised a national march primarily through its own resources, rather than putting a call out for a march that brought bigger forces (the TUC, the big unions) behind it. It passed that test smoothly […]
Mark Steel, Francesca Martinez and Russell Brand back Ritzy campaign for Living Wage
Estelle Cooch reports from the seventh Ritzy strike day since April with support continuing to grow after Russell Brand and comedians Mark Steel and Francesca Martinez lent their backing to the campaign At the picket lines in Brixton workers were asking supporters to consider boycotting all Picturehouse cinemas. Many of the workers I spoke with made a […]
Anger, confidence, fear and hope in the workplace
Ian A discusses fear, anger, confidence and hope in the modern workplace. This article appears in the first edition of the rs21 magazine. Real wages down. Pension provision in tatters. A welfare system that is judgemental, cruel and inadequate. Public services privatised and decimated. And no end in sight to austerity and cuts. People are angry […]
People’s Assembly demonstration – rolling coverage
Reports and updates from today’s #NoMoreAusterity demonstration in London. Follow @revsoc21 on twitter and send reports, updates and photos to revolutionarysocialism21@gmail.com 4.48pm From Brixton earlier – Curzon workers join Ritzy picket line ahead of demo 4.04pm Great view from the stage via @pplsassembly, giving some idea of the size of today’s demo: 3.42pm Vishal, a medical […]
Protesters say ‘Syrian refugees welcome here’
Luke Cooper reports on a day of protests in solidarity with refugees from Syria. The original article appeared on Left Unity, with additional reports on International Socialist Network. Many thanks to Luke for the permission to re-blog. Protesters demonstrated in London, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow and Oxford on the 16th June over the government’s response […]
What capital won, and how we can win it back
[extended edit of a review in the launch issue of rs21 magazine] A Unite rep examines arguments put forward by labour researcher Kim Moody – and how they shed light on how bosses have reorganised the workplace to our detriment. For 30 years now the left has faced tremendous difficulties in coming to terms with changes that […]
New rs21 magazine launch
We are very please to announce the launch of the new rs21 magazine at the People’s Assembly demonstration tomorrow! In this first edition we focus on the impact of neoliberalism on work. In an analysis piece Ian A looks at the impact of insecurity on fear and confidence. Barbara Jeffery looks at how to resist […]
Moroccan activists renegotiate power: a new stage in a forgotten uprising
Miriyam Aouragh reports from Morocco, where she is currently on fieldwork. She researches the role of new media in the (counter) revolutionary movements in Syria and Morocco.
Unison delegates angry over moves to quash domestic violence motion
(picture: Unison bloc at last year’s Manchester demonstration against health cuts) The Unison union’s annual conference is taking place in Brighton this week. The main themes running through it have been the forthcoming pay strikes and anger at the Labour Party. But the past two days have also seen a highly unusual rank-and-file revolt over […]
The People’s Assembly: Why you should march on Saturday
Dan Swain, of rs21 and active in Norfolk People’s Assembly, argues why you should support Saturday’s demonstration against austerity, and build the People’s Assembly where you can.
NUT election: Why we should vote for the radical left
With one week left in the National Union of Teachers General Secretary election, NUT activist Rob Owen, asks how those on the radical left ought to vote The NUT has been one of the few unions to hold the line in the pensions dispute. Almost alone we have continued to strike and organised impressive demonstrations and public […]
Care, Compassion and Cuts in the NHS
The decimation of the NHS means more than just fewer resources – it damages patient care in a host of other ways. Naomi C reflects on the role of compassion in healthcare, and how it is sometimes found lacking. I read In the Midst of Life quite a few years ago; it’s by Jennifer Worth who wrote the Call the […]
UNISON join in as Lambeth College strike enters ninth day
Chants of ‘The Workers United Will Never Be Defeated’ , ‘El pueblo unido jamás será vencido ‘ rang out today from the Lambeth College Mass Strike meeting today. Neil R reports. Wednesday, the ninth day of the Lambeth College Strike, began with an even livelier and larger picket line at Clapham Common. UNISON came out on strike today joining the UCU […]
UKIPwatch: Nasty Nigel in Norfolk
Nick O’Brien, from anti-racist group We Are Norwich, reports on Norfolk, where Labour and the Greens held on in Norwich, but in the surrounding area UKIP made gains. Over 540, 000 people voted for UKIP in the East of England. Their share of the vote in the Eastern region rose to 34.5%, an increase of 14.9%, which meant […]
The Masters, the Pastors and those they tread on: Review of ‘Jimmy’s Hall’ and ‘Quietly’
Jonas Liston sees important statements about Ireland’s present crisis in these examinations of it’s past. Both North and South Ireland have been at the sharp end of capitalism’s current crisis, with all sections of its ruling class arguing for, and delivering neo-liberal austerity on a massive scale. The picture is often grim, with institutionalized sectarianism […]
Hundreds demand justice over gender and caste violence
Ruth Lorimer reports from a demonstration in London earlier this week demanding justice for women raped and murdered in India. Several hundred people, mostly Indian women from across the UK, demonstrated outside the Indian High Commission on Wednesday, demanding that the men who raped and hung two teenage girls in India last week be prosecuted. The demonstration […]
Lambeth College strike goes into its fourth day – report from the picket lines
Workers at Lambeth College voted last month for an indefinite strike to defend themselves against a principal who seems hell-bent on wrecking Further Education in the Borough.
