BIG BROTHER, HE'S STILL AROUND.

        Like I keep saying, in this type of society big brother never goes away, it can be the state, it can be the fascist corporate Mafia, or both. Until we get rid of both, we will always have to fight big brother.

From AVAAZ

A new global treaty could allow corporations to police everything that we do on the Internet. Last week 3 million of us successfully pushed back the US censorship bills -- if we act now, we can get the EU Parliament to bury this new threat to all of us:

       Last week, 3 million of us beat back America's attack on our Internet! -- but there is an even bigger threat out there, and our global movement for freedom online is perfectly poised to kill it for good.

     ACTA -- a global treaty -- could allow corporations to censor the Internet. Negotiated in secret by a small number of rich countries and corporate powers, it would set up a shadowy new anti-counterfeiting body to allow private interests to police everything that we do online and impose massive penalties -- even prison sentences -- against people they say have harmed their business.

      Europe is deciding right now whether to sign ACTA -- and without them, this global attack on Internet freedom will collapse. We know they have opposed ACTA before, but some members of Parliament are wavering -- let's give them the push they need to reject the treaty. Sign the petition -- we'll do a spectacular delivery in Brussels when we reach 500,000 signatures:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?vl

       It's outrageous -- governments of four-fifths of the world’s people were excluded from the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations and unelected bureaucrats have worked closely with corporate lobbyists to craft new rules and a dangerously powerful enforcement regime. ACTA would initially cover the US, EU and 9 other countries, then be rolled out across the world. But if we can get the EU to say no now, the treaty will lose momentum and could stall for good.

      The oppressively strict regulations could mean people everywhere are punished for simple acts such as sharing a newspaper article or uploading a video of a party where copyrighted music is played. Sold as a trade agreement to protect copyrights, ACTA could also ban lifesaving generic drugs and threaten local farmers' access to the seeds they need. And, amazingly, the ACTA committee will have carte blanche to change its own rules and sanctions with no democratic scrutiny.

       Big corporate interests are pushing hard for this, but the EU Parliament stands in the way. Let's send a loud call to Parliamentarians to face down the lobbies and stand firm for Internet freedom. Sign now and send to everyone you know:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?vl

         Last week, we saw the strength of our collective power when millions of us joined forces to stop the US from passing an Internet censorship law that would have struck at the heart of the Internet. We also showed the world how powerful our voices can be. Let's raise them again to tackle this new threat.

With hope and determination,
Dalia, Alice, Pascal, Emma, Ricken, Maria Paz and the rest of the Avaaz team

More information:

If You Thought SOPA Was Bad, Just Wait Until You Meet ACTA
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/23/if-you-thought-sopa-was-bad-just-wait-until-you-meet-acta/

ACTA vs. SOPA: Five Reasons ACTA is Scarier Threat to Internet Freedom
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/286925/20120124/acta-sopa-reasons-scarier-threat-internet-freedom.htm?cid=2

What's Wrong With ACTA
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number10.1/whats-wrong-with-ACTA

The secret treaty: Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and Its Impact on Access to Medicines
http://www.msfaccess.org/content/secret-treaty-anti-counterfeiting-trade-agreement-acta-and-its-impact-access-medicines

ann arky's home.

WAR IS BUSINESS, PROFITS OUTWEIGH DEATHS!!!

        Here we go again, the Western “defenders of democracy” are rattling their big sabres. This time it is at Iran. It is rather bizarre the the sabre rattlers are always those with the biggest sabres. The three most vociferous in threatening Iran, USA, UK and France, are in the top four for military budgets. When it comes to the world's military budget the USA is away out in front with a massive 42.8%. Even China, which has a quarter of the world's population is dwarfed by this, coming in with a mere 7.3%, followed by that small island of the coast of Europe, the UK, with a totally disproportionate 3.7% and then France with 3.6%. Iran's percentage is so small it doesn't even register on the chart below.

        We in the West live in a civilization that seems to indulge in endless wars, a civilization that somehow believes that the destruction of other countries, with the resultant thousands of deaths of ordinary innocent civilians is a legitimate answer to a problem. Think of the pretexts offered for our invasion and destruction of Afghanistan and Iraq, think of the number of lives lost and those injured physically and mentally on both sides. Has it been the answer? Can we hold our head up and say “problem solved”? Can we honestly say that the world is now a better place because of the destruction of these two countries, has the hundreds of thousands of deaths of innocent people been justified?

