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trade unions

An aerial shot of the stage at the labour party conference in 2019

Labour manifesto – what the grassroots membership demands

Hanna Gál reports on the campaigns of the grassroots Labour Party membership for a progressive election manifesto.

A handpainted banner reading 'The oceans are rising and so are we'

Motion: Support the YouthStrike4Climate on 29 November

On 29 November 2019, pupils and students are going on strike for the climate again. We encourage all workers to stand in solidarity with them. The following motion outlines some practical ways to support the youth strikes in workplaces and trade union branches.

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.

Hong Kong demonstrations continue despite police violence

In his latest report from the Hong Kong protests, Colin Sparks describes the convergence of police violence and business opposition against a tenacious and evolving mass movement.

Hong Kong: mass protests in the rain

In his latest dispatch from Hong Kong, Colin Sparks reflects on the significance of yesterday’s illegal mass demonstration.

Tensions rise in Hong Kong

Colin Sparks reports on the latest developments in Hong Kong, where the movement on the streets is showing impressive resilience as direct pressure from Beijing builds.

Marching lines of police stretching into the distance near parliament

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.

Protesters with Save Our Shipyard banner

Harland and Wolff: occupying for nationalisation, jobs and the climate

Workers at Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard are fighting to save their jobs and demanding nationalisation as the employer goes into administration.

Large crowd, Shatin, Hong Kong

Mass mobilisation shakes Hong Kong

Colin Sparks reports from Hong Kong, where strikes and protests are shaking the government.

George Gore at Colloids picket with #ReinstateGeorge

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.

Motion: Climate emergency (updated)

Bring this motion to your trade union branch to build support for the Youth Strike for Climate and organise towards the climate strike in September.

EIS members in a combative mood

Teachers and lecturers in Scotland met at the EIS conference recently to review recent successes over pay and recruitment and to plan a strategy around the underfunding and overwork that still characterises the sector. Nick Cimini reports.

Jo Grady, incoming General Secretary

Big changes at UCU congress 2019

UCU Congress 2019 saw a left rank and file General Secretary elected, the right and the bureaucracy in retreat and determination to pursue the USS pensions dispute.

NEU battles ahead – report from NEU conference

The first NEU conference set an ambitious course for boycotts and strikes over primary school testing, funding and pay, report rs21 delegates.

What exactly does a university Vice Chancellor do?

As HE workers prepare for action over pay, Mike Haynes asks: what do VCs actually do?

Artistic ‘freedom’: a snapshot from working in the arts

A recent demonstration of precarious workers made Liz Forster see her own experience as a zero-hour worker differently.

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 […]

Just Transitions in Scotland: Scot.E3 Employment, Energy & Environment

Report on a conference planning a rapid and just transition to a sustainable energy economy in Scotland.

Notes From Below: Workers’ Inquiries #HM2018

Ian Allinson reports from Historical Materialism conference on the Notes From Below project

Leaders, leaders, leaders and leaders

Unite the Union activist Ian Allinson discusses the different connotations of the word ‘leader’.

Three days that shook the UCU leadership

Rank-and-file university workers are pushing UCU’s leadership in a bid for democracy, accountability and a fighting union

The death of irony at UCU congress

At the heart of the fight is the question of who controls the union: the officials or the membership?

Banners, hard hats and flowers

Remember the dead, fight for the living

A video from an event in Manchester to mark International Workers Memorial Day

#MeToo workers rights

Some reflections on #MeToo

While #MeToo has seen countless people speak out about sexual violence and harassment, it has also revealed difficulties in building the means of confronting them.

University picket lines – a place of learning

Footage from Goldsmiths college picket line where staff and students talk about their experience of striking so far.

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.

UCU strike news

Update: what’s new in the UCU strike?

We look at the latest developments in the wave of strikes that has taken employers by surprise across the higher education system.

UCU pensions dispute strike

UCU strike: dispatches from the picket line

Striking academic workers and their student supporters report on the ongoing nationwide action in defence of pensions.

A critical week lies ahead in the West Virginia teachers’ strike

The West Virginia teachers’ strike marks the return of the mass strike to the US in 2018.

Chinese trade unions

Justice for the eight comrades

Chinese leftists are facing state repression for standing with the country’s working class.