Strike

Workers are not going to pay for the crisis - News from the Frontline

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back
Heathrow: strike takes off at Europe's largest workplace

Thousands of frontline workers at Heathrow Airport have begun strike action against the company's fire and rehire tactics, reports Yonas Makoni
'Leeds - United!': the deeds and words of women on strike - review

The 1974 Play For Today ‘Leeds - United!’ depicts the real power of action and the passion of words produced when workers are involved in class struggle, argues Tony Dowling
Barnoldswick: Rolls-Royce lockout won't deter striking workers

The strike at Rolls-Royce's Barnoldswick plant continues to go strong despite the vindictive actions of management, reports Chris Neville
Growing university staff revolt as Northumbria UCU votes to strike

Members of UCU at Northumbria University have voted to strike over health and safety amid a growing number of branches escalating disputes and balloting
Can Indian workers ramp up the fightback against Modi’s far-right rule?

As 16 million workers down tools in a nationwide general strike, Susan Ram explores the issues and possibilities
Ikea pushed back in victory for workers’ campaign

The victory for the campaign to reinstate sacked trade unionist Richie Venton and restore sick pay shows what workers organising can achieve, writes Chris Neville
Doncaster bin workers have had enough!

Bin workers in Doncaster are beginning balloting for industrial action after management bullying and harassment
Winter of discontent ahead - News from the Frontline

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back
Heathrow workers vote to strike against fire and rehire

Heathrow workers have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in December against pay cuts for 4,000 staff, reports Yonas Makoni
Manchester rent strike and occupation to continue after University's derisory offer

The University of Manchester's offer for a 5% rent reduction is an insult and students will continue their occupation and renew the rent strike for the January term, writes Lucy Nichols
The strike must go on: Rolls-Royce Barnoldswick strike extended through December

Rolls-Royce workers in Barnoldswick aren’t backing down and have extended their strike action to Xmas eve, reports Chris Neville
#ParentStrike: Parents take action against unsafe schools

Parents around the country took boycott action on Nov 5th, demanding protection for teachers, children and families, reports BRTUS: Parents United
Rolls Royce workers strike to protect jobs

Rolls Royce workers in Barnoldswick have had huge levels of support for their struggle against offshoring and job cuts, reports Chris Neville
Crunch time for workers - News from the Frontline

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back
Rolls Royce Barnoldswick ballot returns a massive 94% vote for strike

Threatened with redundancies which will effectively close the plant, workers have voted overwhelmingly to fight back with strike action, reports Richard Allday
Big ballots to strike - News from the Frontline

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back
'Exhausted, angry and worried sick!': French health workers protest

French health and social care workers stage mass protests for better staffing, pay and conditions as a second wave of Covid-19 engulfs the country, writes Susan Ram
Solidarity to the Rent Strikers – Bristol students fight back

Students in Bristol have called a rent strike over conditions of learning and living which the university promised and failed to deliver on, reports Jago Corry
Heathrow, Rolls Royce, IKEA and more - news from the frontline

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back
Covid-19 and the struggle in France

Protests and strikes are on the rise across France against deteriorating working conditions, job losses and Macron’s woeful response to the Covid crisis, writes Susan Ram
Workers are fighting back - news from the frontline

The first of a fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back
Aslef tube ballot returns overwhelming 95.2% yes vote for strike

Members of Aslef working on the tube have voted by a huge margin for strike action to defend jobs, terms and conditions and pensions, reports Unjum Mirza
Brighton and Hove Council workers are striking for sick pay

After clapping for essential workers, BHCC is rewarding its repairs and maintenance workers by not giving them sick pay during a pandemic, reports Liv Singh
Manchester Debenhams workers fight back against redundancies

Debenhams thinks it’s above the law but workers are showing that they won’t back down, reports Chris Neville
Tate staff strike for art jobs

Tate staff who are striking for jobs and the arts need our support, argues Floyd Codlin
Don't delay: ballot now! - Tunnel Vision September 2020

The September issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision calling for the RMT to stop delaying the ballot, for Aslef members to vote yes and for justice for Jacob Blake
Solidarity part three: the collapse

To mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity in Poland, Jacqueline Mulhallen and William Alderson look at the rise of the movement, its struggle with the regime, and its collapse
Solidarity part two: the struggle

To mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity in Poland, Jacqueline Mulhallen and William Alderson look at the rise of the movement, its struggle with the regime, and its collapse
Solidarity part one: the rise

To mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity in Poland, Jacqueline Mulhallen and William Alderson look at the rise of the movement, its struggle with the regime, and its collapse
Everything has been a battle since March: preparing to strike