        The reasons being put forward for an attack on Iran is that it is trying to do what we and a host of other nations, including Israel, have already done. We have no proof, just speculation. Is that justification for what would be the death of hundreds of thousands of ordinary innocent people. We would be killing plumbers, bus drivers, gardeners, doctors, typists, teachers, elderly and children, for what? Perhaps the really reason is that we in the West live in a society where war makes unimaginable wealth for the corporate world. A society that is under the control of a military industrial complex, producing wealth and power for that small cabal of billionaire parasites. The same billionaire parasites that hold the “elected” governments of the West in their pocket.

Chart from Informed Comment.

From Stop the war coalition.

STOP THE WAR BEFORE IT STARTS - EMERGENCY PROTEST THIS SAT JAN 28
Hands off Iran and Syria
2 - 4pm, US Embassy
Grosvenor Square
London W1K 2Called by Stop the War Coalition.       Supported by UNITE the Union, War on Want, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Campaign against Sanctions and Military Intervention on Iran, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Goldsmiths Student Union and SOAS Student Union.

        This is the most dangerous moment in the world since 2003. The sanctions on Iranian oil imposed by the EU on Monday are a provocation that could spark a war at any time. Iran's threats to retaliate by closing the Straits of Hormuz were answered on the weekend by US Defence Secretary Panetta saying the US would 'respond' if there was a closure and by US, British and French navy ships sailing through the Straits.

        The new sanctions mark a sharp escalation in an ongoing campaign of cyber attacks, assassinations and US troop deployments in the area all designed to destabilise the Iranian regime. Such a strategy of tension isn't just deeply irresponsible. It shows the argument for war is gaining ground in the west. An article by influential US hawk Mattew Kroenig in the current edition of Foreign Affairs is headlined 'Time to Attack Iran'. His basic argument is summed up in a single subheading: 'Strike Now or Suffer Later'.

       As yesterdays Financial Times pointed out, this approach is making headway. Both US Republican presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich favour an attack. Sections of the British establishment are now talking up confrontation. Meanwhile calls for intervention against Iran's ally Syria are also growing.The echoes of the build up to war on Iraq are loud and clear.
        If you oppose the terrible prospect of a war on Iran or Syria please join the protest this Saturday. Speakers will include Tony Benn, Lindsey German, Roger Lloyd Pack, Abbas Edalat, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Sabah Jawad, Shirin Shafie.

TWEET-OUT TO SPREAD THE WORD, TODAY 12 ONWARDS

       Please help publicise the protest by joining our tweet-out and facebook surge today, starting at 12 noon. Tweet with hashtag  #DontAttackIran, retweet our tweets, share links, share photos and anything else using this same hashtag. Copy us into your tweets if you like using @StwUK so we know what you want us to repost. Also please do include the Facebook event for the protest - http://on.fb.me/yR9Q3i .

If we can get #DontAttackIran trending in London it will be a big publicity boost for the protest.

Join the Tweet-out - #DontAttackIran
Invite friends on Facebook - http://on.fb.me/yR9Q3i
Follow StoptheWar on Twitter - http://twitter.com/STWuk

ann arky's home.

GLASGOW2DETROIT TRAILER.

        Some time back I posted the film, “away ye grow,” made by a bunch of Glasgow people who went to Detroit to see how that city was responding to the usual capitalist crisis of devastatingly high unemployment. Both cities had similarities, both had been industrial giants and in both cases the industry just got up and left, leaving the customary capitalist aftermath of poverty and deprivation. Some of you may have been put off by the fact that it was an hour long movie, though worth every minute of time spent viewing, so here is a wee trailer to whet your appetite.

 

Glasgow2Detroit Trailer from Away Ye Grow on Vimeo.

ann arky's home.

BEYOND RESISTANCE.

        Because of the nature of capitalism and its drive to control every aspect of our lives, we, rightly so, spend a lot of our time in resistance. However, part of the resistance should be looking beyond resistance. Here and now we should be setting up structures, workshops and communities that mirror the society that we want to create. We should be linking up with mutual aid projects, self-help groups, skill sharing and organising within the community to short circuit the system, making our communities more self reliant, more self determining and self sufficient.

This from BEYOND RESISTANCE.

     Beyond Resistance is a collective of people who share a belief in anarchism — the belief that ordinary people can organise a social system of human beings living, interacting, and relating in a way that is the most fair, equal, and free of any kind of exploitation. We are based in various locations across Aotearoa — as individuals, or, where there’s a number of us, as a Local. As well as supporting each other in workplace and community struggles, we host a number of events such as film nights, discussion forums, anarchist picnics, and more. We also welcome children at all events.

