The pay claim put
forward this year on behalf of 1.25 million UNISON, Amicus, TGWU and GMB members working for local councils
could be a significant challenge to the Labour Government. This includes a number of service
conditions improvements: an additional day's leave, a 35 hour week, a major
improvement in night pay and a near
doubling of the "sleep-in" allowance to £60.
The environmental
problems
we face are creations
of the capitalist system.
The problem is that
there is no planning on and no concern for environmental issues in an unplanned
economy. Short-term ‘rational' decisions produced
environmental disaster in the longer term. Socialism is
the only way we can protect the environment.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union working in the civil service are gearing up to take strike action. Now is the time for civil servants to stand together to defend jobs, pay and public services. If all PCS members join this strike action it will show the government we stand united and are prepared for a fight.
As George Bush commits a further 20,000 troops to Iraq in a desperate gamble to hold the situation, the realities on the ground are pointing to a defeat for the super power. We take a look at the implications and prospects of this new 'surge'.
Family, friends and comrades of Phil Mitchinson gathered in Cardiff on Saturday 13th January for a memorial meeting. We came together to celebrate his life that ended so tragically.
Up to 100 delegates made their way to the University of London Union on the 13th of January to debate the character of the new Socialist Youth Network (SYN).
The Second American Revolution [The U.S.
Civil War] was a tremendous step forward, but it never realized its
promise to Black Americans. The real winners in the Civil War were the
Northern capitalists who opened up new markets and obtained a huge new
supply of dirt-cheap labor. Nearly a century and a half after the
abolition of slavery in the U.S.A., we are very far from achieving
genuine equality for all, regardless of race, color or sex. Despite a
number of advances achieved through the struggles of black people in
the 1960s, the position of black Americans remains one of clear
disadvantage. Originally published in the book Marxism and the USA, published by and available from Wellred.
The titantic events in Germany between 1917 and 1923 constitute a tragic and bitter chapter in the international workers' movement. Golden opportunities, in which the German working class could have repeatedly taken power, were lost, eventually ending up in the ghastly victory of the Nazis in 1933 and the obliteration of the workers' movement. A book review by Rob Sewell.
Andrew Glyn is an economist at Oxford University. In his new book, Capitalism Unleashed, Glyn attempts to explain how capitalism moved from the crisis of the 1970s to recovery in the 1980s and 1990s. However, although full of interesting information, the book fails to provide an overall analysis and misses some essential aspects of Marxist theory.
John McDonnell's decision to stand
for the leadership of the Labour Party is undoubtedly welcomed by all trade
unionists: that is, by those who know he is standing! It is shameful is that
the union leaders have either ignored or deliberately sabotaged John's
campaign. A straw pole at TUC conference showed over 60% of those members asked
said they supported McDonnell.
Wellred
is proud to announce the republication of the 'Dialectics of Nature'.
Ever since Engels' arrival in London in 1870, he was keen to write a
comprehensive work on science and dialectical materialism. The notes
and studies for such a work make up the present volume, originally
published in 1925. It is an essential read for all those who want to
develop a deeper understanding of Marxist philosophy. Wellred is offering the book for a special price of £9.99 (list price £14.99).
Hayden Phillips' inquiry into political party funding which was leaked last
week aims to impose a cap of £50,000 on donations to political parties. Hidden
behind this proposal is an attempt to stop the trade unions funding the Labour
Party in a big way and thus break the influence of the labour movement as a
whole over the party.