SOLOMON HUGHES recommends Sunjeev Sahota’s recent novel set in a trade union election campaign for its fresh approach to what unites and divides workers, but wishes the union backdrop was truer to life
THIS week PCS members at the Driving Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea took strike action for four days in response to management’s refusal to take their health and safety concerns seriously.
During the first Covid-19 lockdown, management adopted a cautious approach, ensuring attendance at the huge site that employs thousands of workers was kept to a minimum.
But by mid-2020, management — no doubt under departmental pressure from Transport Minister Grant Shapps — had bought into the Tory government’s mantra that everything would soon be back to normal and a rapid escalation of returning staff to the workplace began.
In the current climate, it is vital to bust the myths and put forward the case for a humane and decent social security system that supports people, argues FRAN HEATHCOTE
Since 2023, Strike Map has evolved from digital mapping at a national level to organising ‘mega pickets’ — we believe that mass solidarity with localised disputes prepares the ground for future national action, writes HENRY FOWLER



