Students: Universities look abroad
The Russell Group of universities is now offering more places on courses to international students than to British students – and bringing in more income as a result.
University strikes resume
24 August 2023
University academic staff will resume strike action in their pay and conditions disputes before the end of September unless employers agree to return to negotiations.
Who should run London?
24 August 2023
The way London is run does not serve its people. Past improvements have given way to the dominance of the City of London and finance capital.
Teachers’ resounding victory
21 August 2023
The conclusion of the current teachers’ pay dispute has seen a resounding victory for schools in England and the unions involved, and has secured their biggest single pay rise in 30 years.
Bristol rail success
21 August 2023
Sustained campaigning has revived a Bristol rail line. The first of several new stations opened in July.
Packaging workers fight for pay and conditions
21 August 2023
Doncaster packaging workers began a 4-week strike on 14 August. They have rejected the employer's 8 per cent offer, tied to longer hours and worse conditions.
Stubborn inflation
21 August 2023
The rise in the consumer prices index in the year to July was a little lower than June – but prices are still rising faster than they have done for years.
Britain’s crippling debt
21 August 2023
Government debt headlines when it goes up or when the government says it wants to reduce it. The level of debt has spiralled out of control, and capitalism has no answer.
Campaign to keep ticket offices open
20 July 2023
Train operating companies are running a short consultation on plans to close railway ticket offices. Rail workers are campaigning in opposition.
Resistance to rail ticket office closures
11 July 2023
Nearly all railway ticket offices in England are planned to close. Rail workers face redundancy and passengers will lose that service. A campaign to oppose the closures is starting.
Making people vote in Wales
11 July 2023
Turnout for Senedd Cymru elections is low. Welsh politicians are seeking compulsory voting instead of asking themselves why voters don't bother.
Britain out of NATO - no to war, yes to defence
The NATO drums for war are beating loudly. British workers should not ignore this, still less support it…
Rail - a crisis created by government
Rail workers should ensure that the strong workplace organisation that has been developed when they built support for their campaigns of industrial action is not dissipated...
Research: take control of our funding
The government’s fear of real independence from the European Union is nowhere clearer than in funding for research – and it’s a fear shared by too many who work in research…
Britain-wide view gaining ground in Scotland
With the SNP administration in crisis, Scots can see that many of the strikes for better wages and conditions are Britain-wide – as is the financial crisis…
Steel: hanging by a thread
Without a steel industry Britain will be dependent on other countries for our strategic infrastructure. Yet the government will not take the steps needed to keep it alive…
Capitalism causes inflation, not Brexit
22 June 2023
Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, blames Britain’s inflation on Brexit. But inflation is, and always has been, a feature of capitalism.
Abandoning the dangerous dollar
Something significant is afoot in global finance. It relates directly to workers’ daily battle with inflation, potentially also having far wider impact. And it’s about the US dollar…
Inflation, capital and labour
22 June 2023
Inflation as a result of government policy since 2008 has now worked through to consumer prices. The underlying economics of inflation are the result of a poor bargain between capitalists and wage-earners.
Heathrow security staff win offer
Heathrow security officers have won an improved pay offer from Heathrow Airports Ltd (HAL) after voting by a majority of 85 per cent for strike action.
Health workers need a plan
Faced with an enemy operating a scorched earth policy, all NHS trade unions need to plan. And struggle will need to be persistent and protracted.
Assert the right to strike
The new Public Order Act, finally hurried through a pliant Parliament just days before the Coronation, is a giant step towards a far more repressive state. Peaceful protest is under threat.
1943: The battle of Kursk
20 June 2023
Raging ferociously from July to August 1943, Kursk was the most decisive battle of the Second World War, crucially transforming anti-fascist fortunes.
Doctors in dispute
14 June 2023
Junior doctors in England are on strike again in June in support of their pay campaign, but talks have been unproductive so far. Consultants also take action next month.
Waiting on the NHS across Britain
14 June 2023
In NHS England and across Britain, hospital waiting lists are increasing, with little sign of progress.
GSK pay dispute escalates
11 June 2023
GSK workers are to escalate strike action in their pay dispute. They have turned down a below inflation pay offer; the company admits it can afford to pay more.
Offshore pay gains
Offshore oil and gas workers at Bilfinger UK have accepted a “vastly improved” wage offer, ending their pay dispute.
Rolls-Royce pay and hours claim stalled
9 June 2023
Workers at Rolls-Royce plc have rejected the company’s pay offer. They are considering their next step in the face of obstructive tactics by the company.
Manchester tram drivers gain improved pay offer
8 June 2023
Manchester tram drivers are balloting on an improved pay offer. Their threatened strike action is on hold.
Rail pay struggle continues
7 June 2023
RMT members working on trains and in stations across the country held another strike on Friday 2 June, the latest in their long-running pay dispute.