Thursday, 31 December 2009
GP member visiting Gaza
Ian, a GP member visiting Gaza now has his blog linked to GPTU blog (see links on right).
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
A WORLD CONFERENCE OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS WILL BE HELD IN BOLIVIA ON APRIL 22
From: roywilkes59@talktalk.net
To: climate-change-trade-union-network@googlegroups.com
Subject: {climate-change-trade-union-netwk} World Conference of Social Movements
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:29:09 +0000
Seasons Greetings!
Bolivian President Evo Morales announced on 20th December that a world conference of social movements will be held in Bolivia, as a response to the failure of COP15. The meeting will take place on April 22, which is the International Day of Mother Earth. “It will be a great meeting where we’ll be able to come up with solutions for the problem of climate change,” he said.
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/english/news/art0027.html
It would be worth raising this meeting in your organization as soon as possible so that we can encourage trade unions to send delegations to this important meeting.
For my analysis of Copenhagen see http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=1464#more-1464
Happy New Year,
Roy
To: climate-change-trade-union-network@googlegroups.com
Subject: {climate-change-trade-union-netwk} World Conference of Social Movements
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:29:09 +0000
Seasons Greetings!
Bolivian President Evo Morales announced on 20th December that a world conference of social movements will be held in Bolivia, as a response to the failure of COP15. The meeting will take place on April 22, which is the International Day of Mother Earth. “It will be a great meeting where we’ll be able to come up with solutions for the problem of climate change,” he said.
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/english/news/art0027.html
It would be worth raising this meeting in your organization as soon as possible so that we can encourage trade unions to send delegations to this important meeting.
For my analysis of Copenhagen see http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=1464#more-1464
Happy New Year,
Roy
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Norwich Green Party councillor in Gaza house arrest
Norwich Green Party councillor in Gaza house arrest
see post on Green left blog
see post on Green left blog
Sunday, 27 December 2009
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
London Federation Of Green Parties' debate on Barking
Last night after a passionate debate, the London Federation of Green Parties voted to call upon Barking Greens not to stand a candidate in the general election in Barking constituency against Nick Griffin. Several speeches were made both for and against the motion and, Larry O’Hara’s comments on this list were read out by Noel Lynch in his contribution. It was not an easy decision as many contributors stated that they were sympathetic to some arguments made in opposition and, I think the decision made affirms the view that a Labour victory in Barking would be the lesser of two evils.
P.Murry (personal capacity)
P.Murry (personal capacity)
Climate Change: Copenhagan cock-up and contrarian conspiracy theory.
Climate Change: Copenhagan cock-up and contrarian conspiracy theory.
By Steve Durrant (Manchester GP) on Green Left blog.
By Steve Durrant (Manchester GP) on Green Left blog.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Barking: Should the Greens stand?
Green Left statement
"Green Left welcomes the decision of the London Federation of Green Parties to call for no Green Party candidate to stand in the forthcoming general election for the constituency of Barking, in order to maximise the anti-Fascist vote. We regard this as a decision in favour of all progressive groups campaigning against the BNP in Barking and we pledge our full support for all efforts to defeat Nick Griffin and the BNP there. Despite wishing to provide voters with a progressive alternative, under the circumstances we consider it the best strategic decision not to stand a candidate in this election. We call on all voters in Barking to vote against the politics of hate and the BNP"
"Green Left welcomes the decision of the London Federation of Green Parties to call for no Green Party candidate to stand in the forthcoming general election for the constituency of Barking, in order to maximise the anti-Fascist vote. We regard this as a decision in favour of all progressive groups campaigning against the BNP in Barking and we pledge our full support for all efforts to defeat Nick Griffin and the BNP there. Despite wishing to provide voters with a progressive alternative, under the circumstances we consider it the best strategic decision not to stand a candidate in this election. We call on all voters in Barking to vote against the politics of hate and the BNP"
Joel Kovel speaking at meetings in the new year
As many of you are aware, Joel Kovel will be visiting the UK in the New Year.
Joel is an academic and leading member of the Green Party of the United States who has been active in the peace and anti nuclear movements since the Vietnam War. He was part in the Pastors for Peace Friendship movement which broke the US blockade of Cuba in 1994, was Green Party candidate for Senator from New York and ran for the Party's Presidential nomination in 2000. Although originally a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, since 1980 Joel has academic, teaching and researching in the fields of politics and communication, but last year was witch-hunted from his post of Distinguished Professor at Bard College as a result the publication of his book, Overcoming Zionism: Creating a Single Democratic State in Israel-Palestine.
As well as the London conference on Zionism on Jan 16th and the Manchester conference on Capitalism and Climate on Jan 23rd, Joel will also be speaking to members of London Green Party and friends as per below. The meeting is, of course, open to all Green Party and GL members and friends.
Joel Kovel will be speaking on the situation in the United States post-Copenhagen and on his book, The Enemy of Nature: The End of Capitalism or The End of the World? at an open London Federation of Green Parties discussion meeting at 7.30pm on Monday 25th January at the Lucas Arms, Grays Inn Road (three minutes walk from Kings Cross Tube Station).
This will be a fascinating meeting and a good introduction to the width of current green politics. Bring your friends as well as your fellow members!
Joel is an academic and leading member of the Green Party of the United States who has been active in the peace and anti nuclear movements since the Vietnam War. He was part in the Pastors for Peace Friendship movement which broke the US blockade of Cuba in 1994, was Green Party candidate for Senator from New York and ran for the Party's Presidential nomination in 2000. Although originally a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, since 1980 Joel has academic, teaching and researching in the fields of politics and communication, but last year was witch-hunted from his post of Distinguished Professor at Bard College as a result the publication of his book, Overcoming Zionism: Creating a Single Democratic State in Israel-Palestine.
As well as the London conference on Zionism on Jan 16th and the Manchester conference on Capitalism and Climate on Jan 23rd, Joel will also be speaking to members of London Green Party and friends as per below. The meeting is, of course, open to all Green Party and GL members and friends.
Joel Kovel will be speaking on the situation in the United States post-Copenhagen and on his book, The Enemy of Nature: The End of Capitalism or The End of the World? at an open London Federation of Green Parties discussion meeting at 7.30pm on Monday 25th January at the Lucas Arms, Grays Inn Road (three minutes walk from Kings Cross Tube Station).
This will be a fascinating meeting and a good introduction to the width of current green politics. Bring your friends as well as your fellow members!
“Hands of my Workmate”
MOTION to the next GL meeting an almost identical motion also to be taken by the next Green Party Trades Union meeting and another almost identical motion was passed NEM CON by London Federation of Green Parties on 21/12/2009
“ Green Left agrees to support the “Hands of my Workmate” campaign, which aims to prevent the use of Immigration law and the Borders Agency by employers to intimidate migrant workers, especially those who seek to exercise their rights to join and organise Trades Unions.”
Aims of HOMW
We believe:
1. That the introduction of immigration checks and immigration raids in the workplace is divisive and damaging to union organisation and is designed to create pressure on migrant workers not to organise or to take part in action.
2. That companies who operate outsourced services such as cleaning, wish to operate in a non union, low wage, environment and are using immigration checks as a weapon to drive down pay and conditions. If they succeed in lowering conditions for one part of the workforce—then all are damaged.
3. An injury to one is an injury to all. Workers of all countries of origin require unity to fight for secure jobs, decent wages and safe working conditions and immigration checks at work simply divide and weaken us.
4. Fascist groups like the BNP have grown on the back of a climate of fear about migration generated by politicians seeking to lay the blame for economic crisis at the door of working people from other countries.
5. That the students and staff of SOAS who launched immediate protests, including a student occupation, to win protection for their migrant workmates/students are to be congratulated for forcing their management to request the immediate issue of papers to the cleaners held in detention, the return of those detained and to acknowledge the lecturers UCU policy of non co-operation with immigration controls as well as agreeing to reconsider the outsourcing of cleaning contracts.
6. That immigration raids in the workplace risk the health and safety of our members by bringing the potential for violence into our workplace through the entry of riot style squads hunting down workers and also create stress for all staff who witness such raids or who have colleagues & friends detained in them.
7. Employers do not need to, and should not, facilitate such raids.
“ Green Left agrees to support the “Hands of my Workmate” campaign, which aims to prevent the use of Immigration law and the Borders Agency by employers to intimidate migrant workers, especially those who seek to exercise their rights to join and organise Trades Unions.”
Aims of HOMW
We believe:
1. That the introduction of immigration checks and immigration raids in the workplace is divisive and damaging to union organisation and is designed to create pressure on migrant workers not to organise or to take part in action.
2. That companies who operate outsourced services such as cleaning, wish to operate in a non union, low wage, environment and are using immigration checks as a weapon to drive down pay and conditions. If they succeed in lowering conditions for one part of the workforce—then all are damaged.
3. An injury to one is an injury to all. Workers of all countries of origin require unity to fight for secure jobs, decent wages and safe working conditions and immigration checks at work simply divide and weaken us.
4. Fascist groups like the BNP have grown on the back of a climate of fear about migration generated by politicians seeking to lay the blame for economic crisis at the door of working people from other countries.
5. That the students and staff of SOAS who launched immediate protests, including a student occupation, to win protection for their migrant workmates/students are to be congratulated for forcing their management to request the immediate issue of papers to the cleaners held in detention, the return of those detained and to acknowledge the lecturers UCU policy of non co-operation with immigration controls as well as agreeing to reconsider the outsourcing of cleaning contracts.
6. That immigration raids in the workplace risk the health and safety of our members by bringing the potential for violence into our workplace through the entry of riot style squads hunting down workers and also create stress for all staff who witness such raids or who have colleagues & friends detained in them.
7. Employers do not need to, and should not, facilitate such raids.
The Green Party Trade Union Group supports members of Unite who are striking against Fujitsu,
The Green Party Trade Union Group supports members of Unite who are striking against their employer, Fujitsu, in protest about recent job cuts, pay freezes and the closing of a final salary pension scheme. We note that a Union spokesperson suggests that Fujitsu is using the recession as cover for cost-cutting at the expense of its employees. The Fujitsu strikers should be supported by other Trades Unionists and Fujitsu management should cease their unjust strategy.
--- On Fri, 18/12/09, Andy Hewett wrote:
From: Andy Hewett
Subject: [GP-TU] Fujitsu workers on strike
To: "gptu list"
Date: Friday, 18 December, 2009, 14:26
FYI
Support the Fujitsu workers striking over job cuts, pay freeze and closure of their final salary pension scheme:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8419879.stm
more info:
http://www.kable.co.uk/fujitsu-public-sector-contractors-strike-15dec09
--- On Fri, 18/12/09, Andy Hewett
From: Andy Hewett
Subject: [GP-TU] Fujitsu workers on strike
To: "gptu list"
Date: Friday, 18 December, 2009, 14:26
FYI
Support the Fujitsu workers striking over job cuts, pay freeze and closure of their final salary pension scheme:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8419879.stm
more info:
http://www.kable.co.uk/fujitsu-public-sector-contractors-strike-15dec09
Proposed strike action by British Airways cabin staff
GPTU notes that the proposed strike action by British Airways cabin staff has been called off due a high court injunction. This verdict overturns a very strongly supported strike vote and seems to be a biased interference with Trades Union democracy. Reports suggest that even if BA staff leaving had been excluded from the ballot, which was the reason given for granting the injunction, there would still have been a majority vote for a strike. Management’s resort to legal action does not solve the underlying causes of the dispute and may even worsen matters.
GPTU therefore still supports British Airways cabin staffing their dispute.The threat by management to worsen their pay, their conditions and cut back on jobs is something which organised workers are right to resist. This is especially so in a climate where employers are mounting attacks on workers, if BA management get their way many other workers, in other industries could be the next to suffer.
As Greens we are critical of the aviation industry and we do believe its polluting activities need to be cut back, but we are committed to a JUST transition to a low carbon economy, not one where workers are made to suffer for problems which are not of their making. BA managements and all other employers should be negotiating with Unions and governments to ensure that the changes necessary to prevent disastrous damage caused by climate change can take place without workers being exploited.”
Guardian 17/12/2009
British Airways cabin crew voted this week to strike over staffing levels on flights. Here, one crew member, who asked to remain anonymous, explains the reasons why.
I was so proud to work for British Airways when I joined 13 years ago. It was an excellent airline. It is only in the last three years that everything has gone downhill. I am not proud to work for it any more.
Flights are taking off and landing, and everyone is being fed. When those doors shut and we are stuck in a metal tube with 300 people, the company knows we will always do whatever it takes to get the job done. If we don't, it is only we who suffer.
But staffing levels are down to the bone – on long-haul flights, crew have been cut from 16 to 14. We are at the receiving end of more abuse because passengers can't understand why the in-flight service is slower. We have had a lot more passengers saying, "I don't know how you do it," because it is noticeable just how much we are having to do. I try to avoid working in business class now because one crew member has been cut there so it is now the slowest service. But the airline needs those business class passengers.
We used to serve up the hot meal and drink in two-and-a-half hours. Now it is taking three-and-a-half. It is worse when something goes wrong. We have numerous problems with our in-flight entertainment system. When it works, it's superb. But it keeps breaking down and takes time to get fixed.
I'm not happy about striking for 12 days over Christmas. I hope people realise we are not doing this for the sake of it. None of us are over the moon about the timing but we have been forced into it. The union suggested cost-cutting measures and this dispute could have been settled months ago but BA dragged its heels. It's not just a case of fighting for one or two crew members who have been taken off flights – we are fighting for all our terms and conditions, our livelihoods.
I don't have any respect for BA chief executive Willie Walsh whatsoever. It is said average cabin-crew wages are £35,000 but my basic pay is still only £14,000. On top of that, when I am on duty, I get allowances for breakfast, lunch and supper. These depend on which country you work in – you don't get much in India. About 10% of my total salary is extra payment for working long hours – 15 or 16-hour days. Take 1,000 BA crew together and their average wage would be £25-28,000. I know people who work for Iberia, Lufthansa and KLM and they get paid more and get more days off. The claim that we are paid twice what Virgin staff receive is not accurate. They receive food allowances in cash. When you take these into account, they earn almost as much as we do.
It is very demoralising. On my last flight, we were all complaining to each other and wondering how we were going to get this or that done in time. I have had enough. I am actively looking for another job.
As told to Patrick Barkham
GPTU therefore still supports British Airways cabin staffing their dispute.The threat by management to worsen their pay, their conditions and cut back on jobs is something which organised workers are right to resist. This is especially so in a climate where employers are mounting attacks on workers, if BA management get their way many other workers, in other industries could be the next to suffer.
As Greens we are critical of the aviation industry and we do believe its polluting activities need to be cut back, but we are committed to a JUST transition to a low carbon economy, not one where workers are made to suffer for problems which are not of their making. BA managements and all other employers should be negotiating with Unions and governments to ensure that the changes necessary to prevent disastrous damage caused by climate change can take place without workers being exploited.”
Guardian 17/12/2009
British Airways cabin crew voted this week to strike over staffing levels on flights. Here, one crew member, who asked to remain anonymous, explains the reasons why.
I was so proud to work for British Airways when I joined 13 years ago. It was an excellent airline. It is only in the last three years that everything has gone downhill. I am not proud to work for it any more.
Flights are taking off and landing, and everyone is being fed. When those doors shut and we are stuck in a metal tube with 300 people, the company knows we will always do whatever it takes to get the job done. If we don't, it is only we who suffer.
But staffing levels are down to the bone – on long-haul flights, crew have been cut from 16 to 14. We are at the receiving end of more abuse because passengers can't understand why the in-flight service is slower. We have had a lot more passengers saying, "I don't know how you do it," because it is noticeable just how much we are having to do. I try to avoid working in business class now because one crew member has been cut there so it is now the slowest service. But the airline needs those business class passengers.
We used to serve up the hot meal and drink in two-and-a-half hours. Now it is taking three-and-a-half. It is worse when something goes wrong. We have numerous problems with our in-flight entertainment system. When it works, it's superb. But it keeps breaking down and takes time to get fixed.
I'm not happy about striking for 12 days over Christmas. I hope people realise we are not doing this for the sake of it. None of us are over the moon about the timing but we have been forced into it. The union suggested cost-cutting measures and this dispute could have been settled months ago but BA dragged its heels. It's not just a case of fighting for one or two crew members who have been taken off flights – we are fighting for all our terms and conditions, our livelihoods.
