Strike

Opposing the far right, people's vote, police racism, precarious workers, climate chaos, universal credit and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

Less glass ceilings and more grassroots is the key to reviving the role of women’s liberation in our struggle, argues Lindsey German 

Strike action in Glasgow spreads, showing the power of solidarity of men and women workers, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

8,000 women council workers are beginning the largest coordinated strike action in Glasgow since 2011, Mark Porciani reports

Corporate exploiters like the Jeff Bezos giant are feeling the heat as workers organise, but its pay announcement should be treated carefully, writes John Clarke

Uber drivers organised a 24 hour strike and rallied at Uber offices against precarious working conditions and unfair pay, Shabbir Lakha reports

50 years on from the 1968 crisis, John Mullen gives an overview of events in France, the debates historians are having and the lessons today's anticapitalists should take

The Fast Food Shutdown - #FFS410 - sees TGI Fridays, McDonalds and Wetherspoons workers strike in nine workplaces, joined by UberEats couriers in at least six cities

Cleaners have begun three days of coordinated strike action for a living wage and sick pay, and have won one victory already reports Jonathan Maunders

In spite of the Tories' anti-strike laws, there are grounds for optimism for PCS in the coming year, argues Floyd Codlin

The annual UCU conference has begun and the leadership, unwilling to accept criticism, has acted anti-democratically and with contempt of its members reports Des Freedman

Richard Allday reminds us that we need to work together; we can’t be socialists on our own

Susan Ram looks back at the tumultuous events of May 1968, where students and workers united against the establishment, and asks what we can take from them today

UCU members recently voted to suspend industrial action; the action may be on pause but the dispute is far from over. 

Windrush, May 68, Palestine, UCU strike, Marx and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 025, May 2018

Neither Macron and the bosses, nor France's working class have made a decisive breakthrough in recent weeks. But the movement is solid and imaginative, writes John Mullen in Paris

As school teachers walk out across the US, in Kentucky they're storming the state Capitol and making big demands, reports striking teacher James H. Miller

The strike is over: our fight is not

As university workers vote in a ballot on UUK's latest offer, Lee Jones explains why they should vote no and how the campaign to reject the deal can win

Lecturers and supporters met at a national activists meeting today to discuss the campaign to reject UUK's proposed deal

From student dissent to militant strikes and a radical alternative, the ingredients are there for mass rebellion, writes John Mullen

In this open letter, university workers from across the country argue that we cannot accept the deal as it stands, and must fight for a No vote

As UUK returns with a further offer, Des Freedman takes a look at the immediate options facing university staff involved in the dispute

Across France, hundreds of thousands of people, spearheaded by combative rail workers, mobilise against Macron’s neoliberal assault on the public sector  

Solidarity among UCU strikers was not born on social media, but on the mass activity of the picket line, argues Milly Williamson

The fight against academisation in the East End is on, with three schools taking strike action

Brexit, Corbyn and the Labour right, gender pay gap, commodification of universities and more...

Theresa May's Cold War revivalism is a high risk strategy for all of us, writes Alex Snowdon 

Feyzi Ismail reports from outside UCU headquarters as the union’s Higher Education Committee votes to reject the employers’ derisory offer

Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why the deal between UCU and UUK is bad one and should be rejected

After huge strikes and protests in Spain, the message on the ground is to stay in the streets

As the lecturers' stike enters its final week, a lecturer explains what we have achieved and what we still need to do

This win is a huge step forward for the labour movement in the United States

Joining a wave of student occupations that look set to escalate this week, students at Reading University have begun an occupation in solildarity with striking lecturers

Live updates of students occupying university buildings in solidarity with striking lecturers. #UCUstrike #StrikeForUSS

University staff and students have shown that committed and passionate resistance is possible and neccesary, finds Des Freedman

Now on the third day of #ExeterOccupy in support of striking lecturers, Theseus Stefanatos and Alex Rafael Rose report on the action students are taking and why

The UCU strike is not just about pensions. It is an opportunity to fight for a new vision for Higher Education, argues Milly Williamson

A UCU striker at Queen Mary University speaks to Katherine Connelly about the ongoing dispute

In solidarity with striking lecturers and opposing further marketisation of higher education, students begin occupying management offices reports Jack Hazeldine

As the strike continues, we must up the ante, argues Des Freedman

John McDonnell has released a video saying UCU strikers have "absolute solidarity" from Labour. Jack Hazeldine lays out the next steps

Rather than calling for compensation for lost teaching time, students should stand in full solidarity with university and college staff

Responsibility for the failure to resolve the dispute around the living wage for cinema workers lies squarely with one arrogant and obstinate man