Feel free to check out our aims & principles for where we stand, or read more on how we work as a group. Every member, whether on their own or in a Local, has an equal say in what we do and how we organise.

       We have a number of skills and resources available for your own community building, educational events and other kinds of activities, so please get in touch! We’re always keen to help.

 

ann arky's home.

ANOTHER ATTACK ON OUR PENSIONS.

        A bit later than I would have liked but their is so much justified unrest among the ordinary people it can't all be reported at once. The struggle is everywhere, the struggle is global.

Date: 20 January 2012

Usdaw, the union that represents workers at Unilever’s manufacturing sites in Leeds and Port Sunlight, has accused Unilever of ‘breathtaking complacency’ in its approach to the escalating pension dispute at the company.

The accusation comes on the day Usdaw members at Port Sunlight and Leeds begin a second round of 24 hour strikes as part of a 12 day rolling programme of action involving unions at all of Unilever’s 12 UK sites.

Picket lines will be in place from 6.00pm today at Port Sunlight and from 7.00pm today at Seacroft in Leeds.

The rolling programme of action was agreed by reps from Usdaw, Unite and the GMB, following Unilever’s refusal to reconvene talks on the future of the company’s final salary pension scheme, despite a first wave of strikes in early December.

David Johnson, Usdaw National Officer said:

“Unilever’s continuing intransigence and refusal to return to the negotiating table, coupled with its statement this week saying ‘it is currently not clear how the dispute will be resolved’ demonstrates a breathtaking complacency in its approach to the dispute.”

“Our members, and I’m sure every employee at the company, knows that the dispute will only be resolved around the negotiating table and the sooner Unilever wise up to this fact the sooner this escalating and damaging dispute will end.”

“The apparent indifference of the company to the impact of the dispute has angered our members to the extent that they are now pushing for much longer and more frequent industrial action to maximise the financial and operational impact on the company.”

“Unilever’s customers, shareholders and other stakeholders could be forgiven for thinking that the company cares less for its employees and its corporate reputation than it does for one of its brands of soap powder or deodorant.”

Usdaw represents workers at Unilever’s manufacturing facilities at Port Sunlight in Wirral and Seacroft in Leeds. The union also has a small number of members at Unilever’s Research and Development facility in Port Sunlight and at the company’s factory in Warrington.

1. Unilever closed its final salary pension scheme to new members in 2008, but promised the 5,000 existing members that this would make the scheme safe for the future. Despite this promise, Unilever announced in May 2011 that it intended to close the scheme altogether and replace it with a career average scheme that will mean workers losing an average of 20% of their projected retirement income with some losing up to 40%.
2. In November 2011, Usdaw members voted by a margin of 5 to 1 in favour of industrial action in protest at Unilever’s proposals. The first 24 hour strikes took place on 8 and 9 December 2011.
3. Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fourth biggest and fastest growing trade union with over 410,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 17% in the last five years and by nearly a third in the last decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
5. 

   ann arky's home.

TWO FACED FINANCIAL MAFIA HENCHMEN.

        Slippery, sleazy smooth talking henchmen of the corporate financial Mafia, they don't know how to make a straight answer to a direct question. Perhaps the do, but are well paid not to, double speak, phoney empty phrases, nice sounding words, that's all they spout and it is all meaningless. All meant to confuse and weave an illusion that it is all for our benefit.

ann arky's home.

THE RIGHT TO PROTEST.

Please circulate widely.
Support Barbara in Court - victimised over Scottish census

10am Wednesday

25th January, Dumbarton Sheriff Court, over non-payment of a fine for blockading Faslane

10am Thursday 26 January in Court 16, Glasgow Sheriff Court, over the census.

       Barbara Dowling is being charged under the Census Act, accused of not filling in her census form properly. Barbara will be defending herself.

The trial will be at 10am in Court 16, Glasgow Sheriff Court Thursday 26 January.

SOLIDARITY.

Or come a bit earlier to show your support outside the court

        Bring placards and banners, Please come along and show your support even if you can only spare a short time. Countless Scots have either failed to fill in their census forms or returned them partially completed or improved by critical comments, but have not been prosecuted. Barbara's victimisation is inexplicable.

       CACI, the firm that helped run Abu Ghraib and also helped run Scotland's Census, has so far dodged any accountability in law for its involvement in abuse and torture. It claims immunity in the US as a government contractor. And in Scotland the Crown Office refused to prosecute CACI, initially claiming lack of jurisdiction.

