UK Newswire Archive
Corporate Watch:Mehadrin’s business in Beqa’ot settlement – and Tesco’s Complici
19-05-2010 11:48
This is the latest from Corporate Watch's research project "Profiting from the Occupation".For pictures see:
http://corporateoccupation.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/mehadrins-business-in-beqaot-settlement-and-tescos-complicity/
Corporate Watch: Opportunities for apartheid tourism in Kibbutz Afik
19-05-2010 11:39
The latest from Corporate Watch's research blog "Profiting from the occupation".ISM Palestine: Urgent call for equipment
19-05-2010 11:06
The International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank and Gaza are in desperate need of some new equipment. If you can, please consider a donation to the ISM.To donate, go to
http://palsolidarity.org/donate
Urgent Sehar Shebaz and baby taken to Yarl's Wood
19-05-2010 10:35
Please take action. While it has been announced that children are no longer to be detained in Dungavel, Scotland, this mother and 8 months old baby are to be put on a van and taken to Yarl's Wood, England. Despite the new government's announcement that child detention will be ended, children are still being arrested and detained.Workers rally against the strike-busting agenda of the courts
19-05-2010 07:51
As the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) joined the British Airways Stewards and Stewardesses Association (BASSA) in having their rights pissed on by the anti-worker stance of the High Court.As they report;
Hollie Greig Demo - GLASGOW
18-05-2010 21:22
Demo organised for Saturday 29th May 12-3 pm Buchanan Street Glasgow. "Journey to Justice', highlighting the Hollie Greig case also discussing child abuse and the law in general. Innocent Voices will be there as well as people from the Hollie Greig support groups. Please feel free to PM me if you want more details. Thanks, Nicola
The message above is from Nicola Mc, who has organised a Demo with Innocent voices who attended our March 11th Street Action for Hollie Greig. We have given her our full support =)
So we'd like to see people showing out on Buchanan St on SATURDAY - 29th MAY
RSVP + Bring friends/family to the event if you can.
Get educated on the case if you haven't already and be ready to talk to people on the street.
Any other questions ask away, were always here to help you out. (if you need a phone number, ask someone in advance)
See you there!
PS - This runs 1:00 - 3:00 PM so I think the normal MEETUP will just be a relaxed one if anything a break for the hard work done prior to it.
http://www.meetup.com/WeAreChangeGlasgow/calendar/13517486/?from=list&of...
Nuclear Power Conferences Hit by Protests
18-05-2010 21:22
Tuesday, 18 May 2010 - CAMPAIGNERS from London and SE England Stop Nuclear Power [1] protested outside the Financing Nuclear Power and Nuclear Interim Storage conferences in central London today. They invited delegates to invest in a green future instead of nuclear energy and demanded an end to nuclear waste production.
The first port of call for the three protesters, two of whom were dressed in white overalls, was the Financing Nuclear Power conference at the plush Crowne Plaza hotel near St James's Park. They held up a banner that read "Green Solutions Not Nuclear Greenwash" and leafleted delegates and passing members of the public outside the main entrance to the hotel for over an hour and a half, closely watched by hotel security staff throughout.
Two of them then moved on to the Nuclear Interim Storage conference, which was taking place at Dexter House at Royal Mint Court, adjacent to Tower Bridge. Standing in the courtyard outside the entrance/exit to the building hosting the conference, they held up a larger banner that read "Green Our Future, No to Nuclear" and exchanged banter with delegates and other users of the building on their lunch break. Security guards were called and the protesters were told they were on private property and had to leave, but the protesters stood their ground. A Police Community Support Officer then appeared and also tried to get the protesters to leave, but they refused. Further back up was called, but the protesters left before it arrived, having been there for an hour.
The incoming Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government has said it will continue with the Labour government policy of allowing ten new nuclear power stations to be built in England and Wales. Ministers have said that no direct public subsidies will be offered for new nuclear build, although a carbon floor price is proposed. Nowhere in the world has a nuclear power station ever been built without public subsidy.
