tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62547204512309386782024-03-13T13:07:25.899-07:00Sussex Socialist Resistance: Fourth International in Britain.Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.comBlogger225125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-25236994468256776262011-09-26T15:15:00.000-07:002011-09-26T15:16:54.726-07:00Come to the European Conference against Austerity!<b><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/09/25/3380.jpg"><img border="0" height="81" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/09/25/s_3380.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></b><br />
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<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/09/25/3379.jpg"><img border="0" height="137" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/09/25/s_3379.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Saturday 1st October 2011</b><br />
<b>10am to 5pm</b><br />
<b>Camden Centre</b><br />
<b>Bidborough Street</b><br />
<b>London WC1H 9AU</b><br />
<br />
<b>WHY YOU SHOULD BE</b> <b>AT THE CONFERENCE</b><br />
<br />
Those who were hoping that the summer would bring some relief to the crisis must be cruelly disappointed. Share values continue to fall and the Eurozone bail-outs are hitting the rocks. In Britain, the political and social crises roll on with the revelations about News International and the riots in August. The outlook for the ruling class is bleak as they have no solution, and the economies are teetering on the edge of a recession. We can expect more appeals that “we are all in it together” and that there is no alternative to a radical programme of austerity. As the crisis is international, so must be the response of all those who refuse to make the working class and society pay for this crisis.<br />
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That’s why the Europe Against Austerity conference in London on 1st October is so important. It will be the first event since the start of the crisis in 2008 where all those who want to oppose the attacks will meet. The conference will not only issue a declaration against the austerity programmes but plan a movement of resistance across Europe.<br />
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The Coalition of Resistance is hosting this conference jointly with the other organisations and individuals sponsoring the event. These include the European Left Party, Die Linke, Attac, CADTM, Union Syndicale Solidaires, Tony Benn, Ken Loach, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Len McCluskey Unite, and Bob Crow RMT. Olivier Besancenot of the New Anticapitalist Party of France has also accepted an invitation to attend.<br />
<br />
<b>Agenda: </b><br />
There will be plenaries and workshops on topics such as The Crisis and the Debt, Ending the War, Students and Youth Fighting for a Future, Women against Austerity, and Mobilising against Austerity. The information on agenda will be updated on the <a href="http://www.europeagainstausterity.org/">website</a>.Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-11963897481320453602011-06-26T04:13:00.000-07:002011-06-26T04:15:07.588-07:00Alf Filer - sad loss of a committed comrade<div id="yui_3_2_0_3_1309085379453121"><span id="yui_3_2_0_3_1309085379453119" style="font-family: "sans-serif";">We have learned of the sad death of Alf Filer, the creator of this blog, activist in Worthing and previously a long-time activist in Brent and Harrow in North-West London. He was killed in a road accident on the A27, on Thursday evening 24th June, while returning home from a Socialist Resistance meeting in Brighton. It appears that his car broke down, and, while waiting for rescue, another car ploughed into his, knocking it into him. The bare facts of the accident are on the Argus web site: <a href="http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9105972.Worthing_man_killed_by_own_car_in_horror_crash/?ref=mr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #234786;">http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9105972.Worthing_man_killed_by_own_car_in_horror_crash/?ref=mr</span></a></span></div><div class="yiv1881896065MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "sans-serif";">T</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "sans-serif";">ony Greenstein, a well known anti-zionist and local socialist activist has written this:</span><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";"></span></div><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://azvsas.blogspot.com/2011/06/alf-filer-jewish-anti-zionist-and.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #234786;">http://azvsas.blogspot.com/2011/06/alf-filer-jewish-anti-zionist-and.html</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";"></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_2_0_3_1309085379453123"><span style="color: black; font-family: "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">and Charlie Pottins has written this:</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "sans-serif";"></span></div><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://randompottins.blogspot.com/2011/06/alf-filer-loss-of-stalwart-comrade.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";"><span style="color: #234786;">http://randompottins.blogspot.com/2011/06/alf-filer-loss-of-stalwart-comrade.html</span></span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Mark Findlay writes,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Andy Richards writes</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><strong>My friend and comrade Alf Filer has been tragically killed in a car accident last Thursday evening.</strong></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vf6fmuHqKIA/TgVDL7oJObI/AAAAAAAAGrU/gnBh6_mFIQQ/s1600/alf%2Bfiler%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="215" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621973582105622962" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vf6fmuHqKIA/TgVDL7oJObI/AAAAAAAAGrU/gnBh6_mFIQQ/s320/alf%2Bfiler%2B3.jpg" style="display: block; height: 215px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" width="320" /></strong></a>Alf had only moved to Sussex in the last year or so and had made his home in Worthing having previously lived in London. Alf was meant to be (semi) retiring to the south coast but, characteristically, that was never going to happen.</div><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Alf was a committed socialist, anti-fascist and anti-Zionist. He campaigned locally and nationally against cuts (he was a prime mover in the formation of the Coalition of Resistance) and he organised against the EDL and the BNP, both here and in Brent and Harrow where he spent the greater part of his life.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Others have written tributes and appreciations from a perspective of having known him for a long time, but you did not need to know Alf for long to appreciate his passion for politics and campaigining. This is shown in the tributes which have been paid from activists in Sussex.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Alf was a member of Socialist Resistance, and he played an incredible part in revitalising us locally. He started a local <a href="http://sussexsocialistresistance.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7d181e;">blog</span></a> and his main activity was to try to bring together the forces of the left in Worthing. Not, you might think, the most fertile of ground, but that sort of thing never deterred Alf. He was passionate about left unity, and was possible the most non-sectarian socialist I have ever known. He worked with and helped to bring together the different parts of the Worthing left into regular meetings. A meeting which he organised, on Ecosocialism, is happening this Tuesday. Everyone involved is of the view that this meeting must go ahead as a tribute to Alf.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Alf was serious about his politics - but he was also a joker. I shall miss, as much as anything, his wisecracks and his wind-ups.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A truly brilliant, dedicated and lovable man.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Below, Holly Smith, President of Brighton and Hove Trades Council, gives her own memories of Alf, and below that are links to other tributes from people who knew Alf longer for me.</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I, along with many, many others, am saddened to hear of the death of Alf Filer. It feels like those of us in Brighton and the South East were only just getting to know him. After retiring as a lecturer he moved down to Worthing last year from London, and didn’t hesitate in getting involved in political activity down here.</div>The first time I met him was at a public meeting to oppose a local school becoming an academy. He had only just moved to the area and was keen to know about all the events and groups that existed down here so he could get stuck in.<br />
The next time I met him was at an anti-cuts day school that we had organised. I chaired a workshop on cuts in Local Government and Alf spoke at length from the floor. I remember being impressed with his wide-ranging knowledge on a great variety of topics, and how articulate he was. This was also demonstrated in his blog, of which I was an avid reader - always looking forward to his intelligent analysis of local, national, and international events.<br />
<br />
When I was challenging my trade union leadership over an issue a while ago, I was touched when Alf got in touch with me to offer his advice and support. We then got to talking about other issues, and how we could help each other. Alf and I were both outraged at the recent treatment by local Councils of Travellers and Gypsies in the region, finding it representative of the wider persecution they have been facing across Europe, and we had been in discussion about setting up a local support group for these communities, and together we started letter writing to the EU to ask them for an inquiry around the persecution that these communities faced, especially in Italian cities.<br />
<br />
The last time I spoke to him he was incredibly enthusiastic about the recent re-launch of Worthing Trades Council, and he was urging me to attend the public meeting on eco-socialism he was arranging for next week.<br />
<br />
Alf was Jewish, and committed to building solidarity between anti-Zionist Jews and Palestinians, and was also well known for his anti-fascist work. He was an intelligent, outspoken, driven, passionate, and warm man, and I very much regret that I only knew him for such a short time.<br />
To borrow some words from another comrade who has written about him, “The best tribute we can pay to you is to keep the flame alight and the struggle for justice undimmed.”<br />
<br />
Rest in peace comrade, you will be missed.<br />
