CWI

Dáil Éireann, Leaders’ Questions, 12th April 2005

Stop exploitation of GAMA workers! Pay them their back wages

On Saturday 2nd of April, pan-European day of action against racism, a big demonstration for immigrants’ and refugees’ rights was held in Athens.

Pope John Paul II died Saturday 2 April – the first ever Polish pope and first non-Italian since 1523.

A flurry of diplomatic initiatives and counter-initiatives from Taiwan’s sharply divided political establishment – the anti-independence pan-blue bloc and formally pro-independence pan-greens – has shifted the cross-strait issue (i.e. relations with China) into overdrive.

Mass protests forced concessions, but no change of direction

Just two weeks after a successful mobilisation for the Youth March and European Trade Union demonstrations of 19 March, the LSP/MAS (cwi, Belgium) held its national educational weekend – ‘Socialism 2005’ – in Brussels.

“Haninge Council gives in to Elevkampanjen and abolishes charges for school meals from Autumn 2005,” the daily Swedish paper, Dagens Nyheter reported on 21 March. The Social Democrat leadership on the council retreated from the […]

Hundreds walk-off building sites in Dublin and Galway in show of strength

Socialist Alternative joined with other community organizations to lead the largest anti-war events held in Boston since Bush’s re-election.

Walk into any big chain restaurant around the country and the scene will predictably be the same: fresh-faced workers hustling and bustling around the dining room and kitchen bussing tables, waiting on customers, and cooking […]

Thousands of past and present employees of construction giant Gama are set to reclaim millions in lost wages after previously unknown accounts were yesterday discovered in Holland.

Right-wing government proposes draconian new immigration law

Jessica Pruitt’s father served in the Vietnam War, and her brother-in-law is currently stationed in Fallujah. Justice (journal of Socialist Alternative) spoke with Jessica about how she and her friends and family are dealing with […]

A return to power by Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats at the next election "could not be ruled out", according to Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins.

Debate within the movement

I have called this conference to thank my friends and school mates in Palmerstown Community School in Dublin who have been protesting and picketing over my unjust deportation to Nigeria by Irish government on March […]

Thank you all

McDowell to allow Nigerian to return

Challenges and opportunities for WASG (electoral alternative- work and social justice), the new left party

Socialist Party TD (MP) and Nigerian cwi take up case of student

A very successful First Congress of the Socialist Movement Pakistan (SMP) – affiliated to the cwi – took place over the weekend of the 19/20 March 2005 in Lahore.

Need for unity in struggle and a political alternative

Socialist Party exposes slave labour scandal

Workers ready for militant struggle but not union leaders

Even though less than one third of voters actually turned out for Bush last November, the Democratic Party has taken his victory as a sign that America in general is moving to the right. To […]

Brazil is known as one of the countries with the greatest inequality in ownership of wealth on the face of the earth. It is one thing to read or hear this statistic. It is however […]

We won’t go back, we will fight back!

"More than 50 million [U.S.] workers don’t have a union but want one. Few workers are able to join unions and their strength is divided … into separate unions instead of building their strength in […]

It started with the killing of the American missionary Dorothy Stang on the 12th of February. She was murdered because she fought against the powerful interests that carry out illegal logging in the Amazons.

Working class communities courageously speak out and protest for justice

Working class communities courageously speak out and protest for justice

Solidarity appeal forces authorities to drop ban against anti-Iraq war activists

The parties of the right wing coalition that ruled Portugal over the last two years suffered a big defeat in today’s elections.

Lynne Stewart was shocked when she was arrested. At first she thought her husband, a well known activist, was having some trouble with the police. "No," they said, "we want you."

The Orthodox Church, sexual abuse, drug dealers and spies

King Gyanendra’s coup in Nepal, on 1 February, is “likely to strengthen the Maoist insurgents and make Nepal’s civil war even more intensive”, according to the International Crisis Group, a Brussels think-tank.

Socialist Party Amendment to the Fine Gael Private Members’ Motion on Northern Ireland

Six MPs for Red-Green Alliance in otherwise flat elections

Prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (pronounced “Chin-a-what”) and his Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party are on course for a crushing parliamentary majority following the elections in Thailand on Sunday 6 February.

In a freezing and windy Stockholm, 1,500 people met up for this year’s demonstration on International Women’s Day, 8 March.

The following is a transcript of their exchange:

eyewitness report from the Pakisani province of Baluchistan

Why workers should oppose Bush’s privatization plan

Lahore. More than 50 people came to the solidarity demonstration organised by the SMP, the CWI section in Pakistan. All the main trade unions had representatives at the demonstration.

Mass action needed to stop the Bush offensive

While Aceh on the northern edge of Sumatra has registered nearly two thirds of the total death toll from the Asian tsunami, the Acehnese so far have received only 30 per cent of UN food […]

Well over 100,000 people turned out on a scorching afternoon in Porto Alegre, Brazil, to participate in a demonstration that marked the opening of the fifth World Social Forum.

Pensioners’ protests sweep the country

Many people know that we still have a long way to go to achieve workplace equality in the U.S. But what many do not realize is that the problem is getting worse, not better.

As 2005 opens, the Peace Process is once again in deep crisis.

Increase the pressure to stop the eviction of 90 Indian families.

Please act urgently to stop eviction of 90 Indian families at Cerromarangatu in the State of Matto Grosso do Sul, Municipality of Antonio Joao, Brazil

Last Friday, Teungku Malik Mahmood, was interviewed by Offensiv in its Stockholm office. He is in exile but regarded by the Aceh Freedom Movement (Gam) as the rightful prime minister of the State of Aceh. […]

Zhao Ziyang, toppled as China’s Communist Party (CCP) leader for opposing the military crackdown on the 1989 pro-democracy protests, has died at the age of 85, after suffering a series of strokes.