As ASLEF ballots London Underground workers for strike action, Counterfire interviewed union rep Karen Baker
The strike must go on: Tower Hamlets workers keep up the fight

Tower Hamlets continue their strike action against the unfair contracts being imposed on them by the council, reports Sybil Cock from the picket line
Tower Hamlets workers are striking and they need your support

Counterfire's Chris Nineham interviewed Amina Patel on the picket line in the latest round of strike action by Tower Hamlets workers
The fight is on: vote yes for strike in Aslef ballot - Tunnel Vision August 2020

The August issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision making the case for Aslef members to vote yes for strike action in the upcoming ballot
How we won: interview with a Bexley refuse worker

Jamal Elaheebocus interviewed Damien Stewart about the Bexley refuse workers’ victory for improved pay and working conditions
Resistance at the frontline: interview with a striking Tower Hamlets worker

Lucy Nichols speaks to a Tower Hamlets Idea Stores employee and activist at the heart of this crucial defence of pay and conditions
Aslef ballot for industrial action – prepare for a Hot Autumn

The battle is on, as Aslef is balloting London tube workers to take strike action, reports Unjum Mirza
Mass sackings at BA: it’s time to resist

With 12,000 BA workers threatened, a united fightback would be a beacon of hope for the whole labour movement, argues Richard Allday
Victory for the Bexley refuse workers

Refuse workers in the London Borough of Bexley have won their dispute with Bexley council and Serco, reports Jamal Elaheebocus
BLM and the labour movement come together - Chris Smalls interview

Shabbir Lakha speaks to Chris Smalls in the US about the Strike for Black Lives, his organisation The Congress of Essential Workers and the possibilities for fundamental change
US workers strike for black lives

Across the US, tens of thousands of workers joined a walkout against systemic racism and for fundamental social and economic change
The scandal in Tower Hamlets and what you can do about it

The betrayal of workers in Tower Hamlets cuts deeper as it is brought about by Labour council and Mayor, reports Lucy Nichols
Solidarity with the Tower Hamlets Strikers

If Tower Hamlets council get away with slashing their workers' pay and conditions, councils across the country could follow suit, argues Chris Nineham
Organise. Agitate. Strike! - Tunnel Vision July 2020

The third issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision covering the fight ahead on the London Underground, the jobs slaughter, funding cuts, Black Lives Matter and more
Clap for us then sack us: Tower Hamlets workers fight back

Tower Hamlets workers went on strike to oppose the Council's plans to sack them and rehire them on worse contracts, reports Sybil Cock
Two Days, One Night - film of the week

Chris Nineham is enthralled by this all-too-human study of modern industrial struggle
Essential workers today; garbage tomorrow.

As the economic turmoil starts to bite, Goldstar Transport workers show how to organise to fight back, reports Richard Allday
British Airways' betrayal - a fight for all of us

British Airways has cynically taken money to keep their workers' jobs secure but has used the opportunity to attack them instead, reports John Westmoreland
UCU members: reject the employers' derisory 'Four Fights' offer

We should not even be balloting on this, but focusing on the issues arising from the universities’ response to the Covid-19 crisis, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
The Equal Pay Act at 50: a bittersweet celebration

That women workers’ pay in the UK continues to lag significantly behind that of men underlines the limits of legal change under capitalism, argues Susan Ram
Strikes, walkouts, and sickouts: how working-class Americans are organising in the time of Covid-19

Counterfire's Katherine Connelly interviews US writer and historian Chris Wright about how workers are organising to protect lives and homes in America today
Workers across the US strike on May Day for their lives

Workers from Amazon and other retail companies walked out on May day to demand protective equipment and hazard pay, reports Alyssa Cassata
We are not expendable: interview with Chris Smalls

Counterfire's Alyssa Cassata interviews Chris Smalls, who led a walkout at an Amazon warehouse in New York to demand protective gear and hazard pay, for which he was fired
How to build your union at your workplace now: a practical guide

As employers exploit and neglect workers during the coronavirus crisis, Dave offers a practical guide to organising in your workplace now
Striking for our lives: international industrial action during Coronavirus

While capitalism allows callous employers to prioritise profits over people in the face of the coronavirus crisis, workers and trade unions have been fighting back on an international scale, argues Alyssa Cassata
Staff and workers still remain exposed - CounterBriefing 30 March

The attempt to look competent by providing regular updates the government is just trying to hide its inadequacies, says David McAllister
Why St Mungo's workers are striking

Instead of being pressured and punished, staff must be supported and properly resourced
St Mungo's workers to begin three-day strike action

Workers at St Mungo's are beginning strike action after management continues to prioritise cost-efficiency over services or working conditions, reports Mark Evans
Striking in the time of coronavirus: results and prospects of the universities dispute

After 22 days of industrial action this year, the University and College Union (UCU) will now contend with the coronavirus outbreak as well, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica.
All power to the Bexley refuse and cleansing workers!

