Category Archives: Labour

Labour, NDP

Sid Ryan – Victim of a Bureaucratic Coup

by Julius Arscott

The President of the Ontario Federation of Labour, announced on September 22 that he would not seek re-election after 3 terms in office. Sid Ryan, 63, is considered by many to be the most progressive leader of the Ontario House of Labour in generations. His legacy includes: active international solidarity, a willingness to speak directly to rank and file members over the heads of the affiliated unions, and mobilizing tens of thousands of workers for labour solidarity rallies across the province. Continue reading Sid Ryan – Victim of a Bureaucratic Coup →

Canada, Labour, Youth

The Common Front and the Fight Against Austerity in Quebec

by Robbie Mahood
Since it was elected with a majority in 2014, the Quebec Liberal government of Philippe Couillard, has embarked on an aggressive austerity drive aimed at liquidating the social gains remaining from the class and national insurgency of the 1960`s  and 70`s.  Slashing budgets, opening up contracts to raid the pension plans of municipal employees, imposing new or higher user fees for public services, increasing the workload of teachers and nurses, eliminating programmes to safeguard health and the environment or provide assistance for vulnerable citizens — the government has cut a wide swath, targeting even privileged groups such as doctors.
Analysis, Canada, International, Labour

Capitalist Austerity or Socialist Revolution – Greece and Beyond!

Presentation to the Socialist Action workshop at the Toronto People’s Social Forum held on July 11, 2015 at Ryerson University

by Barry Weisleder, Federal Secretary, SA/LAS

Let’s begin by saluting the workers and farmers, women and youths of Greece. They are waging a valiant struggle against the reactionary agenda of the European Union bosses and bankers. The victory of the NO, in Greek the word is Oxi, in the historic referendum on July 5, is a victory for the entire world working class. It is a sign of hope. While we have heard, in the last 24 hours, disturbing news of further concessions to the E.U. by the Greek government, to be sure, the struggle continues. Around the world, socialists and progressives should organize mass actions to demand cancellation of the odious debt, and to support the struggle for socialist transformation as advocated by the anti-capitalist electoral front, Antarsya, and by our comrades in OKDE-Spartacos, the Greek section of the Fourth International. Continue reading Capitalist Austerity or Socialist Revolution – Greece and Beyond! →

International, Labour

Turkish Metalworkers Strike

by Y. Fikret Kayali

The Renault autoworkers in Bursa, Turkey, halted production on May 15. Tofaş workers, who produce Fiat cars, stopped working the following day. The wildcat strikes spread to six other factories in the metal sector in Bursa.

Several other factory workers in Bursa, Kocaeli, Ankara, and Sakarya either went on strike or protested against their employers. More than 20,000 workers have taken strike action, and the Renault workers are still not back to work as this paper goes to press.

Continue reading Turkish Metalworkers Strike →