UK Indymedia - UK Workers' Movements Newswire Archive

The forgotten anti-fascist Olympics Games

23-04-2012 08:51

Barcelona’s forgotten Olympics – 6000 athletes from 22 countries went to compete in an alternative 1936 Olympics to Hitler’s fascist games. The day before the opening ceremony the Spanish military coup was set in motion, triggering the beginning of the Civil War, and the Peoples Olympiad was cancelled.

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How many remember this? April 20, 1914: The Ludlow Massacre

20-04-2012 23:35

The Ludlow Massacre was an attack by the Colorado National Guard on a tent colony of 1200 striking coal miners and their families at Ludlow, Colorado on April 20, 1914.

The Ludlow Massacre was a watershed moment in American labor relations. Historian Howard Zinn has described the Ludlow Massacre as "the culminating act of perhaps the most violent struggle between corporate power and laboring men in American history". Congress responded to public outcry by directing the House Committee on Mines and Mining to investigate the incident. Its report, published in 1915, was influential in promoting child labor laws and an eight-hour work day.

Full article | 2 comments

They Took the Air out of the Life Jacket – A Report From a Workfare Attendee

19-04-2012 17:11

We’ve been sent this report from Raman, a Birmingham resident who was sent on the work programme, one of the compulsory workfare schemes we’ve been campaigning against with Boycott Workfare.

http://www.boycottworkfare.org/

If you are on, or have been on the work programme, or one of the other workfare schemes, please get in touch with us, anonymously if you want, and let us know what happened and whether it was useful to you. email

BirminghamAgainstTheCuts@Gmail.com or comment on this post.
At our demonstrations we’ve had many people stop and talk to us telling us that workfare did not help them, and the more of these stories we can publicise, the more pressure there is on the government to scrap the scheme and stop the providers profiteering from the taxpayer.

This is what Raman has to say:

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Workers Day Wolverhampton May 1st 2012

19-04-2012 16:16

Tuesday 1st May 2012, the 18th FREE annual event - to be held at Pegasus, Jackson St, Wolverhampton WV6 0QQ from 7pm

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Birmingham Trades Council Mayoral debate

18-04-2012 10:46

"Should trade unionists support an Elected Mayor?”

Thursday 19th April, 7pm - 9 pm

Council House, Birmingham B1 1BB

To be chaired by Joe Morgan

GMB Regional Secretary

Yes to an Elected Mayor:

Sion Simon, former Labour MP for Erdington.

Additional speaker to be confirmed.

No to an Elected Mayor:

Roger Godsiff, Labour MP for Hall Green and Richard Hatcher, Professor of Education, Birmingham City University.

An elected dictator in the Council House?

No to elected mayors - democratise the Council!

Full article | 1 comment

Birmingham and Solihull Workers Memorial Day Events 2012

18-04-2012 10:40

Remember the Dead – Fight for the Living

Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most don't die
of mystery ailments, or in tragic "accidents". They die because an
employer decided their safety just wasn't that important a priority.
Workers’ Memorial Day is our chance to remember them and demand
an end to this suffering!

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Hopi weekend conference: April 21-22, central London

16-04-2012 19:04

The danger of a new war in the Middle East is increasing every day. The war drums are beating ever louder, especially in Israel. Hands Off the People of Iran is hosting this weekend conference in order to highlight the dynamics behind the sabre rattling.

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Burdened with debt reloaded - An analysis of the current situation in Greece

12-04-2012 12:09

In Greece, the initial austerity measures developed into a full blown shock policy of devaluation of capital, which has deepened the recession and increased public debt. A main ingredient of the politics of devaluation of capital is the depreciation of labour power which aims at the weakening of the power of the working class by establishing permanent austerity and disciplining mechanisms, and by the creation of a large reserve army. Furthermore, this depreciation of labour power is facilitated by the institutional abolition of collective bargaining agreements, a process which, to a great extent, undermines the very function of the labour power representation mechanisms…

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May Day 2012 - National Call for Action

10-04-2012 08:36

Reclaim The Beach – May Day 2012
A National Call For Action

This is a national call-out for a week of anti-capitalist action, events and celebration throughout the UK in the first week of May 2012 to show resistance to capitalism and remember all those workers who lost their lives for a better life for us all.

