The New Labour government’s attack on public sector pensions suffered a damaging blow when the Scottish Labour Party annual conference unanimously opposed the move last week.
The New Labour government’s attack on public sector pensions suffered a damaging blow when the Scottish Labour Party annual conference unanimously opposed the move last week.
About 250 teachers from across the education sector, representing 110 schools and colleges, met in London on Saturday of last week to discuss radical alternatives to the present education system.
Stop the War groups all over the country are organising coaches to send to London for the national demonstration on 19 March. George Cottier and Michael McDonnell from Liverpool University report, "About 100 students attended a Stop the War teach-in on Wednesday of last week.
Bury council cuts
Supporters of the Re:d centre in Bury were waiting this week for the result of a legal case about the future funding for the service. The centre provides critical support for over 100 local children with disabilities and their families. Protesters recently lobbied the council demanding withdrawal of the cuts.
Wednesday 9 MarchVigil at parliament while the House of Lords debates conditions in Zimbabwe, 3pm-6pm. For details phone 07966 458 080 or 07960 126 028. Organised by Zimbabwe Community Campaign to Defend Asylum Seekers.
A deep mood of pessimism seems to have struck the leaders of many of the big unions as they cast about for solutions to membership decline and financial crisis in their organisations.
Across Britain workers are organising to resist assaults on pensions. There is a feeling for action in many workplaces which could be tapped to build a serious campaign.
Rose Gentle is the mother of soldier Gordon Gentle, who was killed in Iraq last year. She has campaigned for British troops to be withdrawn from Iraq and helped set up Military Families Against the War.
Sick insight into the occupation
A shocking new film, seen by Socialist Worker, shows US troops kicking a badly wounded Iraqi prisoner in the face. The film was made by US troops from the Florida National Guard and given the sick title "Ramadi Madness". It also shows the troops making the arm of a corpse appear to wave.
The government has admitted that the £400 million fund set up to compensate workers who have lost their pensions when their final salary schemes went bust is not nearly enough to protect younger workers.
New free trade agreements are being negotiated right now between the European Union (EU) and 77 former colonies. They are a real threat to the future of millions of people across the world, yet there is almost no effective public debate about the process.
