As part of our series of articles commemorating the centenary of 1916 Rising in Dublin, we are publishing the following article by Dave Temple of the Durham Miners Association, first published in their special journal for the Durham Miners Gala held on July 9th (see http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2016/08/03/david-hopper-and-the-durham-miners-gala/) JAMES CONNOLLY, THE 1916 EASTER RISING AND THE DURHAM MINERS…
DAVID HOPPER AND THE DURHAM MINERS GALA
David Hopper died on July 16th. He was the General Secretary of the Durham Miners Association and last spoke on Saturday July 9th at the Durham Miners Gala. This was attended by 150,000 people. David Hopper was central to the revival of this major working class political and social event, after the defeat of the…
SUPPORT THE JUNIOR DOCTORS
SUPPORT THE JUNIOR DOCTORS NO COMPROMISES, NO BACKDOOR DEALS DEFEND THE NHS For months, the junior doctors of the National Health Service have stood firm in the face of an onslaught from the Conservative government in Westminster. Socialized medicine works and, indeed, it is extremely popular. With a national health service, access to…
WHY NO PITCHFORD ENQUIRY IN SCOTLAND?
Allan Armstrong (RCN) asks why the Pitchford Enquiry into undercover policing does not extend to Scotland. Last July, Theresa May, Conservative Home Secretary, set up the Pitchford Enquiry into undercover policing in England and Wales. The Channel 4 Programme Dispatches had highlighted the role of the Met’s Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) in trying to undermine the family…
UKRAINE: MINERS STAND TOGETHER STATEMENT BY THE NUM
CONDEMN THE DEFAMATION OF NUM SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINIAN MINERS The National Union of Mineworkers has issued a strong statement on the Ukrainian question as a rebuttal to a number of smears against their union. That any section of the labour movement would engage in such smears is further evidence of the shocking depths of…
SOCIAL JUSTICE – RADICAL HISTORY, CENSORSHIP AND HOW THE TORIES STOLE OUR LANGUAGE
Pauline Bradley (RCN and RISE) outlines the emergence of the notion of Social Justice during the Liverpool Dockers campaign and how the Tories have attempted to hijack the term. SOCIAL JUSTICE – OUR RADICAL HISTORY, CENSORSHIP AND HOW THE TORIES STOLE OUR TERM Social Justice is a concept which has been stolen from the left…
HANDS OFF CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS OF UKRAINE – END THE STATE INTIMIDATION
We are posting the following article which first appeared on the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign website (http://ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org/2015/06/21/urgent-state-security-investigating-leader-of-ukrainian-trade-unions/) The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign has received extremely worrying communications from our friends of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine KVPU that the Security Service of Ukraine – the SBU – is investigating the KVPU Chairman Mikhailo…
SCOTLAND AFTER THE WESTMINSTER ELECTION
Eric Chester (RCN) gives his perspective on Scotland after the Westminster election. The Scottish National Party has become the dominant force in Scottish politics. Already a majority in the Scottish parliament, SNP candidates crushed the Labour Party in the recent elections to Westminster. Yet SNP dominance extends well beyond the electoral arena. Within the trade…
A STATEMENT FROM BRIAN HIGGINS, SECRETARY OF THE BUILDING WORKERS’ GROUP, ABOUT THE DEATHS IN QATAR
I knew there had been many migrant workers killed on world cup sites but was severely and profoundly shocked to hear on Channel 4 last night that 1,200 had been killed to date while working on world cup projects in Qatar.
SUPPORT THE STRUGGLE FOR MEANINGFUL SELF-DETERMINATION IN A SCOTTISH DEMOCRATIC AND SECULAR REPUBLIC
At our RCN aggregate held in Dundee on May 23rd, we re-examined our platform for working in the campaign for Scottish self-determination. Some of these issues have already arisen within the Radical Independence Campaign, particularly in RIC-Edinburgh (see http://radicalindyedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/), the three RIC national conferences, and Trade Unionists for Independence (East Coast) (see http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2014/10/24/after-september-18th-bring-real-democracy-into-our-trade-unions/). Now that there are plans…