Weekly Links 30/06/2008

Green Politics

Following the Green success in the Henley By-election (beating the Labour Party and the BNP to come third) the Green campaign for Howden and Haltemprice is well under way. Support Shan Oakes campaign here.

Indymedia has some pictures from the 23rd Green Fair in Sheffield, which seems to have been a success and avoided the rain.


Industrial
The latest from the National Blood Service Campaign is a big rave fundraiser being organised in London. More details here.

Meanwhile preparations continue for the wave of public sector strikes planned for Britain on the 16th and 17th of July.

The transport union, the RMT, have spoken out in favour of high speed rail links as an alternative to airport expansion, such as that planned for Heathrow. Workers in the RMT are also involved in a dispute involving cleaners on the London Underground, supported by the Campaign Against Tube Privatisation, who have a blog here.

Finally, a delegation from the IWW International Solidarity Commission is in Japan at the moment and are blogging their visit at http://iwwinjapan.blogspot.com/

Blogs
Interesting pieces on blogs this week include Aled reporting that the Unions have severed all links with the New Tory Mayor of London's de-gutted "Rise" festival, Septic Isle of Obsolete commenting on one year of Gordon Brown as PM, Janine of Stroppyblog on the RMT AGM, and Jim of Daily (Maybe) reporting on the Liberal Conspiracy blogging caucus.

Transition Town Meeting In Nottingham

If people in the East Midlands are interested in Transition Towns there is a talk on Tuesday 27th May at the Nottingham Mechanics , South Sherwood St at 7.30 by Rob Hopkins, the architect of the Transition Town movement in the UK. The talk is entitled 'From oil dependancy to local resilience'.
Penney Poyzer, Nottinghams very own "Queen of Green" will also be speaking there.

From the Wikipedia article linked above:

The Transition concept emerged from work permaculture designer Rob Hopkins had done with the students of Kinsale Further Education College in writing an ‘Energy Descent Action Plan’. This looked at across-the-board creative adaptations in the realms of energy production, health, education, economy and agriculture as a ‘road map’ to a sustainable future for the town, and was unanimously adopted by Kinsale Council.

The idea was adapted and expanded in September 2006 to Hopkins' hometown of Totnes where he is now based. The initiative spread quickly, and as of 25 April 2008, there are over fifty communities recognised as official Transition Towns[2] in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. While referred to as Towns, the communities involved range from villages (Kinsale), through council districts (Penwith) to cities and city boroughs (Brixton).

London Election Results

Congratulations to Sian Berry and the London Greens for fighting a very strong election campaign in difficult circumstances. The result was as follows:


Boris Johnson Conservative Party 1,043,761 42.48% Transfers = 124,977 Final Toatal 1,168,738
Ken Livingstone The Labour Party 893,877 36.38% Transfers = 135,089 Final Total 1,028,966
Brian Paddick Liberal Democrats 236,685 9.63%

Siân Berry Green Party 77,374 3.15%

Richard Barnbrook British National Party 69,710 2.84%

Alan Craig Christian Peoples Alliance and Christian Party 39,249 1.60%

Gerard Batten UK Independence Party 22,422 0.91%

Lindsey German Left List 16,796 0.68%

Matt O'Connor English Democrats 10,695 0.44%

Winston McKenzie Independent 5,389 0.22%

Very good coverage and comment on the London elections from Jim at Daily (Maybe) including breakdowns of the vote.

Greens Advance In Norwich

I will post on the London election results when we have them in full, but the good news is that the Greens in Norwich have achieved their short term goal of becoming the second largest party on the Council there. This bodes particularly well for their dynamic young general election hopeful Adrian Ramsay.

This is a triumph on many levels :

Finishing the night with an increased number of City Council seats from 10 to 13, Norwich Green Party has leapfrogged the Liberal Democrats to become the official opposition on Norwich City Hall, just 2 seats away from the ruling Labour Party. At the same time, the Greens have beaten Labour on local election vote share across the Norwich South Parliamentary constituency by approximately 2000 votes. For the first time, the Norwich Greens also won more votes than Labour across the entire city.

