Tuesday 26 October 2010

UNFAIR UNSAFE.

   
   
     What is it like living under a control order? This is from LIBERTY.
   
     Under a control order you might never know the accusation against you and never have the chance to clear your name. How would that feel?



      In February 2010 we spoke to a young man called Cerie Bullivant and he gave us a moving account of what life under a control order is really like:

      “It became impossible to live an ordinary life. As more and more restrictions and conditions were added, normal activities like working and studying became impossible. Not only did inflexibility of the hour that was set for the daily signing in make it difficult – between noon and 1pm – but any places of work or study had to be vetted by the Home Office. What employer is going to take the risk of hiring someone on a control order! Your life is no longer your own – you can’t plan anything."


     “It’s true I breached the control order a number of times – mostly for signing in late. Everyday I would have to travel to a particular police station to sign in. It wasn’t my local police station – it had to be a 24hour station, even though I had a set one hour period to sign in. Often the police station would be busy and I would have to wait in a queue – one of my ‘breaches’ for being late happened as I was standing in the police station waiting to sign in!”

      “After a year on the control order I tried to study mental health nursing – because of my experience of mum’s illness I thought I’d be good at it. However, the CRB check wasn’t coming back and the College were suspicious - also the daily sign in time made it impossible for me to attend class on time – and they wouldn’t let me change the time I had to sign in. In the end, it was impossible – I had to give it up."

       “More and more restrictions were added to my control order; I couldn’t work, I couldn’t study, I couldn’t plan anything, friends had turned against me, the pressure had caused my new wife to leave me. I felt isolated. I became really depressed; I was having nightmares, and would wake up in the night terrified, thinking the police were at my door.”


      Why not read Cerie’s full story and add your name to our petition to end control orders by visiting our  Unsafe Unfair campaign page.


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Thursday 21 October 2010

THERE IS A BETTER WAY.

      
      On Saturday 23 October there will be a massive demonstration and rally in Edinburgh against the cuts. It is important that we the ordinary people show our anger at the millionaire's attack on our living conditions. This onslaught against the working class is not because the millionaires are sadistic prats that want to hurt the poor, nor is it because they are stupid and got their calculations wrong. Nor is it about balancing the books, good housekeeping or about reducing the "deficit", this is a set agenda, it is about the transfer of public assets to the corporate world. It should be seen for what it is, it is class war. Starve the councils of funds and they will not be able to provide the services the community needs. Libraries, swimming baths, leisure centres, nursery schools, museums, sports grounds, etc. will all be up for closure. Lo and behold, in will come the white knight in shining armour, the private sector, ready and eager to supply you with everything you want or need, ---at a profit to them of course, with you having no control over the where and when and how. Quite simply it will be a case of no money, no facilities, you will of course still be able to apply to a charity to help you out, assuming that there is one that can see to your particular needs. The corporate world will provide everything from cleansing, pay by the kilo for your rubbish to be collected, pay by the litre for your water, we already have private prisons, why not education, health, policing, sports and leisure facilities?
      This is such an important issue that it will not be enough to march from A to B waving your banners, shouting your polite slogans at the selective deaf, and of course escorted by your friendly community police, still publicly financed but could soon be a private force. Remember the anti war demonstrations of 2003 when they completely ignored you and went in and blew Iraq back to the stone age with their "shock and awe"? We need to come up with different strategies, think back to the 1915 rent strikes, the first world war Clyde Workers Committee, the Poll Tax struggle the Upper Clyde Work-in. All mass grassroots movements that worked outside the usual party system, communities organising in federation with all other communities. We don't need to beg for more crumbs we have the power and the resources to create a just and fair society. The millionaire cabal and their masters the corporate world, are working as a united force to change the shape of society forever to their benefit. As a united force we, the ordinary people, can change the shape of society forever to our benefit and create a society that sees to the needs of all our people, sending the pampered millionaire parasites to the dustbin of history.  
     This attack by the millionaire parasites on our class is our opportunity to create the foundations for the "BETTER WAY". 
      There will be several of our Red and Black flags at the march, why not join us and show that we will be thinking outside the party political system and are determined to find that "BETTER WAY".
     
