Public Sector Wage Increases and Inflation British society as a whole is poorer because of the war it is waging against Russia. The sanctions that it has imposed on Russia have resulted in dramatically higher energy prices. Britain must give up a much larger share of its income to consume the same amount of energy. How is … Continue reading Public Sector Wage Increases and Inflation—Editorial
Starmer’s Labour Party — Editorial 2
Starmer’s Labour Party Keir Starmer was first elected as an MP in 2015. He rose to prominence when he led the opposition to various attempts to implement Brexit while the party was under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. In 2019 he convinced the Labour Party conference to support a 2nd referendum over Brexit. There are strong reasons to believe … Continue reading Starmer’s Labour Party — Editorial 2
In remembrance of Feargus ORaghallaigh
Sale of the Supermarket Morrisons By Feargus ORaghallaigh Feargus was a regular contributor to this magazine who died recently and we are publishing the article by him which, although published elsewhere, has not been published before in Labour Affairs. We are doing this as a reminder of his deep knowledge and analytical powers which this journal … Continue reading In remembrance of Feargus ORaghallaigh
Speech to Derry Meeting
Speech to Trade Union Rally, Guildhall, 21st February 2023, Derry, Northern Ireland Mark Langhammer The rally was organised by the NI Teachers Council made up of unions as follows: NASUWT, INTO, UTU and NEU (my union). One NITC affiliate, the NAHT (the Principals union) was not on strike. The meeting was hosted by the Derry Trades … Continue reading Speech to Derry Meeting
Labour and Housing
Labour and Housing – Part 11. The funding of housing provision: from 1851 to 1890 By Eamon Dyas The relationship of housing provision to land and land value was examined in parts nine and ten of this investigation. What is proposed at this stage is to look at the history of local authority funding in … Continue reading Labour and Housing
Notes on the News
Notes on the News By Gwydion M. Williams Brexit Failures Wearing Out Russia China ‘bites the bullet’ for Covid-19 Snippets Australia Day a Bad Memory Normal for China Cities Fit for Humans? Hindu Racism The Internet as Electronic Slum Killer Railways in the USA Brexit Failures “What would genuine plan for levelling up the north … Continue reading Notes on the News
Conway Hall Cancels
Cancellation of No2Nato event —25 February 2023 — Conway Hall A Conference organised by No3Nato/Workers Party of Britain has been cancelled by Conway Hall, the Home of Free Speech, a month before it was due to take place on 25th February 2023. Previously St Pancras Church had also succumbed to pressure and cancelled the same proposed meeting. At … Continue reading Conway Hall Cancels
Putin’s Speech
Putin’s latest speech Following are extracts from a televised speech on Monday 20 February by Russian President Vladimir Putin; here he is speaking on the Russian economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union Colleagues, in this context I would like to make a small philosophicaldigression. This is what I would like to single out.We remember what problems and imbalances the Soviet economy faced in itslater … Continue reading Putin’s Speech
Strikes (Minimum Service) Bill
Strikes (Minimum Service) Bill, discussed in the Lords 21 February 2023 Parliament Notes https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2023-02-21/debates/14076655-2C38-4D27-8875-CEE79DE5BF74/Strikes(MinimumServiceLevels)Bill?highlight=strikes%20minimum%20service#contribution-654EA241-DA24-4405-8A05-0D52F05FEFED [Extracts, starting with the speech of Frances O’Grady and ending with the speech of a Conservative Peer against the proposed government bill.] Frances O’Grady (now Baroness of Upper Holloway) Could workers who are required to work during a strike but who … Continue reading Strikes (Minimum Service) Bill
Corbyn banned
Corbyn not allowed to stand as Labour MP; Jewish Voice for Labour no longer allowed to affiliate to the Labour Party. https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/uproar-as-starmer-bans-corbyn-from-standing-as-labour-candidate [Since this article was written in the Morning Star, 15/2/23, JVL and other organisations have been removed from the list of organisations allowed to affiliate to the Labour Party]. “LABOUR “does not belong … Continue reading Corbyn banned
Is Labour the Natural Party of Local Government? Editorial
When one looks at the current Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) and its leadership, it is hard to escape the impression of a collective without principles, interested only in political power and in concealing, as much as possible, what they actually stand for so as not to annoy any powerful interest or to provoke controversy. A good example … Continue reading Is Labour the Natural Party of Local Government? Editorial
On Strikes and Wars — Editorial 2
Can British trade unions defend their members’ standard of living without taking a position on the war in Ukraine? The standard of living of the British working class has fallen because NATO is engaged in a war against Russia using Ukraine as its proxy army. Do British trade unions support this NATO war against Russia? If so, should … Continue reading On Strikes and Wars — Editorial 2
Ukrainian Refugees and ‘small boat’ Asylum seekers
Eamon Dyas By the end of July 2022, the U.K. government had estimated that 104,000 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in the UK in the previous 5 months. [See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/100000-ukrainians-welcomed-to-safety-in-the-uk %5D By the 24th of August 2022 data compiled by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford showed that over 115,200 Ukrainian refugees were officially living in … Continue reading Ukrainian Refugees and ‘small boat’ Asylum seekers
The Colonial Mindset
THE COLONIAL MINDSET Oh dear, I wish I could remember who said it but it had to do with someone killing 25 Taliban from a helicopter gunship, or was it a scam. US soldier Manning reported such a hit. and was sent to the torture of a silent cell. The 25 killer was cleaning the … Continue reading The Colonial Mindset
The Rail Dispute: Who’s In Charge?
Rail Dispute : Who’s in Charge? Peter Whitelegg The revised offer (19/1/23) lauded by much of the media is nothing more than a charter for the complete dismemberment of anything approaching decent employment conditions. With no pay rise in many cases for 4 years, and inflation running above 10%, the current offer of 5% for … Continue reading The Rail Dispute: Who’s In Charge?
Working Conditions: the Case of the Railways
Working conditions: the case of the railways Eamon Dyas In its report on the recent pay offer to the railway workers (link below) the BBC acts as the public relations department of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) in the way it frames the offer. Not only is the 4% on offer miserly in itself but … Continue reading Working Conditions: the Case of the Railways
Working Conditions: the Case of the Müller Drivers
Working Conditions: the case of the Müller drivers Eamon Dyas Members of the Unite Trade Union are currently picketing supermarkets in London to highlight an industrial dispute that has received little coverage in the media although it touches on a subject that is becoming a growing concern for workers generally – the erosion of working … Continue reading Working Conditions: the Case of the Müller Drivers
Working Conditions—Comments
Muller and rail disputes: a comment Feargus ORaghallaigh There is an aspect to this story/dispute that has been left unmentioned and I wonder why. It is that Muller is a German-owned milk processor. It is highly successful, concentrating on the consumer/value-added end of the business - short shelf-life chilled FMCG (yogurts and such things). Its big … Continue reading Working Conditions—Comments
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