What a way to make a living | A PhD student and part-time tutor
David Evans writes for the What a Way to Make a Living series on the pitfalls of precarious working as a PhD student teaching part-time in a university.
What a way to make a living | Artistic ‘freedom’
Liz Forster’s article from 2018 takes a close look at the precarious working conditions of the arts.
Workers’ and union rights in #GE2019
The Labour and Tory manifestos could hardly be more different when it comes to workers’ individual and collective rights, but there are also important implications for what happens after the election – whatever the result.
What a way to make a living | An art worker in the climate movement
Katherine Hearst, art worker and climate activist reflects on the links between precarity and the climate crisis.
What a way to make a living | An agency worker in the hospitality industry
A former agency worker recounts their experiences in the hospitality industry.
Review | Sorry We Missed You
Colin Revolting reviews director Ken Loach’s latest film, which centres on the family of two workers in the gig economy
What a way to make a living | The Royal Mail sorting office
In the latest instalment of our What a way to make a living series, Daniel Freeborn tells us about the daily grind at a Royal Mail sorting office.
We rise again! Antiracism and industrial action at Royal Mail
Ikenna Azụbụike Ọnwụnabọnze reports on the antiracist action of Royal Mail workers in the Bootle and Seaforth Delivery Office and reflects on the necessity of collective action as the CWU announced the result of its ballot for a strike action yesterday.
Raising the rate of resistance
Educators in the sixth form sector prepare for 3 days of strike action over funding and pay beginning Thursday 17 October.
Video: Support Thomas Cook workers
Ian Allinson interviews Thomas Cook workers and argues that a stronger movement would not allow thousands of jobs to go without a fight.
What a way to make a living | Aye, there’s the pub
In the first piece in the series What a way to make a living, Jozef Doyle gives an insight on the day to day experience of working in a pub.
Royal Mail workers get ready for ‘the fight of their lives’
Ikenna Azụbụike Ọnwụnabọnze reports on the struggle of Royal Mail workers and the Communication Workers Union to protect the four pillars agreement.
100 days of protests in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has now seen 100 days of protests. Colin Sparks explains about how the movement is organised, and the role of socialists, workers and migrants within it.
What a way to make a living | Introduction
Meet our new article series, What a way to make a living, which will explore the lived realities of work and exploitation under modern capitalism
Immigration White Paper: We treat #PatientsNotPassports
The government published its delayed Immigration White Paper yesterday. Here a doctor tells us about the damage current immigration policies is already causing patients.
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 […]
Notes From Below: Workers’ Inquiries #HM2018
Ian Allinson reports from Historical Materialism conference on the Notes From Below project
Report on A Day Without Men 2018
A Day Without Men featured sessions on fascism and sexual violence, migration and the care industry, and workplace organising.
Remember the dead, fight for the living
A video from an event in Manchester to mark International Workers Memorial Day
Rocking Against Racism and other irrational ideologies
The first Rock Against Racism carnival took place forty years ago, on April 30 1978.
Reflections on BiFab
BiFab’s transition from oil-based fabrication to wind illustrates how those skills can be employed in developing a low carbon economy.
Battle for BiFab: Scottish renewables factory in occupation
Through the combination of the defiance of an occupying workforce and a vision of a green industrial strategy, the prospect of democratic resistance is possible.
Harvey Weinstein: when male entitlement meets corporate power
Annie Lord looks at the Harvey Weinstein case as an example of how workplace authoritarianism lets abusive men off the hook The much-publicised Harvey Weinstein case is a perfect example of the ever-present exploitative relationships that emerge in hierarchical institutions. Praised as the darling of indie film-making for his work on The Crying Game, Pulp […]
Video: Jane McAlevey on unions, strikes and strategies for workplace organising
Jane McAlevey interviewed by Ian Allinson at a Manchester rs21 meeting in April 2017, discussing her new book No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age, strategies for workplace organising today, the difference between ‘organising’ and ‘mobilising’, and how to build successful strikes, amongst many other things. We republish this video courtesy of RealMedia. […]
Bank of England strike – “People have had enough of this public sector pay cap!”
Steve Eason reports as striking Bank of England workers were joined by staff from BA and Bart’s hospital on their third day of action. This week bank maintenance, parlours, and security workers who are members of Unite the Union, have been striking at The Bank of England in central London over a below inflation pay […]
Does migration undermine workers’ rights? A case study from waste management
Kate Bradley asks what labour stratification in the waste management industry tells us about British capitalism – and whether ‘managed migration’ would be the answer to the sector’s poor working conditions. Following Jeremy Corbyn’s speech last week on big companies’ abuse of migration, many media outlets including The Guardian have published critical responses. A New […]
Manchester housing maintenance workers strike
Report from the ongoing Manchester strike for pay parity and against housing maintenance on the cheap
#GE2017: Can Labour deliver security at work?
Unite activist and former General Secretary candidate Ian Allinson examines Labour’s third pledge of ‘Security At Work’.
Review: An Ounce of Practice
Heike Becker reviews An Ounce of Practice by Leo Zeilig, discussing the themes of love, resilience and pragmatism across a varied theatres of activism.