The Ghost Estates of Ireland
Back at the start of this year, Socialist Appeal (Issue 193) published a
little item in its ‘Left and Right’ about the so-called Ghost Estates
of Ireland
News and analysis
The latest news and analysis from The Communist, alongside reports of our activity. For Marxist theory and history, click here.
Egypt: the class war intensifies
With the
re-introduction of the emergency law, the military junta is desperately
trying to strangle the revolution and return to the “normality” of the
Mubarak era. But the workers are on the move. The recent upsurge in
strikes and protests could spell the end for the SCAF regime.
Egyptian working class organising and on the move – “a revolution within the revolution”
The euphoria amongst the Egyptian masses that followed the fall of
Mubarak in February has disappeared. The hard reality of the situation –
in which political, social, and economic conditions have barely changed
– has set in. The revolution has not ended, however, but has, after a
brief lull, transitioned from the streets to the workplaces. The working
class in Egypt – the motor force of the revolution – is organising and
is on the move.
Birmingham: strike two against Martini contracts
Birmingham council Unison members once again manned the picket lines on 21 September, for a second day of strike action against the Con-Dem council’s threat to impose ‘Martini’ contracts on the authority’s 26,000 workers.
Women and the crisis of capitalism: Fighting back on a class basis!
Russian
working class women gained much from the October revolution of 1917 and
the subsequent planned economy that was put in place. Later under Stalin
many of the gains were destroyed, although as the economy developed the
conditions of women also improved. The return of capitalism in Russia
dramatically worsened the conditions of women. How does all this compare
to the current situation working class women are facing in the UK?
Edinburgh university occupied: Support Free Education!
Just a few days before the Scottish
Government are to announce details of a series of major spending cuts
to public services, students from around Scotland have occupied the
George Square at Edinburgh University in protest against rising tuition
fees for English, Welsh and Northern Irish students wanting to attend
Edinburgh University.
Protest in Birmingham
It was billed as a "March and Rally for the Alternative: Jobs,
Growth and Justice". On Sunday, September 18th, over two thousand trade unionists and political activists descended on Birmingham
to march and rally with the aim of trying to bring pressure on the Lib
Dems at their conference in the city to break with the Tory policies of
the Condem government.
All out November 30th!
It’s official. November 30th is the agreed date
for a national “day of strike action” by public sector unions and others
against the government’s plans over pensions. It is expected that three million
workers could strike in what has been called the “biggest mobilisation in a
generation.” Unison, Unite and the GMB have given notice that they will ballot
their members, joining other public sector unions in what is intended to be the
start of a rolling campaign of action, which will go through the winter and into
2012.
IRELAND: After the “think ins,” a bumpy ride ahead
According to press reports the Fine Gael and Labour
parliamentary “think ins” this week were upbeat and confident. Although
the Irish Times reports that both parties were warned “to brace
themselves for the bumpy ride ahead”. There has been talk
about Enda’s “honeymoon period” over the last few months. Although in
large measure the new coalition is benefitting from not being Fianna Fáil or the Green Party, while Enda Kenny is doing well in the polls for being neither Brian Cowen nor Brian Lenihan.
Barnet council attacks workforce
Barnet Council workers are taking action on Tuesday – however the bosses
are attempting to impose a ‘lock out’ to pressurize Unison members
into backing out. This is just the latest in a series of attacks
initiated by Tory-led councils against workers resisting the cuts.
Plymouth has ‘derecognised’ Unison and Soujthampton workers have been
taking action for some weeks now.
Ten years after 9/11 – How the world has changed
On the tenth anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers millions of
people will relive the horrors of that fateful day. The television
screens are filled with shocking images of death and destruction.
The other 9/11 tragedy- the day democracy died
As part of our coverage on the 10th anniversary of the "9/11" events, we republish here an interesting article by
Dr Tomasz Pierscionek, first published on the London Progressive
website, which compares the events of 11th September 2001 with that of
the 11th September 1973 – the other 9/11.