National News
Prison’s ‘unbroken pattern’ of deaths
HER MAJESTY’S Prison (HMP) Woodhill in Milton Keynes is the subject of a call for an urgent inquiry after 18 inmates have died there since 2013.
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Workers’ Memorial Day in Bristol
by New Worker correspondent
A NUMBER of events were held in Bristol to mark International Worker’s Memorial Day to commemorate those killed or injured during the course of their work.
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PCS calls on HMRC to drop closure plans
THE CIVIL service union PCS last week called on the Government to drop “ill-thought-out” closure plans.
In response to a damning report that says Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has yet to demonstrate it has a realistic plan for its proposed wholesale restructure, PCS called on the Government to rethink its approach to tax collection, stop office closure plans and properly resource HMRC.
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Gig economy’ shafts workers
A REPORT from the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee last week accused the gig economy, which uses bogus self-employment contracts to deliver goods ordered on-line, of “free-riding on the welfare state”.
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You’re fired
by our Scottish political affairs correspondent
HOLYROOD is banning private firms such as Atos, Capita and Maximus from carrying out Scotland’s benefit assessments. Using powers granted to it under The Scotland Act, the Scottish government is setting up the Social Security agency to carry out benefit assessments, included the currently unfit-for-purpose Work Capability Assessments (WCA).
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Progressive Noise
by our Scottish political affairs correspondent
An interesting example of how the SNP leadership treats its membership and how far their radical rhetoric is unmatched by their actions has been demonstrated by the recent doings of deputy first minister and part-time Education Secretary John Swinney.
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Justice for the Odessa Massacre victims!
by New Worker correspondent
NEW Communist Party leader Andy Brooks and Gerry Downing of Socialist Fight joined other London comrades demonstrating in Whitehall last weekend for justice for the victims of the Odessa trade union house massacre in 2014. Nearly 50 people were killed when neo-Nazi thugs besieged pro-democracy protesters inside the building before torching it, blocking the exits so that they couldn’t escape. The Kiev puppet regime says 48 people were killed but eyewitnesses say the true number could be well over 100.
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Where is Labour going?
by New Worker correspondent
THAT was the question the panel of speakers attempted to answer at a well-attended New Worker meeting at the Cock Tavern in central London last week. Chaired by Theo Russell, the audience heard openings from NCP leader Andy Brooks and two well-known victims of the current witch-hunt inside the Labour Party. Gerry Downing of Socialist Fight was expelled on trumped-up charges of ‘anti-Semitism’ last year and Tony Greenstein, a veteran anti-Zionist campaigner from Brighton, remains suspended on similar accusations.
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Tai Chi in Charlton
by New Worker correspondent
LONDONERS marked World Tai Chi & Qigong Day in Charlton Park in style last weekend, joining thousands of other martial arts enthusiasts all round the world taking part in this year’s annual event.
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International News
May Day in Cuba and abroad
by Pavel Jacomino
CUBAN President Raul Castro presided over the main event on International Workers’ Day at Havana’s Plaza de la Revolucion, where a mass parade in defence of socialism took place.
Workers, trade union leaders, government officials, intellectuals, the diplomatic corps in Cuba and leaders from a number of countries took part in the festivities.
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Belgian communist MP stabbed
BELGIAN Workers’ Party (PTB) MP, Raoul Hedebouw, was attacked with a knife just before delivering his May Day speech at the party’s Labour Day rally in the city of Liège on 1st May. A man attacked Hedebouw from behind with a kitchen knife, stabbing him in his thigh. Fortunately Hedebouw was only slightly injured. The assailant was detained and arrested by the police.
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Former Ukrainian premier involved in Chechnya atrocities
RUSSIA’S Investigative Committee has evidence of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s involvement in the torture and execution of Russian servicemen in 1995 during the hostilities in Chechnya, a republic in the Russian Federation.
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Israel fumes over UNESCO resolution
ISRAEL on Tuesday condemned a UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] resolution that criticises the country’s excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, a flashpoint area holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians.
The UNESCO resolution, sponsored by Arab countries, addresses Israel as the “occupying power” and urges it to stop “persistent excavations, tunnelling, works and projects in East Jerusalem.”
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Stabbed Ukrainian activist speaks out
On 20th April, Hitler’s birthday, the extreme Right in Kiev once again attacked Left activist Stanislav Sergienko, stabbing him whilst recording the assault on video. Shortly afterwards, neo-Nazis operating in the Ukrainian police published a blog about “new separatist safaris” on one of the sites controlled by the presidential administration, which also published information about other Leftists. Aleksey Sahnin talked with Stas Sergienko about Rightist violence, the persecution of dissidents and the current position of the left in Ukraine.
Stas, how you now feel now?
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Features
Hopes for peace in the Basque Country
by Gerry Adams
IN THE MIDST of the ceremonies last week to complete the process of putting the weapons and explosives of ETA (Basque Homeland and Liberty) beyond use, the figure of former Methodist Minister Harold Good was centre stage.
In 2005, along with my very good friend the late Fr Alec Reid, the two men played a key role as independent witnesses in the process by which the IRA put its weapons beyond use.
Last weekend, Reverend Harold Good was in Bayonne, a city in south-west France. It is part of the extended Basque Country. He was there to take part in the final act by ETA of putting its weapons beyond us.
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The Guardian takes aim at Venezuela’s democracy
by Joe Emersberger
THE GUARDIAN newspaper has recently published an editorial saying that President Nicolas Maduro’s government must be threatened with “pariah status.”
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