News

Like father, like son: Fascists of the 3rd Millennium in Italy

Two policemen are under investigation for covering up a fascist brawl that involved Rome’s Mayor’s son, Manfredi Alemanno.

According to Rome’s Public Prosecutors the inquiry that had followed the event was obstructed and then buried under the sand by the Police, thanks to the withholding of evidence and false statements made by policemen Roberto Macellaro (who in his free time volunteers to be the Mayor’s personal chauffeur) and Pietro Ronca, a local Chief Inspector in Rome.

Mythbuster: "strivers v skivers"

Breakdown of welfare spending in the UK

Excellent document from the New Economics Foundation debunking government and media rhetoric about benefit "skivers" and showing that only 2.6% of welfare spending is on the unemployed.

Executive Summary

The myth

‘Strivers versus skivers’ purports to sums up our welfare state, and why, therefore, the benefits system should be reformed.

Fighting the bedroom tax in Huddersfield and the battle of Barclays

Direct action to try to stop arrests in Huddersfield.

The battle against the bedroom tax in Huddersfield has commenced resulting in a near riot outside Barclays bank.

The battle against the bedroom tax and the cut in council tax rebate was launched in Huddersfield when supporters of Huddersfield Anarchist League staged a thirty strong protest outside the local town hall on 21st March. A delegation of five people addressed Councillors to demand answers to questions.

This time it’s personal. Mortgage fraud, faux-democracy and escrache in Spain

The escrache protests in Spain organised by the Platform of Mortgage Victims are quickly getting to the rotten core of a technical government in all but name. Despite the Popular Party's attempts to demonise them in the press they continue to gather support, pointing the way for the rest of Europe.

As David Cameron prepares to promote yet another housing boom in Britain, we would do well to pay some notice to our neighbours in Spain, who are currently suffering the dire consequences of a bursting bubble releasing its slime all over their lives. When all else fails (and it’s hard to think of much that’s not failing under Osborne) a housing bubble can do wonders for a dismal government.

Steve Hedley: not “cleared of domestic violence” with a case still to answer - Andy Littlechild

Steve Hedley was not cleared of domestic violence and still has a case to answer according to the RMT rep representing his former partner in her complaint of physical, emotional and verbal abuse.

I’m writing the following statement as the RMT rep representing Caroline Leneghan in relation to her complaint of physical, emotional and verbal abuse by Steve Hedley RMT Assistant General Secretary.

Street parties greet news of Thatcher's death

Street parties greet news of Thatcher's death

Hundreds gather in spontaneous celebrations in London, Glasgow and Bristol on the day former Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's death was announced.

Although there had been talk for some years of gatherings to take place after the passing of the former Conservative leader, as the event happened people emerged onto the streets rather quickly.

Police represses anti-fascists on the eve of university championships in Kazan (Russia)

At 8:00 a.m. on 3rd April, officers from the Centre Against Extremism came with a search warrant to four addresses of Kazan antifascists.

The searches were carried out with clear violations. There was no any documents to substaniate the detentions but the four young people: Ruslan Rostov, Oleg Kapustyanov, Dmitry Ilyichev and Artem Sher, were put into a car and taken to the Police Office "for the talks", threated with force. During the searches,two anti-fascists, including Artem Sher, who is the citizen of Israel, were beaten.

Circuits of recomposition: towards and beyond the #22M logistics workers’ strike

Can the #22M logistics workers’ strike be a first step towards the generalization of struggles?

Rethinking strike, finding the functional equivalent of the union-form, building up generalization processes. These are the hassles we had to be dealing with during these last years, when the new composition of living labour and transformations of the mode of production made almost all previous organising tools obsolete and unusable.

Strike threat at the University of Sussex

Strike threat at the University of Sussex

The three recognised trade unions at the University of Sussex are conducting a co-ordinated indicative ballot for strike action, against plans to outsource 235 campus jobs.

The indicative ballot by Unite, Unison and UCU will open on Monday 8 April and will gauge the level of support for industrial action in an increasingly bitter dispute over outsourcing. This week has seen High Court bailiffs evict the 8-week occupation of the Bramber House conference centre.

March of discontent: lessons in work struggles (Italy)

Reflections on the escalation of workers' struggles in Italy in the wake of the large logistics workers' strike of March 22.

The working class is awakening, and the mobilisations of the last few days among the logistics sector workers in Emilia Romagna are the first signs.