Solidarity 297, 25 September 2013

In America, fast food workers employed by chains like McDonalds, Burger King, and Pizza Hut have struck back against low pay and bullying managers. Regional strikes in November 2012 and April 2013 were followed by a nationwide strike on 29 August. The workers’ headline demand is a $15 per hour minimum wage (most currently earn slightly more than $7). Workers also want union recognition and an end to management bullying. The fast food workers’ movement followed a similar, and ongoing, struggle of Walmart workers, the world’s biggest private-sector employer. The movement has a profound...

The “interim report” from Ray Collins, presented to Labour Party conference on 22 September, emphasises the role played by trade unions in founding the Labour Party. It says that the federal structure of the Labour Party “should remain”. It promises an ongoing “collective engagement” and “collective relationship” between affiliated unions and the party. It says that if the Labour-union link did not exist, then it would be necessary to invent it. It suggests that the scheme to have trade unionists “opt in”, floated by Ed Miliband on 9 July, should mean individuals opting to gain “additional...

At a Q&A in the Labour conference at Brighton, Ed Miliband was challenged by an activist: “When will you bring back socialism?” “That’s what we are doing”, Miliband replied. Ed Miliband has, at last, promised to repeal the “bedroom tax”. Miliband’s obscure and unpopular plan not to count trade unionists as affiliated to Labour unless they complete a form to “opt in” was soft-soaped at the conference, rather than blazoned as a sign of his will to confront the unions. After Ray Collins presented a slipperily-worded report, GMB union general secretary Paul Kenny was called to speak. “The removal...

That the Labour Party have finally announced they would repeal the Bedroom Tax if elected at the next election is very welcome, but not before time. That Labour have adopted this is down to pressure from tenants, campaigners and the Labour left. Much more meaningless was a vote by Lib Dem conference to oppose the Bedroom Tax at the next election. That pledge is worthless while the parliamentary leadership of the party is supporting policies like that are destroying people’s lives now. It all begs the question for Labour and Lib Dem councils which still control their own council housing. If...

I agree with Cathy Nugent (“No absolutes in niqab debate”, Solidarity 296 , 18 September 2013) that there must be debate of the issues surrounding the decision by Birmingham Metropolitan College and of Judge Peter Murphy to back down over the wearing of the niqab in college and in court. I am surprised that the left went along uncritically with the student protests supporting the challenges by the women involved. Claims to wear the niqab in such places are made, and supported by others, on the basis of “a woman’s right to choose” and of promoting religious “tolerance”. The misappropriation of...

I recently attended the London launch of Fairphone — “a seriously cool smartphone that puts social values first”. Fairphone is a Dutch initiative to create an alternative to the decidely “unfair” phones that are being made and sold today. Their phone, prototypes of which were available at the launch, is in some ways an improvement upon the mass-manufactured phones most of us carry around today. Those phones are usually made with little or no concern for the environment or the well-being of the workers who make them. Fairphone, on the other hand, aims to use “fair and conflict-free resources”...

Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil has raised the prospect of a ceasefire in Syria. Jamil is seen as Russia’s man in the Assad Government, but says he is giving the regime’s view. He says forces were at a deadlock on both sides and that negotiations should begin. Such negotiations could stall the drive to get a UN resolution authorising force. They will also help Russia to continue backing Assad without getting into conflict with the US. We could neither support nor advocate any rotten deal likely to come out of these negotiations. Given the fragmented nature of the opposition, the likely...

Paul Fyssas, killed by a fascist in Piraeus on 17 September, grew up in the working class neighbourhoods of Keratsini. The son of a shipyard worker in Perama, he in turn went to work in the yard. From his school years he loved hip hop and from a listener quickly he turned into an artist. He continued to work from time to time in the yards, was a member of the Piraeus metal workers’ union, and consistently participated in its mobilisations. Paul distributed his music free via the internet. “He was one of Golden Dawn’s targets because of his anti-fascist lyrics”, admitted one former local Golden...

The government has promised that the privatisation of Royal Mail will take place “within weeks”. Shares in the privatised company will be offered to Royal Mail workers for a minimum spend of £500 (which can top up a free share bundle every worker will receive, with the total shares going to staff amounting to 10% of the business). The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which organises Royal Mail staff, began balloting its members for strikes on 20 September, with the results due on 3 October. The ballot focuses on a number of ongoing industrial issues, including pay and pensions. In an attempt...

On Saturday 21 September, around 300 EDL supporters descended on Lane Top in Sheffield. There hasn’t been a suburban or estate-based demonstration by the racist English Defence League (EDL) in South Yorkshire before and the location brought a greater immediacy to the threat of violence to local Asian residents. The excuse for this racist display was a plan to convert a disused pub, The Pheasant, into a mosque. The Muslim community group that had made enquiries about the property had already dropped the plan before the EDL protest. Unexpectedly, Unite Against Fascism (UAF) broke with tradition...