Seventeen years after losing her council job due to needing endometriosis surgery, Michelle Dewar’s campaign for paid menstrual leave gained 50,000 signatures in a week, reports ELIZABETH SHORT

THE Covid pandemic exposed all the insecurity that working people face under capitalism.
Tory incompetence and indifference caused tens of thousands of avoidable deaths, while billions of pounds in contracts were awarded to enrich their families, friends and big business backers for services that did not deliver.
It was the trade unions, in education, transport, the civil and public services and elsewhere who demanded, and fought for, safe working conditions for members and service users.

Civil servants are worried that work they are being asked to undertake may be contributing to potential Israeli war crimes – and PCS will back back any member facing disciplinary action for refusing to work on arms export licences, writes general secretary FRAN HEATHCOTE