On the 5th day of the UCU strike, picket lines stayed strong despite the weather and students came out in force to show their support

Lindsey German analyses Jeremy Corbyn's speech on Brexit, as well as the importance of the UCU strike and the growing movement against the NRA in the US

As the strike continues we must keep the pressure on, argues Chris Nineham

As the UCU strike carries on into its 4th day, we put together some short reports from picket lines around the country

After a huge mobilisation to support striking lecturers on the first day of the strike, Bristolians took to the streets again to show solidarity reports Jack Hazeldine

The UCU strike has the potential to rebuild the campaign against the marketisation of our higher education, writes Des Freedman

Another day on the picket line as, across the country, striking lecturers put the pressure on

University strikers across the country are reporting the most successful and well supported industrial action for years

Resolution to submit at your Union branches/CLPs/elsewhere in solidarity with UCU members going on strike from Thursday

As university staff are set to take strike action, two lecturers, Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why you should support the strike

As education workers get ready to strike, Des Freedman, a professor at Goldsmiths University, tells us what we can do to support them

University staff are set for 14 days of strike action after voting decisively for walkouts in opposition to attacks on their pensions reports Des Freedman

Now is not the time for wait-and-see, even a small victory could break the back of this wretched regime, writes Lindsey German

As current action hangs in the balance, Shabbir Lakha talks to CWU postal executive member Andrew Hopping about what lies ahead for the postal workers

Unite's Mixed fleet branch have won a decisive victory against British Airways. Richard Allday reports on the success of the almost year-long strike action.

As teaching assistants in Durham accept a new pay offer, Megan Charlton debunks the myths about the dispute, and Bridget Yuill explains why she voted for the deal

Solidarity from across the movement will be vital as Royal Mail threatens to avert next week‘s strike

Today’s militants are learning old lessons in double-quick time, writes Isabel Carr

Cleaners, porters, and catering staff in Barts NHS Trust have won a deal after 24 days of strike action and plenty of protest

Workers and political activists prepare to battle Macron’s ‘XXL’ assault on French labour laws, reports Susan Ram

McDonald's workers have taken strike action, reports Kara Bryan

The trade union is demanding that the limit on wages be scrapped immediately

Thousands of nurses protested outside Parliament against the 1% Pay cap, the fight is very much on reports Shabbir Lakha.

As wages continue to fall and workers rights are attacked further, McDonald's and other workers have begun to strike. Lindsey German explains why they are so important.

McDonald’s workers from two branches struck today for the first time in the company’s history in the UK in protest against poverty wages and insecure working conditions, reports Isabel Carr.

Steve Bannon has been dismissed as the fallout from Charlottesville continues, Sarah Champion has resigned and recent strike success has shown what's possible

Striking workers offer further evidence of a shifting industrial terrain, reports the Angry Trucker AKA Richard Allday

Hippy styled waste management in Doncaster has got workers’ resistance to look forward to, reports Mick Wattam  

British Airways strikers are unrelenting in their campaign for fair pay, writes Richard Allday 

The historic victory of SOAS workers after a bold and militant campaign should serve as inspiration for struggles across the public sector, argues Feyzi Ismail.

When it comes to social division, socialists need to keep their eyes on the prize – class, argues Lindsey German  

Striking Unite members joined at the Bank of England to fight for justice, reports Jonathan Maunders

The Grunwick strike, 1976-8, was a pivotal event for the labour movement, and this classic account contains key lessons for activists, argues Richard Allday

The Mixed Fleet will surely come back stronger, writes Richard Allday

Workers at the Bank of England want a fair wage rise, reports Peter Stauber

Defence of the NHS and resistance to outsourcing continue to fuel the fledgling industrial fightback, reports Ellen Graubart 

Cleaners, porters and security staff striking for better pay staged an enthusiastic and lively protest in East London on Saturday

On their second strike day, cleaners in East London remain confident they can win

Once again, it is workers uninhibited by tradition that have the most to teach us, reports Richard Allday the Angry Trucker

Overworked NHS staff take industrial action against Serco, writes Kara Bryan

Cleaners, porters and security rally at the Royal London Hospital prior to strike action

The Durham TAs' experience - struggle builds confidence; the more we fight, the stronger we become 

Saturday March 25 saw a County Durham Teaching Assistants national march and rally, Dawn Warcup was there to report

Dear Labour Councillor, don’t blame me if you are now being held to account for your decisions…

On International Women's Day, thousands of women in Ireland went on strike and took to the streets reports Amy O'Donoghue

The Durham Teaching Assistants' dispute has been going on for some time now, Tony Dowling speaks to Megan Charlton to find out what it's all about

