The left activists suffered a blow at the conference of Britain's largest union, Unison, this week, as the right wing launched a vicious offensive against the NEC. This highlights important lessons in the struggle to transform the union into a fighting weapon for workers.

On June 13, a new national strike began in Ecuador, announced by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE), demanding better economic conditions. Demands include the freezing of the price of gasoline, price controls on basic foodstuffs, and opposition to the privatisation plan. These demands challenge the impositions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) head on.

In the Transitional Programme, written in 1938, Leon Trotsky explained that, “The world political situation as a whole is chiefly characterised by a historical crisis of the leadership of the proletariat.” Capitalism is ripe for overthrow, but the present stock of reformist leaders are damming up the struggle of the working class. In order to overthrow capitalism, the workers’ movement must be equipped with a revolutionary leadership that is up to the task.

On April 16, a flash flood in Burkina Faso trapped eight miners underground. Six of them were killed, with two of the bodies only being found over a month later, on May 27. Six of the eight miners were from Burkina Faso, one from Zambia, and another from Tanzania. The company responsible is Canadian-based Trevali Mining Corp., which has mines in Burkina Faso, Namibia, as well as New Brunswick. The company is currently valued at 369 million dollars, making it the largest mining company in Burkina Faso.

We are delighted to be able to announce that the Iranian Exit Theatre Group based in Tehran has translated the article “Shostakovich, the musical conscience of the Russian Revolution” by Alan Woods into Farsi. This is an important and welcome development, which will make the really revolutionary content of Shostakovitch’s life and work known to a broader audience.

The first round of the legislative elections was marked by record high abstention: 52.5%, compared to 51.3% in 2017 and 42.8% in 2012. Such a high level of abstention makes it the most significant outcome of the result.

It is now over 100 days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. There is no end in sight to the war. The gung ho statements of the West following Russia’s withdrawal from the areas it had occupied around Kyiv, Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv, have turned into more pessimistic appraisals. Russian forces, through superior artillery, have been advancing in the Donbas, slowly, but relentlessly. Ukrainian losses are mounting. Russia has maintained its income from oil and gas, despite the West’s sanctions, the knock-on effects of which threaten to push the world economy into a new and damaging recession.

On Saturday 4 June 2022, a fire followed by a large explosion occurred at the Dutch-Bangladeshi-owned BM Inland Container Depot in the Chittagong district of Bangladesh, killing at least 49 people and injuring around 300 others. As details emerge of how this tragedy occurred, it is becoming clear that this was another case of workers dying for bosses’ profit.

While a lot of attention is being dedicated to the war in Ukraine, an equally important conflict is developing in the Pacific, and it is about who is to dominate this key region: the United States or China? In fact, the main pivot of US foreign policy is against the growing influence of China.

The US blog, Grayzone, has published what it claims are leaked emails showing British journalist and ex-left Paul Mason discussing plans to involve the state to silence anti-war, anti-NATO media outlets. Mason has neither denied nor confirmed the veracity of these emails (although he has claimed they “may be altered or faked”).

This year, the national congress of Der Funke (the German section of the International Marxist Tendency) was once again able to take place in person from 26-28 May. As last year’s congress took place online due to the coronavirus pandemic, comrades were all the more motivated and excited to meet in Berlin for a lively discussion after such a long wait. The congress was a great success and marks an important step in the building of the forces of revolutionary Marxism in Germany.

Over the last weekend, from 3-6 June, what everyone attending agreed was “the best Pfingst Seminar ever”,  was held in an idyllic spot in Upper Austria. With over 170 participants, it was the biggest seminar the Austrian section of the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) has ever organised. 

We are proud to announce that over 1,800 people from an incredible 100 countries have now registered for the International Marxist University 2022 (#IMU22). The biggest international gathering of Marxists this year is now less than 50 days away. A four-day festival of Marxist ideas, #IMU22 will be held online and at watch parties across the globe from 23 to 26 July. Register now and join us in the fight for revolution!

The International Marxist Tendency (IMT) expresses its solidarity with the comrades of Mugimendu Sozialista (MS), who have been facing a prolonged campaign of harassment and intimidation from social democratic organisations and the leadership of EH Bildu – with the permissive attitude of the Basque right.

Boris Johnson made a narrow escape in last night’s vote of confidence. This sets the scene for a bitter civil war within the Tory Party, deepening the crisis for the establishment, and for British capitalism. Revolutionary explosions impend.