In his fortnightly column MARK SEDDON reflects on the death of Major Oak and why such ancient trees matter to us
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The anti-strikes Bill: yet another blow to our democratic rights
We have no choice but to seek to build mass opposition and to develop a strategy of non-compliance to the draconian Minimum Service Levels Act, says MATT WRACK
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack
The world’s largest communist party marked its 105th birthday this week — and remains true to its principles and firm in its course, says OLIVER VARGAS
The left has become too reliant on persuasion and too detached from the workplaces and communities it seeks to represent, argues NICK TROY
RAMZY BAROUD highlights how Israel’s ambassador sought to shut down UN officials documenting sexual violence and abuses against Palestinians
The US-Israeli conflict with Iran has had far-reaching consequences, including a boost to Pakistan’s regional standing, argues ROGER McKENZIE
The recent heatwaves revealed how ill-prepared Britain remains for a hotter future – and how unequal the ability to cope with it has become, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
The drive to strengthen European defence is reshaping relations between France, Germany, Italy and Britain, says NICK WRIGHT
THE Minimum Service Levels Act is one of the most significant attacks on working people in a generation.
Under the new anti-strike legislation, “minimum service regulations” in fire and rescue, health, education, transport, nuclear decommissioning and border security will enable employers to require designated workers to attend work on strike days — despite a democratic and lawful vote for strike action; workers will be required to undermine their own demands and campaigns.
Employers will also be granted increased powers to sack union members if they do not work on strike days. Unions will be expected to police members’ attendance at work.
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A past confrontation permanently shaped the methods the state will use to protect employers against any claims by their employees, writes MATT WRACK, but unions are readying to face the challenge
Labour’s watered-down legislation won’t protect us from unfair dismissal or ban some zero-hours contracts until 2027 — leaving millions of young people vulnerable to the populist right’s appeal, warns TUC young workers chair FRASER MCGUIRE
Labour must not allow unelected members of the upper house to erode a single provision of the Employment Rights Bill, argues ANDY MCDONALD MP
It is only trade union power at work that will materially improve the lot of working people as a class but without sector-wide collective bargaining and a right to take sympathetic strike action, we are hamstrung in the fight to tilt back the balance of power, argues ADRIAN WEIR