23 November
The first recorded strike in history is said to have taken place on this day in 1170 BCE, during the sixth month of the 29th year of the reign of Rameses III.
Workers in the Valley of the Kings necropolis in Egypt downed tools after the government failed to pay them their agreed grain allowance for 20 days. It was to take several stoppages before they eventually won all that was owed to them.
They say the pharaohs built the pyramids.
Do you think one pharaoh dropped one bead of sweat?
We built the pyramids for the pharaohs
And we’re building for them yet.
– Anna Louise Strong
Red Pepper in print
Get the latest issue of the magazine
Battles for survival: climate crisis and far right rising ● Europe’s creeping fascism ● The far right in Britain ● New anti-racist movements ● The climate uprising ● Green New Deal debate ● Lowkey interview ● Anti-fascist music ● Book reviews ● and much more
And you choose how much to pay for your subscription...
Lowkey: Soundtrack to the struggle
Ashish Ghadiali interviews British-Iraqi rapper Kareem Dennis, aka Lowkey, about viral videos, power in the community, the Grenfell fire and writing lyrics at the cutting edge of political debate
Hungary: Europe’s creeping fascism
Luke Cooper reports on his recent visit to Hungary, an EU member state where democratic freedoms are no longer taken for granted
The reactionary rebellion
Neo-fascism is on the rise across Europe. It may have taken on a different form but its essence is the same, writes Walter Baier
They shall not pass: feminists on the front line
Across the world, feminists are fighting the far right and fascism. We hear from activists in seven countries.
Foul play in Qatar
Marzena Zukowska reviews a documentary film that examines the labour behind the 2022 World Cup