The crises facing the NHS, London Underground and housing are just a few examples of the results of austerity and privatisation argues Lindsey German

We asked Kieran Crowe, a TSSA representative, for his view on what the strikes are about

The campaign to renationalise the railways is heating up but the TSSA video is not the way to go argues Mick Wattam

Durham Teaching Assistants' year of resistance is summed up by Megan Charlton

Despite the media's pre-Christmas strike hysteria the strikes didn't take place - Richard Allday examines why

Doncaster Counterfire speaks to ASLEF President Tosh McDonald about the industrial action on Southern Rail

Southern Rail train drivers and guards continue their strike action, Jonathan Maunders reports from the picket lines

As half a million would-be passengers endure another day of frustration, they are being encouraged to blame fellow workers for their misery, instead of the real culprits

Studs Terkel’s life was spent documenting working-class life and struggle in the US. Alan Wieder’s biography captures him splendidly, says Graham Kirkwood

Unite's general secretary has resigned to trigger an election, but hopes to continue as head of UK's biggest union

The Durham Teaching Assistants ratcheted up their campaign with two days of strike action last week. Megan Charlton was there to report

The small disputes, which appear separate, are coming together to form a movement, argues says John Westmoreland

Thousands took to the streets of Birmingham last weekend to protest the Tory Party conference. Megan Charlton of the Durham TAs was there to participate and report

Junior doctors must continue to stand firm against the creeping marketisation of the NHS, writes Mona Kamal

Deliveroo workers across London are taking part in strike action, Joe Odell reports from the picket line

As Deliveroo drivers take strike action, a cycle courier explains the reality of precarious work

Elaine Graham-Leigh takes a look at the crisis of Southern, caused by years of privatisation, and resulting in misery for staff and passengers 

China on Strike gives in insights into Chinese workers’ struggles and the nature of capitalism in China, writes Orlando Hill

The government has been stunned by the strength of the strikes and protests, but what now for the movement? John Mullen investigates

The battle to save the NHS is only just beginning, argues leading activist Mona Kamal

Higher education (HE) workers across the country took the first of two consecutive days' strike action in the campaign for fair pay. Graham Kirkwood reports 

Support surges for the junior doctors as they strike, in another bad day for Jeremy Hunt

The tide is turning against austerity. How can we take advantage of the Tories’ crisis?

Yasmin Dahnoun speaks to Fernando González, whose documentary Limpiadores tells the story of the SOAS cleaners' fight for justice

Rosa Luxemburg argued that the majority of people would be won to socialism through struggle, writes Paul Vernell in this introduction to The Mass Strike

Women workers have been at the forefront of every new wave of struggle

As the junior doctors strike again, student nurse Danielle Tiplady reports from the streets

The junior doctors dispute is the most important industrial confrontation in years. Chris Nineham explains why they need all our support in the coming strike

Junior doctor Mona Kamal explains why it's vital that doctors keep up their action, and why the public needs to rally to their defence

As junior doctors strike across the country, Mark Tyers reports from Sunderland

Live reports, photos and videos from the junior doctors strike

Junior doctor Mona Kamal argues that the government is attacking doctors as a means to further undermine the NHS

The junior doctors have silenced the government. Reports from Whipps Cross Hospital in London and a picket line turned protest in Brighton

For the first time in 40 years, tens of thousands of junior doctors took to their picket lines on Tuesday to oppose government plans

The Royal London Hospital was today host to the first junior doctor strike in 40 years, after the British Medical Association failed to reach an agreement with the government, reports Callum Thomas

We caught up with student nurse Danielle Tiplady, one of the organisers of tomorrow's demonstration against the scrapping of student bursaries

Junior doctor Mona Kamal calls for support for the upcoming strikes and the demonstration organised by student nurses this Saturday. Only a united strategy will be effective

With an unprecedented 98% of junior doctors voting in favour of strike action, Mona Kamal considers how they joined the frontline in defending the NHS

The Tories seek to introduce some of the most draconian and authoritarian labour laws of recent times, writes Kieran Crowe

A government that got the votes of just 25% of the elctorate wants workers to jump through yet more hoops before being able to take lawful industrial action writes Richard Allday

NUT members at Thorp Academy in Gateshead took strike action on Friday in defence of colleagues threatened by compulsory redundancy - Tony Dowling reports

John Tully’s history of the Silvertown strike reveals industrial and imperial connections, and the nature of the worker’s struggle against them at a crucial period, argues John Westmoreland

Richard Allday responds to the latest Tory attacks on democracy, from curtailing trade union rights to eroding the powers of local authorities

London bus driver and senior Unite rep Preston Tabois spoke to Counterfire's Dan Poulton about the London-wide strike and its wider context

The cleaners at John Lewis are the latest in a surge of grassroots worker-run initiatives fighting for the London Living wage reports Matt Bonner

A report from the picket lines in Sunderland as NHS workers strike against a four-year long public sector pay freeze

Steve Leadbeater reports from Carrington power station which has been shut down in an action by Unite rank and file activists

Reuben Bard-Rosenberg reports from Haringey on the final day of a week long strike by workers at a homless charity against huge pay cuts

Firefighters have today issued a further eight day period of strike action as the Westminster government have not improved their pension proposals.

