Alex Snowdon
@AlexSnowdon8
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English teacher | NEU activist | Socialist | Writer | Palestine campaigner
Northumberland
Joined August 2022
Alexei Sayle just read aloud this powerful James Baldwin poem to a huge crowd in Trafalgar Square. Baldwin was writing about Vietnam. Today it could be about Gaza.
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Solidarity with the barristers, who have continued their indefinite strike (irrespective of anything in the news). They are determined to win.
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Keir Starmer has suspended an MP for asserting that Jews and Palestinians should live together peacefully, with respect for the rights and dignity of all. Let that sink in.
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Teachers and nurses will be striking together on 2nd May! . Solidarity is the duty of everyone in the labour movement. United we win. ✊️✊️✊️.
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Well done to everyone who marched against racism, hate and division.
BRITAIN has shown up. 🇬🇧 Thousands marching in London to OPPOSE #TommyRobinson and the FAR RIGHT. 🏴🇮🇪🏴🏴 @AntiRacismDay @SUTRScotland #RefugeesAreWelcome #NoJusticeNoPeace
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Listen up, @RishiSunak, if you don't want peace marches on the anniversary of an armistice, don't have a war on the anniversary of the armistice. Do all you can to stop Israel bombing Gaza.
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@DanielKebedeNEU Disgraceful from the Tories. They have broken the deal. It is no longer binding. We have a live strike mandate. We must prepare to use it. Our pay has to be fully funded, so our schools don't suffer cuts.
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This was on Monday. Rory Stewart is a clueless centrist buffoon, for sure, but this symbolises the stupidity, incompetence and myopia of an entire elite of failed politicians and commentators. Their pathetic failures have brought us Trump.
Kamala Harris will win comfortably, because: .• Biden’s admin has been solid.• Trump’s lost ground since 2016.• The young Black male votes which Trump needs didn’t turn out in 16, 18, 20, or 22.• Young women like Kamala + vote.✴️Ignore polls—they’re herding, after past misses.
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Mandelson today, Starmer tomorrow. Rayner and the friendly union leaders will be humiliated. The new deal for working people will be torn up. We - the unions - will have to fight for everything. We will get nothing from Labour without a struggle.
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BBC says Labour has conceded in Islington North. Great news that Jeremy Corbyn has been elected as an independent socialist MP.
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OK, I've had my first coffee of the day, so let's have some scrutiny of what @GillianKeegan has submitted in response to NEU Conference's Palestine motion. It appears to be poorly-argued, dishonest and at odds with the evidence.
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He is a lobbyist for Israel. That's his job: he runs a pro-Israel lobby organisation. It's called We Believe in Israel. This is what he does. It isn't antisemitic to point it out.
“A lobbyist for Israel” is like saying he is controlled by Jews.
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Labour won 24,665 votes in Sunderland South and Houghton in 2017. This time: 18,837. Some people argue that Labour's right-wing shift represented by Starmer replacing Corbyn was electorally necessary. It really wasn't.
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“Talking about genocide is not a safeguarding issue; genocide is a safeguarding issue.”.NEU president Phil Clarke at today's Trafalgar Square rally 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸
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The NEU has backed every national demo for Palestine since October and spoken at many of them. Pleased that today we were represented by national president @emsamrose representing Europe's biggest education union.
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Very pleased that our union was represented by our general secretary @DanielKebedeNEU at the rally for Palestine. A big trade union bloc including NEU banners on the massive march through Central London too. We have a duty of solidarity.
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I used my postal vote for Jamie Driscoll due to his track record, his platform, and what he represents. Not often, sadly, that we get to vote for someone for positive reasons, rather than as the least worst option. Use your vote.
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@GillianKeegan I am making the journey from Northumberland to London for today's national demonstration against war on Gaza. Thousands of teachers have taken part in protests demanding a ceasefire and freedom for Palestine. I'm proud to be part of a union that takes a stand for justice & peace.
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@sarahsackman You are a Labour MP yet, by condemning this evening's protests, you have placed yourself to the right of the Daily Mail. Disgraceful.
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How bizarre for @GillianKeegan to insist that teachers remain 'neutral' in situations of grave injustice. To do so would be complicity. We are partisan for justice against injustice, peace against war, anti-racism against racism. Proudly so.