  
There is a Better Way - March and Rally

Edinburgh 23rd October 2010
11.00 am: Assemble East Market Street Edinburgh
11.30am: March off
12.30 pm: Rally Ross Bandstand

       The STUC has called a massive demonstration against the public spending cuts in Edinburgh on Saturday 23 October under the slogan There Is A Better Way. Asylum seekers and refugees will be targeted by the Government. Racism and Islamophobia will be dusted down from their war work and used to drive a wedge between people. The cuts will be accompanied and supported by nasty and dangerous scapegoating.

Please join the demo.

To help with banners and placards (if you live near Edinburgh) phone 07791913316 or email edinburghstw@tiscali.co.uk
More about the demo
Buses to the Demo.


Many trade unions and trades councils are organising buses to the demo. It may be worth contacting them even if you aren't a member

 
EIS Glasgow
Glasgow EIS have three buses booked to go to the march, leaving from George Square at 9.30am and returning from Edinburgh at around 2.30 pm. contact glasgowla@eis.org.uk
 or phone 0141 572 0550, leaving name, number of seats needed and the name of their associated school, college, service, playgroup, university, community group, etc.


Inverclyde LA (EIS)

Bus leaves from Gourock 8.30am, Greenock 8.40 am, Port Glasgow 8.45am and Paisley 9.10 am.
Contact Tom Traceymailto:inverclyde@eis.org.uk


South Lanarkshire EIS

Four Buses, all depart 9am leave Edinburgh 2.30 pm

Lanark - at the bus stance at the bus station

Hamilton - Beckford Street across from Courts

East Kilbride - Atholl House

Rutherglen - Stonelaw High, Community Wing Entrance

All welcome

To book seats phone Bill Ramsay Secretary South Lanarkshire EIS 01698 452769


City of Aberdeen Unison

Inverurie 7.00am, Aberdeen 7.30am, Stonehaven 8.00am
Buses are free to Unison members, family and friends. Places can be reserved by contacting Wendy Hudson w.hudson@unison.so.uk or on 01224 620624

City of Dundee Unison

Leaving from “The Howff, Meadowside 9.30 am


City of Glasgow Unison

UNISON Office, 18 Albion Street, Glasgow, 9.30am
Members wishing to book should e-mail enquiries@glasgowcityunison.co.uk


South Lanarkshire Unison

Atholl House, East Kilbride at 9.30, Council Offices, Hamilton at 9.45.
To book a place contact South Lanarkshire UNISON on 01698 454690.


West Dunbartonshire UNISON and joint trade unions

The buses will leave at approximately 9.00 am from the following departure points:- Balloch Bus Stance, Alexandria CE Centre, Renton Health Centre, Dumbarton Central Station, Dumbarton East Station, Bowling Station, Old Kilpatrick, The Ettrick and Clydebank Town Hall. Members wishing to reserve a seat should contact Linda on 01389 737246

or email unison@west-dunbarton.gov.uk indicating numbers and preferred pick up point



Inverness Unison

Bus leaves Inverness (Highland Council Headquarters rear car park, Glenurquart Road) at 7 am.
The bus leaves Edinburgh at 4 pm.
Please contact Liz Mackay, UNSON on unisonhighland@btconnect.com,
or telephone 01463 715891



Kilmarnock and Loudoun TUC
Kilmarnock: A bus is leaving John Finnie Post Office Kilmarnock on Saturday October 23 at 9.30am .
Contact Arthur West on 07803936228 to book seats or
 e-mail arthurwest@btconnect.com
Bus organised by Kilmarnock and Loudoun Trades Union Council. .


Aberdeen TUC

Aberdeen TUC Marsichal College, Broad Street, Aberdeen, 7.30am


North Lanarkshire TUC

Bus will leave from the COMMUNITY Union Building, Motherwell at 8.30am and should return about 17.00pm. Due to cost a donation will be taken on the bus.

Contact Hugh Gaffney hugh.gaffney@yahoo.co.uk




Unite the Union

Aberdeen, Marsichal College, Broad Street, Aberdeen, 7.30am Tommy.Campbell@unitetheunion.org

Dundee, Unite, Dundee Office, 110 Blackness Road, 9.30 am Colin.Coupar@unitetheunion.org

Glasgow, Blytheswood Square, 9.00am Jackson.Cullinane@unitetheunion.org *

Scottish Borders: 8.00 am - Hawick Market Street.; 8.30 am - Galashiels - Bus station; 9.00 am Peebles - Post Office, Main Street.

Gillian.McKay@unitetheunion.org

Unite members should book seats by contacting the named official for each bus


Glasgow GMB

There will be a bus available on Saturday, 23rd October for Organisers/Members who wish to travel to the Demo from Glasgow. There are 70 seats available.

