Socialist Worker

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George 'Slasher' Osborne - wanted for austerity heist

Tory spin won’t hide the real cost of the Robber Baron's four years of austerity

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International Comment Features Reviews What We Think Other

News

The Tories’ NHS cash pledge can’t mask their assault on the NHS

Tory chancellor George Osborne has claimed that the government will give the NHS a £2 billion “lifeline”.

Campaigners fight back against mental health crisis

Beds crisis in mental health | Glasgow protests pile on pressure | Victory in Bolton over selloff plan

Unions to organise against TTIP

Sixty activists met for a briefing on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) at the union Unite's head office in London on Monday.

Lambeth College workers fight back with new strikes

The rhythm of struggle is picking up again at Lambeth College, reports Sadie Robinson

Reports round-up

Construction workers lobby over tax scam | Strike at Bristol Sharpak | Fuel poverty protest | Nazi Golden Dawn opposed in London | BDS action hits Barclays | Cardiff students debate Palestine

Teachers take on homophobia

Around 60 delegates at the National Union of Teachers (NUT) LGBT conference discussed challenging homophobia in schools last Saturday. 

Will the Open University become a call centre campus?

UCU union members took their campaign against the closure of regional Open University (OU) centres to management’s doors in Milton Keynes last week.

Keep the Further Education pay ballot on

College lecturers across Britain are balloting for strikes over pay—but some in their UCU union are organising to get the ballot scrapped.

Russian doctors fight job cuts

More than 1,000 people marched through Moscow, Russia, last weekend against plans to sack thousands of health workers and close dozens of clinics.

Madrid marchers demand dignity

A quarter of a million people from across Spain came together in Madrid last Saturday in the second March for Dignity.

Protests return to Cairo streets

Up to 3,000 people protested the outskirts of Cairo’s Tahrir Square last Sunday after a court dismissed charges of murdering protesters against toppled dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Northern line Tube drivers strike over sacked colleague

Tube drivers on the Northern Line of the London Underground struck on Monday of this week over the sacking of their colleague Alex McGuigan.

Jacobs biscuit workers bite back with rolling strikes

Some 800 workers at Jacobs Biscuit factory in Aintree, Liverpool, walked out in the first two days of a rolling programme of strikes last week.

Angry tenants lobby Haringey council

Tenants and campaigners lobbied Haringey council in north London on Monday of last week against its attacks on poor residents.

Restart all-out Sheffield bin strike

Recycling workers in Sheffield, south Yorkshire, did not restart their suspended indefinite strike as planned on Tuesday of last week.

Protesters march on Faslane base

Over 1,400 people marched on the Faslane nuclear submarine base, situated on the Clyde, last Sunday. It was the largest Scrap Trident demonstration in Scotland since the mass protest which greeted the G8 in 2005.

Victory after activists beat back council cut plans in Tower Hamlets

Anti-cuts campaigners celebrated a victory last week after they forced the mayor of Tower Hamlets in east London into a U-turn over cuts to the Children and Adult Mental Health social work team.

Rebellion over Unison local government pay sellout grows in strength

The revolt inside the Unison union against the leadership’s sell out of members in local government over pay is growing.

Workers say Care UK pay deal is nothing to celebrate

After 90 days of strikes care workers in Doncaster have voted to accept a new pay offer.

UCU activists demand action to defend USS pension scheme

UCU union members are fighting to push union leaders to defend their USS pension scheme.

New Era tenants take their fight against eviction to Downing Street

Tenants facing eviction and their supporters surrounded the plush West End offices of property investment fund Westbrook on Monday of this week.

G4S guard testifies in Jimmy Mubenga manslaughter trial

G4S guard Terrence Hughes told London’s High Court that he could not recall hearing Jimmy Mubenga calling, “I can’t breathe”. 

News round-up

Kingsley Burrell had head covered before death, scandal-hit Serco to stay at Yarl's Wood, number of prosecutions for begging soars

Police solicitor asked Hillsborough cops to 'review' evidence, inquests hear

Former police officers were asked to “review” their evidence in the wake of the 1989 Hillsborough football disaster.