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Spread the word. This is vital for pushing back against the fascists and racists in our region.
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On Southport: if you're more concerned about the ethnicity of the suspect than about the dead, wounded and traumatised children (and their families), there is something very wrong with you.
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@JohnWRees @Fhamiltontimes @thetimes @PSCupdates @STWuk These Iranian agents must be quite rubbish at undercover work if a Murdoch hack can so easily identify them. Almost like someone has just made this up, isn't it?.
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This is where I'll be on 13 May. It will be 75 years since the ethnic cleansing of Palestine - the roots of today's Israeli apartheid. We will keep marching until we have dismantled apartheid and Palestine is free 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸
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Very good news that 5 pro-Palestine independents won seats - in Islington, Birmingham, Leicester, Blackburn and Dewsbury. Left wing independents got excellent votes, notably Michael Lavalette, Leanne Mohamad, Faiza Shaheen and Andrew Feinstein. A base to build on.
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@GillianKeegan As an English teacher, I am particularly concerned about @GillianKeegan's comprehension skills. She claims the NEU motion makes no mention of Hamas actions on 7 October, yet these are referred to in the first line of the motion (and condemned as 'deplorable and preventable').
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The front of today's big Tyneside march for Palestine in Gateshead (left), while the back of the march is in Newcastle (right).
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I voted for Jamie Driscoll in the north east mayor election.
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Outside Downing Street today, remembering the children killed in the ongoing Gaza genocide.
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Pay blow for millions of public sector workers. This is an insult. Pay us fairly. Invest in education, health and public services. #DoYourJobGill
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@GillianKeegan No, there is nothing 'divisive' about the NEU opposing a racist apartheid regime and its war crimes, as @GillianKeegan suggests. It is divisive to support and enable apartheid abroad while deploying Islamophobic rhetoric at home.
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What a disgraceful way for a union general secretary to behave. Zero respect for union democracy and a political failure on war and militarism. A union's annual conference is its highest democratic and decision-making body.
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@GillianKeegan It is also strange for @GillianKeegan to criticise the proposed motion's reference to Israel's 'apartheid policies' after @amnesty researchers devoted years to collating evidence of apartheid policies applied by Israel, concluding it is guilty of the crime of apartheid.
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The first mistake by @GillianKeegan is to claim the motion is wrong in referring to Israel's government as racist. South Africa's legal team submitted, as evidence to the ICJ, numerous statements by Israeli politicians that are extremely racist and genocidal in intent.
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How things change. There is now such an overwhelming retrospective anti-war consensus, it's easy to forget that most MPs voted for the war, most papers backed it, and most of the UK establishment was behind it.
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@GillianKeegan If @GillianKeegan genuinely believes that it is 'unrepresentative of teachers' for an NEU motion to condemn genocidal violence that has killed thousands of children, she should visit a few staffrooms to become more familiar with what teachers think about this issue.
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This conspiracist stuff about Tommy Robinson, EDL etc being essentially puppets of Israel is worryingly prevalent. It is comforting for those who buy into it. Much easier to believe a highly simplistic story than engage with nuance and complexity.
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I've started the long journey from Northumberland to Bournemouth for #NEU2024 Conference, where I'll be until Saturday. We face big challenges in education. We cannot rely on a future Labour government to sort them. It will come down to our collective strength.
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Powerful speech by NEU president @emsamrose on the first day of NEU Conference. A speech built around the value of education and the need to reclaim it, the power of educators, and the immense capacity of our union to make a difference. #NEU2024
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Good news that Jeremy Corbyn, independent socialist MP, will be speaking at #RankAndFileConf on Sat 10 June in London.
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@RogersHistory V good blog post. I've been there. Most of us have. It reminded me how much it matters for schools collectively (led from the top) to put in place the conditions teachers need. Your own classroom. The tech working. Supportive staff teams. Massive push on behaviour standards. Etc.
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Israel's two assassinations in the last 24 hours are very serious & signal regional escalation. Taking out the leader of Hamas makes it clear they have zero interest in any political or diplomatic resolution. This all makes Saturday even more important and timely than before.