Opposition parties divided but regime relies on US imperialism

More than 3000 workers of Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation [KESC] organised a protest rally against the proposed privatisation of this state owned corporation which supplies power to 1.3 million people in Karachi.

A recent armed clash between armed nationalist activists and the Pakistani security forces in the city of Sui once again proves that the situation in Baluchistan is far more fragile and volatile than the Pakistani […]

Debt payments far bigger than all aid pledges

A month ago the Portuguese president dissolved the Portuguese parliament and announced a general election for February 20th.

Massive response from ordinary people in Australia to the disaster puts corporate Australia and Government to shame.

The Indonesian ‘province’ of Aceh, on the island of Sumatra, is just 155 kilometres from the epicentre of last Sunday’s earthquake.

The Asian tsunami whose deadly waves have created havoc along the coasts of two continents is the single most devastating global natural disaster of our time.

The situation in France is dominated by the offensive of the bosses and the lack of a real workers’ party.

There is an ongoing impasse in the peace process.

After achieving our target of membership for 2003 we set a target for 2004 which we are well on the way to reaching.

Imperialism and illusions related to European Union membership

The Irish Times on Saturday, 18 December, included an amusing article by a journalist called Drapier in which he gave annual awards to members of the Irish parliament, the Dáil.

Since the last IEC our main national campaign was around the European and regional elections that were held simultaneously in June.

Joe Higgins, member of the Irish Parliament for the Socialist Party (cwi Ireland) denounces €53 million haul on land speculation. Transcript of the debate at Leader’s Question Time.

Compared with the high tide of open class struggle in 2003, 2004 has seen more limited strike actions, protests or, at most, rallies.

Chile

Contradictory factors have determined the way in which the CWI in the CIS (ex-Soviet Union) has developed over the last year.

In the early hours of Monday 13 December, a café used by left organisations and community groups in Neos Kosmos in Athens was burnt down.

Report from the Socialist Alternative , the cwi in the USA, presented to the 2004  meeting of the International Executive Committee (IEC) of the cwi, held in Belgium 14 – 20 November.

With millions of people paying much closer attention to politics during the election season, Socialist Alternative played a very active role in the Nader campaign.

The work of our Democratic Socialist Movement has taken place against the background of significant changes in political consciousness produced by a rapid class polarisation.

cwi international conference.

Joe Higgins, socialist MP, denounces Bertie Ahern’s conversion to socialism.

After the debacle of the last government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA), politics is centred on the antics of the ‘communist’ parties (CPs) which are supporting the central government […]

Cracks in the two-party system keep appearing every year.

The Socialist Party is affiliated to the cwi which organises in 36 countries across the globe. Today, when just 500 giant multinationals dominate the globe – employing 46 million people and controlling 45% of world […]

The Nader campaign provoked an important debate on the corporate character of the Democratic Party and the need to break from it, but it also inspired a discussion about how best to organize this break. […]

Was it worth voting for Kerry after all?

LSP/MAS organises biggest anti-fascist demonstration since the beginning of ’90.

Ahead of Taiwan’s elections on 11 December, Taiwanese socialist Huang Ding-wang who is living abroad gave the following interview to Laurence Coates of Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna (CWI Sweden).

On 9 November the highest court in Belgium confirmed an earlier court decision convicting three associations linked to the Vlaams Blok for racism.

The Socialist Party is proud to announce that Stephen Jolly won a seat in Langridge Ward in the Yarra City Council elections on Saturday.

The working masses need their own alternative

The rapidly changing situation in China is of vital importance to socialists internationally.

Since the collapse of the Stalinist regimes in the former USSR and Eastern Europe, we have witnessed the transformation of the former mass parties of the working class, the labour and social democratic parties, into […]

Germany is currently in the middle of a political, social and economic earthquake. Ordinary Germans are facing a neo-liberal offensive of huge and stark proportions by the German ruling class.

Since the announcement from direct-rule Ministers that water charges are to be imposed in Northern Ireland, the local political parties who shared power in the Assembly have fervently blamed each other for allowing water charges […]

In the early modern age, millions of acres of common land in Britain were seized by the aristocracy by force in what became known as "the enclosures".

"The Communist party’s aim is to be loyal to their master. We read Stalin, we study Stalin, we listen to Stalin and we are learning through Stalin. This is what communist’s confidence is in Stalin, […]

Che Guevara has become an iconic figure. His face can be seen in the slums of Argentina, and on countless t-shirts across the globe.

"Do you want the same as in Russia?" was always a standard argument from right-wingers against socialists.

More than 40 students from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam assembled on 16 November on campus to show their anger against the current spate of racist attacks and the posting of inflammatory anti-Muslim posters on campus […]

Over 180 attended the Socialist Party’s weekend of debates entitled Socialism Today in Dublin on 29 – 30 October.

Left Party’s Stalinist history used to attack socialism

As the imperialist occupation steps up its devastating attacks against Iraqi working people, and the EU leaders acquiesce to Bush’s policy, Joe Higgins remains an eloquent and principled voice for the oppressed and the working […]

New allegations of voting irregularities

Democrats’ failure shows need for new workers’ party

The struggle for socialism has to be coordinated on an international scale. That is the fundamental purpose of a revolutionary Workers’ International.

Was it worth voting for Kerry after all?

National Assembly in Pakistan passes a Bill on ’honour killings’.

"In this week’s BN-De Stem [newspaper] there was an article about a new phenomenon in Breda: the soup kitchen.

Ahead of Taiwan’s elections on 11 December, Taiwanese socialist Huang Ding-wang who is living abroad gave the following interview to Laurence Coates of Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna (CWI Sweden).

The final death toll may rise to over a hundred at the Daping coal mine in what is China’s worst mining disaster so far this year.

On Sunday, 17 October, thousands of workers converged on Washington DC to voice opposition to the policies of US big business. Bryan Koulouris, Socialist Alternative (US CWI) Working people in the US have been under […]

Gives voice to the anger of the thousands of working class people he represents.