Reuben Bard-Rosenberg speaks with striking worker about the action and how we can support it
Lewisham Hospital workers walk out and demand to be paid and protected

The coronavirus crisis exposes the rot at the heart of Tory policy on the NHS as workers on the frontline of combating the pandemic are the worst treated, reports Tom Griffiths
The struggle for education: reports from the UCU strikes

We are into the third week of strikes. UCU negotiators are reporting that there has been progress but have counselled us to keep up the pressure. Here is a series of reports of the strikes from different parts of the country
Bristol rising: Greta Thunberg and the school strike for climate

Over 30,000 school students and activists shut down Bristol on Friday with Greta Thunberg to raise the alarm on climate change, reports Jennifer Van Heerden
France: Macron stokes up Islamophobia to deflect from the movement to defend pensions

Strikes and elections are redrawing the political landscape, argues John Mullen
Pickets out in force for first day of UCU strike

Reports from picket lines around the country on the first day of the UCU strike
Stop the cuts at Goldsmiths: the not–so-hidden costs of the higher education ‘market’

Des Freedman reports on students and staff rallying at Goldsmiths against cuts and how it links up with the UCU strike beginning this week
If you love the climate, you hate the Tories: reasons to join the Valentine's Day strike

Time is running out but the Tories don't care, join the Valentines Day climate strike and build the resistance, writes Shabbir Lakha
St Mungo's workers vote overwhelmingly for strike action

The ballot victory comes as proposals by senior management at St Mungo's threaten to deteriorate working conditions and services provided
As Australia burns, climate strikes set for a new phase

Lucy Nichols reports on twelve months of student-led protest
High stakes in UCU strike: another 14 days of action announced

Higher turnout likely than last year but the strike needs solidarity from the whole labour movement, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
India rises against Modi

A popular uprising is spreading across India confronting the fascism of the Modi regime, reports Amrit Wilson
Fighting back in France

Hundreds of thousands are taking to the streets to combat Macron’s war on the welfare state, writes Susan Ram
What next for the French strikers?

The mass movement in France is impressive and has made significant gains but the battle against Macron's Thatcherite reforms needs a second wind, reports John Mullen
The fight to keep the guard on the train continues

The RMT Union is flexing its muscles in response to the lack of a commitment by South Western Railway to keep the guard on the train, reports Richard Alcock
Macron makes more concessions to strikers but the battle continues

The cracks in Macron's neoliberal government are beginning to show and the strikes are continuing to broaden, reports John Mullen
New year, same struggle: French strikes move into second month

As mass strikes continue into 2020, the movement is on a knife-edge, reports John Mullen from Paris
Macron had a bad month, but what will it take to break his pensions bill?

An update from Paris on the ongoing protests and strike action against Macron's pension reform bill by John Mullen
Protect the right to strike

Workers are ready to fight the government's attack on their rights, reports Reuben Bard-Rosenberg
All power to French workers - report from Paris

An organised movement of French workers unheard of in decades could hold Macron's fractured neoliberal outfit to ransom, reports John Mullen
UCU: back to work but the struggle continues

The strike is over, but the militancy remains. Graham Kirkwood reports from Newcastle
France on strike: “We’re fighting Macron and his world!”

Across France, hundreds of thousands strike work and take to the streets to denounce neoliberal pension ‘reforms’, writes Susan Ram
France strikes against Macron's neoliberal war on pensions

As mass strikes begin across France in response to Macron's attack on pensions, John Mullen looks at what's at stake
Staff-student solidarity is being built in the UCU strike

Teach-outs are building staff-student solidarity and provide a model for a better university, writes Clare Burgess
A low point even for Johnson - election briefing 3 December

Lindsey German on plumbing new depths and solidarising with striking rail workers
The lecturers are fighting back: reports from UCU strike day 1

As lecturers at 60 universities around the country began eight days of strike action, Counterfire activists reported from picket lines on day one of the strike
It's the class question, stupid - election briefing 25 November

Lindsey German on class, leadership and this week's strikes
Confronting fear during a strike: why picket lines are important in industrial disputes

Ahead of the UCU strike, Vladimir Unkovski-Korica argues that mass unity creates strong bonds among strikers
University lecturers are gearing up for next week's strike

