Britain: Workers Score Victory at Visteon Workers at Visteon, following a four-week battle, have gained a victory. After the occupation of the Visteon plants and 24 hour picketing when the company announced its liquidation, Ford/Visteon bosses were finally forced to concede to the workers' demands. Workers in Enfield and Basildon have already voted in favour of the deal, while those at Belfast will be voting soon. Rob Sewell interviewed Rob Fitch, shop steward at the Visteon plant in Basildon, who was also one of the national negotiators that secured the new deal.
Denmark: May Day in Copenhagen This year May Day in Denmark was very different from previous years, with 200,000 demonstrating in Copenhagen. A sharp shift to the left is noticeable among Danish workers, who on the one hand are feeling the shock effect of the severe economic crisis, but also seeking radical left alternatives.
Political Conference of El Militante – a step forward in building the forces of Marxism! A report on the recent four-day national conference (9 to 12 April) of the Spanish Marxists of El Militante, with the participation of over 180 delegates and visitors.
Austria: Spring awakening (Part Two) – 60,000 school students on the streets all over the country Last Friday all over Austria more than 60,000 school students protested against the cancelling of five holidays and demanded an increase in spending on the public education system. This is the biggest school student movement in the history of Austria.
Britain: Blacklist Heroes An active trade unionist, member of Unite, Steve Kelly discovered that he was on the Blacklist. Here gives an account of his experiences as a trade unionist and calls for action to be taken to remove the Blacklist.
Britain: Blacklist finally exposed The use of blacklists by bosses all over the world is common knowledge. They share information about known trade union activists and use this to stop them getting jobs. Recently in Britain proof emerged that such a list exists. Here we reproduce an article by the British Marxists on this important question.
Introduction to the new Spanish edition of The Transitional Programme The recent financial meltdown and the recession that is following it have exposed the hollowness of the economic predictions of the bourgeois economists. Now the world economic crisis poses the question of socialism point blank. The ruling class is “tobogganing toward catastrophe with its eyes closed”. As Alan Woods explains in this introduction to a new Spanish edition of the Transitional Programme, these words of Leon Trotsky in 1938 might have been written yesterday.
North of Ireland: Failed state We publish for the interest of our readers this article from The Plough, the journal of the Irish Republican Socialist Party, as it makes many relevant points about the situation in Northern Ireland today. In particular it highlights the need for working class unity and class struggle as the only way out.
Ireland: Easter Rising remembered Despite being regarded as a central point in Irish history and an event that is widely recognised as pivotal to the traditions of republicanism little of the events of 1916 are retained in their popular representation as they have been surrounded by a systematic campaign of distortion almost since they took place.
Britain: Occupy! Fighting for jobs at Visteon plants The leader of the attempted occupation of the Visteon plant at Basildon (component supplier to Ford) speaks to Socialist Appeal. After the ending of the occupation, the workers have maintained a twenty-four hour picket on the factory. The plant in Belfast remains occupied.
Ireland: Fianna Fáil Budget – The bosses slash while the economy burns Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and the Fianna Fáil lead coalition have announced a budget that takes €837 out of the economy for every man, woman and child in Ireland. This direct assault on the working class is going to have massive implications for years to come.
Ireland: Visteon - IRSP accuses politicians of evading responsibility “The factory should be nationalised under workers’ control. But that would be too radical a step for any of the parties in Stormont already committed to administering the neoliberal economic policies of the pro-business Brown Government in Westminster.”
Support the Visteon workers occupations Special page for the workers occupations of Visteon car component factories in Britain.
Greece: The working class in revolt – the government could soon fall On Thursday, April 2, in Greece there was a general strike. A mood of distrust of the trade union leadership emerged in the discussions with the workers. On the other hand all the workers participating in the demonstrations expressed a desire for an escalation of the struggle.
Unprovoked brutality of the police at anti-G20 protests in London The media has been trying - not too convincingly - to claim that the brutal response of the police in London of the past few days was a necessary response to violent anti-G20 demonstrators. All those who participated in the events saw a different picture, a police force intent on provoking violence. This is clearly part of a plan to portray the peaceful protestors as "violent", in effect an attempt to criminalise ordinary people protesting. Here is an eyewitness account.