<div class="yiv1881896065MsoNormal" id="yui_3_2_0_3_1309085379453129"><span id="yui_3_2_0_3_1309085379453128" style="font-family: "sans-serif";"><strong>What do I remember about Alf?</strong></span></div><div class="yiv1881896065MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">In the late 90s and early 2000’s he was active as an independent in the Socialist Alliance in Brent, where I was also living and (sometimes) active. I didn’t know him terribly well but was impressed by his energy and independence of mind. He didn’t (as far as I can remember) get involved in Respect, probably because of scepticism about George Galloway and what he saw as communalist politics. Also he from time to time had to withdraw from political life because of his own health and because he had onerous care responsibilities for his son. When I moved to Brighton in 2007, I was also physically remote. </span></div><div class="yiv1881896065MsoNormal" id="yui_3_2_0_3_1309085379453125"><span id="yui_3_2_0_3_1309085379453135" style="font-family: "sans-serif";">Out of the blue he made contact with us about 18 months ago, saying he was looking for a place to live on the South Coast after his early retirement. He rapidly decided that Brighton was too expensive, and eventually chose a small house in West Worthing. </span></div><div class="yiv1881896065MsoNormal" id="yui_3_2_0_3_1309085379453133"><span id="yui_3_2_0_3_1309085379453131" style="font-family: "sans-serif";">He duly started to find his feet in Worthing and found that it had a small group of activists on various questions including a successful fight against privatisation of downland owned by the district council. He decided to set up a blog for himself and for all SR activities on the South Coast, and I helped him set this up during a productive visit to his home last January. There I also met his son Laurence. Subsequently he has from time to time asked me for more help, but usually he worked out how to do it for himself before I had the chance to respond.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: windowtext 1pt solid; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><div class="yiv1881896065MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">My impression is of an astounding activist, whose energy and voice will live for a long time in our memories. He turned round the movement in Worthing and showed all the signs of livening things up all along the south coast, with plans to link up to Southampton and Portsmouth as well as Brighton.</span></div></div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-67585430151077022102011-06-23T04:08:00.000-07:002011-06-23T04:08:23.533-07:00Save Our NHS - March Through Lewes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xty4rE3wrq4/TgMdhLYU04I/AAAAAAAAANo/HbYHarhGjIA/s1600/195807_111862998903279_3591838_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xty4rE3wrq4/TgMdhLYU04I/AAAAAAAAANo/HbYHarhGjIA/s320/195807_111862998903279_3591838_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><th class="label">Time</th><td class="data"><div><div>25 June · <span class="dtstart"><span class="value-title" title="2011-06-25T10:30:00"></span>10:30</span> - <span class="dtend"><span class="value-title" title="2011-06-25T13:30:00"></span>13:30</span></div></div></td></tr>
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<tr><th class="label">Location</th><td class="data"><div class="location vcard"><span class="fn org">Assemble at The Gallops, Lewes (Just off Nevill Road)</span> <div class="adr"></div></div></td></tr>
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<tr><th class="label">More info</th><td class="data"><div class="description summary">The Government just hasn't listened, and the NHS isn't safe yet...<br />
That's why Lewes Stop The Cuts has organised a march through Lewes to defend it and all the people who work for it.<br />
Meet at The Gallops, (Map link: <a href="http://goo.gl/oxi7r" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "1c5c9", event, bagof({}));" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://goo.gl/oxi7r</span></a>) at 10:30, from where we will march through the town. It will finish with a rally at the end, with speakers.<br />
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Please come along and defend our precious NHS!<br />
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There will be a banner making session on the 23rd, at 56 North Way, Lewes. This is a good opportunity to make materials for the march and meet other LSTC supporters. Refreshments will be provided, please bring any materials (paint, card, sheets etc.) that you may have.<br />
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Lewes Stop The Cuts Facebook Group: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_129870227072859&ap=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;"><span>http://www.facebook.com/ho</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span></span><span>me.php?sk=group_1298702270</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span>72859&ap=1</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-17717270225869183462011-06-21T23:44:00.000-07:002011-06-22T00:17:07.529-07:00To default or not to default- to hell with the lies of the IMF and their (w)banker mates.<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Whilst events in Athens unfold and resistance through joint industrial action at home and elsewhere is building up, we are being fed lies by politicians and those in the media that Greeks defaulting on their debt would cause disaster. The Con Dems, bankers and IMF are causing disasters and they expect everyone just to lie down and take it. Well as we all know, there is an alternative to the IMF dictates. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Remember the damage the IMF has caused South American, African and Asian countries over the past decades? Well for those that opted for defaulting on their debt, in most cases, GDP actually increased soon after.However in nearly all cases, any economic recovery was only achieved through raising the rate of exploitation, poverty and ecological disasters, mimicing the very policies that the IMF wanted to impose on them anyway with or without defaulting.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The issue is what type of economy and economic policies should be adopted following default. Obviously not the free market, supply side privatisation programmes, based on a low wage economy that many then pursued at the expense of their own people and the environment.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Replacing international bankers exploiting their economies with local spivs and speculators is not the answer either. Whilst the flight of capital continues and the price of gold rises, clearly the Greek workers need to address the issue of socialisation of resources and capital, with the taking back control of the means of production <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to protect jobs and services, default or no default.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Some countries benefit from defaulting on their debt” according to today´s Daily Chart in the Economist see below and <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/06/sovereign-defaults-and-gdp" title="here">here</a> - “<country-region w:st="on">Uruguay</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Russia</country-region> and <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">Indonesia</country-region></place> did quite well after their respective defaults.” </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The German and French banks who´ll be on the receiving end of the so-called “haircut” will not be so happy about this, ( SHAME), nor the will be the US firms who have sold insurance on Greek government debt (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_default_swap" title="CDS">CDS</a>) to worried investors.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">We are continually being warned of the cantagion effect that a Greek default might trigger in <country-region w:st="on">Ireland</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Portugal</country-region> and worse <country-region w:st="on">Spain</country-region> and worse still <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Italy</place></country-region>! What they really mean by this is their concern about the effect it may have on the speculators in those countries, who have made rich profits during the good times and now want the people of those countries to pay the price for their failures. They are more worried about an international fightback of the World's oppressed against all the bankers, corrupt politicians and dictators.An international resistance may result in a world without the IMF and the profiteers!</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Yes to supporting the default option but no to the cuts and bankrupt free market supply side policies of tax cuts, rising uemployment and worsening living standards to keep the rich rich. The answer is an eco-socialist world, not a world based on international capitalist exploitation and barbaric wars of destruction.</span><br />
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</div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-27752994207487150312011-06-21T08:26:00.000-07:002011-06-21T08:30:22.875-07:00Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, makes a call to fightDave Prentis, speaking at the Unison conference in Manchester, today made it clear that the unions are not going to just sit back and take it. Promising a programme of industrial action, joint union strikes and a rolling programme of strikes, Unison plans to play a key role in joining in with other unions such as PCS, Unite, UCU, NUT, ATL and many others in opposing the Con Dem programmes of privatisation, cuts, attacks on pensions and attacks on working people.<br />
<br />
He identified this Government as being more Thatcher than Thatcher and preferring bankers, spivs and the City to working people. The gloves are off and the need for an effective fightback is clear to all. He also warned Labour M.P.'s not to assume automatic support, accusing New Labour of "building the bridge that the Tories walked over ". <br />
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Andrew Lansley, "tosser", was condemned, along with the financial backers of private health care, for their NHS reforms. They never supported the NHS in 1948 and they certainly do not support it now. This and all the other Tory policies can only be defeated by mass industrial action and an alternative political leadership of the labour movement. One that supports and not condemns the trade unions for defending our public services. Ed Balls and co watch out. You too have failed our movement.<br />
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It was good to hear a union leader making reference to the similar struggles elsewhere in Europe and to refer to the struggles of the Palestinians also. Yes the crisis is international and unions need to take an internationalist stand.<br />
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Now we must all ensure that June 30th and beyond is a big success and that this action continues until the Con Dems and their unelected policies are thrown out.Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-53754211905268545462011-06-20T23:56:00.000-07:002011-06-21T00:05:33.092-07:00Saving the NHS: the fight goes on<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">So Cameron has come out and stated that if there was no coalition and the Tory Party had a clear majority, then they would cut public spending, benefits and immigration even more. So there we have it. Next election, when ever it may be, the Tory party will out Thatcher Thatcher and go for the jugular, assuming there is any blood left in the patient. Oh which way will the Lib Dems turn? Cutting as usual one supposes.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">In the meantime we have a Labour opposition leadership that fails to support the fight back by the unions in defence of pensions and public services, with Ed Balls leading the Blue Labour entourage in attacking strike action on June 30th. We have a lack luster Ed Milliband still looking for answers and we have the shadow cabinet collectively turning the other cheek. What a great opposition they all make, not. Bring back the Archbishop of Canterbury. One word from him is more effective than all the paragraphs put together from Labour's various empty think tanks. One never thought one would say that.</span></b><br />