The political make-up of Norwich City Council is now:

Labour: 15 seats. Green Party: 13 seats LibDems: 6 seats Conservatives: 5 seats

Norwich City Council is in no overall control. Labour is expected to continue running a minority administration with the Green Party as the main opposition group.

Congratulations to the Norwich Greens, the Green Party councillors holding their seats and the new Green councillors, Samir Jeraj, Adrian Holmes and Peter Offord.

Vote Green This Thursday!

Whilst many of us across Britain do not have the opportunity to vote this Thursday, those who can vote in the elections in London and selected Councils in England and Wales have a chance to both improve their local political situation and send a message to the main political parties. This is particularly the case where people have the opportunity to vote Green. London Green Mayoral candidate Sian Berry and the candidates for the London Assembly have been working very hard to get the message across and this has been noticed and commented on in the mainstream media including favourable mentions in the Observer and the Independent.



Of course, now the Greens are steaming ahead, and particularly as they are steaming ahead on a popular left-of-centre agenda combining sustainability and social justice, the slagging and smearing will start in earnest, particularly from the far-from-squeaky clean Lib Dems who see the Greens as a direct threat. (A quick glance around the blogosphere and Internet shows this is already well under way.) However, every attack from the Lib Dems about how "leftist" the Greens are exposes their own unattractive drift to the right under "Cleggeron" and the Orange Bookers. It also gives the Greens the opportunity to set out just how our media-neglected social and economic policy agendas are based around social justice rather than the corporate welfare and schmoozing of the "big three". This will further help the Greens to move into the political space vacated by New Labour and build a stronger new base of support.

Weekly Links 27/04/08

A very busy week this week in the run up to May Day and the elections, but just enough time for a quick run around this corner of the blogosphere......

Plenty of stuff on the coming elections, particularly those in London.

Derek Wall at Another Green World pointed out that the Observer newspaper Leader this weekend, whilst ultimately backing Ken Livingstone, has favourable comment on the Mayoral campaign of Sian Berry and suggests a first preference for her!



Derek also blogged on the record of the Greens on the London Assembly.

Andy Newman at the Socialist Unity Blog has had a post critical of the SWP's Left List leaflet in London and another post praising the strategy of the Greens.

Stroppyblog highlights the News Of The World story on the far right candidate in the London Mayoral elections.

The Lenin's Tomb blog made a relatively rare excursion into environmental topics this week with observations on the implications of the latest news and predictions of Arctic thawing. He then spoils it in the comments by the usual predictable green-slagging, oh well, you can't have everything.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Anton Vowl at Enemies of Reason blog this week reported on the strange tabloid story of the mutant squirrels and the unpleasant undertones in the reporting. Always a pleasure to end, News at Ten style, on a fluffy animal story.....

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Last Few Days Of Election Campaigns

We are now inside the last week of campaigning for the London Assembly and Mayoral elections and local elections in some of the local authorities in England and Wales.

The media are predictably concentrating on the battle between the "big beasts" in the London Mayoral election, but there are battles going on around England and Wales that are intensifying as May 1st looms.

Here is a guide on how and why to elect more Greens in London.

Sian Berry's excellent Mayoral campaign continues, with growing support and endorsements.




The Vote Green Party site has the brilliant election broadcast video and a tool for locating your Green candidates around the country.

Left Greens Jim and Peter set out the electoral arithmetic for the Left in London on the Socialist Unity blog and argue the case for the left to boost the Green vote to defeat the far right.

Italian Election : Anti-Politics and Reaction Hand in Hand

The Italian election results show a depressing picture of decline for the left and resurgence for the right, compounded by a weary anti-political mood. The Italian Green vote, whilst not large originally, appears to have declined very slightly, whilst the votes of the left parties they allied with in the "Rainbow Left" coalition declined precipitously.
More from Jim at Daily (Maybe) here.

The left in Italy have probably pleased no-one. First they cooperated in the centre left government coalition and lost lots of support due to the perceived compromise of principles, then they united outside the centre left coalition and lost support from those who favoured a more "popular frontist" strategy.

