Taliban insurgency, poverty and corruption Brown's Afghan crisis deepens

Chilcot enquiry - Blair

WITH THE body count of UK troops at over 250 and with a general election looming, Gordon Brown is desperate for an exit strategy from Afghanistan, writes Dave Carr.

Chilcot Inquiry: Millionaire Blair has no regrets

WHILE HUNDREDS of anti-war protesters gathered outside the conference centre in Westminster, inside, Tony Blair gave his 'evidence' to the Chilcot inquiry on 29 January, writes Chris Newby.

Fight new attacks on London's NHS

HOSPITALS ACROSS London will close, accident and emergency departments will be lost, and thousands of beds will go, writes Paula Mitchell.

Save our A&E!

Civil service: young workers get organised

The PCS young members' network is one of the best organised youth sections in the trade union movement, giving young workers the confidence and skills to change their situation at work...

Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) activities

No cuts and no fees in further education

Young people blocked from access to education

Civil service strike ballot as talks fail

Negotiations between civil service union PCS and management and ministers to reach a settlement on plans to change the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (see Civil service compensation scheme: A fight for jobs and services) have failed, writes John McInally, national vice-president PCS, personal capacity.

PCS ballot over Civil Service Compensation Scheme has begun

Leaflet: Defend the Civil Service Compensation Scheme - PDF

Fujitsu strikers determined to save jobs and pensions

Council criminalises dissent

"You're committing a crime. Do you like being a criminal?" These were the words of Waltham Forest's Environmental Crime enforcement officer as he confronted members of Walthamstow Socialist Party...

Socialist councillors back school's protest

Weak growth - the best that capitalism can offer

Fast News

TUSC - Trade unionist and socialist coalition: important step towards a new workers' party

Clive Heemskerk reports on developments around the recently launched Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition...

Bob Crow launches Portsmouth TUSC

Scottish TUSC steering committee set up

TUSC Coalition sponsors

Unison general secretary election: Fighting left challenge needed

Roger Bannister, photo by Paul Mattsson

Following the announcement of an election for the general secretary of Unison, a meeting of the left in the union took place on 30 January. This was an attempt to reach a consensus on standing one left candidate to confront the incumbent Dave Prentis, writes Glenn Kelly.

Defend the four: Courts show what side they're on

Sri Lanka: Violent election campaign puts Rajapakse back in power

AFTER THE most violent election the country has seen, Mahinda Rajapakse remains president of Sri Lanka, writes Elizabeth Clarke, Committee for a Workers' International, CWI.

Tekel workers demand general strike in Turkey

Betrayed - PTSD casualties of war

Death reaches out to Tony Blair from Iraq - cartoon by Alan Hardman

Prosecute the war criminal Blair

Iraq Inquiry: Tony Blair: war criminal! That would be the outcome of any genuine inquiry into the Iraq war. Tony Blair took us to war in Iraq on the basis of a lie. Now, Liar Blair has been called to give evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry...

Bonuses for bankers but recession for workers

Youth Fight for Jobs campaign against unemployment - marching in Barking

My new year's resolution was to stop watching TV. This is not for health reasons but because I can't afford to buy a new one if I kick it in while watching the news! Who hasn't wanted to do that recently?

Outrage against bankers spurs Obama on

Unemployment figures don't tell the full story

Youth Fight for Jobs demonstration in Barking

Lewisham Socialist Party prepares for election

WITH A general election and council elections looming, all the main parties are boasting about the massive level of cuts they will make to public services, the worst cuts in forty years, writes Chris Newby.

Support for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) grows

Haiti: Survivors shackled by huge debt and poverty

HAITI'S EARTHQUAKE survivors - overwhelmingly poor before the disaster struck - are now homeless and unemployed, writes Dave Carr.

Cadbury's bosses opt for a sugary takeover

Far right thugs invade Stoke

Food for thought

Unison black members reject witch-hunt

"Unless Mr Kasab and his colleagues are punished, black Unison members can have no confidence in the union fighting racism." These were the words of the Unison national officer who acted as the prosecution in the union's case against four Socialist Party members, writes A Unison member.

South Yorkshire fire dispute Negotiations go national

Glasgow City Unison fights back against cuts in jobs and services

Visteon pensioners protest

Temperature rises at British Airways

Ticket office staff strike again

Building the fight against education cuts at Leeds

Leeds Youth Fight for Jobs

Higher education: Cuts cuts cuts: Last year, Michael Arthur, vice chancellor of Leeds University, announced cuts of £35 million from the university's budget, the equivalent of 700 jobs being lost, writes Iain Dalton, Socialist Students Yorkshire organiser.

University of Gloucestershire staff fight back

Cuts at Cardiff University must be fought

Imperialism in Africa today

In a renewed 'scramble for Africa', the continent is again a competing arena for all the big powers globally - China, the US, the EU, Russia...