Barbara is the first person to be tried in Scotland over objections to the 2011 census. SHE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT.

      Barbara will also be in court on 25 Jan over non-payment of a fine incurred for blockading Faslane nuclear Base. Barbara is refusing to pay the fine and risks a jail sentence:

10am 25th January, Dumbarton Sheriff Court.

- support in court welcome

      "The Scottish government, and any government with a principled stance, should not be going near any firm with such associations, even indirectly. The government is opening itself up to significant and justified protest. Ordinary members of the public could refuse to have anything to do with the census. A boycott is something to be considered. It would be a legitimate step. We cannot ignore our principles." - Solicitor Advocate John Scott, 2008.

       "Now it seems the Scottish government is already closing its eyes to what is going on overseas. Would we say it was OK if a firm connected to Mugabe was hired to run our census? It is unacceptable that they have been hired. This will horrify most ordinary people It is unacceptable that the Scottish government should be selling its soul to an organisation accused of torturing human beings." - Solicitor Aamer Anwar, 2008

More background and news at ethicalcensus.org.uk
Download a flyer -
http://www.sacc.org.uk/sacc/resources/census-trial2.pdf

More information
07786630764 or 07936432519

ann arky's home.

WORKERS KNOW YOUR HISTORY - CLYDESIDE APPRENTICES STRIKE 1952.

       

        January 27 marks the 60th anniversary of an industrial event that introduced me to working class struggle. As an apprentice in, what was then, Fairfield shipyard, I was involved in the apprentices strike of that year. 60 years on and the whole concept of apprentices has almost disappeared and so have the shipyards, but the working class struggle still goes on. This struggle is a continuous struggle and will be as long as we live under the yoke of this exploitative system called capitalism. Capitalism has moved forward and has developed into a world wide corporate fascism, which is even more ruthless in its quest for ever increasing wealth and power for its small army of parasites. The development of global corporate fascism re-enforces our need for global class struggle.

SOLIDARITY.

THE CLYDESIDE APPRENTICES' STRIKE 1952.

THE CONFERENCE.

January 27 1952 saw an event that set the ball rolling for the first major apprentices' strike since 1937, before the second world war. On that Sunday the Young Engineers Clydeside Conference was called. It took place at 1pm in Community House Clyde Street Glasgow, wages and conditions being the main subjects up for discussion. A Clydeside Apprentices' leaflet claimed, “Apprentices pay the same as journeymen for meals, travel, tools and overalls, etc.” The conference also called for Action Committees to be set up in every workshop and to pursue a claim for £1 week increase on apprentices' wages. At the conference there were 31 firms represented with 114 apprentice delegates representing all trades in engineering and shipbuilding.

Committee secretary, Jimmy Reid, stated, ”--it is not enough to feel indignation, but it was necessary to translate it into action. The committee supported 100% trade union membership among apprentices and stated, “We are the skilled tradesmen of tomorrow---and it is in our hands that the future prosperity of this country depends--.” At this time young lads were being sent to fight in Korea, Egypt, Malaya etc.

A RISE IN FEELINGS.

A delegation from Fairfield Shipyard, Govan, Glasgow, stated that the apprentices there believed that the next step forward was a token strike and demonstration on the streets of Glasgow. “We will make the bosses shake when they see 1,000 apprentices marching through the streets of Glasgow.” Some working conditions were described, saying, apprentices were working on water tests, up to their knees in muck and rust and earning 24 shillings a week.

FIRST DAY OF ACTION.

The first one day strike and demonstration saw 5,000 apprentices march through Glasgow city centre. There was a roar of cheering when the demonstration was informed that 1,200 Greenock apprentices had stopped work in solidarity. At the Hydepark Locomotive works Springburn Glasgow, the management tried to get the apprentices to go to an arranged film show instead of striking. It failed miserably.

Eric Parks of Weirs Pumps Cathcart Glasgow said he was called before the apprentices' supervisor who said, “Eric my boy, you've fallen down in my respect. The employers are making sacrifices in our works--.” Eric pointed out that Weirs had made £1.25 million profit last year, or £6 per head per week.

A comment by a member of the government that a loaf of bread might soon cost 10/- (ten shillings, -50p). This was taken up as, 3 loaves of bread a week—an apprentices wage.

THE LONDON DELEGATION.

