To the BMA: no more concessions, escalate the action
Nurse Mark Boothroyd on why now is the time for escalation, not negotiation.
Junior doctors strike: away from the table, back to the streets
Jeremy Hunt and the Tories were on the ropes. Now is the time to press the advantage, not return to negotiations, writes Seb Cooke.
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 […]
Biggest picket lines yet as junior doctors’ strike action escalates
Junior doctors’ continued their strike action today against the imposition of a new, damaging contract and in defence of the NHS, with a full walkout between 8am and 5pm. Despite continued attacks from Tory ministers, many picket lines today were much bigger than those on previous strike days. Here are a selection of reports, photos […]
Support remains strong as junior doctors continue strike action
Strike action over the new contract for junior doctors, that health secretary Jeremy Hunt says he will impose, is continuing for a second day in the latest round of action. Support remained strong for the doctors on picket lines yesterday. At Northwick Park Hospital in North London, the cast of the surreal medical comedy Green […]
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 […]
Building resistance – a report from the NUT conference, part 2
Andy S from Wandsworth NUT continues the report from a union conference ready to defend education.
Ready to strike – a report from the NUT conference, part 1
The government’s forced academisation plans have caused outrage. Teachers are preparing to fight back. Andy N from Birmingham NUT reports on the recent conference.
Dancing on the picket lines – Junior Doctors’ strike continues to a second day
The 48-hour junior doctors’ strike, in defence of their working conditions, patient safety and NHS is continuing for the second day. Our reports from the picket lines yesterday can be found here. At King’s College Hospital in south London junior doctors were dancing on the picket lines outside of the hospital: [wpvideo 47kpkIJO] (Video: Fraser […]
Junior doctors strike for the third time – reports from picket lines
Junior doctors began a 48-hour walkout at 8am this morning (Wednesday) to oppose the new contract that Jeremy Hunt says he will impose upon them. Doctors argue that this contract is bad for healthcare workers, bad for patients and part of a plan to dismantle and privatise the NHS. Check back throughout the day for […]
Unison and UCU strike together in FE over fair pay
Jessica Redman, a Unison member at a college in London, reports from Wednesday’s FE strike Wednesday 24 February saw Unison and UCU members in Further Education colleges across England strike together over pay for the first time in a decade. The strike was over an ongoing dispute with the Association of Colleges (AoC). The FE Joint […]
“£1 extra an hour for all” – UNISON and UCU national FE Strike
Tomorrow (24 February), for the first time in over a decade, UNISON and UCU in Further Education will be striking together for more pay. Mark, an FE lecturer in London discusses why they are taking action. Why we are striking Lecturers, admin and support staff working in Further Education colleges in England are to take […]
‘I was a shop steward and I had a duplicator’ – IS in the 1970s
As the battles of the 1970s intensified Norman McLean became an electrician working in factories and on building sites. Norman spoke to us about his experiences of being a revolutionary activist in an exciting period of working class history. Part 1 can be found here Part 2 Getting Organised What did it mean to be […]
#JuniorDoctorsStrike: report on the strike and pictures from the picket lines
As junior doctors across Britain walk out for their second day of strikes, medical student Sophie Walton weighs up where the dispute is currently at. Thanks to rs21 supporters for sending in pictures. Junior doctors are on strike again today as they continue to fight against government plans to impose a new contract on them. Negotiations have moved on […]
Saturday is not the same as Tuesday: a update on the Junior Doctors’ Contract dispute
Next Wednesday (10 February), Junior Doctors will take another day’s strike action. Here, Sophie Walton gives an update on where things stand with the dispute. Where are we now? Junior doctors are set to strike once again as they continue to fight the imposition of a new contract that compromises on anti-social hours and […]
Junior Doctors Strike: round-up from picket lines
Today Junior Doctors were on strike against changes to their contracts that will be bad for doctors, patients and the whole NHS. Despite the Tories trying to demonise the doctors, the majority of the public support their strike, and they’ve had a lots of solidarity on their picket lines. Here’s a round up from some of […]
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 […]
Greenwich teachers celebrate victory!
Teachers at John Roan school in Greenwich won a victory this week in their fight against excessive work loads. We reported on their first day of strike action on 10 November. Below we publish their letter to supporters and the official National Union of Teachers statement on their successful dispute. Picket line outside John Roan. Photo: […]
Junior doctors vote for strike
Sophie W, a medical student in London, looks at what you can do to support the junior doctors strike 27,741 Junior doctors have voted to take strike action in the face on proposed contract changes. More than 76 % of the 37,155 junior doctors took part in the ballot, with 99.4 % saying they would […]
New deal for junior doctors: still #notfairnotsafe
Medical student Sophie W explains that the much trumpeted new offer to junior doctors still means a big pay cut and unsafe hours. Jeremy Hunt’s offer to junior doctors is spin, and doesn’t address the initial concerns about the fairness or safety of the contracts. The new offer includes: An 11 % pay rise on […]
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 […]
Right to Strike: Infographic
Download this infographic as a pdf here Join the TUC lobby of parliament and the day of action against the Trade Union Bill on 2 November Infographic design by Arjun Mahadevan
#NotFairNotSafe: Doctors and medical students take to the streets
Medical student Ellie R reports on Monday’s demo to protest against proposed junior doctors’ contracts that put patients’ lives at risk. Photos by Steve Eason. If one were to rank professions in order of likelihood of taking to the streets demanding more power for their unions, doctors probably wouldn’t come terribly far up the list. There […]
Junior doctors’ contracts: not fair, not safe
Patient safety will be jeopardised by new contracts for junior doctors, argues Sophie W, a medical student, London. That’s why she will be demonstrating tomorrow (28 September) outside Methodist Central Hall in London. Junior doctors are to be balloted on industrial action, almost a year on from when union representatives walked out of contract negotiations […]
Indian workers resist Modi’s reforms
More than 150 million workers in India participated in a general strike on 2 September, in a nationwide day of protest called by 10 major unions to protest the anti-worker labour “reforms” of the right-wing BJP government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kavita Krishnan, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), reports on the […]
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 […]
Migrant workers’ victory in Korea
Sam MacDonald reports from Seoul on migrants’ successful struggle to win legal recognition for their trade union. Over the past 50 years, few countries have experienced such a dramatic economic rise as South Korea. A country once known for sweatshops and cheap manufactured goods now produces some of the world’s most advanced ships, cars and electronics. An […]
IS in the 60s: two thousand workers with bricks: the Roberts-Arundel strike
Colin Barker recalls a key event for Manchester IS, an engineering strike six miles away in Stockport.
The Magpie: Tories attack workers’ right to resist
The Magpie takes on the Tories latest attacks on workers’ rights to organise in their latest column The Tories have now published their much-trailed Trade Union Bill. It goes much further than their manifesto in restricting workers’ rights. Key elements are: All strikes will be unlawful without a 50% ballot turnout Strikes in health, education, […]