I don't have any respect for BA chief executive Willie Walsh whatsoever. It is said average cabin-crew wages are £35,000 but my basic pay is still only £14,000. On top of that, when I am on duty, I get allowances for breakfast, lunch and supper. These depend on which country you work in – you don't get much in India. About 10% of my total salary is extra payment for working long hours – 15 or 16-hour days. Take 1,000 BA crew together and their average wage would be £25-28,000. I know people who work for Iberia, Lufthansa and KLM and they get paid more and get more days off. The claim that we are paid twice what Virgin staff receive is not accurate. They receive food allowances in cash. When you take these into account, they earn almost as much as we do.
It is very demoralising. On my last flight, we were all complaining to each other and wondering how we were going to get this or that done in time. I have had enough. I am actively looking for another job.
As told to Patrick Barkham
Monday, 21 December 2009
Update on the UNISON Four witchhunts:
----- Forwarded Message ----
Jamie Davis sent a message to the members of "Defend the Four - Defend Branch Rights" Campaign.
--------------------
Subject: Brian's Appeal Hearing
LOBBY OF APPEAL HEARING FOR BRIAN DEBUS
Monday 11th January 2010 from 8.30 am
Holiday Inn, Carburton Street, W1
NEAREST TUBES Regents Park / Great Portland Street / Warren Street
Please come along to support Brian on the first day of his appeal hearing. This is the final of the hearings and completes UNISON's internal disciplinary process. It will determine whether or not the bans of 3 years for Kas and Glenn, 4 years for Suz and 5 years for Brian are imposed.
It is important that UNISON is clear on the anger felt by members over the witchhunts.
--------------------
Jamie Davis sent a message to the members of "Defend the Four - Defend Branch Rights" Campaign.
--------------------
Subject: Brian's Appeal Hearing
LOBBY OF APPEAL HEARING FOR BRIAN DEBUS
Monday 11th January 2010 from 8.30 am
Holiday Inn, Carburton Street, W1
NEAREST TUBES Regents Park / Great Portland Street / Warren Street
Please come along to support Brian on the first day of his appeal hearing. This is the final of the hearings and completes UNISON's internal disciplinary process. It will determine whether or not the bans of 3 years for Kas and Glenn, 4 years for Suz and 5 years for Brian are imposed.
It is important that UNISON is clear on the anger felt by members over the witchhunts.
--------------------
Monday, 14 December 2009
13/12/2009 HARROW MOSQUE Demo against the provocative march by neo-fascists and racists.
Martin Francis GP candidate for Brent North addressing the demo. (Martin's account of the denmo is given below).
L to R (physically at least!)Shahrar Ali: GP candidate for Brent Central, Sean Thompson: Camden GP and Martin Francis.
The GPTU banner
Harrow mosque
You tube video of demo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxq7Ol34o4g and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LSfAZniJLQ
Statement by P.Murry issued prior to demo.
As Secretary of the Green Party Trade Union Group and as a Steering Committee member of Green Left I wish to send the support of both of these organisations for the demonstration on 13/12/2009 against the provocative march by neo-fascists and racists.
I hope GPTU and GL members will join this demonstration which is fully in line with Green Party anti-racist policies. I know that all local Green Party parliamentary candidates have already expressed their strong opposition to such neo-fascist and racist actions which are designed to divide the communities and people of North West London against each other.
Martin's blog post on the demo
Stephen Gash of Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) promised 1,500 people at his anti-Islam demonstration outside the Harrow Mosque.
In fact fewer than 15 turned up initially, even though numbers were augmented by English Defence League supporters, and the rather sad little group, one wearing a blond wig and another a santa hat, were corralled into a cold car park and protected by police. A couple of them made speeches to the windswept car park observed by press photographers who out-numbered them 3 to 1 - all against the background of chants from several hundred anti-Fascist demonstrators, who sometimes broke into open gales of laughter at the sheer absurdity of the lonely little band in the car park. Stephen Gash the 'leader' even managed to be late and nearly miss the event! There is more than a touch of Captain Mainwaring about the man - without the lovability.
Given these numbers it is surely time for the local press stop building up the group and cease publicising their baseless claims and their incitant comments.
Hundreds of anti-Fascist demonstrators made it clear that the Fascists were not welcome in Harrow and the diversity of the demonstrators once again showed that the local community were united in defence of the Harrow mosque.
Ajmal Masroor, a spokesman for the Harrow Mosque, crossed to the corral and spoke to representatives of the SIOE and EDL and invited them into the Mosque to discuss their concerns. His invitation was turned down and Stephen Gash said he wanted to talk to the Home Office instead. A similar invitation has earlier been issued by the group British Muslims for a Secular Democracy without success.
The SIOE has thus shown it is not really interested in dialogue or debate, but just in creating division. In my speech to the Solidarity Vigil, as Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brent North, I pointed out that what the SIOE, EDL and BNP have in common is racism and xenophobia. Despite the SIOE's website claim that racism is 'the lowest form of stupidity' they are quite happy to get 'nod and a wink' support from the EDL. At the September 11th demonstration anti-Mosque demonstrators openly gave Nazi salutes and EDL members were present again today.
The SIOE attempt to 'soften up' an area by organising a provocative demonstration, with EDL help, and any reaction is then depicted as Muslim violence. Having caused division the BNP then move in by leafletting the area, as they did in Harrow after the September 11th demonstration, trying to build electoral support on the back of the dirty deeds of their allies. It is important that we see them as overlapping organisations with a similar agenda, and take with a pinch of salt their internicine squabbles. The SIOE may be absurd and today's demonstration comical, but the racist and Fascist nature of the groups that build on their provocations must be recognised and their activities firmly opposed.
I congratulate Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism for organising a highly effective, united and peaceful demonstration
Posted by MARTIN FRANCIS on http://www.wembleymatters.blogspot.com/
Labels: Brent and Harrow UAF, Brent Green Party, EDL, English Defence League, Harrow Mosque, SIOE, Stop Islamisation of Europe, Unite Against Fascism
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Campaigning against a new Academy in Lambeth: MONDAY 14th DEC, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton, 6pm , (Brixton Tube) bring banners.
Campaigning against a new Academy in Lambeth: MONDAY 14th DEC, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton, 6pm , (Brixton Tube) bring banners.
Forwarded from STA colleagues & Martin Francis (Brent GP and NUT)
Dear all,
We are campaigning against the building of a new Academy in Lambeth. It will be on the site of a primary school, squeezing the Primary onto a section of the site and building a 6 form entry Secondary on the rest. The site is right in the middle of a housing estate and will mean the loss of green open space and many trees. Local residents do not want a school on that site, because although Lambeth is short of school places, this is not the area where places are needed; there are three other secondaries close by.
Join our Lobby to show that trade unions will not stand by and see more public spaces handed over to the private sector. The name of the sponsor will be revealed on Friday, but whoever it is, they will not be made welcome by unions in the borough. We want schools that are accountable to us and that will honour school teachers' pay and conditions for members and local authority conditions for support staff. Join us on:
MONDAY 14th DEC, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton, 6pm , (Brixton Tube) bring banners.
Forwarded from STA colleagues & Martin Francis (Brent GP and NUT)
Dear all,
We are campaigning against the building of a new Academy in Lambeth. It will be on the site of a primary school, squeezing the Primary onto a section of the site and building a 6 form entry Secondary on the rest. The site is right in the middle of a housing estate and will mean the loss of green open space and many trees. Local residents do not want a school on that site, because although Lambeth is short of school places, this is not the area where places are needed; there are three other secondaries close by.
Join our Lobby to show that trade unions will not stand by and see more public spaces handed over to the private sector. The name of the sponsor will be revealed on Friday, but whoever it is, they will not be made welcome by unions in the borough. We want schools that are accountable to us and that will honour school teachers' pay and conditions for members and local authority conditions for support staff. Join us on:
MONDAY 14th DEC, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton, 6pm , (Brixton Tube) bring banners.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
MASS PROTEST TO SAVE LONDON MET UNI: LONDON MET COULD BE CLOSED
LONDON MET COULD BE CLOSED
Host: London MetSU - London Met Students' Union
Type: Causes - Protest
Network: Global
Date: Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Time: 16:00 - 18:00
Location: Moorgate Building
Street: 84 Moorgate
Town/City: London, United Kingdom
Following yesterday's EMERGENCY meeting in North Campus, attended by approx 80-100 students. It is very clear that the students have voted to support the Staff Unions (UCU & Unison) in PROTEST FOR THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS TO RESIGN - NEXT TUESDAY 15TH DECEMBER - 4:00PM - MOORGATE BUILDING
MAP HERE ( http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/about/moorgate.cfm )
The recording of the meeting last night features prominent speeches from the NUS, UCU, UNISON and YOUR STUDENTS' UNION.
It can be downloaded from the following link : (https://www.yousendit.com/download/MVNlNWN0R0ZsMHhMWEE9PQ)
The Melville-Deloitte reports presented for you all to see and judge by your own accords.
Sir David Melville's Report ( http://88.80.16.63/leak/melville-enquiry-report-summary-2009.pdf)
Accountancy Firm, Deliotte's Report ( http://wikileaks.org/leak/london-met-uni-deloitte-unredacted.pdf )
The Board of Governors of London Metropolitan University are meeting on 15th December to consider their response to the recent reports into the financial fiasco they got us into.
Both staff unions, UNISON and UCU, and London Met students union, are now calling for their resignations.
The Staff Union will be presenting them with their petition
.
I EXPECT THAT THIS PROTEST WILL BE THE BIGGEST IN THE HISTORY OF LMU.
* Tuesday 15th December,
* 4.30pm Moorgate Building, (see map
)
This is now a matter of survival - the government has threatened to close London Metropolitan University if they don't go (Link to The Independent newspaper article - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/london-met-warned-that-it-could-be-closed-1835511.html)
Bring banners, placards, tell everyone you know to leave work/ lectures early - this is our university, we value it highly, and the BOARD OF GOVERNORS HAVE to go. They've done enough damage already, it's time for a Fresh start for London Met!
Join the Lobby - please forward to all your contacts.
http://www.savelondonmetuni.blogspot.com/
Host: London MetSU - London Met Students' Union
Type: Causes - Protest
Network: Global
Date: Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Time: 16:00 - 18:00
Location: Moorgate Building
Street: 84 Moorgate
Town/City: London, United Kingdom
Following yesterday's EMERGENCY meeting in North Campus, attended by approx 80-100 students. It is very clear that the students have voted to support the Staff Unions (UCU & Unison) in PROTEST FOR THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS TO RESIGN - NEXT TUESDAY 15TH DECEMBER - 4:00PM - MOORGATE BUILDING
MAP HERE ( http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/about/moorgate.cfm )
The recording of the meeting last night features prominent speeches from the NUS, UCU, UNISON and YOUR STUDENTS' UNION.
It can be downloaded from the following link : (https://www.yousendit.com/download/MVNlNWN0R0ZsMHhMWEE9PQ)
The Melville-Deloitte reports presented for you all to see and judge by your own accords.
Sir David Melville's Report ( http://88.80.16.63/leak/melville-enquiry-report-summary-2009.pdf)
Accountancy Firm, Deliotte's Report ( http://wikileaks.org/leak/london-met-uni-deloitte-unredacted.pdf )
The Board of Governors of London Metropolitan University are meeting on 15th December to consider their response to the recent reports into the financial fiasco they got us into.
Both staff unions, UNISON and UCU, and London Met students union, are now calling for their resignations.
The Staff Union will be presenting them with their petition
I EXPECT THAT THIS PROTEST WILL BE THE BIGGEST IN THE HISTORY OF LMU.
* Tuesday 15th December,
* 4.30pm Moorgate Building, (see map
This is now a matter of survival - the government has threatened to close London Metropolitan University if they don't go (Link to The Independent newspaper article - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/london-met-warned-that-it-could-be-closed-1835511.html)
Bring banners, placards, tell everyone you know to leave work/ lectures early - this is our university, we value it highly, and the BOARD OF GOVERNORS HAVE to go. They've done enough damage already, it's time for a Fresh start for London Met!
Join the Lobby - please forward to all your contacts.
http://www.savelondonmetuni.blogspot.com/
Reinstate UCL cleaner Juan Carlos Piedra - sacked for union activity
Ancient greek nudist joins protestors in demo for reinstatement of Juan Carlos Piedra:UCL steps 10/12/2009
Juan Carlos Piedra (centre) at UCL demo 10/12/2009
SOAS Unison banner at demo for reinstatement of Juan Carlos Piedra:UCL 10/12/2009
UCU banner at Demo for Juan Carlos Piedra 10/12/2009
Picket Harbour Exchange: Reinstate Carlos at UCL now!
Host: Reinstate UCL cleaner - sacked for union activity
Type: Causes - Protest
Network: Global
Date: Friday, 11 December 2009
Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Location: Harbour Exchange, Canary Wharf (South Quay DLR station)
Description We're going to be picketing Harbour Exchange the day after our demo at UCL - HE is where Carlos has been placed by O&G before, where he suffered victimisation for his union activity, and where we know O&G will be forced to listen to us if we make big enough a scene.
If you'd like to join us from UCL, we'll be meeting in the Quad at 12:15 before making our way there by tube & DLR. Bring your Oyster card!
This is a real chance to make a difference to Carlos's campaign, so please do come along if you have an hour free!
~~~
REINSTATE JUAN CARLOS
Juan Carlos Piedra (above), has worked for Office and General for 1 year. O&G are the cleaning contractors at University College London (UCL). Juan Carlos was transferred from Harbour Exchange (Land Securities, Canary Wharf) to work in UCL after being called into a disciplinary meeting and warned about his trade union activities. He was told that his work was not the problem.
The only problem was his attitude - that he told people about the union, about their right to go tribunal if they were badly treated. Two days after being transferred to UCL he was called into a meeting and told that he had been seen at SOAS protesting against the immigration raid and at union protests. Then he was told "there is no job for you here" and was made redundant.
Juan Carlos was then reinstated in Exchange Tower (Canary Wharf) after UCL unions Unite and UCU called a protest, but he was not given the same conditions and he continues to be seriously victimised there for union activity.
UCL UNITE, UNISON AND UCU DEMAND THAT UCL MANAGEMENT CALL ON O&G TO REINSTATE JUAN CARLOS IN UCL IMMEDIATELY AND THAT THE VICTIMISATION BE STOPPED.
Picket for the right to be in a union. FRIDAY 11th DECEMBER 13.00. HARBOUR EXCHANGE,
SOUTH QUAY DLR Station.
E-mail ucllivingwage@ymail.com for further info.
Sign the petition:
http://tinyurl.com/ucllwpetition
Saturday, 5 December 2009
GREEN LEFT MEETINGS in 2010
GREEN LEFT MEETINGS in 2010
January 16th – Palestine Conference in London (Green Left/Socialist Resistance) with Joel Kovel and others including Phelim Mac Cafferty from GL.
Friends House Euston Rd NW1 (euston BR & Tfl stations) 10-5.30pm
January 23rd – Climate and Capitalism Conference in Manchester (Green Left/Socialist Resistance) with Joel Kovel and others.
January 30th – Green Left General Meeting in Birmingham (details to be confirmed).
January 16th – Palestine Conference in London (Green Left/Socialist Resistance) with Joel Kovel and others including Phelim Mac Cafferty from GL.
Friends House Euston Rd NW1 (euston BR & Tfl stations) 10-5.30pm
January 23rd – Climate and Capitalism Conference in Manchester (Green Left/Socialist Resistance) with Joel Kovel and others.
January 30th – Green Left General Meeting in Birmingham (details to be confirmed).
Monday, 30 November 2009
Indigenous leaders will share inspiring examples of environmentally sustainable alternative development models based on millennia-old indigenous ways
If you haven't already done so, please remember to register your attendance at the public event at UCL this Friday - you can do so by replying to this email.
Please also circulate this advert to anyone else who may be interested.
With best wishes
The Bolivia Information Forum
www.boliviainfoforum.org.uk
enquiries@boliviainfoforum.org.uk
+44 (0)20 7503 4163
Indigenous leaders will share inspiring examples of environmentally sustainable alternative development models based on millennia-old indigenous ways of life.
Bolivia's social movements are demanding climate justice for the world's poor who are most impacted by climate change, which they recognise as being caused primarily by industrialised countries.
