BNP Fail in Dalkeith
On behalf of Midlothian Trades Union Council I would like to thank those who responded to the call to come to Dalkeith on the afternoon of Saturday, 28th July to confront Nick Griffen and to those unable to attend but who sent messages of support.
BLACKLISTED WORKERS LAUNCH £600M HIGH COURT CLAIM
PRESS RELEASE: A group of blacklisted workers have launched a High Court claim against Sir Robert McAlpine which could potentially be worth £600million. Guney Clark & Ryan
solicitors served a claim on behalf of 86 claimants for "Tort of
unlawful conspiracy" at the High Court last week. The claimants are part
of the Blacklist Support Group, a network campaigning
on behalf of construction workers illegally blacklisted because of their
trade union activities by major building contractors as part of the Consulting Association scandal first exposed in 2009.
The Kinder Scout trespass – 80 years on
Earlier this year, the British labour movement marked a little-known yet
important milestone. Eighty years ago, in April 1932, hundreds of
working class ramblers defied police and landowners to trespass across
Kinder Scout, an iconic moorland plateau that marks the highest point in
the Peak District, in Derbyshire.
Russian Revoluton 95 Years On – From July to September: Revolution and Counter-revolution
The July days in Russia in 1917 were crucial. Without the Bolshevik
Party the outcome could have been a devastating defeat. The reaction
could have gained more ground. Thanks to the Bolsheviks the events after
the July days illustrated the weakness of the reaction and the role of
the reformists and prepared the ground for the events up to October
Trotsky on the July Days
This article by Trotsky was written in the immediate aftermath of
the July Days, following the (temporary) defeat of the spontaneous
demonstrations of the Petrograd workers. 95 Years on the revolutionary
movements in the Arab world over the past 18 months and the turmoil in
Spain and pre-revolutionary situation in Greece demonstrate that the
events of 1917 are worthy of study for more than academic interest.
Recession? It’s in the mind!
When all else fails, pretend it isn’t happening. This is the new
approach being adopted by pro-Tory "expert" economists according to a
report in the last issue of the Sunday Times.
Spain: Unprecedented protests against austerity cuts as the crisis deepens
As the Spanish government got its
€65bn austerity package passed in Parliament, millions of people took to
the streets in unprecedented demonstrations against cuts on July 19.
The day after, as the Valencian regional government asked for a central
government bailout (of 3.5bn euro), the risk premium on Spanish bonds
hit a new record, while 10 year bonds were yielding 7.3%. The Spanish
economy is on the verge of a full bailout.
What interests lie behind the Sudan-South Sudan conflict?
Following the declaration of
independence by South Sudan – which is dependent on financial and
military aid from American imperialism – tensions between Khartoum and
Juba have been steadily ramped up over the past year and have brought
death and destruction both sides of the border.
Three days after the Durham Gala – a Tale of Two Cities
Despite the prediction that the Durham Miners Gala might be rained off,
and the recent flash floods in Tyneside, the weather was more or less
dry and calm on Saturday, but it appears that despite the apparent calm
one of the pages from Ed Miliband’s speech somehow was blown away by a
freak gust of wind. (…)
Durham Miners Gala 2012 – Report
The old Racecourse in Durham was quiet at 8-00am on Saturday Morning,
the stalls were setting up along the river bank, the kids rides and the
hot dog vans weren’t doing too much business, giving the amused
stallholders a chance to watch 3 Socialist Appeal supporters (4 would
have been better) trying to put up the gazebo to shelter the book stall.