As ever, anti-politics and weariness and cynicism has fed not as anarchistic elements would wish into mass revolt, but mass abstention and disengagement, leading to a victory for a corrupt and reactionary right. This all brought to mind a discussion on Indymedia recently where "Stargrave" answered the arguments of abstentionists and immiserationists regarding their non-voting in the forthcoming London election which could see the victory of reactionary Tory Boris Johnson and the election of the first fascist assembly members:

It seems to me that the original post is arguing for a tactic and this position is being opposed from either a strategic or dogmatic position - i.e."Don't vote ever" or even the immiserationist "Let the right gain power as it will radicalise people". (a ridiculous strategy which current conditions in much of the world and the judgement of history have shown to be suicidal)
People need to get out of their bubbles and look at the effect of actions and tactics in the real world.
We DO NOT live in a society where there is a mass movement against capital, we ARE NOT on the verge of revolution. If that was the case then abstentionism might be arguable (though if it was the case there would probably arise an electoral expression of the movement that people might consider voting for) This is not to say we should not be building a mass movement, merely to state the FACTS as they stand.
We live in a situation where the global economy is taking a nose dive, ecological and social problems are escalating, and the main people benefitting from the growing alienation and disillusionment are the far right. To ignore this, and think that lifestylism or hiding in a purist ghetto are adequate responses is, quite frankly , juvenile and foolish.
To posit false choices "either vote or organise" is dishonest - why cant people vote (as a tactic, not a strategy - without buying into the "vote for this party and everything will be OK" arguments) to dinminish the chances of the fascists gaining a strategic advantage. As someone said above, the fascists gaining seats gives them further legitimacy, which means more sympathisers come out of the woodwork, more feel free to openly support them and their influence on the direction and tone of politics increases.
The mainstream parties and fascism are NOT the same, as anyone who has engaged in physical anti-fascism or studied history should know. From the point of view of the struggle, the more the fascists gain power and legitimacy, the more difficult it becomes to unite working people, the more organising is obstructed, the more repression comes down on our head and the more dangerous it becomes for people to express views in favour of our side.
The mistake made here by many has been made in France and Italy - where the far right now has a hold in many areas that were formerly dominated by the left. The rise of the right cannot be fought purely in physical terms, when they seek the "legitimate" route. If you do this you then become seen in the eyes of many of the working class as the "illegitimate" ones, attacking "freedom of speech" and promoting violence - as ridiculous as this may seem in the face of the rise of fascism. This is not to say that there is no place for physical anti-fascism - again it is a question of *tactics*, not strategy or principle.
So vote as a tactic, organise as a strategy. Look at the consequences of your actions and arguments.

Stargrave

The Italian election victory of Berlusconi et al adds further weight to the argument put forward by Stargrave, I hope those who plan to abstain or even worse, vote for the right in the misconceived hope of "punishing the imperfect left and provoking a popular left reaction" are paying attention!

Greens Launch May Local Election Campaign

The Green Party of England and Wales have launched their local election campaign for the May 2008 local council elections.

The Green Party has launched its campaign for the May 1st local elections, with Caroline Lucas MEP, Cllr Adrian Ramsay and Cllr Darren Johnson AM paying a visit to Parliament.

The local elections are widely seen as a barometer of support for the general election, and, Greens are set to make gains that will demonstrate that they are on the road to Westminster. Both Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay will fight seats in which the Greens already lead Labour on local vote share, having overtaken them since 2005, and Darren Johnson has slashed the Labour lead in Lewisham Deptford.

The Green election campaign will promote 5 key policies to promote social and environmental justice, including free school meals and free insulation.

After the Westminster launch, Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay made their way to Norwich, where they will launch the campaign to make the Greens the second party on the council, a position they missed out on last time by just one vote.

Caroline Lucas said of the launch: "Green councillors have already introduced life-changing and life-saving measures like free insulation, and 20mph zones. By voting Green on May 1st, you can vote for more socially and environmentally just, more democratic and more competent local government.

"When people elect Greens, they like what they get. That's why we're constantly gaining more councillors, and it's why we'll make big gains next month.

The local elections coincide with the London Mayoral and Assembly Elections where the Green campaign is well underway, with Sian Berry, the Green Mayoral candidate, beginning to forge ahead of the "others" in opinion polls in an election which has so far been treated by the media as a battle between the big three parties. Sian's posters are really good and can be downloaded for your own blog, website, networking site etc here.

