History suggests apartheid ends not through appeals to conscience alone but through sustained economic and political pressure, says HUGH LANNING
Turning the tide on merchant navy decline and support maritime employment
Seafaring is vital to our nation’s economy, but the industry has been allowed to diminish with a devastating impact on our port cities and coastal communities – a rejuvenation policy is urgently needed, argues MARK DICKINSON
The port of Liverpool
As the US marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, the People’s World Editorial Collective argues that the real legacy of 1776 lies not in official celebrations but in centuries of popular struggles to make democracy a reality for all
Once a source of national pride, Cuba’s healthcare system declines as energy shortages deepen crisis, writes ANDREA RODRIGUEZ
Socialists, feminists and trade unionists gathered in Manchester to launch a network committed to evidence-based activism with a renewed emphasis on class and collective struggle. ANNA BARRETT reports
By making it simpler to support workers in struggle, Strike Map’s new Solidarity Fund aims to strengthen strikes when they need it most, write ROBERT POOLE and HENRY FOWLER
Only an ambitious programme of state-led investment can restore growth and improve living standards, argues MICHAEL BURKE
AS AN island nation, the UK merchant navy once stood as a source of major employment for British seafarers, particularly those in proud port cities like my home in Merseyside near Liverpool or others like Glasgow, Belfast and Southampton, the names of which would be proudly displayed on the sterns of vessels flying the Red Ensign.
Unfortunately, the sight of the Red Ensign on a vessel is becoming less frequent and is even less likely to represent employment of British seafarers, more common now is the flag of convenience — countries like Liberia, Marshall Islands or Panama too often with poorly paid crew from the global South.
In fact, the UK currently faces historic lows in the number of registered vessels, indicating a wider problem — the decline in the UK merchant navy and a source of longstanding employment, particularly for coastal communities. The UK is currently also facing historic lows in the number of qualified active seafarers.
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