Green Party Trades Union Group Conference Next Week

GREEN PARTY TRADES UNION GROUP CONFERENCE
“Can Greens and Trades Unions work together?”

12 July 2008
(10am-6pm)

Venue
Friends' Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton, Sussex BN1 1AF (10 minutes from Brighton BR)
TEL (01273) 770258 website http://www.brightonquakers.co.uk/

SPEAKERS
· Caroline Lucas MEP,
· Tony Kearns (CWU),
· Brighton Unison Speaker

Workshops

a. Migration/ Population policy and International relations (J.Healy)

b. Future strategies for links between Greens and TUs (P. MacCafferty)

c. Disability rights against workfare, (A.Wheatley)

Admission £8 / £4 concs
GPTU contact yrrumuk@yahoo.co.uk

Support Workers at Starbucks

The international day of action called in response to Starbucks' victimisation of union activists in the USA and Spain has taken on a whole new significance in the wake of Starbucks' announcement of mass closures. Seen in the light of this, Starbucks' management actions against independent unions and activists were preparation for a massive attack on a large swathe of the workforce.

Support the global day of action on Saturday July 5th!

More info here - http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/2024

Ingrid Betancourt And Other Hostages Are Free

In a mercifully bloodless security forces operation Ingrid Betancourt and other hostages held by the FARC in Colombia were freed last night. Let us hope that this signals a new era in Colombian politics and that Ingrid (former Presidential candidate for the Green-aligned Party in Colombia) can be a voice for peace, justice and freedom in the days ahead. As the FARC wanes the emphasis must be on the release of all other hostages, cessation of terrorist actions and the cessation of the fascist terror against trade unionists and progressives in Colombia, (that along with the Cocaine trade has fed the cycle of violence and hatred). There must be no repeat of the previous ceasefires and "normalisations" where the fascists and elements of the secret state used the cessation of armed conflict and leftist engagement in the electoral process as an opportunity to massacre former guerillas or anyone unfortunate enough to be seen by them as being on the left.

There is a real opportunity for normal civil society and free trade union activity to resume in Colombia and for openness about the effect of the drugs industry on the society and ecomomy. The hope is that this opportunity will be seized. It will entail an accurate appraisal of the Uribe regime which has hitherto not been on the agenda of many Western regimes and their tame journos who have presented him and the regime as a liberal bulwark against narco-terror rather than something more complicated and dubious, with various connections to the rightist terror and narcotics industry that complete the bloody equation of Colombia today. The West could in theory force Uribe to be more like what he likes to be seen as rather than this dubious reality, but let us not raise false hopes. What is needed is global political pressure, and solidarity with the Colombian people who have had enough of the narcotics dealers and terrorists and their apologists, "left" and right. Whilst Uribe and the dubious Pinochet-esque elements that hide behind him may today revel in the reflected glory of the hostage release operation, and whilst Ingrid and her supporters may be extremely grateful for the action of the security forces that rescued her; a time is coming for a more realistic appraisal of the way forward in Colombia and a popular democratic approach that addresses many of the remaining issues that have driven conflict there.

When this new situation comes about leading elements of the regime may have less reason to be cheerful - let us hope that these elements do not act to sustain the conflict, and the FARC, in an attempt to avoid their own position becoming less secure.

More on the situation from Richard Gott here

Timeline here

Global Greens Resolution from May on Ingrid Betancourt here.
( "Ingrid Betancourt, delegate to the 1st Congress of the Global Greens in Canberra 2001, founder of the Green Party Oxigeno de Colombia, member of the Federation of the Green Parties of America, is nominated President of Honor of the Global Greens and of the Coordination of the Global Green parties.")

NHS Protests This Friday And Saturday

KONP (Keep Our NHS Public) have arranged a protest outside the HQ of the Department of Health on Friday 4th July at 4pm to mark the 60 th birthday of the NHS:

http://greenhealthservice.blogspot.com/2008/06/nhs-protest.html

There is also a rally at 11am on Saturday at the Royal Liverpool Hospital on Merseyside.

In the East Midlands the rally is at the Clocktower in Leicester at 12 Noon on Saturday 5th July.

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.

Weekly Links - 22/06/2008

UK Politics News Stories
Lots of interesting, if sometimes a little depressing, stuff being reported this week. It seems all the millions spent by the climate change denial industry and the busy beaver efforts of their conspiracist right-wing errand boys on blogs and comments sections have not been in vain as a majority of Brits still "doubt the evidence" on climate change. Semi-reasonable comment (albeit from his establishment viewpoint) from Andrew Rawnsley here, but as usual the cynics, pessimists, liars and fascists are out in force on the comments section.

