We are organising a protest and Counter-Conference, for more details contact:

Leeds Trades Union Council,

Leeds TUC Centre,

88 North Street,

Leeds LS2 7PN

Tel – (0113) 234 9920 / 07900324479

HOW CAN THE REVOLUTION WIN?

With Socialist Worker editor and recently arrived back from Tahrir Square Cairo, Egypt, Judith Orr.

after covering the anniversary of the overthrow of Mubarak.

@Broadcasting Place,

Leeds Met University,

Leeds, LS2 9EN.

‘What is wrong with Post Modernism?’

Venue: The Swarthmore Centre,

2-7 Woodhouse Square, LS3 1AD

‘Global Warming – Why We Need To Change The World!

Venue: Trinity United Church,

Banstead Terrace,

off Roundhay Road. LS7

(Pictured Above – The Peterloo Massacre as depicted at the time by George Cruickshank)

‘From Revolution to Reform Act, Class Struggle in Britain 1789-1932′

Venue: The Swarthmore Centre, 2-7 , Woodhouse Square, LS3 1AD

Venue: Trinity United Church, Banstead Terrace, Roundhay Road. LS7

Bookmarks books website: For The Mass Strike, below.

http://www.bookmarksbookshop.co.uk/cgi/store/bookmark.cgi?search=9780906224298&category=isbn&cart_id=9930216.22894&search_request_button=Go

• Imperialism, colonialism and Empire
• Imperialism and the global conflict
• Post-colonial capitalism
• National Liberation struggles
• Imperialism today: US/UK, EU, China…

Sunday 29th Jan, 11am.

At the Swarthmore Education Centre,

Woodhouse Square, Leeds LS3 1AD

http://uniteresist.org/2011/12/emergency-action-on-pensions-lobby-of-tuc-and-national-utr-meeting/

Date & Time: November 26th 10.00am – 5.30pm @ Leeds Metropolitan University

(FREE: But donations for speakers’ expenses/EAN activities are welcomed on the day)

Link: http://educationactivistnetwork.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/re-imagining-the-university-leeds-ean-day-conference/

The government has scrapped EMA, trebled fees and is cutting jobs, pensions and courses as it seeks to privatise education. During these difficult times, it is more important than ever that students and those employed within the education system stand together and fight against government cuts.

Leeds Education Activist Network is holding a free one-day conference at Leeds Metropolitan University under the banner ‘Reimagining the University’, where we will discuss alternatives to the elitism and austerity being enforced by this government in its continuing assault on further and higher education. We hope that the conference will allow us to consider and develop the ideological arguments that are critical to our resistance of government policies and agendas and to winning the support of those around us.

The conference will be held in the Leslie Silver Building at Leeds Metropolitan University (City Campus): Room LTB2 (See map below)

http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/study/100504_Full_Maps.pdf

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Mark Bergfeld (Education Activist Network)
http://educationactivistnetwork.wordpress.com/

Dr. Sarah Amsler (The Campaign For the Public University)
http://publicuniversity.org.uk/

Prof. Mike Neary (University of Lincoln)
http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/cerd/Staff/Staff_M_neary.htm

The Really Open University
http://reallyopenuniversity.wordpress.com/

Representatives from Leeds’ education trade unions + speakers from striking unions in education

upstairs Room,

Trinity Unity Church

Banstead Terrace

Off Roundhay Road

Marxism to a new generation of activists! The session will be introduced by Adam Collins, followed by a genral discussion. Some of the questions that we will be discuissing include:

What is strategy and what is tactics? In what ways are they similar, but different?
What attitude do revolutionaries adopt towards elections?
How do we approach the Trade Union bureaucracy?
What do Marxists mean by the “united front”?
What is the difference between “agitation” and “propaganda”?
What do revolutionaries mean when we say that we support groups militarily, but not politically?
However, these are just a few of the issues that wew hope will come out of the meeting. Few issues provide such a rich source of debate for Marxists as strategy and tactics!
The present context of revolutions and gerneral strikes internationally provides a brilliant backdrop against which we can discuss our Marxist ideas and their practical application in the twenty-first century! Today’s generations of revolutioanries have a rich history on which to draw. Yet, we also face new and growing challenges and opportunites, which earlier generations of socialists could scarcely have imagined. The challenge is immense. Yet we still have a world to win!
Come along to find out more!
ALL WELCOME!
ONE SOLUTION: REVOLUTION!

Unison union members delivered an overwhelming vote for strikes today, Thursday.

A huge majority, 78 percent, voted yes. In the NHS the yes vote was even higher—a massive 82 percent.

The historic vote follows the biggest ballot in Britain’s trade union history. It means the union’s 1.1 million members can be part of the three-million strong walkout planned for 30 November.

“This is a brilliant result,” said Unison national executive member and Barnet council worker Helen Davies. “Now we need to make sure the day of action goes as well as the ballot.”

Unions that struck on 30 June—NUT, ATL, UCU and PCS—are set to strike on that day, along with unions that are still balloting. These include the GMB, Unite and NASUWT.

Whole councils will be shut for the day. Hospitals will only run minimum emergency cover. Schools won’t open as teachers, teaching assistants, caterers and cleaners all walk out together.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said, “The decisive yes vote in the ballot reflects the deep concern that our members have over government ministers’ proposals for their pensions.”

The breakdown of the ballot shows that beneath the headline figure are many even better votes. In the NHS in Scotland, for example, workers voted 88 percent for strikes.

But the right wing media and government ministers are already going into overdrive to spread smears about the result. They say the 29 percent overall turnout means there is “no mandate” for strikes.

The truth is that they hate the fact that workers have clearly voted to resist the government.

Thatcher’s anti-union laws, which made postal ballots compulsory, were designed to make such a vote almost impossible to achieve.

Yet union members have still delivered.

It’s hypocritical rubbish for the government to bleat on about mandates. Just 21 percent of eligible voters cast their vote for the Tories in the election last year. They have no mandate for their war on workers.

“The ballot shows Unison members are prepared to fight to defend their pensions,” said Kirklees Unison branch chair Nick Ruff.

“They can talk about the turnout but the strike will be supported massively on the day. Every time there’s a ballot we hear it’s not enough—but the members come out.

“The government is already under pressure. On 30 November we can wipe the floor with them.”

The other attack being used against the union is Treasury minister Danny Alexander’s claim that the government’s new offer on pensions yesterday was “generous”.

He even called it “the chance of a lifetime”. This is rubbish.

There are three prongs to the government’s attack: “pay more, work longer, get less”. The offer only changes the last of these—and only slightly.

Contributions would still rise by up to 50 percent. Workers would still not be able to retire until as late as 68. And the vast majority would still get less at the end of it.

As PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka put it, “Ministers are saying they will only raid pensions by slightly less than they were planning to.”

Unison’s leaders are set to meet to decide the union’s next steps. There is no reason to hesitate for a moment over striking on 30 November.

A strike of three million workers has the power not just to force the government to retreat but to change the whole political climate in Britain. It is 30 November that is the real “chance of a lifetime”.

Now it is down to every union member to throw themselves into building the biggest strike they can—organising mass pickets, rallies and the widest possible solidarity.

Upstairs,

Trinity United Reform Church,

Banstead Terrace,

Off Roundhay Road,

LS8 5PX

Weds November 2nd

Trinity Unity Church,

Banstead Terrace off Roundhay Road

LS8 2HU

greek protestors