Dave Douglass reviews Steve McGrail and Vicky Patterson’s Cowie miners, Polmaise colliery and the 1984-85 miners’ strike. COWIE MINERS, POLMAISE COLLIERY AND THE 1984-85 MINERS’ STRIKE Great Strike of 1984-85: an unequal battle Polmaise was at the epicentre of the Scottish miners’ action in 1984. Like Cortonwood it was among ‘the first of the first’…
BERNADETTE MCALISKEY, SINN FEIN AND CIVIL RIGHTS
In early February, writing a platform piece in Belfast’s Irish News, Bernadette McAliskey reacted to Sinn Fein claims that they had led the early civil rights struggle. Socialist Democracy member, John McAnulty says Bernadette was absolutely right to slap down these absurd claims by a group that was not formed until years later. However much of…
MAJOR VICTORY FOR THE 94 UKRAINIAN MINERS FACING COURT FOR PROTESTING
In a follow up to an earlier posting, we are pleased to be able to report a victory for Ukrainian miners. This article was first posted at the Ukrainian Solidarity Campaign website at:- https://ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org/2018/02/21/major-victory-for-the-94-ukrainian-miners-facing-court-for-protesting/ MAJOR VICTORY FOR THE 94 UKRAINIAN MINERS FACING COURT FOR PROTESTING The Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine has secured a…
AHED TAMINI – TWO FACED HYPOCRISY
We are posting this article by Tony Greenstein about the Ahed Tamini Affair. It was first posted at:- https://www.weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1189/two-faced-hypocrisy/ TWO-FACED HYPOCRISY Ahed Tamimi: her treatment highlights the true nature of Zionism Over the past month a 16-year-old girl, Ahed Tamimi, has become a Palestinian heroine compared to Joan of Arc. Israeli Zionists…
TRUMP AND THE LEFT IN THE USA
Eric Chester wrote the following article on Trump and the Left. It was originally posted on the Utopian e-zine TRUMP AND THE LEFT IN THE USA Resisting the Trump presidency has lead many on the broad Left to focus on electing Democrats. However, is Trump the central problem confronting us, or is he just…
HANDS OFF AFRIN! SOLIDARITY WITH THE KURDS
If ever the Kurdish saying “No friends but the mountains” applied it is in the situation the People’s Defence Force/Womens’s Defence Force now confront in Afrin on the Turkish Syrian border. In the Byzantine politics for which this region is infamous, for a brief period the interests of the US government and the Kurds in…
THE OUSTING OF BARRY MCELDUFF
The following is an article about the ousting of Barry McElduff, Sinn Fein MP for West Tyrone, after his notorious tweet. This article first appeared in Socialist Democracy (Ireland). THE OUSTING OF BARRY McELDUFF A sustained campaign of outrage has led to the ousting of the Sinn Fein MP for West Tyrone. The campaign arose from the posting…
94 UKRAINIAN MINERS ON TRIAL FOR UNION PROTEST
We are posting the following appeal from the Ukrainian Solidarity Campaign, which was first posted at:- https://ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org/2017/12/18/94-ukrainian-miners-on-trial-for-union-protest/ 94 UKRAINIAN MINERS ON TRIAL FOR UNION PROTEST URGENT APPEAL FOR SOLIDARITY Ukrainian miners of the uranium mine “Ingulska” (Kirovohrad region), who were protesting for a wage increase, are facing prosecution for holding a protest underground after their…
DERRY SOLIDARITY WITH GENERAL STRIKE IN CATALUNYA
We are posting the following piece from the IWW (Ireland) about the Solidarity with Catalunya protest organised at Free Derry Wall. DERRY SOLIDARITY WITH GENERAL STRIKE IN CATALUNYA Members of the IWW in Derry today took part in a rally held at Free Derry Wall in solidarity with workers throughout Catalonia on General…
BOMBARDIER-BOEING DISPUTE THREATENS WORKERS IN THE NORTH
Bombardier is a Canadian owned aircraft company which employs 4000 people in Belfast. At the moment these workers’ jobs, pay and conditions are threatened as an outcome of growing American protectionism, reflected through the Northern Irish political set-up, which hamstrings any effective trade union response. This consequences of this are explained in this article from Socialist Democracy (Ireland) BOMBARDIER-BOEING DISPUTE THREATENS…