Meanwhile there is to be a much trumpeted "Green Energy Push" in Britain, but George Monbiot has picked out some of the flaws in the plan and its likely implementation. One thing I picked out was the lack of mention of the potential use of biogas from anaerobic digestion of food waste etc - let us hope that this is not a further signal of government "capture" by the big waste companies eager to incinerate 50% of Britain's waste and call this "sustainable" and "green" energy from waste. These firms have just managed to get the tame elements of the EU to pass legislation favourable to their plans in the face of Green opposition.

UK Royal financial reports are due out in the next few days, with the monarchist spin machine presenting it as "value for money" - the campaign group Republic is ready with the facts and arguments for an end to expensive and undemocratic hereditary offices of state. Republic are also running a campaign to challenge the oath of allegiance to the monarch.

Industrial
It is the British Isles Regional Organising Committee (BIROC) of the Industrial Workers Of the World (IWW) meeting this weekend, with preparations well under way for the international General Assembly of the IWW in London at the end of August. Before then, Wobblies internationally will be involved in a mobilisation to highlight the union-busting tactics of Starbucks. IWW members at Starbucks branches in the US have been under attack and now the IWW is linking up for action with the Spanish CNT union and the international organisation they are affiliated to the IWA/AIT (International Workers' Association) as a CNT member in Sevilla has been fired for union activity. The day of action is scheduled for July 5th.

It was the British public services union, Unison, conference this week and as well as warning the governing Labour Party over local government workers' pay they passed a motion on the situation in Palestine.

The RMT (transport) union has its' conference in Nottingham this week and there is a fringe meeting put together by the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group at 1.10pm at the Rope Walk Pub on Derby Road.

Green Issues


Despite all the campaigning by green groups over battery recycling the British authorities have failed to act and now face penalties under new EU legislation.

There is impressive mobilising and campaigning going on against incineration in various parts of the world, including the Basque country where 2000 demonstrated on the streets of San Sebastian last week. There was also a protest in Barcelona, Catalonia, where three weeks ago 1,000 people marched against a project from the Lafarge cement plant to burn different types of waste, including sewage sludge, tyres and solvents. The local "platform" against incineration also collected 6,200 signatures against this project.

Human Rights
The campaign for the freeing of Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine continues, with a new petition. The speech given by actor Danny Glover at a vigil for the campaigner, and for freedom for Haiti is on You Tube here.

There is a demo supporting the long suffering opposition to the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe in London on Monday 23rd June. More from Action For Southern Africa here.

Blogs

Aled has a blog piece on Paul Mobbs' Energy Beyond Oil.

Derek reports that the Greens are likely to run a candidate in the Howden and Haltemprice by-election to give a voice to all those who support the former MP's stance on 42 days detention but vigourously oppose him on just about everything else and so could not bring themselves to vote for him. By voting Green people will be able to register opposition to the detention without trial moves without allowing a socially reactionary and economically neo-liberal Tory to present his party as the sole guardian of our rights and liberties. Elsewhere, Labour Left Dave Osler has taken Tony Benn to task for backing the Tory campaign.

Jack Ray is following the European football, Liam MacUaid and Dave Osler reflect on the anti-fascist event in London on Saturday, and the Socialist Unity blog reports on a call for the abolition of prescription charges.

Bloated Plutocrats Urge Restraint

Grim economic news in Britain today over soaring food and fuel prices and inflation. The refrain from the media commentators and the politicians is the same as ever - "restraint" in working people's pay claims and the monetarist obsession with controlling inflation by forcing working class people to pay for every market difficulty, failure, crisis and slump.

We shall now see whether Thatcherism and its' Blairite continuation have really achieved a permanent hold on the perception of economic interests amongst working people. It has long been encouraging that whilst the yellow media have a certain hold on perception of some political issues like immigration, they have long failed to hoodwink huge numbers over basic economic interests - witness the failure of the Poll Tax. Some of the media even joins in populist attacks on "fat cats" (particularly politicians) awarding themselves huge increases whilst expecting others to cope with rises that do not match inflation.

The attempt by New Labour to force public sector workers to accept pay deals below the real rate of inflation - in the face of massive increases in food and fuel costs - is an attempt to make workers pay for the crisis. It is imposing pay cuts on hundreds of thousands of low paid workers. The rising costs are also impacting heavily on pensioners and claimants, but the government can only continue wittering about welfare "reform". Anger is rising. The Government are widely despised over a whole range of unpopular policies.

