Greek hospital now under workers' control!

Health workers in Kilkis, Greece, have occupied their local hospital and have issued a statement saying it is now fully under workers control.

It is in times of drastic crises, when capitalist social relations of production come under stress most, that workers regularly demonstrate their ability to run factories, hospitals, schools, etc. by themselves. Is this occupied hospital a sign of things to come in Greece similar to the events in Argentina in 2001, when many factories were taken over by workers?

Prof. Andreas Bieler
Professor of Political Economy
University of Nottingham/UK
Andreas.Bieler@nottingham.ac.uk

Personal website: http://www.andreasbieler.net
24 February 2012

Austerity Policies in Europe: There Is No Alternative?

Why are neo-liberal economists still in charge to solve the global financial crisis, although it has been their policies, which caused the crisis in the first place? In a new article, Asbjørn Wahl (2012) emphasizes the importance of the power structure in society. Real resistance against further neo-liberal restructuring will only be possible, if left forces manage to change the balance of power in their favour.

The imposition of austerity and the move to authoritarian government – Part II

The pressure on Greece to cut back its budget in order to receive another bailout package continues. The country is asked to implement 325m euros of further spending cuts before payment is made. But Greek people can take no more. With unemployment figures above 20 per cent and shortages in all areas of the public sector, people reach breaking point. Unsurprisingly, in order to enforce the draconian cuts there has been a shift from democratic government to authoritarian rule. Initially, this was done through establishing a technocratic, unelected government in November 2011. Now, the EU demands direct oversight over Greek budget spending in order to ensure that promised cuts are actually implemented (BBC News, 16 February 2012).

When analysing the dynamics of capitalist outward expansion in the early 20th century, Rosa Luxemburg had already identified this gradual shift to ever more direct intervention into a country’s economic affairs to secure the transfer of profits.

Going it alone? The University and College Union and its struggle for pension justice.

On 31 January 2012, the pre-1992 Higher Education section of the University and College Union (UCU) held a special conference in London to decide on the way forward in the dispute over the imposition of changes to the USS pension scheme. After heated discussions a majority of roughly 60 to 40 votes decided in favour of the recommendation by the national leadership to suspend industrial action in exchange for the right to an unreduced pension on redundancy for colleagues of 55 years or older to be extended until October 2014 and a joint review with the employers of the new scheme imposed last October. What are the chances of a successful conclusion to the pensions campaign on the basis of this strategy?

New Labour's moral capitalism!

In a speech on 19 January 2012, the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband demanded a moral capitalism with a special emphasis on the protection of consumers. What he overlooks, however, is that the real causes of inequality and exploitation are rooted in the social relations of production. Interventions at the level of consumption will not rectify this.

The Rise and Fall of the Welfare State - new book by Asbjørn Wahl!

In the highly important book The Rise and Fall of the Welfare State (Pluto Press, 2011) Asbjørn Wahl reveals the underlying structural dynamics of the welfare state. It was the structural power of trade unions, gained through intensive social struggles, which had forced employers into the class compromise of the welfare state, not consensus politics and tripartite co-operation. Hence, today too when defending the welfare state against the neo-liberal onslaught, the emphasis has to be on labour’s power in society.

Samir Amin at Nottingham University: video interview!

Samir Amin, the internationally renown political economist and one of the leading thinkers of the past half century, spent time at Nottingham University/UK from 29 November to 3 December 2011. This included the presentation of the Annual Lecture of the Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice on 1 December 2011 as well as participation in the workshop on ,'Free Trade, Trade Unions and the Problem of Transnational Solidarity’, 2 and 3 December 2011.

In an exclusive, wide-ranging video interview Samir Amin speaks to Ceasefire’s Sara Motta about the Arab uprisings, the ‘liberal virus’ and the autumn of capitalism.

Prof. Andreas Bieler
Professor of Political Economy
University of Nottingham/UK
Andreas.Bieler@nottingham.ac.uk

Personal website: http://www.andreasbieler.net
10 January 2012