The latest news, analysis, and Marxist theory from The Communist, alongside reports of RCP activity.
In the best traditions of international solidarity, ex-miners and trade
supporters, organised around the Miners’ Info informal e-mail list, have
formed a support committee – the Spanish Miners’ Support Committee –
for the Spanish miners who are on strike against savage austerity cuts
that could spell the end for their jobs and are now bearing the brunt of
brutal police attacks.
It is often said that central bankers 80 years ago were responsible for
creating the Great Depression. Constrained by their commitment to the
gold standard, they failed to ease monetary policy (cutting interest
rates) fast enough, say the economists, thus turning a crisis into a
Depression. But that is not the real reason.
Not for first time, Cameron has again laid into the “unemployed
scroungers” as a pretext for more cuts, while protecting his cosy
relationship with the millionaire scroungers, press barons, and tax
dodgers.
A Socialist Appeal fringe
meeting on lessons of the Sparks’ dispute at the Unite Trade Union Policy
Conference in Brighton attracted 30 people.
The need for socialist policies and for the nationalisation of the
commanding heights of the economy dominated much of the agenda of the
UNITE policy conference this year, and following a very radical
conference the union has committed to supporting the nationalisation of
the private banks, utilities and railways. The mood of the conference
shows a sharp shift to the left amongst the UNITE rank and file recently
and its reflection in the leadership. Not one speaker from the union’s
executive or from the conference delegates openly opposed the principles
of nationalisation or of the need to adopt socialist policies.
Friday,
22nd June witnessed something unprecedented in British industrial
relations. For the first time, London bus drivers, engineers and supervisors
struck together in solidarity. We are striking for the same bonus being given
to other transport workers in recognition of the hard work we’ll be
putting in over the Olympics. But the strike is about much, much more
than a one off bonus
When
the British comedian Jimmy Carr recently became the focal point of a
media storm around the issue of income tax avoidance by the rich via
overseas investment, he was nothing more than a scapegoat for right-wing
monetarists within the Conservative Party who still believe themselves
exempt from legal and financial obligation. David Cameron referred to
Carr’s tax avoidance as ‘morally wrong’, but this is sheer hypocrisy as
his own family fortune and the wealth of fellow Conservative supporters
have prospered from tax avoidance.
The UCU Annual Congress held in June in Manchester took
place against the backdrop of three important factors: the return of a
double-dip recession heralding even more cutbacks in public spending, the
continuing battle over public sector pensions and the attempts of the UCU
General Secretary, Sally Hunt, to bypass established democratic procedures
within the union by conducting an e-ballot amongst members on policy
development.
Monday night in Brighton sees Socialist Appeal hosting a fringe meeting at the Unite conference.
Activists have led a call to support a protest outside the Fawley refinery this coming Wed.
With the long-running Republican Party primaries finally winding down, it looks like millionaire front-runner Mitt Romney will face President Obama in the November elections. Not surprisingly, the topic that will likely dominate the elections is the economy. One area where Obama and Romney have already begun debating is over the auto industry. But are the two parties’ policies really that different?
British
doctors have gone on strike today for the first time since 1975 over
the government cuts to pensions. Unsurprisingly, this has been met with a
chorus of indignation by the Tories who have accused the doctors of
“penalising patients” by taking industrial action.