January 2007

A reader has objected to some of Michael Roberts' criticisms of Andrew Glyn's latest book. Among others it deals with the question of whether profit rates in the post-war period were affected by wage increases. Roberts replies showing that the fundamental reason for the decline was the same as that stated by Marx.

Workers at ITN, the
company that provides news for ITV1 and Channel 4, have forced their management
to compromise on their controversial proposal to cut pensions and extend the
retirement age from 60 to 65.
This comes after unionised staff voted for two 24-hour strikes in response to what were felt intolerable impositions from management.

Last year 4 million people signed Britain's
biggest ever petition to defend their local post office. Yet 2,500 local post
offices will close by the end of 2009. The selling-off of the Post Office is a continuation of privatisation policies begun under the Conservative government. 

The aim is to destroy a major public
asset in the interests of big business. This is what capitalism
calls progress.

The proposed
terms for the T&G-Amicus merger removes the election of Officials rule that Amicus achieved. Tony Woodley and
Derek Simpson have used the argument that a new union will be able to more
effectively fight for members. But this proposed
Instrument of Amalgamation will instead serve to create a giant monolithic
bureaucracy that will further prevent members from challenging the leadership.

Earlier this month construction workers demonstrated in Liverpool. They called for the enforcement of national agreements and an end to the undermining of pay and conditions by bosses cynically using employment agencies and the exploitation of migrant labour.

Growing trade union participationat Nissan is giving workers a real chance to demand better working conditions, which if rejected by management may lead to strike action unprecedented in the Sunderland factory's 20-year history.

The pay claim put
forward this year on behalf of 1.25 million UNISON, Amicus, TGWU and GMB members working for local councils
could be a significant challenge to the Labour Government. This includes a number of service
conditions improvements: an additional day's leave, a 35 hour week, a major
improvement in night pay and a near
doubling of the "sleep-in" allowance to £60.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union working in the civil service are gearing up to take strike action. Now is the time for civil servants to stand together to defend jobs, pay and public services. If all PCS members join this strike action it will show the government we stand united and are prepared for a fight.