For five decades, the nuclear industry has failed to find a permanent solution for its radioactive waste, which remains dangerous for tens of thousands of years. [2] With current waste storage facilities at Sizewell B in Suffolk nearly full, plans are in place to build a new "temporary" store where waste from the reactor will be kept indefinitely in the absence of a permanent solution. This is before considering the waste from any new reactor(s), which would be more radioactive and remain too hot to transport for 160+ years.
Campaigner Daniel Viesnik, 35, from London, says: "Contrary to the nonsense that you hear from the nuclear spin doctors and their political mouthpieces, nuclear power is a dirty, dangerous and expensive technology that diverts essential investment from genuine green alternatives like energy efficiency and renewable and decentralised energy. It carries the risks of nuclear weapons proliferation, nuclear terrorism and a Chernobyl-type catastrophe [3,4]. Why waste money on nuclear white elephants and dump more nuclear waste on local communities when we could build a genuinely sustainable, nuclear-free, zero carbon future?"
All images may be reproduced free of charge for non-commercial use if credited to D. Viesnik. Please e-mail for high res versions.
Notes:
1. London and SE England Stop Nuclear Power is part of the Stop Nuclear Power Network, a UK-based non-hierarchical grassroots network of activists taking action against nuclear power and supporting sustainable alternatives.
http://stopnuclearpoweruk.net
network[at]stopnuclearpoweruk.net
2. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's Oxide Fuel Topic Strategy (2010) indicates that serious questions remain within the nuclear industry itself over whether any solution for permanent disposal of radioactive waste will ever be found.
http://www.nda.gov.uk/documents/upload/draft-oxide-fuel-topic-strategy-gate-0.pdf
3. EDF nuclear reactor carries 'Chernobyl-size' explosion risk - Guardian, 7 March 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/07/edf-nuclear-reactor-chernobyl-risk
4. Academics demand independent inquiry into new nuclear reactors - Guardian, 11 March 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/11/independent-inquiry-nuclear-power-stations
Battle for Parliament Square - Come, Resist
18-05-2010 20:24
treasury 'troops out' banner this morning
18-05-2010 20:22
in another direct action planned from the democracy village, a man climbed onto the treasury building with a banner this morning
at around 11.30 this morning, a peace activist walked across great george street outside parliament, leant a ladder against the treasury building, and climbed up to a first floor ledge where he displayed a 'bring our troops home' banner.
after staying there for a couple of hours, he was persuaded to enter a window and was arrested. after questioning, he was soon released without charge and with no further action.
the democracy village has called out for more people to join them in parliament square to resist a possible eviction attempt in the next few days leading up to the state opening of parliament next tuesday the 25th may.
they hold an open village meeting every day at 7pm and all are welcome.
this evening, they were joined, and offered solidarity to, hundreds of tamils, who flooded the square to mark a year's anniversary of the sri lankan government's purge of their land. an independent report released yesterday by the international crisis group has condemned sri lanka of genocidal crimes citing that most deaths in the 'no fire zone' were at the hands of the authorities, and that more than 75,000 people ar unaccounted for.
tens of thousands of innocent people are still being held a year later in desparate conditions in sri lankan concentration camps.
pics courtesy of a 'concerned citizen'
Athens, Bangkok, where next? Revolt now!
18-05-2010 20:13
from the mouth of a protestor in bangkok (allegedly):"People of higher class look down upon us even though we serve them," said the slingshot-wielding Sakhorn, who has spent the last four nights sleeping on the streets behind the tire barricades, without a shower or a change of clothes. "They think we are stupid because we are poor."
With a flourish, he pulled the slingshot and white pebbles from the pocket of his jeans, which are shredded at the left knee.
"This is all I have got, and the government calls me a terrorist!" he said. "I believe in negotiations if it done by our leaders. If not, we will keep fighting even if it takes years."