Event open to all, to register please email:
enquiries@boliviainfoforum.org.uk
See also:
www.boliviainfoforum.org.uk
PUBLIC EVENT:
“Bolivian indigenous leaders taking action on climate change”
Friday 4 Dec 2009
6.30pm
Darwin Lecture Theatre
University College London
Gower Street,
London WC1E 6BT
(entrance via Malet Place)
Speakers including:
Ever Choquehuanca - CSCIB (peasant social movement)
Cristian DomÃnguez - CSUTCB (peasant social movement)
Rafael Quispe Flores – CONAMAQ (indigenous social movement)
Elyzabeth Peredo (Fundación Solón)
Marcos Nordgren (Climate change
expert from Bolivian NGO CIPCA)
The Bolivia Civil Society Platform on Climate Change is an initiative coordinated by the key social and indigenous movements of Bolivia and is supported jointly by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), Christian Aid and Oxfam.
Bolivia Information Forum (BIF), Unit 3 Canonbury Yard, 190a New North Road, London N1 7BJ www.boliviainfoforum.org.uk
Posted by DODO MODERN POETS at 14:42 0 comments
Please also circulate this advert to anyone else who may be interested.
With best wishes
The Bolivia Information Forum
www.boliviainfoforum.org.uk
enquiries@boliviainfoforum.org.uk
+44 (0)20 7503 4163
Indigenous leaders will share inspiring examples of environmentally sustainable alternative development models based on millennia-old indigenous ways of life.
Bolivia's social movements are demanding climate justice for the world's poor who are most impacted by climate change, which they recognise as being caused primarily by industrialised countries.
Event open to all, to register please email:
enquiries@boliviainfoforum.org.uk
See also:
www.boliviainfoforum.org.uk
PUBLIC EVENT:
“Bolivian indigenous leaders taking action on climate change”
Friday 4 Dec 2009
6.30pm
Darwin Lecture Theatre
University College London
Gower Street,
London WC1E 6BT
(entrance via Malet Place)
Speakers including:
Ever Choquehuanca - CSCIB (peasant social movement)
Cristian DomÃnguez - CSUTCB (peasant social movement)
Rafael Quispe Flores – CONAMAQ (indigenous social movement)
Elyzabeth Peredo (Fundación Solón)
Marcos Nordgren (Climate change
expert from Bolivian NGO CIPCA)
The Bolivia Civil Society Platform on Climate Change is an initiative coordinated by the key social and indigenous movements of Bolivia and is supported jointly by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), Christian Aid and Oxfam.
Bolivia Information Forum (BIF), Unit 3 Canonbury Yard, 190a New North Road, London N1 7BJ www.boliviainfoforum.org.uk
Posted by DODO MODERN POETS at 14:42 0 comments
NATIONAL CLIMATE EMERGENCY DEMO this SAT 5TH DEC 2009
NATIONAL CLIMATE EMERGENCY DEMO this SAT 5TH DEC 2009
BRING YOUR LOCAL PARTY BANNERS
We have hundreds of placards to hand out. A new leaflet on the way.
We will be joining hundreds of Trade Union members and setting up a stall at the
CLIMATE EMERGENCY RALLY
SPEAKERS CORNER
HYDE PARK
NOON
The main body of the demo will leave from Grosvenor Square, and the trade union march will feed into this one.
Cyclists may wish to join the Climate Emergency Bike Ride. This assembles at Lincoln's Inn Fields at 10 am. It looks as if this will feed into the demo at Hyde Park Corner.
There will be a stall at Parliament Square at the end. Come and say hello / help out / collect placards / sticks for re-use and £ saving .
SEE YOU ALL THERE- BRING YOUR LOCAL PARTY BANNERS
BRING YOUR LOCAL PARTY BANNERS
We have hundreds of placards to hand out. A new leaflet on the way.
We will be joining hundreds of Trade Union members and setting up a stall at the
CLIMATE EMERGENCY RALLY
SPEAKERS CORNER
HYDE PARK
NOON
The main body of the demo will leave from Grosvenor Square, and the trade union march will feed into this one.
Cyclists may wish to join the Climate Emergency Bike Ride. This assembles at Lincoln's Inn Fields at 10 am. It looks as if this will feed into the demo at Hyde Park Corner.
There will be a stall at Parliament Square at the end. Come and say hello / help out / collect placards / sticks for re-use and £ saving .
SEE YOU ALL THERE- BRING YOUR LOCAL PARTY BANNERS
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
schools and Copenhagen
Anon - a real teacher - from Islington, London says;
"There is a push on from the Islington sustainable schools group for schools to take their own demonstrative action for a proper deal at Copenhagen on Friday 4th Dec.
One of the year 5 classes at my school discussed this this morning and are proposing that we have a whole school demo round the block (a mini wave, maybe a ripple), make posters, send letters to Downing Street, get a petition up for parents, write to the local MP, do press releases. Good start. Shows what one lesson/discussion can do. There are only about a dozen schools signed up to the sustainability group, but there's no reason why others shouldn't join in too. How many school demos can we get on the day?
Checking out the Islington Council website, they signed up to the 10:10 campaign in September (one of the first to do so). Amongst other stuff in their statement they claim that all schools in Islington are going to get their roofs insulated "in time for winter". As winter is about a week away, has anyone seen any sign of this initiative?
I've asked the sustainability group for a brief summary of their initiatives/action plan so we can have a look at it at the meeting."
Let's have thousands of schools doin stuff during Copenhagen week!
Change our Climate
Change our World
"There is a push on from the Islington sustainable schools group for schools to take their own demonstrative action for a proper deal at Copenhagen on Friday 4th Dec.
One of the year 5 classes at my school discussed this this morning and are proposing that we have a whole school demo round the block (a mini wave, maybe a ripple), make posters, send letters to Downing Street, get a petition up for parents, write to the local MP, do press releases. Good start. Shows what one lesson/discussion can do. There are only about a dozen schools signed up to the sustainability group, but there's no reason why others shouldn't join in too. How many school demos can we get on the day?
Checking out the Islington Council website, they signed up to the 10:10 campaign in September (one of the first to do so). Amongst other stuff in their statement they claim that all schools in Islington are going to get their roofs insulated "in time for winter". As winter is about a week away, has anyone seen any sign of this initiative?
I've asked the sustainability group for a brief summary of their initiatives/action plan so we can have a look at it at the meeting."
Let's have thousands of schools doin stuff during Copenhagen week!
Change our Climate
Change our World
Petition for minimum wage for UCL staff
Petition for minimum wage for UCL staff
Please could you take a few moments out of your day to sign this petition;
As things stand, a significant number of contract staff at University College London receive the national minimum wage, £5.80 per hour, which is simply not enough to survive in London. Other University of London colleges such as SOAS, LSE, Birkbeck and Queen Mary’s have already adopted the London Living Wage (LLW), while UCL lags behind.
Former UCL cleaner Juan Carlos Piedra Benitez was dismissed from his job at UCL by contracted cleaning company Office & General. Recordings exist between Mr Piedra and O&G managers which prove that Mr Piedra’s trade union activity, especially in campaigning for the LLW, played an active role in his dismissal. This is not only unfair, but illegal.
Mr Piedra’s case attests quite clearly to the part that the out-sourcing of jobs plays in ensuring staff receive no better than poverty wages. Further, recent events at SOAS have proven contracting companies’ willingness to collude with UK Borders Agency to set up aggressive immigration raids and deportation programmes against cleaners.
Link here;
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/a-living-wage-for-all-at-ucl.html
Please could you take a few moments out of your day to sign this petition;
As things stand, a significant number of contract staff at University College London receive the national minimum wage, £5.80 per hour, which is simply not enough to survive in London. Other University of London colleges such as SOAS, LSE, Birkbeck and Queen Mary’s have already adopted the London Living Wage (LLW), while UCL lags behind.
Former UCL cleaner Juan Carlos Piedra Benitez was dismissed from his job at UCL by contracted cleaning company Office & General. Recordings exist between Mr Piedra and O&G managers which prove that Mr Piedra’s trade union activity, especially in campaigning for the LLW, played an active role in his dismissal. This is not only unfair, but illegal.
Mr Piedra’s case attests quite clearly to the part that the out-sourcing of jobs plays in ensuring staff receive no better than poverty wages. Further, recent events at SOAS have proven contracting companies’ willingness to collude with UK Borders Agency to set up aggressive immigration raids and deportation programmes against cleaners.
Link here;
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/a-living-wage-for-all-at-ucl.html
Monday, 23 November 2009
JERRY HICKS to stand for Unite Gen Sec
Dear Friends,
After careful consideration and taking into account all the excellent offers of support from every section within Unite I have decided that it would be the right decision to stand again in the election for General Secretary.
Although there is no date yet for the election it has to happen at some point next year, most likely soon after the General Election.
It is well worth reminding ourselves that our campaign last time went from strength to strength, despite being given no chance of even forcing an election.
We were then given little hope of securing enough nominations when not backed by the Gazette group (who supported Laurence Faircloth). We actually gained far more than he did and he then withdrew, which is something we had predicted but it was not given much credence at the time.
You will probably remember the detractors then went on to say that a 'vote for Jerry Hicks' would let the right wing candidate in (Kevin Coyne). Nothing of course could have been further from the truth. Not only did our campaign lead to Laurence Faircloth withdrawing we then soundly beat both Kevin Coyne and Paul Reuter at the ballot box finishing second only to the incumbent Derek Simpson.
It is my view that since that election things have got much worse, not just the economy but also the union leaderships failure to defend our members. We have also missed opportunities that have presented themselves, quick to make demands but slow to inspire or galvanise our members.
As was with the last election it is likely that all the other candidates will be senior officials of the union, indeed many have already been campaigning and not surprisingly often saying the right things. But its not what someone says its what they do that counts.
I have been a critic of Derek Simpson but truth is he has been allowed to get away with far too much with too little opposition from the same senior officials who would have us believe they should run our union. Our members deserve a better choice than simply more of the same.
Keep on keeping on, and expect the unexpected; Jerry Hicks.
http://jerryhicks.wordpress.com
After careful consideration and taking into account all the excellent offers of support from every section within Unite I have decided that it would be the right decision to stand again in the election for General Secretary.
Although there is no date yet for the election it has to happen at some point next year, most likely soon after the General Election.
It is well worth reminding ourselves that our campaign last time went from strength to strength, despite being given no chance of even forcing an election.
We were then given little hope of securing enough nominations when not backed by the Gazette group (who supported Laurence Faircloth). We actually gained far more than he did and he then withdrew, which is something we had predicted but it was not given much credence at the time.
You will probably remember the detractors then went on to say that a 'vote for Jerry Hicks' would let the right wing candidate in (Kevin Coyne). Nothing of course could have been further from the truth. Not only did our campaign lead to Laurence Faircloth withdrawing we then soundly beat both Kevin Coyne and Paul Reuter at the ballot box finishing second only to the incumbent Derek Simpson.
It is my view that since that election things have got much worse, not just the economy but also the union leaderships failure to defend our members. We have also missed opportunities that have presented themselves, quick to make demands but slow to inspire or galvanise our members.
As was with the last election it is likely that all the other candidates will be senior officials of the union, indeed many have already been campaigning and not surprisingly often saying the right things. But its not what someone says its what they do that counts.
I have been a critic of Derek Simpson but truth is he has been allowed to get away with far too much with too little opposition from the same senior officials who would have us believe they should run our union. Our members deserve a better choice than simply more of the same.
Keep on keeping on, and expect the unexpected; Jerry Hicks.
http://jerryhicks.wordpress.com
Friday, 20 November 2009
German student protests
Link to German student protests that are ongoing:
http://www.euronews.net/2009/11/17/german-university-strike-spreads/
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4901195,00.html
http://www.euronews.net/2009/11/17/german-university-strike-spreads/
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4901195,00.html
Thursday, 19 November 2009
General strike in the Irish Republic next Tuesday (24/11/2009)
There will be a general strike in the Irish Republic next Tuesday across the whole public sector. This is in response to proposed savage cuts in the budget next month and proposals even going as far as reducing the minimum wage and old age pension. The Irish unions are also discussing a further strike in December. The budget proposals in Ireland mirror in some ways the proposals which a Conservative government would be likely to implement in the UK. The EU has also announced that they have given Ireland until 2014 to cut its budget deficit.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1116/breaking52.htm
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1118/1224259043143.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1116/breaking52.htm
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1118/1224259043143.html
Thursday, 12 November 2009
URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY at the University of Birmingham
From: Natasha Macnab >
Date: 2009/11/11
Subject: [activists] FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
To: UCU activists e-group
>
Dear All
Please see the important message below on the planned closure of the Department of Sociology at the University of Birmingham. Please sign the petition at the bottom of the page and have a look at the website. Thank you:
An urgent message from staff in the Department of Sociology
Dear Colleagues,
Following a Review of the Sociology Department that was first proposed 18 months ago, the Head of the College of Social Sciences is seeking through the College Executive Board to close the Department. One of our degree programmes (Media, Culture and Society) will be closed altogether, and the other (Sociology) 'transferred' to Social Policy with just 3 staff retained and the rest (14 academics and 2 out of 3 support staff) made redundant.
We are asking you to join us, our students, and colleagues in the wider academic community in fighting this unwarranted closure proposal: it is based on a deeply flawed review process and evidence base. We suggest the decision brings to a head problems in the College arising from a total lack of strategy for Birmingham social science, and an out of control College management that is a threat to academic integrity and the reputation of the University.
The reasons for the Review were never adequately explained: at different times it was said to be about finances, or research performance, or student recruitment. At the outset, we welcomed the opportunity to engage constructively and collegially in the Review Process to develop strategies for the Department, but this opportunity was systematically denied to us. Incredibly, no staff or students from the Department were invited onto the Review Group, and we were never told how the
Department's submissions to the Group were being used. In addition, the External Advisors appointed to the Review - two very senior British Sociologists - have gone on record as saying they were marginalised from the process. We were not even allowed to see the Review report itself until it had passed through the College Board, and the Head of College announced his decision verbally to Department staff.
As many of you will know, the present Department was established in 2004 following another previous closure in 2002. Predominantly early career staff were recruited to what was heralded as a 10- year project to re-establish Sociology at Birmingham. The fact that this strategy would likely lead to a modest RAE 2008 result was explicitly recognised, although the Department went on to submit the highest proportion of staff into the RAE of any unit in the University. The Chair of a Strategic Review of the Department undertaken in 2004, Professor Judith Petts (current PVC Research and Knowledge Transfer) stated that: "the University needs to recognise that the outcome of 2008 may be modest relative to the leading departments. The panel cannot emphasis strongly enough that should this be the case, the University must hold its nerve
and continue to support the department."
The Department's two undergraduate programmes are ranked 4th (Sociology)and 5th (MCS) in The Guardian's national league tables. Feedback from students and external examiners, degree results and relations between students and staff are all excellent. College mismanagement of undergraduate recruitment in the current academic year led to over-recruitment in some areas and cut backs in others; this has not been explained. We are particularly upset that, having ignored student interests throughout the process, College managers have now wasted no time in launching a PR offensive on students, writing and arranging 'briefings' to assure them that their degrees will be 'unaffected'.
In short, as a result of a botched Review and a College management determined to look 'tough', committed, predominantly early career academics and support staff are to be made redundant in a frozen jobs market. The education of a diverse body of students will be severely harmed and the reputation of social sciences at Birmingham further damaged.
We believe that we are the first on the line in what will be a series of similarly aggressive Reviews of Departments.
We urge you to support our call to the University Senate (18 November)
and Council (26 November) to:
1) Reject the proposals of the College of Social Sciences Executive
Board as being based on a flawed review process and evidence base.
2) Institute a new, transparent review of Sociology that includes all
stakeholders, lifts the threat of redundancies and addresses the
institution's wider strategy for the social sciences.