Full article | 6 comments

Worldwide Children's Revolution proposed to lead May Day protest marches

09-04-2012 16:59

The idea of the worldwide Children's Revolution on May Day is for the women and children in the environmental movement to lead the marches all over the earth, and show that the World Revolution is peaceful and will save humanity from being driven to extinction by the burning of fossil fuels.
The proposal for the worldwide Children's Revolution is for kids' marches to be at the front of all the protests during the global General Strike, and for everyone else to lend their support by displaying banners reading “CAN YOU SAVE THE HUMAN RACE?” to help ensure the survival of future generations.

Full article | 3 comments

London Mayday 2012 - Against Workfare

09-04-2012 16:10

On Mayday we are calling on all those fighting back against the government's austerity plans to join us in taking direct action against companies participating in the workfare schemes. Instead of standing around and listening to speeches at the end of the TUC march we will be heading straight into the West end to regroup and start taking action.

Full article | 1 comment

Upcoming Riot in Berlin 1st May

09-04-2012 11:42

Berlin 1th May 2012 - 25 years of hope for a different life On the 1st of May in 1987 the district Kreuzberg in Berlin exploded because of rage against the state and the cops, who defend violently the capitalist system.

Full article | 2 comments

Anarchist websites from around the world

09-04-2012 09:17

Anarchist websites from around the world

Full article | 5 comments

Red salute to Comrade Godfrey Cremer, 1943-2012

06-04-2012 10:34

It is with the greatest of sadness that the CPGB-ML and Proletarian announce the death of one of their staunchest comrades on 26 March.
The local Gazette has also published a tribute: Ealing mourns its champion of racial equality

http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/ealing-news/local-ealing-news/2012/04/04/ealing-mourns-its-champion-of-racial-equality-64767-30693975/

Full article

Workfare Actions Around Birmingham in April

03-04-2012 18:20

March was another good month for workfare campaigns, locally and nationally, with a great demonstration held in Birmingham as part of a national day of action on March 3rd

http://birminghamagainstthecuts.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/boycott-workfare-demonstration-report-and-photos/ , and Kings Heath Against Workfare being formed

http://www.facebook.com/KingsHeathAgainstWorkfare and holding a Workfare Walk Of Shame on Kings Heath high street – which provoked interesting reactions from store managers

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Kings Heath Walk of Shame (workfare)

02-04-2012 16:55

A walk of shame was held on Saturday 17th March to highlight companies in Kings Heath taking part in the Workfare schemes.

Full article | 2 comments

Glasgow Picket Against Holland & Barrett Workfare Report

01-04-2012 20:33

Members of Clydeside Industrial Workers of the World, the Anarchist Federation and Solidarity Federation picketed the Queen Street branch of Holland & Barrett at lunchtime on Saturday 31st March.

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London Teachers' Strike (Video)

01-04-2012 20:01

A collage of interviews with people about why they were supporting the teachers' strike during the march on Wednesday in central London. These struggles aren't taking place in isolation, but are part of an international movement against neoliberal austerity plans and the privatisation of education. For an overview of other actions currently taking place around the world, check out

http://ism-global.net/ (International Student Movement).

Music by Beatraider.

Full article | 3 comments

Holland & Barrett Face Angry Pickets Across the UK

01-04-2012 16:05

Fake health food store Holland & Barrett faced angry demonstrations at 20 different locations yesterday as part of a National Day of Action Against Workfare.

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Swindon Workfare demo - report and Pics

01-04-2012 15:50

As part of a national day of action against workfare, Swindon Anarchists called a demo targetting local workfare using companies.