World Workers' Movements Newswire Archive

"When I read recent remarks ... by top Obama administration officials, I feel as if I’ve entered a time warp — as if it’s still 2005, Alan Greenspan is still the Maestro, and bankers are still heroes of capitalism.

“We have a financial system that is run by private shareholders, managed by private institutions, and we’d like to do our best to preserve that system,” says Timothy Geithner ... as he prepares to put taxpayers on the hook for that system’s immense losses.

Meanwhile,... Mr. Geithner and Lawrence Summers ... “think governments make poor bank managers” — as opposed, presumably, to the private-sector geniuses who managed to lose more than a trillion dollars in the space of a few years."

The masters of the universe - those of them who had the nerve to turn up - were mired in deep gloom at Davos in the Swiss Alps last week. Come April in the Watford Gap, representatives of the G20 group of nations may well feel suicidal as the social and economic consequences of the financial disaster deepens and widens.

It’s a bit rich that politicians and big business lined up to lecture us on the virtues of racial tolerance and international solidarity during the recent wildcat strikes.

One editorial in the Financial Times newspaper last week stated, “Our self interest requires us to show solidarity beyond national borders”.

Another issue carried a letter signed by nine heads of multinational companies pleading, “There is an urgency for all politicians to ensure there is no backlash against foreign workers”.

Noel is part of a group of workers who are keeping the Waterford Crystal flame burning.

He is among a dozen who make sure that 18 tonnes of molten glass continue to be produced by the plant’s furnace every 24 hours.

The furnace must stay working for production at the factory to continue.

If the furnace stops, the glass will solidify and the repairs would cost 8 million euros.

Raphael & Oluseye have left the UK
"I am sorry to have to report that, despite everyone's efforts, Raphael & Oluseye were taken from Yarl's Wood and put on a flight to Lagos yesterday morning. Five-year -old Raphael spent 69 days in immigration detention. Thank you all for all your support for mother and son."
Best wishes, George Heron
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/Newszine103/Raphael.html

Great news for all you lovely people - Pegah Emambakhsh is here to Stay
"We have just heard today that Pegah has finally been granted refugee status in the UK.  This is fantastic, wonderful, wonderful news and a great reward for all the hard work you all put in to ensure she was not sent back to Iran - so thank you, thank you, thank you.  Will be in touch again as soon as we have more details.  This  has been a long struggle but is a real vindication of what can be achieved when we all work together."

Love to all, Lesley, for Friends of Pegah Campaign

Background: Pegah Emambakhsh Must Stay!
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/emmaginnsfolder/emmaginnsfolder/aug%2007/pegah.htm

Leila, Soorena and Danoush put through the mangle
So it goes, when we last posted information the family had been taken to the airport on Thursday 6th February put on a plane taken off the plane and returned to Yarl's Wood.

On Monday night 9th February they were deported to Iran, on Tuesday 10th February they were brought back to the UK, released from immigration detention and are back in Halifax. No one at this stage is quite clear on what happened and why it happened the way it did. Once we have a factual summary of events, we will update everyone. Leila, Soorena and Danoush have had their world turned upside down and are deeply traumatized by the events. Seems pretty certain that we will be putting the family in touch with Bhatt Murphy solicitors, see next article.
Leila, Soorena and Danoush belong to Halifax
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/Newszine103/Leila.html

More than 1000 people, including 920 elected delegates, attended the inaugural congress of Power of the Masses Party (PLM) on January 30.

The delegates represented mass organisations of workers, urban poor, peasants, students, street vendors, jeepney and tricycle drivers, women and senior citizens — a mass base estimated at 300,000 according to PLM leaders.

The walk-outs and demonstrations by workers in oil refineries and power stations over the question of unemployment show the depth of anger in the working class faced with the tidal wave of redundancies brought about by the economic crisis. This wave of lay-offs and short-time working is not confined to Britain but is engulfing the globe. From the USA to China, from western Europe to Russia, no workers' job is safe; and even when they have work, wages are being cut and working conditions worsened.

Oluseye Shauba and her son Raphael nationals of Nigeria and residents of Bury are currently detained in Yarl's Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Thursday 12th February on British Airways flight BA0075 from terminal 5 Heathrow airport at 10:30hrs to Lagos.

One more attempt to undermine the capitalist system one bit further (a job it's quite good at doing these days anyway).

Patrick Masengo, still here after raising a stink
As Patrick was on the plane close to take off and not aware of last minute court order to stay removal, (it is still unclear whether the escorts were informed that a judge had stayed the removal), he decided to take on-board evasive action which made quite a stink (I kid you not) and resulted in Patrick being taken off the plane and returned to Colnbrook IRC. Patrick alleges he was roughed up on the plane and in the escort van. He has now been moved to Dover IRC. Thanks to all who faxed/emailed on Patrick's behalf.
Background: Keep Patrick Masengo in the UK, no removals to DR Congo
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/Newszine103/Patrick.html

Using an inside source, an Israeli libertarian communist constructs an analysis of the picture behind the scenes at the recent wildcat of Israel Railways workers.

Three of the top Greek banks have been downgraded by the economic agency Moody’s, after losing 70 per cent of their share price in the Athens Stock Exchange during 2008.

Last week a High Court ruling confirmed Binyam Mohamed was tortured whilst in the custody of the US in the full knowledge and cooperation of the Blair government. Mohamed has claimed that he was beaten, scalded and subjected to sleep deprivation, starvation and other forms of extreme mental and physical torture. Furthermore, British authorities were aware of the extent of the torture that Mohammed was subjected to making them complicit in his unlawful detention and abuse.

The Histadrut trade union intends to ask the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) for assistance with the planned boycott of Israeli ships by dockers in South Africa. “The union in South Africa is against anything connected to Israel, and in the past even objected to a cooperation agreement we signed with the Palestinian transport workers union,” said Transport Workers Union chairman Avi Edri.

Workers accuse the police of shooting two fellow workers yesterday who were participating in the occupation of a Mitsubishi plant in Barcelona, Anzoategui state.

Following the murder of two workers at a Mitsubishi plant, marches and meetings have involved more of the regional community in the union struggle, while six police have been arrested, and a range of commissions have been established.

A National Labor Relations Board regional director in Detroit Jan. 16 approved a settlement agreement with Starbucks Corp. resolving allegations of unfair labor practices by the Starbucks Workers Union (SWU), an affiliate of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), filed with NLRB Region 7 (Starbucks Corp. d/b/a Starbucks Coffee Co., N.L.R.B. Reg. Dir., No. 7-CA-51190, settlement approved 1/16/09).

Leila, Soorena and Danoushm, on plane, off plane, back in Yarl's Wood
I can't believe what I'm writing here, but at 25 to six, twenty minutes after the plane should have gone, I had a phone call from Sourena on his phone. I couldn't hear a word he was saying, so asked if I could speak to someone with him. An officer said they were being removed from the plane and taken back to Yarl's Wood, and that's where they are today.

Having just spoken to Leila’s legal representative this morning he says the Home Office are ‘livid’ at what happened and want the flight rescheduling asap. It’s all still hanging on a thread…. He has spoken to Sourena. Evidently, all three of them were separated either in transit, for the flight or both, we are not sure – including 18 month old Sourena being separated from his mother! That is absolutely outrageous! Danoushm is still traumatized this morning, we hear. Sourena has scratches on his face. This is completely inhumane! Thanks to all who faxed/phoned on family's behalf.
Phil Townend
Leila, Soorena and Danoushm belong to Halifax
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/Newszine103/Leila.html