The Bus will depart from Fountain House at 9.30 am on Saturday, 23rd October and will return to Fountain House immediately following the demonstration.

If any Organiser/Member wishes to book a seat on the bus please e-mail these names to Ellen Page at
ellen.page@gmb.org.uk


Glasgow General Apex Branch

Departs STUC, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6NG at 9.00 am, Returning 4.00 pm

Members wishing to book seats should email kbuchanan@stuc.org.uk



Check for transport updates at http://www.thereisabetterway.org/buses-23-october-edinburgh

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Tuesday 19 October 2010

YOU CAN'T EAT MONEY.

       
        This article first appeared on annarky 1 blog on April 6 2010 but I think it is worth repeating. It is just one field where the big money funds manipulate and speculate to increase their wealth at the expense of the ordinary people. Crisis after crisis is inflicted on the ordinary people to the benefit of the pampered parasites that feed of the people, all in the name of profit, it is called capitalism.
    
         "Over the last year we have seen food prices rise at an alarming rate with the pundits pointing in all directions as the possible area to blame. It is drought and other adverse weather conditions, it is the increase population, it is the bio-fuel drive, it is increase demand from the growing middle class in China and India and so they go on. There is absolutely no doubt these factors do play a part in the increase but what is driving the prices up quicker than any other factor is undoubtedly the speculators, “non commercial traders” as they are called in the financial circles.
        Before 2007 the percentage of trading in the world’s food markets controlled by speculators was about 12%, today it is 43%. That is a lot of extra money being pushed into the food market with the result that prices start to rocket. What we are talking about is greed little people with millions scurrying around looking of ways of turning their millions into billions and they don’t give a damn of the consequences to the rest of us. The other bunch of greedy speculators that are pushing the price of food through the roof are of course the speculators in the oil futures markets. We live oil, as it its price goes up so does food transportation, fertilisers and the energy required to process that food. These two groups are holding the world’s population to ransom in their quest for ever more millions for themselves and their shareholders.
       In 2007 before the prices started to shoot up there were 800 million people on this planet who could not get enough to eat, with the daily increases in prices this figure is also shooting up dramatically. We are now hearing of food riots in countries across the globe, the speculators are starving the world in an attempt to increase their already over abundant wealth. Our political “Leaders” are meeting here and there in capitals across the world and making noises but they don’t have the muscle nor the will to control the big corporate greedy beast that is devouring our planet.
       While those government representatives are uttering vacuous mush on the subject the developed governments are subsidising one of the elements of the price increases, bio-fuel. It is stated that by 2017 40% of the maize production in the US will be for bio-fuel. This will certainly increase the speculators wealth and will certainly help keep the internal combustion engine going but will do nothing but more harm to that ever growing, starving multitude of 800 million+ .
      This is the capitalist system, it is not set in tablets of stone, it is not the only way to organise our societies, it is a man made system that fosters greed in parallel with poverty. It can be removed and a fairer and more humane system set up in its place if the people so desire."
 
       Only when we organise to finally put the parasites and their greed driven system in the dustbin of history will we ever see an end to the suffering of millions of hungry people.

Saturday 16 October 2010

500 STRIKERS ARRESTED.



         This post from LabourStart should be acted on by as many as people as possible across the world. If India as one of the worlds largest industrial areas can lock up strikers without a murmer from the rest of the world it will become the pattern. Workers conditions in the developing countries are poor to say the least, to be imprisoned for struggling to improve them must be seen as a crime. Of course history tells us, that is the way capitalism works, in partnership with the state.

 
        The arrest of one worker whose only crime was to go on strike -- that's reason enough to get angry, and to protest and campaign. But what do you do when 500 workers are arrested?
That's the situation today in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where some 500 workers have been jailed following their strike against electronics manufacturer Foxconn.
That name should ring a bell -- Foxconn's Chinese factories were the scene of a series of worker suicides earlier this year.
In the next few hours and days, we need to flood the offices of state officials with the demand that all the jailed workers be released.

Please do two things right now:

Send off your message HERE
Spread the word in your union -- let's mobilize thousands in support of this campaign! 

Thanks - and have a great weekend.   Eric Lee  LabourStart.

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Tuesday 12 October 2010

THEY LOOK DIFFERENT, BUT--!!!

An image from an old Black Flag magazine, Vol.VII No.3 1983.
.
                                                                                                        Future cop. 