<br />
<strong>Whilst New, or is it Old, or is it Blue Labour, (sounds like a newly married bride waiting for an early divorce after her hubby betrayed her!?), the unions are gaining wide support for joint industrial action on June 30th, with more promised for the Autumn. Dave Prentice said that it will be bigger than the 1926 General Strike. </strong><br />
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<b><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">In the meantime, in the fight to defend the NHS, here is a useful contribution from Wendy Savage.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/wendy-savage/saving-nhs-fight-goes-on</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/author/wendy-savage">Wendy Savage</a>, 17 June 2011 </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Wendy Savage is co-chair of <a href="http://www.keepournhspublic.com/" target="_blank">Keep our NHS Public</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In the last ten days we have had Cameron’s Five pledges — (one of which was “<a href="http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2011/06/David_Cameron_Protecting_the_NHS_for_tomorrow.aspx">we will not sell off the NHS</a>”), the report of the <a href="http://healthandcare.dh.gov.uk/future-forum-report/">Future Forum</a> and <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2011/june/statement-on-the-nhs-future-forum/">Andrew Lansley’s response</a> to their recommendations in the House of Commons on. I listened to the Health Secretary’s speech in the House of Commons on 14th June and heard him say, <i>“We will make it illegal to encourage the growth of one type of provider over another”, </i>the very opposite of Labour minister Andy Burnham’s belated assurance in 2009.<i> </i>I could not believe that shadow health secretary John Healey did not take Lansley up on that even though he had been given the speech to read that morning.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The media blitz was expected and even <stockticker w:st="on">BBC</stockticker> Newsnight’s Jeremy Paxman could not get Andrew Lansley to reveal the ultimate aim of this Bill, which is to turn the NHS into a commercial market. Much of the questioning has been superficial and, for example, Nick Du Bois, the conservative MP who has been most vocal in his criticism of the reported changes, said that Labour had introduced fund-holding. He was not challenged — it was of course Kenneth Clarke in his 1989 paper ‘<i>Working for patients’</i> who did this. Frank Dobson abolished fund holding in the brief period when he was Secretary of State for Health in keeping with the Labour Manifesto of 1997 — <i>“Our fundamental purpose is simple but hugely important: to restore the NHS as a public service working co-operatively for patients, not a commercial business driven by competition.”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Newsnight programme, where five men discussed the pledges, was heavily weighted in favour of marketeers with Chaand Nagpaul, a GP on the BMA Council, barely able to get a word in edgeways between Norman Lamb, previous health spokesman for the Lib Dems, Andrew Bridgen, a conservative backbencher and Kingsley Manning responding to Jeremy Paxman’s questions. Kingsley Manning, business development director of outsourcing company Tribal, had greeted the White Paper last July with enthusiasm saying “<i>This white paper could amount to the denationalisation of healthcare services in <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">England</country-region></place> and is the most important redirection of the NHS, going further than any Secretary of State has gone before.” </i> He believes that the NHS is unsustainable, another argument being put forward by the Right to justify these sweeping changes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On Tuesday morning’s <stockticker w:st="on">BBC</stockticker> Radio 4 Today programme we heard Lord Warner, a previous NHS manager and Health Minister in the Labour government, saying that the model of District General Hospitals was outmoded but however much care you have in the community you still need hospitals for emergency and intensive care, surgery and sophisticated medical care for complex problems.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><strong></strong>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-86397369324959602922011-06-19T12:05:00.001-07:002011-06-19T12:05:48.418-07:00Varndean Academy proposal - "literally written on the back of an envelope"!<h3 class="post-title entry-title">This was just one of the fascinating revelations at a packed meeting of Varndean School Against Academies on Friday evening. It came from David Richards, who resigned as a governor in order to fight the proposal to turn Varndean School into an academy. <br />
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He also told us that the proposal was never pre-announced on an agenda. <br />
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Judging by the massive turnout of parents, it will not be easy for the Head and a few Governors to force this through. <br />
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Other speakers included Nick Childs of NUT, Alisdair Smith of the Anti-Academies Alliance and Denise Knutsen of Unison, who expressed concerns about what academy status would do to the ethos of the school, and how it would affect other schools in the area and the services provided by the local education authority. Also there is the concern of a small group of governors being able to set the pay and conditions of the school workforce. <br />
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</h3><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3436774436072981371"><center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/06/18/1798.jpg"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/06/18/s_1798.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center><br />
We also heard from students and the NUT rep at the school who told us that, incredibly, all discussion of the academy proposal is "banned"! I suspect that this is going to be strongly challenged at every opportunity!<br />
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<center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/06/18/1799.jpg"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/06/18/s_1799.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center><br />
Local MP Caroline Lucas pointed out that the ConDems were bent on the privatisation of education. <br />
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Gove thinks academies are popular with parents. Not on last nights evidence!<br />
<div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-footer"><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"><span class="post-author vcard">Posted by <span class="fn">Andy Richards</span> -Peoples Republic of Hove blog</span></div></div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-1019581289175079052011-06-19T01:32:00.000-07:002011-06-19T01:37:33.706-07:00An Appeal to the European Union to Stop Racism and Xenophobia in ItalyDo not say you did not know. Do not say you were not told. Do not say ignorance was an excuse. That was what some claimed about the Holocaust in the 30's. Well they knew then but deliberately turned a blind eye but not again.<br />
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Well now we know and now we have been told. Even worse, unless this is prevented, we know where it can end up. So whilst politicians across Europe play the race card, campaign against multi-culturalism or turn a blind eye to xenephobia of all forms we must all stand up for multi-culturalism, anti-racism and anti-fascism. Immigrants, members of ethnic minorities, travellers, Romanis, Jews, Muslims and Gay people are not responsible for the economic crisis and scapegoating only ends up with horrendous acts of barbarism unless we prevent it in the first place. <br />
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Printed below is an appeal from Everyone Group.<br />
<a href="http://www.everyonegroup.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">http://www.everyonegroup.com/</span></a> <br />
The Italian government has approved an emergency decree which foresees the immediate expulsion of all illegal immigrants, and at the same time has extended the detention period in the CIEs to 18 months. According to hundreds of witness accounts (many of which have been published in the national newspapers) these Centres of Identification and Expulsion are authentic concentration camps. The decree also allows for the forced expulsion of EU citizens.<br />
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We are talking about a manhunt that is taking place throughout Italy, where the police are rounding up Roma citizens and migrants, identifying them, and charging them with every kind of offence (from begging to insulting a public official, from illegal occupation of public land to resisting police officers). The magistrates, therefore, basing their sentences on convictions that are often served through “penal decrees” (trials without the right to a defence) or by summary judgement, (an immediate trial that does not allow those accused to defend themselves properly, forcing them to negotiate a reduced prison sentence even when innocent) can order expulsions for reasons of "social dangerousness". <br />
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18 months in a CIE is harsh punishment, because after a few weeks in detention most of the migrants carry out acts of self-harm and many even contemplate suicide (often seeing their plan through). Poor immigrant families often experience the further tragedy of seeing their children taken away from them, with no opportunity to protest. The children are taken into care, and some are later adopted by Italian families. The European Union must avoid falling prey to the same indifference that allowed the Holocaust and other persecutions in modern history to take place.<br />
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We are asking the EU authorities to organize a committee of inquiry to inspect the conditions of persecution that migrants and refugees are living in in Italian cities. The committee should observe the waste of European funds allocated to immigration; the spread of intolerant ideologies promoted by politicians and the media; and the failure to implement programme to combat racism, neo-Nazism, antiziganism, anti-Semitism and racial ideologies. The new agreements that the Italian Minister of the Interior (a top man in a party that combats foreigners and immigrants without posing ethical limits) is about to sign with Libya, will result in more pushing back of refugees, or the blocking of groups of refugees fleeing from persecution. <br />