More on the Greens' local councils campaign launch from the BBC here.

Unity against the Right in London

Lots of comment across the British blogosphere and elsewhere about the developments in the London Mayoral campaign this week. Sian Berry, the Green Candidate and Ken Livingstone, the "maverick" Labour Party encumbent have both asked that their voters second preference the other left of centre candidate. To me this seems an admirable display of the kind of left unity that this blog promotes. It in no way suggests that the Greens are uncritical of Mayor Livingstone, still less that they are uncritical of the current trajectory and policies of his Party which is neo-liberal and imperialist. Sian Berry said as much in her statement. What it does say is that the Green candidate and Party members in London are aware that if she is not elected, there are significant differences between the two main contenders, Livingstone and Johnson, that mean Greens cannot stay neutral if their preferred candidate is knocked out in the first round. It also puts down a marker that the Green Party should be the first choice for previous Labour voters who are dissatisfied with their former party and want to send a strong message without giving succour to the neo-liberal Lib Dems and reactionary Tories. The London election in May presents a serious challenge to the left. If we are not careful we will see the reactionary and most likely incompetent Johnson as mayor with an assembly containing members of the far-right BNP. This is a situation that we must do everything we can to prevent.

Ken presents a number of problems for truly progressive voters, in terms of both policies and record, but compared to Boris he is a paragon of leftist virtue. Sian would undoubtedly be a better choice than either of them.

The best method left of centre voters can use to avert the BNP getting a significant foothold in the assembly via the proprotional list, the electoral system in operation, is to give their votes to the Greens - a party committed to social justice, environmental protection and sustainability.

More discussion on SUB, (the Socialist Unity Blog) here, and at the Daily (Maybe) here.

Meanwhile Liam MacUaid (of Respect Renewal, who are not running a Mayoral Candidate) gives you your chance to state your own preferred preferences in the race here.

Press Release From People Against Incineration, Notts

This is the latest press release I have received from People Against Incineration - PAIN - the anti-incinerator group based in Rainworth in Nottinghamshire:

Incinerator threat to human health for miles around

Nearly 200 people packed into the Rainworth Village Hall on Wednesday night (12th March) to hear Dr. Dick van Steenis talk about health problems caused by waste incinerators. The event was organised by the Rainworth-based People Against incineration (PAIN). Dr. van Steenis explained how the proposed incinerator would cause premature death and serious illness, including asthma, clinical depression and heart problems.

A scientist and medical doctor with decades of experience told the audience that incineration is not the best available method for dealing with waste. He pointed to studies from DEFRA and others showing that the tiny particles (between 1 - 2 microns) have been proven to cause a range of fatal illnesses, and even the most modern incinerators are not equipped with filters capable of capturing these microscopic particles. These life-threatening emissions are strictly controlled in other countries, including the US since 1997, but are currently unregulated and unmeasured in the UK.

Dr. van Steenis urged the Public health director, Chris Kenny, not to sign any documents that would allow an incinerator to be built. “This would be like signing a death warrant for the very people whose health he is paid and legally obliged to protect” says van Steenis.

PAIN members and supporters were told of a Harvard university study showing that health damage is spread over a 7-mile area for every 100 feet of chimney. Veolia’s proposals would endanger the health of anyone living or working within 17-miles of Rainworth.

The entire presentation, along with the extended question and answer session, was recorded to be made available as a DVD. If you are interested, please contact shlomo.dowen@p-a-in.co.uk

The event attracted much-needed donations and many new members to the local anti-incineration campaign group. PAIN Membership Secretary, Newark and Sherwood District Councillor, Allen Tift, said: “The group is just getting into its stride, growing stronger by the day. Our arguments are getting stronger too, thanks to the hard work of our legal and research team and the information provided by knowledgeable guest speakers like Dick van Steenis”.

PAIN’s next meeting, open to the public, takes place on Thursday 20th March from 7PM at The Potters, Kirklington Road, Rainworth. All are welcome to attend.

A petition has recently been started on the subject of PM 2.5 and below particles here - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AirQuality/

Save Victoria Baths!

