National Sections of the L5I:

Trade Unions

Germany: May Day, a first balance sheet

First of all, the positive part of the political balance: Despite a nationwide ban on demonstrations, despite the restrictions on demonstrations to 20-50 people depending on the federal state, thousan Read more...

Germany: Class struggle opposition organising in the unions

On January 25/26, Frankfurt/Main saw a “Conference on Strategy” organised by and for left trade unionists. About 150 militants answered the call from the Network for Militant Trade-unions, VKG. Read more...

France: La lutte contre la reforme des retraites à un tournant

Le mouvement de lutte contre la reforme des retraite est à un tournant, après deux mois d’action de masse qui non seulement ont appris ce qu’est la peur à Macron, mais qui sont aussi devenus une sourc Read more...

France: Stop the lull turning into a retreat

The strike movement against the pension reform is at a turning point after two months of mass action that not only put the fear of god into Macron, but also became an inspiration for millions across E Read more...

France: Government tries to split workers' united front

ON FRIDAY 10 January, workers across France walked out for the 37th day of strikes and demonstrations against the Macron government’s attempt to raise the retirement age and introduce massive cuts to Read more...

French workers defy Macron: We’ve had enough! Now we must win!

One and a half million on more than 200 demonstrations across France. Read more...

France: Resistance to Macron grows - but the left vegetates

A prolonged strike in Accident and Emergency departments throughout the country, a successful strike on the Paris metro on September 13, with an indefinite stoppage forecast for December, a national d Read more...

Hong Kong: An important concession, what comes next?

On September 4, Hong Kong's Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, finally agreed to withdraw the hated Extradition Bill altogether, and not just leave it on the shelf. Read more...

Hong Kong: Police ban demo, troops move to the border

A march through Central Hong Kong, the eleventh since early June, called by the Civil Human Rights Front for Sunday, August 18, has been banned by Hong Kong's police chiefs. Read more...

Sri Lanka: A Tale of Two Strikes

Much of the news the world hears from Sri Lanka centres on either the aftermath of the civil war against the Tamils or the rivalry between the imperialist powers expressed through the mainstream polit Read more...

USA: L.A. Teachers' Victory – An encouragement for US Labor.

By the lights of US labor disputes; the Los Angeles teachers' strike was a victory. The teachers won an immediate 6 percent pay raise of 3 percent for last year and 3 percent for this year. Read more...

Call a general strike to repeal Hungary’s slave law

On 5 January, tens of thousands of workers and students flooded into Budapest’s Heroes Square to demand President Victor Orban’s Fidesz party is “swept from power”. Read more...

General strike will bring India to a halt

A massive general strike for January 8 and 9 has been called by India's “National Convention of Workers”. Read more...

The Crisis in South Africa

Many schools, Labour councils and community groups will be celebrating Black History Month by re-telling the inspiring story of the anti-Apartheid struggle. And so they should. Read more...

One step forwards, two steps back

Labour’s annual conference was widely judged a success. Read more...

Zimbabwe elections: Mnangagwa wins, violence follows

Emmanuel Mnangagwa managed to gain just enough votes, 50.8 percent, to win Zimbabwe's presidential election and secure the post he gained by force in the military coup to oust Robert Mugabe in Novembe Read more...

Pakistan: Tactics in the parliamentary election

The parliamentary elections in Pakistan on July 25th will take place against a background of political turmoil throughout the country. Read more...

Austria: 100,000 demonstrate against 12 hour day

Last Saturday, June 30, saw the biggest mobilisation yet against Austria's right wing government since it took office in December. Read more...

Brazil: The truck drivers' uprising

In the last days of May almost nothing moved in Brazil. Read more...

New York: From Union Struggles to Class Struggle at The New School

In the last weeks of summer term 2018, the New School, a private non-profit research university centered in Manhattan, New York City, was shaken by a series of struggles by its workers who were finall Read more...

Labor Notes 2018: Successes pose new challenges for union activists

Three thousand trade unionists assembled in Chicago for Labor Notes’ biennial conference on 8-11 April. Many there claimed it was the biggest Labor Notes conference ever. Read more...

French workers’ and students’ struggle at a turning point

After a month of militant but inconclusive strikes and occupations by railway workers and students, activists are organising to relaunch the mobilisation against the government attacks, with a nation Read more...

Macron declares war on railway workers

On March 22, strikes and demonstrations took place across France. Read more...

West Virginia Teachers: Raising the Class Struggle Stakes

Truth be told, it caught most of us by surprise. Read more...

Germany: IG Metall pay settlement, workers' victory or bureaucratic showpiece?

The results of the metal-workers' pay campaign in Germany have attracted a lot of attention not only at home but internationally. Read more...

France: United working class action can beat Macron

PARIS - In France a major attack against workers’ rights has been expected since President Emmanuel Macron’s election on May 7. Read more...

France: Macron prepares his offensive

The new French President, Emmanuel Macron, speaking at a business start-up event, declared in imperfect English, “Entrepreneur is the new France”. Read more...

France: Macron smashes the left

As was expected, Emmanuel Macron's party, La République en Marche, The Republic on the Move, won an absolute majority in the second round of elections to the French National Assembly on June 18. Read more...

Brazil in turmoil: The Temer tapes

On May 17, a political bomb exploded in the capital city of Brazil, Brasilia. Read more...

General strike in Brazil: Unions, social movements and students, all out together!

The general strike in Brazil on 28 April was rated a great success by the trade unions, the social movements and the various parts of the left. Read more...

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