Preparations for the eight-day UCU strike starting 25 November are underway, reports Graham Kirkwood
Chicago teachers wield collective bargaining as weapon against austerity

Teachers in Chicago are building on the successes of 2012 to create an inspirational campaign and win important victories, reports Kate O’Neil
Postal workers vs the establishment: the injustice of the injunction against CWU strike

Despite a 97% vote in favour of strike action by CWU members, the High Court has granted Royal Mail an injunction to stop the strikes, writes David McAllister
Hospital workers strike for fair pay

Exploited workers out in high spirits for the first round of one of the longest strikes in NHS history, reports Ellen Graubart
Sixth Form teachers are striking against years of devastating cuts

Andrew Stone, secretary of Wandsworth NEU and a Sixth Form teacher in London, spoke to Counterfire’s Katherine Connelly about why teachers are taking strike action
“We need to work together”: school student climate striker speaks to trade unionists about the way forward

The speech given by the 12-year-old school student and climate striker to Unite the Union’s Suffolk Area Activists Committee
US workers strike back: General Motors and Chicago teachers

A surge in strike action in the US shows a labour movement that’s fighting back, argues Kate O’Neil
Royal Mail: huge turnout and overwhelming majority vote for strike

Royal Mail workers deliver a massive mandate for strike action in historic CWU ballot, reports Shabbir Lakha
Education is a key front in the battle against climate breakdown

At a climate emergency conference organised by the National Education Union, teachers and union activists discussed how to build the movement against climate change, reports Orlando Hill
Rebellion in the air – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on XR, strikes, Brexit vacillation and Turkey’s latest assault on the Kurds
Kick out the crooks - Counterfire freesheet October 2019

Tory crisis, Corbynism, drive to war with Iran, austerity, climate strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Postal workers stand up to management attacks - Interview with CWU’s Andy Hopping

Andy Hopping from the Postal Executive Council of the CWU spoke to Counterfire’s commissioning editor Katherine Connelly, about what’s at stake in the dispute at Royal Mail
University unions build for an autumn of discontent

Industrial action is the only way to improve conditions in higher education
A parliamentary crisis with no parliamentary solution - weekly briefing

The quagmire of the mainstream cannot conceal that there's more to politics than Westminster, writes Lindsey German
Why we all have to support the climate strike

On 20 September, it is essential that socialists and trade unionists support the climate strike, writes Richard Allday
The planet is on fire: build the climate strike

Business as usual makes a climate catastrophe inevitable. It is time to stop business as usual. Join the global climate strike on 20 September, writes Bill Perry
Something in the air? The strike action in aviation

The success of the strike action in aviation proves our side can win when it is organised and confident, argues Richard Allday
Workers' occupation at Harland and Wolff shows how to take on the Tories

The occupation by workers at Harland & Wolff shows that manufacturing workers whose jobs are at risk can fight back, argues Richard Allday
British Airways bosses' strike ban grounded

British Airways workers are set to go on strike after attempts to stop them in court by the company have failed, reports Eleftheria Kousta
Listen to the kids: school strikes for climate continue - video

Thousands of students walked out of school once again to protest against inaction on climate change
Capitalism and climate change - can we avert disaster? - video

At a London public meeting, Elaine Graham-Leigh explains why climate change is a product of capitalism and the solution has to be one that confronts the system
Strike to demand action on climate change

Joanne Davis reports on the young activists leading the fight for our futures
Keep fighting for Corbyn: Stop the attacks - Counterfire freesheet March 2019

The soft coup against Corbyn and the weaponisation of antisemitism, Tory Brexit crisis, Winston Churchill, Venezuela, climate change, Palestine and more in this month's Counterfire Freesheet
Algeria on the brink: is the Arab Spring back?

The working class has hit the streets in Algeria, reviving hopes of revolutionary change in the region and beyond, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
Climate strikers: ‘capitalism is ill-equipped to deal with the crisis’

School students spoke to Feyzi Ismail at the second Youth Strike 4 Climate in London on Friday. They are informed, defiant and resolute
School climate strike: students shut down Newcastle

Students striking over climate change know exactly who to blame for endangering the world that they will inherit, Newcastle Counterfire reports
A history of International Women's Day

In this article, originally published in 1998, Lindsey German traces the history of International Women's Day - initially a celebration of the struggle of working women fighting back over suffrage and conditions at work
Youth Strike 4 Climate: we're fighting for our future

A video report from the YouthStrike4Climate in London
Learn to conform or learn to transform?

