Grid of posts 2×3

  • Thousands across Europe resist austerity attacks

    John Edmundson The Spark November 2010 Europe has seen a massive upsurge in worker resistance to planned implementation of continent-wide austerity measures. The size and militancy of the demonstrations and strikes should serve as an inspiration to workers in this part of the world, where class consciousness is at an all time low and union Read more

  • India behind the Games

    Philip Ferguson The Spark November 2010 In the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games the media was full of criticisms of India.  All these, however, revolved around whether the Games’ facilities would be finished and good enough, what the quality of the athletes’ village was and whether athletes would be safe from the supposed dangers represented Read more

  • An inspiring story of struggle by women workers

    FILM REVIEW: Made in Dagenham In 1968 three struggles by working class women in Britain helped inspire the formation of the women’s liberation movement there: Hull fishermen’s wives fought for better safety on trawlers, despite being told by the bosses to keep quiet; London bus conductresses rebelled for the right to become drivers; and women Read more

  • Vote Matt McCarten for Mana

    Workers Party leaflet The Workers Party is backing Matt McCarten in the Mana By Election because he’s a genuine working class fighter. Matt McCarten, leader of Unite union, has hands-on experience promoting workers’ rights. That is a rare thing in politics these days, where parliament is awash with bland, middle-class liberals. Since founding Unite union Read more

  • Why unions should not be affiliated to the NZ Labour Party

    The Spark November 2010 This is a follow-up to the article in the last issue of The Spark where we welcomed the decision of the Victorian Electrical Trades Union to disaffiliate from the Australian Labour Party. This article looks at the problem of union affiliation to the NZ Labour Party; it is drawn mainly from Read more

  • Union activist talks about his year in the Philippines

    The Spark November 2010 The New Zealand Government has just listed the Communist Party of the Philippines and its New People’s Army as terrorist organisations. The Spark talks to trade unionist, Luke Coxon, who has just spent a year in the Philippines. Spark: Luke you took a year off work to do voluntary work in Read more