Uncategorised articles from The Communist archives.
BBC staff are set to ballot for strike over plans to axe up to 2500
jobs. The mood is angry and a big ‘yes’ vote is likely among the 23,000
workers. The three unions involved are Bectu, Unite and the National
Union of Journalists.
Midland Main Line train drivers, members of the Associated Society of
Locomotive Engineeers & Fireman, have voted by 86.9% in favour of
strike action.
Last week the Executive in the North of Ireland presented
its budget. It has been presented as a budget that will create jobs, improve
services and reduce poverty. A closer look reveals tax concessions and
incentives for the bosses and cuts in jobs and social spending and increased
taxation for the workers. They are preparing social turmoil in the future.
Alan Woods talks to the ULU Marxist Society on the topic of ‘Marxism and Religion’. Alan explains the materialist conception of the world, integral to the theory of Marxism, and contrasts it to the idealist perspective that gives rise to religion. Alan explains the nature of religion as a means of consoling the oppressed with a life after death, the tendency of the church to break down along class lines, as well as the trade union credentials of God.
The privatisation of higher education has meant its complete distortion, as the nature of a university degree has become subordinate to profitability and the market. Academic schools are now ‘business units’, students are customers and the mark you get is open to manipulation for the sake of attracting potential new consumers. It is the ‘commodification’ of education.
Wellred is pleased to announce the publication of our new
book, ‘What is Marxism?’, based on the highly successful series of study guides
issued by Socialist Appeal, this book brings together key
material and introductions on the three basic areas of Marxist theory:
Dialectical Materialism, Historical Materialism and Marxist Economics. Each
section of the book includes a clear and easy-to-understand introduction to the
subject aimed both at readers new to Marxism as well as those seeking to refresh
their understanding of Marxist theory.
Wellred Books at www.wellred.marxist.com are pleased
to announce that we have a limited stock of Ted Grant’s book ‘The Unbroken
Thread’ in stock and available to buy. Both Hardback (£11.95) and Paperback
(£6.95) editions are available.
Israeli
vice-premier Haim Ramon has suggested ceding Arab neighbourhoods to a future
Palestinian state. This has divided the Israeli political establishment… obviously.
But what it reflects is the pressure on the Zionist ruling elite to make at
least some verbal concessions in an attempt to stabilise the situation.
Over two days in early October the Cambridge branch of Socialist Appeal
managed to sign up over 150 people at the Cambridge University
Fresher’s Fair for the Hands Off Venezuela campaign. Many
had already heard of the campaign and were keen to find out more,
whilst many wanted to know more about Latin American politics in
general.
Alan Woods, editor of www.marxist.com and author of many books including Reason in Revolt and The Venezuelan Revolution: A Marxist Perspective , talks to the Oxford Brookes Socialist Society on the relevance of socialism in the 21st century.
Some 130,000 postal workers in the Communication Workers
Union were due to return to work today after taking successful strike action in
defence of terms and conditions.
However many workers were scandalized to discover that
management had imposed new attendance times without their consent. This
provocative action fuelled the latest walkouts in different parts of the
country. Royal Mail confirmed that unofficial strike action is taking place in
Liverpool and London.