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The Arab Revolution is a source of
inspiration to workers and young people everywhere. It has rocked every
country in the Middle East to their foundations and its reverberations
are being felt all over the world. The dramatic events in North Africa
and Egypt mark a decisive turning point in human history. These events
are not isolated accidents apart from the general process of the world
revolution.
Two weeks ago Adam Booth, Militant
Student supporter and Chair of the Cambridge Marxist Discussion Group,
launched a campaign for the Presidency of Cambridge University Students
Union, on the slogan of a fighting student union committed to opposing
all cuts and fees and broadening the struggle into the wider labour
movement. After three days of polling, Adam came a close second out of
three, polling 1,300 votes to the winner’s 1,600. This was the most
votes of any militant left candidate at Cambridge University in living
memory.
We are in a period of deep capitalist crisis, where many rights
acquired through tough struggle in the past years are under threat in
all areas of society. One of them is the free, state-run school. The new
“reforms” being introduced in Greece are putting the rights of teachers
and students in the firing line too.
A million workers on strike. This is the minimum response that should be given to plans being drawn up by the government to implement Hutton’s report on public sector pension ‘reform.’
Wisconsin, USA: Weeks after Governor Scott Walker’s
union-busting bill was introduced, mass demonstrations by public and
private sector workers, students, and community supporters continue,
and the spirit of class struggle is spreading across the country.
100,000 demonstrated in Madison on Saturday. The only way to defeat
Walker is to mobilize the full power of the labor movement, starting
with an all-out one day general strike in Wisconsin and to mobilize
labor for mass demonstrations and solidarity actions around the
country!
On Wednesday March 2nd students from different schools in Glasgow met
at the Centre of Contemporary Arts to officially launch the Glasgow
School Student Union (GSSU).
Recent developments at the University
of Glasgow have cut across the relative lull that set upon the student
movement following the mass demonstrations of late 2010. Student
activists occupying an old post-graduate and mature student social club
on the one hand, and the announcement of a raft of cuts on the other,
have provided combustible material that has seen the movement reach a
new plain and wider layers than it previously had.
According to a news report, an expert has warned of "food riots" coming to the UK
Council workers supported by other public sector trade unionists
lobbied Gateshead Councillors prior to the budget setting meeting on
Thursday March 3rd. The council has a yawning budget deficit
of £70 million over the next two years. £32 million of cuts are set to
fall this year and up to £38 million over the next two years.
Here are some images from the ULU Marxists meeting held in London on Thursday evening
Six Labour councillors from Hackney in London have signed a statement against carrying out any cuts. Socialist
Appeal welcomes the stand taken by these Labour councillors and
calls on other elected representatives to make a stand now and join
them. A concerted drive of this nature would have a tremendous effect on
the anti-cuts campaign and deliver a serious blow to the government’s
attempt to “pass the buck” for the cuts programme to the local councils.
IRELAND: Friday’s election saw Labour gain the most
votes and seats in its history. But Fine Gael came out as the largest
party. Eamon Gilmore and Enda Kenny have established negotiating teams
to prepare the way for a coalition government. While Labour’s leaders
have given the negotiations the go ahead any final decision must be made
by the party conference which meets on Sunday. Fightback is wholly
opposed to such a deal.