Britons First campaign
Britain: Behind the disciplinary action in the Unison trade union
By Julie Hyland, September 28, 2009
The disciplinary action taken by the public sector union Unison against several of its members raises important issues of political perspective.
Britain: Nationalist campaign by Unite union bureaucracy over Vauxhall-Opel takeover
By Robert Stevens and Julie Hyland, September 25, 2009
The sell-off of General Motors’ European operations, Opel and Vauxhall, to the Canadian-Russian consortium Magna has elicited a poisonous “us first” response by the trade unions involved.
Britain: Total Oil sacks 647 striking workers at Lindsey Oil Refinery
By Robert Stevens, June 22, 2009
On June 19, 647 construction contractors were sacked at the Lindsey Oil Refinery construction site, in Lincolnshire, England.
Lindsey refinery dispute: A reply to the GMB union
March 9, 2009
An exchange between the press office of the General, Municipal and Boilermakers (GMB) union and WSWS correspondent Robert Stevens over the “Briton’s first” dispute.
Britain: An opportunist defence of the union betrayal at BMW Cowley
By Niall Green, February 26, 2009
The Socialist Unity web site has come out in defense of the trade union’s complicity in the mass sackings at BMW, Oxford.
Report exposes false claims of British unions’ “Britons First” campaign
By Robert Stevens, February 21, 2009
A report from the industrial tribunal ACAS into the dispute at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire has exposed union claims that British workers’ wages and conditions were being undercut.
Trade unions extend nationalist campaign to defend “British jobs”
By Robert Stevens, February 18, 2009
Recent unofficial strikes at power stations and oil refineries across the UK and an official walkout on February 11 were conducted on the basis of the nationalist demand of “British Jobs for British...
The “Britons first” dispute: What constitutes a progressive defence of jobs?
February 7, 2009
The Socialist Party and Morning Star have claimed victory in the “Britons first” refinery dispute. But at what cost?
Britain: Refinery dispute becomes focus of shift to protectionism within Labour
By Julie Hyland, February 5, 2009
The refinery strikes over jobs for “Britons first” have become the focus for a shift to protectionism by the trade union bureaucracy, which is also finding expression within the Labour government.
Nationalism and the British trade union strike
February 5, 2009
The strike at the Lindsey Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire, Britain, on the basis of a nationalist program of defending “British jobs for British workers” raises fundamental issues for the working cla...
Socialist Party offers yet another apologia for “Britons first” refinery dispute
By Robert Stevens, February 4, 2009
The Socialist Party’s demand for “Union controlled registering of unemployed and locally skilled union members” is only window dressing for a “Britons first” policy.
Stalinists and Socialist Party defend “Britons first” refinery protest
By Julie Hyland, February 3, 2009
The Stalinist Communist Party and the Socialist Party are seeking to defend the demand for “British jobs for British workers” at the centre of the oil refinery dispute.
