The International Socialists are the Scottish section of the worldwide Marxist organisation, the Committee for a Workers' International. The CWI is active in 40 countries across the world. In Scotland we also work as part of the Solidarity - Scotland's Socialist Movement.

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Lisbon Treaty ‘No’ vote delivers major shock for political and big business Establishment

The International Socialists Irish sister party, the Socialist Party, played a major role in raising privatisation and workers’ rights as key issues of debate in the referendum campaign.


We can't afford this profit system

Housing costs up 10%, Fuel bills up 20%, Travel costs up 15%, Petrol up 25%, the weekly shop 25% .


No to racism and the BNP

The BNP won a seat at the London Assembly Elections. This result is an important reminder of the need to build a movement that can counter the racist ideas of the BNP. The youth organisation ISR has been at the forefront of the anti-racist movement and in countering the posistion of the BNP.


Defend Tommy Sheridan rally

A packed and inspiring rally of 250 people turned up on Saturday in Glasgow to pledge their support for Tommy Sheridan as well as Gail Sheridan and her father Gus Healey, Graeme McIver, Rosemary Byrne, Jock Penman and Pat Smith who are all facing charges of perjury following Sheridan’s momentous victory in a defamation case against the New of the World in 2006.

International Socialists: Solidarity with Tommy Sheridan

The International Socialists leaflet given out at the rally with messages of solidarity for Tommy Sheridan from CWI members across the world.


Public Meeting: France 1968 - Month of revolution

Speakers include: Clare Doyle author of "France 1968: month of revolution" & Marie-José Douet, student activist during May 1968 and a member of Gauche Révolutionnaire (CWI France)

Glasgow S unday 11 May 1:00pm St Stevens Centre, Bath Street All Welcome


SNP in power - a wolf in sheeps clothing

On the face of it with a series of popular measures implemented and opinion polls showing the SNP with an extended lead over their rivals the first anniversary of the SNP coming to power is a moment for celebration. At least from their point of view.


Refinery workers defend their wages and pensions

At 6am on 27 April the night shift at Grangemouth oil refinery walked out on strike. A sea of red flags of the Unite union signaled the beginning of a 48-hour stoppage by 1,200 workers that ceased the flow of oil from the North Sea and the distribution of fuel from Grangemouth to petrol stations.

Workers’ power against bosses’ offensive

Following on from last week’s strikes by teachers and college lecturers in England, civil servants and Shelter workers throughout Britain, and Birmingham local authority workers, the Grangemouth strike has led to a section of the press speculating that a new wave of workers’ militancy is breaking out.


Grangemouth Strike

Sensation-seeking front-page headlines have hit the Scottish public concerning Grangemouth oil refinery workers who are threatening to take strike action over the bosses decision to close down their final salary pension scheme.


Labours Tax Scandal

New Labour doubles income tax of low paid workers


Local government workers - We can’t afford three years of pay cuts

The trade unions representing 220,000 staff in local government in Scotland submitted a joint pay claim for 5% or £1000 whichever is the greater.


Become a young socialist

Fight back against low pay, debt and poor working conditions


SNP support council plan to cut £27m

Thousands of protestors marched in Aberdeen recently in one of the biggest demonstrations seen in years against the £27 million of cuts being pushed through by the Lib Dem/SNP coalition which runs Aberdeen City Council.


Economic Crash

There is widespread panic in the banking system internationally. One of the supposed bedrocks of capitalism has been shown to vulnerable and unstable. A global crisis of capitalism is unfolding before our eyes.

Market failure needs a socialist solution

World capitalism is gripped by the worst economic crisis it has faced since the depression of the 1929-1933 era. A period that was marked by a severe banking crisis, stock market collapses and a slump in economic growth that cost tens of millions of jobs in the US and worldwide.


Seroxat drug scandal exposed

In May 2003 representatives of Britain’s biggest drug company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) handed a document to officials of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It was proof that GSK’s best selling anti depressant Seroxat could make depressed children suicidal.


