Steel: from resignation to resistance
Brian Parkin of Leeds rs21 offers a detailed briefing paper on the state of the UK steel industry and a alternative strategy for preserving jobs and production. Seize the time In an illusory globalised economy of post-industrial neoliberal financialisation the Tories never expected to have to face an industrial crisis. Industrial crises were surely the […]
EU referendum: A crisis of the right, not an opportunity for the left
Rob Owen continues our debate on the EU referendum by arguing the left can abstain from the vote without abstaining from the politics. How to respond to a referendum is a tactical question that requires careful consideration of the political context it takes place in, the questions at stake and whether it presents a chance to […]
Whose Europe? Theirs or Ours?
Socialists do not have the luxury of choosing the conditions in which we fight; however unfavourable the current balance of forces, our task it to argue for an exit from the un-reformable EU on left terms, write Jen Wilkinson and Paul O’Connell.
Revolutionary socialists and the EU referendum campaign: sorting out the real issues
The EU referendum offers no clear route for socialists; instead, John Walker argues, our focus should be on organising against the attack on migrants and workers which will intensify no matter the outcome.
EU debate: A socialist case for leaving the EU
Neil Davidson, in a piece originally published on Bella Caledonia, makes the case from a Scottish perspective about why socialists should support leaving the EU.
The connection between the #JuniorDoctorsStrike and the American corporate takeover of the NHS, part 2
In Part 1, Dr Bob Gill (@DrBobGill) explained the unreported and sinister drive behind the push to change Junior Doctors’ contracts. Part 2 discusses what this means for the future of the NHS, as well as the importance of the current dispute. Reposted with the author’s permission from the Keep Our St Helier Hospital website.
The connection between the #JuniorDoctorsStrike and the American corporate takeover of the NHS, part 1
Dr Bob Gill (@DrBobGill) explains the unreported and sinister drive behind the push for changing junior doctors’ contracts. Reposted with the author’s permission from the Keep Our St Helier Hospital website.
COP21 – climate and capitalism
Joe Sabatini dissects the neoliberal mindset behind the Paris talks in December and what the COP21 Agreement means for saving the planet.
The slow death of Hong Kong
Sue Sparks reports from Hong Kong, where mainland China is tightening its grip Hong Kong rarely makes it to the international news, but the disappearance of five people, all connected with a publishing company and bookshop in the city which specialises in titles unwelcome in mainland China – many of them scurrilous accounts of the […]
The unofficial cult of Mao: instability in modern China
Charlie Hore places the recent construction and destruction of a giant statue of Mao Zedong in the context of the instability facing the Chinese ruling class Blink and you may have missed it, but there is already a contender for the strangest news story of 2016. In early January, pictures began circulating of a massive […]
What the Junior Doctors strike tells us about how to organise in the public sector
Rick Lighten looks at the lessons that other public sector workers can take from how the Junior Doctors have organised and discusses how a strike in a site of ‘social reproduction’ might be different to one in an industry that makes a profit. Today Junior Doctors are taking strike action against the attempted imposition of […]
The secret life of the NHS
As junior doctors prepare to strike tomorrow, Sophie Walton uncovers the reality of a working life that has driven doctors to breaking point. The rs21 leaflet supporting the strike can be downloaded here It’s 8.00 am Monday morning, and we’re in the handover meeting. There are printed lists in the centre of a large, boardroom […]
Long read: What do Syrian and Lebanese activists think?
Miriyam Aouragh introduces interviews with activists Syrian and Lebanese that aim to cut through the confusion that has clouded much of the British left in recent months. The activists’ responses to questions about the nature of Daesh, the role of sectarianism and whether class can still be a source of analysis in the uprising, how we should regard the Kurdish […]
France: How close is fascism?
Already stressed by economic stagnation since the onset of the banking crisis in 2008, and by the interminably threatened, but repeatedly averted, collapse of the Euro, Peter Fysh asks can the French political system survive racist exploitation of the refugee crisis and the shock of deadly terrorist attacks at each end of 2015? In the […]
Can Corbynomics Work?
Sam O’Brien discusses whether the economic ideas put forward by Jeremy Corbyn when he was campaigning for the Labour leadership could work The election of Jeremy Corbyn has continues to generate a tide of foaming comment from Telegraph columnists, Blairite hacks and Tories alike. As if his views on Palestine, Trident and tuition fees […]
Cat’s Credit Crunching: Has Grexit been averted?
Thoughtful Thanos asks: Has a Grexit been averted? Dear Thanos, When Tsipras caved in to Troika pressures and accepted the implementation of austerity measures, the impression policy makers wanted to create was that a Grexit had been averted. But the reality is a lot more complicated. The Greek state remains broke, and in this the […]
Future shock for the left: Review of Paul Mason’s PostCapitalism
Rich Belbin reviews Paul Masons recent book, PostCapitalism: A Guide to our Future Paul Mason has become a familiar figure on our TV screens, from his reports on the collapse of Lehman Brothers through to his ’embedded’ interviews with those at the frontline of struggles, from China through Scotland to Greece. His enthusiastic reporting has […]
Zero hours calling
Shanice McBean reports on the impact of zero hours and agency work on organising call centres Organising in a call centre was difficult mainly because of the so-called ‘flexibility’ of work. Our caller workforce was split into those working for an agency (who were on probation) and those working directly for the company (who were the experienced […]
Radicalising the rank and file
The following comments are extracted from a very lengthy and detailed discussion which rs21 members Anindya Bhattacharyya and a Unite rep recently conducted with the US Marxist labour historian Kim Moody. A former member of Students for a Democratic Society and the US International Socialists, Moody served on the editorial board of the journal he […]
Fighting for fair tips
Nilüfer Erdem reflects on organising the unorganised in restaurants and hotels The ‘Fair Tips’ campaign, led by the Unite Hotel Workers’ and Restaurant and Bar Workers’ branch, over the tips policy in big restaurant chains has seen many successes. The campaign targets large chain companies, which take money from staff tips – a so-called ‘administration […]
Saving jobs at Dulwich Picture Gallery
Olivia Mansfield, describes the joys of a collective victory against redundancies Being told by your employer, most likely a person who earns substantially more than you, who has weight and seniority, who has their own job security and power, someone that you may have trusted to have your best interests at heart, who may be […]
Migration FAQ: why now?
Nick Evans answers some common questions around the migration crisis Why now? More people around the world were forcibly displaced in 2014 than ever before in recorded history. Of those 59.5 million people, 19.5 million were classed by the UN as refugees. The overwhelming majority of those refugees were hosted in developing regions, but unprecedented numbers have […]