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This is today’s Italy, where the Italian people are becoming accustomed to the serious discrimination taking place against the Roma, poor Africans and migrants, and the many episodes of anti-Semitism, xenophobia and homophobia. EveryOne Group (whose activists have also been subjected to institutional persecution for their commitment to defending the rights of minorities) is calling on the EU institutions to ensure that this country - which has become a place of intolerance in which the germs of racial hatred grow - does not contaminate European culture and lead it back to cruel times, where the lives of human beings belonging to an ethnic or social minority become worthless before the law, the media, culture and public opinion.<br />
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EveryOne Group - Contact:+39 334 3449180 :: +39 393 4010237 :: +39 331 <br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:3585406info@everyonegroup.com" target="_blank">3585406info@everyonegroup.com</a> :: <a href="http://www.everyonegroup.com/" target="_blank">http://www.everyonegroup.com/</a>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-53447310449014807442011-06-17T14:34:00.000-07:002011-06-17T14:34:11.748-07:00ECO-SOCIALISM PUBLIC MEETING<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3><div class="post-header"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5488275951392203268"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> <br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Impact; font-size: 20pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">PUBLIC MEETING : ECO-SOCIALISM <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- NOT DESTRUCTION</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">WITH DEREK WALL: GREEN LEFT, ENVIRONMENTALIST & SOCIALIST.</span></strong></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Impact; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Impact; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">TUESDAY 28<sup>TH</sup> JUNE</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">7.30-9.30 p.m.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Impact; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">FRIENDS <street w:st="on"></span><br />
<address w:st="on">MEETING PLACE</address></street>, QUAKER <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HALL,</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><street w:st="on"> <br />
<address w:st="on">34 MILL ROAD, WEST</address></street><place w:st="on">WORTHING</place>,BN11 5DR</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Global warming, climate change, populations starving and indigenous peoples under attack. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The environment and the future of our planet is facing a crisis. Our economic system is in a state of collapse. Capitalism has failed internationally, with cuts in public services, austerity measures and unemployment affecting all of our living standards across the globe.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On June 30, joint industrial action by public sector workers represents a fight back against the Con Dem coalition. We are told that there is no alternative to their budget plans and we must simply accept it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From <country-region w:st="on">Spain</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Greece</country-region> and the <place w:st="on">Middle East</place>, people are saying there is an alternative which does not involve protecting bankers, dictators and corrupt politicians. The old solutions are being rejected in favour of international solutions based on people not profit and alternative environmental policies. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Come and hear the arguments and discuss the alternatives. Join us. All are welcomed.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Meeting organised by local eco-socialists .</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bookstalls from various groups will be available.</span></span><br />
</div></div></div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-25669189645587499362011-06-16T22:26:00.000-07:002011-06-16T22:26:36.733-07:00TAXING THE RICH AND CUTTING THE WAGE AND THE SOCIAL WAGE (BENEFITS AND PUBLIC SERVICES) OF THE WORKING CLASS<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-coLvfoeNOS0/Tfrj_ezUfqI/AAAAAAAAANg/MjfN3W5c_dk/s1600/clip_image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-coLvfoeNOS0/Tfrj_ezUfqI/AAAAAAAAANg/MjfN3W5c_dk/s320/clip_image001.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Greek strike poster</span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><strong><em><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Recent changes in taxation of the Rich in Britain </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></em></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>The super rich are subject to three main taxes other than income tax. These are corporation tax, a tax on company profits, capital gains tax is a tax on trading property and shares and Inheritance Tax paid when a person dies. If you have many millions you will mainly pay capital gains tax on buying and selling property and shares. The rate of corporation tax will also affect your returns because you will receive dividends from company profits.</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Shortly after Mrs Thatcher came to power and for the majority of her term in office the top rate of tax on the super rich was 60%. This was reduced to 40% in the famous 1988 Lawson budget. When Blair came to office the top rate was still 40%. But after the business friendly Blair/Brown governments’ corporation tax had been significantly reduced and capital gains tax had been reduced to an amazing 18%. This is of course less than someone working for measly £6 an hour would pay. Part of the reason for the massive financial black hole which developed during the last Labour government was this massive cut in the taxation of the super rich. </em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>The Condem government's shift of taxation onto ordinary working people is illustrated by the rise in VAT to 20% and the cuts in corporation tax. In several western countries the rate of corporation tax is between 40-50% whereas the government proposes to go to a rate of 24%.</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>The one small token in difference to this was the rise in capital gains tax under pressure from the Liberal Democrats. It was increased last year to 28% for higher rate taxpayers from Labour's 18%.’ (Thanks to Stuart Richardson for this).</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><em><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>The Rich Keep on getting Richer </strong></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">(from a forthcoming chapter by Dave Hill).</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>And yet the rich keep getting richer! Just to take three examples from Britain and from Ireland. </em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><em><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>In Britain</strong></span><span>, the government's latest figures show that in the capital the top 10% of society had on average a <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">wealth</span> of £933,563 compared to the meagre £3,420</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>of the poorest 10%<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– a wealth multiple of <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">273</span>.<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(from Danny Dorling, 2010a. See Ramesh, 2010. See also, Dorling, 2010b). This is the biggest differential since slavery! </span></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><em>Dorling also points out that “The 1,000 richest people in Britain became 30 percent richer in the last year. That’s a £77 billion rise in wealth—enough to wipe out around half the government’s budget deficit.” (Dorling, 2010).</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><em><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And, <strong>as for Ireland</strong>, `The</span><span> 300 richest people in <a href="http://searchtopics.independent.ie/topic/Ireland" target="_blank"><span style="color: #306294; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Ireland</span></a> are worth almost €57bn or more than the entire Libyan or Croatian economy. They've got much richer too, with close to €6.7bn added to their combined wealth over the last year’. No hard times for them! (The Independent, 2011).</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><em>Cuts for the Workers</em></strong></span></div><div class="spip" style="margin: auto 0cm;"><em><span lang="EN-GB"><strong>In Greece</strong></span><span lang="EN-GB">, the PASOK (social democratic) government of George Papandreou has decided that civil servants- including teachers and university teachers-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have had pay freezes or cuts up to 30 per cent; VAT has risen to 21 per cent and state-funded pensions are being reduced to reflect average lifetime earnings rather than final salaries. Also there is a wage freeze for three years, and in the public sector, 4 out of 5 workers who retire will not be replaced. In the private sector, massive wage cuts up to 25%. Unemployment benefits have been cut, and a poverty support scheme implemented in 2009 has been suspended. Drastic cuts in benefits for large families.</span></em></div><div class="spip" style="margin: auto 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB"><em>There are also plans to end collective bargaining and impose individualized contracts instead. The existing practice of extended very low paid or even unpaid internships has been legalized. Resorting to temporary workers is now permitted in the public sector. (See Toussaint, 2011. For detail on Britain, see Thornett, 2010) </em></span></div><span lang="EN-GB"><em>And <strong>in Britain </strong>£7 billion in welfare cuts were announced in the October `Comprehensive Spending review’, in addition to the £11 billion presented in the summer. The attack on benefits is the most vicious in living memory- for example cuts in education benefits such as the EMA, cuts in Housing Benefit (subsidies for rents for the poor) which will force poor families out of their homes into cheaper areas, cuts in local government spending which will result in closures of thousands of libraries and support staff for the weak, the elderly, and services for children. Half a million public sector jobs- tax collectors, teachers, nurses, doctors, police, local government workers, lecturers, are to be axed by 2015 with an impact on a further half a million private sector jobs dependent on the public sector. Already, in March 2011, unemployment in Britain is the highest for 17 years. Funding to local councils will be cut by 25% over the same four-year period. University students will see their fees (and the resulting debt they are saddled with) shoot up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public sector workers will have to pay more for their pensions, and all workers will have to work longer.</em></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><em>Public sector workers who still have jobs will be forced to pay 3% more in pension contributions on top of a pay freeze. Ultimately all workers will be forced to work longer before they can retire – a double whammy since you pay more in contributions and get less time to ‘enjoy’ your pension after retiring. </em></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><strong><em>The Choice</em></strong></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span><em>So, are we to be explicit or complicit in our servile, or self-justified, acceptance of the currently exponentially expanding capitalist kleptocracy? Or do we take a principled stand and stand up for humanity and social justice, for the rather more fundamental economic justice and massive redistribution of wealth, income, power, life chances, and for a critical- and self-critical!