No apologies for the local East Midlands flavour of the blog this week - there are a lot of things going on around here!

Nottingham City Council is currently coming under pressure from workers and service users in a variety of areas. One is the issue of uniforms for library staff that I mentioned in my 17th February blog entry - the issue is covered in this Indymedia post.

A campaign is also being fought to oppose the City Council's plan to close Victoria Baths. The City Council Executive Board meet on Tuesday 18th March and if they vote to close the Victoria Leisure Centre it could be shut down by the end of Easter.

The campaign website is http://www.savevictoriabaths.org.uk/

Please support the campaign by signing the petition, writing to your councillors, joining the mailing list and attending the public demonstration on Tuesday 18 March 2008 at 1.30pm in Market Square.

Nottingham City Council announced their proposal to close Victoria Leisure Centre on Friday 8 February. On Tuesday 19 February the Council's Executive board voted for the closure of the Leisure Centre in principle. They have now allowed for a month long period of consultation with local residents and Leisure Centre users before they meet again to make a final decision on about its fate on Tuesday 18 March 2008.

Jon Collins, Leader of the Council assured us that this consultation period is not a ‘façade’, as some people have speculated, and that they are a 'listening council' who will take our views into consideration when making their final decision. The land has not already been sold and it is not a foregone conclusion that the Leisure Centre will close!

We cannot stress enough the importance of making your views known to the Council between now and Tuesday 18 March 2008, to help us save our much loved Leisure Centre!

Remember that Nottingham City Council tried to close Victoria Leisure Centre once before in 2000 and that a campaign run by local residents and Leisure Centre users successfully managed to convince the Council to keep it open. We’ve done it once before and we can do it again, but only with your help!

Dodgy Lib Dem Deeds In Nottinghamshire

Liberal "Democrat" councillors in Ashfield have agreed a plan to build a "refuse derived power station" (i.e. waste that has been formed into "briquettes") in Kirkby-in-Ashfield using their delegated powers and avoiding public scrutiny and the planning committee. Is this the true face of Clegg's new Orange-Book-rightist dominated Lib Dems revealed?

The waste incinerator cum power station is planned to incinerate 72,000 tonnes of "briquetted" waste per year and put the population and environment both locally and downwind at risk. This is of course in addition to the 180,000 to 210,000 tonne per year County incinerator planned for the old Rufford Colliery and the existing Eastcroft incinerator in Nottingham. Notts could become an incineration hotspot!

Alarmingly, the first person to comment on the local Chad newspaper website was a representative of the local BNP, so it seems as well as bringing local democracy into disrepute councillors Smith and Madden are also giving succour and ammunition to democracy's enemies.

Read the first report of the horrible story here

PAIN (fighting the Rufford proposals and having a meeting this Wednesday 12th at 7pm at Rainworth Village Hall with speaker Dr van Steenis), NAIL (fighting Eastcroft) and principled members of the anti-landfill campaign in Ashfield (those who also oppose the false solution of incineration) must come together to fight for a sensible waste policy and oppose those politicians who are suspiciously close to the profiteering waste companies.

Blogs and Links on Sunday 17/02/08

After being a little late last week due to writing up the Campaign Against Climate Change TU Conference, I am now back to the regular Sunday appearance of my links.

Blogs
Speaking of the CACCTU conference, there are photographs from a Green Party Trade Union Group participant at the Green Party TU Group blog.
A new ecosocialist blogger from Birmingham has also blogged on the conference and I am pleased to add the new blog, redgreen reflection to my links column.

I have also added a couple of other blogs to the links, the quirky and infrequent Durruti Column and Liam Mac Uaid's blog for a view from the left of Respect Renewal.

Meanwhile Green Left supporter Peter Tatchell recently blogged on the situation in Pakistan and the regime's US backed assault on the people of Baluchistan.

Some excellent stuff over at former Green London Assembly member Noel Lynch's blog The Green Room, with posts on the Mayoral hustings, lone parent income support restrictions, "greener" vehicles, and the Green candidate in the 3rd March Highgate by-election in London.

