World Workers' Movements Newswire Archive

New issue of Liverpool Solidarity Federation's newsletter published.

When I was recently named chairman of the Committee on Overseas Workers’ Affairs of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, I was approached by members of the press for my views on migrant labor. I remembered a speech I delivered last year at the Global Forum for Migration and Development in Athens, Greece. The thrust of the speech was that migrants’ rights have to be addressed on two fronts: ending the neoliberal policies that are responsible for creating poverty in their home countries, thus forcing them to emigrate, and demanding that they are given full rights in their host countries.

Yesterday (20/10) agents of a mainstream union killed a 23-year-old activist of an independent union in Argentina. Social organisations and the non-official union confederation made an urgent call for mobilisations and a general strike in Buenos Aires.

There was a good turnout - estimated to be between 250 - 300 local people, who assembled to show their outrage against the massive cuts announced today.

AMANDLA!

It is only in comic books and Hollywood movies that America's superheroes exist to defend the underdog. In practice, the armies of America have fanned out around the globe to show they are the willing servants of the corporate overdog. As Noam Chomsky writes in his book "Imperial Ambitions"(Metropolitan), "You can almost predict (U.S.) policy by that simple principle: Does it help rich people or does it help the general population? And from that you can virtually deduce what's going to happen." There is no more disgraceful example than Iraq.

France is grinding to a standstill as millions of workers and students erupt in the streets at the government’s prposal to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62. Across the Channel, the new Tory Chancellor has announced savage cuts in public expenditures that will slice away more than a million jobs, drive workers out of south east England and doom the country to years of austerity (unequally imposed, bien sur.) Yet the response has been muted.

Cuts being announced Wednesday affecting all of us...Time to mobilise and make ourselves heard..

Around the Campaigns Friday 15th October 2010

Asylum blow for Precious Mhango and her mother Florence
The mother and daughter, who have lived in Britain for seven years, have previously spent several spells in Dungavel detention centre in North Lanarkshire and Yarl's Wood in Bedforshire and were granted a last-minute reprieve last November while sitting on a plane at Heathrow airport about to take them Malawi.

The family's advocate argued their case at a 20-minute hearing in London on Wednesday but Lord Justice Sullivan dismissed their claims, denying them a chance to appeal the Home Office's decision to deport them.
Full story:

Newscotsman.com, 15th October 2010
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/campaigns/florenceprecious.html

Deportation death raises questions over 'proportionate force'
In the interest of justice there should be with out a shadow of doubt an immediate 'independent' enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the unacceptable death of Jimmy Mubenga. If left to the powers that be, any investigation will be (if there is one) a long time coming, years not months and not independent.

Further, the government have announced the abolition of the office of the Chief Coroner (before it was even established), which could and would have afforded proper investigations into deaths like these.

"They (French workers) are “fighting privatization,” as we all should be. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a slave to private capital either! This article, like most in the capitalist press, omits this essential information to benefit the owners and bosses. Get a clue folks and stand up and fight back or be prepared to have everything stolen from you. Remember, the rich don’t want but one thing. And that’s “everything.” Kind a makes the bank bailouts a little more understandable don’t you think. See “class war” all around you."

On 3 october 2010 during the demonstration in Birmingham against Tory party cuts, the comrade holding the red flag in the photos was singled out by the police in a sinister fashion and brutally set upon on by over 6 policemen, after been thrown onto the ground.

"The CIA employs former Brazilian policeman fired from their posts for various reasons to do the field work like surveillance, apartment penetrations, computer data thefts, and blackmail. In the majority of cases, these are individuals with ultra-rightist leanings who regard Serra as their candidate. Brazil's ministries, intelligence community, and military-industrial complex are heavily infiltrated by US agents. The US Embassy and consulate staff in Brazil includes some 40 CIA, DEA, FBI, and army intelligence agents, and Washington plans to open 10 new consulates in Brazil's major cities such as Manaos in Amazonia."

