(2022-02-12). 'Freedom Convoy': A Dangerous Movement for the Working Class, but Useful for the Ruling Class. orinocotribune.com By Communist Party of Canada — Feb 4, 2022 | The Communist Party of Canada views the "Freedom Convoy" as a public expression of the increasingly organized and assertive far right. The clear links between the organizers of the convoy and far-right networks indicate that this is not a spontaneous working-class demonstration. On the contrary, it is part of a global phenomenon: the rise and mainstreaming of the far right, which is demonstrated by the strong support (ideologically and financially) from the US far right and circles close to Donald Trump and the Jan. 6thinsurrection. The convoy is filled with Nazi…
(2022-02-12). Sri Lankan nurses defy court ban and remain on indefinite strike with other health workers. wsws.org The court ban on industrial action by health workers indicates that the Rajapakse government is moving into direct confrontation with the entire working class.
(2022-02-12). Unite tries to corral opposition to Labour's strike breaking against Coventry bin workers. wsws.org Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham has threatened to consider withdrawing the union's funding to the Labour Party. This is a belated and insincere attempt to placate the 70 refuse drivers faced with a scabbing operation and to head off a broader rebellion by the working class against the Labour Party and its allies in the trade union bureaucracy.
(2022-02-12). Unite secures sell-out pay deal to end strikes at First Bus Manchester. wsws.org Speaking to the WSWS as they voted, workers said the pay increase was around 6 percent according to their calculations. This is a real-terms pay cut—with Unite citing the Retail Price Index measure of inflation which stands at 7.5 percent and rising.
(2022-02-12). °La solución a la desigualdad global es el socialismo! workers.org 
En todo el mundo, miles de millones de personas están sufriendo pérdidas increíbles como consecuencia de la incapacidad y la negativa del capitalismo a abordar seriamente la pandemia del COVID-19. Millones han perdido la vida o a sus seres queridos. Las familias se han quedado sin casa. Los trabajadores se . . . |
(2022-02-12). UAW, Detroit Democrats facilitate brutal exploitation of temp workers as pandemic decimates Stellantis workforce. wsws.org Detroit, once the center of the automotive industry, has become a focal point of predatory hiring by automakers, abetted by the UAW and Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan.
(2022-02-12). Unions push through sellout agreement to call off strike of Portland, Oregon municipal workers. wsws.org After 1,100 city workers rejected a nearly identical offer in January and were prepared to strike on February 10, the District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) managed to achieve a narrow "yes" vote among the membership on Wednesday.
(2022-02-12). [World Report] Escalating threats to health workers in Myanmar. thelancet.com Health workers are still under threat in Myanmar, 1 year on from a military seizure of power. Megan Tatum reports.
(2022-02-12). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and New Zealand. wsws.org India: Andhra Pradesh government-sector workers strike; Tamil Nadu railway workers oppose extended hours; Thailand: Truck drivers protest high fuel costs; New South Wales Nurses vote to walk out; INPEX LNG workers to strike in Northern Territory…
(2022-02-12). Mars-Wrigley announces closure of its West Side Chicago factory. wsws.org Mars-Wrigley announced the planned closure of its historic Westside Chicago factory with 280 workers to lose their jobs.
(2022-02-12). Celebrate International Women's Day, Resist Attacks on Reproductive Freedom. fightbacknews.org Across the world, March 8th honors the contributions of women to the people's struggle. This year, Freedom Road Socialist Organization will hold events to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD). | | IWD was founded to honor the sacrifices of heroes named and unnamed. Some capitalists have tried to sanitize and co-opt International Women's Day. The origins of this day are clearly anti-capitalist. Our celebrations will carry forward that spirit. | | Long History, Global Reach | | International Women's Day originates in the struggle of working women in New York City. In 1908 there was a determined battle…
(2022-02-12). A Memorial for Dr. Luc Montagnier and the Coming Revolutions in Optical Biophysics. dissidentvoice.org 
On February 8, 2022, Nobel Prize winning virologist Dr Luc Montagnier passed away. Since the earliest moments of COVID-19's appearance, Montagnier was slandered and ridiculed for his challenges to the underlying assumptions of the disease's causes and remedies despite the constant slings and arrows of the deep state which sought to shut the door on …
(2022-02-12). Solidarity is the road to liberation. peoplesdispatch.org This is a lightly edited version of a speech given to an international meeting held on 1 February under the banner: Free Mumia Abu-Jamal and All Anti-Imperialist Freedom Fighters! Speakers included Abu-Jamal (via a recorded statement), Angela Davis and a number of trade unionists. | Around the world, imperialism — with its dehumanization and brute violence — has allowed for a small minority to permanently accumulate wealth at the expense of the masses of our people. In recent years, women and men have been killed — from Afghanistan and Iraq to South Africa and the prison archipelago of the US.
