This week, activists have pressured Home Secretary Sajid Javid into reviewing the restriction on asylum seekers working. As it stands, Britain has a stricter waiting period than the USA, Canada or any other European country. Javid still signals there are “no plans” to change this, but human rights activist Pinar Aksu says we must arm ourselves with knowledge on this issue and demand the policy be changed…

Being a student is wonderful in theory: you receive an education from the best professors in their field in whichever subject you’re most passionate about and take the skills you learn into the world of work. In reality, it’s an increasingly demanding sphere where students are required to work long hours on top of study just to make a living. That in mind, activists with the Better Than Zero campaign (see their work in the video below) write for Conter about an empowering series of courses starting tomorrow…

Women Against Capitalism is grassroots activism at its very best. A grassroots working class collective based in Castlemilk, Glasgow, they outline exclusively for Conter what their vision is as they seek to empower women struggling under an oppressive, profit driven and patriarchal system…

We live under an economic system which encourages consumption on an industrial scale and the consequences of climate change will be endured by future generations. What can we as activists do to affect change here in Scotland? Pete Cannell and Brian Parkin write ahead of this Saturday’s Just Transitions conference in Edinburgh about the steps we need to be taking…

Earlier this year, students embarked on the longest ever occupation at the University of Edinburgh in solidarity with striking lecturers. This renewed student radicalism was replicated at universities and colleges all over the country. Keeping that spirit alive is The Rattlecap, a new student-led magazine which launched in the aftermath of that occupation. Iz Gius and Phoebe McGowan write on the motivations behind this project and why students should get involved…

In two weeks time, far-right demagogue Steve Bannon appears in Edinburgh at a BBC-endorsed event called News Xchange. On Conter, several contributors have written extensively about why defeating the far-right through amicable discourse is impossible. Following Nicola Sturgeon’s withdrawal from appearing at the event, David Mitchell’s petition to the BBC to withdraw their endorsement has already garnered over a 1,000 signatures. He writes about Bannon and why he’s so dangerous, calling on as many activists to sign as possible…

Yesterday, thousands of council-employed workers, joined by thousands more allies, marched for equal pay from Glasgow Green to George Square. The dispute has been ongoing for over a decade under multiple administrations, which has led to toxic party political disputes between Labour and the SNP. But Eve Livingston writes that these strikes are part of a much bigger picture…

Last year, Conter spoke to Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi about her short film on the Care Tax and how many disabled people in this country are essentially forced to pay for their own care. Although the Scottish Government have pledged to extend free personal care to under-65s, this still doesn’t account for people whose care is categorised as social care. Today, Conter editor Jonathan Rimmer reports in The Scotsman on today’s protest outside the Scottish Parliament, which coincides with Kiana’s new video address to Nicola Sturgeon. She’s happy to share it here and hopes people will join her in protesting this injustice…

A report released by Living Rent Tenants Union last week revealed that around £1.6 million in unlawful fees are conceivably charged in Glasgow each year, a damning illustration of the imbalance that exists in the rental sector. But there’s reasons for encouragement: like other tenants unions around the world, Living Rent members are winning victories and emboldening tenants at a time of housing crisis. We report back from the Glasgow annual general meeting…

We're into the last week of the Edinburgh Fringe festival, a vibrant celebration of culture recognised the world over. However, the festival has been marred by the same issues cropping up in previous years: gruelling conditions, long hours and low pay for workers. To that end, the Fair Fringe Campaign have adapted this guide on exploitative employers at the Fringe for Conter. Know your rights and let's make such conditions a thing of the past at next year's Fringe...

It's fallen off the news agenda since the right of return marches, but the need for solidarity with the Palestinian people has never been greater. Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign activist Kishore Lennon reflects on the urgent need to support the oppressed Palestinian people and argues that both members and figureheads in Labour and the SNP need to be doing much more...

As Glasgow gears up for the arrival of the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) Arms Fair, anti-militarism campaigner Jay Sutherland reflects on the significance of this, Glasgow City Council's pathetic response and how activists can co-ordinate their response...

There's a perception held by many on the pro-independence left that the SNP have tied themselves too readily to continuity EU membership. But what are the alternatives? Marty Smith, co-founder of Autonomy, a new “grassroots movement for SNP activists to campaign against European Union membership for an independent Scotland”, sets out their ideas...

In our fourth activist guide, we tackle the issue of benefit sanctions. Under this cruel system, people can have their entitlement withheld for as long as three years. The system has caused misery and hardship for thousands of claimants and their families. But how do they work? Why is it important we fight for their abolition? And how can we fight back?

In a follow on from our week of Brexit pieces, we look more concretely at the Tories' plans for a 'Global Britain' Brexit. Why is this so damaging and what concrete steps can we take to challenge it? Liz Murray of Global Justice Now explains...

As the proposed repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act moves through the Scottish parliament, debate rages on all sides. RISE national organiser Sean Baillie says the repeal is important because the act does nothing to address the root causes of sectarianism in society...

There’s a lack of knowledge and awareness of key environmental issues in parts of the radical left. Despite key victories in the fight against fracking, activists still must face down the might of influential drilling companies. In our latest activist guide, we speak to Frackwatch about why the issue matters and how readers can get involved…

In our last article before 2018, RISE organiser Deborah Waters shares some thoughts on why “revolutionary” actions like the occupation of Glasgow’s 190 Trongate are important in a country where people are dying on the streets every year. She argues that mainstream criticisms of the radical left’s activism should be thoroughly dismissed…

In the second of our activist guides, we look at the burning issue of rented housing. With rents spiraling ever upwards and people from all walks of life facing exploitation, it's more important than ever that you know your rights and exercise them. We spoke to Living Rent, Scotland's tenants union, who lay out exactly what you're entitled to....