- democratic socialist, anti-capitalist, future?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s the choice! And that choice has to argued, organised, campaigned for. That’s where party comes in. Organisation to organise anger and opposition</em>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><em><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>The 30 June 2011 strike of public sector unions in Britain</strong></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> will be building that anger, that opposition, that organisation.</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Dave Hill 16 June 2011</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">(Dave Hill was living and working in Greece, at the University of Athens, and speaking at various meetings such as Antarsia, (far-left coalition) between March- June 2011).</span></i></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div></span>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-48074906713813482092011-06-16T15:17:00.001-07:002011-06-16T15:35:24.031-07:00Coalition of Resistance Against Cuts & Privatisation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LNO7L7TPJc0/TfqEkBLVLwI/AAAAAAAAANU/h3dXKj5G5KA/s1600/logo_300.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LNO7L7TPJc0/TfqEkBLVLwI/AAAAAAAAANU/h3dXKj5G5KA/s1600/logo_300.gif" t8="true" /></a></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;"><a href="" name="1308f48306e839b4_strike" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"></a>Support the pensions strike: 30 June</span><br />
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The Con-Dem Coalition plans massive cuts in pensions. Public-sector workers will be expected to pay more, wait longer, and get less. That is why civil servants, teachers, and lecturers will be striking on 30 June.<br />
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The Con-Dems and the tabloids talk about ‘gold-plated’ pensions. The only gold-plated pensions in Britain are those of the rich. The pension wealth of the top 10% is worth TEN TIMES that of the bottom 50%. And the gap is getting bigger.<br />
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The attack on public-sector pensions, including hundreds of thousands of low-paid workers, is part of the wider cuts programme. It is an attack on us all. The Con-Dems’ talk of ‘gold-plated’ pensions is designed to divide us. We must stand together.<br />
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Every anti-cuts activist should support the pensions strike on 30 June. On the day, strikers, students, and anti-cuts activists should come together on picket-lines and at local rallies. In the run-up, there should be street stalls and planning meetings to maximise the impact of the action.<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;"><a href="" name="1308f48306e839b4_conference" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"></a>Register for the national conference: 9 July</span></b><br />
<br />
<img align="right" alt="conference delegates from last year" border="0" height="133" hspace="4" src="http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/cor_conference.jpg" width="200" />The Coalition of Resistance National Members and Delegates Conference takes place on Saturday 9 July, 10am-5pm, at the University of London Union, Malet Street, London, WC1E (nearest station: Euston).<br />
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Speakers already confirmed include: <b>Mark Serwotka</b>, PCS General Secretary, <b>Clare Solomon</b>, ULU President, and <b>Zita Holbourne</b>, BARAC Joint Chair.<br />
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With resolutions, workshops, and discussion, we will plan the way forwards in the fight against austerity and privatisation. All CoR supporters should register for the conference and encourage union branches, student unions, anti-cuts groups, and campaign groups to send delegates.<br />
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<b>Registration costs are as follows:</b><br />
Individual member £5 waged/£3 unwaged<br />
Organisation (up to 3 delegates) £15<br />
Observer £10 waged/£5 unwaged<br />
Combined CoR membership and registration £18 waged/£7 unwaged<br />
NOTE: voting delegates must be members of CoR<br />
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Send name, organisation (if applicable), email, postal address, and cheque to:<br />
CoR Membership, c/o Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DX.<br />
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Resolutions must be submitted by 24 June: email them to <a href="mailto:coalitionofresistance@mail.com" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">coalitionofresistance@mail.com</a><br />
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<div style="font-size: 65%;"><h3>SEND US YOUR REPORTS</h3><div><div><img height="30" src="http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/flickr_58.png" width="30" /></div>Post your images to our <a href="http://wordpress.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=dd957c6eb39e2c25a43db43d5&id=b4d03b87ed&e=fc307f0961" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Flickr photostream</a> using this email: <b><a href="mailto:coax81body@photos.flickr.com" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">coax81body@photos.flickr.com</a> </b></div><div><div><img height="30" src="http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/yt_58.png" width="30" /></div>Upload to our YouTube Channel using this email: <b><a href="mailto:zij34e8gs5b1@m.youtube.com" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">zij34e8gs5b1@m.youtube.com</a></b></div><div><div><img height="30" src="http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/twitter_58.png" width="30" /></div>Follow us on Twitter <a href="http://wordpress.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=dd957c6eb39e2c25a43db43d5&id=670bac60e6&e=fc307f0961" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">@CanPayWontPay</a></div><div><div><img height="30" src="http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/phone.png" width="30" /></div>Text message reports: <b>07779 628 863</b></div><div style="vertical-align: middle;"><div><img height="30" src="http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/email_58.png" width="30" /></div><b><a href="mailto:reports@coalitionofresistance.org.uk" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">reports@coalitionofresistance.org.uk</a></b></div></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;"><a href="" name="1308f48306e839b4_order" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"></a>Order broadsheets and placards</span><br />
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For meetings, street stalls, and local protests, you can order the following:<br />
Copies of the new CoR Broadsheet 2 (June 2011)<br />
CoR placards (lollipops with CoR logo on one side, NO CUTS slogan on the other)<br />
CoR recruitment leaflets<br />
CoR conference registration postcards<br />
CoR badges<br />
Send requests for campaign material, stating quantities and postal address, to: <a href="mailto:coalitionofresistance@mail.com" style="color: black; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">coalitionofresistance@mail.com</a><br />
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<h2>Web Help required</h2>Can you help with the Coalition of Resistance website? Can you update the content on the site (knowledge of Wordpress required)? Please contact us if you can help.Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-81773913436706361892011-06-16T05:11:00.000-07:002011-06-16T05:11:05.364-07:00Rally against cuts and in defence of pensions, jobs and public services-June 30thIn Worthing and Brighton, there will be rallies and marches organised by the trade unions, anti-cuts groups and local community groups against the cuts and in defence of pensions, jobs and public services on June 30th.<br />
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In Worthing, there is planned a rally and march from Steine Gardens - details to be confirmed.<br />
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Below are details regarding Brighton events.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2xWjXkhAK0/Tfnya3d7f4I/AAAAAAAAANQ/ZxC3d0BWrgc/s1600/flyerimage12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2xWjXkhAK0/Tfnya3d7f4I/AAAAAAAAANQ/ZxC3d0BWrgc/s1600/flyerimage12.jpg" t8="true" /></a>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-13626153088648913212011-06-15T22:42:00.000-07:002011-06-15T22:42:09.016-07:00PCS VOTES TO FIGHT BACK.Are you fed up with Government ministers, politicians, bankers and other parasitic millionaires telling us all that we need to accept cuts, save money and accept less pay for more work? Whilst they are not short of a few pennies, having made huger profits, working people suffer. They and their friends in the media then have the audacity to lecture us all on the need to work longer, pay more into pension schemes to receive less and accept lower living standards.<br />
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The bankers tell us all it is all the fault of the Greeks. What they really mean is that if the Greek people default on the debt and refuse to accept the undemocratic dictates of the IMF, then they,(the bankers), will lose a fortune. Well we are fed up with bailing out the bankers with our tax money so that they can continue to get rich at our expense. They caused this crisis, not working people.<br />
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PCS joins in with other trade unions to organise joint industrial action on June 30th. We must all work to make this a day of protest that unites everyone . <br />
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<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 470px;"><tbody>
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<tr bgcolor="#da2620"><td valign="top"><img border="0" height="71" hspace="20" src="http://e-activist.com/ea-campaign/action.retrievefile.do?ea_fileid=2151" vspace="10" width="133" /></td><td valign="middle" width="333"><div id="contentTitle"><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Vote to strike over pensions, pay and job cuts</span></strong></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td id="contentText"><table bgcolor="#eeeeee" border="0" cellpadding="10" style="height: 309px; width: 470px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">PCS members have voted by a clear majority in favour of strike action and action short of strike, in the dispute over pensions, pay and job cuts. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
61.1% of members voted in favour of strike action and 83.6% in favour of action short of strike, on a turnout of 32.4%.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
The PCS result follows yesterday’s announcement of votes in favour of strike action by teaching unions. The PCS NEC has agreed to co-ordinate action with education unions, which will lead to the biggest strike in a generation.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
The NEC has agreed unanimously that unless there are significant concessions from the government, a 24 hour strike for 30 June 2011 will be called. This will be followed by an overtime ban throughout July.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