All this is a curtain raiser for a longer term and deeper crisis brought on by climate change, resource scarcity and global conflict. The rich and the ruling class the world over will seek to make the poorest and most vulnerable bear the heaviest burdens in this new era. On our side we must begin to organise and fight back. The demand for a "JUST TRANSITION" (to a lower carbon, lower energy, more sustainable and more localised economy) is beginning to be heard more widely - though like "sustainability" the phrase means different things to different people, and we should not expect too much of the TUC, tied as they are to the same Government that is adamant (even at the beginning of the downturn and first ripples of the economic and social Tsunamis to come) that the TUC's members must pay a disproportionate price. Work can be done inside TUC unions, but the task is larger than getting union bureaucracies to voice some watered down demands.

As ever, working people and communities need also to organise independently of political and economic bureaucracies, use their own tactics and strategies and raise their own demands. The rich history of struggle represented by the likes of the IWW is there to be discovered by a new generation.

New Ecosocialist Blog

A big welcome to the Ecosocialist blogosphere to James Caspell whose blog is entitled "La Lutte Continue!"

James' latest post covers the Labour Government yet again acting against the best interests of agency workers.

IWW To Hold Historic Meeting In Notts

The IWW (Industrial Workers Of The World) the member-controlled international radical union organisation is to hold a historic meeting in Nottingham on 21st May with the aim of setting up a new Nottinghamshire General Membership Branch or Group of the Union.

The IWW continues to grow rapidly in Britain and now has over 400 members in this part of the world. These are organisers in workplaces and communities, some holding dual card membership of existing TUC affiliated unions and long histories of activism. The basic idea of the IWW is to organise industrially rather than by craft or trade and to be uncompromising in rejection of business unionism, bureaucracy and sell-outs. As an organisation based on our common class interest as employees rather than the finer points of political programmes the IWW unites workers with a variety of political viewpoints and all workers are welcome provided they agree to the aims and principles and do not seek to use the IWW for the benefit of their own current or party. This is a refreshing atmosphere for those of us used to the sectarian wrangling of much of the British Left. Unity is strength!

Currently the IWW in Britain is heavily involved in the campaign to defend workers and services in the National Blood Service and the campaign to defend Adult Education in Leicester.

Members, rather than officers or full-timers are the backbone of the union. In the current climate, there is a pressing need to organise amongst low paid, exploited and migrant workers as well as to link together the most militant workers in better organised sectors afflicted by unions with a business union or timid Labourist outlook.

The IWW comes with a great history of doing just these things in legendary episodes of North American Labour History, but is now perhaps finally beginning to spread, to fulfill it's early promise to be a truly international "One Big Union" and to rebuild in a globalised and connected world that could make the original vision much more realisable.



Later in the year another historic meeting will take place where the IWW holds a General Assembly outside North America, hosted by the London General Membership Branch. This will hopefully be attended by representatives of various syndicalist, industrial unionist and union base organisations from across Europe and the world. Rampant global neo-liberalism deserves a response on an international level - we need to work towards the building of a counter power to the banks and corporations and their puppet politicians.

The Nottingham meeting is at the Navigation Inn, Wilford St, 7.30pm, Wednesday 21st May. All supporters, members and those interested in building a real alternative and practical suportive network for ourselves are welcome to attend.

Weekly Links 05/05/08

This corner of the blogosphere
Jim at Daily (Maybe) has an excellent round up of green and left responses to this week's election results.

Also on this subject, Septic Isle at Obsolete takes a sober look at why Boris beat Ken.

Meanwhile over at Socialist Unity Blog, Labour left winger Louise looks at the poor Labour performance last week, Phil BC looks at the post-election situation in the Potteries and Andy Newman looks at the relative success of Plaid Cymru.

May Day Events
Lots of May Day events over the last few days. Here is a report and pics from the Nottingham event. West Midlands IWW had a May Day celebration on May Day evening, reported here. There were major confrontations in Istanbul (where the state tried to cruch the demonstrations) and in Hamburg where there was a three cornered fight between fascists, anti-fascists and police. In the US there was a dock strike against the war in the face of legal and bureaucratic opposition.

May Day Greetings, 2008.

May Day greetings to all my readers, particularly those involved in struggle around the world to defend themselves against neo-liberalism, authoritarianism and discrimination.
Solidarity Forever!

Support the Teachers!

Teachers around the country are on strike today over the miserable pay deal offered by the government. They deserve the support of all other workers fighting the advance of neo-liberalism and marketisation. The teachers union, the NUT is mourning the death of its' General Secretary that happened a short while ago, but they are in militant mood. Many teachers that I have spoken to have grievances far beyond the miserable pay deal - in particular the unending tide of bureaucracy and form filling that afflicts much of the workforce in Britain under this hybrid government that is economically neo-liberal and temperamentally Stalinist.