Workplace and Union Struggles
The IWW and various other groups have organised a series of workshops on 22nd March in London on "How To Enforce Your Rights at Work". More info from Hackney Independent and London Coalition Against Poverty here.

Wildcat action secured a quick win and management return to negotiation on the bins in Brighton this week.

Nottingham City Council are trying to force some of their library staff into uniform against their will and at public expense - let them know how you feel (particularly if you are from Nottingham) here.

The RMT have warned of possible action over pensions at Network Rail, in Birmingham the unions have announced 26th February as the next day of action against the actions of the City Council and members of the offshore workers OILC have voted to merge with the RMT.

International
The President of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions is scheduled for a UK speaking tour from the end of the month into March. More info on dates etc here.

6th March 2008 is scheduled as a day of solidarity with jailed and repressed workers in neighbouring Iran, where union organisers Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi are imprisoned and in ill health.

In Ireland, Green Party ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley faces a potentially embarrassing High Court challenge over a decision made by his predecessor to allow the M3 motorway to be built over an historic site near the Hill of Tara.

A Venezuelan representative addressed the England and Wales Green Party Conference earlier this week about their conflict with US oil giant ExxonMobil - more here.

Green Politics

Derek Wall gave his keynote speech to the Green Party Spring Conference in Reading, by all accounts a stirring one.

By all accounts Sian Berry gave a very good account of herself in the "Green Alliance" hustings for London Mayoral candidates. I particularly liked her introduction -

"First I'll speak for five minutes and tell you about my ideas. You've heard them before, they're the Green policies - things that will build a London that is not only a greener place, but also a better, more affordable place to live.

Then, after me, these men will stand up in their suits and agree with me."

The Lib Dems must be worried as they launched a nasty and inaccurate attack piece through former Clegg adviser Blincoe on Guardian CIF.

PFI Leading To Rip-Offs - What A Surprise!

The National Audit Office have reported that PFI schemes are leading to massive variations in the amounts being charged to schools and hospitals financed under such schemes for minor repair work.

In one example the NAO found charges for installing plug sockets ranging from just over £30 to £302.30!

The benchmark figure suggested by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors for installing an electrical socket is between £51 and £103.

This is of course all in addition to the fact that PFI schemes are usually a rip off for the public anyway, as the case is that if the money had been loaned in the public sector the work would be cheaper in the long term.

Here is the Unison union information page on PFI projects, and here is their "Positively Public" campaign.

Greens Back Workers Against Birmingham City Council

The following is a news release from the Green Party of England and Wales :

Green Party commits total support to Birmingham City Council workers

Restructuring always means misery for workers

Public protest at Birmingham City Council offices - Saturday 12th January, Midday.

Green Principal Speaker Dr Derek Wall today led Green Party support for the 40,000 Birmingham City Council employees being dismissed and forced to re-apply for their jobs.

Despite overwhelming opposition from Trade Unions the City Council intend to make employees re-apply for their old positions, often on lower terms and worse conditions. The Council is also embarking on a massive programme of outsourcing many frontline services. Crucial public service posts like finance, HR & customer service points have already been outsourced to Capita, with more decisions planned.

Dr. Wall said:

'"I condemn Birmingham City Council's plans to dismiss and re-employ all 40,000 of their workers on new and presumably lower pay grades. Unison has the 100% support of the Green Party in opposing these measures and Birmingham Green Party is mobilising to support their protest. Privatising jobs is the essential message here and we need to prevent it occuring.

"It seems PFI has once again reared its ugly head.

"Flexible labour markets are defended in terms of cost gains and efficiency but they always mean pay cuts and insecurity. Restructuring always means misery for workers. Green politics is about social justice but Birmingham City Council are attempting to push down pay and reduce security for their workers. This most be resisted.

"I urge people who believe in fair workers' rights to attend the planned public demonstration outside Birmingham City Council offices on Saturday."

The following is from Birmingham City Council's Joint TUs:

What you can do!
* Send support & Branch Banners for the Mass Rally on Saturday 12th January 12-1.30, Victoria Square, Birmingham
* Circulate & encourage members to sign the petition available from Birmingham Unison
* Write to the leader of Birmingham City Council registering your concern about their proposals.