The NEC would like to thank all members and activists for their continued work and support.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
Further information will follow shortly. Find out the latest at <a href="http://www.pcs.org.uk/">http://www.pcs.org.uk/</a><br />
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Follow PCS on twitter - <a href="http://twitter.com/pcs_union">http://twitter.com/pcs_union</a></span></span> <br />
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Join the Facebook group PCS Union Members - you don't have to be a PCS member - <br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2632761262">http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2632761262</a></span></span></div></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-26444456160924306312011-06-15T05:41:00.000-07:002011-06-15T05:41:05.198-07:00How the Greek State protects the IMF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtQ7SjSo7Ms/Tfimu-xUg_I/AAAAAAAAAMw/Fqe1e-dnNvE/s1600/IMG01894-20110615-1511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtQ7SjSo7Ms/Tfimu-xUg_I/AAAAAAAAAMw/Fqe1e-dnNvE/s320/IMG01894-20110615-1511.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Grenade fired by the police, sound and flash grenade.. Police firing lots of tear gas, some brave comraddes, Antarsia, trying to march through it.. It beat me back.. Eyes streaming, cheeks smarting, throat burning<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PeiJgHfOojA/TfinF_uN-II/AAAAAAAAAM4/wfTmgQRV0XA/s1600/IMG01888-20110615-1454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PeiJgHfOojA/TfinF_uN-II/AAAAAAAAAM4/wfTmgQRV0XA/s320/IMG01888-20110615-1454.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Police retreating.. Both sides throwing missiles, some fires buning<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcGJBSImpG8/TfineQklPNI/AAAAAAAAANA/SwTmfkZoLZc/s1600/IMG01885-20110615-1449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcGJBSImpG8/TfineQklPNI/AAAAAAAAANA/SwTmfkZoLZc/s320/IMG01885-20110615-1449.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Shiiiit.. Fires burning, cops with guns, stun grenades, things hotting up<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3iQGmkOLXzg/Tfin71YwfeI/AAAAAAAAANM/7bKRVY9i_5Y/s1600/IMG01890-20110615-1458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3iQGmkOLXzg/Tfin71YwfeI/AAAAAAAAANM/7bKRVY9i_5Y/s320/IMG01890-20110615-1458.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Tear gas works.. My eyes are streaming and stinging.. Angryc onfrontations..lots of explosions, tear gas canisters being fired, sound like canon fire</span></span></span></span>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-56611731207806283542011-06-15T03:53:00.000-07:002011-06-15T04:32:45.973-07:00We will strike we will win-latest from Athens-Solidarity with the Greek workers and their General Strike<br />
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On the day that public sector unions announce co-ordinated strike action plans on June 30th, here are some photos just sent from Athens by Dave Hill. These have just been sent in.<br />
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The government of PASOK are proposing a further cut in public sector salaries, and further pension cuts.. Public sector workers have already had a pay cut of 20percent.. Fears are that the threatened austerity measures will meana further 30 per cent pay cut- actual pay cuts!..... Plus privatisation of electricity, water,telecoomunications, ports,, and increased taxesn for exmple on tabacco, refreshments..... Parliament is now surrounded, protected by the police of course<br />
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Also compulsory redundancies, there are threats to reduce the public sector workforce by 50percent over three years<br />
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In Syntagma Square - Solidarity with the Spanish anTicristo<br />
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</div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-65518089814063917692011-06-15T01:44:00.000-07:002011-06-15T01:44:16.747-07:00Brighton and Hove, Refugee Week, 18-25 June<strong>Refugees, escaping the horrors of war, dictators, torture and death threats have found a safe haven in this country over the past centuries. They and their famillies are the innocent victims of governments in breach of human rights conventions and international law. We have a moral and legal duty to protect them by recognising and upholding their refugee status. On Thursday, Sri Lankan Tamils are being deported and face possible death. They must be allowed to stay here.Their deportation must not be allowed to take place.</strong><br />
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<strong>An ethical foreign policy means that our government must not collaborate with dictators and miltary regimes which deny people their human rights.</strong><br />
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<strong>Brighton and Hove, Refugee Week, 18-25 June<br />
</strong>Refugee week is a UK-wide programme of cultural and educational events which highlights the contribution that refugees make to life in the UK.<br />
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The programme of events taking place in Brighton and Hove, for Refugee Week, 18-25 June, include:<br />
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<b>Saturday 18 June</b><br />
People's Day, 10am-6pm, New Road, Pavilion Garden, Jubilee Street, Jubilee Square, Dome Foyer and the Corn Exchange. Open Day at Brighton Voices in Exile, 12pm-4pm, St Mary Magdalen Community Centre, Upper North Street, Brighton<br />
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<b>Sunday 19 June </b><br />
Credit to the Nation! Presented by BandBazi Youth Circus Theatre, 6pm, Pavilion Theatre, New Road, Brighton: Tickets £6 adults/£3 concessions, tickets available from Brighton Dome website or call 01273 709709<br />
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<b>Monday 20 June</b><br />
Debate and food at Community Base, 113 Queen's Road, Brighton, 6pm<br />
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<b>Thursday 23 June</b><br />
Refugee week Family Event, 4-6pm, Support4Housing service, 114 London Road, Brighton<br />
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<b>Saturday 25 June</b><br />
BMECP Fun Day, 10.30am-3pm, Brighton Rugby Club, Waterhall Road off Mill Road, BN1 8YASussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-3262748606776629712011-06-14T10:18:00.000-07:002011-06-14T10:18:05.377-07:00N.U.T. / ATL VOTE YES IN STRIKE BALLOT OVER PENSIONS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lZCcYDaupy4/TfeWfw5E0GI/AAAAAAAAAMA/XICsBIyPpcM/s1600/249452_111455538945755_110959752328667_119672_1155803_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lZCcYDaupy4/TfeWfw5E0GI/AAAAAAAAAMA/XICsBIyPpcM/s400/249452_111455538945755_110959752328667_119672_1155803_s.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-GB">NUT Pension Ballot Results</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Today, (Tuesday 14 June), the NUT announced overwhelming endorsement by its members for strike action to defend teachers’ pensions. In the NUT’s strike ballot 92% voted in favour of strike action with a turnout of 40%</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">We will be campaigning alongside the ATL who have had similar strong results in their ballot of members.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">The NUT executive will be meeting tomorrow to take the formal decision on a day of national strike action planned for 30 June.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">The NUT believes that our pensions are fair and affordable. The Government wants teachers to pay more, work longer, and get less. They are pressing ahead with unnecessary reforms despite the changes already made to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in 2007. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">The National Audit Office has confirmed that public sector pension costs are falling as expected due to the reforms already in place. Teachers are already paying more, the normal pension age has been raised to 65 for new entrants and employer contributions have been capped. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has also been highly critical of the Government’s pension strategy which they say is based more on public perception of public sector pensions than on actual figures.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman Bold";">Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">“The Government’s unnecessary attack on public sector pensions has convinced NUT members that there is no alternative but to support strike action. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">“It is disgraceful that the Government is pressing ahead with its reforms which will affect teachers’ pensions. The Government knows that they are affordable. This is a policy which has nothing to do with economics and everything to do with politics. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">“The NUT is party to the TUC negotiations with Government to protect public sector pensions. It is not too late for common sense to prevail and for these unnecessary changes to be stopped. It is in no one’s interest to create a whole new swathe of people who are a burden on the taxpayer in old age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">“The NUT alongside TUC affiliated unions will do all we can to ensure fair pensions for all.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>END<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>pr86-2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">For further details contact Caroline Cowie on 0207 380 4706 or 07879480061</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u style="text-underline: thick;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman Bold";">EDITOR’S NOTE</span></u></b><span lang="EN-GB">Two constituencies were balloted by the NUT<br />
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a) NUT members employed in Local Authority (LA) schools (community, Foundation, Trust, Voluntary aided and Voluntary controlled schools), LA central services, Sixth Form Colleges, Academies and post 1992 Universities.<br />