Sign the Petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepsociologyatbirmingham/
For more information and copies of review documents and our responses
see the link below. We're working to get the site up and running over
the next 24 hours and will be updating it as this situation unfolds:
http://www.keepsociologyatbirmingham.com
Signed,
Ross Abbinnett
Gezim Alpion
Louise Brown
Shelley Budgeon
Sin Yi Cheung
Justin Cruickshank
Jonathan Fish
Emma Foster
Andrew Knops
Will Leggett
Jose Lingna Nafafe
John Lynch
Mairtin Mac an Ghaill
Giovanni Porfido
Alex Smith
David Toke
Dan Whisker
___________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVIST LIST SETTINGS
Unsubscribe by emailing
leave-activists@mercury.ucu.org.uk - alternatively, and to change your activists list email delivery options,
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-----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Date: 11/11/2009 11:27:56 GMT Standard Time
From: joycecanaan@blueyonder.co.uk
To: Gary.Hazeldine@bcu.ac.uk, worthers21@hotmail.com, analiameo@omicron.com.ar, A.Abbas@tees.ac.uk, annikatmc@yahoo.co.uk, anthony.green@ioe.ac.uk, salem_ayman@hotmail.com, bela_arora@hotmail.com, Bill.Roper@bcu.ac.uk, cath.lambert@warwick.ac.uk, EScandrett@qmu.ac.uk, George.Smith@bcu.ac.uk, h.v.sauntson@bham.ac.uk, Ian.S.Fairweather@manchester.ac.uk, j_contre@hotmail.com, Jane.Hill@bcu.ac.uk, jim.crowther@ed.ac.uk, judith.burnett@hotmail.co.uk, julie.pickmol@ntlworld.com, karima.kadi-hanifi@blueyonder.co.uk, kenneth.roberts18@btopenworld.com, K.V.Schaefer@exeter.ac.uk, LKC074@bham.ac.uk, M.Williams@plymouth.ac.uk, m.bowl.1@bham.ac.uk, Matthew.Badcock@bcu.ac.uk, mike.cole2@ntlworld.com, Mneary@lincoln.ac.uk, M.David@ioe.ac.uk, Morag.MacDonald@bcu.ac.uk, Neil.Staunton@bcu.ac.uk, patrickjdainley@aol.com, p.chatterton@leeds.ac.uk, p.c.warmington@bham.ac.uk, richard.johnson61@btinternet.com, s.cooke@bham.ac.uk, s.housee@wlv.ac.uk, sthemgr@yahoo.co.uk, Steve.Aldred@bcu.ac.uk, S.Spencer@shu.ac.uk, t.mccowan@ioe.ac.uk, zohre_zohre1979@yahoo.co.uk
Sent from the Internet (Details)
-----Original Message-----
From: Amsler, Sarah [mailto:S.S.AMSLER@aston.ac.uk]
Sent: 11 November 2009 10:17
To: Gurnam Singh; Joyce Canaan; sara-catherine motta-mera; Steve Cowden;
Mahmood Delkhasteh
Subject: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Dr Sarah S Amsler
Lecturer in Sociology
Room NW920
Languages and Social Sciences
Aston University
Birmingham B4 7ET
s.s.amsler@aston.ac.uk
http://www.aston.ac.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Bhattacharyya, GS [mailto:g.s.bhattacharyya@aston.ac.uk]
Sent: 11 November 2009 10:01
To: UCU@aston.ac.uk
Subject: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Natasha Macnab>
Date: 2009/11/11
Subject: [activists] FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
To: UCU activists e-group
>
Dear All
Please see the important message below on the planned closure of the
Department of Sociology at the University of Birmingham. Please sign the
petition at the bottom of the page and have a look at the website. Thank
you:
An urgent message from staff in the Department of Sociology
Dear Colleagues,
Following a Review of the Sociology Department that was first proposed
18 months ago, the Head of the College of Social Sciences is seeking
through the College Executive Board to close the Department. One of our
degree programmes (Media, Culture and Society) will be closed
altogether, and the other (Sociology) 'transferred' to Social Policy
with just 3 staff retained and the rest (14 academics and 2 out of 3
support staff) made redundant.
We are asking you to join us, our students, and colleagues in the wider
academic community in fighting this unwarranted closure proposal: it is
based on a deeply flawed review process and evidence base. We suggest
the decision brings to a head problems in the College arising from a
total lack of strategy for Birmingham social science, and an out of
control College management that is a threat to academic integrity and
the reputation of the University.
The reasons for the Review were never adequately explained: at different
times it was said to be about finances, or research performance, or
student recruitment. At the outset, we welcomed the opportunity to
engage constructively and collegially in the Review Process to develop
strategies for the Department, but this opportunity was systematically
denied to us. Incredibly, no staff or students from the Department were
invited onto the Review Group, and we were never told how the
Department's submissions to the Group were being used. In addition, the
External Advisors appointed to the Review - two very senior British
Sociologists - have gone on record as saying they were marginalised from
the process. We were not even allowed to see the Review report itself
until it had passed through the College Board, and the Head of College
announced his decision verbally to Department staff.
As many of you will know, the present Department was established in 2004
following another previous closure in 2002. Predominantly early career
staff were recruited to what was heralded as a 10- year project to
re-establish Sociology at Birmingham. The fact that this strategy would
likely lead to a modest RAE 2008 result was explicitly recognised,
although the Department went on to submit the highest proportion of
staff into the RAE of any unit in the University. The Chair of a
Strategic Review of the Department undertaken in 2004, Professor Judith
Petts (current PVC Research and Knowledge Transfer) stated that: "the
University needs to recognise that the outcome of 2008 may be modest
relative to the leading departments. The panel cannot emphasis strongly
enough that should this be the case, the University must hold its nerve
and continue to support the department."
The Department's two undergraduate programmes are ranked 4th (Sociology)
and 5th (MCS) in The Guardian's national league tables. Feedback from
students and external examiners, degree results and relations between
students and staff are all excellent. College mismanagement of
undergraduate recruitment in the current academic year led to
over-recruitment in some areas and cut backs in others; this has not
been explained. We are particularly upset that, having ignored student
interests throughout the process, College managers have now wasted no
time in launching a PR offensive on students, writing and arranging
'briefings' to assure them that their degrees will be 'unaffected'.
In short, as a result of a botched Review and a College management
determined to look 'tough', committed, predominantly early career
academics and support staff are to be made redundant in a frozen jobs
market. The education of a diverse body of students will be severely
harmed and the reputation of social sciences at Birmingham further
damaged.
We believe that we are the first on the line in what will be a series of
similarly aggressive Reviews of Departments.
We urge you to support our call to the University Senate (18 November)
and Council (26 November) to:
1) Reject the proposals of the College of Social Sciences Executive
Board as being based on a flawed review process and evidence base.
2) Institute a new, transparent review of Sociology that includes all
stakeholders, lifts the threat of redundancies and addresses the
institution's wider strategy for the social sciences.
Sign the Petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepsociologyatbirmingham/
For more information and copies of review documents and our responses
see the link below. We're working to get the site up and running over
the next 24 hours and will be updating it as this situation unfolds:
http://www.keepsociologyatbirmingham.com
Signed,
Ross Abbinnett
Gezim Alpion
Louise Brown
Shelley Budgeon
Sin Yi Cheung
Justin Cruickshank
Jonathan Fish
Emma Foster
Andrew Knops
Will Leggett
Jose Lingna Nafafe
John Lynch
Mairtin Mac an Ghaill
Giovanni Porfido
Alex Smith
David Toke
Dan Whisker
Date: 2009/11/11
Subject: [activists] FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
To: UCU activists e-group
Dear All
Please see the important message below on the planned closure of the Department of Sociology at the University of Birmingham. Please sign the petition at the bottom of the page and have a look at the website. Thank you:
An urgent message from staff in the Department of Sociology
Dear Colleagues,
Following a Review of the Sociology Department that was first proposed 18 months ago, the Head of the College of Social Sciences is seeking through the College Executive Board to close the Department. One of our degree programmes (Media, Culture and Society) will be closed altogether, and the other (Sociology) 'transferred' to Social Policy with just 3 staff retained and the rest (14 academics and 2 out of 3 support staff) made redundant.
We are asking you to join us, our students, and colleagues in the wider academic community in fighting this unwarranted closure proposal: it is based on a deeply flawed review process and evidence base. We suggest the decision brings to a head problems in the College arising from a total lack of strategy for Birmingham social science, and an out of control College management that is a threat to academic integrity and the reputation of the University.
The reasons for the Review were never adequately explained: at different times it was said to be about finances, or research performance, or student recruitment. At the outset, we welcomed the opportunity to engage constructively and collegially in the Review Process to develop strategies for the Department, but this opportunity was systematically denied to us. Incredibly, no staff or students from the Department were invited onto the Review Group, and we were never told how the
Department's submissions to the Group were being used. In addition, the External Advisors appointed to the Review - two very senior British Sociologists - have gone on record as saying they were marginalised from the process. We were not even allowed to see the Review report itself until it had passed through the College Board, and the Head of College announced his decision verbally to Department staff.
As many of you will know, the present Department was established in 2004 following another previous closure in 2002. Predominantly early career staff were recruited to what was heralded as a 10- year project to re-establish Sociology at Birmingham. The fact that this strategy would likely lead to a modest RAE 2008 result was explicitly recognised, although the Department went on to submit the highest proportion of staff into the RAE of any unit in the University. The Chair of a Strategic Review of the Department undertaken in 2004, Professor Judith Petts (current PVC Research and Knowledge Transfer) stated that: "the University needs to recognise that the outcome of 2008 may be modest relative to the leading departments. The panel cannot emphasis strongly enough that should this be the case, the University must hold its nerve
and continue to support the department."
The Department's two undergraduate programmes are ranked 4th (Sociology)and 5th (MCS) in The Guardian's national league tables. Feedback from students and external examiners, degree results and relations between students and staff are all excellent. College mismanagement of undergraduate recruitment in the current academic year led to over-recruitment in some areas and cut backs in others; this has not been explained. We are particularly upset that, having ignored student interests throughout the process, College managers have now wasted no time in launching a PR offensive on students, writing and arranging 'briefings' to assure them that their degrees will be 'unaffected'.
In short, as a result of a botched Review and a College management determined to look 'tough', committed, predominantly early career academics and support staff are to be made redundant in a frozen jobs market. The education of a diverse body of students will be severely harmed and the reputation of social sciences at Birmingham further damaged.
We believe that we are the first on the line in what will be a series of similarly aggressive Reviews of Departments.
We urge you to support our call to the University Senate (18 November)
and Council (26 November) to:
1) Reject the proposals of the College of Social Sciences Executive
Board as being based on a flawed review process and evidence base.
2) Institute a new, transparent review of Sociology that includes all
stakeholders, lifts the threat of redundancies and addresses the
institution's wider strategy for the social sciences.
Sign the Petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepsociologyatbirmingham/
For more information and copies of review documents and our responses
see the link below. We're working to get the site up and running over
the next 24 hours and will be updating it as this situation unfolds:
http://www.keepsociologyatbirmingham.com
Signed,
Ross Abbinnett
Gezim Alpion
Louise Brown
Shelley Budgeon
Sin Yi Cheung
Justin Cruickshank
Jonathan Fish
Emma Foster
Andrew Knops
Will Leggett
Jose Lingna Nafafe
John Lynch
Mairtin Mac an Ghaill
Giovanni Porfido
Alex Smith
David Toke
Dan Whisker
___________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVIST LIST SETTINGS
Unsubscribe by emailing
leave-activists@mercury.ucu.org.uk
please go to:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/listoptions
-----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Date: 11/11/2009 11:27:56 GMT Standard Time
From: joycecanaan@blueyonder.co.uk
To: Gary.Hazeldine@bcu.ac.uk, worthers21@hotmail.com, analiameo@omicron.com.ar, A.Abbas@tees.ac.uk, annikatmc@yahoo.co.uk, anthony.green@ioe.ac.uk, salem_ayman@hotmail.com, bela_arora@hotmail.com, Bill.Roper@bcu.ac.uk, cath.lambert@warwick.ac.uk, EScandrett@qmu.ac.uk, George.Smith@bcu.ac.uk, h.v.sauntson@bham.ac.uk, Ian.S.Fairweather@manchester.ac.uk, j_contre@hotmail.com, Jane.Hill@bcu.ac.uk, jim.crowther@ed.ac.uk, judith.burnett@hotmail.co.uk, julie.pickmol@ntlworld.com, karima.kadi-hanifi@blueyonder.co.uk, kenneth.roberts18@btopenworld.com, K.V.Schaefer@exeter.ac.uk, LKC074@bham.ac.uk, M.Williams@plymouth.ac.uk, m.bowl.1@bham.ac.uk, Matthew.Badcock@bcu.ac.uk, mike.cole2@ntlworld.com, Mneary@lincoln.ac.uk, M.David@ioe.ac.uk, Morag.MacDonald@bcu.ac.uk, Neil.Staunton@bcu.ac.uk, patrickjdainley@aol.com, p.chatterton@leeds.ac.uk, p.c.warmington@bham.ac.uk, richard.johnson61@btinternet.com, s.cooke@bham.ac.uk, s.housee@wlv.ac.uk, sthemgr@yahoo.co.uk, Steve.Aldred@bcu.ac.uk, S.Spencer@shu.ac.uk, t.mccowan@ioe.ac.uk, zohre_zohre1979@yahoo.co.uk
Sent from the Internet (Details)
-----Original Message-----
From: Amsler, Sarah [mailto:S.S.AMSLER@aston.ac.uk]
Sent: 11 November 2009 10:17
To: Gurnam Singh; Joyce Canaan; sara-catherine motta-mera; Steve Cowden;
Mahmood Delkhasteh
Subject: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Dr Sarah S Amsler
Lecturer in Sociology
Room NW920
Languages and Social Sciences
Aston University
Birmingham B4 7ET
s.s.amsler@aston.ac.uk
http://www.aston.ac.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Bhattacharyya, GS [mailto:g.s.bhattacharyya@aston.ac.uk]
Sent: 11 November 2009 10:01
To: UCU@aston.ac.uk
Subject: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Natasha Macnab
Date: 2009/11/11
Subject: [activists] FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
To: UCU activists e-group
Dear All
Please see the important message below on the planned closure of the
Department of Sociology at the University of Birmingham. Please sign the
petition at the bottom of the page and have a look at the website. Thank
you:
An urgent message from staff in the Department of Sociology
Dear Colleagues,
Following a Review of the Sociology Department that was first proposed
18 months ago, the Head of the College of Social Sciences is seeking
through the College Executive Board to close the Department. One of our
degree programmes (Media, Culture and Society) will be closed
altogether, and the other (Sociology) 'transferred' to Social Policy
with just 3 staff retained and the rest (14 academics and 2 out of 3
support staff) made redundant.
We are asking you to join us, our students, and colleagues in the wider
academic community in fighting this unwarranted closure proposal: it is
based on a deeply flawed review process and evidence base. We suggest
the decision brings to a head problems in the College arising from a
total lack of strategy for Birmingham social science, and an out of
control College management that is a threat to academic integrity and
the reputation of the University.
The reasons for the Review were never adequately explained: at different
times it was said to be about finances, or research performance, or
student recruitment. At the outset, we welcomed the opportunity to
engage constructively and collegially in the Review Process to develop
strategies for the Department, but this opportunity was systematically
denied to us. Incredibly, no staff or students from the Department were
invited onto the Review Group, and we were never told how the
Department's submissions to the Group were being used. In addition, the
External Advisors appointed to the Review - two very senior British
Sociologists - have gone on record as saying they were marginalised from
the process. We were not even allowed to see the Review report itself
until it had passed through the College Board, and the Head of College
announced his decision verbally to Department staff.
As many of you will know, the present Department was established in 2004
following another previous closure in 2002. Predominantly early career
staff were recruited to what was heralded as a 10- year project to
re-establish Sociology at Birmingham. The fact that this strategy would
likely lead to a modest RAE 2008 result was explicitly recognised,
although the Department went on to submit the highest proportion of
staff into the RAE of any unit in the University. The Chair of a
Strategic Review of the Department undertaken in 2004, Professor Judith
Petts (current PVC Research and Knowledge Transfer) stated that: "the
University needs to recognise that the outcome of 2008 may be modest
relative to the leading departments. The panel cannot emphasis strongly
enough that should this be the case, the University must hold its nerve
and continue to support the department."
The Department's two undergraduate programmes are ranked 4th (Sociology)
and 5th (MCS) in The Guardian's national league tables. Feedback from
students and external examiners, degree results and relations between
students and staff are all excellent. College mismanagement of
undergraduate recruitment in the current academic year led to
over-recruitment in some areas and cut backs in others; this has not
been explained. We are particularly upset that, having ignored student
interests throughout the process, College managers have now wasted no
time in launching a PR offensive on students, writing and arranging
'briefings' to assure them that their degrees will be 'unaffected'.
