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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Report on solidarity picket for Ukrainian miners
Jan LadziÅ„ski reports on a solidarity picket outside the London HQ of the oligarchs who are refusing to pay Ukrainian miners a decent wage. On Friday afternoon there was a solidarity picket outside the offices of EVRAZ, the company in charge of Kryvyi Rih coal mines. EVRAZ is owned by Russian oligarchs: Roman Abramovich, Alexander […]
SOAS Fractionals statement
This statement first appeared on the Fractionals For Fair Play (FFFP) Facebook page. FFFP STATEMENT ON ACAS TALKS AND UPCOMING NEGOTIATIONS ALL-FRACTIONALS MEETING ON 3 JUNE 5PM ROOM 116 On Friday 23 May UCU representatives and SOAS management reached an agreement at ACAS regarding the fractional staff dispute. This agreement is a first victory for […]
Kicking off in Rio: popular protest and the politics of the World Cup (public meeting)
Brazil has seen huge attacks on its poor and a fightback from hundreds of thousands as two mega-events – the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016 – inflict themselves on a country of huge inequalities. Speakers: Writer Mike Marqusee and Rio resident Ali Sargent will talk about the politics of these “trojan horses […]
Event: Thanet Freedom Festival, 19 July
A multi-cultural anti-racist community event in the spirit of Love Music Hate Racism. Freedom Festival Lineup Spookasonic Sam Bumble Spyplane Nicola Booth Milky Negro OHHMS Avenge Thee + Naime Snowden Colliery Brass Band Roma Choir (plus 2 more Roma acts) Milos and Niklolas Lucia Xavier Dimitris Michailidis All My Ghosts Darren Barnes GriffAmy Libbi Jaeggi […]
Video: building community support for a strike
Jonathan Neale, an rs21 member, talks about how to build community support for a strike.
Appeal of the Kryvyi Rih Basin Miners to the Workers of Europe
Miners in Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine are engaged in a labour dispute with the enterprises of EVRAZ HQ, whose headquarters are in London. They are issuing this appeal to workers in Europe for solidarity. The oligarchs who are refusing them pay are the same oligarchs who have driven Ukraine to the brink of fratricidal […]
Always a slip between cup and lip: a commentary on the Indian elections
The Great Quinquennial Cacophonic Political Symphony: some thoughts on the Indian elections letter from Chennai by PM Raman, economic historian India, the world’s largest democracy, holds parliamentary or general elections every five years. But this time round it has attracted considerable global media attention: there is a lot at stake for transnational capital as well […]
Behind the screens: an interview with two Curzon cinema workers
Ritzy workers in south London recently went on strike for the Living Wage, but they are by no means unique. Rs21 member, Estelle Cooch, caught up with two workers from Curzon cinemas and asked them to explain why everything is kicking off in the cinema industry. How did you get from an informal network of organising to […]
May Day around the world
With photographs and short reports on demonstrations for International Workers’ Day from Moscow to La Paz. Ben (Moscow): There were about 150 people on this march. There were multiple marches: the Ukraine crisis has fragmented the left. Orthodox “Christian” provocateurs attacked the Moscow march. They were objecting to the LGBT contingent. They started by throwing […]
Ritzy strikers not giving in, not going away.
Ritzy workers were out on strike again yesterday evening, forcing the cinema to close, and the fun to come outside. Søren reports. Management are refusing to come back to negotiations on the Living Wage, so the strikes at the Ritzy continue. This was the third strike day in three weeks. The rumour is that Cineworld, who own […]
Militancy at Lambeth College strike despite injunction
Estelle Cooch reports from today’s strike at Lambeth College The resistance by lecturers at Lambeth College to the vicious attacks on their pay and conditions is quickly becoming a beacon to trade unionists and activists everywhere. The all-out strike that was meant to begin today has the potential to foster the support and solidarity that […]
Lambeth College all out strike to win!