(2022-02-12). Minneapolis, St Paul teachers will march for schools students deserve. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Teachers and education assistants in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul will hold a joint march on February 12 to call for the safe and stable schools that their students deserve. The Minneapolis educators are members of the Minneapolis Teachers Union, and the Saint Paul educators are members of Saint Paul Federation of Educators. Both groups have been in bargaining over their next contract. | The march will start at the Wabun Picnic Area at Minnehaha Falls Park at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 12, and they are calling for educators as well as parents and community supporters to come out to show t…
(2022-02-12). [Comment] Offline: Complacency threatens progress against COVID-19. thelancet.com Hans Kluge, WHO's Regional Director for Europe, has been reported as saying that European nations could soon be entering a "long period of tranquillity" as the pandemic abates. Pointing out that mortality from COVID-19 seemed to be plateauing, he suggested the continent was approaching a "plausible endgame" and an "enduring peace". As WHO's chief spokesperson for the 53 countries that make up his regional responsibility, Kluge was no doubt seeking to strike an optimistic and encouraging note. But it is disappointing that he took such a narrow geographical perspective about a global pandemic.
(2022-02-12). Australian defence minister accuses Labor Party of "appeasing" China. wsws.org The attempt to whip up a wartime atmosphere flows from the government's deep crisis and Australia's frontline role in the US-led preparations for conflict with China.
(2022-02-12). [Comment] Another piece in the COVID-19 treatment puzzle. thelancet.com A new study1 from the RECOVERY Collaborative Group adds another piece to the puzzle of severe COVID-19 therapy. The RECOVERY trials have been pivotal in providing evidence on the efficacy of compounds within current treatment guidelines for COVID-19, such as dexamethasone, tocilizumab, and the casirivimab and imdevimab combination.1—3 In previous randomised trials, these monoclonal antibodies4 were effective in preventing infection and clinical progression when given in the early phase of infection.
(2022-02-12). [Articles] Casirivimab and imdevimab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial. thelancet.com In patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, the monoclonal antibody combination of casirivimab and imdevimab reduced 28-day mortality in patients who were seronegative (and therefore had not mounted their own humoral immune response) at baseline but not in those who were seropositive at baseline.
(2022-02-12). New Zealand joins diplomatic offensive against Russia amid escalating war build-up. wsws.org The Labour-led government, the foreign policy establishment and a layer of pseudo-lefts have lined up with the escalating imperialist operation against Russia.
(2022-02-12). [Perspectives] Deirdre Cooper Owens: bringing context to systemic medical racism. thelancet.com In the 1790s, Franàßois Marie Prevost, a young French surgeon fresh from his medical training in Paris moved to Port-de-Paix, Haiti. "Of course at that time Haiti was France's most economically valuable colony", says historian Deirdre Cooper Owens. "So there he began some experimental work on enslaved Haitian women, trying to perfect the caesarean section." Prevost's sojourn coincided with the leadership of Toussaint Louverture, who had been born a slave, the fight for Haitian independence, and the abolition of slavery.
(2022-02-11). "The working class has the most power it's ever had": US oil refinery workers speak out on contract battle. wsws.org In letters to the WSWS, oil refinery and petrochemical workers expressed their determination to fight the highly profitable energy companies and denounced the United Steelworkers for keeping them on the job and imposing an information blackout.
(2022-02-11). Working class in the UK gears up to protest the cost of living crisis. peoplesdispatch.org The rise in energy prices, cuts in wages and pensions, along with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has made the working class households across the UK reel under a devastating cost of living crisis.
(2022-02-11). New Survey: One In Four Temp Workers Reports Wage Theft. popularresistance.org A stunning 24% of workers in the temp industry say they have had their wages stolen from them by their employers, according to a survey, released Feb. 3, that examines cycles of poverty and precarity for the industry's disproportionately Black and Brown workers. | The findings are based on surveys carried out by seven worker advocacy groups, including the National Employment Law Project (NELP) and Temp Worker Justice, across the country. In the study, 1,337 temp workers in 47 states answered questions about pay, safety, job mobility, workplace discrimination and employer retaliation. | Temporary staff, or temp wo…
(2022-02-11). Starbucks unionizing drive accelerating; So is retaliation. peoplesworld.org 
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The nationwide campaign by Workers United, a Service Employees sector, is accelerating. And, at least in Memphis, Tenn., so is company retaliation. Tweets from the union around the country put the number of stores where drives are going at 72 and counting, including four more which began on February 9. That includes …
(2022-02-11). "Fighting for a union is the answer": Philadelphia Starbucks workers join organizing wave. liberationnews.org 
The rising tide of union organizing sweeping the country is being felt in Philadelphia, where the workers of four Starbucks locations are organizing themselves to have a voice in the workplace.
