Nèdeem Elmahjoub's blog

This was written in April. No, Liberal Pundits: Biden Hasn’t Actually Been a Progressive All Along

The Syrian refugee on the UK's coronavirus frontlines

British supermarkets have been making contingency plans to cope with bouts of panic buying and potential disruption to food supplies caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  One country that the UK depends on more than any other for fresh fruit and veg is Spain, where around a quarter of fresh produce sold in UK supermarkets comes from in the summer.  But there are questions over how some Spanish companies are treating their migrant workers, who mainly come from Africa. "If you want to work like a slave, then there is a lot of work," one labourer, who did not want to be named, told the BBC. "But if you ask for your rights, then you can't work." The conditions are miserable. Some are paid below the minimum wage, live in shanty towns and work without breaks in greenhouses that are 50C inside. Source: watch a BBC report here Related Authorities in the town of Buñol, in Spain's Valencia province, have postponed a festival where thousands gather to t

Government misses minimum wage target

Via Michael Roberts Poland, the largest Eastern European country, goes to the polls today. The socially conservative Law and Justice party government is expected to increase its vote share in the election. The centre-right Civic Platform — which ruled Poland from 2007 to 2015 with EU President Donald Tusk remains unpopular because of its previous austerity measures in line with EU policy. In contrast, Law and Justice has raised welfare  benefits. The flagship policy was a child benefit scheme, dubbed 500+, that pledged a monthly payment of 500 zlotys for every second and subsequent child, a sum that could provide larger families with the equivalent of another salary. And now the government is offering a sharply higher minimum wage which would increase in steps from 2,250 zlotys (€511) today to 4,000 zlotys by the end of 2023 — a 78 per cent jump. This is the basis of support for Law and Justice probably despite its promotion of Catholic-infused conservative values; and its

"The global press have been equally delighted, but with some of the warmest praise gushing from those bastions of “enlightened capitalism”  The Economist  and  The Financial Times , radical progressives may wish to zoom in yet closer on what has been happening on the ground in Portugal." Not different from other European "socialist" parties. When the bastions of "enlightened capitalism" praise such parties, it doesn't mean they are wrong; it means there is something really wrong with those parties which are trying to satisfy both the EU capital and their rank and file whereas in fact neglecting the latter. Europe's magician of the left?

Mexico's labour movement

Isabelle, 41, a single mother, had never taken part in a protest movement before. She works at a sandwich stand at Toulouse airport for the minimum wage – less than €1,200 a month – and her daily shifts begin at 3am. She was among many who had deliberately spoiled her ballot paper in last year’s presidential election final round, unwilling to choose between Macron or the far-right Marine Le Pen. “This is now about so much more than fuel tax,” she said. “We seem to live in a world gone mad where the rich pay next to nothing and the poor are constantly taxed. We’ve had enough of the elite." – Céline: "He [Macron] gave good speeches and I really believed his promises that he would change  France . But not any more.” – L:   "People always have been the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics, and they always will be until they have learnt to seek out the interests of some class or other behind all moral, religious, political and social phrases, decla

Portugal "Voters ushered Mr. Costa, a center-left leader,  into power  in late 2015 after he promised to reverse cuts to their income, which the previous government had approved to reduce Portugal’s high deficit under the terms of an international bailout of 78 billion euros, or $90 billion. Mr. Costa formed an unusual alliance with Communist and radical-left parties, which had been shut out of power since the end of Portugal’s dictatorship in 1974. They united with the goal of beating back austerity, while balancing the books to meet eurozone rules. The government raised public sector salaries, the minimum wage and pensions and even restored the amount of vacation days to prebailout levels over objections from creditors like Germany and the International Monetary Fund. Incentives to stimulate business included development subsidies, tax credits and funding for small and midsize companies." Portugal dared to cast aside austerity  ...

Exploitation in Britain 260 companies do not pay the minimum wage

Textile firms paying UK workers £3 per hour "Free market democracy"

Yes, not only in Greece and not only minimum wages.   In the time of the fall in the rate of profit, wages in general and everywhere, have to stay as they are or decrease in relative terms. "Destructive creation" in general has to accelerate if we want investment to resume and capitalist growth to follow suit. That's the recipe. Take it or leave it.