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By Rob Lyon
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Friday, 03 February 2006 |
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In Part Three we look at so-called workers’ self-management in Yugoslavia, at the time hailed as a genuine alternative to the Soviet model. But what was the real nature of workers’ self-management in Yugoslavia and what are the lessons we can learn for the developing struggle for workers’ control in Venezuela?
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By Maya Valecha of the Inquillabi Comminist Sangathan
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Friday, 03 February 2006 |
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Four hundred thousand slum dwellers were rendered homeless within a period of two months just before the heavy rain season of this year in the city of Bombay alone. This is happening all over India, making millions homeless to open up land for speculative investment. We publish a contribution from someone who is active in fighting the demolitions. |
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By In Defence of Marxism
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Friday, 03 February 2006 |
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El pasado jueves 26 de Enero, unas 200 personas se acercaron al toldo identificado con una pancarta de “Hands off Venezuela” ubicado en el Estacionamiento Este del Parque del Este para asistir al foro “Cogestión revolucionaria, control obrero, participación de los trabajadores y socialismo en Venezuela”. Organizado conjuntamente por la Campaña Manos Fuera de Venezuela (capítulos Gran Bretaña y Canadá), Sindicato de Estudiantes (España) y la Corriente Marxista Revolucionaria, el f el foro contó con la participación de los camaradas Rob Sewell (HoV UK, NUJ) y Luis Primo (UNT, CMR). Se trató del foro con mayor asistencia de los organizados en estas instalaciones caraqueñas durante el pasado FSM. |
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By the Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network
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Thursday, 02 February 2006 |
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The families of the arrested Vahed Bus Company of Tehran and Suburbs, and members and activists of the union not in prison, have issued a statement in which they announce that the bus drivers, other workers and office staff of the company will be going on strike on Friday 3 February. |
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By Phil Mitchinson
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Thursday, 02 February 2006 |
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If you want to win elections you must aim at the centre ground. At least that is the official line. But what is the centre? The centre between what? The centre the media refer to, in reality is an extreme expression of the interests of the bosses. The latest attack on education is an example. It goes against the interests of the overwhelming majority of people in Britain, but no doubt the right wing of Labour and the Tories will meet in the “centre” and vote for it together. |
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By an Amicus member
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Thursday, 02 February 2006 |
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Preparations are going ahead for a merger of three big trade unions in Britain, Amicus, T&GWU and GMB. The bureaucracy is pressing heavily for this. It would potentially be a very powerful union, but past experiences have shown that mergers have tended to reduce the level of internal democracy. The left in Amicus gathered around the Amicus Unity Gazette are not opposed to the merger in principle but are demanding the rank and file have a last say through recall conferences and that they be allowed to decide on the key issue of the rule book. |
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By Rob Sewell in Caracas, Venezuela
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Thursday, 02 February 2006 |
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During his speech to the recent World Social Forum held in Caracas, Chavez spoke several times about his idea of “socialism of the 21st century”. The fact that a prominent leader like Chavez even uses the word “socialism” is significant. It reflects the more general process unfolding in Venezuela and throughout Latin America. |
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By Wojtek Balon
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Thursday, 02 February 2006 |
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W sobotę 28 stycznia, około godziny 17.15 na terenie Międzynarodowych Targów Katowickich na pograniczu Chorzowa i Katowic zawaliła się jedna z hal targowych. Odbywała się w niej bardzo popularna i ciesząca się uznaniem wystawa gołębi pocztowych. W środku mogło znajdować się nawet do tysiąca ludzi. |
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By Alon Lessel and Yossi Schwartz in Israel
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Wednesday, 01 February 2006 |
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The Israeli Marxists had predicted the victory of Hamas some time ago. They understood how discredited Fatah had become among the Palestinian people and the only credible alternative they could turn to was Hamas. They also explain that Hamas will be sucked into the so-called “peace process” and will end up being exposed. All this will eventually help the Palestinian workers and youth to draw revolutionary Marxist conclusions. |
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By Nadim al-Mahjoub
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Wednesday, 01 February 2006 |
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Hamas’ ascent to power has been a concluding result of an ongoing process that should be analysed against the background of the events spanning decades, not only in Israel/Palestine but also the whole region and the world. Here Nadim al-Mahjoub, an Arab Marxist, gives his interpretation of the situation. |
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By In Defence of Marxism
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Wednesday, 01 February 2006 |
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On January 28 and 29 a memorial meeting was held at the Institute of Political Studies at Grenoble University to pay homage to the life and works of Pierre Broué, that outstanding Marxist historian and revolutionary. Among the speakers were Alan Woods, Celia Hart and Trotsky’s grandson, Esteban Volkov. |
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By Corriente Marxista Revolucionaria
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Wednesday, 01 February 2006 |
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We are publishing the draft perspectives document of the Venezuelan Marxists. For now it is only available in Spanish, but shortly we plan to have it up in English. The document provides a detailed analysis of the process in Venezuela and highlights the fact that a growing number of activists feel that the revolution must be completed now. The Opposition is weak and divided and time must not be lost. But within the Bolivarian movement there are leaders and bureaucrats who are trying to hold the masses back. |
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By Corriente Marxista Revolucionaria
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Wednesday, 01 February 2006 |
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“Un número creciente de activistas revolucionarios está sacando la conclusión de que es necesario seguir avanzando y que, ahora que el enemigo está debilitado y dividido, no es el momento de ralentizar ni frenar la revolución sino de acelerar esta y llevarla hasta el final. Sin embargo… chocan con la resistencia e incluso la oposición abierta de muchos dirigentes que no comparten en absoluto esta orientación.” |
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By the Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network
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Tuesday, 31 January 2006 |
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Over the weekend hundreds of striking workers and students who had turned out in support of the workers of the Vahed bus company were arrested in Iran. We need to raise a protest as widely as possible to make sure all are released and charges are dropped. Please take part in this campaign and raise it in your local labour movement. |
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By Gregg Shotwell
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Tuesday, 31 January 2006 |
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The bosses at Delphi are offering a so-called “consensual” agreement and some in the autoworkers’ union have sent out signals they are prepared to take the bait. The Soldiers of Solidarity (SoS), a rank-and-file body within the UAW, understand that there is a lot more at stake here. Here we publish an article by Gregg Shotwell of the SoS. |
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By Andreas Bülow
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Tuesday, 31 January 2006 |
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On Wednesday January 25, while the attention of most people was on the events of the World Social Forum in Caracas, an important meeting took place in the industrialized Guayana-region. The meeting, which was held in the meeting hall of Venalum, attracted more than 200 people, mainly workers and trade union activists from the basic industries in Guayana. |
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By Misha Steklov in Moscow
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Monday, 30 January 2006 |
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The recent conflict between Ukraine and Russia over the price of gas brought to the surface the contradictions in the Ukraine, a country which is being pulled towards the western sphere of influence. That was what the so-called Orange Revolution was about. Now the Ukraine people are disillusioned as they watch an international conflict for control of resources that stretches right across the former Soviet Union and beyond. |
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By Trade Union of the Vahed Bus Company of Tehran and Suburbs
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Monday, 30 January 2006 |
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On behalf of the 17,000 workers of the Vahed Bus Company of Tehran we inform the workers' organisations of the world and all those who have been moved by the suppression of the most basic human rights, that on 28 January, our widespread strike was confronted by the unprecedented attack of the agents of the Islamic Republic. |
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