Trade Unions In The Twenty First Century

Below are two articles. The first is a report of the Third Global Commune event entitled ‘Trade Unions – Are They Fit For Purpose?’. The second is Allan Armstrong’s talk given to the Independent Workers Union conference in Dublin on 4.4.09. on behalf of the SSP’s International Committee. 1. THE THIRD GLOBAL COMMUNE EVENT, 29.1.11…

RCN Motion to Special Conference

This should be read in conjunction with the RCN Statement to Conference. Conference holds Tommy Sheridan’s anti-party actions to be responsible for the damage inflicted on the SSP and on the socialist movement in Scotland, aided, in particular, by the decisions taken by the leaderships of the CWI and SWP. The decision to split the…

Trade Unions – Are They Fit For Purpose? – Global Commune Event

3rd Global Commune Event Trade Unions – Are They Fit For Purpose? Saturday, January 29th, 2011 Registration 10. 30 for 11. 00 – 16.30 Out of the Blue Centre, Dalmeny Street, Leith Edinburgh In both the UK and Ireland today, the overwhelming majority of trade union leaders have signed up to social partnerships. These effectively…

The Sheridan Perjury Trial

The split on the Scottish Left between celebrity populist and genuine socialist politics On May 1st, 2003 six Scottish Socialist Party members were elected to Holyrood. From December 23rd, 2010, by far the best-known (former) member of the SSP, Tommy Sheridan, faces a jail sentence for committing perjury, following in the footsteps of Lord Jeffrey…

Brian Higgins Anti-Blacklist Campaign

Updates on anti-blacklisting campaign and Brian Higgins Tribunal process grinds on… and on After months of being involved in the tribunal process, Brian Higgins, with other UCATT and UNITE members, has now reached the stage where he is waiting for a preliminary hearing which will decide whether he has a case that will be heard…

Report of Second Global Commune Meeting

May 22nd, 2010 The second Global Commune day school, jointly organised by the Republican Communist Network (RCN) and The Commune, was held in the Out of the Blue Centre in Edinburgh on May 22nd. People attended from Aberdeen, Bristol, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Midlothian. The first workshop session, ‘After the Election, What Next?‘ was introduced…

A reply to Alan Johnstone of the Socialist Party of Great Britain” from Allan Armstrong

In his letter to Weekly Worker, no. 812, Alan Johnstone attacks my claim that Marx and Engels would have been supporters of an ‘internationalism from below’ strategy from the time of the First International. On Alan’s first point, that what socialists should do in 2010 does not depend on what Marx and Engels may or…

Report Of The Second Republican Socialist Convention, 13.2.10

Below is the report of the 2nd Republican Socialist Convention. This was hosted by the Socialist Alliance London on 13.2.10. Both Colin Fox and Allan Armstrong spoke for the SSP. The report is followed by Allan’s contribution. This produced a response from Nick Rogers of the CPGB-WW which is also posted along with Allan’s reply. 1.…