Candles in the night: Vigil in Hong Kong commemorates Tiananmen Square
Sue Sparks reports on the vigil held in Hong Kong 25 years after Tiananmen Square.
A view from Rio: “The World Cup now pervades every serious political dispute taking place today”
The World Cup kicks off in Brazil next week. Last year’s Confederations Cup saw huge protests and confrontations with the Police, directed at the corruption and vast public spending which surrounds the event. One year on, anger continues, but the picture is more complex. Mark Bergfeld interviewed Rio activist Miguel Borba de Sá last month to […]
What can the British left learn from Podemos?
Adria Porta Caballe asks how a change in language and approach took the fledgling Spanish party Podemos to be a surprise of the European elections In the Spanish left we had been saying for a long time that Podemos was going to be the surprise of the European elections. And, finally, on Sunday 25 May it became […]
Solidarity Call from Brazil Trade Union
rs21 has been approached by the Brazilian trade union federation CSP-Conlutas with the following message for solidarity on the eve of the World Cup, which we are happy to share. Please send solidarity messages and motions to didi@cspconlutas.org.br and dirceutravesso1@gmail.com. See below for a model motion. STATEMENT FROM CSP-Conlutas: ***On the Eve of the World Cup*** A […]
Nursery Day Care Staff being forced into False Self-Employment to save the boss money
Last Sunday (6th April) the government made agency tax changes following from concerns raised during the consultation on “onshore employment intermediaries: false self-employment”. It is supposed to clarify the law on self-employment and payroll companies. For some time now employers have been avoiding tax and causing problems for their workforce by the scam of telling […]
‘See Them Ah Come, But We Nah Run’ – A view from the ground of campaigning against the National Front
Anti-immigration and racism is on the rise, a racist party is riding the wave and looking like becoming the third party in British politics. Anti-racists and anti-fascists have to stop them. Whilst this might sound familiar, the year is 1978 and the party is the National Front. Colin Revolting remembers being a punk school kid […]
No laughing matter! The state of comedy in Britain
Mitch Mitchell takes a look at how popular comedy developed in the 1980s into something that challenged the oppressive ideas of society, rather than reinforcing them, as well as asking if there is any radical edge to comedy today.
Thousands rally in Belfast and Derry to protest against rising tide of racism
(report by Matt Williamson, picture by Aisling Gallagher) Some 4,000 people gathered in Belfast city centre last Saturday to protest at escalating levels of hate crime and increasing racist rhetoric in mainstream politics. A similar event took place in Derry. The Belfast rally was organised at in two days and marks a sea change in […]
UKIPwatch: Lancashire Tories turn right
Andy Cunningham reports from Lancashire on a divided race between Labour and the racist right. You couldn’t have missed Nigel Farage if you’d taken a drive round Bolton and Bury in the run-up to 22 May elections. His faintly ridiculous but always fury-inspiring face was plastered on every other bill board. UKIP poured resources into south […]
25 de Abril, Sempre! Portugal 40 years after the Revolution
Mark Bergfeld speaks on the legacy of Portugal’s revolution of 1974, and its relevance to today’s struggles against austerity.
UKIPwatch: Farage cleans up in the Fens
Mitch Mitchell reports from Cambridgeshire, where UKIP scored strongly, in the first of a series of snapshots from anti-UKIP activists around the country.
Remaking the Working Class and its Power
Ian Allinson summarises the key ideas in this useful book about workers’ power. Forces of Labor, Workers’ Movements and Globalization since 1870 by Beverly J Silver (Cambridge University Press, 2003) Forces of Labor was greeted with positive reviews upon its release over a decade ago, but there has been little discussion of this brilliant book since, […]
EDL Outnumbered in Colchester
On Thursday 22 May the English Defence League (EDL) returned to the streets of Colchester. Around 100 antifascists and students gathered to oppose less than 30 EDL members.