A delegation of apprentices interviewed employers representatives in London and it was stated in the press, that these young engineers didn't fear important looking gents in Anthony Eden hats and impeccable suits. On this London delegation were Eric Parks, Jimmy Reid, John McColl, and Ernest Skilling.

SPREADING.

In Aberdeen 600 apprentices noisily marched through the city streets, the call for strike action was now spreading. There was now apprentice action in Glasgow, Greenock, Aberdeen, Manchester, Shefield and London.

THE RESOLUTION.

At a delegate conference on Sunday March 2nd a resolution to call a strike for Monday March 10th 1952 was carried by 95 for and 5 against. The resolution stated, This conference of delegates representing apprentices from all over Scotland, demands a reply not later than 12am of Friday March 7th to the claim of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions for a £1 per week increase in all apprentices wages. An unsatisfactory reply or a failure to reply will be regarded as deliberate refusal to reach agreement and will result in strike action commencing on Monday March 10th at 11am..

BULLISH ATTITUDE.

The attitude of the apprentices was very bullish with speaker after speaker emphasising that apprentices wanted strike action in the belief that only militant action would lead to a successful campaign. At the conference Jimmy Reid stated; “Before the lads went into action the employers had no need to worry about them, but now these people are sitting up and having to take notice of the apprentices,--- the lesson is clear.”Eric Parks reminded the conference of the huge profits being made by the employers and said; “We must see the necessity of forming apprentices' committees in every factory as the main form of organisation----it is better to suffer a little hardship than to grovel on our bellies and accept the miserable and intolerable conditions of the present time.”

THE STRIKE.

On Wednesday March 6th 500 apprentices from Caledonian Shipyard Dundee staged a half day token strike in support of the £1 claim. Other action, demonstrations and marches of support sprang up in London, Manchester and elsewhere.

No satisfactory answer arrived so the strike went ahead on Monday 10th March. With 5,000 Clydeside apprentices walking out at 11am that day. By March 22nd over 17,000 apprentices in engineering and shipbuilding and other key industries were on strike. At this period Birkenhead, Manchester and Shefield joined the strike. There was union and financial support form workplaces, some workplaces were levying workers 2/6 (two shillings and sixpences,12 and a half pence.) to 5/- (five shillings, 25 pence.) Workers at the Rolls Royce Works donated £150.

By March 25th nearly 20,000 apprentices were on strike. March 26th Glasgow shop stewards decided to take token action to support the apprentices strike. In Edinburgh where apprentices had decided to go back, they walked out again the same day 800 strong. Harland and Wolf's Belfast now joined the strike with over 1,000 apprentices walking off the job.

That week there was a march and demonstration in Glasgow which saw 5,000 apprentices march through the city streets. By this time Rolls Royce had donated £500 to the strike fund.

THE RETURN TO WORK.

Approximately 20,000 apprentices who had been on strike for more than three weeks went back to work on the understanding that it would speed up negotiations with the employers. Delegates representing 14,500 took decisions for future action should the employers fail to give a satisfactory response. The conference adopted a strong worded resolution which expressed determination to carry the fight to a successful conclusion.

Pat McCauley, secretary of the Greenock strike committee stated; “This is only the first round in the struggle. The lads have shown their mettle and shaken the bosses. If we don't get a reply to our claim shortly, the bosses must be held responsible for what will follow--- this is a tactical retreat not a defeat. The boys are still in fighting mood.”On Friday April 25th apprentice delegates from Clydeside, Aberdeen, Manchester, Shefield and York decided in Glasgow to accept, under protest, the recent wage award agreed between the trade unions and the employers. The conference stated that this was only the first stage in the struggle for better conditions.

DISCONTENT.

Eric Parks, secretary of the Clydeside Apprentices committee said that the amount employers gave which was higher than their first offer, and the fact that they negotiated a separate wage claim for the apprentices at was entirely due to the militant action taken by the lads in the workshops and shipyards. The fact that there had been a separate negotiated wage claim for the apprentices represented a terrific victory for the lads. Previously the apprentices wage increases, if any, were simple tacked on to the end of the wages agreement made with the journeymen.

The general feeling among the apprentices, especially the 1st. 2nd. and 3rd year lads was one of discontent. A discontent that said it should be accepted under protest and immediately make arrangements to go forward for a new demand.

THE AWARDS.

Age-- Award.

15-- 5s 6p

16-- 6s 5p

17-- 7s 4p

18-- 8s 3p

19-- 10s 1p

20-- 11s

The 10s and 11s award was a fair bit of money to many apprentices and this may have been the aim of the employers by making it less likely that the older lads, who would be journeymen in a year or so, would be less likely to support further strike action.