PCS members at Hewlett Parkard strike in Lytham St Annes and North Tyneside

Around 600 PCS members working for Hewlett Packard (HP) were on strike on 22 January over demands for job security, pay and trade union recognition, writes Ian Fitzpatrick, President PCS Commercial Sector.

Seventh day of national strike action at Fujitsu IT

Haitians abandoned, bankers rewarded

Fight for a socialist world: While desperate survivors in Haiti's destroyed capital of Port-au-Prince tried to find food, water and shelter, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton breezed into the main airport for a photo opportunity, diverting aid relief flights which included a field hospital from the charity Médecins Sans Frontières, writes Dave Carr.

Haiti - disaster compounded by capitalism

Editorial: The humanitarian catastrophe that has befallen Haiti beggars belief. The powerful earthquake that struck on 12 January left thousands dead, estimates running to 200,000...

Marching for our future

Youth Fight for Jobs

Youth Fight for Jobs - demonstrate on 13 March
Barking in east London is a deprived area by most measures, consistently facing attacks on services, jobs and homes.
Unemployment in Barking and Dagenham has risen from 5.2% in July 2008 to 8.6% in July 2009 and has continued to rise, writes Suzanne Beishon, Youth Fight for Jobs, London organiser.

'Stop and search' unlawful

Socialist Party and ISR members protest at the 2003 arms fair in Docklands, east London, photo Paul Mattsson

LAST WEEK the European Court of Human Rights ruled that 'stop and search' powers given to the police by the Terrorism Act 2000 are unlawful, writes Greg Randall.

Non jury trials undermine democratic rights

Spinning the war

LibDems show their true colours

Marching off the dole?

Socialist Party national committee

Defend jobs, nationalise Bosch

After months of 'warnings', Bosch have announced that they will close their car components plant in Miskin, south Wales, in 18 months' time - and move production to Hungary, writes Mariam Kamish.

Victory for hospital workers

South Yorkshire firefighters forced to strike again

Virgin Trains ticket office workers walk out

Stop the cuts in higher education

Youth Fight for Jobs called for free education as a right

The Russell Group, consisting of the top 20 UK universities has attacked the government's cuts in higher education, writes Matt Dobson, Socialist Students national organiser.

Education trusts are "academies lite"

No business in our education

Angry reaction to Unison witch-hunt

Four Socialist Party members who are members of Unison, Brian Debus, Glenn Kelly, Suzanne Muna and Onay Kasab, are being witch-hunted by their own union...

Obama and the Democrats in power

US president Barack Obama supporter, photo Paul Mattsson

Feature: ONE YEAR ago, on 20 January 2009, the largest gathering of people in US history witnessed the inauguration in Washington DC of Barack Obama as president of the United States.
For many older African-American workers, this was viewed as the most important political event of their lives, writes Bryan Koulouris, Socialist Alternative (CWI, USA).

Sri Lankan government condemned

Civil service compensation scheme: A fight for jobs and services

When the government announced plans to tear up the longstanding agreement on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) they badly underestimated the anger of civil servants at this attack on their contractual redundancy and early retirement scheme, writes John McInally, National vice-president PCS, personal capacity.

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition gets started

From Vectis buses, to Vestas, to Fords, to Royal Mail and more; on every strike and picket line in Hampshire in 2009 we encountered workers' anger at their employers' attacks, but also their dismay at the failure of the Labour government to give them support, Portsmouth Socialist Party members write.

Support grows for new Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Donate to help build a socialist alternative

Dear Granny Smith

A Letter from your Postman by Roy Mayall: THIS EXCELLENT short book gives an insight into the current attacks on Royal Mail workers from the viewpoint of an 'ordinary postie'. It is not a political polemic or a campaign resource, writes Reviewed by Greg Maughan.

Youth Fight for Jobs presents petition to Downing Street

Decent jobs - not slave labour

Want a job? Fine, but don't expect to be paid! That's the message from employers who put profits before young people's basic rights. Companies, such as the chain '99p Stores' which takes around £300 million a year, are asking people to take no pay during 'trial' periods, writes Ben Robinson, Youth Fight for Jobs.

Leeds City Council Future Jobs Fund is no solution

Launch of Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Photo Paul Mattsson

Editorial: LAST WEEK saw the culmination of a series of discussions by participants in the 'No2EU-Yes to Democracy' European election coalition to see whether another alliance could be constructed for the forthcoming general election. The result is that there will now be an election challenge, under the newly-registered electoral banner, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC).

Labour's leadership crisis: it's time for a new workers' party

Last week's crisis in the Labour leadership reveals how scared Labour MPs are of losing their positions in the general election, writes Steve Score.

Global warming chills the north

The real cost this winter

Iceland debt crisis: Make the 'dirt bags' pay!

No to County Council cuts in Warwickshire!