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@GillianKeegan Did @GillianKeegan use ChatGPT to churn out her response? The false claim of antisemitism is woefully unoriginal and clichéd, as well as wholly untrue. I smell plagiarism. We oppose antisemitism unconditionally.
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THREAD: The far right is active mainly in England's large towns. It isn't, by and large, the big multi-racial cities where racist riots have taken place. It is large towns with lots of poverty and a modest-sized ethnic minority population that are proving fertile ground.
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Cracking speech from @NEUNorthumbria delegate Sarah Kilpatrick on the value of a broad, creative curriculum in our schools. Every child deserves an enriching and fully rounded education. #NEU2024
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Inspiring account by Holly Turner of NHS Workers Say No - at the #RankAndFileConf in London - of how they organised a rank and file rebellion against accepting a poor pay deal in RCN. Support the nurses - Solidarity!.
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I'm voting for Jamie due to his track record, his platform, and what he represents. Not often, sadly, that we get to vote for someone for positive reasons, rather than as the least worst option.
As North East Mayor, I want to make real practical differences to people’s lives. A better transport system, local projects that improve their communities, making sure I put money in their pockets rather than taking it in council tax. These are the things that will really make a
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The disgraceful attacks on the right to protest from Sunak and Braverman stem from utter desperation. They have lost the argument, as the terrible death toll in Gaza soars. #WeWillMarch
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I put my ballot paper - voting YES - in the post today. If Gillian Keegan doesn't offer something better, we must be prepared for taking further strike action. It ought not to be necessary, but it sadly is.
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@PeterTatchell It is possible to campaign against child poverty and NHS underfunding *and* also raise concerns about the medicalisation of gender non-conforming girls and young women. It isn't necessary to choose. And it is never a good look to dismiss serious concerns as 'demonising'.
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Geordies are black, white and brown . Extraordinary anti-racist and anti-fascist demo in Newcastle this evening
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It has increasingly emerged that the two 'Israeli tourists' at the Edinburgh Fringe were seasoned pro-Israel lobbyists with a track record of provocative behaviour. This clip certainly reflects badly on them and suggests they were trying to create a 'story'.
Here’s the first video clip of Mark Lewis and Mandy Blumenthal on the Fringe. So far as I can tell, Reginald D Hunter is saying “Let’s end this peacefully”. Mandy says “Enjoy your racism”. And then the audience start laughing at her?. What happened next?
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Just finished this long read. well worth it. Clear, cogent, bracingly materialist, and highly relevant to current debates.
Very pleased to have this reply to *that* (nonsensical and enraging) Catharine MacKinnon speech published in @philosophersmag.
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Wouldn't it have been better if he'd said this before?.
It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.
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Socialist Michael Lavelette got over 8700 votes in Preston, taking 2nd place to Labour. Superb result and a platform to build on.
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Take the message to Labour politicians. Stop Bombing Gaza - Ceasefire Now!
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Important reminder from @JohnWRees at #RankandFileConf that we are rebuilding the workers' movement four decades after the defeat of Miners' Strike - the Tories and ruling class have had it their way since then, but we are turning the tide.
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The government has shattered the pay and funding deal agreed with teachers' unions in July. At 5.30pm on Friday, the Department for Education revealed that it is putting £370 million less funding into schools than agreed in the summer.
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Vote for Jamie Driscoll. He represents a real alternative to a broken system. He walks the walk.
The Establishment is finally waking up to how tired people are of a two party system that never seems to benefit them. In the North East, there is an alternative. We’re now only 2% behind in the polls and that’s closing fast. 👉
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Jeremy Corbyn is a long-term champion of workers' struggles and building solidarity with strikes. Great that he's speaking at this #RankandFileConf .Book here:
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What a vile war criminal this man is. Stop arming and supporting the Israeli terror state. Stop enabling genocide.
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Liberal identity politics is an embarrassing mess: toxic, divisive, sectarian. We actually need a mass movement that unites people from all backgrounds in common action, not this moralising tosh.
White people need to stop ‘acquiring’ the anti racism movement & start building a movement of solidarity led by racialised people. The stranglehold SUTR has on the anti racism movement prevents Black & Asian people leading. We need to address this.
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We fought the law - and we won 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸.
