The victories that followed the American civil war and the 1960s civil rights era are once again under attack, echoing earlier efforts to roll back equality and redefine democracy, says JOE SIMS
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Workers have disruptive power: let’s use it
It’s not just about getting workers into any union wherever they work, but making sure we are not divided into different bargaining units — and thinking about which workers control the ‘choke points’ of capitalism, argues US author ROBERT OVETZ
CHOKE HOLD: Workers in industries like shipping, logistics and rail control the actual flow of goods, making them uniquely powerful - and the boss class knows this
In 2010, faced with the closure of their local library, a Buckinghamshire town’s locals turned to an unconventional tactic – borrowing every single book – to defend a cherished community space. MAT COWARD tells the story
The indictment of Nicolas Maduro after a deadly US assault is just the latest phase in a long campaign against the Bolivarian government, warns FRANCISCO DOMINGUEZ
Journalist STEVE SWEENEY talks to Roger McKenzie about narrowly surviving an Israeli air strike last week while documenting the mass displacement of civilians – and explains why the real story goes far beyond the attack on him
After 27 years in Holyrood, the former first minister urged unity and respect — but, says NEIL FINDLAY, her time in power told a very different story
The Employment Rights Act 2025’s focus on individual rights forces workers into slow and costly litigation to assert rights, rather than empowering unions. A Campaign for Trade Union Freedom-Strike Map rally at the weekend called for a more radical sequel, reports BEN CHACKO
THE most important thing workers have is power. That power doesn’t come from having a collective bargaining agreement but from being so well organised they can disrupt business as usual to get what they want.
There are different kinds of power — and not all are the same or have the same impact. Knowing which one we have is the key to getting what we need.
Many unions over-rely on the kind of power that is located away from work. They limit their efforts to going into the streets or the halls of government for support. This kind of public support away from work is important, but inadequate by itself.
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Organised workers at the notoriously anti-union global giant are scoring victory after victory, and now international bodies are pitching in to finally force this figurehead of corporate capitalism to give in to unionisation, writes EMILIO AVELAR
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