Fast news

Corruption scandal grips Northern Ireland

THE JAWDROPPING seq-uence of events surrounding Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Iris Robinson soliciting £50,000 from two millionaire property developers has opened a Pandora's Box of corruption. Gary Mulcahy, Belfast Socialist Party (CWI Ireland), reports.

Fujitsu workers say: "Enough is enough"

Fujitsu workers, members of Unite, on strike in Stevenage, photo by Guy Smallwood

I spoke to Trevor Palmer, the local workplace rep at Fujitsu Stevenage when I visited the picket line on 11 January, writes Mark Pickersgill, Stevenage Socialist Party.

Signallers' strike spreads

Buses - privatisation means worse services

Teesside fight to save jobs

Twinings jobs meeting

Hospital workers battle on

Hard chimes for Pompey

LESS THAN two years after winning the FA Cup, Portsmouth Football Club is a club in crisis. In unprecedented events for a club in English football's top division, Pompey have, for the third time this...

Unison witch-hunt: Shock exposures at Employment Tribunal

Glenn Kelly addresses a lobby of Unison HQ against his three year ban, photo Alison Hill

Between 15 and 18 December 2009, the case of four Unison branch officers under threat of suspension from office reached its dramatic conclusion at an employment tribunal, a Unison member writes.

Call centres: Union campaign makes important gains

I was interested to read the recent article in The Socialist by John McInally about the work my union PCS is doing to improve working conditions in call centres in the civil service, writes Paul Newton, PCS rep.

Greece - on the edge of a volcano

Robert Bechert attended last December's successful congress of Xekinima, the CWI in Greece. This article by him on the present political situation in Greece is based on discussions that took place at that congress.

Sri Lanka presidential elections: No to the two warmongers!

Tamil demonstration in London, photo D. Carr

LAST WEEK Channel 4 TV news broadcast further video footage which appears to show Sri Lankan army soldiers perpetrating atrocities against the Tamil-speaking minority, writes Senan, Tamil Solidarity.

Israel: Instability, class polarisation and socialism

Chile - Freedom for Elena Varela

Youth Fight for Jobs demo, photo Dave Carr

Rage against unemployment

The New Year has begun with a stark reminder of the human cost of the bosses' economic crisis: young people are likely to suffer 'permanent psychological scars' as a result of unemployment, according to the newly released Prince's Trust YouGov Youth Index, writes Sean Figg, Youth Fight for Jobs national organiser.

No more fare rises, no more cutbacks!

We Want Our Buses Back, photo by Yorkshire SP

South Yorkshire says: 'We want our buses back': South Yorkshire public transport users have had a double whammy this new year, with the usual annual rail fare rises coupled with the latest extortionate fare rises by First Group buses - averaging an 8% increase, writes Calvin Payne, We Want Our Buses Back campaign.

Support needed for socialists in Sri Lanka

Demonstration against the Sri Lankan government, photo Paul Mattsson

SRI LANKA'S president Mahinda Rajapakse has called a presidential election for 26 January. At one of the most decisive moments since Sri Lanka's independence 62 years ago, the country's unity, the people's...

Mandelson savages university funding

pic: Socialist Students

THE GOVERNMENT'S business secretary, Peter Mandelson, delivered a Christmas 'kick in the teeth' to students and university workers by adding a cuts package of £135 million onto cuts of hundreds of millions already announced, writes Matt Dobson, national organiser, Socialist Students.

British Airways cabin crew dispute

The union Unite is preparing to re-ballot British Airways cabin crew for industrial action following the court decision before Christmas that declared a planned 12-day strike illegal...

2010 - Savage social cuts, workers' resistance and growth of socialist ideas

Visteon workers occupied their plant last year, photo Paul Mattsson

The British capitalists, together with their counterparts worldwide, have unleashed a barrage of propaganda - disguised as "irrefutable facts" - to soften up working class people for an unparalleled assault on their living standards...

Chilcot inquiry: Blair - a willing warmonger

IF ANYONE still believes that Tony Blair had to sanction the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 to protect us from Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), then the ex-prime minister's recent comments to the BBC would have dispelled that myth...

Devon - waste incinerator plan shelved

Academies: 'Hands off Weston Favell' wins!

Fast news

Raging against the machine...

Comment: IT WAS great to see the anti-capitalist band Rage Against the Machine make Christmas No.1 against X Factor winner Joe McElderry, writes Dan Crowter, Coventry.

South Wales signal workers on strike

RMT signal workers are striking for a second six-day period in South Wales and the Marches in protest at attempts by management to ignore negotiated agreements, writes Ross Saunders.

London Underground: Battle lines are drawn

Metaldyne workers fight bosses' sweeping attacks

Halifax: Workers at the Metaldyne engine parts manufacturer in Halifax are set for a third day of strike action over the imposition of shift changes and threats of further attacks on terms, conditions, pensions and pay, writes Ian Slattery and Alex Whatley.

Virgin Trains strike

Support striking Devon health workers

Mark Serwotka re-elected