David Swanson, IMT Edinburgh
The recent announcement that Michelin’s tyre-manufacturing plant in Dundee will close by 2020 exposes the harsh measures that capitalism will continually inflict upon society. A small group of elites prioritise profit over the needs of their employees and communities. In this tragic case, the lives of 845 workers have been thrown into jeopardy to further line the pockets of Michelin CEOs.
Continue reading Nationalise Dundee Michelin under Workers’ Control
Yesterday, a member of the IMT Edinburgh branch was contacted by Police Scotland, regarding the letter (below), that we sent to the club. Marxists place no illusions in the ability of the police to fight the far right. History has shown, many a time, that they will protect the far right and in times of crisis, even use fascist gangs to defend the capitalist state against the organised working class. However we do thank this individual officer for describing the letter as “very passionate and convincing” (if he is really convinced he should go on to campaign for the Police Federation to be an independent union).
Continue reading Open Letter to Heart of Midlothian FC regarding Tommy Robinson
By David Swanson, IMT Edinburgh
Tory MSP Michelle Ballantyne disgracefully attempted to defend the child benefit cap in the Holyrood Scottish parliament recently. In doing so, she provided a clear insight into the malicious mindset of the ruling class.
Continue reading Tory ‘fairness’: millions for royalty; cuts for millions
This week has seen thousands of women council workers taking strike action in Glasgow in an ongoing dispute over pay equality.
By Amy Dean and Shaun Morris
Continue reading Glasgow council workers strike for equality
Ross Walker, IMT Edinburgh
The November/December issue of Revolution, magazine of the International Marxist Tendency in Scotland. Includes articles on the Equal Pay Strike, the EIS dispute, Solidarity with the Sikh community and the YMCA in Leith, Why Marxists Support Independence, reports from the Edinburgh demo and the legacy of James Connolly. We also have articles from the IMT in Brazil, Mexico and Quebec on fighting Bolsonaro, Solidarity with the migrant caravan and fighting racism of the CAQ. Subscribe on the website and if your interested in joining the IMT, get in touch!
Continue reading Brexit, Strikes and Independence: A Marxist View (Issue 24 Editorial)
By Amy Dean, Glasgow Marxists
The next few weeks will see important events for the workers’ struggle across Scotland. Starting in Glasgow where the ongoing council equal pay dispute will culminate in a strike of thousands of women workers on the 23rd and 24th of October. The dispute dates back to equal pay claims from 2006 when Glasgow City Council introduced a Workforce Pay and Benefits Review System, which aimed to tackle the gender pay gap. However under the scheme low-paid jobs tending to be occupied by women such as cleaning, catering and care are being paid significantly less than jobs such as refuse collection, which are deemed to be of the same value but are male dominated.
Nathan Taylor, Glasgow Marxists
On the 6th October, tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Edinburgh calling for an independent Scotland. Official estimates put the number in attendance at between 80,000 and 120,000, making it one of the biggest mobilisations in Scottish history. While Scottish politics might seem uneventful at the moment, it is clear that the appetite for independence is still very much alive and well.
By Ross Walker
September/ October edition of Revolution out now. Articles on the need for free education, defending asylum seekers from Serco landlords, Amazon workers, the orange order and fighting bigotry, the impact of Trotsky’s death, dialectical materialism and the Euro crisis. Read here, the editorial by Ross Walker from the IMT Edinburgh branch.
Tam Burke, IMT Edinburgh
People are shocked and outraged at attacks on the Sikh Gurdwara at Sherriff Brae, Leith, and the damage to the nearby YMCA in Junction Place on 28th August. Fortunately, soon after the attacks a passer-by saw fire and smoke coming from the door of the Sikh Temple. The fire brigade soon arrived and put out the flames, which were caused by a lit rag stuffed into a canister of petrol. A 49 year old man has appeared in court in relation to the attack.
By Ellen Morton, Glasgow Marxists
Earlier this month the multimillion-pound company ‘Serco’ demonstrated how far it is willing to go in the callous pursuit of profit. It issued notices to refugees and asylum-seekers stating that in 7 days the locks to their homes would be changed, leaving them out on the streets with no-where to go. Similar evictions, albeit on a smaller scale, have been happening across the UK in the past year and highlight the complete inability of private contractors to provide safe, high-quality and consistent housing for some of society’s most vulnerable people.
Continue reading Defend Asylum Seekers’ Homes: Lock Out The Landlords