Posted by John Couzin.
the book Radical Glasgow.
the website Radical Glasgow.

More on Glasgow's working class history.

ann arky's home.

AN INJURY TO ONE---!!!

     The struggle is global.  An appeal from IUF.

      Grenada, an island in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, can be heaven for tourists but Grenada Breweries Company turned it into a hell for workers as 125 of them were locked out just before the Christmas on December 19, 2011.

CLICK HERE to send a message to Grenada Breweries Company telling them to stop violating workers' rights and end the lockout!

For more information, read the full story here.

NEW IUF News Service!

Click here to subscribe to the new IUF News Service

Ron Oswald
General Secretary, IUF

International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)

8, rampe du Pont-Rouge
1213 Petit Lancy, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 793 22 33
Fax: +41 22 793 22 38
web-site: www.iuf.org

ann arky's home.

CORPORATE LAND GRAB.

       Time and time again we see our legislators, who are elected to protect assets that belong to the people, take those assets and hand them to the corporate world, gift wrapped. Councils across the country will soon see masses of valuable public assets disappears into the portfolio of the rich and greedy, with the public purse receiving as little as 40p for sites worth millions. This is thanks to the Scottish government having another look at a bill that ran out of time in the last parliamentary session. The cronies of the corporate world sitting in Holyrood never give up, if they can't do the bidding of their corporate masters in one session, then will try again in the next. This plundering of public assets is all part and parcel of the privatisation of everything and anything that is of value, part of the sustained attack on the ordinary people, making them totally dependent on the corporate world for everything from their education, libraries, public parks  to health and leisure. They are your assets, were you asked if you wanted some millionaires to have them for 40p?

We are better equipped to develope these site.

The following is an extract from, an article in the Scottish paper The Herald.

       "Land expert Andy Wightman said publicly owned property let on so called ultra-long-term leases – with more than 100 years still to run – could be sold to the leaseholders for a nominal sum. This would mean assets that councils hold on behalf of citizens and protect from redevelopment could be under threat.

      Mr Wightman, the author of Who Owns Scotland, and The Poor Had No Lawyers, said it would affect assets such as Waverley Market – now known as Princess Mall – in the heart of Edinburgh. It is publicly owned and shielded from development.

       The law-change could see the 1.68 acre site sold to the current leaseholder, former Rangers owner Sir David Murray, who would assume ownership for a nominal sum. What happens to the prime site will set a precedent that could affect many civic gems as about 9000 long leases are examined in Scotland.

         Mr Murray stands to get a £50million prime city centre site for less than 40p as a direct result of the planned law change being relaunched by the Scottish Government. the ultra-long-term leaseholds – some last 999 years – were introduced at the end of the 18th century to encourage industrialisation and are being modernised as they can pose legal problems for leaseholders in developing the sites.

         It is understood Mr Murray's Premier Property Group (PPG) bought the leasehold on Waverley Market in 2004 from developers who acquired it in 1982. PPG is thought to have paid £37m for the lease alone. The site brings in about £2m a year in rent from shops. The firm pays 1p a year rent to Edinburgh City Council. The nominal sale sum for Waverley would be based on the 1p rental deal struck with the original developer in 1982 and if it went ahead early after the law was changed the cost would be expected to be under 40p.---"

Contnue reading, HERE.

ann arky's home.

IT'S A STITCH UP.

        Yea, we all know it's a stitch up and the financial Mafia are the only ones who gain. I am of course talking about the banking system and the cosy relationship with the ratings agencies and the IMF (International Mankind Fuckers).

         Here are a couple of quotes from that informative site THINK LEFT.

     "Who elected them? Who gave them their power? Who was it who decided that these companies and no other should have the right to assess the credit worthiness of whole nations? Where is the oversight? Where is the public accountability? Where is the peer review system able to judge the accuracy of their ratings? Who assesses the assessors, in other words?"

        "---So what happens when a nation like Greece has its credit rating downgraded to junk status? Basically it can’t borrow, which means it can’t get money to service its debts. The IMF moves in, and the country is forced to sell off its assets to pay its debts. It’s like a garage sale of public assets. Everything must go, at rock bottom prices. And who benefits from this? Well the banks, of course. The banks get to buy up the public assets, which they can then “monetise”. They get to own the Parthenon and the Lottery and the country is forced into even greater debt, having now lost its only forms of income.

