75 years ago ‘They shall not pass’: Fighting back against fascism

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the start of organised mass resistance to fascism by the British people. It was in 1936 when hundreds of men and women began making the journey to Spain to join the International Brigades to oppose General Franco’s fascist-backed rebellion.

Holy Smoke! - A Confederacy of Dunces gathers in Westminster

The Guardian reports that ‘hundreds’ of pro-cuts activists will gather in Westminster today. Quite a contrast with the 500 000 strong March for the Alternative held on 26 March – but a sign that Britain’s emerging hard right political networks get the importance of public protest: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/may/13/pro-cuts-rally-against-debt

ver.di – 10 years on‏

The German trade union ver.di, which was formed in 1991 as a 3 million strong super union (public and private service industries), recently celebrated its 10th birthday. http://geschichte.verdi.de/chronik

Victim Thirty-One by Harry Clifton

31 people died in the King's Cross fire in London,
November 1987. One remained unidentified.

Once Upon a Time in Fife - 1926 Miners Strike film in development

The Theatre Workshop Scotland is progressing an important working class film initiative - Once Upon a Time in Fife - which depicts the events of the 1926 miners' strike and is being made with members of the ex-coalfield community.  An impressive trailer for the film can be viewed here: http://www.theatre-workshop.com/fife/story/ Donations to this important work in progress can be made via the same link.

UNISONActive Analysis: Unions and the union

The need for change while avoiding the danger of over-reaction to the seismic shift in party control in the Scottish Parliament was well recognised by UNISON’s Scottish Committee meeting in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Osborne declares war on trade unions

As befits the Chancellor of a Government made up of the rich, which seeks to give more power and wealth to the rich, it is no surprise that George Osborne MP presented an anti union, anti worker, class war prospectus to the annual convention of the Institute of Directors in London yesterday: http://www.businesszone.co.uk/topic/business-trends/george-osbornes-institute-directors-speech-full/34860

TUPE attacks prove that Clegg's muscular definition is no more than knots on cotton

It is no surprise that the Government and their business cronies are starting to unpick the employment rights of UK workers. There are serious right wing moves within Europe started by Sarkozy and Blair who backed Angela Merkal’s moves to create ‘freedoms and flexibilities’ for employers at the expense of worker rights.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/may/11/employee-rights-attacked

North West Regional Council agrees 'agenda for action'

Meeting in Manchester's Mechanics Institute yesterday, UNISON North West Regional Council reflected on the fact that massive job cuts inflicted on local authorities meant our recruitment figures for April 2011 were 1,165 compared to 1,812 in 2010. Branches have lost many long serving and experienced activists through the cuts and it was stressed how vital it is we replace them if we are to continue to build the strength of the union in the workplace.

No freedom for Iraqi workers

The illegal war on Iraq launched by Bush and Blair in March 2003 was referred to by the occupying forces as Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the subsequent 8 years over 100,000 innocent lives have been lost and supporters of the illegal invasion are hard to find: http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

Public Sector Pay – distortions and lies of the misnamed Policy Exchange

Mao famously said that political work must precede economic work. This dictum is well understood by the Tories as evidenced last year by their rolling out of the big lie about Labour’s ‘deficit legacy’ before embarking on £95 billion spending cuts to fund the banking bail out.

Italy & Portugal rocked by anti austerity strikes

Millions of workers took part in nationwide strikes in Italy and Portugal on Friday: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/178563.html

Domestic Violence by Dave Puller

Twelve o'clock on a Saturday night
Time approaches for another fight
The bedroom's dark and full of silence
Time once more for domestic violence