May Day in Greece – small but militant rallies Held shortly after the Greek trade union leaders have signed a disappointing agreement with the bosses, this year’s rallies were small but the workers and youth present expressed a militant mood.
Britain: Fight to save the NHS Like vultures waiting for an animal to die before ripping it to pieces, private “investors” are watching as Blair destroys the National Health Service preparing the ground for more and more privatisation. The grandparents of today’s British workers struggled for a fully funded free healthcare system. Now we have to struggle to win it all back.
Britain: NHS, a Life and Death Struggle Tony Blair has been pushing the line that the National Health Service has never had it so good. He lives on another planet obviously. Anyone who uses the NHS or works for it knows that a systematic attack on the very concept of free healthcare is taking place.
May Day 2006 in Austria There is a strong May Day tradition in Austria. This tradition was continued this year as thousands came out to demonstrations across Austria amidst a growing scandal in the trade unions. The movement was determined to show its unity against the attacks of the right wing and there was a thirst for political ideas in the face of great events in Latin America and France.
The Netherlands calls for a left-wing socialist programme The recent local elections in the Netherlands revealed a significant shift to the left taking place in Dutch society. This confirms what we said in the past, that the temporary rise of the Fortuyn list would be followed by an equally sharp shift to the left. The Netherlands is not immune from the developing class struggle on a world level.
The Frederick Engels Foundation will be present at the 2006 Madrid Book fair - A victory for free speech After a very widespread international campaign the organisers of the Madrid Book Fair have changed their decision to exclude the Frederick Engels Foundation, which will now be present at the Fair. See also in Spanish.
Britain: Make plans now to stop the closure of Peugeot, Coventry The decision to close the Peugeot car plant at Ryton in Coventry and cease production of the best-selling 206 model was compared by one worker at the plant to knowing that a loved one was dying of cancer yet being shocked to know that death is at the doorstep. There is no time to lose if this struggle to save jobs is to win!
The Commission of the Madrid Book Fair attempts to exclude the Fundación Federico Engels Mexican Marxist intellectual and Vice-rector of the Open University of Mexico Fernando Buen Abad Domínguez opposes the decision to exclude the Frederick Engels Foundation from this year’s book fair in Madrid. Also available in Spanish.
Madrid Book Fair excludes Frederick Engels Foundation - An attack on freedom of expression The Madrid Book Fair organisers have taken a decision to exclude the F. Engels Foundation from this year’s book fair. The FFE is the main publisher and distributor of Marxist books in Spain and has been participating in the Madrid book fair since 1998. The growing interest that it has generated is seen as a threat by the organisers and sponsors of the Fair. The organising committee is meeting for the last time before the book fair on Monday April 24th. We have received an appeal for protest letters to be sent to the organisers asking them to review their position. There is a model letter in...
The end of the CPE : an important victory for youth and workers of France The withdrawal of the CPE is a humiliating defeat for Chirac and the de Villepin government. They came out of this ordeal completely discredited. After the struggle against pension reforms in 2003, against the referendum on the European Constitution, and the revolt of the estates in November last year, the massive mobilisation of youth and workers against the CPE constitutes new evidence that France has entered an era of great social and political instability.
Solidarity picket with French students and workers in front of the French embassy in Madrid Representatives of the Sindicato de Estudiantes (Students' Union) and the Marxist tendency El Militante, together with several trade unionists, gathered in front of the French embassy in Madrid last week to express their rejection of the serious attack of the Chirac-Villepin-Sarkozy government, which is attempting to impose the CPE on the French youth and workers. See also the Spanish version.
France: A week of struggle in Toulouse We publish this report on the week of anti-CPE activities in Toulouse. The report explains the methods of the students and workers in their struggle and highlights the need for decisive action on the part of the trade unions to guarantee victory.
Interview with Stephen Bouquin on the movement in France The In Defence of Marxism website interviewed Stephen Bouquin, professor of sociology at Amiens university and member of the SNES-Sup union (Syndicat National des Enseignements de Second degré) about the recent events in France.
Vienna Students’ Parliament stands in solidarity with the demonstrations in France We have received this report of the recent Student Parliament meeting in Austria, which passed a resolution in solidarity with the massive mobilisations in France as well as organised a rally outside the French embassy in Vienna. See also in German.
France: after the success of the April 4th day of action, what next? The movement in France has been building up momentum. There have now been five very successful days of action, each being bigger than the preceding one. The danger now is that the union leaders fall into the trap being prepared by the right-wing government, opening up pointless negotiations aimed at tiring out the workers and youth. There should be no dithering. Organise a 24-hour general strike now!