Mark Winter discusses the importance of the Lambeth College UCU strike against changes to their contracts and what can be learnt from the experiences of the Tower Hamlets College strike.
Tube strike round-up – Reports from today’s action
London is effectively shut down today as RMT workers go on strike. Søren takes a look at how the pickets are going with a round-up of reports. The RMT, which represents tube workers across the London network, began another 48-hour strike last night after London Underground refused to budge in their decision to shut down […]
Shoe strikes escalate as protests surge
Tens of thousands of Chinese workers employed by a Taiwanese firm Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings have been on strike for almost two weeks in a dispute that has now become news around the world. The workers make shoes for Nike, Adidas and Timberland and the company claims to be the world’s largest footwear maker. Charlie […]
University staff should reject a 2% rise
Amy Gilligan is a researcher and UCU member at Cambridge. This article originally appeared at the Labour blog Left Futures. (pic: UCU strike at Manchester Metropolitan University.) UCU and EIS members in higher education are currently voting in a ballot whether to accept the employer’s “full and final offer” in the pay claim. I’ve voted to […]
UKIP and the deadly truth about construction jobs and safety
by Anindya Bhattacharyya and Brian Parkin “EU policy at work. British workers are hit by unlimited cheap labour. Take back control of our country. Vote UKIP 22 May.” A picture of a white, presumably British, construction worker begging for small change. But the real picture in construction is pretty much the opposite of this UKIP election […]
Taking control of the future of the city
What are cities? How do they work? Ruth Lorimer asks basic questions that outline a fresh Marxist approach to grasping what neoliberal capitalism is doing to our urban spaces. Strands running through urban space Cities are inspiring and exciting places to be – but campaigns about housing, public space and gentrification are often not. Why is this? We […]
Ukraine, Russia and the miners of the Donbass
Miners in the Donbass region have played a crucial role in Ukrainian politics since 1989, and are key today, argues Nick Evans The situation in eastern Ukraine is becoming more and more dangerous. It is over a week since pro-Russian forces seized government buildings in the region. Attempts by the Ukrainian government to retake control […]
Inoculation against bosses’ lies
Ian Allinson discusses how his workplace gained confidence through exposing their bosses’ lies In 2003 I went on strike for the first time. We wanted improved sick pay, increased pay and equal pay. There had been no strikes at my workplace for maybe 20 years. Some of us had supported other people’s strikes. None of […]
Having no job is a daily grind in itself – on unemployment.
Mary Turner writes about her son struggling to find work. My son is shy and does not always mix well with other people. He lacks certain social skills, but he is a lovely person and sensitive to other people’s needs. He has been unemployed for some time, and there is pressure on him from all […]
UCU marking boycott: Management have called our bluff – we have a choice
Management at universities across the country, including Bath Spa, UWE, Oxford Brooks, Bradford University, UEA and Westminster University, have told staff that they intend to dock 100% of their pay if they participate in the marking boycott, due to start on 28 April. Jonathan Neale, university lecturer and UCU committee member at Bath Spa University […]
The dullness of work
A university admin worker writes about their job. My job is boring. I’m an admin worker at a popular university in Northeast England. I’ve done the same job for several years. There have been developments and things I do differently, but mostly the job is the same. I answer email queries, update spreadsheets, navigate clunky […]
Sparks strike back against umbrella agencies: NG Bailey vulnerable to action
â— Deadlock at Manchester City ground Balfour Beatty job â— Scottish electricians to meet to set out next steps â— Action could generalise across country and industries by Christian C and Anindya Bhattacharyya Over 40 electricians “cabined up” (ie refused to work) on Thursday morning at a Manchester City training ground. They are demanding “jobs […]
Enthusiastic strike for the London Living Wage
Rob Owen reports from Brixton: Workers at The Ritzy cinema in Brixton are on strike today for the London Living Wage. Pickets began at 9am and will continue into the evening. Workers in BECTU, the media and entertainment trade union, gathered with DIY placards and leaflets using film quotes and art house cinema imagery. Ritzy […]