Chicago teachers' strike posted by Richard Seymour

So, a right-wing provocateur and film-maker infiltrated the big teachers' protest in Chicago yesterday, part of the strike against Emanuel's education 'reforms' (see my article for background).  Obviously attempting to make the protest look foolish, he actually made it look amazingly good:

Labels: american ruling class, american working class, chicago, democratic party, militancy, organised labour, socialism, strike, teachers strike, trade unions

Strike Day Rally posted by Richard Seymour

The Respect Youtube page has just posted this excellent speech by Mark Serwotka on prospects for the Left, from last week's Left List rally on the day of the big strike:

Labels: mark serwotka, new labour, pcs workers, strike, teachers strike

Fightback Thursday posted by Richard Seymour

1 million school students and 8,000 schools are affected by the teachers strike, apparently, which is much higher than was anticipated. According to The Guardian, this is the biggest strike over pay since Labour was elected. Predictably, New Labour are bashing the strikers and pretending that there is no problem. The schools minister has been briefed on his key statistics and sent out to face the newspapers and television studios. Teachers are apparently fat cats whose pay is being curbed in order to rollback their inflation busting pay rises. Of course, the truth is that since 2005 teachers salaries have been effectively cut each year, as pay rises have fallen well below the rate of inflation. Teachers on UPS3 have lost £2,000 due to these cuts. In the same period, the average pay for chief executives has risen by 37%. Such are the priorities of New Labour's Britain. The schools minister is quoted as saying: "The three-year pay award was a recommendation of an independent pay review body... we can’t re-open that process." Oh yes, you can - and you will. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats are demanding that a no-stike agreement be imposed on teachers. You might remember that when someone tries to tell you that the Lib Dems are a slightly more left-wing alternative to New Labour. From the picket lines and protest marches, you can probably get all the updates with photos at Socialist Worker, so keep checking in throughout the day.

Update: I was right. Reports and photographs from across the country are being filed regularly on the Socialist Worker website.

Labels: new labour, pay cuts, pcs workers, public sector pay, teachers strike, trade unions

Teachers: first national strike over twenty years. posted by Richard Seymour

The teachers voted to join the revolt against Gordon Brown's public sector pay cuts and ballot for strike action at their conference last week. Today, the results of the ballot have come out, and they've voted overwhelmingly for a national strike on April 24th. The UCU union is also balloting members for industrial action on the same day, and it is expected that hundreds of thousands of PCS members in the Department of Work and Pensions will also be out on strike.

Labels: gordon brown, neoliberalism, public sector pay, teachers strike, trade unions