Iraq - 5 Years of Invasion and Occupation

An unmitigated disaster


RECLAIM INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY

Mark the inspirational struggle of women Reclaim the day and its real significance


A Womans Right to Choose

It is just over 40 years since the Abortion Act 1967 was passed, legalising abortion in Britain. The enactment of this law meant the end to illegal, dangerous, back street abortions for hundreds of thousands of women. It was of greatest importance to working class women who where not able to afford to pay for private treatment prior to the change in law.


International Women's Day -Belgium - Building links of solidarity with Iranian women’s struggle

March 8th International Women’s Day demonstration in Brussels


Castro’s resignation opens up new chapter

What are the prospects for the revolution?


Stop the witch-hunt Defend the Sheridan 7

The ongoing police investigation into possible perjury during the Tommy Sheridan defamation case against the News of the World has become an out-and out witch-hunt against not only Tommy Sheridan but anyone who supported him during the trial.


Local Government Pay

Local government workers dismayed at the recent three year offer from the Scottish Employers of 2.2%, 2.3% and 2.2% which represents three years of pay cuts for local government workers.


Northern Rock - Labour’s reluctant nationalisation

This was a major blow against the concept of an unfettered market-driven economyand a small foretaste of further blows that workers will inflict on it in the future.


Defend Tommy Sheridan: End Murdoch's Vendetta

No more public money for billionare's campaign


7 January - Britain in 2007

The wheels have come off the Gordon Brown bandwagon.


2 January - Pakistan - Mass opposition to military and Musharraf regime after Benazir killing

Pakistan People's Party leadership 'bequeathed' and no change in policy indicated.

Pakistan - Socialist Movement condemns the killing of Benazir Bhutto

Pakistan People's Party leader killed in suicide attack; political crisis and chaos deepen further.


3 December - Venezuela - Chavez loses referendum on constitutional changes

Need for a socialist alternative


20 November - Egypt - Workers flex their industrial muscle

Victory boosts workers’ confidence to defend living standards


8 November - Germany moves to the left

Train drivers’ strike over wages and hours


23rd October - Reject Royal Mail deal - Vote No and reinstate the action

Postal workers up and down the country have taken part in a courageous fight against a vicious management intent on destroying jobs and postal workers’ conditions while preparing the industry for privatisation.


2nd October - Northern Ireland - 2,000 classroom assistants’ hold one-day strike

Solid action against pay cut and attacks on working conditions


30 September - Britain - Rocking Capitalism

The Northern Rock banking crisis


22 September - Obituary - Chic Stevenson

Socialist, Trade Unionist and Ex- Glasgow Councillor; Born January 30th 1928; Died September 17th 2007


10 September - New Paper Launched

The Socialist is the new paper of the International Socialists - the Scottish section of the Committee for a Worker’s International (CWI). The new paper is being launched as a 12 page paper (4 pages in full colour) from September 2007. It marks an important milestone in the development of the work of the CWI in Scotland.


13 August - Glasgow - Victory for the Social Care Workers

“Pay hike joy for striking council staff” was the headline of the Glasgow Evening Times. Jamie a Striking Social Care Worker from the Gorbals area team summed up the mood of many; "there's no doubt this is a major victory"


20 July - Venezuela - RCTV and the question of the media

Freedom of information is an important issue.


11 July - Britain - National Shop Stewards’ Network Conference

A starting point for strengthening struggle


5 July - Glasgow - Bombing attempts in Glasgow and London

Unite against war, poverty and terrorism


21 June - University - Have Scottish students got free education?

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has made its bid for popularity amongst students by announcing plans to scrap graduate endowments for Scottish students


5 June - Britain - The coronation of Gordon Brown

Anti-worker programme of Blair will stay.


2 June - Russia - Repression of Gay Pride in Moscow

Once again the world's media has been focused on the horrific breaking up of an attempted protest in Moscow.

30 May - Homophobia it's not over!

Report on the Socialist Party LGBT Meeting including a letter highlighting the LGBT struggle in Poland


29 May - Irish Election - Smaller parties, including Socialist Party, squeezed in General Election

The need for struggle and socialist policies is clear.