In short, as a result of a botched Review and a College management
determined to look 'tough', committed, predominantly early career
academics and support staff are to be made redundant in a frozen jobs
market. The education of a diverse body of students will be severely
harmed and the reputation of social sciences at Birmingham further
damaged.
We believe that we are the first on the line in what will be a series of
similarly aggressive Reviews of Departments.
We urge you to support our call to the University Senate (18 November)
and Council (26 November) to:
1) Reject the proposals of the College of Social Sciences Executive
Board as being based on a flawed review process and evidence base.
2) Institute a new, transparent review of Sociology that includes all
stakeholders, lifts the threat of redundancies and addresses the
institution's wider strategy for the social sciences.
Sign the Petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepsociologyatbirmingham/
For more information and copies of review documents and our responses
see the link below. We're working to get the site up and running over
the next 24 hours and will be updating it as this situation unfolds:
http://www.keepsociologyatbirmingham.com
Signed,
Ross Abbinnett
Gezim Alpion
Louise Brown
Shelley Budgeon
Sin Yi Cheung
Justin Cruickshank
Jonathan Fish
Emma Foster
Andrew Knops
Will Leggett
Jose Lingna Nafafe
John Lynch
Mairtin Mac an Ghaill
Giovanni Porfido
Alex Smith
David Toke
Dan Whisker
Closure of the Department of Sociology at the University of Birmingham.
From: Natasha Macnab n.a.macnab@bham.ac.uk Date: 2009/11/11
Subject: [activists] FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
To: UCU activists e-group
mailto:activists@mercury.ucu.org.uk>>
Dear All
Please see the important message below on the planned closure of the Department of Sociology at the University of Birmingham. Please sign the petition at the bottom of the page and have a look at the website. Thank you:
An urgent message from staff in the Department of Sociology
Dear Colleagues,
Following a Review of the Sociology Department that was first proposed 18 months ago, the Head of the College of Social Sciences is seeking through the College Executive Board to close the Department. One of our degree programmes (Media, Culture and Society) will be closed altogether, and the other (Sociology) 'transferred' to Social Policy with just 3 staff retained and the rest (14 academics and 2 out of 3 support staff) made redundant.
We are asking you to join us, our students, and colleagues in the wider academic community in fighting this unwarranted closure proposal: it is based on a deeply flawed review process and evidence base. We suggest the decision brings to a head problems in the College arising from a total lack of strategy for Birmingham social science, and an out of control College management that is a threat to academic integrity and the reputation of the University.
The reasons for the Review were never adequately explained: at different times it was said to be about finances, or research performance, or student recruitment. At the outset, we welcomed the opportunity to engage constructively and collegially in the Review Process to develop strategies for the Department, but this opportunity was systematically denied to us. Incredibly, no staff or students from the Department were invited onto the Review Group, and we were never told how the
Department's submissions to the Group were being used. In addition, the External Advisors appointed to the Review - two very senior British Sociologists - have gone on record as saying they were marginalised from the process. We were not even allowed to see the Review report itself until it had passed through the College Board, and the Head of College announced his decision verbally to Department staff.
As many of you will know, the present Department was established in 2004 following another previous closure in 2002. Predominantly early career staff were recruited to what was heralded as a 10- year project to re-establish Sociology at Birmingham. The fact that this strategy would likely lead to a modest RAE 2008 result was explicitly recognised, although the Department went on to submit the highest proportion of staff into the RAE of any unit in the University. The Chair of a Strategic Review of the Department undertaken in 2004, Professor Judith Petts (current PVC Research and Knowledge Transfer) stated that: "the University needs to recognise that the outcome of 2008 may be modest relative to the leading departments. The panel cannot emphasis strongly enough that should this be the case, the University must hold its nerve
and continue to support the department."
The Department's two undergraduate programmes are ranked 4th (Sociology)and 5th (MCS) in The Guardian's national league tables. Feedback from students and external examiners, degree results and relations between students and staff are all excellent. College mismanagement of undergraduate recruitment in the current academic year led to over-recruitment in some areas and cut backs in others; this has not been explained. We are particularly upset that, having ignored student interests throughout the process, College managers have now wasted no time in launching a PR offensive on students, writing and arranging 'briefings' to assure them that their degrees will be 'unaffected'.
In short, as a result of a botched Review and a College management determined to look 'tough', committed, predominantly early career academics and support staff are to be made redundant in a frozen jobs market. The education of a diverse body of students will be severely harmed and the reputation of social sciences at Birmingham further damaged.
We believe that we are the first on the line in what will be a series of similarly aggressive Reviews of Departments.
We urge you to support our call to the University Senate (18 November)
and Council (26 November) to:
1) Reject the proposals of the College of Social Sciences Executive
Board as being based on a flawed review process and evidence base.
2) Institute a new, transparent review of Sociology that includes all
stakeholders, lifts the threat of redundancies and addresses the
institution's wider strategy for the social sciences.
Sign the Petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepsociologyatbirmingham/
For more information and copies of review documents and our responses
see the link below. We're working to get the site up and running over
the next 24 hours and will be updating it as this situation unfolds:
http://www.keepsociologyatbirmingham.com
Signed,
Ross Abbinnett
Gezim Alpion
Louise Brown
Shelley Budgeon
Sin Yi Cheung
Justin Cruickshank
Jonathan Fish
Emma Foster
Andrew Knops
Will Leggett
Jose Lingna Nafafe
John Lynch
Mairtin Mac an Ghaill
Giovanni Porfido
Alex Smith
David Toke
Dan Whisker
___________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVIST LIST SETTINGS
Unsubscribe by emailing
leave-activists@mercury.ucu.org.uk - alternatively, and to change your activists list email delivery options,
please go to:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/listoptions
-----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Date: 11/11/2009 11:27:56 GMT Standard Time
From: joycecanaan@blueyonder.co.uk
To: Gary.Hazeldine@bcu.ac.uk, worthers21@hotmail.com, analiameo@omicron.com.ar, A.Abbas@tees.ac.uk, annikatmc@yahoo.co.uk, anthony.green@ioe.ac.uk, salem_ayman@hotmail.com, bela_arora@hotmail.com, Bill.Roper@bcu.ac.uk, cath.lambert@warwick.ac.uk, EScandrett@qmu.ac.uk, George.Smith@bcu.ac.uk, h.v.sauntson@bham.ac.uk, Ian.S.Fairweather@manchester.ac.uk, j_contre@hotmail.com, Jane.Hill@bcu.ac.uk, jim.crowther@ed.ac.uk, judith.burnett@hotmail.co.uk, julie.pickmol@ntlworld.com, karima.kadi-hanifi@blueyonder.co.uk, kenneth.roberts18@btopenworld.com, K.V.Schaefer@exeter.ac.uk, LKC074@bham.ac.uk, M.Williams@plymouth.ac.uk, m.bowl.1@bham.ac.uk, Matthew.Badcock@bcu.ac.uk, mike.cole2@ntlworld.com, Mneary@lincoln.ac.uk, M.David@ioe.ac.uk, Morag.MacDonald@bcu.ac.uk, Neil.Staunton@bcu.ac.uk, patrickjdainley@aol.com, p.chatterton@leeds.ac.uk, p.c.warmington@bham.ac.uk, richard.johnson61@btinternet.com, s.cooke@bham.ac.uk, s.housee@wlv.ac.uk, sthemgr@yahoo.co.uk, Steve.Aldred@bcu.ac.uk, S.Spencer@shu.ac.uk, t.mccowan@ioe.ac.uk, zohre_zohre1979@yahoo.co.uk
Sent from the Internet (Details)
-----Original Message-----
From: Amsler, Sarah [mailto:S.S.AMSLER@aston.ac.uk]
Sent: 11 November 2009 10:17
To: Gurnam Singh; Joyce Canaan; sara-catherine motta-mera; Steve Cowden;
Mahmood Delkhasteh
Subject: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Dr Sarah S Amsler
Lecturer in Sociology
Room NW920
Languages and Social Sciences
Aston University
Birmingham B4 7ET
s.s.amsler@aston.ac.uk
http://www.aston.ac.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Bhattacharyya, GS [mailto:g.s.bhattacharyya@aston.ac.uk]
Sent: 11 November 2009 10:01
To: UCU@aston.ac.uk
Subject: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Natasha Macnab>
Date: 2009/11/11
Subject: [activists] FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
To: UCU activists e-group
>
Dear All
Please see the important message below on the planned closure of the
Department of Sociology at the University of Birmingham. Please sign the
petition at the bottom of the page and have a look at the website. Thank
you:
An urgent message from staff in the Department of Sociology
Dear Colleagues,
Following a Review of the Sociology Department that was first proposed
18 months ago, the Head of the College of Social Sciences is seeking
through the College Executive Board to close the Department. One of our
degree programmes (Media, Culture and Society) will be closed
altogether, and the other (Sociology) 'transferred' to Social Policy
with just 3 staff retained and the rest (14 academics and 2 out of 3
support staff) made redundant.
We are asking you to join us, our students, and colleagues in the wider
academic community in fighting this unwarranted closure proposal: it is
based on a deeply flawed review process and evidence base. We suggest
the decision brings to a head problems in the College arising from a
total lack of strategy for Birmingham social science, and an out of
control College management that is a threat to academic integrity and
the reputation of the University.
The reasons for the Review were never adequately explained: at different
times it was said to be about finances, or research performance, or
student recruitment. At the outset, we welcomed the opportunity to
engage constructively and collegially in the Review Process to develop
strategies for the Department, but this opportunity was systematically
denied to us. Incredibly, no staff or students from the Department were
invited onto the Review Group, and we were never told how the
Department's submissions to the Group were being used. In addition, the
External Advisors appointed to the Review - two very senior British
Sociologists - have gone on record as saying they were marginalised from
the process. We were not even allowed to see the Review report itself
until it had passed through the College Board, and the Head of College
announced his decision verbally to Department staff.
As many of you will know, the present Department was established in 2004
following another previous closure in 2002. Predominantly early career
staff were recruited to what was heralded as a 10- year project to
re-establish Sociology at Birmingham. The fact that this strategy would
likely lead to a modest RAE 2008 result was explicitly recognised,
although the Department went on to submit the highest proportion of
staff into the RAE of any unit in the University. The Chair of a
Strategic Review of the Department undertaken in 2004, Professor Judith
Petts (current PVC Research and Knowledge Transfer) stated that: "the
University needs to recognise that the outcome of 2008 may be modest
relative to the leading departments. The panel cannot emphasis strongly
enough that should this be the case, the University must hold its nerve
and continue to support the department."
The Department's two undergraduate programmes are ranked 4th (Sociology)
and 5th (MCS) in The Guardian's national league tables. Feedback from
students and external examiners, degree results and relations between
students and staff are all excellent. College mismanagement of
undergraduate recruitment in the current academic year led to
over-recruitment in some areas and cut backs in others; this has not
been explained. We are particularly upset that, having ignored student
interests throughout the process, College managers have now wasted no
time in launching a PR offensive on students, writing and arranging
'briefings' to assure them that their degrees will be 'unaffected'.
In short, as a result of a botched Review and a College management
determined to look 'tough', committed, predominantly early career
academics and support staff are to be made redundant in a frozen jobs
market. The education of a diverse body of students will be severely
harmed and the reputation of social sciences at Birmingham further
damaged.
We believe that we are the first on the line in what will be a series of
similarly aggressive Reviews of Departments.
We urge you to support our call to the University Senate (18 November)
and Council (26 November) to:
1) Reject the proposals of the College of Social Sciences Executive
Board as being based on a flawed review process and evidence base.
2) Institute a new, transparent review of Sociology that includes all
stakeholders, lifts the threat of redundancies and addresses the
institution's wider strategy for the social sciences.
Sign the Petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepsociologyatbirmingham/
For more information and copies of review documents and our responses
see the link below. We're working to get the site up and running over
the next 24 hours and will be updating it as this situation unfolds:
http://www.keepsociologyatbirmingham.com
Signed,
Ross Abbinnett
Gezim Alpion
Louise Brown
Shelley Budgeon
Sin Yi Cheung
Justin Cruickshank
Jonathan Fish
Emma Foster
Andrew Knops
Will Leggett
Jose Lingna Nafafe
John Lynch
Mairtin Mac an Ghaill
Giovanni Porfido
Alex Smith
David Toke
Dan Whisker
Subject: [activists] FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
To: UCU activists e-group
mailto:activists@mercury.ucu.org.uk>>
Dear All
Please see the important message below on the planned closure of the Department of Sociology at the University of Birmingham. Please sign the petition at the bottom of the page and have a look at the website. Thank you:
An urgent message from staff in the Department of Sociology
Dear Colleagues,
Following a Review of the Sociology Department that was first proposed 18 months ago, the Head of the College of Social Sciences is seeking through the College Executive Board to close the Department. One of our degree programmes (Media, Culture and Society) will be closed altogether, and the other (Sociology) 'transferred' to Social Policy with just 3 staff retained and the rest (14 academics and 2 out of 3 support staff) made redundant.
We are asking you to join us, our students, and colleagues in the wider academic community in fighting this unwarranted closure proposal: it is based on a deeply flawed review process and evidence base. We suggest the decision brings to a head problems in the College arising from a total lack of strategy for Birmingham social science, and an out of control College management that is a threat to academic integrity and the reputation of the University.
The reasons for the Review were never adequately explained: at different times it was said to be about finances, or research performance, or student recruitment. At the outset, we welcomed the opportunity to engage constructively and collegially in the Review Process to develop strategies for the Department, but this opportunity was systematically denied to us. Incredibly, no staff or students from the Department were invited onto the Review Group, and we were never told how the
Department's submissions to the Group were being used. In addition, the External Advisors appointed to the Review - two very senior British Sociologists - have gone on record as saying they were marginalised from the process. We were not even allowed to see the Review report itself until it had passed through the College Board, and the Head of College announced his decision verbally to Department staff.
As many of you will know, the present Department was established in 2004 following another previous closure in 2002. Predominantly early career staff were recruited to what was heralded as a 10- year project to re-establish Sociology at Birmingham. The fact that this strategy would likely lead to a modest RAE 2008 result was explicitly recognised, although the Department went on to submit the highest proportion of staff into the RAE of any unit in the University. The Chair of a Strategic Review of the Department undertaken in 2004, Professor Judith Petts (current PVC Research and Knowledge Transfer) stated that: "the University needs to recognise that the outcome of 2008 may be modest relative to the leading departments. The panel cannot emphasis strongly enough that should this be the case, the University must hold its nerve
and continue to support the department."
The Department's two undergraduate programmes are ranked 4th (Sociology)and 5th (MCS) in The Guardian's national league tables. Feedback from students and external examiners, degree results and relations between students and staff are all excellent. College mismanagement of undergraduate recruitment in the current academic year led to over-recruitment in some areas and cut backs in others; this has not been explained. We are particularly upset that, having ignored student interests throughout the process, College managers have now wasted no time in launching a PR offensive on students, writing and arranging 'briefings' to assure them that their degrees will be 'unaffected'.
In short, as a result of a botched Review and a College management determined to look 'tough', committed, predominantly early career academics and support staff are to be made redundant in a frozen jobs market. The education of a diverse body of students will be severely harmed and the reputation of social sciences at Birmingham further damaged.
We believe that we are the first on the line in what will be a series of similarly aggressive Reviews of Departments.
We urge you to support our call to the University Senate (18 November)
and Council (26 November) to:
1) Reject the proposals of the College of Social Sciences Executive
Board as being based on a flawed review process and evidence base.
2) Institute a new, transparent review of Sociology that includes all
stakeholders, lifts the threat of redundancies and addresses the
institution's wider strategy for the social sciences.