David Cameron talks tough in racist bid to head off Ukip rivals

David Cameron’s speech on immigration last week talked about the need for “firm control”, but represented a change in tack for the Tories.

Nazi Nick Griffin lends his support to Ukip

Nazi Nick Griffin has confirmed he’s backing Ukip in next year’s general election.

Mirror newspaper blames Polish migrants for low pay

The Daily Mirror newspaper ran a divisive front page last week blaming migrants for unemployment.

Ayrshire College workers escalate strikes

Workers at the Kilwinning campus of Ayrshire College were set to strike on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. 

Firefighters call one-day walkout over attacks on pensions

The firefighters’ FBU union has called a one-day walkout for workers in England on Tuesday of next week. 

Over 1,000 join anti-racist demonstration in Glasgow

More than 1,000 people joined the Scottish Trades Union Congress’ (STUC) anti-racist demo in Glasgow last Saturday.

Detainees at Campsfield refugee prison near Oxford protest against beating

Up to 100 detainees at the Campsfield immigration detention centre near Oxford protested last weekend against the beating of a fellow inmate.

Lambeth College workers begin new round of strikes against attack on their contracts

Workers at Lambeth College struck yesterday, Thursday, against hated new contracts brought in by bosses. They plan to walk out again on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

Ten-day strike begins at DSG defence firm as workers tell bosses to 'get stuffed'

More than 700 Defence Support Group (DSG) workers walked out at Ministry of Defence (MoD) bases across Britain today, Monday. The Unite union members were beginning a ten-day strike against a real terms pay cut.

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International

Hong Kong police launch new attack on occupiers

An estimated 40 people were hospitalised during the democracy protests in Hong Kong last weekend.

Serious flaws in testimony of Michael Brown's killer Darren Wilson

Thousands protested across the US last week over the decision not to charge Darren Wilson, the cop who killed black teenager Michael Brown in August.

Return of the Greek general strike

Tens of thousands of people marched through Athens on Thursday of last week as workplaces across Greece were shut down by a general strike.

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Comment

Flag waving patriots want us to be divided

Our rulers love it if they can persuade us to join in with their shows of patriotism. And that’s exactly why we should reject them, says Sadie Robinson

Smith Commission was set up to limit Scotland

The Smith Commission’s proposals prove people were right to be suspicious of Westminster parties' vow for more devolved powers for Scotland, writes Carlo Morelli

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Features

How to beat the regime in Egypt

A leading member of the Egyptian Revolutionary Socialists spoke to Judith Orr about the impact of the counter revolution—and the prospects for new struggles

The assassination of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton, leader of the Black Panther Party in Illinois, was gunned down by police on 4 December 1969. He was just 21.

Is there an alternative to the Labour Party?

Millions of workers hate Ukip and the Tories, but don’t see Labour standing up to them. Socialist Worker has argued that the left should present a united challenge at the election. We asked activists what they think

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Reviews

Concerning Violence—a powerful depiction of the struggle against oppression

Director Goran Olsson new film is a first hand account of the anti-colonial struggles in Africa—and calls on us to carry on the fight today, writes Saba Shiraz

Echo of Miles—trip through Soundgarden’s infamous Seattle sound

US rock band Soundgarden have released a new three-CD album of rare and unreleased material.

London exhibitions round-up

Ancient Lives: New Discoveries at the British Museum | London Gothic at London Metropolitan Archive

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What We Think

Gordon Brown's real legacy

The right wing crowed when Gordon Brown announced his plan to quit parliament. And Labour’s left mourned—not least those trying to “reclaim” it from New Labour.

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Other Categories

Bob Cox 1944-2014

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Bob Cox, after a protracted fight with cancer.

Letters

In defence of riots; fighting for Palestine solidarity; Cameron's taking us for a ride; and a note on shift work

Things they say

‘I know I did my job right’

Mitchell lied, a cop lacks wit and Bob Geldof gets it wrong

Mitchell lied, a cop lacks wit and Bob Geldof gets it wrong

Tory 'anti terror' bill is a licence for Islamophobia

Simon Basketter looks at the Home Office’s new ‘counter-terrorism’ bill

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