Tens of thousands of tax workers will strike this week in an ongoing dispute over job cuts.

Staff working for London Underground caterers Sodexo are to strike next week over the victimisation and dismissal of union activist Petrit Mihaj. The strike action will be between 06.30 hours and 11.00 hours on Monday 4th August.

Three week strike wins the reinstatement of a sacked colleague and a 2.8% pay rise, with further above-inflation rises for the next two years

For trade unions to fight back and win we need to tap into the massive political anger and idealism that is running right across society argues John Westmoreland

Clare Solomon speaks on behalf of the People's Assembly from the platform at Trafalgar Square at a rally attended by striking public sector workers and their supporters on 10 July 2014

Thousands of public sector workers and supporters descended on Trafalgar Square in a protest over pay, pensions and living standards. Reuben Bard-Rosenberg reports

The largest strike in years rocks the Tories - rolling coverage from around the country in pictures, videos, tweets and reports

As millions strike and march together, we need to develop the alliance between unions and the majority who are under attack argues Chris Nineham

Glass workers in Gateshead are striking against an insulting pay deal. Tony Dowling reports

On their sixth strike day, the staff at Ritzy cinema staged a lively protest, which attracted the support of the local community, reports Peter Stäuber

It looks as if 10 July will be the largest day of strike action for two years. John Rees reports from discussions at the national meeting of the People’s Assembly

China has seen one of the largest strikes ever in its private sector. Ashok Kumar reports

The RMT coverage of the strike to defend jobs and services on the London Underground

Dan Poulton reports from the Finsbury Park picket line in the battle to save ticket offices from Boris Johnson's closure plans

One of the most interesting topics at the NUT's conference was not about whether to strike but how much strike action we should take! Tony Dowling reports

Trade union banners from around the country were visible in support of the Care UK strikers' struggle

Britain's most successful arthouse cinema is shut down for the day as Ritzy cinema workers in Brixton, South London, strike for a living wage

Wildcat strikes have hit the construction industry as workers demand proper employment rights. Steve Leadbeater argues this is a battle we can clearly win and one we can not afford to lose

Teachers unite to fight against the cuts and unreasonable work loads. Ellen Graubart reports

Many here feel that the basic right of education for all are being compromised by the coalition government and so are taking a stand by marching today

For the first time SOAS cleaners taken two days of strike action to win what most students and staff at SOAS perceive as perfectly reasonable demands reports Ruairidh Paton

Photos and tweets from strikers and supporters as workers in higher education across the UK took a third day's united strike action over pay

Clare Birkett offers five good reasons to back the Tube strikes

Chris Nineham and Feyzi Ismail speak to pickets at Finsbury Park station during a 48-hour strike over job and service cuts

Fran Legg and Alistair Cartwright talk to a union rep on this morning's picket at London Bridge

Images, reports and tweets from the 48 hour tube strike in defence of jobs and services on the London Underground

SOAS saw lively picket lines yesterday, with staff and students turning out to support demands for fair pay

Thousands of South Korean railworkers have ended their strike after three weeks of intense struggle against the right-wing President - but the fight is far from over writes Clive Tillman

An appeal for contributions to the #3Cosas strike fund ahead of industrial action between the 27th and 29th of January

Staff and students at Queen Mary, University of London, rallied today in defiance of an aggressive attack on the right to strike by the college management, writes Katherine Connelly

Released cabinet papers confirm what we always knew - that Thatcher lied about almost every aspect of the Great Miners Strike of 1984-85. Former striking miner Joe Henry looks back in anger

Firefighters from Sunderland joined others across England and Wales as they strike for the fifth day over its ongoing dispute with the government over pensions. Mark Tyers reports

Students at Goldsmiths University have occupied in support of striking staff

Images and video from the coordinated strike action by UCU, Unite, Unison, EIS and GMB unions in further and higher education

Unite, UCU, Unison, GMB and EIS members working in post-16 education are striking for fair pay as five years of poverty pay rises take their toll