Don't think for a second that the empire has given up on Latain America. Progressives must organize now to defend the gains made there or they will be lost. The CIA has an unlimited bank account and no shame or "morals." Please spread widely.

24–28 May 2010 by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. Report compiled July 2010, published Thursday 7th October 2010

October 2010 Watchlist
Conflict Risk Alerts - None
Conflict Resolution Opportunities - None

International Crisis Group
 http://www.crisisgroup.org/

Statement of the Global Migration Group on the Human Rights of Migrants in Irregular Situation

The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (Worker's Party) and the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), the ground crew union at the national flag carrier, both expressed support for the planned strike of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP).

Amazing, after thirteen years of neo-Thatcherism, the beaten ‘party of labour’ all of a sudden rediscovers its ‘roots’. Who could trust such people? If the whole charade wasn’t such a miserable and desperate attempt to regain the ‘high ground’, Labour’s attempt to reinvent itself again, it would be nothing short of laughable.

A general strike is taking place throughout Spain today aginst the so-called "austerity measures" imposed by the government and capital. Since midnight piquets, blockades, actions and demonstrations are taking place all over the Spanish State. The strike is planned to last for 24h until midnight tonight..

For continuous coverage, latest reports and updates from the streets check out:  http://29-s.net (cat/sp)

Video galleries:  http://29-s.net/-videos-
Photo galleries:  http://29-s.net/-galeries-de-fotos-
Live radio stream (in catalan and spanish):  http://29-s.net/-radio-en-directe-

Wanda Mizolo Tete, Pappy Munona and Ruddy Lelo-Masiala

These 3 DR Congolese nationals are due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Kenya Airways flight KQ101 on Tuesday 28th September 2010 at 20:00 to Nairobi and then KQ554 to Kinshasa DR Congo.

All three are currently detained and have built their lives over the past several years in their local communities since applying for asylum.

Please support the campaigns for Papy Munona, Ruddy Lelo-Masiala and Wanda Tete, Model letters to the Home Secretary are available from their campaign pages, for direct links see end of message.

Kenya Airways flight KQ101 is their notorious daily flight to doom for Africans refused asylum in the UK.

I Tete Wanda-Mizolo, Home Office reference T1104204 nationality Congolese of DR Congo has been living in the UK since January 2005. I'm at the moment detained in Yarl's Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Tuesday 28th September at 20.00 on flight KQ 101/KQ554, I need people in the UK to help me by campaigning to 'Stay' my removal from the UK because it is not safe for me tp return to DR Congo. I'm worried to rape and the suffering for tortures which I have been before. I have a right to live and I feel save and protected in the UK which is the country that knows Human Rights and in the UK it says ladies first.

I am asking you all to Email/fax Kenya Airways for Pappy, Ruddy and myself, the attached model letter is for all three of us.

Tete Wanda, , Yarl's Wood, Monday afternoon,  mizowanda@yahoo.fr

What you can do to help / take urgent action NOW!

1. Email, fax and phone, Sam Okwulehie, Group Area Manager Kenya Airways. Urge him not to carry out the forced removal of  Wanda Mizolo Tete, Pappy Munona and Ruddy Lelo-Masiala, and to consider the airline's reputation. A model letter letter  ThreeDR Congolese.docKA.doc is attached. You can copy, amend or write your own version - if you do please quote  Wanda Mizolo Tete, Pappy Munona and Ruddy Lelo-Masiala due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Kenya Airways flight KQ101 on Tuesday 28th September 2010 at 20:00 to Nairobi and then KQ554 to Kinshasa DR Congo.

Put as much pressure on this airline as you can, to make them consider if it's worth the damage to their reputation to continue as one of UKBA's deportation airlines.

E-mail:  contact@kenya-airways.com
Fax: 020 8745 5027 (Or from outside the UK + 44 20 8745 5027)
Phone: 020 8759 7366 (Or from outside the UK + 44 20 8759 7366)

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