Strike needs to spread not end

Interview with a Pizza Hut worker fighting for a union

Symptoms of a sick culture

Underfunding 101

Counting the extra $87 billion Congress approved for the war in Iraq, last year’s U.S. military budget totaled over $488 billion. The government spends workers’ tax money to invade and occupy Iraq, while U.S. public […]

Can we reign in corporate power within capitalism? Or is socialism necessary?

Media highlights Joe Higgins’ opposition in parliament

Howard didn’t win it…Latham lost it!

Chants of "workers’ solidarity" and "Free Yao and Xiao" greeted China’s vice premier Wu Yi as she arrived at Gothenburg’s East India Docks on the final day of her Swedish visit.

Protest against action by Cinram bosses

Anti-racists protest against Holocaust denier

Pakistani has its third Prime Minister in two months.

A battle between warmongers

Finance Ministers and central bank chiefs from the seven richest imperialist states, the G7, meet in Washington at the start of October.

Sectarian divisions deepen

Even before the final toll from the school siege in Russia is known, it is clear that over 335 have died. Although nearly 100 of the dead have not been identified, there are nearly 200 […]

Let’s mobilise for 2 October mass demonstration!

How big business runs Washington D.C.

An independent anti-war, anti-corporate party is needed

Choosing between two evils

Neo-liberal and anti-refugee policies feed reaction

Ralph Nader’s hard-hitting critique of corporate power and the two-party system is striking a chord with millions of workers and young people.

Workers need a socialist alternative

The beginning of a hot autumn

Campaigns against the occupation of Iraq and anti war demonstrations have been spearheaded by the families of military personnel. Socialist Voice spoke to one such family member currently working in Ireland, Wayne Scott Feller, whose […]

Is the Vlaams Blok trying to change itself into a more "mainstream" rightwing party?

Politicians, the media, and our education system continually tell us the U.S. is the epitome of a free and democratic nation, that we have the "greatest democracy in the world."

Defence campaign for imprisoned metalworkers in Liaoyang

Yao Fuxin and Xiao Yunliang imprisoned for defending workers’ rights

Coming soon to Washington DC

The Democrats’ dirty tricks

Bush’s brutal war in Iraq is shaping up to be the central issue in the 2004 presidential election.

The case for Nader in 2004

Big pressure has been put on politicians in a Swedish council area to reverse their retrograde policy of charging for school meals.

The Republican National Convention has invaded New York City.

Iraqi resistance grows

Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa…the growing influence of Trotskyism

TV and newspaper covers campaign in Sweden

Joe spoke directly to almost 2,000 workers and shop stewards during his brief tour, plus four Socialist Party public meetings in three States, did media, met with union executives, and had an official welcome by […]

Joe Higgins, Socialist Party TD (member of Irish Parliament), is currently visiting Australia at the invitation of the Socialist Party (CWI in Australia).

“The CWI Summer School was brilliant – there seems to be a real feeling of optimism in all the parties and organisations of the CWI”, “The school was excellent…The contributions made by the Pakistani comrades […]

While the last preparations were being put in place for the corporate-sponsored, stage-managed "Democratic" Party Convention, independent left-wing presidential candidate Ralph Nader spoke in Boston about why he’s determined to challenge the two party status […]

Political vacuum on the left will not remain unfilled

Rapid economic development over 20 years led some commentators to claim China could deliver sustained global growth. But it has started to falter, and risks becoming a destabilising factor in the world. And the dramatic […]

Protest the RNC in NYC

Stop military recruitment

The European elections of 10 June gave the heaviest defeat suffered by any government since the establishment of bourgeois parliamentary democracy, 30 years ago.

As early as August, Australian troops will be deployed to Papua New Guinea (PNG). It represents the latest advance by Australia as an infant imperialist power. As foreign minister Alexander Downer said, “It is one […]

Although President Bush’s approval ratings have reached an all-time low, John Kerry has gained little, according to a CBS/New York Times poll released in late June.

On Wednesday 7 July, a suicide bombing killed four police officers in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Rotterdam campaign receives far right and police attention

Nader’s anti-war challenge

“Working-class brothers and sisters in uniform died in Iraq for profits”

Thousands march in Irish cities against Iraq occupation

Fifteen years after the massacre we remember what the workers and students were fighting for.

Protests greet Portuguese prime minister’s appointment as head of EU Commission

National meeting of workers called to plan actions against cuts

Labour appeals to “national unity” while waging war on workers at home and abroad

”Time for a new working class party”

The result of the Local and European Elections held on June 11th has changed the political situation in southern Ireland.

Workers at the Dessian Products factory in Apollo Road have been on strike since May 19. The strike began over the sacking of Paddy McCloskey, one of the two T&GWU shop stewards in the plant.

Four-month-old party gets three MEPs

Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna (cwi Sweden) and Elevkampanjen (socialist school students) are holding their summer camp on an island near Stockholm.

STANDING 48 candidates in 34 council wards on 10 June, the Socialist Party (standing as ‘Socialist Alternative’) received 16,787 votes. In addition, 2,825 people voted for Socialist Party Councillor Ian Page in the London Assembly […]

"Anger and resistance into the council" – this slogan of the German affiliate of the CWI in the local election campaign in the East German town of Rostock will become a reality in the first […]

Linkse Socialistiche Partij(LSP)/Mouvement pour une Alternative Socialiste(MAS), the Belgian affiliate of the CWI, for the first time ever stood nationally in elections and won at least 19,841 votes.

Victory for Socialist Party in local elections!

Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist was re-elected with the highest poll in the St Michael’s ward with 1,586 votes, and Socialist Party councillor Karen Mackay came second with 1,449 votes – also being re-elected.

