A roundup of progressive news
1.Why we need to join forces to oppose the Nationality and Borders Bill-openDemocracy
Open Democracy has a brilliant piece by Samantha Asumadu on why we all need to join forces to oppose the Nationality and Borders Bill. The bill, which has passed its third reading in the Commons, would mean that the government can deprive people of their citizenship without notice, in a move that’s been slammed as ‘draconian’ by human rights groups.
Two in five people in England and Wales from an ethnic minority background could become eligible to be deprived of their citizen status under the changes which would disproportionately target ethnic minorities and Muslims.
Samantha writes: “The numbers in the article sounded damning at every turn. This would mean half of British Asians and 39% of Black Britons could potentially be deprived of their citizenship rights without warning, perhaps leading to them being deported.”
2. Sheffield Food Couriers Are Waging the Longest Strike in the History of the Gig Economy – Novara Media
Novara Media features a piece on the ‘longest strike in the history of the gig economy, with delivery drivers in Sheffield on the picket line for the last ten nights, gathering outside six McDonald’s branches across the city in a fight against a massive Christmas pay cut.
Callum Cant writes: “This is by far the longest strike in the history of the UK gig economy. There have been bigger actions, such as the joint national Uber Eats/Deliveroo strike in 2018 – but none that have lasted beyond a week. The Sheffield strikers are entering uncharted territory.”
Just Eat in Sheffield have outsourced their deliveries to Stuart Delivery, a platform that operates on a very similar model to companies like Uber and Deliveroo. Its workers are all defined as self-employed and they work via an app.
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) claims Stuart’s new payment system amounts to a 25% pay cut for workers, as it reduces the value of the most common short distance deliveries from £4.50 to £3.40.
3. Gary Neville: ‘I Wouldn’t Want Boris as my Postman’ – Tribune Magazine
Former Manchester United footballer Gary Neville has written an opinion piece for Tribune Magazine on why he doesn’t trust the people leading our country.
He writes: “Trust’ is a very important word at this moment in time. The reason that I’ve been vocal about politics over the last twelve or eighteen months is that I don’t trust the people leading our country.
“When I think of Boris Johnson, I wouldn’t want him as my postman. I wouldn’t want him as the teacher of my children. I wouldn’t want him as the carer of a relative. I wouldn’t want him to be somebody who held a position of authority or responsibility in my life—whether that was my accountant, or my lawyer, or any of the people that we look to as those with accountability, those who take responsibility.”
4. Readying our movement for the fight of our lives – Morning Star
President-elect of the National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers Alex Gordon writes for the Morning Star on why workers face the struggle of a generation.
Gordon writes: “Real RMT is a proud, strong, growing union with a tradition of militant unity that is needed by the whole labour movement, now more than ever.
“Our movement also needs a strategic outlook. We fight for every job, but we must analyse the forces at work in our economy and society too.”
He asks how unions can recruit and organise the 76 per cent of workers in Britain who are not even members of a trade union and claims that the Tory government is overseeing a ‘massacre of small- and medium-sized businesses’.
5. How could Boris Johnson be toppled? Let me count the ways – LabourList
LabourList looks at some of the forces that could topple Boris Johnson as PM, from breaking Covid lockdown rules to the resignation of Lord Frost over the weekend, there’s no shortage of scandals that have resulted in the prime minister losing his authority among his fellow Tory MPs.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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