Sign the Petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepsociologyatbirmingham/
For more information and copies of review documents and our responses
see the link below. We're working to get the site up and running over
the next 24 hours and will be updating it as this situation unfolds:
http://www.keepsociologyatbirmingham.com
Signed,
Ross Abbinnett
Gezim Alpion
Louise Brown
Shelley Budgeon
Sin Yi Cheung
Justin Cruickshank
Jonathan Fish
Emma Foster
Andrew Knops
Will Leggett
Jose Lingna Nafafe
John Lynch
Mairtin Mac an Ghaill
Giovanni Porfido
Alex Smith
David Toke
Dan Whisker
___________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVIST LIST SETTINGS
Unsubscribe by emailing
leave-activists@mercury.ucu.org.uk
please go to:
http://www.ucu.org.uk/listoptions
-----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Date: 11/11/2009 11:27:56 GMT Standard Time
From: joycecanaan@blueyonder.co.uk
To: Gary.Hazeldine@bcu.ac.uk, worthers21@hotmail.com, analiameo@omicron.com.ar, A.Abbas@tees.ac.uk, annikatmc@yahoo.co.uk, anthony.green@ioe.ac.uk, salem_ayman@hotmail.com, bela_arora@hotmail.com, Bill.Roper@bcu.ac.uk, cath.lambert@warwick.ac.uk, EScandrett@qmu.ac.uk, George.Smith@bcu.ac.uk, h.v.sauntson@bham.ac.uk, Ian.S.Fairweather@manchester.ac.uk, j_contre@hotmail.com, Jane.Hill@bcu.ac.uk, jim.crowther@ed.ac.uk, judith.burnett@hotmail.co.uk, julie.pickmol@ntlworld.com, karima.kadi-hanifi@blueyonder.co.uk, kenneth.roberts18@btopenworld.com, K.V.Schaefer@exeter.ac.uk, LKC074@bham.ac.uk, M.Williams@plymouth.ac.uk, m.bowl.1@bham.ac.uk, Matthew.Badcock@bcu.ac.uk, mike.cole2@ntlworld.com, Mneary@lincoln.ac.uk, M.David@ioe.ac.uk, Morag.MacDonald@bcu.ac.uk, Neil.Staunton@bcu.ac.uk, patrickjdainley@aol.com, p.chatterton@leeds.ac.uk, p.c.warmington@bham.ac.uk, richard.johnson61@btinternet.com, s.cooke@bham.ac.uk, s.housee@wlv.ac.uk, sthemgr@yahoo.co.uk, Steve.Aldred@bcu.ac.uk, S.Spencer@shu.ac.uk, t.mccowan@ioe.ac.uk, zohre_zohre1979@yahoo.co.uk
Sent from the Internet (Details)
-----Original Message-----
From: Amsler, Sarah [mailto:S.S.AMSLER@aston.ac.uk]
Sent: 11 November 2009 10:17
To: Gurnam Singh; Joyce Canaan; sara-catherine motta-mera; Steve Cowden;
Mahmood Delkhasteh
Subject: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Dr Sarah S Amsler
Lecturer in Sociology
Room NW920
Languages and Social Sciences
Aston University
Birmingham B4 7ET
s.s.amsler@aston.ac.uk
http://www.aston.ac.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Bhattacharyya, GS [mailto:g.s.bhattacharyya@aston.ac.uk]
Sent: 11 November 2009 10:01
To: UCU@aston.ac.uk
Subject: FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Natasha Macnab
Date: 2009/11/11
Subject: [activists] FW: URGENT: CLOSURE OF SOCIOLOGY
To: UCU activists e-group
Dear All
Please see the important message below on the planned closure of the
Department of Sociology at the University of Birmingham. Please sign the
petition at the bottom of the page and have a look at the website. Thank
you:
An urgent message from staff in the Department of Sociology
Dear Colleagues,
Following a Review of the Sociology Department that was first proposed
18 months ago, the Head of the College of Social Sciences is seeking
through the College Executive Board to close the Department. One of our
degree programmes (Media, Culture and Society) will be closed
altogether, and the other (Sociology) 'transferred' to Social Policy
with just 3 staff retained and the rest (14 academics and 2 out of 3
support staff) made redundant.
We are asking you to join us, our students, and colleagues in the wider
academic community in fighting this unwarranted closure proposal: it is
based on a deeply flawed review process and evidence base. We suggest
the decision brings to a head problems in the College arising from a
total lack of strategy for Birmingham social science, and an out of
control College management that is a threat to academic integrity and
the reputation of the University.
The reasons for the Review were never adequately explained: at different
times it was said to be about finances, or research performance, or
student recruitment. At the outset, we welcomed the opportunity to
engage constructively and collegially in the Review Process to develop
strategies for the Department, but this opportunity was systematically
denied to us. Incredibly, no staff or students from the Department were
invited onto the Review Group, and we were never told how the
Department's submissions to the Group were being used. In addition, the
External Advisors appointed to the Review - two very senior British
Sociologists - have gone on record as saying they were marginalised from
the process. We were not even allowed to see the Review report itself
until it had passed through the College Board, and the Head of College
announced his decision verbally to Department staff.
As many of you will know, the present Department was established in 2004
following another previous closure in 2002. Predominantly early career
staff were recruited to what was heralded as a 10- year project to
re-establish Sociology at Birmingham. The fact that this strategy would
likely lead to a modest RAE 2008 result was explicitly recognised,
although the Department went on to submit the highest proportion of
staff into the RAE of any unit in the University. The Chair of a
Strategic Review of the Department undertaken in 2004, Professor Judith
Petts (current PVC Research and Knowledge Transfer) stated that: "the
University needs to recognise that the outcome of 2008 may be modest
relative to the leading departments. The panel cannot emphasis strongly
enough that should this be the case, the University must hold its nerve
and continue to support the department."
The Department's two undergraduate programmes are ranked 4th (Sociology)
and 5th (MCS) in The Guardian's national league tables. Feedback from
students and external examiners, degree results and relations between
students and staff are all excellent. College mismanagement of
undergraduate recruitment in the current academic year led to
over-recruitment in some areas and cut backs in others; this has not
been explained. We are particularly upset that, having ignored student
interests throughout the process, College managers have now wasted no
time in launching a PR offensive on students, writing and arranging
'briefings' to assure them that their degrees will be 'unaffected'.
In short, as a result of a botched Review and a College management
determined to look 'tough', committed, predominantly early career
academics and support staff are to be made redundant in a frozen jobs
market. The education of a diverse body of students will be severely
harmed and the reputation of social sciences at Birmingham further
damaged.
We believe that we are the first on the line in what will be a series of
similarly aggressive Reviews of Departments.
We urge you to support our call to the University Senate (18 November)
and Council (26 November) to:
1) Reject the proposals of the College of Social Sciences Executive
Board as being based on a flawed review process and evidence base.
2) Institute a new, transparent review of Sociology that includes all
stakeholders, lifts the threat of redundancies and addresses the
institution's wider strategy for the social sciences.
Sign the Petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepsociologyatbirmingham/
For more information and copies of review documents and our responses
see the link below. We're working to get the site up and running over
the next 24 hours and will be updating it as this situation unfolds:
http://www.keepsociologyatbirmingham.com
Signed,
Ross Abbinnett
Gezim Alpion
Louise Brown
Shelley Budgeon
Sin Yi Cheung
Justin Cruickshank
Jonathan Fish
Emma Foster
Andrew Knops
Will Leggett
Jose Lingna Nafafe
John Lynch
Mairtin Mac an Ghaill
Giovanni Porfido
Alex Smith
David Toke
Dan Whisker
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
The Working Class Movement Library marks the 25 anniversary of the Miners Strike 1984-1985
Forwarded from Miners info by National Shop Stewards Network
----------------------------------------------------------
The Working Class Movement Library marks the 25 anniversary of the Miners
Strike 1984-1985
The Working Class Movement Library will be holding a meeting to mark the 25th anniversary of the Miners Strike 1984-1985.
On Saturday 21 November at 2.30pm speakers Granville Williams, editor of Shafted; the Media,the Miners'Strike and the Aftermath (2009) and Paul Kelly (Ex-Agecroft Miner) will look back at the personal, political and economic effects of the strike.
The strike was one of the largest and most significant industrial disputes of the 20th Century. The role of women in the strike enabled the strike to last longer than any national strike in British history.Throughout the country people decided what side they were on and diverse groups rallied to support the miners.
Shafted;the Media,the Miners'Strike and the Aftermath was edited by Granville Williams and published by the Campaign for the Press and Broadcasting Freedom earlier this year The contributors reflect on topics such as the press and TV coverage of the strike, documentaries about the strike, the role of the security services and the role of women during the strike,
Bernadette Hyland of the WCML said "We meet on the 21 November to remember how much we gained from the strike, not just how much we have lost in terms of our trade union and human rights. Please join us and bring with you your remembrances, both good and bad, of that traumatic year. We also hope that young people will come along to find out more about this historic event."
The meeting will take place in the Working Class Movement Library, 51 Crescent Salford M5 4WX, Tel :0161-736-3601. email; enquiries@wcml.org.
uk. www.wcml.org.uk
Press Contact
Bernadette Hyland : 01457-838885.
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.704 / Virus Database: 270.14.59/2494 - Release Date: 11/10/09
07:38:00
----------------------------------------------------------
The Working Class Movement Library marks the 25 anniversary of the Miners
Strike 1984-1985
The Working Class Movement Library will be holding a meeting to mark the 25th anniversary of the Miners Strike 1984-1985.
On Saturday 21 November at 2.30pm speakers Granville Williams, editor of Shafted; the Media,the Miners'Strike and the Aftermath (2009) and Paul Kelly (Ex-Agecroft Miner) will look back at the personal, political and economic effects of the strike.
The strike was one of the largest and most significant industrial disputes of the 20th Century. The role of women in the strike enabled the strike to last longer than any national strike in British history.Throughout the country people decided what side they were on and diverse groups rallied to support the miners.
Shafted;the Media,the Miners'Strike and the Aftermath was edited by Granville Williams and published by the Campaign for the Press and Broadcasting Freedom earlier this year The contributors reflect on topics such as the press and TV coverage of the strike, documentaries about the strike, the role of the security services and the role of women during the strike,
Bernadette Hyland of the WCML said "We meet on the 21 November to remember how much we gained from the strike, not just how much we have lost in terms of our trade union and human rights. Please join us and bring with you your remembrances, both good and bad, of that traumatic year. We also hope that young people will come along to find out more about this historic event."
The meeting will take place in the Working Class Movement Library, 51 Crescent Salford M5 4WX, Tel :0161-736-3601. email; enquiries@wcml.org.
uk. www.wcml.org.uk
Press Contact
Bernadette Hyland : 01457-838885.
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.704 / Virus Database: 270.14.59/2494 - Release Date: 11/10/09
07:38:00
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Welfare Reform Bill - URGENT - please take action by Wednesday
> From: Global Women's Strike <http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com>
> Date: 10 November 2009 22:28:40 GMT>
To: http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=romaynephoenix@mac.com> Subject: Welfare Reform Bill - URGENT - please take action by Wednesday>
Reply-To: http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com> >
Dear friends,> > URGENT -- please take action by the end of Wednesday>
> Welfare Reform Bill -- protection for children under five overturned by MPs> >
MPs supporting the government tonight brutally overturned the amendment won in the Lords, which protected single parents of children under five from losing benefit for not doing “work-related activity”. Single parent families could have their benefit cut by 40%. This is an outrageous attack on single mothers who are looking after children full-time. 236 MPs voted against the government, and some made clear that mothers’ caring work is a vital contribution to society. It should be recognised not penalised.> > Please write to the Lords who backed the amendment to urge them to keep this important protection for children, and let them know the strength of feeling in the community on this issue. Personal statements from mothers, fathers and carers are most convincing.> >
Lord Freud, the Conservative Lord who led on this amendment, will raise it again when the Bill goes back to the Lords on Thursday at 11.30am. We have another chance of defeating the government on their uncaring policy.> > Fax number for the Lords: 020 7219 5979 (mark for the attention of the Peer you are writing to.)> >
(As time is short, please send your letters direct, don’t rely on us to forward them, but do send us a copy at http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com Fax 020 7209 4761)> >
Please write to:> > Conservatives> > · Chris Scott http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=scottcg@parliament.uk >
Conservative Office, House of Lords – has undertaken to pass on emails received by end of Wednesday.> > ·
Lord Freud> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=freudd@parliament.uk> Fax: 020 7219 5979 – mark attention Lord Freud> Tel: 020 7219 4907> > ·
Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE> Tel: 020 7219 4051> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=taylorjl@parliament.uk> > ·
Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE> Tel: 020 7219 5353> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=whitbycollins@parliament.uk> > >
Liberal Democrats> > · Baroness Celia Thomas> Tel: 020 7219 3586 > http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=thomascm@parliament.uk> > ·
Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope> Fax: 020 7219 5979 – mark Attention Lord Kirkwood> (no email)> >
Crossbench> > · Lord Northbourne> Tel: 020 7219 3884 > Fax: 020 7219 5933> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=northbournec@parliament.uk> > >
> Sent: 09 November 2009 12:59> Subject: Welfare Reform Bill: Urgent - today: contact your MP and Minister Yvette Cooper> > Welfare Reform Bill:> Mothers, carers, people with disabilities,> victims of domestic violence …> win important changes in the Lords.> But some may be overturned on Tuesday> when the Bill returns to the Commons.> Join us to press MPs to keep them.> > Many important concessions have been won. Testimonies from those affected, among a wealth of letters and evidence from organisations, including ours which campaigned for months and lobbied in person and in writing, were taken up by Peers and journalists, forcing the government to shift. The government has publicly agreed to some of the changes, but some remain under threat. > > The Bill is coming back to the Commons on Tuesday 10 November. > ACTION YOU CAN TAKE:> Phone and/or email your MP and Yvette Cooper, the Minister for Work and Pensions, to urge them to keep the changes below> and to condemn the worst measures in the Bill.> House of Commons tel: 020 7219 3000
Find your MP> Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP> Secretary of State for Work and Pensions> House of Commons London SW1A 0AA> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=coopery@parliament.uk> Please copy your email to us at http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com> > > Most under threat:> > · Single parents of children under five are entitled to care for our children full-time without losing benefit for not doing “work-related activity”. We need to press MPs not to overturn this. No mother should be forced to go out to work if she feels her pre-school age children need her.> > > Changes likely to be approved:> > · Single mothers/parents of children aged three to six. Single parents on Income Support will be able to keep £50 earnings, up from £20. No “work-related activity” will be compulsory outside school hours, childcare or term-time. Mothers won’t have their benefit cut for missing “job seekers” appointments due to family responsibilities. The government reaffirmed that under current rules, parents with school-age children claiming Job Seekers Allowance can reject jobs that do not fit within school hours, they do not have to work full-time. > > · Parents. Jobcentre advisers and “back to work” staff must have regard for the welfare of the child in what they tell parents to do. > > · Carers. Single parents will be exempt from job seeking if their disabled child under 16 receives any rate of Disability Living Allowance for care. Previously, the government said the parent must work if a child is on the low rate for care.> > · Women fleeing domestic violence. A three-month exemption from job seeking. Though not enough for recovery and settling distressed children, it is an improvement over the previous discretionary decision by Jobcentre staff.> > · It is illegal for anyone to be pressured into medical treatment. Jobcentre or “back to work” staff will not be able to tell disabled people claiming Employment and Support Allowance (including people with mental health problems) that they have to take their prescription or undergo surgery. The government previously claimed that some people are “wilfully keeping themselves unfit for work”. People with drug and alcohol problems can be required to attend assessments and “motivation” sessions, but cannot lose benefit for refusing rehabilitation or treatment. > > Despite these changes, the Bill takes away many of our rights: > > It abolishes Income Support. This is the main benefit which acknowledges unwaged caring work by single mothers and other carers. > > It wipes out entitlement based on need and brings in US-style workfare. Couples with young children must both seek work. Almost all claimants of working age must look for a job or engage in a “work-related activity”. Those who cannot find a job will have to “work for their benefits”, i.e. for £1.60 an hour. Forcing more people to chase scarce jobs, while allowing employers to bypass the minimum wage, lowers everyone’s wages. Councils looking to cut costs are already preparing for workfare staff. Those of us who do not or cannot comply are threatened with destitution. Asylum seekers were the first to be made destitute, and this inhuman standard is being extended to others. > > It introduces compulsory joint birth registration even where the father is violent. If the mother has no official proof of his violence (a common situation) she will be forced to give his name. Mothers of newborns should not have to worry about going to court to stop the father abusing his parental rights to persecute her and the child.> > It expands charging for disability services. Some disability groups welcome “the right to control” budgets for services, in the Welfare Reform Bill. However, the new percentage charging system is discriminatory. People with more severe disabilities have greater needs and so are allocated a bigger budget. For them, the fixed percentage is a larger amount of money. Local authorities are allowed to set their own (higher) percentage. They will deduct charges at source before funds are paid out, leaving people to make up the missing cash. This is instead of charging separately, which allows older and disabled people not to pay charges they can’t afford, or to query when their income or disability expenses are wrongly calculated. > > We are determined to defend our entitlement to benefits and free high-quality services. Many people have signed up to a letter condemning the abolition of Income Support. Add your name. LINK> >
