Month: September 2014

Public Meeting: Scotland in revolt against austerity – What will the situation be after the Referendum?

Leave a comment

A Coventry Socialist Party Public Meeting

 

Scotland in revolt against austerity –

 What will the situation be after the Referendum?

Wednesday 24th September 7.30 Pm
The Four Provinces

(Allesley Old Road, CV5 8BU)

https://www.facebook.com/events/284274365106584/

Vote Yes and fight for socialism

Vote Yes and fight for socialism

This Thursday will see people in Scotland go to the polls and voting Yes or No to independence. The Yes campaign has gained rapidly in the polls in recent weeks which has sent the UK establishment and their political representatives in the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems in to hysterics.

But what does it all mean? Will independence be a step forward? What is the role of the SNP and Alex Salmond? What is the best way to combat ‘project fear / project terror’ from the ‘Better Together’ No campaign? What will happen to workers in the rest of the UK? What is the role of Socialists in Scotland in this referendum? These are just a few of the many questions being asked by people.

Independence referendum in Scotland – resources from Coventry Socialist Party

latest News and analysis from our sister organisation in Scotland – Socialist Party Scotland

Advertisement

Independence referendum in Scotland – resources from Coventry Socialist Party

1 Comment

Independence referendum in Scotland – resources from Coventry Socialist Party

Vote Yes and fight for socialism

Vote Yes and fight for socialism

This Thursday will see people in Scotland go to the polls and voting Yes or No to independence. The Yes campaign has gained rapidly in the polls in recent weeks which has sent the UK establishment and their political representatives in the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems in to hysterics.

But what does it all mean? Will independence be a step forward? What is the role of the SNP and Alex Salmond? What is the best way to combat ‘project fear / project terror’ from the ‘Better Together’ No campaign? What will happen to workers in the rest of the UK? What is the role of Socialists in Scotland in this referendum? These are just a few of the many questions being asked by people.

Coventry Socialist Party have compiled this selection of links to help people through the fog of misinformation in the mainstream media, and to outline a socialist way forward. As Socialists we are internationalists, and our sister party in Scotland as part of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) has been at the forefront of fighting for clear, bold socialist policies.

Here are some links to help understand the current situation –

In March, Socialist Party Scotland produced a short Q and A article on independence – to read it click here

With the Better Together campaign getting ever more desperate, we believe the best way to defeat ‘project fear’ is with bold socialist policies – to see what we are putting forward click here

Whatever the result, there will be the need to continue the battles against cuts and austerity, that is why we say vote Yes but continue to strike back. Read this article by a Socialist Party member in Glasgow here

10 days that can shake British capitalism to its foundations, major article which takes up the idea of ‘Team Scotland’. Click here

The Socialist Party is part of an international socialist organisation, the CWI, which is present in around 50 countries across the planet. Visit the website of the CWI here

If you agree with our analysis, why not join? If you want to join our find out more visit here

 

 

 

Teachers want action from their trade union – views from a Coventry teacher

Leave a comment

Teachers want action from their trade union – views from a Coventry teacher

Joint action between NUT and NASUWT at John Gulson Primary in Coventry

Joint action between NUT and NASUWT at John Gulson Primary in Coventry

The following piece was written by a teacher from Coventry and was carried in the latest issue of ‘The Socialist’ newspaper. Since it was published a majority on the National Executive have voted to oppose taking joint industrial action on 14 October.

You can read more about this disappointing decision here.

If you are in a teacher and member of the NUT and want to help build the fight for co-ordinated action in the union, please fill in the form at the bottom of the article.

 

 

By Nicky Downes

At my school in Coventry a number of staff have been out on strike, picketed, attended marches and rallies each time the National Union of Teachers (NUT) have been on strike.

Although the concessions we have won so far have been relatively small, the understanding is still there that we must continue the action until we win improvements in pay and pensions, an end to Performance Related Pay and improvements to workload.

The local NUT executive in Coventry has, before each strike, lobbied the union’s national executive to make sure the action is continued and escalated. This important action has been mentioned at national executive meetings. Other local associations should do the same.

Continuing with the odd day’s strike will not win. There is a mood for escalating to two days of action or more if necessary. This does, however, need to be built for.

The NUT will be surveying its members over the next few weeks to judge the mood. This is after a break when struggling to work 60 hour weeks has not been an issue. During this time the only communications from the union have been adverts for a week’s break at the union owned Stoke Rochford Hall,and for insurance. It would have been a good time to take stock of what we have achieved so far and to build for action in October.

Teachers in my school and across the country will be both angry and surprised if we do not strike with other public sector workers on 14 October. It’s interesting that the survey won’t be finished by then. I hope this means that the union already feels committed to striking on that date and the survey will merely be to confirm the necessity for further, and likely escalating, action in the future.