We continue publication of our Manifesto which outlines the causes of
the present economic crisis and puts forward a programme of action for
the international labour movement. In Part Two we offer a programme to
combat unemployment and defend living standards, but also specific
demands to defend the organisations of the working class and the youth
as they come under attack from the bosses in a moment of crisis.

The
new Employment Bill is winding its way through Parliament. Its provisions
continue the policy of New Labour antagonism towards trade unions, while the
government grovels to big business. Blair boasted that trade union rights in
Britain remained the most restrictive in Europe. But why on earth does Gordon
Brown feel the need to water down the Bill so as to defend fascists’ rights?

The crisis capitalism has entered globally is having a deep impact on
the real living conditions of billions of workers all over the world.
With this comes a growing consciousness among ordinary working people
and youth that something is seriously wrong with this system, that this
cannot be the way human beings have to live. Workers are looking for an
explanation and proposals of how to get out of this mess. We have
produced a Manifesto which outlines the causes and puts forward a
programme of action for the international labour movement. In Part One
we deal with the causes of the crisis and its effects.

We all agree it’s a storm in a teacup. But it’s been all
over the papers. People are talking about it. What are Marxists to make of the
Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand affair? After all there are genuine issues in here.
It’s about capitalism and the media.

How do they get people in the media limelight to act like
performing seals? Was the protest genuine? How far can they manufacture a mood
of outrage? How can we defend the BBC when they lob £6m of licence-payers’
money at Ross? He boasts that, at that salary, he’s “worth 1,000 BBC
journalists.”

Here are two points of view. Why not write in
and have your say?

6,000 London bus workers from 3 different companies have been taking
co-ordinated strike action in pursuit of a basic wage of £30,000. Since
privatisation, drivers from different companies have different wages
and conditions. The companies argue that they need to be competitive,
i.e. offer lower wages than competitors to get work. There is no
justification for bus drivers being on different rates of pay if they
do the same job. This strike has been building up for years and is long
overdue.

Socialist Appeal is the Marxist voice of Labour and youth. The ideas of Marxism have a long and rich heritage within the British labour movement. We defend these traditions today.

Hundreds of workers downed tools on Tuesday 21st October two hours
before their shift was due to end. This was the first round in a
battle to save the Southampton plant. A workforce of 1,100 make
Transits there. They are already on a four day week as the recession
starts to bite.

Nottingham Trent University has declared war on the University and
College Union (UCU). On 4 July 2008 the university wrote to UCU and
said it was aware that it should give nine months’ notice, but had
decided to terminate the agreement to recognise the union on 4 October
2008.