Cleaners and their supporters are taking two days of strike action at University of London to win sick pay, holiday pay and pensions

Over 100 low-paid workers at University of London are going on strike next week. The strike is on 27th-28th November

'Although pay is important I feel incredibly angry about the way the University is putting education second to the need to make money from businesses on whose behalf the research is done'

'The day so far has been exciting, energetic and incredibly positive', reports Sam Dathi from the SOAS solidarity occupation

If the teaching unions are to develop a strategy to win, then the joint action must be preserved and extended

Statement by the People's Assembly welcomes the postal workers strike on Nov 4th - the day before the Bonfire of Austerity day of Action

Workers in Higher Education look set to take on the employers over years of pay cuts reports Graham Kirkwood, UCU member at Queen Mary University of London

‘It is not the pay it is a matter of principle’

The PCS union has voted to take strike action over pensions and pay this Wednesday as George Osborne announces another round of austerity measures in the annual Budget

Trish Caird looks at the life of Mary Barbour, leader of the 1915 Glasgow Rent Strike - a movement that was principally led, organised and executed by women

Elle Gierre finds a wealth of provocative, sizzling and dangerous ideas in the first issue of Strike! Magazine, with its diverse, visual and thought-provoking pieces

Marx 101 is a series of meetings to introduce the Marxist classics to activists in the twenty first century. Alastair Stephens continues the series with a look at Luxemburg's investigation of the mass strike

Construction workers at a site in Runcorn have walked out in protest at poor conditions. Elly Badcock interviews a worker on site - referred to as ‘A’ due to the blacklist

Barcelona based writer Sofia Tipaldou on how the European day of action went in Spain

Lecturers at Gateshead College took to the picket lines again on Thursday morning to protest in their on-going dispute about conditions of service. “We‘ve been de-skilled, de-motivated & demoralised”, as one striker told me.

As they organised placards for their members’ picket, UCU reps Alison Richardson & Julie Wright described the anger of lecturers at Gateshead College. They told me of how lecturers feel their professionalism is being undermined. The college wants to reduce the amount of planning and preparation time from 12 hours a week to just four.

For some lecturers, weekly contact hours have increased from 24 to 33. The college also wants no cap on the annual hours worked.

“There is a huge amount of discontent and a lack of confidence in the management’s decision-making process and what it’s been based upon,” says lecturer Steve Forester-Melville.

“Many staff have been ‘demoted’ to learning facilitators after lecturing and running courses in the college for years,” he says.

Union members are also angry that a structure that should have been in place at the start of term, giving time to adjust and prepare for new students, was implemented in October after students had been in for a month.

“This has caused the biggest mess,” says Steve, “with courses without staff responsible for them and lecturers having to pick up or in some cases drop classes at the last minute, and all the while the management continue to say that the whole re-structuring is to improve the ‘learner experience’”.

There have been posts on the college facebook page from many students expressing discontent about the disruption to the start of their courses at the college.

Ritchie Bathgate, Chair of the UCU Branch at Gateshead College, said: "Members have shown great resolve by voting again for strike action in pursuit of an agreement on workload which we believe will protect the quality of education we deliver. We will continue this dispute until we have a deal that we can all sign up to."

Jon Bryan, Regional Support Official for UCU, reported on his blog that, “There was good support at all picket lines. At the Skills Academy, many drivers showed their support by beeping their horns as they drove along the Kingsway.”

A further strike by UCU members has been called for next Wednesday (10 October).

The TUC Congress has shown it's prepared to fight against the Coalition's austerity policies, now we need a strategy to make it happen argues Lindsey German

In the mid-1930s French workers launched a wave of strikes and occupations. Neil Faulkner explains how the Stalinised Communist Party worked to contain this resistance

Clive Tillman reports from South Korea on a seminal truckers protest

Cayley Sorochan reports on the student strikes in Quebec and discusses the lessons that can be taken from them

Faced with another ‘restructure’ - cutting nearly 200 jobs including compulsory redundancies - Salford University UCU members have declared enough is enough

Charley Dohren reports from Spain on the militant miners' strike that is shaking Rajoy's austerity regime.

Tilbury dockers said 'enough is enough' this week by taking official strike action for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century

Kemal Ulker reports on the Turkish Government ’s plans to broaden its anti-union policies in an attack on the right to strike.

Pro-Palestinian activists gathered, Saturday, to remember the forcefull expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland with full complicity from the west, and pressure the British government.

A Unison activist calls for coordinated strike action after the union's members in the NHS reject the government's 'final offer'

The pensions battle continues on May 10 when civil servants and health workers will take strike action. John Westmoreland argues that teachers and lecturers need to be out with them.