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UK Workers' Movements Newswire Archive

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CPC Convergence Direct Action Bloc - Website Launch!

17-08-2010 14:07

As most of you know, the Tories are holding their Conservative Party Conference in October to meet with various heads of industry to define the future of our communities.

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Flexible New Deal and Jobseekers aged 60 and over

16-08-2010 15:40

Flexible New Deal has replaced New Deal. It is mandatory for Jobseekers, but those aged 60+, that is have reached the age for Pension Credits, have a choice. Why therefore are they being threatened with sanctions, ie loss of benefits, if they refuse to participate?

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Join the Radical workers’ bloc at the Lib Dem conference!

16-08-2010 09:35

The Merseyside Trades Union Council have called a demonstration at the Liberal Democrats’ annual conference. This has been billed as “against coalition cuts in public jobs and services” – but we want more.

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The labour movement must mobilise against the EDL in Bradford!

15-08-2010 21:19

Hope not Hate have put out a statement opposing any counter demonstration against the EDL in Bradford on the 28th of August. This call has been backed by Yorkshire and the Humber TUC and some other trade unionists.
This is the Bradford United Against Racism groups response.

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Call-out to Radical Healthcare Workers!

15-08-2010 12:19

Online discussion forum launched

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Bath Bomb #32 Out Now

15-08-2010 11:02

The latest offering from the dark underbelly of proud, proud Bath

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Remembering Liverpool’s “Bloody Sunday”

14-08-2010 18:56

On Friday 13th August, members of the Liverpool Solidarity Federation distributed leaflets by St George’s Hall to raise peoples’ awareness of a pivotal moment in working class history. The Liverpool Transport Strike and the battle of August 13th, 1911 – our “Bloody Sunday.”

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Frontex Charter Flights first 6 months 2010

12-08-2010 08:08

Frontex Charter Flights first 6 months 2010

Frontex coordinate charter flights from all countries in the European Union

Total number of persons removed January to June this year: 1,261 on 27 flights

Total provisional costs: of all 27 flights *£6,398,000 

- £5,073 per person / £236,962 average cost per flight

10 flights to Nigeria
6 flights to Kosovo
5 flights to Georgia
2 flights to Iraq
Other destinations: Gambia, Cameroon, Albania, Armenia, Columbia, Ecuador, Burundi.

There were 27 flights in the first 6 months of 2010. Compared to 32 flights in the whole of 2009, removing 1,622 persons, main destination was Nigeria 17 flights involving 849 persons approximate

*(Please not these figures are only provisional, final costs will be known only after last reimbursement claim from the participating countries is processed)

Download breakdown of flights: Joint Returns 2010.doc



Download breakdown of costs: Joint Returns 2010_costs.doc



Joint Return Flights coordinated by Frontex January /December 2009
 http://www.freemovement.org.uk/Resources/Frontex4.html


Frontex in a nutshell
Border management within the European Union has undergone an evolution starting from nationally focused systems to operational cooperation at the external borders. National border security systems are nowadays being complemented by a unified set of effective tools to man-age potential risks at the external borders. Frontex - the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union - was created particularly to integrate national border security systems of Member States against all kind of threats that could happen on or through the external borders of the EU.
 http://www.freemovement.org.uk/Resources/Frontex3.html

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The Pope is trying to get the convicted mass murderers in Chile released

12-08-2010 00:06

The Pope is trying to get the convicted mass murderers in Chile released. This fit with the long standing support by the Catholic Church for any and every fascist dictatorship from Hitler down.

Another reason so support the "Protest the Pope" demonstrations in London.

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The Librarians Strike Back - Southampton' Libraries to be closed by more Strikes

10-08-2010 11:50

Money for Libraries, not Council Tax Rebates
Southampton's Libraries are to be closed by a second wave of strikes after the City Council reaffirmed their intention to replace 7 librarians with unpaid volunteers and close both Thornhill and Millbrook libraries.

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NHS Rules Broken Says GMB

09-08-2010 14:44

GMB TO BALLOT FOR STRIKE ACTION AT SOUTH LONDON HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST OVER AWARD OF PATIENT TRANSPORT CONTRACT TO DIRECTOR WITH RECORD OF SERIAL INSOLVENCY

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US Capitalism in Crisis: An Emperor With No Clothes

09-08-2010 02:33

The champions of US capitalism are having to get used to a changing global stage on which they play a diminishing role

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Unemployed set up new Democracy Village at Minister's church

08-08-2010 21:54

Unemployed residents of the Marsh Farm estate in Luton are currently encamped on the lawn of Romiley Methodist Church, the church of Andrew Stunell MP, Minister for Communities and Local Government, following the denial of funding for a vital job creation project. They arrived on Saturday and it is their intention to stay there in his home village of Romiley until the Minister agrees to meet with them.