As counting proceeds, the Socialist Party in Ireland, a leading force in the anti-Bin Tax campaign last year, has already won four councillors in the local elections, doubling its representation in the process.

The 13th of June will not only see European elections but also council elections in some parts of Germany. Socialist Alternative (SAV, German affiliate to the CWI) is standing in Stuttgart and in the East […]

In 1999 John Howard sent Australian troops to East Timor, allegedly to protect the masses from the murderous Indonesian-backed militia. This invasion was also supported by the Labor Opposition, the ACTU, the mass media and […]

Protesters made it impossible for the racist party Sverigedemokraterna (Sweden Democrats) to conduct EU election street meetings in two northern Swedish towns.

Ronald Reagan, the B-movie actor who became the 40th president of the USA (1981-88) has died aged 93. Wall Street will stay closed for Reagan‘s state funeral, a salute to the godfather of today‘s stock […]

The Socialist Party-initiated Unite campaign and workers at the massive US multi-billion dollar Borders Books company have won a massive victory!

Also, Joe on Questions and Answers, RTE.

A socialist analysis of the gangland wars and police corruption in Victoria

Builders Labourers fight deregistration, 1981-94, by Liz Ross.

Amidst enthusiastic scenes upwards of a thousand workers, young people and representatives from the landless movement, a new party which has been named "Party for Socialism and Liberty" (SOL, the Portuguese word for sun) was […]

As over 120 Millon Indonesians went to the polls on April 5th they were faced with a stark choice. Of the two major parties on offer was incumbent Democratic Party of Indonesia led by President […]

The occupation of Iraq has developed into a deepening crisis for US imperialism and President Bush. The present headache concerns the new Iraqi government due to take office from 30 June – an attempted fig […]

The Active Left Students (ALS), the student organisation of the LSP/MAS, the Belgian affiliate of the cwi, has won a second election victory at the Flemish university in Brussels.

Socialist voice in low temperature elections

At the end of April, the Austrian railway workers’ union (GdE) signed a deal with management on a new labour contract that included changes in work times and sick pay.

"The pioneer spirit lives". Arne Johansson speaks about three decades of struggle for socialism.

The newly formed Socialist Movement distributed a four page leaflet and attended Mayday activities in nine different cities right across Pakistan, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Quetta, and Karachi.

Police brutality and water cannons used against May Day protesters in Dublin

Socialist MP exposes use of race card by government

Just one Joe Higgins is immensely more effective than all five of the Sinn Féin TDs, according to Labour leader Pat Rabbitte. Attacking Sinn Féin’s track record, Mr Rabbitte said the party works hard at […]

LSP/MAS, the Belgian affiliate of the cwi, has developed very successful student organisations.

Union leaders sabotage action in British Columbia

New South Wales Labor government starves public sector of funds

After 8 long years the wait is almost over.

Court decides electoral registration office ban was illegal

The women’s liberation movement of the 1960s and ’70s reached its peak when women won the right to choose an abortion and the Supreme Court legalized the procedure in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case. […]

Can we rely on the Democrats?

The fight for same-sex marriage rights

Electoral registration office bans Belgian cwi contesting elections

Unions urged to take up concerns of casual workers.

Brash plays the race card as Labour fails Maori and working class

Despite bureaucratic obstacles, lists handed in today.

Across Western Europe there is a debate on the left as to the best way to create or recreate new mass parties of the working class. The sharp move to the right of the social […]

Socialist Alternative plays key role in organising event

Time for unions to break with government/bosses’ ‘social agreement’

Will the truth come out?

“Counter-terrorism” was one of the main issues at the EU summit in Brussels 25-26 March.

Peter Taaffe, General Secretary of the Socialist Party, and one of the founding members of the cwi, spoke to Tanja Niemeier.

Lessons of the California grocery workers strike

Military Families Speak Out against Bush’s war and lies

Women in occupied Iraq

The government of Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, or Lula, leader of the Workers’ Party (PT) is now in its most critical period since taking office in January 2003.

Bush & Kerry are hazardous to your healthcare

Fighting for a fair slice of the pie

Socialist alternative needed to Lula’s neo-liberal policies

Karaganda union activists persecuted for fighting on behalf of unpaid workers

Can the Democratic Party be pulled to the left?

Why you should support Nader in 2004

Jeff: The campaign has leafleted the community and done outreach to co-workers. We leafleted at a HUCTW rally and intervened with a No Layoffs banner and leaflets at a speech by Larry Summers, the president […]

Более недели иностранные студенты Воронежа не выходили на занятия, требуя от городской администрации принятия мер по защите людей с иным цветом кожи. Такое решение было принято на массовом митинге, прошедшем во вторник, 24 февраля, перед […]

Cries of "stolen election", 337,000 spoiled ballots, a double assassination attempt and riots in the streets… Taiwan’s presidential election had it all!

In crisis but still a threat to workers

Западные наблюдатели конечно уже заметили «некоторые» нарушения. Но их интересуют лишь теоретическая социология и инвестиции, они не могут и не хотят увидеть всю историю. Избирательная борьба шла не между кандидатами, но за повышение явки; за […]

Reports from around the world part 2. pictures

Reports from around the world part 1

The fight for political survival of the government party, the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), has entered a new phase as the party’s leadership demands the resignation of Prime Minister Leszek Miller.

Bush attacks women’s right to choose

The NSV, the students’ organisation of Belgian’s biggest fascist party, the Vlaams Blok, organises a yearly demo in one of the cities in Flanders where a university is present. This year they chose to march […]

The right wing New Democracy (ND) party won last week’s general elections in Greece, defeating the ruling social democratic PASOK party. However, this does not represent a defeat of ‘socialism’ as much of the international […]

Solidarity appeal for striking transit workers in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, March 8, 2004

Sham presidential elections will increase presidential authoritarianism

It’s time to break from the two-party system!

The government of Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, or Lula, leader of the Workers’ Party (PT) is now in its most critical period since taking office in January 2003.