If you wish to receive further information about the campaign & dispute please remember to include your E-mail address in any communication.

Yours in solidarity
Caroline Johnson
Unison Assistant Branch Secretary on behalf of Birmingham City
Councils Joint Trade Union's (T&G, Amicus, Unison, GMB, UCATT)
---

Write to Birmingham UNISON Local Government Branch
c/o 3rd Floor Albany House
Hurst Street
Birmingham
B5 4BD
Tel: 0121 622 8700

You can write to the Leader of BCC, Cllr. Mike Whitby (Tory) at:
Birmingham City Council
Council House
Victoria Square
Birmingham
England
B1 1BB

His email address is Mike.Whitby@birmingham.gov.uk

Equal Pay Fiasco Reveals Choice For Workers

The ongoing process around the implementation of “equal pay for work of equal value” in local government in this part of the world is continuing to cause all sorts of unforeseen problems. Various groups of workers are very disgruntled about the situation, which in many cases around the country is leading to disastrous pay cuts for some and substantial rises for others. What was hailed by management, unions and government as something leading to more equality and as a good example of “partnership unionism” in action is leading to division and anguish on the ground.

In my local area for example, there have been mass resignations from local government Union Unison as low paid women white collar staff face pay cuts that in many cases will mean they cannot afford to stay in their jobs. There is a wave of anger against what is seen as a stitch up between the local authority and the Unions (chiefly Unison and GMB – both Labour Party affiliated and vulnerable to the accusation of yellow unionism when facing Labour local authorities and a Labour government.) I speak as a Unison member myself, albeit not employed in local government at the moment.

This all seems to be a somewhat inevitable result of the established social democratic TUC affiliated unions’ stance and approach. Instead of militant defence of all workers’ interests, (supporting each group of female workers to fight against differentials that could be argued to be gender based and leaving the employers to sort out the financial aspects and take the heat for any negative consequences), the main local government unions have fully cooperated with the process, waving their commitment to “equality” and “feminism” as ideological justification. The unions have gone along with typical management-consultants-style job evaluation exercises and a legalistic approach. Hence, when the Councils say that they are proposing pay cuts as part of the process, and possible job losses, and when the government simply will not pay up, but only allows councils more borrowing to get themselves in more difficulty (and incidentally continue to aid the private sector to get its claws into local government services) the Labour-affiliated unions are tied in and implicated - and left exposed to face the wrath of their members.

With many workers in local government this has been the straw that broke the camel’s back. It is sickening enough to get the likes of “Unison Labour Link” propaganda delivered through your door (unasked for even when you are not a subscriber to the affiliated political fund) at election time - when you face cuts, privatisation and attacks on conditions from administrations led by the very same Labour Party. To then have your union stitch up a deal that leads to victimisation (ironically in some cases of low paid women workers, who we were told that this was all about), division and further cuts leaves many workers in local government angrily demonstrating against their own unions as well as the employers.

It is now time for a return to the kind of workers organisation in the public sector and elsewhere that fights for the interests of all its members, does not depend on legalistic strategies and does not tug the forelock to management or fund their political organisations. It is the time for rank and file organisation in the existing TUs and for building up networks and unions through the IWW (who allow dual card membership to avoid isolation of activists in workplaces organised by TUC unions). We must get together within the existing unions where necessary and outside them where possible. This kind of militant industrial unionism is fortunately also the type of organisation best suited to organise the now largely unorganised part time, casual, migrant and hyper-exploited sectors of the workforce. It was amongst these sections of workers that the original IWW in the USA spread and developed in the days before the cataclysmic wars of the last century.

2008 should see redoubled efforts from syndicalists, industrial unionists and rank and file activists to get their message across and help a new generation of workplace militants organise in Britain. The sell outs and stitch ups by the leaderships of the bureaucratic unions in their last citadels of mass membership (the public sector) should act as a rallying cry for a different and more effective form of organisation across sectors the labourist unions either milk or ignore.

The appeal of radical industrial unionism is growing on a global scale as we see the conditions that existed in America and Europe during the early days of the movement reproduced worldwide by neo-liberal globalisation. It is perhaps significant and appropriate therefore, that IWW members have just voted to hold their first main assembly outside of North America – in London. Hopefully this will provide an opportunity for contact between delegates from many of the exciting new and renewed syndicalist and industrial unionist groupings from around the world.