The importance of this dispute and the education sector as an organised part of the labour (small l !) movement is shown by the hostile response of the media (some of whose wet-behind-the-ears journos seem to regard strikes as archaeological novelties from before the age of cosmopolitan consumerist indifference) and the comments of the less guarded representatives of the ruling class like the Daily Telegraph editorial staff and leading Tory back room boys - one of whom has called for the NUT to be "smashed like Thatcher smashed the miners" in order to open the way to the sunlit uplands of a fragmented, part-privatised education system primarily serving the interests of corporations and the right-wing individualist elements of the middle class.

A sweep of the Brit blogosphere on the issue also reveals the deep current of hatred and authoritarianism that runs barely concealed beneath the surface of Jeremy Clarkson land. Whatever working people do that annoys some of these right wing reactionary bloggers has a good chance of being a positive thing in my book.

Beyond this defensive action on behalf of the teachers is the need for a vision of an education system that meets the needs of young people and helps integrate them into a caring and progressive society, rather than treats them as little more than production units and statistics. We need an education system that is a co-operative endeavour between students, teachers and the wider community, not one that is chiefly about churning out dubious data to cover the government of the day's political back. Young people are not lumps of wood to be shaped impersonally into "competitors" in the global marketplace, they are human beings. The fact that the human needs of young people - for companionship, love, goals, common purpose, identity, belonging - are often not being met in the home, in society or in the target-terrorised education setting is one of the main factors in the social problems faced in many parts of Britain. These are the social problems about which all the media and politicians love to alternately wring their hands and sound off about (usually ineffective) crack-downs. The irony is that if those working at the coalface of education, youth and social issues and the young people themselves were consulted in a meaningful way then solutions to many of the educational and social issues affecting young people in this country would become clear very rapidly. The problem is that those solutions would not fit into the neo-liberal economic straitjacket that has been accepted across the political establishment. The tragedy lies in the widespread belief that as Thatcher said "There Is No Alternative", and the opportunity lies in the likelihood that in the bleak economic times to come this belief will be tested to destruction.

Weekly Links - 20/04/2008

Blogging
This week Duncan Money reports on the latest inanities of the leadership of the Oxford Union.
Labour Left bloggers continue their fight against the direction of the party that holds them captive, now in the face of the latest 10p Tax row, commented on by Dave Osler. Susan at Grimmer Up North reports from the coal face.
Derek Wall this week blogged on the campaign of Noel Lynch to join the Greens Darren Johnson and Jenny Jones on the London Assembly.
Green From Below commented sensibly on the latest bad news from European Green parties.

British Politics

The British campaign for the abolition of the monarchy, "Republic" held their Spring Conference in Cardiff this weekend and launched their new campaign to Challenge The Oath.
Republic have also launched a new Republic Scotland website.
Left wing Republicanism should perhaps be centre stage in any new vision for these islands - perhaps Paul Kingsnorth could consider this in the light of his interesting article in the New Statesman this week about the Left and an English Civic nationalism similar to those present in Scotland and Wales. This forgotten initiative from a few years ago may contain ideas towards such a vision.

Preparing for May Day
The London May Day March this year assembles at Noon at Clerkenwell Green on May 1st, and veteran socialist Tony Benn is due to speak at the rally in Trafalgar Square.

A lot of "May Day" events elsewhere in Britain actually take place on the weekend following, or on the Bank Holiday Monday. In the West Midlands, however, the local General Membership Branch of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) are holding a May Day event on May Day itself. They are showing films at the Lamp Tavern, Digbeth from 8 'til late, including Chaplin's Modern Times, the film "An Injury To One" about the slaying of union organiser Frank Little in Montana and film from Birmingham Indymedia on recent social and industrial struggle in the West Midlands. More here.

In the East Midlands, meanwhile, the traditional Chesterfield and District TUC May Day march, rally and celebrations in the market place take place on Bank Holiday Monday, 5th May from 10.30am. Nottingham's May Day march is on Saturday 3rd May.


In the USA there will hopefully be workplace action against the continuing war on May Day.

Unions and Work
Here is a report on the National Blood Service Demo I mentioned last week.
Meanwhile the international solidarity action of the South African dock workers was an example for us all this week.