School students have common ground with teachers in finding this government their main enemy, whether it comes to the value of their learning or climate chaos, argues Dean McAndrew
1919: When British soldiers went on strike

The Folkestone strikes of 1919 should remind us that the organised working class can effect huge change in this country, argues John Westmoreland
National school students' climate strike in pictures

The hugely inspiring national school students' strike against climate change should be the start of a coordinated, international campaign, reports Jago Corry
School climate strike: thousands of students shut down Parliament Square

School students brought Westminster to a standstill as around ten thousand protested against government inaction on climate change, reports Richard Pratt
Student strikes and climate change: demanding action not words

National walkouts from schools, colleges and universities on Friday are taking the fight to the government over climate change, writes Elaine Graham-Leigh
Mass walkout as Irish nurses and midwives stage historic strike

35,000 nurses and midwives joined a 24-hour national strike on Wednesday with more action planned for next week, reports Eóin Ó Murchú
Yellow Vests join unions to agitate for a general strike in France

Repudiating Macron’s ‘great national debate’, Yellow Vests join hands with trade unions and the radical left to build for a general strike, reports Susan Ram
Workers from the MoJ and BEIS go on strike and take to the streets

Despite the cold, picket lines outside the Ministry of Justice and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy were vibrant and defiant, reports Shabbir Lakha
Standing on the shoulders of a giant: Rosa Luxemburg and The Mass Strike

Marking the centenary of her assassination, Richard Allday looks at Rosa Luxemburg's The Mass Strike and the lessons it holds for revolutionary socialists today
In India, epic worker mobilisations challenge the Modi government as never before

In what is estimated to be the biggest strike in history, over 200 million workers in India took strike action, reports Susan Ram
Universities in 2019: facing the perfect storm

As the Tories' mismanagement of higher education continues, Des Freedman looks at the battles ahead
French high school students rise against Macron in 'Black Tuesday' protests

Opposing Macron's neoliberal education reforms and police repression, tens of thousands of students are out on strike, vowing to join up the struggles, reports Jack Sherwood
Jeremy Corbyn joins teachers to demand an end to education cuts

The National Education Union organised a march and rally in Westminster on Tuesday, declaring "enough is enough" and launched an indicative strike ballot
Stop Tommy Robinson, All out for 17 November - Counterfire Freesheet November 2018

Opposing the far right, people's vote, police racism, precarious workers, climate chaos, universal credit and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Talk about equality is cheap, but paying women a decent wage is much too costly - weekly briefing

Less glass ceilings and more grassroots is the key to reviving the role of women’s liberation in our struggle, argues Lindsey German
Glasgow refuse workers respect picket lines in solidarity with women’s pay strike

Strike action in Glasgow spreads, showing the power of solidarity of men and women workers, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
Glasgow Women's Strike: thousands of women strike for equal pay

8,000 women council workers are beginning the largest coordinated strike action in Glasgow since 2011, Mark Porciani reports
Amazon's pay raise is a tactical retreat as workers fight back

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 strike: precarious workers fight back

Uber drivers organised a 24 hour strike and rallied at Uber offices against precarious working conditions and unfair pay, Shabbir Lakha reports
France in 1968: myths, realities and unanswered questions

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
Fast food, pub and delivery workers strike across the country

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 go on strike and win an early victory

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
Post PCS pay ballot blues

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

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
'Just do it': the politics of fighting precarity

Richard Allday reminds us that we need to work together; we can’t be socialists on our own
May ‘68: France on the cusp of revolution

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 pensions dispute: the battle is over, but the fight continues

UCU members recently voted to suspend industrial action; the action may be on pause but the dispute is far from over.
After Windrush: this racist government must go - Counterfire Freesheet May 2018

Windrush, May 68, Palestine, UCU strike, Marx and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 025, May 2018
50 years after 1968: Storms raging in Macron’s France

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
Kentucky school teachers: why we're walking out on strike

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
University workers' statement on UCU ballot result

The strike is over: our fight is not
The case to vote 'no' in the UCU ballot and how we can win

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
Vote NO: university workers call to reject proposed deal

Lecturers and supporters met at a national activists meeting today to discuss the campaign to reject UUK's proposed deal
Is France heading for another May '68?

