Belgium: 100,000 workers march through streets of Brussels On October 28 another massive strike shook Belgium. This time all the unions were involved. In spite of all the attempts of the government and the bosses to sabotage it, the workers took part in large numbers and 100,000 marched through the streets of Brussels. Things are moving very fast now.
Marxist.com Day School – an important step forward Saturday’s Marxist.com day school proved to be very successful, with many new faces turning up, especially youth. This success bodes well for the future of our work in Britain. Here we provide a brief outline of the proceedings.
The SPD's Halloween We have received this update on the political situation in Germany which should be read in conjunction with yesterday's article Germany: Coalition talks for new government with old faces and reactionary programme.
Germany: Coalition talks for new government with old faces and reactionary programme By mid-November Germany will almost certainly be governed by a “Grand Coalition” involving Christian Democrats and Social Democrats. The programme of this government is a foregone conclusion, the same old recipe of privatisations and cuts. For now the bosses are happy with this, but this government is preparing the ground for a greater radicalisation on the left similar to what we saw back in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
“War on terror” used as an excuse to whittle away elementary civil liberties in Britain The right to demonstrate, to strike, to trial by jury in Britain are all elementary civil liberties, yet most of them have already been whittled away. Now the so-called “war on terror” is being used to destroy what little is left. This assault on our democratic rights is not a secondary matter. The democracy afforded us by capitalism is restricted, but we can no more ignore the attacks launched on our political rights than we can attacks on our jobs, wages and conditions.
Austria: successful student strikes for free education On Wednesday October 19 the “Action Committees for Free Education” organised successful school student strikes in Vienna, Linz, Wels and Vorarlberg. The strikes were a success and clearly show that the youth movement against the education policy of the government is moving forward.
Belgium: Two general strikes in three weeks – class struggle back on the agenda On Friday, October 7, there was a massive general strike in Belgium, the first for 12 years, called by Socialist ABVV-FGTB union. In spite of all attempts to make it fail, the workers came out in great numbers both in Flanders and Wallonia. Since then the pressure has built up. Strikes have broken in different parts of the country. The Christian union has now been forced to back the movement and a new general strike is being prepared for October 28. Class struggle is back on the agenda in Belgium, and with a bang.
Letter on a trip to Latvia This letter gives a glimpse of life in westernised, capitalist Latvia. Wealth at one end of society, while 70% of the population is classed as poor.
October 4th Picket in front of the Iranian Embassy in Copenhagen Danish and Iranian labour movement activists picket the Iranian Embassy in Denmark protesting against the repression of workers in Iran. This was part of the “The Workers of Iran Are Not Alone” campaign.
Mass demonstrations in France, strike action continues in Marseille and Corsica Over one million workers and youth participated in the mass demonstrations during the national day of action in France on October 4, in which some 100 000 marched in Paris. This new high point in the recent history of the workers’ movement is a further indication of the explosive social and political situation that exists in France. The day of action, which included public sector strikes, was supported by all the main trade union organisations.
Belgium: First general strike in 12 years against bosses’ “work-till-you-drop” plans After years of so-called consensus politics the Belgian workers have had enough of longer hours, cuts in welfare, speed-ups and they are coming out tomorrow in a massive general strike. The mood is one of bitter anger and determination to win.
Student mobilisations in Austria - Defend the right to education! The Conservative Austrian government has been introducing severe cuts in spending on education, reducing university places, introducing fees and so on. This coming Friday (October 7) the government will get a taste of the students’ anger. Action committees have sprung up and called a day of action.
Britain: Blair must go but Brown is no better The idea that Brown has been secretly opposed to privatisation, to the war in Iraq, to the Labour government’s assault on civil liberties ‑ but keeping quiet through ‘loyalty’ (to his career that is, not to the Labour Party or working class Labour voters) ‑ is patently absurd. Both should go.
Polish Elections 2005: Shift to the right in the polls, shift to the left on the streets Parliamentary elections took place in Poland on September 25. The victory of the right wing is a direct consequence of the pro-capitalist policies of the outgoing Democratic Left Alliance government. The vote is against those policies rather than for the right wing.
Letter from an angry Israeli reader “I was a member of the British Labour party for some years and seeing that old man being manhandled the way he was out of the Labour conference made my blood boil and almost brought me to tears.”