The struggle for housing
rs21 members and supporters will be joining the London March for Homes tomorrow. The march is assembling in Shoreditch and Elephant and Castle, and converging on City Hall. Below is the text of the leaflet we have produced in support of the demonstration, including a handy infographic, and an excerpt from an article by Ruth […]
Challenging the neoliberal university: Inside the Warwick occupation
A building at the University of Warwick has been occupied since last week, after Police violence broke up a peaceful protest. Martin Platais reports from within the occupation. On Wednesday 3 December, the management of Warwick University sent in police armed with Tasers, dogs, and CS-spray who proceeded to break up a peaceful sit-in being […]
Student day of action sees protests, occupations and police violence
In December 2014, a day of action for free education saw students on up to 40 campuses take part in protests, stunts and occupations.
Poverty in the UK: Joseph Rowntree Foundation report
A new report on poverty contains key information about how society is changing – changes that are likely to influence the shape of struggles to come, writes Colin Wilson. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s recent report shows the government’s claimed “economic recovery” is doing little for large numbers of people – we live in a society […]
Inside the NHS: why workers are taking action
Tomorrow healthcare workers from across nine unions are taking action over defence of pay at the NHS. The strike is for four hours between 7am and 11am. The rs21 leaflet in support of the strike can be found here Mary, a student nurse at King’s College London, highlights the important of those at the start […]
Students march in London for free education
Dan Swain reports from today’s student demonstration in London. Over 7000 students joined today’s demonstration for free education in London, making it the largest student demonstration in Britain since 2011. The demonstration was organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and the Student Assembly Against Austerity, and supported by the Young Greens. It […]
Women in science and the sexist space shirt
As space probe Philae landed on comet 67P last week, a row erupted over a sexist shirt. Geophysicist Amy Gilligan looks at the under-representation of women in science – and how it can be challenged. Last week Philae, a lander deployed by the European Space Agency spacecraft Rosetta, made contact with comet 67P. Rosetta left […]
Not ‘crazy’ as in wacky, but ‘mad’ as in ‘fuck this’
A Marxist analysis of the mental ill health epidemic has to lay the blame squarely at the door of class society, and the alienation, injustice and misery it causes.
Why a university finally stood up to misogyny
Last week the men’s rugby club at LSE was closed down for a year after producing a sexist and homophobic leaflet. Lois JC considers why the university finally took action, after years doing nothing to oppose the club’s racism and bigotry. As a former student of the London School of Economics (LSE) I was, unfortunately, […]
Secret diary of a NHS nurse
In the first of a new series that looks at what it’s like on the ground for NHS workers facing cuts and privatisation, our correspondent under the pseudonym “the secret nurse”, describes her experience applying for NHS funding and her shock at the entrance of Richard Branson into healthcare I have been a healthcare assistant and […]
Campaigners in west London mark the closure of two A&E facilities – pictures
(photo report by Steve Eason) The A&E departments at Hammersmith hospital and Central Middlesex hospital were shut down on Wednesday as part of a programme of “improvements” recommended by the Clinical Commissioning Group. To mark the closure protesters from Save Our Hospitals went first to Hammersmith hospital and then on to Central Middlesex. Speakers included campaigners from […]
NUT executive passes up opportunity to join 14 October public sector strike
Andy N, an executive member of Birmingham NUT, writes in a personal capacity on a poor decision by the teaching union’s national committee The National Union of Teachers (NUT) executive committee decided last Friday against calling its members out on strike alongside other public sector unions on 14 October. Some 1.3 million workers in GMB, […]
Ebola: protests, profits and the role of Big Pharma
Sophie Williams writes on the politics behind a deadly virus that has infected thousands. Sophie is a medical student and health activist based in London The outbreak The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has infected and killed more people since its start in December than any previous outbreak. There have been more […]
After Rotherham – how can we protect every child?
We need a consistent and effective response to child abuse. But, writes Christine Bird, that means thinking the issues through, and rejecting racism and hypocrisy.
How the rulers of Rotherham betrayed their children
The report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham documents appalling abuse. But even more shocking is the failure of councillors, council managers and police to do anything to address a problem they have known about for the last twenty years.
Fight for your right to read
Alan Gibbons, author, organiser of the Campaign for the Book and lifelong socialist discusses the attacks that the library service is facing in Britain. He is based in Liverpool where proposals to cut eleven of the city’s nineteen libraries have recently been announced. It is the fiftieth anniversary of the public library service. This should […]
NUS executive votes to back BDS boycott campaign against Israel
(picture of #nus4bds campaigners by Aaron Kiely, NUS executive member, via Facebook) The NUS national executive committee today voted 23-18 with 1 abstention to adopt a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions policy against Israel. Fantastic that #NUSNEC has passed policy to support #BDS || read more about BDS: http://t.co/KHBcC1WgRm #BoycottIsrael #FreePalestine – rs21 (@revsoc21) August 4, 2014 […]
Save Our Surgeries: how communities and GPs are fighting NHS cuts in east London
An in-depth report by Daniel Smith on the Save Our Surgeries campaign in London’s East End – and its implications for the wider battle to reverse a decade of privatisation in the NHS. Up to a thousand people joined protests in east London earlier this month against the threat of GP practice closures. The rallies […]
Playing the Odds: How fractionals at SOAS organised and won
Today the SOAS Fractionals for Fair Play campaign announced that 95% (on a 63% turnout) had voted to reject a contract offer which fell well short of their demands. They also announced a 25% increase in the fractional population taking out a full UCU membership in July. The UCU branch is now committed to considering industrial action […]
4 Things We’ll Remember David Willetts For
The odious Tory ideologue who masterminded the Higher Education reforms has been shuffled off.
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 […]
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 […]
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! […]
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 […]
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 […]