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Crikey. There's some off-the-wall conspiracist stuff going around claiming the far right riots are manipulated by Israel (Lowkey, David Miller etc) or by Russia (eg Paul Mason). We really don't need recourse to sinister foreign powers to explain these things.
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I'm trying to imagine being Jonathan Freedland, waking up every morning knowing I am utterly worthless and have contributed nothing to humanity and never will.
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Big crowd outside Downing Street now. Keir Starmer, you can't hide - we charge you with genocide!
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This is a very damaging story for government and civil service.
BBC News has now confirmed the resignation of British diplomat Mark Smith over Gaza, they too have now seen the email. Hopefully this is sufficient confirmation for those who cast doubt on the legitimacy of the letter & wanted the story verified by non-Arab journos & news orgs.
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A wild idea: increase taxes on the wealthy, so you can both support pensioners with energy costs *and* increase pay for public sector workers.
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Massive defeat for Labour in Islington North. Didn't get anywhere near Jeremy Corbyn's 24,000 votes. Inspiring victory for an independent socialist.
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It isn't just Netanyahu and Israel. The US and UK are 100% complicit. Netanyahu, Biden, Sunak - Wanted for Genocide.
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Here's a great short video that captures our Tyneside march for Palestine 🇵🇸
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Utterly excruciating. Lammy is a figurehead for the British imperialist state. The state that was responsible for the transatlantic slave trade. He is in no position to lecture Russia, which had nothing to do with the slave trade, about imperialism.
"I stand here also as a black man. whose ancestors rose up and fought in a great rebellion of the enslaved. Imperialism. I know it when I see it." . @DavidLammy accuses Russia of being a mafia state in unbelievable speech at the UN.
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Join Stop the War Coalition.
Alexei Sayle, the author and stand-up comedian has been on every one of our national demonstrations for Palestine, often marching with the Jewish bloc. He has an important message to all those who support our work in building the anti-war movement, but who haven’t yet joined
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Very useful analysis by @meadwaj. The Budget Is Socialism for the Rich, Austerity for the Poor
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Great to see. A big step forward for the strike and part of rebuilding a culture of solidarity.
We bloody did it! For the first time ever, yesterday an Amazon warehouse was completely shut down - on orders from HQ in the US - with full pay to all the workers! The bravery and courage of the Amazon strikers and the mass solidarity from across the labour movement achieved this
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As with the NEU, same with the BMA. Unions grow when they get organised and take action.
The highest ever membership in the history of the BMA. Doctors are joining the BMA to fight for fairness and full pay restoration. Come on @SteveBarclay drop the preconditions and let’s negotiate a way forward
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Another very big demo for Palestine in Newcastle, happening now
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Currently in a very large crowd in Trafalgar Square. End the Gaza genocide - Hands off Lebanon - Don't Attack Iran .🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸
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Starmer is in an almighty mess. His stance on Gaza is smashing his reputation among millions while he is still in opposition. It can only get worse.
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Hind Rajab, 6 yrs old. 5 members of her family were killed by Israel. The paramedics who went to rescue her were killed by Israel. She was killed by Israel. A war crime committed by Israel and enabled by the UK. Join the national demo next Saturday. Ceasefire Now!
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Well done to @DanielKebedeNEU and all the NEU colleagues who marched today.
800,000+ on the street today calling for a ceasefire. We can build a tomorrow of peace. What I said today.
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More important than ever. Israel is under real pressure. Ceasefire Now- Stop the Genocide!
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Let's make this a big, united show of opposition to the Tories
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It is a huge relief that Boris Johnson is around to teach us all about moral clarity.
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Solidarity with striking doctors, who begin their new round of action tomorrow morning.
We are on strike from TOMORROW in England. Do not attend work between 7am tomorrow (the 11th) until 7am on Tuesday (the 15th). Read the guide to strike action here:
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It is important that the NEU, Europe's biggest education union, has published a statement calling on Israel to immediately end its collective punishment of the Palestinians.
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@SchoolsWeek @NEUnion I'll be backing @DanielKebedeNEU as I'm confident he will build the kind of collective action - campaigning, organising, strikes when necessary - we need to win on big issues like pay and workload. My district nominated him along with 100 others.
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Great mix of activists from across our labour movement contributing to the #RankAndFileConf - hearing about a range of struggles for pay, public services, jobs and much more.
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