Socialist Party campaigns for mass non-payment of fees for apprentices

Compared to five years ago, the railway colony of Lahore where all railway workers live and work has an air of demoralisation and fear. The military regime installed military officers in all workshops to spy […]

Social democrats’ plans are a boost to racists

Making Sense of the Foreshore and Seabed controversy

The Dutch right wing coalition government plans to soon start deporting “failed asylum-seekers”. But protests are springing up across the Netherlands, and a national demonstration is set for 10 April.

Arrests are continuing after tensions between police and Aboriginal youth in Sydney’s inner city suburb of Redfern broke out into open clashes on the night of 15 February following the death of a young Aboriginal […]

Over December and January a spate of racist attacks against members of ethnic minority communities living in Belfast received international media attention. In an article on 10 January, The Guardian labelled Northern Ireland "the race-hate […]

Gordan McNeill and Madan Gupta agreed to end their hunger strike following a meeting with T&GWU Regional Secretary, Brendan Hodgers, at which their call for an enquiry to investigate all that happened during their dispute, […]

To defeat non-collection, large mobilisations in the communities that result in widespread disruption of the service and massive co-ordinated political pressure are necessary. The campaign in South Dublin is at a decisive stage.

"We want the T&GWU to agree an immediate inquiry into the role played by our union officials at the time we were sacked. We will not come off our hunger strike until we get it" […]

Mr J. Higgins: The haste in which the Minister is pushing this Bill through Dáil Éireann (Parliament) is not just indecent but obscene. The Government, when it comes to targeting the vulnerable, cannot hasten enough. […]

Intervening in the World Social Forum in Mumbai was very much like intervening in one six day-long demonstration. The activity was more or less constant from eight in the morning until nine or ten at […]

Goodbye Lenin is a political love story set in East Germany (GDR) around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

VLADIMIR LENIN, the main leader of the Russian revolution, made the following insightful observation in mid-1917: “During the lifetime of great revolutionaries, the oppressing classes constantly hounded them, received their theories with the most savage […]

Politicians and economists have been trumpeting the "recovery" in the US economy, heralding it as the sign of a new period of growth for the world economy.

This Government and its lackeys on the four Dublin councils had hoped that they could enter the new year with the bin tax imposed and long forgotten.

“At 6.30 in the morning when I left home to travel into central Lisbon, I could see immediately that the strike was on. The refuse bins were full up in my street and in the […]

The Portuguese public sector workers are today on a 24 hour general strike.

Growing resistance against US imperialism worldwide was reflected in almost every meeting, demonstration, placard and badge at the World Social Forum in Mumbai.

How could Hollywood muscle-man Arnold Schwarzenegger win the California Governor recall election?

Are the Democrats a viable alternative to Bush?

ON 5 JANUARY Jeffrey Donaldson, Norah Beare and Arlene Foster announced that they were joining the DUP. Their move underlined the results of the recent elections. The DUP are now the largest unionist party and […]

2004 will be a defining year for the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrat coalition. They face their first electoral test on 11 June in the Local and European elections the first to take place since their re-election […]

Earlier this fall, with healthcare costs spiraling upward and new Census data showing increasing numbers of Americans without health insurance, the Bush administration quietly changed federal regulations to allow hospitals to turn away more low-income […]

Index of articles

Building the cwi in 2003 in the US

cwi interviews striking workers’ leaders

Building the cwi in 2003 in Scotland, South Africa and Sweden

Building the cwi in 2003 in Nigeria and Poland

Building the cwi in 2003 in Netherlands and New Zealand/Aotearoa

There has been a real shift in public opinion against President Bush and his war in Iraq since he declared victory in Iraq on May 1.

Building the cwi in 2003 in India and Israel

cwi international conference.

Rent allowance cuts may make 4,000 homeless

cwi international conference.

It took me a long time to prepare this – The Politics of Hip Hop- because it’s such a massive subject. I mean, where do you start? Everyone that I spoke to about it had […]

Building the cwi in 2003 in England and Wales

Building the cwi in Canada and Chile in 2003

The New Year will see important changes to the Committee for a Workers’ International (cwi) website. During January, this site will undergo a major revamp and will have a new url name: socialistworld.net

Building the cwi in Brazil in 2003

Building the CWI in Austria and Belgium in 2003.

Building the cwi in Australia in 2003

The entire European Union project is in its worst crisis ever after the breakdown of the negotiations over a new constitution. The summit in Brussels ended in an “extraordinary fiasco”, as the Swedish news agency […]

On 11 December, the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) union held a very successful one-day strike. This was in protest against the derisory pay deal imposed by central government – a 0% cost of […]

Eighteen months after the left-wing Alliance Party in Aotearoa/New Zealand suffered a damaging split and the loss of all its remaining MPs in a snap general election, there are signs that the party is (somewhat […]

On 9 December, in Kassel, in Hessen state, the first cross sector local work stoppage against social cuts, and in defence of free wage bargaining, took place. This action is part of the current wave […]

Unlike the last US Presidential elections, there were no recounts or dodgy chads to create nail biting tension in the recent Russian Duma elections. The contest for places in Russia’s Duma (the parliament) went almost […]

A community struggle, spearheaded by members of Offensief (Dutch CWI), successfully prevented council plans to close the Ganzenhoef community centre in South East Amsterdam.

The mood of the meeting was summed up by a speaker who said that the CWI was now "going with the grain of history".