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b) NUT members employed in independent and private schools.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">In total 218,370 in service NUT members who are also members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme have been balloted. This excludes supply teacher members, members in other independent schools, and members not employed as teachers and not eligible for the TPS eg. Soulbury paid members, administrators, learning assistants etc who are mostly in the Local Government Pension Scheme. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">The result of the NUT Ballots was as follows:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman Bold";">NUT members in Local Authority (LA) schools (community, Foundation, Trust, Voluntary aided and Voluntary controlled schools), LA central services, Sixth Form Colleges, Academies and post 1992 Universities.</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">Total number of ballot papers returned: <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>84,469 (turnout 40.4%) </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman Bold";"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Total number of spoiled papers:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>65</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Number voting ‘YES’ <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>77,681</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Number voting ‘NO’<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>6,723</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Percentage voting ‘YES’<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>92%</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman Bold";">Fee paying independent and private schools:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Total number of ballot papers returned: <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1,777 (turnout 27%) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Total number of spoiled papers:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>4</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Number voting ‘YES’ <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>1,578</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Number voting ‘NO’<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>195</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Percentage voting ‘YES’<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>89%</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman Bold";">Overall Total</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Total number of ballot papers returned: <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>86,246 (turnout 40%) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Total number of spoiled papers:<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>69</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Number voting ‘YES’ <span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>79,259</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Number voting ‘NO’<span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span>6,918</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">Percentage voting ‘YES’<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>92%</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 20px;">School strikes due over pension cuts -Ealing N.U.T. Press statement</span></span></b></div><div>Teachers in England and Wales have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action against government plans to cut their pensions.</div><div> </div><div>Ballot results released this afternoon for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the National Union of Teachers reflect a high level of anger and resistance.</div><div> </div><div>For the ATL 83% voted for a campaign of strikes. In the NUT it was 92%.</div><div> </div><div>This is especially significant for the ATL as this is its first ever national strike ballot.</div><div> </div><div>Together with the NUT this result represents the majority of school teachers in England and Wales, in both the state maintained and independent sectors.</div><div> </div><div>Both organisations will now consider these results at meetings in the next two days.</div><div> </div><div>"Unless the government makes an immediate and fundamental reversal of its plans to make us pay more, and work longer to get less pension in retirement, strike action will start with one day's stoppage on 30 June" says NUT National Executive member Nick GRANT. "We also expect colleagues in the University and College Union and the PCS civil servants to join us on strike that day."</div><div> </div><div>"We call on everyone who is angry about the unjustified attacks on public services and its workforce to join us on the day at a march and rally from Lincolns Inn Fields, Holborn at 11.30am to go via Whitehall to Westminster for a rally."</div><div> </div><div>"This is a fight for the future of properly funded and accountable public services. And it is a fight which is only just beginning"</div><div> </div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-55848480257935534412011-06-13T21:39:00.001-07:002011-06-13T21:39:49.685-07:00Cut our pay? No way! Solidarity with Southampton Council workers<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> On Monday, about 1000 council workers and hospital cleaners marched through Southampton. <br />
<br />
The Council workers are striking against threatened cuts in pay and the imposition of new, inferior contracts of employment. The hospital workers are taking action to force their employer, a contractor called Medirest, to honour a pay agreement. <br />
</h3><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1343446880462263131"><center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/06/13/3874.jpg"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/06/13/s_3874.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center><br />
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The City Council dispute is turning into a major test of the ConDems' ability to cut public spending and are a precursor to the coming attack on public sector pensions. <br />
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<center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/06/13/3875.jpg"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/06/13/s_3875.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center><br />
On 30th June, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, teachers and civil servants, are striking for one day.<br />
<br />
It is vital that all of the struggles are linked. At the moment local union branches are fighting in isolation, and the national action on the 30th does not include workers in local government and the health service. <br />
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<center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/06/13/3876.jpg"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/06/13/s_3876.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center><br />
It is also extremely important that links are made between the attacks on workers' jobs, pay and conditions, and the cuts in services. Unions need to work with local anti-cuts groups so that the bosses and the politicians cannot drive a wedge between workers and the local community. <br />
<br />
The Southampton Council dispute is a major test of the ability of the government and their local proxies to get through the cuts and policies which will so fundamentally change public services - and not for the better!<br />
<br />
It is in all our interests to support the resistance being put up by the workers in Southampton. <br />
</div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-10074730258056488862011-06-13T12:19:00.000-07:002011-06-13T12:19:24.996-07:00Sussex Socialist Resistance: Fourth International in Britain.: Brighton History Workshop Saturday 2nd July<a href="http://sussexsocialistresistance.blogspot.com/2011/06/brighton-history-workshop-saturday-2nd.html?spref=bl">Sussex Socialist Resistance: Fourth International in Britain.: Brighton History Workshop Saturday 2nd July</a>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-68610300382875543112011-06-13T12:17:00.000-07:002011-06-13T12:17:53.938-07:00Brighton History Workshop Saturday 2nd July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lgxP26U4Hwc/TfZh2tlgcAI/AAAAAAAAALw/1OFWQ4OfHNU/s1600/Workshop+leaflet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lgxP26U4Hwc/TfZh2tlgcAI/AAAAAAAAALw/1OFWQ4OfHNU/s640/Workshop+leaflet.JPG" t8="true" width="468" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-__EsfGE3kuA/TfZiG4WQvjI/AAAAAAAAAL0/3eHLAZLecjo/s1600/Workshop+leaflet+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-__EsfGE3kuA/TfZiG4WQvjI/AAAAAAAAAL0/3eHLAZLecjo/s640/Workshop+leaflet+2.JPG" t8="true" width="468" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-57373274147217445962011-06-12T23:17:00.000-07:002011-06-12T23:17:25.539-07:00June 30th - Worthing solidarity with the strikes UPDATED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oaQbVewjfFU/TfWqxNkLT2I/AAAAAAAAALs/w81WRRAOnI8/s1600/203557_214338431930039_4126576_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oaQbVewjfFU/TfWqxNkLT2I/AAAAAAAAALs/w81WRRAOnI8/s1600/203557_214338431930039_4126576_n.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div>On Thursday June 30th it looks highly likely that members of the PCS, NUT, UCU, and ATL unions among others, will be out on strike against government attacks on workers' pensions, pay and conditions. This is the next big crucial battle in upping the fightback against austerity, and one which everyone opposed to the cuts must support.<br />
<br />
Worthing Solidarity Network is calling on everyone possible to support the workers taking strike action and make sure th<span class="text_exposed_show">e community is connected to the strikes taking place:<br />
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- If you work, take the day off and go to a picket line to show support, and/or join union- and WSN-organised activities through the day.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br />
- If you don't work, if you're at school or college, just come and join in with the Day of Action<br />
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Details have still to be finalised, and your ideas are *very* welcome, but local PCS, NUT and WSN have agreed to stage:<br />
<br />
** A march through Worthing for striking teachers and civil servants and their supporters.<br />
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** A rally with speakers, info stalls etc.<br />
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Book the day off/stick it in your diary! <br />
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The strikes if they go ahead will be big national news, and - taking the lead of Spanish workers and young people at present - we want to make sure that everyone in Worthing hears about the alternative to cuts, and sees for themselves the unity being created between workers under attack and everyone else facing cuts to their benefits, EMA and services.<br />
<br />
Worthing Solidarity Network</span>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-52848249547123781022011-06-11T10:33:00.000-07:002011-06-11T10:33:51.441-07:00Message from Portsmouth UAF. "All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing."<span class="profileName fn fsxl fwb"><strong>Say No to the EDL Rally at Portsmouth's War Memorial in Guildhall Square</strong></span><br />
<span class="profileName fn fsxl fwb"><div>16 July · <span class="dtstart"><span class="value-title" title="2011-07-16T14:00:00"></span>14:00</span> - <span class="dtend"><span class="value-title" title="2011-07-16T16:00:00"></span>16:00</span></div><div><span class="dtend"></span> </div></span>No Hate groups at our memorial!The EDL have sieg heiled, defecated and vomited their way across the country.Now they want to rally at our war memorial.They have defiled every town centre they have been allowed near.This is a war memorial for those who fought for freedom ,including those who fought the nazis in WWII.<br />
<br />
Within the bowels of the EDL are groups like the BNP, Combat 18 and the Racial Volunteer Force. Considering the hig<span class="text_exposed_show">h numbers of Nazi Sympathisers in their ranks they should rename themselves The Luftwaffe Solidarity Campaign !</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br />
Remember their disgusting behaviour outside our local Mosque.Never again.EDL we want no more of you.Portsmouth is a brilliant vibrant Multicultural city.Don't let the EDL wreck it. Pompey is a town where gay people walk the streets and the nazis are in the closets. <br />
