Trump’s escalation against Venezuela is about more than oil, it is about regaining control over the ‘natural’ zone of influence of the United States at a moment where its hegemony is slipping, argues VIJAY PRASHAD
The revolutionary past, present and future of trade unions in Cuba
Far from being 'banned', the Cuban trade union movement has fought the class struggle in an unbroken line before, during and after the revolution, explains BERNARD REGAN
Evidence suggests Lammy’s proposals would come at a high cost: reduced fairness, diminished trust and greater racial inequality in the criminal justice system, argue TARA LAI QUINLAN and KATHARINA KARCHER
From the workhouses of the 1840s to today’s market capitalism, A Christmas Carol remains a sharp critique of charity rationed by class, says KEITH FLETT
The argument for a “significant expansion” of nuclear power will deliver soaring electricity prices that condemn underserved communities to unending hardship and poverty, argues LINDA PENTZ GUNTER
The new plan sets out an uncompromising bid for global dominance, casting even allies as obstacles to be subdued, writes DIANE ABBOTT
As we approach the half-anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy, the community gathers to remember loved ones while grappling with mixed emotions surrounding the ongoing deconstruction of the tower and the hopeful plans for a memorial, writes EMMA DENT COAD
JANUARY 2019 was the month that the Cuban people celebrated not only the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution but also the 80th anniversary of the CTC (Central de Trabajadores de Cuba/Cuban Workers Central) – Cuba’s equivalent to the TUC.
The Cuban trade union movement has a long and proud history stretching back into the 19th century. The first union, the Association of Tobacco Workers in Havana, was established in 1866 when the island was under the control of Spanish imperialism. In the 20th century the trade unions played a critical role not only in defending workers’ rights but in struggling against dictatorships and repression.
One of the most dramatic actions by the Cuban working class was the general strike of 1933 against the dictatorship of Gerardo Machado, described as the “tropical Mussolini” by the Communist student leader Juan Antonio Mella. Machado, with the backing of the United States, had stayed in office after bending the rules to extend his term.
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A teaching delegation to Cuba offered IAN DUCKETT a powerful glimpse into a schooling system defined by care, creativity and the legacy of the island’s remarkable 1961 literacy campaign
KEVAN NELSON reveals how, through its Organising to Win strategy, which has launched targeted campaigns like Pay Fair for Patient Care, Britain’s largest union bucked the trend of national decline by growing by 70,000 members in two years
Head of education, campaigns and organising for the General Federation of Trade Unions HENRY FOWLER explains why it is launching a fund to support trades councils and give them access to a new range of courses and resources
From anti-apartheid work to uniting migrant workers, Sutton showed us how to build worker power, keeping socialism’s flame burning bright, and leaving London’s mighty May Day parade as his legacy, writes Phil Katz