22 May - Scottish Parliament - SNP in power – populism and cuts

Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond has been elected as the new First Minister of the Scottish parliament.


18 May - Ireland - Video - Fighting the political establishment

Clare Daly, the Socialist Party election candidate for Dublin North appeared on RTE's Six-One News program on 14 May in a debate with Brendan Ryan of the Labour Party and Daragh O'Brien of Fianna Fail.


16 May - England and Wales - Conference for a working class alternative

Campaign for a New Worker's Party ’s second annual conference unites socialists, trade unionists, community campaigners and ordinary workers in campaigning for a new mass party for working-class people.


11 May - Ireland - Socialist Party election campaign

Two articles from the Irish Times reporting on the Socialist Party (CWI Ireland) election campaign


11 May - Britain - Blair prepares to step down

Blair's departure: Curtain falls on disastrous reign


05 May - Labour loses Scottish Elections

Solidarity clearly emerges as the main socialist force winning 70% of the socialist vote


May Day - Build a socialist alternative to war, poverty and exploitation

The Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) and socialistworld.net send warm May Day greetings to the workers, youth and oppressed of the world.


29 April - Scottish Parliament Election - Packed Rally for Solidarity in run up to election

Over 600 people crowded into Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall for a Solidarity election rally on Wednesday night.


26 April - Scottish Parliament Election - support for Labour falling

Vote "Solidarity - Tommy Sheridan" on May 3rd


11 April - Ireland - Socialist MP, Joe Higgins, attacks Irish Prime Minister for visiting George Bush

Bertie Ahern, the Irish Prime Minister, recently visited the US and met with George Bush around the time of St Patrick’s Day.


4 April - Northern Ireland - We won’t pay” say hundreds of demonstrators in Belfast

Sinn Fein and Democratic Unionist Party change position to supporting water charging now elections are over.


26 March - Iran - Will Iran be bombed?

The US journalist, Seymour Hersh, reported that Bush had ordered the Pentagon to draw up plans for air strikes against Iran, and special US forces were already carrying out undercover operations inside Iran.


24 March - Bolivia - From water war to gas war

Big business sabotage industry


23 March - Europe - European Union at 50 facing crisis

At a summit in Berlin on 25 March, the European Union will celebrate its 50th birthday.


17 March - Greece - Public education in revolt

Privatisation plans meet furious response


16 March - History - Febuary Revolution 1917 - What Lessons for today?

23 February 1917 (8 March in the new style Gregorian calendar) marked the beginning of the socialist revolution in Russia that sparked a revolutionary wave that would travel around the world. Peter Taaffe analyses the lessons of February for the working class today and how the leadership of the Bolshevik party, particularly Lenin and Trotsky, was decisive in ensuring the victory of the revolution in October.


13 March 2007 - Solidarity-SSM conference prepares fighting campaign for May elections

Scottish banks make billions while 1 million live in poverty


10 March 2007 - Sri Lanka - Senior Police Officers admits police and military inolvement in abductions

Bodies of murder victims likely those of kidnapped Tamils.


9 March 2007 - USA - Homeland Security Raid in Massachusetts Drives Terrified Migrant Workers into the Ocean

For Michael Bianco, Inc. the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have meant big profits. And like any number of U.S. employers, this company has been cashing in by employing low-wage, undocumented workers.


8 March 2007 - Britain - Marking International Women's Day

Collection of articles from Britain to mark March 8.

8 March 2007 - Syria - Kurdish women in Syria have a hard fight

Kurdish women, who are oppressed inside their community in Syria, are facing two kinds of oppression.

8 March 2007 - Nigeria - Women’s burdens demand socialist action

The United Nations Human Development Report of 2006 places Nigeria at 151 out of 177 nation-states rated basically in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment, income, seats in parliament held by women, female professional and technical workers, ratio of estimated female to male earned income, female economic activities rate, population without sustainable access to improved water source and total fertility rate, etc.