Green Politics
The Biofuels issue is getting more coverage, particularly as the evidence grows for what Greens, Ecosocialists and many other commentators suggested was likely to happen - food prices pushed up and the poorest hit hardest.
South East MEP Caroline Lucas this week slammed the latest "Green" credential claims of David Cameron and his Tories.

Weekly Links - 13/04/2008

Peace Movement
One of the biggest UK news stories this week has been the stunning victory at the High Court of The Corner House and the Campaign Against The Arms Trade against the Government over the dropping of the BAE-Saudi arms deal inquiry. This has excited much comment across the blogosphere and elsewhere, and is now putting pressure on Gordon Brown to answer serious questions.
CAAT have announced a demonstration outside the BAE AGM on 7th May. They also have an online petition to the Prime Minister. Here is how the High Court victory was reported on the CAAT blog.

Meanwhile, in Wales a demonstration is scheduled for Saturday 26th April about the privatised St Athan Military Academy. Assemble at 1.30pm on the lawns opposite Cardiff City Hall for a March at 2pm.

Workers' Struggles
The teacher's strike planned for 24th April is gaining momentum, and Stroppyblog lists some of the marches and rallies planned around the country on the day. The Green Party Trade Union Group blog has a report from the recent NUT conference by Phillipe Harari, which concludes "this was a great Conference, showing the NUT at its best – united in fighting for a fairer education system within a fairer society."

The Blood Service Workers' demo at the NBS HQ in Watford took place on Friday.



Here are photos from other actions during the ongoing campaign.

In Health, there is much disquiet over the behaviour of Unison representatives in the lastest negotiations, particularly New Labour candidate-to-be, Karen Jennings - more from Martin Wicks' blog here, and Gill George (Unite union NEC member) here.

Green Politics
Green Party Mayoral candidate Sian Berry has blogged her reasons for standing on her New Statesman blog. Her percentage in the opinion polls has significantly improved since the start of the campaign.



Rupert Read has recently blogged a summary of the Norwich Green Party manifesto for the local elections there, where the Greens are challenging to become the main opposition Party. The London Greens also launched their manifesto this week.

International
London Green MEP Jean Lambert this week called for action on human rights in Bangladesh to ensure free and fair elections there. Green Human Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has been speaking out on the situation in Zimbabwe, China and Tibet. Renegade Eye has stimulating posts on Zimbabwe and Lebanon.
Indymedia has a report that armed Canadian coastguards have stormed the Sea Shepherd ship, (in the area to obstruct the seal cull), and arrested the crew. Indymedia also has more news on the repression directed towards Mexico's indiginous community in the Oaxaca area.

Challenging The Market In Education Conference

An important conference organised by the UCU and NUT education unions is coming up in May - I am pleased to play my part in circulating the following information :

Challenging the Market in Education Conference

A Conference entitled ‘Challenging the Market in
Education’ is to be held on Saturday 17 May 2008 at the
Conference Centre, 27 Britannia Street, London, WC1X
9JP.

This conference is organised by UCU and supported by
the NUT and will include contributions from experts in
the field including Professor Dexter Whitfield,
European Services Strategy Unit, Professor Ken Spours,
Institute of Education and Professor Roger Seifert,
University of Keele.

The conference will also feature workshops led by
activists on:

Resisting City Academies
The marketisation and privatisation of higher
education
The Skills Agenda, Train2Gain and private providers
Building grassroots responses and organising around
marketisation
Using the political process to challenge the market
Defending quality and advancing an alternative vision
of education


Challenging the market is a major conference open to
union activists, MPs, councillors, journalists and
anyone interested in the impact of marketisation on
education.



We hope this conference will be a significant step in
developing the unions’ and activists response to the
encroachment of the market and of privatisation in
education.



We want as many people as possible to get the chance
to attend this conference so please circulate this
info.



Space is limited so register now to avoid
disappointment. *CLICK HERE TO REGISTER*:
www.ucu.org.uk/challengingthemarket

Teachers in the NUT are due to strike over pay on Thursday 24th April.

Weekly Links - 06/04/08

Blogs
Jim, at Daily (Maybe) this week launched a survey of readers of his blog on the British political situation and also linked to the "Vote Match" site for the London Election.
On that subject, Liam Mac Uaid this week reported on his left group's statement on the London Mayoral election - calling for a first preference for Sian Berry, the Green candidate.
Duncan Money, one of the bravest current anti-fascist bloggers, reported this week on the latest foot shooting incident of one of the far rightists in London.
In a week that has seen day after day of barely concealed tabloid joy at stories which gave them the opportunity to play on the meanest and basest prejudices, Anton Vowl at Enemies Of Reason took a look at the pit of stench that is the current worst offending tabloid, The Express. At Obsolete, Septicisle also looked at the influence of the tabloid scum on topics such as privacy/data theft and cannabis classification.
Meanwhile, from Ireland, there is comment on Cedar Lounge Revolution blog in the wake of the Bertie Ahern resignation announcement.
From the US, Renegade Eye started a debate on Obama and US foreign policy on Monday.
Finally this week, news that the lefty blogger responsible for high traffic UK blog Lenin's Tomb is going into print.

