health and medicine
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in hospitals and pharmaceuticals around the world.
When hospital is a prison
Ben Goldacre on the use of psychiatry as a form of social control, and the politically-motivated diagnosis of mental illness. Feb 2003.
When I hear the phrase “political psychiatric diagnosis”, I start thinking about Soviet dissidents, dosed up on thioridazine, being physically restrained on lock-up wards. I like to think I would have had nothing to do with that kind of business, because I went into psychiatry to help people, not to be a jailer.
Low-level organising in a hospital
A hospital worker named Malcolm's account of collective organisation and counter-information in the workplace.
One day the three hospital workers I lived with showed me a memo the hospital put out announcing a picnic for the staff. It said you had to bring your own food. The administration thought they were doing all the workers a great favor sending them this invitation to a bring-your-own-food picnic.
On the US row over private versus "socialised" healthcare
The Anarchist Federation analyses the ongoing debate in the United States over controversial plans for health care reform.
The noisy, controversial and increasingly confrontational ‘debate’ in the USA over the Obama administration’s proposed healthcare reforms has received a good deal of attention in the UK, especially after a series of speeches, articles, email circulars and TV ads began making outlandish claims about both the contents of the proposals and the UK NHS, which is supposedly about to be emulated in the
Resistance to hospital closures grows - European Counter Network
Report on several November 1992 demonstrations and a ward occupation by nurses, against proposed hospital closures.
A government sponsored report on the health service in London has recommended the closure of at least four major hospitals and ten or more smaller units. If the Tomlinson report is implemented, 2500 hospital beds will be lost immediately, and 20,000 hospital workers may lose their jobs.
The ambulance dispute, 1989 - The Red Menace
Article attempting to link up the 1989-1990 London ambulance workers' dispute with that of council, construction and hospital workers.
Now the police won't just put you in hospital, they'll drive you there too
War damages health...and the Health Service: health workers and the 1991 Gulf war - Practical History
Detailed account of the impact of the 1991 Gulf War on the health service in Britain, including anti-war leaflets produced by health workers and a brief account of the impact of the war on health in Iraq.
Clearly the main effects of the Gulf War were felt by people living in the Middle East war zone. Nevertheless our rulers can only successfully wage war abroad by attacking at home the people who are expected to pay for it (and have most to lose from it): the working class.
Wildcats on the ambulances
Leaflet produced in response to a 1990 dispute amongst National Health Service ambulance workers. They were trying to prevent a restructuring of the ambulance service
The beginning of wildcat strikes of ambulance crews on the 11th January shows a great strengthening of the ambulance crews’ fight. Before this date the dispute had been largely managed by the union structures (and this despite the fact that the unions originally recommended acceptance of the managements’ first offer!).
The ambulance dispute - Anarchist Communist Federation
Leaflet produced in response to a 1989 dispute amongst National Health Service ambulance workers, who were trying to prevent a restructuring of the ambulance service.
Despite the government continually proclaiming its non-intervention in trade disputes, with the Ambulance dispute, we once again have a fight against the government’s unofficial pay policy. BR, LRT, Nurses have all been in dispute over the same issue. The government’s attacks have been carefully planned so that workers fightback has been kept divided.
Cleaners, laywers and doctors on the march in Greece
Cleaners march in Athens, lawyers stage demonstration against anti-anarchist legislation in Salonica, and doctors go on new round of stoppages and demos across Greece.
On Tuesday 20/5/2008 the independent union of cleaners of Attica (PEKOP), whose general secretary, K.
Nurses fired for strike in Poland
Four nurse unionists have been fired from the Barlicki Hospital in Lodz. It's director is on the team of health care managers helping the government to commercialize hospitals and increase casualization of the sector.
The Director of the Balicki Hospital in Lodz has fired four nurses and union leaders who participating in a strike last Septmber. The strike lasted 11 days. Nurses were demanding pay raises to brings their salaries up to 2000 - 3500 zloties per month (450 -800 euro) depending on position and seniority.