From student dissent to militant strikes and a radical alternative, the ingredients are there for mass rebellion, writes John Mullen
Reject the UUK deal: we need to fight now

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
University strikes: employers’ retreat needs to be nailed down

As UUK returns with a further offer, Des Freedman takes a look at the immediate options facing university staff involved in the dispute
France, March 22nd: the mobilisation of the public sector begins

Across France, hundreds of thousands of people, spearheaded by combative rail workers, mobilise against Macron’s neoliberal assault on the public sector
The UCU dispute: a lesson in the power of collective action

Solidarity among UCU strikers was not born on social media, but on the mass activity of the picket line, argues Milly Williamson
Newham says no to academisation

The fight against academisation in the East End is on, with three schools taking strike action
Time's up Theresa - Counterfire Freesheet March 2018

Brexit, Corbyn and the Labour right, gender pay gap, commodification of universities and more...
The government's stance on Salisbury is a big gamble - weekly briefing

Theresa May's Cold War revivalism is a high risk strategy for all of us, writes Alex Snowdon
Lecturers' strike: the rank and file have spoken, now we have to take the lead

Feyzi Ismail reports from outside UCU headquarters as the union’s Higher Education Committee votes to reject the employers’ derisory offer
Lecturers' strike update: no capitulation

Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why the deal between UCU and UUK is bad one and should be rejected
'If women stop, the world stops': a view from the mass women’s strike in Spain

After huge strikes and protests in Spain, the message on the ground is to stay in the streets
Lecturers' strike update: together we can win

As the lecturers' stike enters its final week, a lecturer explains what we have achieved and what we still need to do
Stunning victory for teachers in West Virginia

This win is a huge step forward for the labour movement in the United States
Lecturers' strike update: students at Reading University begin occupation

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
Student Occupations Live #OccupyUUK

Live updates of students occupying university buildings in solidarity with striking lecturers. #UCUstrike #StrikeForUSS
The lecturers' strikes started in winter but are finishing in spring - weekly briefing

University staff and students have shown that committed and passionate resistance is possible and neccesary, finds Des Freedman
Lecturers' strike update: inside the occupation at Exeter University

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
Lecturers strike massive blow

The UCU strike is not just about pensions. It is an opportunity to fight for a new vision for Higher Education, argues Milly Williamson
Lecturers' strike: interview with a QMU striker

A UCU striker at Queen Mary University speaks to Katherine Connelly about the ongoing dispute
Lecturers' strike update: students occupy in Bristol, Exeter and Leicester

In solidarity with striking lecturers and opposing further marketisation of higher education, students begin occupying management offices reports Jack Sherwood
Lecturers' strike: Deepen the action, spread the support

As the strike continues, we must up the ante, argues Des Freedman
Time for Action - UCU Strike

John McDonnell has released a video saying UCU strikers have "absolute solidarity" from Labour. Jack Sherwood lays out the next steps
Against the marketisation of our education

Rather than calling for compensation for lost teaching time, students should stand in full solidarity with university and college staff
Picturehouse dispute: how far will Nero go?

Responsibility for the failure to resolve the dispute around the living wage for cinema workers lies squarely with one arrogant and obstinate man
Lecturers' strike report: students show their support

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
Europe: why retreat must not turn into defeat for the left - weekly briefing

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
What you can do to support the lecturers' strike

As the strike continues we must keep the pressure on, argues Chris Nineham
Lecturers' strike updates: Striking to win

As the UCU strike carries on into its 4th day, we put together some short reports from picket lines around the country
Bristol leads the way in supporting striking university staff - photos

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 Sherwood
Forget the Arctic conditions: our universities are on fire

The UCU strike has the potential to rebuild the campaign against the marketisation of our higher education, writes Des Freedman
Lecturers' strike day two: ‘The things we have, we fought for on cold days like these’

Another day on the picket line as, across the country, striking lecturers put the pressure on
Lecturers' strike day one: A bad day for the casino

University strikers across the country are reporting the most successful and well supported industrial action for years
Solidarity with striking lecturers - resolution

Resolution to submit at your Union branches/CLPs/elsewhere in solidarity with UCU members going on strike from Thursday
Why we strike: why lecturers need your support

As university staff are set to take strike action, two lecturers, Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why you should support the strike
Biggest ever strike in higher education? UCU members prepare to defend pensions

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 set to strike after ballot victory

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
The antidote to a very weak but very nasty government - weekly briefing

Now is not the time for wait-and-see, even a small victory could break the back of this wretched regime, writes Lindsey German
Postal workers' strike: 'Usually trade unions are reactive, but this time we've set the agenda'

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
Strikes trim BA's wings

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.
Teaching assistants: the results of resistance

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
As postal workers come out fighting, employers try to use law to stop them

Solidarity from across the movement will be vital as Royal Mail threatens to avert next week‘s strike
BA strike: no backing down after 85 days

Today’s militants are learning old lessons in double-quick time, writes Isabel Carr
Unity and persistence have paid off for Barts workers

Cleaners, porters, and catering staff in Barts NHS Trust have won a deal after 24 days of strike action and plenty of protest
France: All out on September 12!

