Fantastic support for the Junior Doctors

The Junior Doctors were out again this week as the government refused to back down over the new contract which, as well as being unfair to doctors would have a terrible impact on patient safety and pave the way for further break up and privatisation of the NHS.

As the government floundered, flopping around over an ever-expanding list of embarrassments, catastrophes and failures including expenses, tax avoidance, Europe, and u-turns on key welfare and education policies, it desperately tried to portray the dedicated staff of the NHS as selfish and grasping - but the public aren't fooled.

The pickets outside the Royal Hospital were well-supported not only by fellow trades unionists from other unions such as the NUT (itself about to ballot for industrial action over a similar privatisation agenda) but from the public visiting the hospital and driving past honking their horns in support. Many of the doctors were positive about building solidarity with other unions in turn. There is great potential for a united fightback against the government's attacks on working people!



The Junior Doctors are right to strike. All socialists must continue and step up support as the doctors step up their strike action next month.

Update #88

Hello everyone,
Welcome to this week's update from Derby Socialist Workers Party.

In this week's update:

• Next branch meeting - Religion: oppression and expression. What do Marxists say about faith?
• Junior Doctors on strike this week - show solidarity!
• People's Assembly National Demonstration April 16th - get the coach and join in! 
• Anti-Semitism and the Far Right
• Marxism 2016 - have you got your tickets yet?

Branch Meetings

The SWP is a party of activists who know that we need to understand the world to be effective in our actions. Our meetings have a discussion about key issues: economic, political, historical and cultural; as well as planning for events and activities.

This week we will examine religion from a Marxist perspective at our branch meeting entitled Religion: oppression and expression. What do Marxists say about faith? Join us for a lively discussion on Thursday 7th April, 7 pm at the West End Community Centre on Mackworth Road (next to Britannia Mill).

All welcome. See you there!

Junior Doctors on Strike - Show Your Solidarity!

The Tories are still trying to press ahead with their plans to privatise the NHS, and part of this is the attempt to impose a new contract which will result in doctors working unsafe and unfair hours. Our doctors are determined to fight for our NHS and for fair working conditions - show your support on the picket lines this week!

There will be picket lines from 8 am outside the Derby Royal Hospital on Wednesday and Thursday this week (6th and 7th April). Join the doctors and show your support - their fight is our fight!



People's Assembly Against Austerity - National Demonstration 16th April

In the wake of Osborne's budget and with the Junior Doctors fights now looking set to be joined by teachers, the Tories tearing themselves apart, now is the time to ramp up the pressure and bring them down! Join the national demonstration organised by the People's Assembly on 16th April.

There is transport going down - book your ticket here!

Anti-Semitism and the Far Right Today

One of our recent meetings was on the subject of anti-semitism and the far right today. The comrade who gave this talk has kindly given us the text of his talk - read it on the blog here!

Marxism Festival 2016

The first peek at this year's Marxism Festival is out now.

Marxism festival is the biggest event of its kind in Europe - thousands of people attending a five day festival of ideas, with meetings on a vast range of subjects and loads of activities.

It is a fantastic event and anyone who wants to change the world should get down to it!

For more details see the official website here: http://www.marxismfestival.org.uk/

If you want to go but are worried that you will not be able to afford it please get in touch. 

We will do everything we can to help you to attend this fantastic event. email derbyswp@gmail.com or find us on Facebook, Derby SWP or on Twitter @derbywsp



Can't make our meetings?
If you want to find out more about us, meet some of our comrades, sign up to any of our petitions, find out about campaigns we are involved in, buy our paper or get hold of some of our other literature, why not come along to the campaign stall on Saturdays?

Find us on St Peter's St from 12 pm!

Update #84

Hello everyone,
Welcome to this week's update from Derby Socialist Workers Party.

In this week's update:

• This week's branch meeting - why is Big Pharma bad for your health?
• Save the NHS: support the Junior Doctors
• Support Derby Stand Up To Racism
• Marxism Festival 2016 - first peek
• Heart Unions Week

Branch Meetings

The SWP is a party of activists who know that we need to understand the world to be effective in our actions. Our meetings have a discussion about key issues: economic, political, historical and cultural; as well as planning for events and activities.

We hope that we will be able to post the text of last week's talk about anti-Semitism today. It led to a wide-ranging discussion looking at all aspects of the way in which racism is constructed by capitalist societies and the dominant forms of racism today.

This week our meeting will address why Big Pharma is bad for your health. How does the healthcare industry let us down under capitalism? Why doesn't it act in our best interests? Thursday 11th February, 7 pm at the West End Community Centre on Mackworth Road (next to Britannia Mill).

Join us for a lively discussion and debate, as well as planning for activities in the city for the week ahead!

All welcome. See you there!

Solidarity with Junior Doctors
The Junior Doctors are taking their dispute forward again this week, in the face of disgusting behaviour from the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, who has gone on a propaganda offensive that tries to smear health workers desperate to save the NHS whilst at the same time ordering the firing of thousands of NHS workers.

Junior Doctors are engaging in a 24 hour stoppage on Tuesday. There will be pickets outside hospitals from 7.30 am. Drop by and show your support!

