Call for maximum action to stop the coronavirus
We need our unions to protect us
May 1, 2020
by Jonathan Neale I have been a union member all my life, and a shop steward in several jobs. But I’m worried now. Some of our union leaders are about to make a very serious mistake. On Monday, April 27, Heather Stewart in the Guardian reported that “ministers have held a series of high-level meetings […] Read more »
Politics in the lockdown
April 7, 2020
by Andrew Burgin ‘We won’t return to normality because normality was the problem.’ Chilean workers’ proverb ‘The number one objective right now is to save my people. We need to close down.’ Christian Smalls, Amazon warehouse employee who led a shutdown in New Jersey. When society stands on the cusp of great change, or even […] Read more »
Two policies and their outcomes
March 30, 2020
by Michael Wongsam Despite the widespread denial and obfuscation, it is clear that the Johnson government at least seriously considered and planned to act on the reckless strategy of pursuing ‘herd immunity’ via the permitted infection of a large proportion of the population. This is despite siren voices even on the governments’ own advisory committee, […] Read more »
Reorganise the whole economy to fight the virus
March 18, 2020
We need to call for a shift of all human labour, effort and production into areas such as healthcare, health equipment and food that will aid the effort for our collective survival. Read more »
#testNHSstaff
March 18, 2020
The UK government has belatedly promised to intensify testing of NHS patients with coronavirus in hospitals. Yet incredibly, doctors, nurses, and NHS staff have not been systematically tested throughout the pandemic, even though they may be exposed to the virus through patients. This means that they run the risk of spreading the disease amongst their […] Read more »
Coronavirus will require us to completely reshape the economy
March 16, 2020
The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is a far more profound event for the global economy than the great financial crisis of 2008-9. It will have more significant consequences for the simple reason that it is operating at a more fundamental level of our economic relationships than the 2008-9 crash ever did. By James Meadway Read more »
We can help one another through this epidemic
March 16, 2020
We can help one another through this epidemic, and simultaneously organize to make governments, employers, welfare offices and landlords give us what we will need to survive. By Jonathan Neale Read more »
On the pandemic and disabled people
March 16, 2020
Across the communities of disabled people there are increasing numbers voicing their anger and frustration at the apparent disregard for the needs and interests of Disabled people of all ages by the Johnson government during the current pandemic. By Bob Williams-Findlay Read more »
Pandemic exposes government security failure
March 16, 2020
For some years, pandemics have been designated as tier one threats to our security. So why does Britain find itself signally unprepared for the coronavirus, with insufficient equipment, staff and infrastructure to serve its people? By Kate Hudson Read more »
A warning letter from Barcelona
March 16, 2020
Carmen Lee in Barcelona writes: Hello all, I am writing to you from my fourth day in coronavirus quarantine, here in Barcelona, Spain. This is a message to everyone - please take this virus seriously. I want to share with you what is happening here now, what the consequences are of a delayed response. Read more »