Activism
Rising Tide called a day of action on polluting energy companies failing to address the challenge of climate change on April 1st, entitled "Fossil Fools Day".
There were a series of actions around the country, including in Nottingham, where E.On were targeted and blockaded, and in London where the Football Association were targetted due to their acceptance of prominent sponsorship by E.On.

Green Politics



Just love those Sian Berry posters!
The Green Party of The United States this week posted election news from Illinois and Wisconsin.
English Green MEP Caroline Lucas this week led a delegation to talk to EU Commissioner (Environment) Dimas about illegal logging and deforestation.

Labour News
Various interesting stories highlighted on Labourstart this week - amongst those catching my eye were a large protest against low pay and corporate greed in Slovenia, continuing industrial unrest amongst Nike workers in Vietnam, and repression of workers struggles in Egypt.

April Industrial Worker Highlights Green Unionism

The April issue of the IWW (Industrial Workers of The World) newspaper, the Industrial Worker is now out and highlights green syndicalism/unionism in a centre spread.

Headlines:

* Puerto Rican teachers defy government
* Scottish college sacks Unison steward, cuts jobs
* Maquila workers denounce NAFTA

Featured Articles:

* Metro Lighting a scab business
* Green unionism
* Review: End of America offers no alternatives, ignores unions

Part of the green spread is a Dan Jakopovich article - Dan has had articles published in British IWW publications and the online US Green discussion journal Synthesis/Regeneration.

As part of their campaign against cuts and closures in the Blood Service in Britain, the IWW are supporting a demonstration outside the National Blood Service HQ in Watford on 11th April :

All-out for big demonstration at Blood Service HQ in Watford! IU 610s, other wobblies and supporters will be visiting the offices to cause a fuss and demand that the head honchos revoke their damaging proposals, democratise the service, and are called to account for their shoddy and dangerous policies.

Bring noise-making implements, banners, placards and loads of friends!

There is also an IWW supported public meeting in Leicester this week (9th April) about the campaign to oppose closures and cuts in Adult Education in Leicester which I blogged on a while ago.

It is good to see the rapidly growing British Isles organisation (BIROC) of the IWW getting stuck in with high profile campaigning. BIROC is happy to be hosting the first IWW General Assembly to take place in Europe, in London this summer.

Green Left to host discussion at left conference on globalisation

Green Left are to host one of the headline discussions at the left conference on globalisation put together by the Morning Star newspaper and sponsored by unions FBU, UCATT, Unite, NUM and others.

Derek Wall is to address the meeting on Climate Change - Ecosocialist Alternatives.

Other items on the agenda of the conference are "Fighting Neoliberalism in the Americas", "Migrant Labour: Good, bad or inevitable?", and "Global Capital and Trade Union Rights"

The conference is scheduled for Saturday 19th April 2008 at Mander Hall, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1 from 9.30am to 4pm. Registration fee is £10 waged, £5 unwaged. Contact address is Morning Star Conference, William Rust House, 52 Beachy Road, London E3 2NS. Cheques payable to PPPS.

Latest Ice Shelf News Underlines Climate Change Campaign Urgency

The latest news regarding the Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica- detailed here, here and here - gives added urgency to the campaign for meaningful action on climate change. With this in mind it is good to see that the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Network continues its' work to alert trade unionists to the dangers and the role they can play in mobilising for action. The following is a model motion from the Campaign Against Climate Change for union meetings, supporting the Campaign and the demonstration against Airport Expansion planned for 31st May -

Model Motion in support of the Campaign against Climate Change (CCC)

This meeting notes:

1) That the level of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere is up one third on that of pre-industrial times: a level higher than it has been for at least 400 000 years.

2) The evidence that human activity is changing the climate is now overwhelming. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that future greenhouse gas emissions are likely to increase average global temperatures by between 2 C and 6.5 C this century.

3) That continued global warming threatens to undermine or even reverse human Progress, as flooding, drought, disease and ecological disruption increasingly affects the world's population. The IPCC notes that the poorest countries will be by far the worst affected by climate change. Ultimately ‘run-away’ climate change threatens a global catastrophe of unimaginable scale.