       It is legalised theft, and all enabled by that fictional “credit rating” provided by the ratings agencies in the first place. It is by this process that the world is being driven into further and further indebtedness to the banks.----"

Read the complete article HERE.

 ann arky's home.

IT'S A GLOBAL STRUGGLE.

     
      Red and black flags waved as a dozen people from the Anarchist Federation, Industrial Workers of the World, the Scottish Socialist Party, the Solidarity Federation and other individuals took part in a picket of the Glasgow premises of Adecco for one hour between 4 and 5pm on Friday 20th January.

      A couple of hundred leaflets were handed out to curious passers-by explaining how Adecco are supplying strike breakers to replace workers on an indefinite strike at the ABB Factory in Cordoba Spain. We also explained how the lower wages and job insecurity encouraged by employment agencies like Adecco worsens conditions for all workers.

      One member of Adecco's staff came out and laughed when we told her why we were there and then had her fag break. 2 other members of staff came out to ask what we were doing and took the leaflet. One falsely claimed that we weren't making it clear that the Adecco strike breaking was in Spain to try to disassociate their office from the dispute. However he did accept they were part of the same company. Placards clearly stated the demands of the strikers in Spain – equal pay for all workers at the ABB Factory in Spain, respect for all ABB and Adecco subcontracted workers, a safe workplace for all workers, ABB and Adecco should talk to the strikers, Adecco should stop providing scabs for strike breaking, sacked strikers should be re-instated by ABB and Adecco collective bargaining rights and job security for all workers. Another placard in Spanish, based on a banner by the strikers union, the National Confederation of Labour (CNT) called for the defence of all jobs.

      The other member of staff called the police. The police turned up to ask what the picket was about and to say the protest was fine as long as we didn't block the entrance and then quickly left. No one crossed the picket line. The police returned a bit later to tell us they had spotted us on Facebook and to repeat what the picket was about!

       A postman calling at neighbouring offices stopped to say even though he wasn't going to Adecco he wouldn't cross a picket line even if it was one man and a dog. He was a Communications Workers Union rep who also trains people in other unions. He took our leaflets to put up on noticeboards at the main Glasgow sorting office in Glasgow. He will also be giving them to Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) members he is currently training through Union Learn at the Tesco Extra in Springburn. A passing teacher also stopped to voice his support. He had been out on November 30th.

        Pickets also took place in Brighton, Bristol and London. Since November 28th there have been numerous solidarity pickets around Spain and one as far away as Chile.  From Mark M.

Updates on the strike at:   http://www.cnt.es/On

ann arky's home.

GLASGOW'S ANARCHIST CRITIC.

The latest issue No96, of Glasgow's free sheet, The Anarchist Critic, is available for free download at annarky1.

ann arky's home.

WHAT IF THE CORPORATE FASCISTS CONTROL THE INTERENET.

          We take wikipedia for granted but what would the world be without it? It is not just the loss of wikipedia but all the periferal damage, the censorship, the control over what you can post and what you can watch, that this act would impose on everybody. You would be under threat each time you clicked on a search engine list, or the list would be so depleted that it would be next to useless.The corporate world controls the fiscal policies of most governments and now they want to control you via the internet. You can rest assured that it is not for your benefit but for the benfit of the corporations in the media and entertainment world. It is another tentacle of corporate fascism.

Created by: Online University
Graphics by: Peter Kim

ann arky's home.

BIG BROTHER TOOK A STEP BACK.

                   More on the US big brother approach to the internet, from AVAAZ. 

Dear friends,

Today could be the day we save the free Internet. We've flipped the White House and Congress is on the back foot. Now Wikipedia's blackout has pushed the US web censorship bills to the top of the news. Today we've reached the tipping point. Let’s bury the bill for good. Click to sign the petition:

Today could be the day we save the free Internet.

The US Congress was poised to pass a law allowing officials to censor access to any website around the world. But after we delivered our 1.25 million strong petition to the White House, it came out against the bill and with public pressure at a boiling point even some bill backers are switching sides. Now, the Wikipedia - led blackout protest has rocketed the public campaign to the top of the news.

We are turning the tide. But the dark forces of censorship are trying to revive the bill right now. Let’s bury it for good today. Click to sign this emergency petition to save the Internet now and if you've signed already, to email, call, Facebook, and tweet Congressional and corporate targets. Then send this to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_internet_action_center_b/?vl

The bill would make the US one of the worst Internet censors in the world -- joining the ranks of countries like China and Iran. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) would allow the US government to block any of us from accessing sites like YouTube, Google, or Facebook.