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Rough Music #24 Out Now!!

06-08-2010 22:43

This summer's scorcher...

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Workers' Fightback: Greek Trucks and US Starbucks

06-08-2010 19:29

The combined weight of the Greek army, riot police force, media and trade union leadership was mobilised last week, to stop a strike by truckers. The action took place as 'centre-left' Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou continues to implement European Union and International Monetary Fund diktats. With Greece being seen as a testing-ground for repressing the entire working class of Europe, this episode comes as a stark warning to the rest of us.

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Detention of children ends but is the proposed alternative humane?

06-08-2010 08:02

Families with all legal rights exhausted to be given two weeks to leave the UK voluntarily

If they don't

Children/parents will be forcibly removed from their homes and taken directly to the airport to board the plane.

UKBA will likely ask for a heavy police presence should the family try and build up any form of community protest on the day of removal. UKBA concerned that if they fail to remove family on the day,  significant public order problems may occur at any future attempts.

In the event of parents of family resisting on the day, family could be separated, children possibly taken into care, whilst police/immigration officials deal with parents.

Any last minute legal challenges processed through the legal system expediently.

The document at many points, stresses the strength of community resistance, from people in the street, teachers, NGOs, MPs, voluntary groups, faith groups, charitable organisations and the media

( The briefing paper reprinted below has been leaked to the media)

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Big Society, or just B.S.?

05-08-2010 15:45

After years of struggle to create social enterprise and jobs in one of the UK's most deprived urban communities, the residents of the Marsh Farm Estate in Luton this week became amongst the first to test the rhetoric behind the Government's flagship “Big Society” policy.

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Take action against Tata - Thursday 5 August, 10.30am

03-08-2010 13:09

Show solidarity with locked out tea workers in West Bengal, exploited by Tata and victimised for demanding their rights

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Continuing Conflicts that Create Refugees, July 2010

02-08-2010 07:37

Iraq civilian death toll almost doubles in July
Alert Net 01/08/10

UNHCR concerned about deportations to Mogadishu as fighting continues
UNHCR 30/07/10

Thousands flee Congo clashes, security worsens
IRIN 30/07/10

Nine die in Kashmir protest clashes
BBC News 02/08/10]

Two actual or potential conflict situations around the world deteriorated and one improved in July 2010, according to the new issue of the International Crisis Group’s monthly bulletin CrisisWatch

Deteriorated Situations: Rwanda, Somalia

Download the full report: cw84.pdf

Somalia, militant Islamist group al-Shabaab demonstrated for the first time its capability to spread conflict and bloodshed more widely across the region by launching suicide bomb attacks on Kampala, Uganda that killed at least 85 people. The bombings came after explicit warnings by al-Shabaab that they would take revenge on Uganda and Burundi for their troop contribution to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which supports the transitional government against the Islamist group. Despite threats by al-Shabaab leader Sheikh Abu-Zubeyr of further strikes on Kampala and in Burundi, the two countries maintained their resolve to take on the insurgency and committed to send more troops to AMISOM. In Somalia itself scores of civilians were killed as renewed fighting broke out between al-Shabaab and government forces to the north of Mogadishu.

Rwanda, July saw growing political violence, shrinking of democratic space ahead of 9 August presidential election. Democratic Green Party VP and ex- RPF -turned-critic Andre Kagwa Rwisereka found dead 14 July; Rwisereka’s business partner arrested same day for murder; Green Party, rights groups calling for independent inquiry. Editor of independent newspaper Umurabyo and 2 journalists arrested 13 July for article likening President Kagame to Hitler. Tanzanian ICTR defence lawyer Mwaikusa killed 13 July in Dar-Es-Salaam. Electoral campaign for 9 Aug presidential polls started 20 July; only 4 parties admitted: ruling RPF, PL, SDP and PPC. FDU and Democratic Green Party candidates remained barred. Close to 2,000 Rwandan Hutu refugees forcefully repatriated out of Uganda 14 July with Rwandan police participation

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Wildcat #2 out now

01-08-2010 16:22

The latest issue of Liverpool Solidarity Federation's local newsletter is out now.