Workers and political activists prepare to battle Macron’s ‘XXL’ assault on French labour laws, reports Susan Ram
‘Supersize my pay!’ – McWorkers stage first ever UK strike and we’re lovin’ it!

McDonald's workers have taken strike action, reports Kara Bryan
Counterproductive and unjust: PCS to ballot members for pay cap strike

The trade union is demanding that the limit on wages be scrapped immediately
Scrap the Cap: Nurses take the fight to the Tories

Thousands of nurses protested outside Parliament against the 1% Pay cap, the fight is very much on reports Shabbir Lakha.
Striking while the iron is hot is the only way to win back some of what’s been taken from working people - weekly briefing

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.
McStrike at McDonald's: a report on today's action

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.
Chaos in the White House - weekly briefing

Steve Bannon has been dismissed as the fallout from Charlottesville continues, Sarah Champion has resigned and recent strike success has shown what's possible
Birmingham bin strike: the dust settles… for now

Striking workers offer further evidence of a shifting industrial terrain, reports the Angry Trucker AKA Richard Allday
Suez Sita’s brand of eco-capitalism is a trap

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

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Strike

Strike

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back

Thousands of frontline workers at Heathrow Airport have begun strike action against the company's fire and rehire tactics, reports Yonas Makoni

The 1974 Play For Today ‘Leeds - United!’ depicts the real power of action and the passion of words produced when workers are involved in class struggle, argues Tony Dowling

The strike at Rolls-Royce's Barnoldswick plant continues to go strong despite the vindictive actions of management, reports Chris Neville

Members of UCU at Northumbria University have voted to strike over health and safety amid a growing number of branches escalating disputes and balloting

As 16 million workers down tools in a nationwide general strike, Susan Ram explores the issues and possibilities

The victory for the campaign to reinstate sacked trade unionist Richie Venton and restore sick pay shows what workers organising can achieve, writes Chris Neville

Bin workers in Doncaster are beginning balloting for industrial action after management bullying and harassment

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back

Heathrow workers have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in December against pay cuts for 4,000 staff, reports Yonas Makoni

The University of Manchester's offer for a 5% rent reduction is an insult and students will continue their occupation and renew the rent strike for the January term, writes Lucy Nichols

Rolls-Royce workers in Barnoldswick aren’t backing down and have extended their strike action to Xmas eve, reports Chris Neville

Parents around the country took boycott action on Nov 5th, demanding protection for teachers, children and families, reports BRTUS: Parents United

Rolls Royce workers in Barnoldswick have had huge levels of support for their struggle against offshoring and job cuts, reports Chris Neville

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back

Threatened with redundancies which will effectively close the plant, workers have voted overwhelmingly to fight back with strike action, reports Richard Allday

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back

French health and social care workers stage mass protests for better staffing, pay and conditions as a second wave of Covid-19 engulfs the country, writes Susan Ram

Students in Bristol have called a rent strike over conditions of learning and living which the university promised and failed to deliver on, reports Jago Corry

Counterfire's fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back

Protests and strikes are on the rise across France against deteriorating working conditions, job losses and Macron’s woeful response to the Covid crisis, writes Susan Ram

The first of a fortnightly digest rounding up the stories of working people getting organised and fighting back

Members of Aslef working on the tube have voted by a huge margin for strike action to defend jobs, terms and conditions and pensions, reports Unjum Mirza

After clapping for essential workers, BHCC is rewarding its repairs and maintenance workers by not giving them sick pay during a pandemic, reports Liv Singh

Debenhams thinks it’s above the law but workers are showing that they won’t back down, reports Chris Neville

Tate staff who are striking for jobs and the arts need our support, argues Floyd Codlin

The September issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision calling for the RMT to stop delaying the ballot, for Aslef members to vote yes and for justice for Jacob Blake

To mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity in Poland, Jacqueline Mulhallen and William Alderson look at the rise of the movement, its struggle with the regime, and its collapse

To mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity in Poland, Jacqueline Mulhallen and William Alderson look at the rise of the movement, its struggle with the regime, and its collapse

To mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity in Poland, Jacqueline Mulhallen and William Alderson look at the rise of the movement, its struggle with the regime, and its collapse

As ASLEF ballots London Underground workers for strike action, Counterfire interviewed union rep Karen Baker

Tower Hamlets continue their strike action against the unfair contracts being imposed on them by the council, reports Sybil Cock from the picket line

Counterfire's Chris Nineham interviewed Amina Patel on the picket line in the latest round of strike action by Tower Hamlets workers