Internationally society and economies are changing rapidly, and tried and trusted methods and approaches to struggle have renewed relevance in the face of the global challenges faced by working people. In 2008 as before, but with the added urgency of threats from climate change and war, we have a world to win and nothing to lose but our chains.

Support Fremantle Care Workers!

The following is from Labourstart ("Where trade unionists start their day on the net") about the Fremantle Care Workers dispute in North London:

On 1 April 2007 Fremantle Trust cut low paid care workers pay by up to 30%. The workers were told -- "accept these terms or be sacked"! The members involved in the dispute provide residential and day care to the elderly and vulnerable residents in Barnet's old peoples' homes, in north London. Fremantle Trust is a not-for-profit company that took over care home contracts five years ago. The cuts include lower wages, increased hours, no sick pay, shorter holidays and reduced payment for working unsocial hours. Even pensions to which contributions have been made during the workers' service are to be dramatically cut by more than one third. In response to these attacks our members voted to take strike action. Care workers need to be properly trained, decently paid and most importantly, valued members of society. This is an all too familiar story of privatisation, where companies pledge to keep delivering the same service but under-cut the in-house provision by attacking the conditions of the workforce. UNISON is asking for the widest possible support for the Fremantle workers. It’s not just about pay and conditions – it's about dignity and respect.

Labourstart has a letter that you can send to the Fremantle Chief Executive supporting the care workers and demanding that she reverse her decision reducing pay and conditions here.

Sian Berry Selected As Green London Mayoral Candidate

Greens in London have selected female Principal Speaker and fellow Green Left supporter Sian Berry as Mayoral candidate.

The BBC report it here.

Sian has launched her campaign with an exposure of the lack of joined up green thinking behind the Tories' much-hyped conversion to the cause.

Here are the 'top ten Tory eco-cons' -

Top Ten Tory Eco-Cons
1 Support for nuclear power
2 Support for new roads
3 Support for aviation growth
4 Opposition to EU green schemes
5 Axing environmental regulations as "red tape"
6 Opposition to congestion charging
7 Support for incineration of waste
8 Support for tax cuts for super-consumers
9 Support for low taxes for the most polluting multinational businesses
10 Support for Trident over tackling climate change

Elsewhere, Green London Assembly member Jenny Jones comments on the Cameron-Brown tussle over who was greenest that erupted yesterday.

More on the Camden Anti-Cuts Campaign

I have just received the following additional information on anti-cuts campaign activities in Camden -


No Cuts in Camden!

Lobby the Council from 6pm -- Wednesday 21 February 2007



Come and support deputations to Camden’s Executive from disabled people, Save Kilburn Grange Play Centre, UNISON



*** Kilburn Grange Play Centre will be bringing the after-school club to the Town Hall from 6pm ***

Camden Town Hall, Judd St WC1
Wheelchair accessible
All welcome including children

On 21 February, councillors on the Executive will agree the budget to go to full Council on 28 February. In the most serious cuts for years, Camden councillors aim to take £23 million from Council and community services. We, other community groups and Council workers oppose these cuts which will have a devastating impact on the whole community.



As women with disabilities, pensioners, mums, immigrants, low-income people facing discrimination, we rely on homecare and day centres, welfare rights help, advice and legal services, translation, play centres, housing services and support. Home helps employed by Camden are worried they could lose their jobs in a switch to 100% private agency staff. Councillors plan to raise Council rents as well as charges for meals on wheels (poor-quality frozen meals) and other services.



This is our money; it should go into people´s care. We must stop it being taken from us to pay for war and other policies which inflict death and disabilities.



Come to the meeting to show how many of us oppose these cuts in basic necessities of life. People are losing services now – we want more, high-quality services and care.



Wed 28 February: March and lobby called by Camden UNISON

5pm Meet at Cobden Statue, Camden High St (near Mornington Crescent)

5.30 March to Camden Town Hall (minibus to ride down being arranged)

6-7 Lobby outside Camden Town Hall, Judd St

Bring your placards and banners.