New Worker Banner

The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain

Lead story

Steel in crisis again!

by New Worker correspondent

THE BRITISH steel industry is in crisis – and not for the first time. Steel has a turbulent post-war history. Nationalised by the 1945 Labour Government, it was the only major industry to be privatised by Churchill’s post-war administration. Harold Wilson’s renationalisation was in turn reversed by Margaret Thatcher. Now even the Financial Times is calling for its nationalisation, a suggestion the Tory Business Secretary has not ruled out.

Read the full story here >> Steel in crisis again!

Equal pay victory, sort of

by New Worker correspondent

THE SUPREME Court has issued a ruling which states that largely female workers employed in Asda supermarkets are able to use the employment contracts issued to the largely male depot workers as a valid comparison in their long-running equal pay claim.

Read the full story here >> Equal pay victory, sort of

The Untouchables?

Reviewed by Ben Soton

IN A RECENT television drama, a serving police officer murders a woman and dumps her body in a sack. The officer had previously been accused of indecent exposure – although seemingly trivial, this often leads to more serious sex offences and even murder. His fellow officers do nothing about it and try to cover it up. A group of women organise a vigil to remember the dead woman and are attacked by the police. Just rewind for a second – this is not a television drama but real life!

Read the full story here >> The Untouchables?

Editorial

Trouble north of the border

THE FEUD between the current and former leaders of the Scottish National Party has bitterly divided the Scottish nationalist community. Nicola Sturgeon has fended off the drive to force her to resign over what she, or her husband, did or did not do over the Salmond affair. But the row clearly has damaged her credibility as First Minister of Scotland whilst leaving Alex Salmond politically wounded but not down and out.

Salmond, who led the Scottish government from 2007– 2014, has rallied his followers behind the banner of his new Alba Party, which he hopes will propel him back into the Scottish parliament when the Holyrood elections take place in May.

Read the full story here >> Trouble north of the border