(2022-02-11). Union election rematch: Bessemer workers continue to fight Amazon's anti-labor campaign. liberationnews.org 
Voting is now underway at Amazon's fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama after the NLRB ordered a second union election on the grounds that the company grossly violated workers' rights in the first vote…
(2022-02-11). Germany: Omicron sweeping through workplaces. wsws.org A wave of the coronavirus Omicron variant is sweeping through workplaces and factories in Germany. Workers are paying a heavy price. The death toll from the virus in Germany is nearing 120,000.
(2022-02-11). As inflation surges, unions impose cuts in real wages. wsws.org US inflation rose at a 7.5 percent annual rate in January as unions worked in tandem with employers and the Biden administration to reduce the real wages of workers.
(2022-02-11). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org French healthcare workers continue stoppages against low pay, workload and staff shortages; Greek dockers strike in port of Piraeus over collective agreement, face riot police; striking South African Clover food workers' indefinite strike continues into week 12 despite violent attacks on pickets, hospitalising three…
(2022-02-11). Widespread opposition from workers to USW sellout at Newport News naval shipyard. wsws.org Shipyard workers are demanding strike action and denouncing the United Steelworkers union for accepting a contract with raises way below the rate of inflation and sharp increases in out-of-pocket medical expenses.
(2022-02-11). Hospital merger creates Michigan's largest chain and biggest employer. wsws.org The creation of a $12 billion company will be followed by intensified attacks on the jobs and working conditions of health care workers.
(2022-02-11). US oil refinery workers speak out on contract battle. wsws.org In letters to the WSWS, oil refinery and petrochemical workers expressed their determination to fight the highly profitable energy companies and denounced the United Steelworkers for keeping them on the job and imposing an information blackout.
(2022-02-11). Tallahassee: Starbucks workers move forward with union drive. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL – On February 9, Starbucks workers and local organizations rallied to announce an effort to unionize at the Starbucks here on Magnolia Drive. | "There's a disconnect between management and local stores, it really just comes down to the fact that workers should have more voice in the companies they work for. We hope that our effort to unionize will inspire others," said Calum Johnson, a barista and leading organizer of another Tallahassee Starbucks unionizing at John Knox Road. "We're just trying to do what's best for our store, and if any other stores in our district try to unionize, like Magnolia…
(2022-02-11). Cuba Battles COVID, Defying 60-Year U.S. Blockade. libya360.wordpress.com Struggle — La Lucha Presentation by Sharon Black, writer for Struggle-La Lucha and national spokesperson of the Socialist Unity Party, at the Europe for Cuba online forum Feb. 9, 2022. End the U.S. blockade of Cuba It has been 60 years this month since U.S. President John Kennedy first proclaimed Executive Order 3447, prohibiting "the importation into…
(2022-02-11). Australia to treat COVID like the flu amid mass school infections, record deaths. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site has learned that this week, at least 6,888 students and 600 staff in Victorian schools have tested positive for COVID-19. Last week, 4,514 students and 800 staff tested positive.
(2022-02-11). Wednesday 2/16: Forced Motherhood Is Female Enslavement— We REFUSE to Let the Supreme Court Decimate Abort. indybay.org Revolution Books, 2444 Durant Ave. Berkeley CA 94704…
(2022-02-11). Iran pursues balanced, neighbor-focused foreign policy. en.mehrnews.com Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi said Iran still abides by the Islamic Revolution ideals, adding that his administration is still following "Neither West Nor East" foreign policy as designed by the revolution.