Strawberry Fair – Open letter to Cambs Cops
18-05-2010 19:35
Open letter to the cops about Strawberry Fair. This letter is published by Cambridge Anima who promote cross movement solidarity between the human, animal and earth movements.The UN - Still Relevant Even if Ineffective
18-05-2010 18:36
Our only international institution that even comes close to a project plan for salvation is the United Nations; it’s all we have. What the UN lacks is not relevance but effectiveness.
Nuclear Power Conferences in London Hit by Protests
18-05-2010 18:18
Lightening the load?
18-05-2010 17:22
Negotiations over workload model at UWE continueNegotiations over workload model at UWE continue between members of the UWE branch of the Universities and Colleges Union and UWE management. The possibility of industrial action in the new academic year has not been ruled out.
An industrial dispute between UWE management and academic staff members of the UWE branch of the University and College Union (UCU) has been suspended, pending further negotiations over a proposed new workload model for teaching staff.
The dispute began when members of UWE UCU branch opposed a number of articles in the new model. Although a long way off and unlikely, the dispute being resumed and industrial action being taken has not been ruled out by either UWE management or UWE UCU members.
The UWE branch of UCU has around 700 members; one of the largest in the UK. The UCU website states that the function of the union is “To negotiate on behalf of its members and to offer support and assistance where necessary, but in addition, it also acts as a monitor ensuring that universities follow all the necessary legal and negotiated steps in their working practices.”
Vice-Chair of the UWE branch of UCU Dr. Peter Broks was very clear that “We are talking about industrial action should it be necessary as a last resort to protect our members. UCU at UWE is committed to protecting members from further exploitation.”
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, John Rushforth said, on the remote prospect of industrial action, “It’s not something that we’re seeking to provoke” and that “Any industrial action can only hinder students’ experience.”
UWE Students’ Union Vice-President, Gail Wilson stated that “We would be highly unlikely to support any industrial action as it punishes students and will prevent students from graduating and obtaining employment.”
The proposed new model would set out a common working model across the university relating to among other things, teaching hours, hours per student and contact time between students and lecturers.
John Rushforth explained to Western Eye that “There isn’t currently a common model across the uni. This new model is very transparent. It means that managers and academics have a clear means of discussing workload issues in a fair and reasonable way.” He continued by adding that in addition to being more workable from a logistical point of view, the new model would enable students to gain a “Much clearer understanding of what the entitlement of the student is.”
Peter Broks stated that “UCU agree that there is a need for staff and students to have a more consistent experience across the university.” Unfortunately UCU members do not see the proposed new model as meeting the needs of staff or students. The UCU website states that “On April 1st 2009, the management presented the proposed workload model to the branch executive as part of a consultation process. During the following months, the university produced version after version of the model and we repeated the same objections which were duly ignored.”
Mal Hughes, Negotiating Secretary of UCU at UWE, shared his concerns over the proposed new model with the Western Eye. “Whatever the stated intention, the result of the proposed academic workload model will be to increase class sizes and/or to reduce contact time, and the student experience will be further compromised.”
Peter Broks further stated that “Fewer staff and increased workloads would mean less contact, larger classes, fewer specialist modules and so less choice for students.”
John Rushforth refuted this statement and assured Western Eye that “The model will not generate changes in contact time.” He further mitigated the current proposed model by stating that “We haven’t yet got fully accurate data loaded into the model.”
This is in contrast to the position of the UWE UCU branch, Peter Broks said that “The model may not be about increasing class sizes and reducing contact, but it is about increasing w workloads for academic staff.”
The effect of the new model and even its intent of purpose appear to be the subject of much debate and confusion.
UWE management claim that the model is there to help both students and staff by placing a uniform system across all faculties and subjects. The UWE UCU branch claims that the model is unworkable in its current form and that the student experience and teaching staff will suffer as a result.
Peter Broks stated that “UCU is in favour of a common workload model, but not this one. Staff experience is equally important to us since it rebounds on the students if they [staff] aren’t able to manage their workload”
John Rushforth insists that the proposed new model is about “Rebalancing the workload” – not increasing it.
