You couldn’t make it up. In a recent report on ‘executive pay’, The Economist
(hardly a champion of equality) has been obliged to admit the (for
them) embarrassing absurdity of ever ballooning capitalist pay-cheques
in the midst of attacks on working class living standards.
On Saturday, March 27, Kenny McGuigan
died after six years of fighting Motor Neurone Disease. Kenny was a
class fighter, a Marxist and a leading Scottish supporter of Socialist Appeal. We send our deepest condolences to
Kate, Paula, Laura, Cara, and all the family, and will not forget our
comrade as we continue the struggle he dedicated so much time and
energy to.
It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of comrade
Kenny McGuigan following a long struggle against an increasingly
debilitating illness. We will post a full tribute to him shortly but in
the meantime we join with many others in expressing our condolences to
his family and friends at this dificult time. He was a great and much
loved comrade, Marxist and class fighter who truly will be missed.
It is with great sadness that socialist.net has to report the death of
comrade Kenny McGuigan from Scotland following a long struggle against
debilitating illness. A full tribute will follow shortly on this site
but we join with many others in expressing our condolences to his family
and friends, He was a great comrade, Marxist and class fighter who will
be much missed.
Maintenance staff with Network Rail are set to take strike
action after the Easter weekend. This could bring the whole country to a
standstill, since all the train operating companies use the network. The
issue
is safety. Though talks are still going
on as we go to press, no-one should doubt the determination of the RMT
membership to stop the management assault.
Picket lines were formed once more outside
government offices on the day Mr. Darling announced the Budget. The PCS
union
on the 8th and 9th of March called strikes, and
again, on
the day of the Budget came out in protest against the attacks on their
pensions
and job security. We attended a picket line outside the HMRC
and DWP offices in Stratford to offer our solidarity and to assess the
mood of
the workers.
Yesterday, March 24th, civil
servants organised in PCS staged another strike in protest at government
measures that will affect pensions, redundancy pay and jobs. It is a
sign of the growing militancy of British workers, who are reaching
the limit of what they can take.
Ealing TUC have sent out an appeal to all trade unionists to give support to the BA strikers who will be taking further action this weekend.
Ealing TUC have sent out an appeal to all trade unionists to give support to the BA strikers who will be taking further action this weekend.
Over the last year Cambridge residents have
seen a number of attacks on the industries and public services in the
city. 12
months ago, Cambridge University Press, the oldest publishing house in
Britain,
announced plans to outsource much of its work; Addenbrookes, the main
city
hospital, has recently been told to find £40 million in efficiency
savings; the
workers in the CWU came out on strike last October against modernisation
plans
for the postal service. All of these words – “outsourcing”, “efficiency
savings”, “modernisation” – are clearly euphemisms for attacking jobs
and
services.
Over the last year Cambridge residents have
seen a number of attacks on the industries and public services in the
city. 12
months ago, Cambridge University Press, the oldest publishing house in
Britain,
announced plans to outsource much of its work; Addenbrookes, the main
city
hospital, has recently been told to find £40 million in efficiency
savings; the
workers in the CWU came out on strike last October against modernisation
plans
for the postal service. All of these words – “outsourcing”, “efficiency
savings”, “modernisation” – are clearly euphemisms for attacking jobs
and
services.
On
Saturday 20th March the ragtag bunch of ex-football hooligans
and far-right activists who call themselves the English Defence
League (EDL) descended on Bolton, in their latest attempt to stir up
trouble.