“Another such victory as this and we are finished”

The “November revolution” in Georgia culminated in the overthrow of Eduard Shevardnadze. It was carried out under the flag of St George, first used in the 12th and 13th Century, when the then feudal country […]

“One of the best international meetings the cwi has ever held…the discussions were excellent…the meeting reflected well the hectic pace of cwi activities in the anti-war movement and in strikes…”

“One of the best international meetings the cwi has ever held…the discussions were excellent…the meeting reflected well the hectic pace of cwi activities in the anti-war movement and in strikes…”

THE BATTLE against the bin tax in the last two months has raised ominous signs for all workers. The capitalist establishment in all its guises – political parties, media, courts and the Gardai has demonstrated […]

On 9 December, strike action against the bosses’ federation attacks on wages and conditions and national bargaining will take place in Kassel and the Northhessen region. The strikes will also be directed against the social […]

Union inaction – community direct action

On Sunday 30 November, hundreds demonstrated in Maastricht against the visit of US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is in the Dutch town for the summit of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation […]

Thirteen refugees were found dead, and fifteen almost dead, on a boat outside Italy’s coast on Sunday 19 October.

Assembly elections

On October 21, the University of Minnesota (U of M) was shocked by its first strike in 60 years.

The struggle of the cockpit and cabin-stuff of the ’Austrian Airlines’ (AUA) has finally succeeded in stopping the immediate attacks of the management.

DESPITE MONTHS of negotiations, no agreement has been reached on how an Executive will be put in place after the election. At the last minute David Trimble rejected IRA decommissioning moves as not "transparent" enough […]

I was talking to David for about 2 hours. And I briefly spoke to Fionn, I didn’t see Mick. David is getting on well. He is in a cell with Fionn. They are settling in […]

PRESIDENT GEORGE W Bush summed it up best during a recent speech when he said: "These are historic times". The last few years have ushered in a new era of poverty, war and frustration for […]

South Belfast Socialist Party candidate Jim Barbour today called on Finance Minister, Ian Pearson, to resign immediately over his handling of pay negotiations with civil servants.

The Socialist Party is contesting the upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly to be held on Nov 26th.

Last weekend, LSP/MAS (the Belgian affiliate of the cwi), held a national conference to discuss ’Political alternatives for the. With 134 participants from 17 branches this conference was the biggest ever in the history of […]

The current strike of the Austrian Railways is challenging the right wing coalition government.

The Socialist Party has decided to challenge the right wing and sectarian parties by putting up two candidates for the Assembly. Voters in East and South Belfast will have the chance to elect someone who […]

Fianna Fáil T.D., G.V. Wright badly injures a pedestrian and walks away with a €900 fine.

For most people the only choice in this election is between the same old mix of sectarian and right wing politicians. But in two constituencies, voters will have a choice. The Socialist Party is standing […]

On Tuesday last, a further 6 anti-bin tax protesters were jailed for their opposition to the bin tax and to the non-collection of tens of thousands of householders’ rubbish in the South Dublin area. Among […]

Mr. J. Higgins: The courts are not in a position to call alleged murderers to account but the High Court this morning could send six innocent residents from south Dublin to jail for three weeks […]

The three TDs said in a statement:

In the Dáil (Irish parliament), on 4 November, Socialist Party TD (MP) Joe Higgins challenged the Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) on the jailing of six South Dublin anti-bin tax residents by the High Court.

Mikhail Khodorkovskii, one of Russia’s richest men and head of the giant company Yukos Oil, was taken from his private jet, on 25 October, by armed state security personnel. Khordokovskii’s arrest and the charges laid […]

A few months before the general elections in spring 2004, the social democratic PASOK government is in serious trouble.

A National Action Day, called by the CGTP (General Confederation of Portuguese Workers), saw tens of thousands of workers from the public and private sectors take to the streets on Thursday, 30 November.

16 residents from right across the South Dublin County are due to appear in the High Court today at 2pm on a committal order from South Dublin County Council. Most are in court for involvement […]

On October 22 clerical workers at the University of Minnesota walked away from their desks and onto picket lines demanding a fair contract.

The Anti-Bin Tax Campaigns in Dublin have successfully blockaded the bin depots at Collins Avenue, Rathmines, Davitt Road (Dublin City Council) and Ballymount (South County Dublin) this morning (30th October).

Rising tuition pricing students out of education

An estimated 50,000 people took part in the first national demonstration in the US against the occupation of Iraq, in Washington DC, last Saturday, 25 October.

On 18 October 4,000 people took part in an anti-racist rally in support of the legalisation of refugees and immigrants’ rights took place in Athens.

On Saturday 25 October, 1,000 people protested in Casteau near Mons (in the Walloon area in Belgium) against the NATO military headquarters SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe). The repressive actions of […]

Free the Bin Tax Campaigners

Last Saturday, 18 October, 4,000 people took part in an anti-racist rally in support of the legalisation of refugees and immigrants’ rights took place in Athens.

Council’s new dirty trick a major provocation.

"I am not saying that the dream is over, but I think I dreamed the wrong dream”. Those were the words of former PT (Workers’ Party) federal deputy from Rio de Janeiro, Fernando Gabeira, who […]

Over 14/15 October, the battle against the bin tax in Dublin reached new heights. Over those two days, protest action forced 90% of bin services in greater Dublin to close down.

Last Wednesday, CWI member Kristofer Lundberg and every demonstrator in Sweden – past, present and future –won an important victory. The court in Gothenburg, Sweden, dismissed a case against him for organizing an ‘illegal’ demonstration.

IN RECENT months Poland has been swept by a wave of strikes and protests. The most spectacular is the struggle of the Silesian miners. They are protesting against plans by the Social Democratic (SLD) government […]

A successful picket of the Irish Consulate in Cardiff was held on Wednesday.

On Saturday 4 October, tens of thousands of people carrying flags and banners took to the streets of Rome in protest against the Europe of bankers and bosses. The Inter-governmental meeting of EU leaders to […]

This action was called in response to the jailings of 13 more people, most of them ordinary residents from Finglas and other parts of the City of Dublin. Fingal Anti Bin Tax campaign, Finglas Against […]

After the dramatic closures and the lost jobs in Renault, Sabena, Cockerill and Philips, there is another threat of the loss of several thousands of jobs at Ford Genk.