The concept of a new workload model at UWE has, according to UWE UCU staff, been under discussion for nearly four years. Peter Broks claimed that “A common workload model was first discussed in 2006 in response to UCU concerns about enormous disparities in the teaching resources across the university.”
John Rushforth told Western Eye that the new model would ultimately result in the “Allocation of resources in a clear manner” and that it “Ensures that every student across the university gets equal investment.”
UWE Students’ Union Vice President, Gail Wilson, highlighted the importance of uniform allocation of resources. “The Students’ Union has been involved in the discussions
around the workload model and supports the principles of equality, fairness and standardisation that the model is built on. Currently students studying the same amount of credits and paying the same in fees can have wildly different experiences in terms of teaching and contact time across different areas of the institution which we feel is unfair.”
What are the prospects for the coming academic year and implications for students? Keith Hicks, Head of Marketing & Communication at UWE, maintains that throughout the dispute and negotiations that UWE management “Want to protect contact hours with students in the face of cuts in the higher education sector. The university puts student experience as its top priority - unlike other universities.”
This was reiterated by Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Richard O’Doherty, who stated that “As a university we have made the student experience our number one priority. This initiative is precisely to protect what we regard as important.”
Strain placed upon the university by cuts in the higher education sector as a whole seems to be one of the driving factors for the new model. Efficiency and by association the ability of UWE to function as a financially solvent institution, while not being zero sum in relation to the student experience, are essentially the bottom line.
John Rushforth told the Western Eye that, in the event of H.E. sector cuts, UWE “Cannot give a guarantee that teaching time will not be cut or redundancies made, but will do our best to avoid it if at all possible (e.g. raise income from other sources, make efficiencies in admin and so on).”
Does this mean that, even if a solution to the workload model that is acceptable to both UWE management and UCU members is found, teaching time could still be cut and class sizes increased? It would seem so.
Any emergency budget brought in by the new Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition government could certainly have implications for the higher education sector. John Rushforth agreed that “This could even affect our grant allocation.”
Regardless of the effectiveness and efficiency of any new model, it might not prove ‘efficient’ enough if the government decides to put the squeeze on higher education, beyond the 20% cuts already stipulated by the Brown administration. While not being an exactly dire situation, unrest within the university combined with a government needing to squeeze every penny it can out of public spending does not bode well for UWE students.
As far as staff industrial action in the new academic year goes, John Rushforth reiterated that “We will do all we can to avoid it, if unfortunately it did come
to that we would do everything we had to to protect the student experience.”
(This article is not for reprint or redistribution via ANY media or method without the express permission of the author - contact details are included)
Vegan Chocolate Tasting Evening
18-05-2010 16:22
A fundraiser for the free vegan food fair in OctoberTuesday 22nd June at Kebele Community Co-operative, Robertson Road, Easton from 7pm - 9.30pm
Come and taste a range of yummy vegan chocolate samples. Suggested donation £2+. All proceeds will go towards our free vegan food fair aimed at non-vegans in October. All welcome!
Chocolate truffle demonstration by Gareth of Hipo Hyfryd at 7.30pm.
In addition to some very naughty chocolaty treats, there will be some sugar free and healthier chocolaty samples too.
Thanks to the following companies for their kind donations: Animal Aid, Bute Islands Foods, Fairfoods, Hipo Hyfryd, Natural Balance Foods, Noise Cake, No Moo Cow Chocolates, Plamil Foods, Swedish Glace, The Raw Chocolate Company,Venture Foods.
If you would like to donate some vegan chocolate goodies, please let us know!
Incinerator planned for Leicestershire
18-05-2010 15:43
Biffa Waste are planning to build an incinerator off Junction 23 of the M1 near Loughborough (Newhurst Quarry Shepshed)Palestien Today 05 18 2010
18-05-2010 15:43
Stop the Mad Cycle
18-05-2010 14:20
New Labour's rootless pretenders
18-05-2010 13:29
article by John McDonnel MP written back in JanuarySingle mother & child sent to Dungavel
18-05-2010 13:22