Assistant general secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions HENRY FOWLER reports on day 1 from the GFTU’s residential Summer School at Quorn Grange Hotel
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How Olympic ideals were corrupted by capitalism
The motto of the games is 'faster, higher, stronger' underpinned by the values of 'excellence, respect and friendship' — but over time, money has eroded all these high-minded concepts, writes STEVEN WALKER
A man walks past the Olympic rings in Tokyo
Strike Map co-founder HENRY FOWLER discusses the significance of today’s joint union letter to video game giant Rockstar, demanding trade union recognition for its workers. Their conversation highlights how our movement can harness its collective power to rebuild union power across the private sector
The PM leaves office having squandered Labour’s electoral mandate and alienated its grassroots. He will not be missed, writes BRIAN LEISHMAN MP
Durham Miners’ Association chair STEPHEN GUY speaks to Ben Chacko about the Reform threat, what’s needed from Labour and why the Big Meeting will never lose its politics
Poland’s anger over Ukraine’s celebration of the Nazi collaborationist UPA reflects more than historical grievance, says KENNY COYLE
Can Andy Burnham’s programme deliver a productive economy – or merely a softer version of capitalism, asks VINCE MILLS
AS athletes and spectators prepare for the “festival of sport” in the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics it’s worth reflecting on the way capitalism exploits these international games which were first conceived as an embodiment of fair play.
The history of the games is littered with corruption and bribery by host countries, sex verification scandals, doping by athletes vying for post-Olympic commercial sponsorship deals and the influence of advertisers cashing in on a global television audience.
Craving prestige, governments back bids to host the Olympics spending unsustainable sums of money in the process, building contracts are awarded on the basis of bribery, venues are often left unused afterwards and vast debts left to be paid, in many cases by the poorest host country citizens.
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