Solidarity 047, 4 March 2004

Debate & discussion: Swamp of confusion

Martin Thomas' article on the veil (Solidarity 3/46) starts out well but he gets dragged down into a swamp of confusion in his attempt to defend the right for French girls to wear the veil at school. Martin states that the new French law against the veil in schools is a "blunderbuss criminalisation of thousands of teenage girls who may make confused gestures of rebellion or are simply victims of family pressure…" The second part of that sentence is only added to avoid Martin being accused of fantasising about a mass revolt of angry Muslim girls demanding the right to wear the veil. But it is...

Debate & discussion: "Reclaim Labour" or "new party"? Both or neither!

Many activists are debating whether we should "reclaim the Labour Party", or instead "build a new party". I will argue that the real choice is different. Either we do both - "reclaim the Labour Party", to the extent that such a thing is possible, and "build a new party" - or we do neither. Suppose, to start off, that the continuing trade-union base of the Labour Party, and the poor electoral results of groups like the Socialist Alliance, convince us that we must "reclaim the Labour Party". Today's New Labour Party has a "party within a party" of some thousands of spin-merchants, advisers, and...

FBU to follow the RMT?

The leadership of the FBU are preparing to follow the RMT into conflict with the Labour Party leadership, by proposing to next month's FBU conference a shake-up of the union's political activity. This will include a reduction in donations to the Labour Party, and a move which would return FBU policy to the position of the 2001 conference - with the exception that this time, the leadership will be proposing it, rather than fighting it. The conference agenda contains motions calling for disaffiliation from Labour, and it is in the face of these calls that the EC has agreed to put a "middle...

The Geneva Bubble that refuses to burst

Reuven Kaminer takes issue with the Israeli historian Ilan Pappe's analysis of the Geneva Accords, a sketch of a possible "two-states" peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians published by Israeli soft-leftists and Palestinian leaders in October 2003. This is a reply to Pappe's article "The Geneva Bubble" which first appeared in the London Review of Books, 8 January 2004. The historian, Ilan Pappe totally rejects the Geneva Accords (GA) and determines that they are an abortive initiative, or a "bubble." Pappe, it appears, is absolutely opposed to any negotiations for peace which are not...

Unite against the Treasury limit!

The strike action at the DWP and Driving Standards Agency on 16 and 17 February was a wonderful display of solidarity. It showed just how wrong the majority on the PCS Executive of the DWP was in calling off the strikes planned for the 29 and 30 January. With thousands of non-members also joining the union, there can be no doubting the desire of DWP members to win this dispute. The Group Executive Committee now needs to develop a strategy that builds on that membership feeling but does not leap ahead of it, that causes the maximum disruption to management whilst being difficult to plan against...

Lecturers strike in rogue colleges

Members of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) staged a 24-hour strike on Thursday 26 February in seven Further Education Colleges. The strike had been triggered by the failure of management in those colleges to implement a nationally agreed pay deal. Members of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) staged a 24-hour strike on Thursday 26 February in seven Further Education Colleges. The strike had been triggered by the failure of management in those colleges to implement a nationally agreed pay deal. Agreement on...

Campaign for the rights of relief, cover and pool staff

Across many grades, the "cover" staff are getting a raw deal. Shifts changed at a moment's notice give no chance to plan a social life or organise child care. Tubeworker has launched a campaign which wants: All reserve/pool staff to receive their duties 28 days in advance. Rest days to be allocated with equal rights to long weekends with rostered staff. Shift patterns to follow as near as possible rostered staff patterns, to allow proper sleep cycles. More rostered posts with more spare turns on the roster, enabling staff to achieve a rostered position. Lockers at an agreed location for...

UNISON Service Group elections Vote United Left!

The left in UNISON has missed an opportunity to follow the lead of other unions like Amicus and the TGWU when the Service Group Executive Committees are elected next month. The Service Group Executives are the "industrial" leaderships of the union. Although they lack the profile of the NEC, they have decision-making powers on issues of pay and conditions and negotiations, thus making them just as important as the NEC. Yet the left, traditionally, hasn't contested them. After a better showing two years ago, this seems to be the case again in 2004. Two thirds of all the seats up for election...

Unions challenge Blair on gay equality

Trade unions are challenging the Government in court to give full employment rights for their lesbian, gay and bisexual members. The case begins on 17 March at the High Court in the Strand, against the Government's inadequate implementation of the EU Sexual Orientation Employment regulations, which were brought in on 1 December last year. The TUC is coordinating the action, but it is being brought by seven unions including the teaching unions NUT and NATFHE, other public sector unions, including UNISON, TGWU, and AMICUS, the union representing the clergy. The Government is being supported by...

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