4) The contradiction between the Government’s stated aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and its practice of expanding roads and airports.

5) The devastating impact a proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport would have on local communities as a consequence of increases in air and noise pollution, and on climate change as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases.

This meeting therefore demands that the UK government immediately scraps all plans to build a third runway at Heathrow airport.

This meeting agrees to:

1) Affiliate to the Campaign against Climate Change (Affiliation fees: National Unions £250 per annum; Districts and Regions £100 per annum; local branches £25 per annum), and help its work with a further donation of £... (cheques payable to Campaign against Climate Change should be sent to Campaign against Climate Change , Top Floor, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX)

2) Send a delegation and banner to the National Demonstration against the third runway at Heathrow at 12 noon on Saturday 31st May 2008.

Aims and Objectives Statement of the Campaign against Climate Change

The Campaign against Climate Change exists to push for the urgent and radical action we need to prevent the catastrophic destabilisation of global climate. The destabilisation of global climate has become the very greatest threat to our planet and everyone on it - with the possible exception only of all-out war with modern weapons of mass-destruction. We do not know how much irreversible damage we have done already but we know that if we do not act now the effects will be many times more devastating still.

1/ The CCC exists to secure the action we need - at a local, national and, above all, international level - to minimise harmful climate change and the devastating impacts it will have. To that end the CCC seeks to raise awareness about the gravity and urgency of the threat from climate change and to influence those with the greatest power to take effective action to do so with the utmost speed and resolution. Where ignorance, short term greed and vested interests stand in the way of the action that is urgently needed, the CCC exists to fight against all of these things.

2/ In particular the CCC brings people together to create a mass movement to push for our goals, including street demonstrations & other approaches.

3/ The CCC seeks a global solution to a global problem
and aims to push for an international emissions reductions treaty that is both effective in preventing the catastrophic destabilisation of global climate and equitable in the means of so doing. To be effective such a treaty needs to secure such reductions in the global total of greenhouse gas emissions as are deemed by the broad consensus of qualified scientific opinion to be necessary to prevent harmful climate change. The CCC aims to campaign against those with the greatest responsibility for preventing or delaying the progress we urgently need towards an international climate treaty.

4/ The CCC recognises that the issue of the destabilisation of global climate has enormous implications in terms of social justice and global inequality. The damage to the earth's atmosphere has so far been done mainly by the rich nations but it is the poorest who will suffer the greatest and most immediately. The CCC recognises that any solution to the problem must be as fair as possible, incorporating principles of social justice and not exacerbating global and local inequalities

5/ The CCC aims to bring together as many people as possible who support our broad aims of pushing for urgent action on climate and reducing global emissions. The CCC does not therefore campaign on the important but more detailed questions of how best to achieve these emission reductions and recognises that supporters will have different and deeply held views on these issues.

Defend Adult Education in Leicester

The IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) are fighting to defend their members, other workers and service users in Leicester, where the local adult education college, LAEC, is under attack.

Here is a message from the IWW in Leicester -

The Adult Education College on Wellington Street in Leicester is under serious attack. It's a sorry tale of privatisation and the destruction of adult education by stealth. Staff have been treated incredibly badly by management, with no consultation or even basic information, and with some staff being told to pack up and move at a moment's notice. Jobs are under threat.

The LAEC job branch of the IWW's education workers' union is spearheading the defence of the college, together with Leicester IWW, midlands region IWW and UCU members at the college. We call on all members of the public, users and students at the college, staff, all unions and community organisations to get involved with the campaign.

First step, sign the petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/LAEC/

Next step, get involved in the campaign, come to the public meeting, back the workers at LAEC and save the college from further destruction and privatisation. Please forward this to any other lists, websites, newsgroups, etc. Spread the message.

We can win this. The IWW spearheaded the campaign to save Crichton campus and we won that one. We can do it again!

An injury to one is an injury to all!

Rob Blow
IWW Midlands Regional Organiser

Here is the text of a leaflet that has been produced -

SAVE LEICESTER ADULT EDUCATION COLLEGE!

You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that something rotten is going on at Leicester Adult Education College. With job losses; staff being re-located; skilled people disappearing; restructuring, with staff having to do more than one job; people who’ve left not being replaced… it all adds up to one thing - Leicester Adult Education College is being set up to fail.

The Incredible Shrinking College
We’ve seen courses being streamlined, other courses disappearing. We’ve already seen the closure and privatisation of the Creative Writing School. The Art Department is visibly shrinking with the loss of one of its three rooms, and now the loss of yet another.

