How Worker Power Built the Nordic Way of Life
Commentators often point to the Nordic standard of living as an example to follow, but few explore what lies behind this model – a strong workers’ movement and a more democratic economy.
4297 Articles by:
Raven Hart
Raven Hart is co-founder of the Bristol Cooperative Alliance, an organisation that aims to promote a decentralised economy that empowers local communities and facilitates democratic self-determination.
‘Italy’s Leonard Cohen’: The Radical Folk Music of Fabrizio de André
Genoese songwriter Fabrizio De André made his mark singing folk songs about Italy’s working class and oppressed – today, with Europe’s Right resurgent, his music remains as relevant as ever.
‘Platform Football’ Is Not the Answer
Spotify owner Daniel Ek’s plan to buy Arsenal and replace the hated Stan Kroenke has been welcomed by many fans – but the way his company has hollowed out the music industry should be a warning to football.
37. Free Palestine: An Interview with Akram Salhab
On this week’s show, Grace speaks to Palestinian activist Akram Salhab about the background to Israel’s latest violence, its ongoing policy of dispossession and the growing Palestinian resistance to occupation.
Bradford’s Cathedrals to Capital
From the Victorian Gothic Wool Exchange to the new ‘fantastic developments’ of the City Exchange, Bradford’s buildings have long been at the heart of British capitalism – and the resistance to it.
How Artificial Intelligence Depends on Low-Paid Workers
The hype around artificial intelligence and its potential to liberate us from work often misses a crucial fact – that AI in its current form depends on low-paid human workers to function in the first place.
There’s Only One Answer to Low Wages: Trade Unions
Despite rising job vacancies, employers are refusing to increase wages after more than a decade of stagnation – the only alternative to permanent low wages is for workers to unionise.
France’s Rightward Drift
Next year’s French presidential election looks set to be dominated by Macron and Le Pen, with the Left struggling in the polls – but recent moves towards unity suggest a more progressive path forward might be possible.
The Long Shadow of Ballymurphy
Last week’s Ballymurphy verdict vindicated the victims of an atrocity, but the Tory government’s determination to grant impunity for state killings means that justice in Northern Ireland is further away than ever.
Public Toilets Are a Workers’ Right
Every day, thousands of delivery drivers work without reliable access to toilets and face a fine or the sack if they’re caught pissing in the wrong place – it’s time every worker had access to a public bathroom.
Apple Won’t Save the World
Apple is just the latest Big Tech company to receive praise for its environmental policies – but despite the media narrative, no amount of greenwashing can repair the damage corporations are doing to the planet.
Why Fighting Inequality Is the Key to Fighting Vaccine Hesitancy
The anti-vax sentiment which has accompanied the Covid vaccine rollout can’t be challenged by science alone – we also need to reckon with the massive inequality that fuels suspicion of power in the first place.
When the Communards Tore Down the Vendôme
150 years ago today, the Communards of Paris tore down the Vendôme Column. The act symbolised their commitment to break with imperial injustices – and reclaim public space for the masses.
How Solidarity Rebuilt Vietnam
During the Vietnam War the city of Vinh was almost destroyed by US bombing. It was rebuilt with the help of socialists around the world – and today its architecture stands as a monument to that solidarity.
When All Else Fails, Blame the Youth
Young people are facing the worst of the pandemic’s long-term fallout – but rather than offer them help, the government has spent the last year using them as a scapegoat for its own repeated failures.
The Fight for the Future of Social Care
This week, the government once again promised reforms to the social care sector – but it’s clear that the Tories will never deliver the service we need: publicly-owned, universal and with dignity for all its workers.
How Glasgow Beat the Home Office
This week’s standoff between Glasgow’s Southside and the Home Office was an inspiring victory, but it wasn’t spontaneous – it was the product of many years of organising against evictions and deportations.
On Nakba Day, Palestine Is Rising Against Decades of Oppression
Today is Nakba Day, when Palestinians mourn expulsion from their homeland in 1948. This year, Israel’s violence has ignited the largest Palestinian uprising in years – and it needs meaningful international solidarity.
How Grassroots Activists Are Rebuilding Solidarity in Southampton
As poverty rises in the wake of Covid, the Southampton Social Aid Group is organising in communities, not to offer charity but to build solidarity – renewing the bonds decayed by decades of neoliberalism.
The Privatisation of Manchester
As Manchester becomes increasingly gentrified and local communities are priced out, a new report on the city’s land use has found a pattern of privatisation and sell-offs – aided and abetted by its Labour council.