More articles to mark International Women's Day from other sections of the CWI


24 February2007 - No to Trident!

Riding pillion behind Bush, Blair has embroiled Britain in disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, as part of his 'legacy', he wants to commit us to paying for a brand new Trident missile system.


22 February 2007 - Iraq - 'Surge' doomed to failure

Only workers' unity and a struggle for socialism offers a way out.


20 February 2007 - Israel - Contract postal workers storm Histadruth union HQ

Israeli Jewish and Arab workers from the Israeli postal service 'Do`ar Israel', along with Maavak Sotzialisti (CWI) members, and other activists, protested outside the headquarters of the Histadruth trade union federation, in Tel Aviv, yesterday.


16 February 2007 - Simclar Workers Fight Job Sackings

Simclar, an electronics company in Ayrshire, have sacked 420 workers. The staff found out about the redundancies when they turned up for work to find the gates locked.


12 February 2007 - Huge turnout for Liverpool meeting of Campaign For A New Workers Party

Two hundred and fifty people, of all ages, crowded into the Casa (Dockers') Club in Liverpool to hear the case for a new mass party of the working class with Tommy Sheridan MSP, Ricky Tomlinson and Tony Mulhearn from the Liverpool 47 councilors.


6 February 2007 - End of the Union?

The 300-year anniversary of the Scottish parliament voting itself out of existence by agreeing a union with England in January 1707 passed with very little formal celebration.


February - Support grows for Solidarity

A recent poll indicated that 7% of people in Scotland were likely to vote for Solidarity in the May Scottish parliament elections


February - Bush's Iraq Catastrophe

Only workers and poor can solve the nightmare in Iraq


February 2007 - Venezuela: On the Road to Socialism?

Hugo Chavez proclaimed in his inauguration speech following his re-election in December that “We are moving towards a socialist republic of Venezuela”.


February 2007 - LGBT History Month

This Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History Month fight for LGBT rights and socialism.


31 January 2007 - Chuch Hierachy Attacks LGBT Adoption Rights

While socialists were out last week campaigning against cuts in the NHS, the leaders of Britain's main Christian de-nominations were involved in a different kind of battle.


3 January 2007 - A New Year of Struggle World Wide

Fighting the bosses' offensive


6 December 2006 - Victory for Glasgow council workers

A lesson for other council workers on how to win the battle for equal pay:


6 December 2006 - Venezuela - Chavez re-elected for a 3rd term

Continued threat of counter-revolution:


13 November 2006 - Sri Lanka - Urgent Protests Needed

Tamil MP killed for speaking out:


7 November 2006 - Solidarity Conference agrees to build a socialist party

Solidarity - Scotland's Socialist Movement founding conference:


31 October 2006 - Chaos in Iraq shatters US war strategy

Bush & Blair have been forced into humiliating retreats over their Iraq policy:


30 October 2006 - 50th anniversary of the Hungarian revolution

When workers in their millions rose against stalinism:


19 October 2006 - Kazakhstan

Socialists jailed and fined. Send urgent protests and solidarity:

19 October 2006 - Chile

Stop the reprisals against the student leaders :


7 October 2006 - Murdoch's "Democracy in Scotland"

A Free press ? only for the wealthy:


6 October 2006 - Cuba - What will happen after Castro ?

Will Cuba inevitably go the way of the Soviet Union ?:


3 October 2006 - Murdoch Empire continues attacks on Sheridan

News Of The World - in-house journal of the SSP leadership:


3 October 2006 - Public Sector General Strike Shakes Hamas Government

An Israeli socialist reports:


4 September 2006 - Solidarity - Scotland's Socialist Movement - great start, what next ?

What type of party, what type of programme ?:


4 September 2006 - Solidarity - Scotland's Socialist Movement launch rally

A report of the launch rally of Scotland's newest political party:


4 September 2006 - Israeli capitalism suffers defeat in Lebanese War

The limits of Israeli power exposed. Only workers unity can show a way out of war and poverty:


3 September 2006 - Build the new socialist alternative

Editorial from our newspaper on the launch of Solidarity - Scotland's Socialist Movement:


2 September 2006 - Join Scotland's New Socialist Movement

Front Page Article from the latest issue of our newspaper International Socialist:


2 September 2006 - Terror Plots and Spin

Labour's Home Secretary John Reid announced a dramtic terror plot recently:


21 August 2006 - Build a new party for socialism in Scotland

Working Class people need a political voice:


20 August 2006 - Lebanon - A War Torn Country Once Again

an eye witness report from a socialist in Lebanon:


20 August 2006 - CWI Summer School 2006

Build an international socialist alternative to war and the chaos of capitalism:


8 August 2006 - Tommy Sheridan wins libel case

article on the outcome of Tommy Sheridan's libel battle with the Murdoch empire:


19 July 2006 - Israeli attacks on Lebanon intensify

As the potential for a regional war increases in the middle east, can there ever be peace in the region ?:


18 July 2006 - Tommy Sheridan's Libel Battle

Article on the current court battle:


14 July 2006 - Israel continues the bombardment of Lebanon

Crisis and conflict deepens in the Middle East:


Scottish Socialist Party in crisis

Editorial from the lastest issue of International Socialist-newspaper of the International Socialists (CWI Scotland):


The US Empire in Crisis

Has the world's only superpower overstretched itself ?:


World Cup 2006

A Portugese Socialist comments on the World Cup:


Scottish Socialist Party in crisis

Can the SSP recover ?:


May Day 2006

May Day Greetings to workers and youth across the world:


The life and legacy of James Connolly

2006 is the 90th anniversary of the Easter Uprising in Ireland. This article looks at James Connolly and what he really stood for:


Nepal

Revolution in Nepal ?:


Women and Socialism

What progress has been made for working class women ?:


Iran-Next target of Bush ?

Will Iran be the next target in the perpetual war for peace ?:


Mass Protests in France

Report from a French Socialist on recent massive protests against attacks on the rights of young workers:


Marxism and the Scottish Socialist Party

article from the International Socialists (CWI) that looks at the situation within the SSP and the lessons of the disintegration of the ISM (see statement below):


ISM dissolves 25/03/06

ISM Statement to dissolve their organisation within the SSP:


Palestine - Election Analysis

Hamas victory a blow to imperialism & capitalism in the Middle East:

Election Victory for Evo Morales in Bolivia

Another blow to US Imperialism but what does Morales victory mean for Latin America?:

Lessons of the New York City Transit Strike

an article from socialists in the United States:

Workers Struggles in Iran

Solidarity with striking bus workers in Tehran:

Which way now for the Scottish Socialist Party?

The International Socialists contribution to the discussion on the way forward for the SSP:

International Socialist Conference

Report from recent international meeting of the CWI:

Political Perspectives Document

International Socialists (CWI Scotland) perspectives as agreed at Conference in Winter 2005:

A report from the inspiring "Socialism 2005 " weekend

Socialism in the 21st Century:

The G8 summit at Gleneagles

What did it achieve ?:

Make Capitalism History

Make Capitalism History - Make socialism the future !:

The Debt Burden

Can the G8 solve the debt problem ?:

Profit from rainfall

Big Business wants to privatise the rain:

Climate Change

Time Running Out To Save The Planet:

Pakistan Victory

Pakistani Telecom workers historic victory against privatisation:

Pakistan Telecom Struggle

Pakistani Telecom workers continue their struggle against privatisation:

Non to EU Constitution

French Workers say "non" to bosses Europe:

Pakistan

Urgent protests needed against arrest of Pakistani Trade Unionists:

SSP and the General Election

the CWI contribution to the discussion on the SSP and the recent General Election:

EU constitution votes

a socialist view of the referendums to be held in the Netherlands and France:

Saudi Arabia

analysis of recent elections in Saudi Arabia :

World War 2 and its lessons for today

60 years ago saw the end of WW2, what were the real origins? :