The August issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision making the case for Aslef members to vote yes for strike action in the upcoming ballot

Jamal Elaheebocus interviewed Damien Stewart about the Bexley refuse workers’ victory for improved pay and working conditions

Lucy Nichols speaks to a Tower Hamlets Idea Stores employee and activist at the heart of this crucial defence of pay and conditions

The battle is on, as Aslef is balloting London tube workers to take strike action, reports Unjum Mirza

With 12,000 BA workers threatened, a united fightback would be a beacon of hope for the whole labour movement, argues Richard Allday

Refuse workers in the London Borough of Bexley have won their dispute with Bexley council and Serco, reports Jamal Elaheebocus

Shabbir Lakha speaks to Chris Smalls in the US about the Strike for Black Lives, his organisation The Congress of Essential Workers and the possibilities for fundamental change

Across the US, tens of thousands of workers joined a walkout against systemic racism and for fundamental social and economic change

The betrayal of workers in Tower Hamlets cuts deeper as it is brought about by Labour council and Mayor, reports Lucy Nichols

If Tower Hamlets council get away with slashing their workers' pay and conditions, councils across the country could follow suit, argues Chris Nineham

The third issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision covering the fight ahead on the London Underground, the jobs slaughter, funding cuts, Black Lives Matter and more

Tower Hamlets workers went on strike to oppose the Council's plans to sack them and rehire them on worse contracts, reports Sybil Cock

Chris Nineham is enthralled by this all-too-human study of modern industrial struggle

As the economic turmoil starts to bite, Goldstar Transport workers show how to organise to fight back, reports Richard Allday

British Airways has cynically taken money to keep their workers' jobs secure but has used the opportunity to attack them instead, reports John Westmoreland

We should not even be balloting on this, but focusing on the issues arising from the universities’ response to the Covid-19 crisis, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

That women workers’ pay in the UK continues to lag significantly behind that of men underlines the limits of legal change under capitalism, argues Susan Ram

Counterfire's Katherine Connelly interviews US writer and historian Chris Wright about how workers are organising to protect lives and homes in America today

Workers from Amazon and other retail companies walked out on May day to demand protective equipment and hazard pay, reports Alyssa Cassata

Counterfire's Alyssa Cassata interviews Chris Smalls, who led a walkout at an Amazon warehouse in New York to demand protective gear and hazard pay, for which he was fired

As employers exploit and neglect workers during the coronavirus crisis, Dave offers a practical guide to organising in your workplace now

While capitalism allows callous employers to prioritise profits over people in the face of the coronavirus crisis, workers and trade unions have been fighting back on an international scale, argues Alyssa Cassata

The attempt to look competent by providing regular updates the government is just trying to hide its inadequacies, says David McAllister

Instead of being pressured and punished, staff must be supported and properly resourced

Workers at St Mungo's are beginning strike action after management continues to prioritise cost-efficiency over services or working conditions, reports Mark Evans

After 22 days of industrial action this year, the University and College Union (UCU) will now contend with the coronavirus outbreak as well, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica.

Reuben Bard-Rosenberg speaks with striking worker about the action and how we can support it

The coronavirus crisis exposes the rot at the heart of Tory policy on the NHS as workers on the frontline of combating the pandemic are the worst treated, reports Tom Griffiths

We are into the third week of strikes. UCU negotiators are reporting that there has been progress but have counselled us to keep up the pressure. Here is a series of reports of the strikes from different parts of the country

Over 30,000 school students and activists shut down Bristol on Friday with Greta Thunberg to raise the alarm on climate change, reports Jennifer Van Heerden

Strikes and elections are redrawing the political landscape, argues John Mullen

Reports from picket lines around the country on the first day of the UCU strike

Des Freedman reports on students and staff rallying at Goldsmiths against cuts and how it links up with the UCU strike beginning this week

Time is running out but the Tories don't care, join the Valentines Day climate strike and build the resistance, writes Shabbir Lakha

The ballot victory comes as proposals by senior management at St Mungo's threaten to deteriorate working conditions and services provided

Lucy Nichols reports on twelve months of student-led protest

Higher turnout likely than last year but the strike needs solidarity from the whole labour movement, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

A popular uprising is spreading across India confronting the fascism of the Modi regime, reports Amrit Wilson

Hundreds of thousands are taking to the streets to combat Macron’s war on the welfare state, writes Susan Ram

The mass movement in France is impressive and has made significant gains but the battle against Macron's Thatcherite reforms needs a second wind, reports John Mullen

The RMT Union is flexing its muscles in response to the lack of a commitment by South Western Railway to keep the guard on the train, reports Richard Alcock