National News
May Day in Brighton
by New Worker Correspondent
BRIGHTON city centre was severely disrupted on May Day by anti-capitalist demonstrators. Although the turnout was relatively small — several hundred — the tactic of splitting into smaller groups when confronted by a larger number of police caused chaos. Police attempts to restrain the protestors by “kettling” failed and all bus routes and many shops were affected.
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May Day in London
by New Worker Correspondent
In London between 10,000 and 15,000 trade unionists, political activists and community groups gathered in warm sunshine in Clerkenwell Green outside Marx House for the start of the annual May Day march last Sunday.
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May Day in Glasgow
by New Worker Correspondent
In Glasgow last Sunday saw hundreds of people march from Glasgow’s George Square to the city’s Old Fruitmarket for what an organiser called the best Glasgow May Day rally in years.
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Campaign against Thanet Earth sweatshop
THE GIANT union Unite is organising to put pressure on supermarkets to stop sweatshop conditions at the agricultural producer Thanet Earth in Kent, which supplies fruit and vegetables to Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Marks & Spencer.
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Tomlinson ‘unlawfully killed’
THE INQUEST into the sudden death of Ian Tomlinson two years ago after he was pushed over by a police officer at the G20 protests in London last Tuesday delivered a verdict of unlawful killing.
Tomlinson was not involved in the protests; he was making his way home from work as a news vendor and walking through the area where police and protesters were gathered.
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Con-Dem retreat on public sector privatisation
THE GOVERNMENT is scaling back plans to use the private sector to deliver public services, according to documents leaked to the press.
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Bullied cleaners strike
AROUND 100 cleansing workers at the Sita base in Kirklees went on strike last Wednesday over alleged bullying and intimidation by management of such an extent that even the police have had to become involved. The workers operate the waste tips which were outsourced out to Sita by the council.
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Workers Memorial Day
by New Worker correspondent
PEOPLE gathered on 28th April by a memorial tree in Colchester’s Castle Park to remember workers who died while doing their job.
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Colchester march against the cuts
by New Worker correspondent
PROTESTERS marched though the centre of Colchester on Saturday 30th April, campaigning against public sector cuts.
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Police do civilian work
WHEN the Con-Dem Coalition set out making huge cuts in funding to our emergency services they promised no front-line jobs would be cut.
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Hospital turned into prison
DOCTORS at Hillingdon Hospital in west London are protesting that immigration officials have turned the section that treats HIV patients into a prison because it treats inmates from two immigration detention centres near Heathrow airport.
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Republicanism in Britain celebrated
by New Worker correspondent
LONDON communists marked the royal wedding in their own way last week by taking part in a special NCP one-day school at the Party Centre on the role of the British monarchy past and present.
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Fifty years of human spaceflight — a reminder of inspiring ideals
REVIEWS
by Theo Russell
Yuri Gagarin - The First Spaceman by Vix Southgate; First Orbit, directed by Christopher Riley; Little Eagles, by Rona Munro.
SPACE enthusiasts and scientists from around the world came together last month in a global celebration of the new era of space exploration which began with Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight, on 12th April 1961.
Writers, broadcasters and scientists from Britain were at the forefront of several projects aimed at giving Gagarin’s flight the momentous commemoration it deserves, and to encourage young people to learn about space exploration and astronomy.
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International News
Bin Laden: US claims victory but no quick end to anti-terror war
by Yu Zhixiao
AL-QAEDA leader Osama bin Laden’s killing was a major accomplishment in US anti-terror efforts, but it may not serve as a panacea to the anti-terror war in Afghanistan.
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Opening of Rafah crossing challenges Israel
by Adam Gonn in Jerusalem
EGYPT’S recent decision to open the Rafah crossing point, the only land route into the Gaza Strip that doesn’t pass through Israeli territory, has left Israel scrambling for a response.
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Egyptians take Tahrir Square to shop floor
Workers World (US)
EGYPTIAN workers are taking Tahrir Square to the shop floor. Since 2004 more than 1.7 million of them have held more than 3,000 strikes, industrial
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Features
Wisconsin: the struggle continues!
by Bryan G Pfeifer
PROTEST activities continue across Wisconsin (USA) to fight the union-busting bill signed by Governor Scott Walker on 11th March. They are also directed at the many anti-people measures contained in the budget proposal for the next two fiscal years, 2011-2013, which would cut at least $3.6 billion from services that help poor and working people.
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Tibet: the Dalai Lama and ‘political reform’
China-Tibet online
THE FOURTEENTH Dalai Lama is playing new tricks this year. On the one hand, the Dalai Lama says he will be “retiring” soon; on the other, he strongly calls on China to conduct “political reform”.
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Vietnam: a cartoonist’s story
VNS
Born in 1946,Vietnamese artist Ly Truc Dung has been drawing cartoons for over 30 years. Formerly an architect he spent considerable time researching artists who made great contributions to the formation of Vietnamese cartoons.
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