Nice cop.                            Not nice cop.                  Nasty cop.
Found in tourist spots  Has a degree in              Enjoys brutality
and leafy suburbs        harassment, expert          found in hordes at
helps old ladies find     in leaping from vans        peaceful demos,
the Post Office.        while wielding trucheon.  being cloned rapidly.

  It is amazing that there are still people out there who think that the police are there to catch muggers and burglars and fail to see that they are the states minders. The police are the step down from the military in protecting the establishment, its wealth and its power. The little bit about protecting you from the mugger is just a sort of spin-off. It keeps them in shape for their real duty, to keep you in your place.
      The picture below is from 1984 and shows you what community policing is all about. It was taken from the magazine Black Flag Vol VII No.7 1984. It was in Armthorpe in England 22nd. August 1984, (1984 dadadada). Why were they there? Well some miners were on strike to try and save their jobs and you can't have that. Today's public sector workers be warned, that nice cop who stands outside the council offices and gives you a smile as you enter and leave, you could meet him in a different role.
      
                                                                                                                                
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Saturday 9 October 2010

WE'RE BANKSTERS, WE DON'T OBEY NO STINKING LAWS.

I fell in love with this photo and headline I saw on Politics in the zeros site so I pinched them both. Hope you don't mind Bob.

         Cuts, cuts, cuts, we’re all in this together!!! Or so the crap goes. We all have to tighten our belt, family allowance cut, benefits for the chop, libraries to close, sports centres to close, council workers on the dole, education funding getting a hatchet job and back door privatisation of the health service. Yep, it is all tough going, well except if your a banker. It seems that our city friends have decided to pay themselves a nice little £7 billion bonus package. I suppose that will go some way to making up for the loss of their family allowance. Let’s not forget that we the taxpayers handed them billions of taxpayer’s money to save them going bust. They then tell us we have too much debt and we will have to pay that debt off by getting rid of most of our social services. We pay twice, they get the bonuses. Hollywood couldn’t produce a more ludicrous farce. The problem is, that it is for real. It is real people that are going to end up on the dole, it is real kids that are going to see the education being shredded, it is real communities that are going to see their already minimal social amenities trashed, it is real old people that are going to find there is no care for them, etc. etc. etc.
      The “debt” is just an excuse for the corporate world to push for the privatisation of all social services. It has always been the aim of the corporate world to get possession of all public assets, everything owned by some corporate institution and all services available at a profit to them. No profit, no services, no money, no services. You will of course still be free to appeal to some charity or other when you have needs but not enough money.
      Why do we put up with a system that benefits the top 10% or so of society and screws, plunders, and exploits the other 90% of the people? Isn’t it time we took control of our own lives and told the pampered parasite profit junkies to, go eat your money, we don’t need you or your money. We can surely organise society in a much more fair and equitable fashion based on mutual aid and sustainability, not profit. A society that sees to the needs of all our people is there for the taking, we have all the means at our disposal, all it takes is the will to organise, occupy and take control. Never accept their perpetual mantra, that capitalism is the only game in town. It is not, it is a relatively new man made system of greed, being man made it can be man destroyed. There is an alternative that does not turn man against man but seeks co-operation between all peoples and has as its aim the equal well being of all people. It is called anarchism, anarchists are simple trying to move in that direction. Seek out your local group, join them and we can move much further along that road.
 
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Monday 4 October 2010

WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

      
      As the Cameron/Clegg millionaire twins keep telling us, "We're all in this together." So let's put that into action by supporting the coming event.

Action for Refugee and Migrant Rights conference:
Glasgow, Saturday October 9th* 10am -- 2pm

Venue;
 STUC 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 6NG.

      A networking and action-planning event, bringing together a wide range of groups working for asylum and migrant rights. With discussion groups, workshops, information stands, food.
An event organised by National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, with Church Action on Poverty and the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC).
supported by:
UNITY
Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees
Scottish Detainee Visitors
Medical Justice
Govan & Craigton Integration Network
Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network

    A programme of meetings and workshops will be published soon at http://www.ncadc.org.uk/october9

Food and refreshments will be available. Creche available - * but please contact to reserve a place for your child *
To book childcare, email: angela@gcin.org.uk
For more information, contact:
Michael Collins
Campaigns Coordinator, North
National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns
email michael@ncadc.org.uk
phone 0141 334 1333
 
 
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