The Doctors have the support of the public, the Tories don't. Together we can win, and in doing so we can strike a real blow against the Tory plans to destroy the NHS and our other public services.


Stand Up To Racism rally

Derby's Stand Up To Racism group met for a planning meeting last week and are organising a rally for the 3rd March. If you would like more details or to get involved in the group email derbysutr@gmail.com

Several comrades attended the packed UAF conference on Saturday 6th Feb - we hope to bring you a brief report on this too.



Marxism Festival 2016

The first peek at this year's Marxism Festival is out now.

Marxism festival is the biggest event of its kind in Europe - thousands of people attending a five day festival of ideas, with meetings on a vast range of subjects and loads of activities.

It is a fantastic event and anyone who wants to change the world should get down to it!

There's £5 off ticket prices if you book before the end of March. For more details see the official website here: http://www.marxismfestival.org.uk/


Heart Unions Week
The TUC has organised a week of campaigning against the Trades Union Bill. The Derby Trades Council is leafleting at the Ram in the city centre on Friday 12th February from 12 pm until 2 pm. Show your support for the trades unions that defend our class.

Can't make our meetings?
If you want to find out more about us, meet some of our comrades, sign up to any of our petitions, find out about campaigns we are involved in, buy our paper or get hold of some of our other literature, why not come along to the campaign stall on Saturdays?

Find us on St Peter's St from 12 pm!

Change of day for Junior Doctors Meeting

Just a brief update - the Junior Doctors meeting has been changed to Friday, the time and venue remain the same - 7 pm at the Council House in Derby.

Update #76

Hello everyone,
Welcome to this week's update from Derby Socialist Workers Party. What's going on? Find out below!

Branch Meetings

The SWP is a party of activists who know that we need to understand the world to be effective in our actions. Our meetings have a discussion about key issues: economic, political, historical and cultural; as well as planning for events and activities.

In the wake of the killings in Paris and the attempts of the right both within and without the ruling class to stir up anti-Islamic sentiment and justify a further drive to the wars that created ISIS in the first place, we have decided to change our next branch meeting to:
After Paris killings: no to racism and war.

What should our response to these events be? How can we prevent a drive towards racism and war from the right and the ruling class? Join the discussion and help plan our course of action!

Thursday November 26th, 7 pm, West End Community Centre.

All welcome. See you there!

Junior doctors petitioning in Derby

On Saturday some of Derby's junior doctors held an outstanding petition in the city centre, collecting signatures from the public to support their imminent strike action. Some comrades were there - see our report on the blog here.

The People's March for Climate, Justice and Jobs

It is becoming ever more clear that the ruling classes of the world, left to their own devices, will simply work in the short-term interests of their class - and that means untold destruction for the climate and the lives of millions, if not billions of people. There is another way: join the campaign for climate, justice and jobs. There is at least one coach going to London on the demonstration on the 29th November.

This has become even more vital as the French authorities have used the horror of the murders as a fig leaf to ban the demonstration planned for the 12th December.

Join us in London on the 29th!

Can't make our meetings?
If you want to find out more about us, meet some of our comrades, sign up to any of our petitions, find out about campaigns we are involved in, buy our paper or get hold of some of our other literature, why not come along to the campaign stall on Saturdays?

Find us on St Peter's St from 12 pm!

Solidarity With Junior Doctors

Yesterday junior doctors in Derby petitioned the public to support them in their dispute with the Department of Health. Campaigners from 38 Degrees and the NUT joined them, as did comrades from the SWP. It was a very popular petition! At some points there were queues to sign or take selfies. There was a media presence too so it got a good amount of publicity.

On our campaign stall we also collected signatures to support them and presented them to the doctors to add to their collection. Comrades' support was warmly received by doctors present and it was generally a really positive event that showed what unity can achieve.

The strike ballot was really impressive. It would have allowed national action even under the Tories' new laws that attempt to repress trades unionists and suppress our efforts to take action to defend ourselves. At last week's Unite the Resistance conference, junior doctor and BMA activist Yannis Gourtsoyannis spoke to explain the reasons for the action and the urgent need for solidarity:



The campaign was very popular with the public and at times there were queues to sign and take support selfies for Twitter. Unless the DoH backs down, the junior doctors' plan of strike action is as follows:

• Emergency care only – 8am, Tuesday 1 to 8am Wednesday 2 December 2015
• Full withdrawal of junior doctors' labour – 8am to 5pm, Tuesday 8 December 2015
• Full withdrawal of junior doctors' labour – 8am to 5pm, Wednesday 16 December 2015

It is important for comrades to show solidarity on picket lines if at all possible - details will be posted on the blog as soon as they are known.

This fight is only the latest provoked by the Tories as they seek to dismantle our public services in order to open them up to be run for profit - it is not enough for them that working people are paying for the crisis they and their class caused by having our wages held down, epidemics of underemployment and the cutting of the services which we rely on, they want themselves and their cronies to be able to profit from whatever services we are able to use. This is a fight that needs our full support - it will be a real victory for working people across the country and expose the weakness of this nasty party that managed to get the support of less than a quarter of the population in the election this year.