(2022-02-11). Cuban Music Duo Buena Fe Postpones Concert in Canada in Defense of Cuban Vaccines. libya360.wordpress.com With the government of Canada üá®üᶠrefusing to recognize Cuba's vaccines, Cuban music duo Buena Fe was asked to be vaccinated with shots recognized by Canada in order to play their concerts. Here was their response. Revolutionary Medicine: Cuba's Vaccine Journey Why are Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela Managing So Well in the Fight Against Covid-19?…
(2022-02-11). Second Declaration of Havana, 60th Anniversary. orinocotribune.com 
By Charles McKelvey — Feb 8, 2022 | Fidel speaks of the crisis of imperialism and the interest of humanity in socialism | It has been said of Fidel that he gave pedagogical discourses. This was illustrated on February 4, 1962, when Fidel offered a history lesson in a speech that came to be known as the Second Declaration of Havana, delivered to more than one million people in the Plaza of the Revolution, an event that was commemorated this past week in Cuba. In the historic discourse, Fidel presented an overview of world history that is a synthesis of Marxism-Leninism, written from the perspective of the rev…
(2022-02-11). New York rallies for Amir Locke and Isaiah Williams. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – Over 80 people rallied in Union Square in New York City on February 8 in honor of Amir Locke and Isaiah Williams, two young Black men murdered by police. Locke was murdered by Minneapolis PD under a no-knock warrant, and Williams by Metro Police near Las Vegas while police executed a warrant for a murder he did not commit. | Speeches addressed the injustice of cops murdering Black people and it being rooted in racist inequality. They emphasized how no-knock warrants are disproportionately used as an excuse to murder Black people. The rally was followed by a march.
(2022-02-11). Russian anti-doping chiefs probing Valieva's team. rt.com 
The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has announced that figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva's entourage will be probed as part of the Winter Olympics star's doping case. | The 15-year-old is a 'protected person' under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules about minors, meaning her team must be automatically investigated as part of a requirement for countries to "vigorously pursue" doping violations. | The favorite for the women's single skate competition is awaiting the conclusion of a hearing involving the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Skating Union (ISU) and Russian Olympic Comm…
(2022-02-11). Organize our way out of this crisis! cpusa.org 
Never in my entire life have I seen and heard so many good solid people, unionists, progressives of various stripes, activists, and fighters verbalizing feelings of extreme frustration, inadequacy, and complete powerlessness. Between COVID, complete legislative gridlock, a Supreme Court packed with conservatives, and Trump's continuing influence over large sections of white people influenced …
(2022-02-11). Australia's Macquarie University deepens job cuts, aided by the union. wsws.org Since the pandemic began, up to 90,000 jobs have been destroyed at Australian universities, while the unions have blocked calls for strikes and opposed any unified national action.
(2022-02-11). Progressives oppose opening of more migrant detention centers in Greek islands. peoplesdispatch.org The right-wing New Democracy-led Greek government is gearing up to set up new refugee camps in its Aegean islands under the directives of the European Union…
(2022-02-11). US Household Debt Increased By $1T In 2021, The Most Since Before Financial Crisis In 2007. moguldom.com U.S. household debt is on the rise and it hit a peak in 2021 when Americans collectively took on $1 trillion-plus in debt — the highest since 2007 before the financial crisis. The total amount of household debt held by consumers jumped from $14.6 trillion to $15.6 trillion, according to a report by the Federal …
(2022-02-11). Ottawa, the Far-Right, and the State: Inside the Convoy Protests and the Unfolding Three Way Fight. itsgoingdown.org On this episode of the It's Going Down podcast, we speak with two anarchists involved in the Punch Up Collective, a group which is currently mobilizing in Ottawa, the capitol city of so-called Canada, in the midst of an ongoing far-Right protest occupation made up of several hundred vehicles in the downtown area. This week…
(2022-02-11). Tunisian govt says judicial body to be reformed, not dissolved. peoplesdispatch.org The government took back the decision to terminate the Supreme Judicial Council following a two-day strike by judges across Tunisia and widespread international condemnation against the controversial move…
(2022-02-11). Strike for Contract at CA College Of The Arts Oakland Campus. indybay.org After a successful first day on the picket lines, CCA staff, with the support of faculty and students, picketed and marched at the Oakland campus. The Campus is being closed as part of a risky real estate deal that jeopardizes the college's future and legacy.
(2022-02-11). A Super Bowl Musing: Can Pro Sports Be More Than a Billionaire Bacchanalia? inequality.org
(2022-02-11). Shen Yun: The Falun Gong cult's anti-communist propaganda roadshow. peoplesworld.org 
From February 15-20, 2022, Washington's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will host a sensational retelling of China's history spanning thousands of years. Shen Yun—the stunning production that has graced stages in a perpetual roadshow across North America since 2006—is returning to the U.S. capital. The advertising for this affair across 96 cities …