NHS pay victory
16 March 2023
NHS workers have achieved a signal victory in their pay campaign. The improved offerwill be put to members by their unions with a recommendation to accept.
Government delays key rail and road projects
14 March 2023
Transport secretary Mark Harper has announced delays to much needed transport projects. His plans have attracted criticism from industry and unions.
RMT train operating members still in dispute
14 March 2023
RMT members employed by the 14 train operating companies are continuing their long running dispute over pay and conditions.
RMT ballots on new Network Rail offer [updated]
14 March 2023
RMT is conducting a referendum ballot of its Network Rail members after an improved offer from the employer. They have now voted to accept.
BBC journalists strike for local future
13 March 2023
BBC journalists are starting industrial action in defence of their jobs and their local stations. They have called a 24-hour strike on Wednesday 15 March, Budget Day, followed by a work to rule.
BBC Singers sacked – and reprieved
13 March 2023
Musicians, concert goers and radio listeners have united to condemn the BBC’s decision to close the BBC Singers as part of a plan to cut 20 per cent of jobs in BBC orchestras and music ensembles.
Keep the EU out of Britain – and Ireland too!
10 March 2023
At the end of February the goverment announced a provisional agreement (the Windsor Framework) with the EU to resolve difficulties with the Northern Ireland Protocol. Rishi Sunak claims this will “take back control” of Northern Ireland. It won’t.
Health unions make progress
9 March 2023
Health service workers are making progress in their pay dispute now that the government is talking to all unions directly about NHS England pay.
NHS pay settlements in Wales and Scotland likely
9 March 2023
NHS workers in Wales and Scotland are close to settling their respective pay claims. The settlements are below the level of inflation, but higher than the original offers.
Our troubled rivers documented
8 March 2023
This excellent documentary focuses on the state of the rivers of England and Wales and the neglect of a key aspect of our national infrastructure.
The fight for rail continues [updated]
27 February 2023
The government’s attempts to end railway pay disputes are meeting continued resistance.
Food shortages: Britain needs a plan
27 February 2023
Capitalism can’t feed us. Shortages of tomatoes and salad vegetables are symptomatic of wider problems in farming.
Economics and food – lessons in capitalism
27 February 2023
This informative, amusing book uses the history of the food we eat to illustrate the growth of global capital and the damage it does.
Trade union laws: a brake on workers' action
Workers have always organised to defend their interests, governments have always used the law to oppose them, but struggle does not stop…
Understanding 'excess deaths' - and their cause
The increasing number of deaths in Britain is a concern. We need to ask why – and recognise that there is no evidence that Covid vaccines are to blame. Quite the contrary…
The dangerous drive to devolution
Devolution is a threat to workers across England, as well as in Wales and Scotland, with the government bent on breaking up Britain into competing regions…
Defending Britain’s open spaces
The health benefits of open air sports have been known since ancient times, but they are under threat for children in Britain today…
Dirty water - no good for fish, no good for people
Clean water and effective waste disposal are essential for a civilised society. Yet regulation is lax, and water companies regularly dump sewage into watercourses…
How the vaccines were delivered
Britain’s coronavirus vaccine taskforce was successful, but government has thwarted its aim for future resilience…
1942: Betteshanger Colliery
Employers have always tried to make strikes illegal and ineffective. One group of workers stood up to intimidation in the middle of war…
Doctors to strike over pay
22 February 2023
Junior doctors have voted overwhelmingly to strike in support of their campaign for full pay restoration. They join many other NHS workers fighting for better pay.
Nurses plan to escalate action
22 February 2023
Nurses in England were called on by the RCN to take national strike action for the first time. This is paused for last minute talks with the government.
Royal Mail: Postal workers fight on
After court challenges from the employer, Communication Workers’ Union members at Royal Mail have voted overwhelmingly to continue taking industrial action
Universities: UCU pay and pensions progress
22 February 2023
University staff look to have made progress in their struggle on pay and conditions. This shows the power of a united workforce.
No answers on government rail failure
22 February 2023
The new transport minister has no new ideas on the future of the railways. His promises of reform are set to repeat past failures.
Sturgeon out in boost for unity
Sturgeon’s resignation is a blow to the separatist project. Working class struggle across Britain shows a unity that undermines separatist notions.
The political economy of taking control
Since the 2008 crash governments have increased the money supply, with no improvement in productivity. This imbalance is the main cause of the current inflation.
“Net Zero” plans in disarray
16 February 2023
The government’s net zero strategy continues to falter. Last year the High Court said its failure to produce evidence for the policy was in breach of the law, it shows no sign of relasing the data.
Crisis in British semiconductor sector
16 February 2023
British manufacturers use over a trillion chips a year. There is a chronic shortage, but the governemt has no strategy to deal with the crisis.
Physiotherapists’ first-time strike
16 February 2023
Physiotherapists and support workers at over 60 NHS Trusts across England began a rolling programme of strikes on 26 January in pursuit of their pay claim – the first time they have ever taken strike action.