Contact us for more info:> > Single Mothers’ Self-Defence http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=centre@crossroadswomen.net> WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities) http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=winvisible@allwomencount.net> Global Women’s Strike http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com> Legal Action for Women http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=law@allwomencount.net> > Tel: 020 7482 2496 www.allwomencount.net www.globalwomenstrike.net
> Date: 10 November 2009 22:28:40 GMT>
To: http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=romaynephoenix@mac.com> Subject: Welfare Reform Bill - URGENT - please take action by Wednesday>
Reply-To: http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com> >
Dear friends,> > URGENT -- please take action by the end of Wednesday>
> Welfare Reform Bill -- protection for children under five overturned by MPs> >
MPs supporting the government tonight brutally overturned the amendment won in the Lords, which protected single parents of children under five from losing benefit for not doing “work-related activity”. Single parent families could have their benefit cut by 40%. This is an outrageous attack on single mothers who are looking after children full-time. 236 MPs voted against the government, and some made clear that mothers’ caring work is a vital contribution to society. It should be recognised not penalised.> > Please write to the Lords who backed the amendment to urge them to keep this important protection for children, and let them know the strength of feeling in the community on this issue. Personal statements from mothers, fathers and carers are most convincing.> >
Lord Freud, the Conservative Lord who led on this amendment, will raise it again when the Bill goes back to the Lords on Thursday at 11.30am. We have another chance of defeating the government on their uncaring policy.> > Fax number for the Lords: 020 7219 5979 (mark for the attention of the Peer you are writing to.)> >
(As time is short, please send your letters direct, don’t rely on us to forward them, but do send us a copy at http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com Fax 020 7209 4761)> >
Please write to:> > Conservatives> > · Chris Scott http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=scottcg@parliament.uk >
Conservative Office, House of Lords – has undertaken to pass on emails received by end of Wednesday.> > ·
Lord Freud> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=freudd@parliament.uk> Fax: 020 7219 5979 – mark attention Lord Freud> Tel: 020 7219 4907> > ·
Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE> Tel: 020 7219 4051> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=taylorjl@parliament.uk> > ·
Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE> Tel: 020 7219 5353> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=whitbycollins@parliament.uk> > >
Liberal Democrats> > · Baroness Celia Thomas> Tel: 020 7219 3586 > http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=thomascm@parliament.uk> > ·
Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope> Fax: 020 7219 5979 – mark Attention Lord Kirkwood> (no email)> >
Crossbench> > · Lord Northbourne> Tel: 020 7219 3884 > Fax: 020 7219 5933> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=northbournec@parliament.uk> > >
> Sent: 09 November 2009 12:59> Subject: Welfare Reform Bill: Urgent - today: contact your MP and Minister Yvette Cooper> > Welfare Reform Bill:> Mothers, carers, people with disabilities,> victims of domestic violence …> win important changes in the Lords.> But some may be overturned on Tuesday> when the Bill returns to the Commons.> Join us to press MPs to keep them.> > Many important concessions have been won. Testimonies from those affected, among a wealth of letters and evidence from organisations, including ours which campaigned for months and lobbied in person and in writing, were taken up by Peers and journalists, forcing the government to shift. The government has publicly agreed to some of the changes, but some remain under threat. > > The Bill is coming back to the Commons on Tuesday 10 November. > ACTION YOU CAN TAKE:> Phone and/or email your MP and Yvette Cooper, the Minister for Work and Pensions, to urge them to keep the changes below> and to condemn the worst measures in the Bill.> House of Commons tel: 020 7219 3000
Find your MP> Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP> Secretary of State for Work and Pensions> House of Commons London SW1A 0AA> http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=coopery@parliament.uk> Please copy your email to us at http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com> > > Most under threat:> > · Single parents of children under five are entitled to care for our children full-time without losing benefit for not doing “work-related activity”. We need to press MPs not to overturn this. No mother should be forced to go out to work if she feels her pre-school age children need her.> > > Changes likely to be approved:> > · Single mothers/parents of children aged three to six. Single parents on Income Support will be able to keep £50 earnings, up from £20. No “work-related activity” will be compulsory outside school hours, childcare or term-time. Mothers won’t have their benefit cut for missing “job seekers” appointments due to family responsibilities. The government reaffirmed that under current rules, parents with school-age children claiming Job Seekers Allowance can reject jobs that do not fit within school hours, they do not have to work full-time. > > · Parents. Jobcentre advisers and “back to work” staff must have regard for the welfare of the child in what they tell parents to do. > > · Carers. Single parents will be exempt from job seeking if their disabled child under 16 receives any rate of Disability Living Allowance for care. Previously, the government said the parent must work if a child is on the low rate for care.> > · Women fleeing domestic violence. A three-month exemption from job seeking. Though not enough for recovery and settling distressed children, it is an improvement over the previous discretionary decision by Jobcentre staff.> > · It is illegal for anyone to be pressured into medical treatment. Jobcentre or “back to work” staff will not be able to tell disabled people claiming Employment and Support Allowance (including people with mental health problems) that they have to take their prescription or undergo surgery. The government previously claimed that some people are “wilfully keeping themselves unfit for work”. People with drug and alcohol problems can be required to attend assessments and “motivation” sessions, but cannot lose benefit for refusing rehabilitation or treatment. > > Despite these changes, the Bill takes away many of our rights: > > It abolishes Income Support. This is the main benefit which acknowledges unwaged caring work by single mothers and other carers. > > It wipes out entitlement based on need and brings in US-style workfare. Couples with young children must both seek work. Almost all claimants of working age must look for a job or engage in a “work-related activity”. Those who cannot find a job will have to “work for their benefits”, i.e. for £1.60 an hour. Forcing more people to chase scarce jobs, while allowing employers to bypass the minimum wage, lowers everyone’s wages. Councils looking to cut costs are already preparing for workfare staff. Those of us who do not or cannot comply are threatened with destitution. Asylum seekers were the first to be made destitute, and this inhuman standard is being extended to others. > > It introduces compulsory joint birth registration even where the father is violent. If the mother has no official proof of his violence (a common situation) she will be forced to give his name. Mothers of newborns should not have to worry about going to court to stop the father abusing his parental rights to persecute her and the child.> > It expands charging for disability services. Some disability groups welcome “the right to control” budgets for services, in the Welfare Reform Bill. However, the new percentage charging system is discriminatory. People with more severe disabilities have greater needs and so are allocated a bigger budget. For them, the fixed percentage is a larger amount of money. Local authorities are allowed to set their own (higher) percentage. They will deduct charges at source before funds are paid out, leaving people to make up the missing cash. This is instead of charging separately, which allows older and disabled people not to pay charges they can’t afford, or to query when their income or disability expenses are wrongly calculated. > > We are determined to defend our entitlement to benefits and free high-quality services. Many people have signed up to a letter condemning the abolition of Income Support. Add your name. LINK> >
Contact us for more info:> > Single Mothers’ Self-Defence http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=centre@crossroadswomen.net> WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities) http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=winvisible@allwomencount.net> Global Women’s Strike http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=womenstrike8m@server101.com> Legal Action for Women http://uk.mc250.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=law@allwomencount.net> > Tel: 020 7482 2496 www.allwomencount.net www.globalwomenstrike.net
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
BWTUC Public meeting - Support the Postal Workers 09/11/2009 7.30pm
Battersea & Wandsworth WTUC Public meeting - Support the Postal Workers
09/11/2009 7.30pm
Postal workers have been bearing the brunt of the public';s anger since beginning to take strike action. They are being blamed for the late delivery of mail and being portrayed in the press as the ones in the wrong.
But, what you have to remember here is that postal workers are not greedy, well paid workers trying to squeeze money out of an unprofitable company. They are over worked and underpaid workers who aren';t just fighting to protect their terms and conditions they are fighting to protect our Royal Mail.
What the public don';t see is that behind the scenes the government are trying to run Royal Mail like a business &- not the public service that it is. The government does deals with large, private companies to deliver their mail. The government then hand this over to the Royal Mail to deliver at 13p per letter as opposed to 35p. The only person that really benefits in all this is the private companies making a profit.
How can this be justified when the government took a pensions holiday for 13 years from postal workers pensions? The government are shamelessly allowing private companies to profit at the expense of ordinary workers.
Your posties job will have changed dramatically over the past few years &- with no consultation from management. They now work longer hours and under more pressure. They work in an environment where they face constant bullying and intimidation from a management who make their bonuses by enforcing cuts on the workforce.
709/11/2009 7.30 PCS hq
106 Falcon Rd Clapham Junction SW11
Contact Nadine Nadine@bwtuc.org.uk
Tel 07946172461
09/11/2009 7.30pm
Postal workers have been bearing the brunt of the public';s anger since beginning to take strike action. They are being blamed for the late delivery of mail and being portrayed in the press as the ones in the wrong.
But, what you have to remember here is that postal workers are not greedy, well paid workers trying to squeeze money out of an unprofitable company. They are over worked and underpaid workers who aren';t just fighting to protect their terms and conditions they are fighting to protect our Royal Mail.
What the public don';t see is that behind the scenes the government are trying to run Royal Mail like a business &- not the public service that it is. The government does deals with large, private companies to deliver their mail. The government then hand this over to the Royal Mail to deliver at 13p per letter as opposed to 35p. The only person that really benefits in all this is the private companies making a profit.
How can this be justified when the government took a pensions holiday for 13 years from postal workers pensions? The government are shamelessly allowing private companies to profit at the expense of ordinary workers.
Your posties job will have changed dramatically over the past few years &- with no consultation from management. They now work longer hours and under more pressure. They work in an environment where they face constant bullying and intimidation from a management who make their bonuses by enforcing cuts on the workforce.
709/11/2009 7.30 PCS hq
106 Falcon Rd Clapham Junction SW11
Contact Nadine Nadine@bwtuc.org.uk
Tel 07946172461
Thursday, 29 October 2009
CLIMATE EMERGENCY London Public Forum Saturday 7th November 12-6pm
London Public Forum Saturday 7th November 12-6pm
South Camden Community School, Charrington Street NW1 1RG (nearest tube Kings Cross) see map here
Open to everyone and free to attend, hosted by the Campaign against Climate Change the Public Forum will bring together leading figures to discuss and debate the Climate Emergency and what we can be doing to tackle it. See below for the programme for the day.
This event sees a great variety of speakers including Aubrey Meyer (Global Commons Institute), Oliver Tickell (author Kyoto 2), Andrew Simms (new economics foundation), John Stewart (HACAN), Johann Hari (journalist), Jean Lambert MEP (Green Party), Damian Carrington (Head of Environment, the Guardian), Alexis Rowell (Camden Council), Chris Baugh (Public and Commercial Services Union) and Dr Stuart Parkinson (Scientists for Global Responsibility) as well as workshops with Biofuelwatch and the Campaign against Climate Change Trade Union Group.
Please pass on this email to your family, friends and networks – this is one of our last chance’s to get together before we hit the streets demonstrating in December.
Programme
11:45 Doors Open
12:15-13:15 Session 1 "10% Cuts by end 2010: the case for emergency action"
13:15-13:45 Break and Workshops including:
Introduction to campaigning against Agrofuels, hosted by Biofuelwatch and Food Not Fuel
13:45-14:45 Session 2 "Green Jobs Now - a million climate jobs by end 2010"
South Camden Community School, Charrington Street NW1 1RG (nearest tube Kings Cross) see map here
Open to everyone and free to attend, hosted by the Campaign against Climate Change the Public Forum will bring together leading figures to discuss and debate the Climate Emergency and what we can be doing to tackle it. See below for the programme for the day.
This event sees a great variety of speakers including Aubrey Meyer (Global Commons Institute), Oliver Tickell (author Kyoto 2), Andrew Simms (new economics foundation), John Stewart (HACAN), Johann Hari (journalist), Jean Lambert MEP (Green Party), Damian Carrington (Head of Environment, the Guardian), Alexis Rowell (Camden Council), Chris Baugh (Public and Commercial Services Union) and Dr Stuart Parkinson (Scientists for Global Responsibility) as well as workshops with Biofuelwatch and the Campaign against Climate Change Trade Union Group.
Please pass on this email to your family, friends and networks – this is one of our last chance’s to get together before we hit the streets demonstrating in December.
Programme
11:45 Doors Open
12:15-13:15 Session 1 "10% Cuts by end 2010: the case for emergency action"
13:15-13:45 Break and Workshops including:
Introduction to campaigning against Agrofuels, hosted by Biofuelwatch and Food Not Fuel
13:45-14:45 Session 2 "Green Jobs Now - a million climate jobs by end 2010"
CWU:Royal mail is claiming that we walked away from talks. This is not true.
DISPUTE UPDATE: PLEASE GIVE THIS MESSAGE THE WIDEST POSSIBLE CIRCULATION:
Royal mail is claiming that we walked away from talks. This is not true. It is also not true that there was an agreement. The union submitted a set of proposals yesterday morning that royal mail had still not responded to at 5 last night - in fact they still have not responded to those proposals. There is no split on the pec. They are 100% behind the industrial action. Royal mail are still insisting that we sign up to a pre xmas no strike deal. They are also still refusing to compromise on any of the issues at the heart of the dispute. Royal mail are likely to continue with their lies over the next few days to try and undermine the union and paint us in the worse possible light.
Royal mail is claiming that we walked away from talks. This is not true. It is also not true that there was an agreement. The union submitted a set of proposals yesterday morning that royal mail had still not responded to at 5 last night - in fact they still have not responded to those proposals. There is no split on the pec. They are 100% behind the industrial action. Royal mail are still insisting that we sign up to a pre xmas no strike deal. They are also still refusing to compromise on any of the issues at the heart of the dispute. Royal mail are likely to continue with their lies over the next few days to try and undermine the union and paint us in the worse possible light.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Support for CWU
“The London Federation of Green Parties states its support for a universal postal service and its support for CWU in its dispute with Royal Mail management.
Royal Mail management are using the 10% fall in postal communication relative to digital to force through cuts to postal workers earnings often using threats and intimidation and wrecking conditions of service. This is a difficult time to be a postal worker, but postal workers continue to deliver a vital public service. They are through their Union willing to negotiate reforms but are not prepared to be bullied.
The national agreement that resolved the 2007 dispute stipulates the continuing provision of reasonable local earnings levels and that to assist development of a fourth Phase of Royal Mail modernisation, consultation and negotiation will take place. Management are not currently complying. GPTU therefore supports the CWU decision to ballot on national strike action.
In the event of a CWU national strike we call on GP members to support CWU picket lines “
Royal Mail management are using the 10% fall in postal communication relative to digital to force through cuts to postal workers earnings often using threats and intimidation and wrecking conditions of service. This is a difficult time to be a postal worker, but postal workers continue to deliver a vital public service. They are through their Union willing to negotiate reforms but are not prepared to be bullied.
The national agreement that resolved the 2007 dispute stipulates the continuing provision of reasonable local earnings levels and that to assist development of a fourth Phase of Royal Mail modernisation, consultation and negotiation will take place. Management are not currently complying. GPTU therefore supports the CWU decision to ballot on national strike action.
In the event of a CWU national strike we call on GP members to support CWU picket lines “
Sunday, 18 October 2009
NUT motion: Mobilise for UN Climate talks in Copenhagen, December 09
This motion was agreed unanimously by the National Union of Teachers National Executive Committee on 8 October 2009
Mobilise for UN Climate talks in Copenhagen, December 09
“This meeting believes that we need a just, global and collectivised transition from a greed economy to a green economy. Sustainability rather than profit should be the hallmark of success as we recover from economic crisis.
This requires government investment in green industries such as renewable energy, insulation of all homes and workplaces, re-skilling of workers and research into further technological development. This will create or save tens of thousands of jobs at a time when many workers and students are concerned for their own future employment.
We congratulate workers at the Vestas wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight, who highlighted this issue so well by occupying their factory during August 2009, and who continue to campaign for the nationalisation of wind turbine and other green production since its closure.
We believe that the United Nations Climate Talks in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December 2009 could be our last chance to secure such a global, democratic commitment to measures that might avert climate catastrophe, before our planet’s ecology destabilises irreversibly.