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Let's keep it that way.This outrage has not been officially sanctioned yet.We hope the council will not give them permission.<br />
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Do your bit.<br />
Get your Trade Union ,faith group, community group and friends and neighbours to write to Portsmouth Council ,our MPs and the local paper expressing their concern.<br />
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Write yourself.<br />
<br />
We can stop this.<br />
<br />
...We will also be organising a protest on the same day against the EDl, location to be confirmed.<br />
<br />
"All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing."<br />
<br />
Simon Magorian<br />
Portsmouth Unite Against Fascism.</span>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-25523585870331495532011-06-09T10:30:00.001-07:002011-06-09T10:30:38.234-07:00Real Democracy Now Brighton – Press ReleaseThe Assembly has agreed to lift up the Camp during Sunday 12th June, but the revolution does not end here! <br />
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At the General Assembly of the 8th of June 2011, the people that compromise the stronghold of the movement decided to lift up the Camp located for almost three weeks at Old Steine. We thereby inform of our decision and opinion on the issue at hand. <br />
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We can partly take blame for not providing a coherent message across to the wider community, therefore we clarify that even though many of us were inspired by Revolutions that have taken place in Northern Africa, Iceland and currently Spain; our Camp was not established exclusively in support of such movements. We are aware of a global situation whereby citizens, regardless of their ideological background, have been disenfranchised by our current political and economical system. Thus the retaking of a public space by citizens of all sorts was an exercise to explore wider perspectives on the current global crisis, and aims at creating citizen assemblies for democratic dialogue. Manchester, London and Bristol amongst others have also organised similar movements<br />
<br />
At the Camp we aimed to create an open space of debate and discussion; where people could share their opinion and be informed in the meantime. This has been an exercise of inclusiveness, since we aimed to call for citizens to join us regardless of their ideological perspective. It has also been an exercise of inclusive and participatory democracy, because our procedure was based upon the notions of minimal consensus and everyone’s opinion was voiced and taken into account. With this in mind, every single person that has participated has benefited from an important learning experience that will never be forgotten. All in all, and regardless of our backgrounds, we seek to reach a consensus on how what needs to be done by and for the people to deal with the current global crisis; whether we find ourselves in the UK, Iceland or Greece.<br />
The Assembly would therefore like to inform of the following:<br />
· Taking public squares, which is happening across Europe and the UK in this day and age, is just a symbolic exercise of popular will and expression. Despite lifting up the Camp, the decision to keep mobilising citizens to push for a democratic renewal has been unanimous.<br />
· Under the democratic right to peaceful protest, we will have regular gatherings at Old Steine which will be notified soon. We also note that at some point in the future, and under more favourable conditions, the Camp may be set up once again if citizens decide to do so.<br />
· Finally we wanted to thank all of those that have showed support in any way during the last three weeks as well as the patience and understanding of the Council and Police. We would like to emphasise the support and understanding of local businesses, citizens who freely shared their knowledge with the wider community and all those who donated valuable resources to the Camp. The latter will be soon informed of how to get back these resources that were kindly shared with all of us.<br />
· We will have a minute of silence on Sunday 12th of June at 8pm at the current location of the Camp (Old Steine). In loving memory of all those human beings that have risked their lives in Northern Africa for the sake of achieving the Democracy they wanted, and also in solidarity with other Revolution that are taking place such as in Spain, Iceland and our fellow Assemblies that have been created across Europe and the UK. Everyone is once again welcome to join us.Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-49283898430391084132011-06-09T04:25:00.000-07:002011-06-09T04:25:02.672-07:00Crawley taxpayers bankrolling Southampton Tories' union bashing<div class="date-outer" closure_uid_o5rsps="18" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; left: 1px; margin: 0px; position: relative; top: 1px;"><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry uncustomized-post-template"><a href="" name="5271217709398464721"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3><div class="post-header"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5271217709398464721">The strike action by Unison and Unite members against the City Council's massive attack on their pay and conditions has reached a critical phase. <br />
<br />
So it was quite a surprise to hear on the BBC News tonight that Tory-controlled Crawley Borough Council has made a low-interest loan of £5 MILLION to its Tory friends at Southampton City Council. It was clearly a surprise to opposition councillors (who are asking a lot of questions), and to the council taxpayers of Crawley. <br />
<br />
Given that the union action at Southampton is directed at the council's revenue-raising powers, Crawley Council's "loan" looks a lot like a donation to its strike fund!<br />
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Of course, if the workers at Crawley Council were to strike in sympathy with their colleagues in Southampton, this would be regarded as unlawful "secondary action". <br />
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<center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/06/08/3470.jpg"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/06/08/s_3470.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="187" /></a></center><br />
Unison Branch Secretary Mike Tucker reports<br />
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On Monday 13 June, 70 UNISON / UNITE members working as street cleaners will start a 7 day strike. They will join 170 UNISON / UNITE members already on strike, 40 Parking Enforcement, 20 Itchen Bridge Toll Collectors and 110 Refuse Collectors. The 13th June will be the one day that all four sections will be on strike. Also on 13 June, 250 Cleaners working for Medirest at Southampton General Hospital start a 7 day strike. <br />
<br />
To mark the day all 5 strikes are taking place, a joint UNISON / UNITE march is being held on 13 June, starting from 12.30 p.m. Hoglands Park, marching to the Civic Centre. Support from outside Southampton is more than welcome. <br />
<br />
The Conservative controlled Council have called on UNISON to call off the action short of strike in Children's Social Care due to the effectiveness of not covering vacant posts, non-use of cars and working to contract. The Council is having to spend £40,000 a week on taxis in the Children's Contact Centre alone. UNISON members in Children's Social Care have reacted angrily at the suggestion and are determined to carry on with the industrial action. See our Branch web site for more information on the use of agency social workers. Also the web site of the Southern Daily Echo. No date has been fixed for talks with ACAS. The Council are now offering 16 June. <br />
<br />
Our dispute is reaching a crucial stage. We need financial support, also support on our picket lines and at the demonstration on 13 June. <br />
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Best wishes <br />
<br />
Mike Tucker <br />
UNISON National Executive Council Member / <br />
Branch Secretary <br />
UNISON Southampton District Branch <br />
e-mail: branchsecretary@soton-unison-office.org.uk or m.tucker@unison.co.uk <br />
<br />
Joint UNISON / UNITE Demonstration <br />
Monday 13 June <br />
12.30 p.m. Hoglands Park <br />
March to the Civic Centre for Rally <br />
<br />
Thanks to Peoples' Republic of Hove for this</div></div></div></div></div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254720451230938678.post-54882759513922032682011-06-06T22:57:00.000-07:002011-06-07T21:32:38.506-07:00ECO-SOCIALISM PUBLIC MEETING<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> <br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Impact; font-size: 20pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">PUBLIC MEETING : ECO-SOCIALISM <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- NOT DESTRUCTION</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">WITH DEREK WALL: GREEN LEFT, ENVIRONMENTALIST & SOCIALIST.</span></strong></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Impact; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Impact; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">TUESDAY 28<sup>TH</sup> JUNE</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">7.30-9.30 p.m.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Impact; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">FRIENDS <street w:st="on"></span><br />
<address w:st="on">MEETING PLACE</address></street>, QUAKER <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HALL,</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><street w:st="on"> <br />
<address w:st="on">34 MILL ROAD, WEST</address></street><place w:st="on">WORTHING</place>,BN11 5DR</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Global warming, climate change, populations starving and indigenous peoples under attack. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">The environment and the future of our planet is facing a crisis. Our economic system is in a state of collapse. Capitalism has failed internationally, with cuts in public services, austerity measures and unemployment affecting all of our living standards across the globe.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">On June 30, joint industrial action by public sector workers represents a fight back against the Con Dem coalition. We are told that there is no alternative to their budget plans and we must simply accept it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">From <country-region w:st="on">Spain</country-region>, <country-region w:st="on">Greece</country-region> and the <place w:st="on">Middle East</place>, people are saying there is an alternative which does not involve protecting bankers, dictators and corrupt politicians. The old solutions are being rejected in favour of international solutions based on people not profit and alternative environmental policies. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Come and hear the arguments and discuss the alternatives. Join us. All are welcomed.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meeting organised by local eco-socialists .</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bookstalls from various groups will be available.</span></span><br />
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</div></div>Sussex Socialist Resistancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948904649825453863noreply@blogger.com0