We got the White House to switch sides and now our global campaign and the growing public pressure is forcing Congress to abandon the bill. Last weekend, Senator Cardin, who cosponsored the legislation, announced he will vote against it! Then six prominent Republicans penned a letter requesting that the bill be shelved. Now the lower house vote is reportedly on ice.

Just days ago we were told it was impossible to stop the corporate censorship cabal, but now this is at a tipping point and amazingly we could win! Let’s stop US censorship today. Sign this emergency petition to save the internet now and forward it to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_internet_action_center_b/?vl

This US legislation could infringe on all of our freedoms. But if we win, we will show that when people unite with one voice from all over the world we can stop the abuse of power anywhere. We have brought this bill back from the brink. Now, if we amplify our voices today, we can put an end to the most powerful Internet censorship threat that the world has ever seen.

With hope,

Dalia, Ian, Alice, Ricken, Diego, David, and the Avaaz Team

 

ann arky's home.

BIG BROTHER NEVER GOES AWAY.

        

         Big brother never goes away, the tentacles of the corporate empire wriggle their way into ever aspect of your life. Government is there to further the aim and to protect the wealth of the corporate empire. It always takes a consolidated effort by the people to stop this continued attempt at control over all aspects of our life, the Internet is there for you as a tool of self expression and creativity and they don't like that, if they can't control it then they will do  their damnedest to destroy it. This bill going through Congress is just another example of the corporate fascism that demands total control over our lives. Only the strength of people power can stop their strangling the creativity of the people. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://boingboing.net/

       

Tell Congress not to censor the Internet NOW! - fightforthefuture.org/pipa

          PROTECT-IP is a bill that has been introduced in the Senate and the House and is moving quickly through Congress. It gives the government and corporations the ability to censor the net, in the name of protecting "creativity". The law would let the government or corporations censor entire sites-- they just have to convince a judge that the site is "dedicated to copyright infringement."
        The government has already wrongly shut down sites without any recourse to the site owner. Under this bill, sharing a video with anything copyrighted in it, or what sites like Youtube and Twitter do, would be considered illegal behaviour according to this bill.
        According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill would cost us $47 million tax dollars a year — that's for a fix that won't work, disrupts the Internet, stifles innovation, shuts out diverse voices, and censors the Internet. This bill is bad for creativity and does not protect your rights.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

ann arky's home.

AL CAPONE STYLE BONUSES!!

      We keep hearing rumblings from our shiny politicians about regulating the banks and curtailing those monopoly money bonuses. But I wouldn't hold my breath on anything actually happening, afte all most of the politicians have friends in that little racket, all the patter is for public consumption only. It is difficult to find on what criteria the bankers base their right to those obscene bonuses. They can't justify their bonus claim on hard work. If it was hard work that merited those staggering bonuses, then I would probably be a very rich man. Not because of my hard work, but that of my father, he was a coal miner all his working life. The pits used to close for the Glasgow Fair fortnight, but they always needed a skeleton crew to go down the pit every day to check for gas and/or flooding etc. So he volunteered for that year after year. My mother and her wee gang would head off to Dunoon for our two weeks holiday, my father never came, we saw him at the weekends. Now that is hard work, so if stratospheric bonuses were based on hard work my dad would have been a millionaire, and no doubt, me being his only son, would have benefited very nicely after his death, however, I'm just one of the nations poor pensioners. So we can discount the hard work theory for big bonuses. Perhaps it is based on the amount of money you generate, they could believe that the more money you generate, the bigger your bonus. So the less money you generate the less of a bonus you get. Of course if we carry this to its natural conclusion, if you don't generate money then you are in trouble. Meaning that people like surgeons etc. who go off to work every day, cutting and stitching people, don't generate any money. In fact they cost us money, should we then charge these people to work for us? Or should we base remuneration on a simple “fair days wage for a fair days work”, principle?

       The truth is that there is no justification for those ridiculous, mind-blowing bonuses, it is just the simple law of gangsterism. Just as in the Al Capone days, the mobsters looked after “their boys”, so that they could rely on them to do their dirty work and protect them and their wealth creating racket. So the financial Mafia of today, look after “their boys”, so that they can rely on them to do their dirty work and protect them and their wealth creating racket. It is not in the remit of the financial Mafia and “their boys” to do anything for the community at large, it is simple to gather as much wealth and power into their particular section of the rackets.

ann arky's home.