Bin tax protesters, their relatives and fellow campaigners were visibly shocked by the imprisonment of ten residents by the High Court on 9 October. This shock quickly turned to anger and determination to continue the […]

Thursday morning, October 9, saw 10 local residents jailed for two weeks (one woman with a small child for one week because she has to breastfeed her baby) for their part in the ongoing protests […]

There was a 300-strong rally and march against the US military occupation of Iraq in Seattle on 6 October. The protest was primarily organised by the Seattle branch of ‘Not In Our Name (NION)’.

"THE PROTESTS against the bin tax are now moving in a more decisive way in all the four local authority areas in Dublin. At present Fingal is where the battle is centred. This is because […]

After the No victory in Sweden, will the governments of the EU dare to hold referendums over the new constitution?

Over the summer and in the last weeks Poland has seen a rising tide of protests and strikes.

List of international supporters of the imprisoned anti-bin charges activists in Dublin, Socialist Party TD (member of Parliament) Joe Higgins and Socialist Party Councillor Clare Daly.

Dear Prime Minister of Ireland

You’d miss Joe Higgins. It would be unfair to the performance of the Opposition yesterday to say that it was like watching Tyrone without Peter Canavan [a Gaelic football star who plays for County Tyrone].  

This was one of the main demands shouted outside the Irish embassy in Stockholm during a protest lobby on Tuesday.

Sunday, September 28, the Seattle Chapter of ANSWER, the US anti-war umbrella organisation, held a protest against the US occupation of Iraq.

Dublin West Socialist Party TD (MP), Joe Higgins and Dublin North Socialist Party councillor, Clare Daly have been sentenced to a month in prison and are currently serving their sentence in Dublin’s Mountjoy prison.

Today Joe Higgins expressed his frustration at being gagged but told a Socialist Party colleague Mick Barry who visited him in Mountjoy that he was "infuriated" over the attack, which ICTU General Secretary David Begg […]

Free the bin tax two

In July, the Green Party held its national convention. While putting off endorsing a 2004 presidential candidate until next summer, the Greens made public the "mood" of convention delegates in favor of running someone. Ralph […]

Protests against the jailing of Joe Higgins TD, Councillor Clare Daly (both Socialist Party) in Dublin, continue to spread around the world.

Breda, The Netherlands, September 20th 2003.

Protesters chanted slogans outside the Irish Embassy in Athens on Wednesday 24 September in support of Joe Higgins and Clare Daly.

Protest statement sent by Scottish trade unionists and socialists to Fingal County Council in Ireland, on 21 September 2003.

Pictures – new window

The jailing of Joe Higgins TD and Cllr Clare Daly is a scandal. The Ansbacher Millionaires tax dodgers go free. Liam Lawlor is at liberty. But two public representatives with the courage of their convictions […]

Trade Unions, Public Service Customers’ Committees and other social and political organisations are coming together in an Initiative for Public Service.

Thousands of demonstrators marched through Dublin yesterday in protest against the unfair bin tax and the jailing of Joe Higgins and Clare Daly.

Liv Gustavsson Rhodin Rättvisepartiet Socialisternas councillor in Luleå in striped sweatshirt. Rättvisepartiet Socialisternas is the CWI in Sweden.              

LAST FRIDAY’S jailing of the Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins and Councillor Clare Daly represents an attempt by the capitalist establishment to intimidate and smash the anti-bin tax movement.

Their ‘crime’ is defending the poor in the fight against the Bin Tax!

On Saturday 13 September 15 to 20,000 Trade Union members demonstrated in Prague. The protest was against an austerity package proposed by the government. These reforms were renamed by trade unionists as "deforms” as they […]

The 3-year old campaign in the Southern Irish capital, Dublin, against double taxation for workers in the form of a bin tax has reached a decisive stage.

Yesterday afternoon a judge in the High Court in Dublin granted Fingal council a permanent injunction against fifteen anti-bin tax campaign activists including ten Socialist Party members.

On 14 September, history was made in Sweden. Never in an election or a referendum in this country has the distrust against the establishment and big business been so clearly expressed as in the referendum […]

Roots in the collaboration with the nazis

On 5 September 300 steel workers gave voice to their anger against the privatisation of the last 35 percent of the once fully state owned steel works Voestalpine in Linz, Upper Austria.

Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna strongly condems the horrific murder of Sweden’s Foreign Minister Anna Lindh. No one can avoid feeling anger and dismay over this terrible act of violence. The deadly knife assault on 10 September was […]

Wal-Mart has become the world’s largest corporation, having surpassed ExxonMobil for the slot, and is now the country’s largest private employer.

Federal proposal provokes mass opposition

First Jonas Sjöstedt, European MP for the Left Party spoke in favour of Sweden leaving the Stability Pact and the need for budget deficits at certain moments. A week later he apologized. This panic from […]

Toronto has had a turbulent summer, with crises ranging from SARS to the failure of the power grid. The season has been especially difficult for the city’s poor who have had to cope with these […]

On June 26, the Australian federal parliament passed the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Bill 2002 (ASIO Bill). This bill, introduced by the right wing Liberal government of John Howard, marks the end […]

Under the current healthcare system, 42 million people have no healthcare coverage. The US spends more money on healthcare than any other country, yet tens of millions aren’t covered.

Labour’s free market policies to blame for rail and electricity woes.

August 14th saw the pilots and flying crew of Austrian Airlines (AUA) go on strike for two hours.

Lula government’s pension "reform" bill passed first reading in House of Representatives with most PT lefts voting in favour.

At the beginning of July 1,100 asylum seekers from Afghanistan were ordered to leave the country. The government wants to send them back, because, they claim, “the war is finished”. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign […]

MORE THAN 300 people from all over Europe, the USA, Middle East and Asia met at the CWI European Summer School.

