Theory and analysis

20 years since Stephen Lawrence inquiry: racism in Britain today

  In 1999 the Macpherson report established that there was ‘institutionalised racism’ within the police force. This was after the landmark case of Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager who was stabbed to death while waiting at a bus stop by a group of young white men. Dobson and Norris (the murderers) were found guilty of murder, only 18 years after the event, after years of campaigning and investigations from Lawrence’s family – Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Clean up Outsourcing demo builds momentum!

  Several hundred workers demonstrated through central London yesterday (Tuesday 26 February) to demand an end to outsourcing and precarious work. The IWGB, PCS, and UVW unions led joint strike action to bring out cleaners from the University of London and facilities workers from the government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and the Ministry of Justice. They were joined by outsourced workers organised by the RMT, and many student supporters. Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

UCU General Secretary resigns as strike ballot fails: we need a fighting leadership!

  Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the University and Colleges Union since 2007, has stepped down following a long period of inactivity due to ‘ill health’. The news of the end of Hunt’s 12-year reign came, coincidentally enough, a few days after an HE strike ballot over stagnant pay failed to meet the draconian 50 percent threshold for legal strike action set by the Tory Trade Union Act. Of eligible union members, Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Universal Credit and the Crisis of Capitalism

  The government’s new system of Universal Credit, an attempt to “roll together” existing social benefit payments, has consistently made headlines for its disorganised and chaotic implementation that has left many in deep financial struggle. Now the system is being introduced in the Cambridgeshire area, it is especially important for us to understand this policy of reckless austerity for what it is: a symptom of the crisis of British capitalism, and the Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

“Profits before people”: interview with Fair Pay 4 GTAs at King’s College London

  “A six-hour-per-week contract will often demand double that amount of time.” The worker describing this appalling exploitation in their workplace was not employed in a factory during the times of Charles Dickens: they work in a university in 2019. Nor is this sort of regime of overwork confined to sections of the working class traditionally thought to be the most precarious, such as cleaners, who have been engaged in militant action Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Sheffield schools strike to oppose climate change

  On Friday 15th February, school students came out onto the streets in their thousands across the country in a call to action over the climate crisis. In Sheffield, hundreds came out on strike at the Town Hall and spoke about why they were there. As expected, there was a radical, militant mood amongst students, and many gave rousing speeches on the urgency to tackle climate change if the older and current Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

British Marxists on the rise

  110 Marxists from all over Britain met in London, on Saturday 16th Feb, discussing the nature of work under capitalism, the history and role of Marxists in the labour movement and how to concretely prepare for the fight for socialism. Just one day after the historic school student strike, the energy and militancy amongst the young was tangible. The day was kicked off by a session on ‘Brexit, Corbyn and crisis: Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

De Montfort University Vice Chancellor resigns

  Higher Education Crisis! Rising star, Dominic Shellard, has fallen on his sword. The Vice Chancellor of De Montfort University has resigned amid a backdrop of resignations from the Board of Governors and an investigation by  the HE regulator, the Office for Students, into “issues” apparently around university governance. The response by campus trade union, UCU, has been swift with the publication of a manifesto “DMU Renewed”. The manifesto calls for elected Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Venezuelan opposition disrupt solidarity meeting in Liverpool

From the Liverpool Marxist society Facebook Page: We organised a meeting tonight (12th Feb 2019), on Liverpool University Campus, with the aim of having an open, respectful discussion on the situation in Venezuela. 10-12 Supporters of the Venezuelan opposition of Juan Guaido came to the meeting with the express purpose of shutting down debate, intimidating the speaker and guests and doing all they could to make sure the meeting did not take Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

What’s the point of Turning Point UK?

Turning Point UK: “Student movement for free markets, limited government & personal responsibility. It’s time to Question, Challenge & Fight Back. It’s time for a Turning Point” A small group of right-wing students have launched a British version of ‘Turning Point’ – an almost parody-like US based organisation that worships Charlie Kirk, Ben Shapiro and Jordan Peterson. The group has been welcomed by Jacob Rees Mogg and other Tory MPs. Apart from Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Brazilian Marxists organise against Bolsonaro!

100 years after the founding of the Third International, Marxists from all over Brazil met in Florianopolis for a 4 day conference discussing theory, and plans to fight back against Bolsonaro’s government. With international visitors from Britain, Argentina and Canada the spirit of internationalism was alive and well. As Marxists, we recognise that capitalism is an international system, therefore our fight against it must be international or it is nothing. Lenin and Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

Unison and IWGB should unite and fight UCL management

UCL Unison have recently launched a campaign to bring outsourced cleaning, catering and security staff back in house under the same conditions as staff directly employed by UCL, under the slogan #BringThemIn. The campaign has also received support from UCL Labour Society. This comes as a welcome development following efforts from the IWGB (Independent Workers of Great Britain) union, who have been canvassing on campus for months to unionise outsourced staff. The Read more…

By Marxist Student, ago

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