The Indigenous and Popular Struggle in Colombia Today
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London Branch Meeting – 7pm Tuesday 18 November

At the Apple Tree pub, 45 Mount Pleasant, London, WC1X 0AE (Farringdon or Russell Square tube)

With filmed reports from the Minga of Resistance

Despite the horrendous state violence, with 535 cases of extrajudicial executions between 1 January 2007 and 30 June 2008, the movement continues to organise.

Earlier this year the government of Alvaro Uribe was riding high, but a grass roots upsurge is beginning to shake his repressive regime.

African Colombian sugar cane workers went on strike on 15 September.

Since 10 October the indigenous movement in Cauca has held a Minga of Resistance – a 10,000 strong assembly blocking the Pan-american Highway. After a fruitless public audience with Uribe on 2 November, the movement decided to continue passive resistance.


Precarious Work and the Struggle for Migrant Workers' Rights
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A public talk and discussion organised by London NoBorders, Campaign against Immigration Controls and the Latin American Workers Association, Coordinadora latinoamericana, Bolivia Solidarity Campaign, MERU

5.30pm Sunday 16th November
Pullens Centre. 184 Crampton Street, Elephant and Castle, London SE17 3AE

Three months ago five Colombian cleaners working for Amey Plc at the National Physical Laboratory were suspended for daring to criticise Amey for putting an excessive workload onto ever fewer staff, for unilaterally changing terms and conditions and for disrespecting grievance procedures. The five have since been sacked.

When Amey took over the contract in December 2006 it found itself faced with a largely Latin American migrant workforce that was organised and conscious of its rights. They had recently unionised and were taking steps to gain recognition - a right afforded to all other staff at the NPL.

In order to enforce a serious increase in workload and downgrade in conditions, Amey tricked the cleaners into attending a fake training session, only for the doors to be bolted and 7 of the workers to be taken away by the police. Of these, three were deported - one to Colombia and two to Brazil. All lost their jobs.

The case of Amey Plc seems to be typical of the working conditions many migrant workers face in the UK and the profit companies make from their precarious situation. In our talk we will hear from workers involved in those struggles and activists supporting them what their experiences are to organise and what the perspectives of such self organized struggles could be.

 http://noborderslondon.blogspot.com  http://caic.org.uk



Hands Off Venezuela Britain National Conference 2008 – 22 November, London WC1
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Come and hear Jesus Pino from the Revolutionary Front of Steel Workers (SIDOR). He is speaking at the Hands Off Venezuela National Conference in London. He will speak about the struggle to nationalise the steel industry and the fight for workers' control in Venezuela. The nationalisation of SIDOR earlier this year was a direct outcome of a militant struggle by the steel workers themselves. This shows the direction that the Venezuelan Revolution is taking and highlights the need to complete the tasks of expropriating the Oligarchy.

Other speakers include John McDonnell MP, Matt Wrack (FBU), Bob Crow (RMT), Jeremy Dear (NUJ), Alan Woods (author of 'the Venezuelan Revolution'), Derek Wall (spokesperson for the Green Party), Samuel Moncada (the Venezuelan Ambassador), and others. There will also be workshops on Green Venezuela, Socialism of 21st century, workers' control, and solidarity with the Latin American Revolution.

The Conference will be held on 22 November in the Main Lecture Theatre, Clore Management Centre, Birkbeck College, Torrington Sq., London WC1 (nearest tubes: Goodge Street & Russell Square). Come and discuss solidarity with the Venezuelan Revolution! Everyone Welcome! To register contact us at  britain@handsoffvenezuela.org This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

More information, leaflets and application form  http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/national_conference_2008.htm.