“Occupy and resist”, that is the cry in the encampment Santo Dias, with more than 7,000 people camping in Volkswagen’s plot of land in São Bernardo do Campo, in the São Paulo state.

Introduction

The US superpower’s quick victory over a fourth-rate military power allowed Bush and the neo-conservative hawks who run the US government, such as Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz, to emerge temporarily strengthened. The US victory in […]

More than 4,000 homeless managed to occupy four abandoned high-rise blocks in the centre of São Paulo on early 21 July.

As we head into the second half of the third year of the reign of George Bush the Younger, the hatred of millions of workers, youth, and people of color against him and his neo-conservative […]

The civil servants strike against the Lula governments pension ‘reform’, that began on the 8 July, is growing.

Less then 6 months after Australian Government joined the US in the War on Iraq, Prime Minister John Howard is about to launch his own ’Coalition of the Willing’ in what can only be described […]

One of Lula’s promises in the election campaign was to deal with unemployment. But unemployment has continued to increase every month since he became president. The official unemployment level is 12.8 per cent. But the […]

"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised."

One of the most vicious recent attacks was on the home of a Muslim family in Craigavon. A gang of up to ten men armed with baseball bats threatened to burn the family out; they […]

Bush administration hawks will consider their victory in Iraq a vindication of their aggressive, militaristic approach to world problems, and that nothing will stop them from bulldozing ahead with their right-wing agenda. In reality, they […]

In the last few weeks, the UUP has been convulsed by its most profound crisis since 1974. This crisis will have major consequences for the peace process.

An important case in defending women´s right to abortion was won on 10 July at the end of a lower court trial. SLP member Claudia Sorger (the Socialist Left Party is the CWI´s affiliate in […]

On the 8 July an estimated 350,000 civil servants in Brazil went on an indefinite strike against the pension ‘reforms’ proposed by the Lula government.

The Peace process remains in deep crisis. Despite desperate efforts by the British and Irish governments over the last few months, it has not proved possible to re-establish the Executive, and the Assembly elections have […]

THE FIRST anniversary of the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrat government was marked by the publication of an opinion poll, that showed support for the government at a record low. Their satisfaction rating of just 28% is […]

A RECENT opinion poll demonstrates that a significant minority of voters in Northern Ireland are sick of the sectarian parties and are looking for an alternative. Up to seventeen per cent declared their intention to […]

"A smooth transition" to the euro for Sweden is predicted by the Financial Times of June 6, if the ‘yes’ vote wins in the referendum on 14 September. But the deepening crisis of the Eurozone […]

Socialist Party (CWI in Ireland) member Carmel Gates has been elected President of NIPSA, Northern Ireland’s largest trade union and the main public sector union. The election took place at NIPSA’s conference last week and […]

Joe Higgins TD, Socialist Party stated (28 May 2003):

"The new wage deal is a sell-out without precedent; our union president, Ylva Thörn, should resign!"

Aceh

The results of the Belgian elections underline the political instability which has grown over recent years and which is expressed in a growing number of undecided voters and voters changing the party they vote for. […]

The left opposition made important headway at the third National Conference of the Left Bloc (LB), which took place in Lisbon from 4-5 May.

On 29 April, An Bord Pleanala announced that it had refused Enterprise Energy permission to construct a major onshore facility for bringing in natural gas from the Corrib gas field off the coast of Mayo. […]

THE NORTHERN Ireland Office has started the process to privatise the water services in Northern Ireland. Why?

AER LINGUS Catering workers staged a number of protest activities, at the Aer Lingus Head Office Building in the course of April. The protests were held to vent opposition to the announcement by Chief Executive […]

ONLY WEEKS after a report showed how long-term collusion between Britain’s security forces and loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland had led to murders such as that of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, more evidence of […]

THE CAMPAIGNS against bin charges around Dublin are gearing up for battle as the government is preparing to introduce a new "Environmental Waste Management Act" with powers to stop collection to non-payers.

"At last we are fighting back – this is a strike we’ve been waiting for!" That is the overwhelming feeling among the more than 50,000 workers on strike in Sweden from Monday, 12 May.

WITH ONLY days to go before the close of nominations and even though campaigning was already under way, Tony Blair has called off the Northern Ireland Assembly elections. Despite his assurance that they will go […]

It seems such a short time ago that Helen Clark and her colleagues in the New Zealand Labour Government were being widely praised for their bold stand against the US-led invasion of Iraq. Only last […]

The council workers’ strike in Sweden has the support of 84 per cent of the population according to opinion polls. Low paid, mainly women workers in hospitals, schools and childcare are fighting for wage increases […]

Toronto has been in the grips of its worst health scare since the polio epidemics of the 1950s. The last few weeks have seen the breakdown of a hospital system compromised by years of neo-liberal […]

Following a year of political turmoil, the latest attempt to form a stable coalition government in the Netherlands has fallen apart. Alienation from the main establishment parties is marked. At the same time, the Dutch […]

On 17 April more than 2,500 workers from the threatened Cockerill steel works went to Luxemburg to protest against the planned closure of a part of their factory near Liège. Members of the Linkse Socialistiche […]

Today the ÖGB (Austrian trade union federation) decided to organise “defence-strikes” on Tuesday April 29 in protest against the Peoples Party – Freedom Party (ÖVP-FPÖ) government’s attacks on the pension system. Reflecting the huge popular […]

We are proud to announce the launch of an important new website, called marxist.net. This sister-site of CWI site will provide a major Marxist resource for socialists, worker-activists and all those interested in the history […]

On 3 April 2003, Lisbon saw a 1000-strong demo of university students from all over Portugal, protesting against the most recently announced increase in student tuition fees. The protest blocked traffic completely in some of […]

On 12 April, about 300 people took part in a ‘people’s march’ against the war and occupation of Iraq, in Catania, Sicily.