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Fighters For Lifeby Michael Rosen£7.99 The writer, poet, broadcaster and regular Socialist Worker columnist Michael Rosen has been gaining wide recognition of late with his recent appointment as children’s laureate.

Some time next year more people will live in cities than in the countryside. According to the State of the World Population report published last week by the United Nations (UN), humankind is experiencing a second great wave of global urbanisation.

NHS bosses in Manchester are set to waste thousands of pounds – money that ought to be spent on helping vulnerable people with mental health problems – on a consultant whose "mission" will be to investigate a leading trade unionist currently being disciplined by management.

Lebanese soldiers opened fire on a demonstration of Palestinian refugees in the Beddawi camp near Tripoli in northern Lebanon on Friday of last week, killing at least two people and wounding dozens more.

The post strike last week showed how Gordon Brown’s pay assault against millions of public sector workers can be stopped almost as it’s launched.

More action will be needed – and it would be best if it were coordinated with other unions.

Postal workers rightly insist that the strike is about a lot more than their pay and conditions – although these are centrally important.

Glasgow At the mail centre in Springburn, the strike began with a walk-out at 4.45am. A driver refused to cross a picket line at the nearby Baird Street delivery office.

Protest by Wigan care workers Care workers in Wigan held an angry protest against privatisation on Wednesday of last week. More than 600 council staff are under threat.

Tony Staunton, former City of Plymouth local government Unison branch secretary and one of the best known activists in the union, faces a union disciplinary hearing on Monday.

In an inspiring act of solidarity between full time and agency staff, about 140 workers for Salford council’s cleansing department – refuse workers, recycling teams and road sweepers – struck for the day on Wednesday of last week.

More than 80 low paid parking attendants working for NCP in Edinburgh struck on Friday and Saturday of last week. Their action follows a successful one-day strike earlier in the month.