This week, England’s junior doctors will undertake industrial action for the fifth time this year. In contrast to strike action taken earlier this year, this time a full withdrawal of labour will occur between 8am and 5pm on Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th April. Tomasz Pierscionek, a junior doctor in London, discusses the latest action being taken by medics and points out the way forward in the fight to defend the NHS.
Next week, on 26-27th April, junior doctors will be escalating their industrial action with two days of full walk out, in defence of their terms and conditions and the wider NHS. Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee puts out a call to join teachers, junior doctors and other healthcare workers for a march and rally in London.
The current two-day walkout by junior doctors marks the fourth junior doctors’ strike in England. Later this month, the action will escalate as junior doctors undertake an all-out strike. With Cameron and co. currently weakened by a series of scandals and crises, it is time for the leaders of the labour movement to go on the offensive, call for co-ordinated action, and finish off the Tories.
On 9-10th March, junior doctors across England went on strike for the third time this year, taking action for 48-hours in defence of their terms and conditions – and the wider NHS also. The task now is to broaden the struggle. The labour movement leaders need to turn this into a fight aimed at bringing down the Tory government.
The changes to junior doctors contracts are the result of the crisis of capitalism that dramatically came to the surface in 2008 and that has not been resolved since. NHS staff are now at the forefront of the fight against the cuts. Only through united action across the board can we defend the NHS and end austerity.
In advance of the latest round of strike action by the junior doctors, we publish here a letter by NHS staff and students who call for maximum unity in the fight against the Tories’ attacks. In addition, we publish a motion calling on the Labour Party to show their full support for the junior doctors’ struggle.
Following two days of strike action by the junior doctors and a refusal by the government to budge, Jeremy Hunt has announced the imposition of the new contract. The scene is now set for an escalation of junior doctors struggle, with three further 48-hour strikes now announced, with the first next week on 9th March.
On Saturday 27th February, tens of thousands gathered in London for Britain’s largest anti-nuclear demonstration in a generation, organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Socialist Appeal supporters were present, calling on workers and youth to “fight the madness of capitalism”.
This Saturday, 27th February, thousands of workers and youth will march in London for a national demonstration in opposition to Trident, Britain’s nuclear weapons system. Socialist Appeal supporters will be present, along with a bloc from the Marxist Student Federation, calling for a socialist alternative to this colossal waste.
We publish here the latest statement from the Blacklist Support Group. Construction firms have paid out nearly £6 million in compensation to 71 blacklisted workers. The fight continues to provide justice for all blacklisted workers.
Since 2010 local councils have seen their funding cut by around 30% and the Tories plan to cut it by a further 56% over the next five years. Sam Ashton discusses the crisis facing local government and the need for Labour councillors to lead the fightback against austerity.
10th February saw the second day of industrial action by junior doctors in their fight against Tory attacks on their terms and conditions. Everyone out on the picket lines was adamant and clear: this is a struggle to save the NHS from cuts and privatisation. With the Tories refusing to budge, the fight to defend the NHS continues.