Saatchi & Saatchi, it isn’t!
Courses are not being advertised well; the website was down for ages and has only recently been working again; students were receiving prospectuses late; people have been turned away from art courses when spaces were available; removal of the art display in reception, with bizarre reasons for this given… the list goes on.

It’s good to talk
Management don’t seem to be particularly hot on their communication skills. But it’s obvious to anyone with an ounce of sense that the College is being wound down and made ready for closure - either that, or we’re witnessing wholesale vandalism on the part of management. But has management actually taken the trouble to inform anyone of what’s happening and why? The answer is a resounding no!

As for public accountability…
Leicester Adult Education College is a public institution and a public building, belonging to Leicester City Council. In other words, it’s partly financed by your Council Tax payments. Because of this, you’d expect a degree of public accountability.

So, just who’s been informed of what’s happening at the college? Has there been any public consultation? No. Have staff been consulted? No. Have those trade unions party to recognition agreements been consulted? No. Have students and college users been consulted? No. In fact, student reps are ignored. Are local councillors aware of what’s happening? If they are, they’ve not said anything. So much for accountability then.

So what’s it all about?
As management are so reluctant to inform anybody about what the hell they’re up to, we can only speculate.

· Why all the secrecy? If it’s for the public good, why isn’t management being more transparent with their plans? Why all the ducking and diving?

· Could it be that the college premises on Wellington Street is worth a load of money to the council, who just want to discretely sell it off with the minimum of public fuss?

· Is adult education being privatised? “Partnership” is being touted as the way forward with other non-adult education agencies now being moved into Wellington Street. We suspect this may be quite a lucrative venture for the council.

· What’s actually going to happen with the building? Will there be any actual adult education courses or will they all be shifted elsewhere?

Talking of being shifted elsewhere, art courses are being relocated to Holy Cross church with a view to eventually moving them to New Walk Museum. This move presents a serious health and safety risk, as the tutors are women on their own who will be working in a building where anybody can just wander in. No security will be provided. No first aider will be present either. Also, there’ll be no disability access. While current learners have been accommodated, it will mean discrimination against new learners, who will have to be turned away.

We have no argument with the new “partners” who are taking over the space, but we realise they are not involved in adult education. Moreover, as they are offering advice services and used to operate from a unit in the shires, they can go anywhere and don't actually need to be in a college, nor do they need as much space.

Stop the rot!
Whatever the reasons for all these changes, it’s clear to us that Leicester Adult Education College is being closed on the quiet. It is our intention to put a stop to this.

The IWW union represents various workers at Leicester Adult Education College, who all say enough is enough. This leaflet is the first step in organising a public campaign to fight the closure of the college. We already have the support of other IWW education branches, the Leicestershire general branch and the wider IWW.

Our union has real experience in saving colleges from closure. The IWW recently spearheaded the fight against the closure of the Crichton Campus in Dumfries… and we won!

We call upon members of other trade unions, students and the general public to back us in saving jobs and saving the college. So get involved, join the campaign!


STOP PRESS… STOP PRESS… STOP PRESS… STOP PRESS… STOP PRESS…

Finally on 17 March, staff receive an email from Head of Adult Skills and Learning, Chris Minter, who is “pleased to announce” certain details of the privatisation of Leicester Adult Education College.

Minter tells us that this is “an exciting new opportunity to diversify the use of the college's facilities and income streams and will provide an excellent resource that fits well with our strategic priorities around employability.” In this new multi-agency initiative, Highcross Development Employment Hub is IN, Art and Design is OUT! Art and Design staff will be moved to inappropriate accommodation, some of these workers may well lose their jobs. So, non-vocational education gets the boot, while the kind of jobs training and advice which can be placed literally anywhere in the city gets prime position at the college.

We repeat, there has been zero consultation on this, and Minter’s email is an announcement of a done deal. In fact, the first some staff heard about this was when they were given two days notice to pack up their things for a move to Holy Cross. Students and college users have still not been informed of these plans either.


PUBLIC MEETING
Save Leicester Adult Education College!
Stop the privatisation of adult education and save jobs!
7.00pm on Wednesday 9th April
at Leicester Secular Hall
75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE1
(opposite Sainsbury’s)
EVERYONE WELCOME!

Organised jointly by Industrial Workers of the World LAEC job branch 620, Leicester general members’ branch of the IWW, UCU members and other staff at LAEC.

Contact: IWW, Unit 107, 40 Halford Street, Leicester LE1 1TQ. Tel: 07981 433 637
Email: laec_campaign@iww.org.uk Website: http://www.iww.org.uk

SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/LAEC/