When is it illegal to strike?
In the UK, never. But it’s often unlawful. The climate strikes have highlighted the draconian British anti-union legislation and exposed confusion about the law and the consequences of striking unofficially.
200 years after Peterloo, do we face a new wave of repression?
As we approach the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo massacre, Ian Allinson argues that the right are pressing Boris Johnson to introduce a new wave of repression.
Video: How to strike for climate in your workplace
Youth strikers who will be out again on Friday 21 June have asked adults to join them in a global general strike for the climate on 27 September. What can you do to take part?
Reinstate George Gore
Workers at Colloids in Kirkby have been on indefinite strike since 20 May for the reinstatement of their Unite shop steward. Watch a video interview and find out how to support them.
Six flavours of milkshake for the European elections
With far right candidates standing in the upcoming European elections, here are some counter-arguments to help you persuade people to vote against Tommy Robinson and the far right.
Working-class strategy #HM2018
In the superb final session at the 2018 Historical Materialism Conference, Katy Fox-Hodess and Amanda Armstrong discussed how the left should relate to workers with different sorts of potential power and strengthen connections with struggles against oppression and imperialism: the structural power of workers such as dockers does not exist in isolation from the wider […]
Notes From Below: Workers’ Inquiries #HM2018
Ian Allinson reports from Historical Materialism conference on the Notes From Below project
What strategy for labour in the US? #HM2018
Ian Allinson reports from a debate at the Historical Materialism Conference about strategy for the US labour movement, with useful lessons for the UK.
The Left and a People’s Vote
While the march was mainly organised and led by the neoliberal ‘centre’, there were also socialists on the march. Unite activist Ian Allinson discusses how the left should respond.
Leaders, leaders, leaders and leaders
Unite the Union activist Ian Allinson discusses the different connotations of the word ‘leader’.
Remember the dead, fight for the living
A video from an event in Manchester to mark International Workers Memorial Day
Video: what is rank-and-file trade unionism?
Ian Allinson looks at rank-and-file worker organisation – the alternative to a reliance on bureaucrats to cut deals with management.
Manchester bus strike win support at depot protest
Activists and trade unionists staged a solidarity demonstration outside a Cheetham bus depot this morning.
Fujitsu workers to strike as company dismisses chair of Unite union
The Chair of Unite in Fujitsu UK was dismissed on Friday 12 January as part of a “redundancy” process that has targeted union activists.
The legacy of the junior doctors’ strike
Interview with Emma Runswick, a key organiser around the dispute in Manchester and a medical student active in the BMA and Doctors in Unite.
Growing the grassroots in Unite
In April 2017, Ian Allinson stood in the Unite General Secretary election as a grassroots candidate. Recently, warnings have been raised about the long-term decline in trade union membership. At the same time, trade unions continue to show their worth. For instance, the cleaners and support workers at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) […]
Manchester housing workers to reballot after three months of strikes
On the last day of three months’ of strike action, culminating in a four-week continuous strike, Unite activist Ian Allinson interviewed Unite UCATT steward Bill Nugent about the dispute at Mears / Manchester Working Limited and comments on the dispute It’s not often that workers take this level of action. After striking three days’ a […]
Manchester housing maintenance workers strike
Report from the ongoing Manchester strike for pay parity and against housing maintenance on the cheap
#GE2017: Can Labour deliver security at work?
Unite activist and former General Secretary candidate Ian Allinson examines Labour’s third pledge of ‘Security At Work’.
revolutionary reflections | The Upturn/Downturn Debate: An Introduction
Ian Allinson summarises a debate on the development of capitalism since 1968, and how this has impacted the working class and its struggles, in an attempt to address the question of what revolutionaries should do. This summary was written early in 2015 and is published here for the first time. While pre-dating the failure of […]
Obituary: Bartley Willcock
Ian Allinson and Sam O’Brien describe the remarkable life of Brian Bartley Willcock who died last week at the age of 82. Note: this has been updated with some details about funeral arrangements at the bottom. From an early age Bartley got very involved in his local church, St Clement’s Higher Openshaw, across the road […]
Unite conference backs Corbyn and mandatory reselection of MPs
Ian Allinson gives a second update on Unite Policy Conference which took major decisions on migration, industrial strategy, backing Jeremy Corbyn and mandatory re-selection of MPs, fracking and climate change.
Chicago teachers join Manchester’s biggest May Day for years
Tara Stamps and Matt Luskin from the Chicago Teachers’ Union joined Manchester’s biggest International Workers’ Day festival for years. Ian Allinson reports. Manchester TUC had organised a huge festival for May Day this year. Despite hail, rain and sun we marched into the city centre to Sackville Gardens and the Mechanics Institute (the birthplace of […]
Academisation and the Chicago teachers’ strikes
It is really important and positive that the National Union of Teachers (NUT) conference was so determined to strike against the Tories’ plans to force all schools to become academies and break up national pay and conditions for teachers. It is even better that the NUT aims to coordinate with other unions, including the junior […]
EU debate: 38 points on Brexit and the Left
Ian Allinson examines what points the radical left can agree on, and what points remain contentious, concluding that we should not lose sight of the fact that our united campaigning for migrant solidarity, for genuine democracy, against austerity, and against neoliberalism puts in opposition to the establishment in both referendum camps. Now the EU referendum campaign […]
Civil Rights and the Trade Union Bill
Ian Allinson discusses the Tories attempts to attack our right to organise in the context of civil rights Since the election the Tories have moved swiftly to attack civil rights. The is the centrepiece of measures restricting the right to resist. Despite our inadequate response to the first five years of austerity, the government is […]
Discrimination in selection?
Professional statistician Nancy Carpenter and Unite activist Ian Allinson explain how to check for discrimination in situations like redundancy selection. It’s common for employers to select employees for various purposes, including recruitment, redundancy, appraisals, pay rises, bonuses and promotions. It’s common for people to say such actions should be subject to “equality impact assessments” to […]
Back Corbyn (but rely on ourselves, not Labour)
Ian Allinson comments on the news that socialist Jeremy Corbyn has secured enough nominations to enter the Labour leadership contest. The news that socialist Jeremy Corbyn has secured enough nominations from MPs to be a candidate in the Labour leadership has unleashed a surge of activists signing up to join the Labour Party or register […]
Occupations for homeless rights and education in Manchester
Ian Allinson reports from a lively, if soggy, day in Manchester for the occupations in the city centre for homeless rights and at Manchester University for free education. The homeless rights camp had been in St Peter’s Square, outside the Town Hall, for some weeks while Manchester’s Labour council paid money to drag homeless people […]
Remember the dead, fight for the living!
Ian Allinson reports from the Workers’ Memorial Day event in Manchester. About 150-200 people gathered in stormy weather in Manchester’s Albert Square to mark Workers’ Memorial Day. Each year around 20,000 people die due to their work in the UK, mainly due to exposure to dangerous substances. Across the EU there are around 100,000 occupational […]