Therefore we call on the national bodies of all TUC affiliates, and the TUC itself, to support a demonstration in London on Saturday 5 December 2009, and mobilise for an international workers’ and students’ presence throughout the Copenhagen talks, especially on 12 December.
We ask all such bodies to work with Stop Climate Chaos (www.stopclimatechaos.org) and the Campaign Against Climate Change (www.campaigncc.org) in planning and preparing for these events.”
Mobilise for UN Climate talks in Copenhagen, December 09
“This meeting believes that we need a just, global and collectivised transition from a greed economy to a green economy. Sustainability rather than profit should be the hallmark of success as we recover from economic crisis.
This requires government investment in green industries such as renewable energy, insulation of all homes and workplaces, re-skilling of workers and research into further technological development. This will create or save tens of thousands of jobs at a time when many workers and students are concerned for their own future employment.
We congratulate workers at the Vestas wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight, who highlighted this issue so well by occupying their factory during August 2009, and who continue to campaign for the nationalisation of wind turbine and other green production since its closure.
We believe that the United Nations Climate Talks in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December 2009 could be our last chance to secure such a global, democratic commitment to measures that might avert climate catastrophe, before our planet’s ecology destabilises irreversibly.
Therefore we call on the national bodies of all TUC affiliates, and the TUC itself, to support a demonstration in London on Saturday 5 December 2009, and mobilise for an international workers’ and students’ presence throughout the Copenhagen talks, especially on 12 December.
We ask all such bodies to work with Stop Climate Chaos (www.stopclimatechaos.org) and the Campaign Against Climate Change (www.campaigncc.org) in planning and preparing for these events.”
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Demonstration against Baghdad deportations - Wednesday 14 October 2009
Dear all,
If you can make it to this (5 pm, Wednesday, Communications House) please do!
Best wishes, Matt Sellwood
********************************************************************
URGENT: Stop the first mass deportation flight to Baghdad
First demonstration at Communications House, London, on Wednesday 14th October, 5pm.
The Stop Deportation network and other groups and organisations are demanding that the first mass deportation flight to southern Iraq, expected to leave on Wednesday, is suspended and the detainees threatened with forcible removal are released immediately. Over the last week,
detainees in various immigration detention centres have been given 'removal directions' clearly stating they will be removed to Iraq, rather than the Kurdistan Regional Government-controlled region, which was stated in previous removals.
Deporting people to a war zone like Iraq would put the lives of many deportees at risk. As recently as the 11th October, three car bombs exploded in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, killing at least 19 people. Violence and bloodshed continue throughout the country, which saw 1,891 civilian deaths in the first six months of this year alone. There are also widespread food shortages, lack of access to clean drinking water and other grave humanitarian crises in many areas.
The British government, through its participation in the war on and occupation of Iraq since 2003, is responsible for these crises and the consequent displacement of millions of Iraqis. Instead of helping accommodate refugees fleeing war and violence, it is now is planning to
send them back en masse to face their possible death.
Deportation charter flights limit refugees' access to due legal process. The UK Border Agency states that "charter flights may be subject to different arrangements where it is considered appropriate because of the complexities, practicalities and costs of arranging an operation." Charter flight deportees are told that "removal will not necessarily be deferred in the event that a Judicial Review is lodged." The emphasis, thus, is on filling the flight rather than ensuring the appropriate legal avenues have been exhausted. Detainees have also lost the right to know the date and time of their removal, making it more difficult for their legal representatives to act properly and leaving deportees in fear and uncertainty for days or weeks.
Iraqi refugees have been forcibly deported to Iraqi Kurdistan (northern Iraq) since November 2005. Mass deportation flights to Kurdistan have been removing 50-60 men almost once a month since June 2008, with the Home Office arguing that, unlike the rest of the country, the Kurdistan area is 'safe'. The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees estimate 1,000
people have been deported to Kurdistan from the UK since 2005. Despite these claims of safety, however, several people have died or disappeared following their forcible return, including Hussein Ali who killed himself two days after his arrival in 2008. Many others have been forced into hiding.
The Stop Deportation network calls upon all groups, organisations and individuals opposed to this brutal action by the UK government to stand with us in calling for all deportations to Iraq to be stopped. Join us on the first public demonstration against mass deportations to Iraq this
Wednesday, at 5pm, at the local immigration reporting centre, where many deportees are first arrested without prior warning whilst signing on (Communications House, Old Street, London, EC1).
If you would like to add your or your organisation's name to this statement, or for any further information, please email
stopdeportation[at]riseup.net.
Other things you can do to help stop this flight:
Contact your local MP and ask them to put pressure on the UK Border Agency
to cancel the deportation. You can find your local MP at
http://findyourmp.parliament.uk
Contact the UKBA directly to demand the deportation be cancelled:
Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Contact the minister for borders and immigration Phil Woolas:
House of Commons phone number: 020 7219 1149
House of Commons fax number: 020 7219 0992
Constituency phone number: 0161 624 4248
Constituency fax number: 0161 626 8572
If you can make it to this (5 pm, Wednesday, Communications House) please do!
Best wishes, Matt Sellwood
********************************************************************
URGENT: Stop the first mass deportation flight to Baghdad
First demonstration at Communications House, London, on Wednesday 14th October, 5pm.
The Stop Deportation network and other groups and organisations are demanding that the first mass deportation flight to southern Iraq, expected to leave on Wednesday, is suspended and the detainees threatened with forcible removal are released immediately. Over the last week,
detainees in various immigration detention centres have been given 'removal directions' clearly stating they will be removed to Iraq, rather than the Kurdistan Regional Government-controlled region, which was stated in previous removals.
Deporting people to a war zone like Iraq would put the lives of many deportees at risk. As recently as the 11th October, three car bombs exploded in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, killing at least 19 people. Violence and bloodshed continue throughout the country, which saw 1,891 civilian deaths in the first six months of this year alone. There are also widespread food shortages, lack of access to clean drinking water and other grave humanitarian crises in many areas.
The British government, through its participation in the war on and occupation of Iraq since 2003, is responsible for these crises and the consequent displacement of millions of Iraqis. Instead of helping accommodate refugees fleeing war and violence, it is now is planning to
send them back en masse to face their possible death.
Deportation charter flights limit refugees' access to due legal process. The UK Border Agency states that "charter flights may be subject to different arrangements where it is considered appropriate because of the complexities, practicalities and costs of arranging an operation." Charter flight deportees are told that "removal will not necessarily be deferred in the event that a Judicial Review is lodged." The emphasis, thus, is on filling the flight rather than ensuring the appropriate legal avenues have been exhausted. Detainees have also lost the right to know the date and time of their removal, making it more difficult for their legal representatives to act properly and leaving deportees in fear and uncertainty for days or weeks.
Iraqi refugees have been forcibly deported to Iraqi Kurdistan (northern Iraq) since November 2005. Mass deportation flights to Kurdistan have been removing 50-60 men almost once a month since June 2008, with the Home Office arguing that, unlike the rest of the country, the Kurdistan area is 'safe'. The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees estimate 1,000
people have been deported to Kurdistan from the UK since 2005. Despite these claims of safety, however, several people have died or disappeared following their forcible return, including Hussein Ali who killed himself two days after his arrival in 2008. Many others have been forced into hiding.
The Stop Deportation network calls upon all groups, organisations and individuals opposed to this brutal action by the UK government to stand with us in calling for all deportations to Iraq to be stopped. Join us on the first public demonstration against mass deportations to Iraq this
Wednesday, at 5pm, at the local immigration reporting centre, where many deportees are first arrested without prior warning whilst signing on (Communications House, Old Street, London, EC1).
If you would like to add your or your organisation's name to this statement, or for any further information, please email
stopdeportation[at]riseup.net.
Other things you can do to help stop this flight:
Contact your local MP and ask them to put pressure on the UK Border Agency
to cancel the deportation. You can find your local MP at
http://findyourmp.parliament.uk
Contact the UKBA directly to demand the deportation be cancelled:
Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Contact the minister for borders and immigration Phil Woolas:
House of Commons phone number: 020 7219 1149
House of Commons fax number: 020 7219 0992
Constituency phone number: 0161 624 4248
Constituency fax number: 0161 626 8572
Monday, 12 October 2009
The rise of the far right in Britain today. What it is, and how to fight it 04 November
Message from Brent & Harrow UAF , details below (acknowledgements to Andy Hewett & Martin Francis):
"We've just published this report of last weekend's mobilisation against the EDL in Manchester - http://socialistresistance.org/?p=689 Alf Fidler was an organiser of the counter-mobilisation in Harrow. Come along and join the discussion!".
The rise of the far right in Britain today
"What it is, and how to fight it. With Alf Filer (Brent & Harrow UAF)"
04 November at 19:30
Indian YMCA, Fitzroy Square, London
Manchester anti-fascists confront English Defence League
October 12th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under
Filed Under: Anti-racism • Featured
On Saturday October 10, around 2000 anti-facists mobilised in central Manchester to prevent the English Defence League from marching through the city centre. According to this report from a local Socialist Resistance supporter, the police greatly over-estimated the number of EDL supporters (closer to 100, not 500 or 700). There were 500 police.
The response to the EDL was organised around the United Against Fascism rally in Piccadilly Gardens which started at 12.00. The EDL had been shifting the time of their march backwards and forwards, mainly forwards from the morning to later in the afternoon so they could get tanked up in the pubs first. Eventually they, the EDL, had to respond to the UAF rally, and they did not actually march at all.
Police were a massive presence before 12.00, including up and around the Canal Street gay village area, and were lining the streets every ten feet or so as we arrived. The rally was just about to get going after 12.00 when the EDL appeared at the north east of Piccadilly Gardens, at the bottom of Newton Street, and the rally crowds rushed over to confront them, with police in between, and then it went on like that through most of the afternoon with the fascists moving around the back streets to appear at the top of Market Street north west of the Gardens, then around to the south where the bus ranks are, and so on. It was a mixture of tense and tedious. The rally dispersed around 4.30, and police escorted the EDL to coaches and trains around 5.00. Some of the police accounts reflected a change in political climate over multiculturalism over the last few years, along the lines that trouble-makers shouting racist taunts would be dealt with, but things felt a little more like the old days when police dogs and horses were used to push back the Rally into the Gardens. Protesters on the rally side were injured, including with dog-bites. I don’t know about the EDL. The EDL numbers looked quite small, perhaps under a hundred, and we were, as the reports said more like 2000, mainly the white left, fellow travellers and liberal allies of different kinds with sizeable proportion of more anarchist type students. There were some Asian and black youth, but not really organised as such, and it didn’t seem like these communities had mobilised for it. Support for the EDL right to march, in texts and emails to local newspapers and blogs, has been quite high, and the BNP, who are behind the EDL, have been trying to pretend that the EDL includes liberals fearful of ‘islamification’, perhaps with some success (and the BNP have even suggested that the EDL is a Zionist front designed to cause race war, which has caused some confusion). But the EDL did not march and the Gardens were held all afternoon, which is something.
"We've just published this report of last weekend's mobilisation against the EDL in Manchester - http://socialistresistance.org/?p=689 Alf Fidler was an organiser of the counter-mobilisation in Harrow. Come along and join the discussion!".
The rise of the far right in Britain today
"What it is, and how to fight it. With Alf Filer (Brent & Harrow UAF)"
04 November at 19:30
Indian YMCA, Fitzroy Square, London
Manchester anti-fascists confront English Defence League
October 12th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under
Filed Under: Anti-racism • Featured
On Saturday October 10, around 2000 anti-facists mobilised in central Manchester to prevent the English Defence League from marching through the city centre. According to this report from a local Socialist Resistance supporter, the police greatly over-estimated the number of EDL supporters (closer to 100, not 500 or 700). There were 500 police.
The response to the EDL was organised around the United Against Fascism rally in Piccadilly Gardens which started at 12.00. The EDL had been shifting the time of their march backwards and forwards, mainly forwards from the morning to later in the afternoon so they could get tanked up in the pubs first. Eventually they, the EDL, had to respond to the UAF rally, and they did not actually march at all.
Police were a massive presence before 12.00, including up and around the Canal Street gay village area, and were lining the streets every ten feet or so as we arrived. The rally was just about to get going after 12.00 when the EDL appeared at the north east of Piccadilly Gardens, at the bottom of Newton Street, and the rally crowds rushed over to confront them, with police in between, and then it went on like that through most of the afternoon with the fascists moving around the back streets to appear at the top of Market Street north west of the Gardens, then around to the south where the bus ranks are, and so on. It was a mixture of tense and tedious. The rally dispersed around 4.30, and police escorted the EDL to coaches and trains around 5.00. Some of the police accounts reflected a change in political climate over multiculturalism over the last few years, along the lines that trouble-makers shouting racist taunts would be dealt with, but things felt a little more like the old days when police dogs and horses were used to push back the Rally into the Gardens. Protesters on the rally side were injured, including with dog-bites. I don’t know about the EDL. The EDL numbers looked quite small, perhaps under a hundred, and we were, as the reports said more like 2000, mainly the white left, fellow travellers and liberal allies of different kinds with sizeable proportion of more anarchist type students. There were some Asian and black youth, but not really organised as such, and it didn’t seem like these communities had mobilised for it. Support for the EDL right to march, in texts and emails to local newspapers and blogs, has been quite high, and the BNP, who are behind the EDL, have been trying to pretend that the EDL includes liberals fearful of ‘islamification’, perhaps with some success (and the BNP have even suggested that the EDL is a Zionist front designed to cause race war, which has caused some confusion). But the EDL did not march and the Gardens were held all afternoon, which is something.
Sunday, 11 October 2009
Green leader visits Vestas "magic roundabout" camp
Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP for the South East region, which includes the Isle of Wight, visited the ‘magic roundabout’ today, Friday 9 October, the camp outside the Vestas plant in Newport, Isle of Wight.
She discussed with former Vestas workers who had occupied the factory to protest against job losses, their supporters, Isle of Wight trades unionists, and the Island Turbine Action Group (ITAG), which campaigns for a wind turbine on the Island. The roundabout regulars made her soup for lunch, and presented her with a support Vestas workers t-shirt and CD, and she made a donation to the ongoing campaign.
FROM THE GP WEBSITE
Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, will join ex-Vestas workers today at their ‘magic roundabout' protest camp on the Isle of Wight.
Lucas will meet with workers, community representatives and campaigners at the camp. She will discuss the ongoing protest against the loss of 600 jobs at the Vestas wind turbine manufacturing plant in Newport, which closed in the summer.
Ahead of her visit, Caroline Lucas said:
"The decision to close the Isle of Wight facility represented a spectacular failure by Government ministers to adequately promote green industries, protect the future of manufacturing in this country and safeguard British jobs."
"This was a massive loss for the 600 skilled workers made redundant - and it made a mockery of the UK's attempts to position itself as a leader in green energy and environmental policy. And now, as a reward for trying to defend their jobs, some of these workers are being deprived of their redundancy payouts."
"An invigorated renewable energy industry could provide hundreds of thousands of skilled, green collar jobs, taking full advantage of the UK's proud manufacturing heritage, while simultaneously tackling climate change."
"The local authorities must now continue to push the Government for a Sustainable Community Strategy for the Isle of Wight and ensure that the workers have a direct say in the Council's plans to enhance the renewables industry on the island."
Lucas concluded: "The time for empty promises on green jobs is over. If the Government can channel money into a new North East England wind turbine manufacturing facility, it should pledge financial aid and support for the Isle of Wight - including retraining workers where necessary, and finding new employment opportunities as soon as possible."
Notes to Editors
1) For more information, see: savevestas.wordpress.com
2) Lucas's visit will begin at 11:30am, at the protest site, St Cross Industrial Estate, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5WU
She discussed with former Vestas workers who had occupied the factory to protest against job losses, their supporters, Isle of Wight trades unionists, and the Island Turbine Action Group (ITAG), which campaigns for a wind turbine on the Island. The roundabout regulars made her soup for lunch, and presented her with a support Vestas workers t-shirt and CD, and she made a donation to the ongoing campaign.
FROM THE GP WEBSITE
Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, will join ex-Vestas workers today at their ‘magic roundabout' protest camp on the Isle of Wight.
Lucas will meet with workers, community representatives and campaigners at the camp. She will discuss the ongoing protest against the loss of 600 jobs at the Vestas wind turbine manufacturing plant in Newport, which closed in the summer.
Ahead of her visit, Caroline Lucas said:
"The decision to close the Isle of Wight facility represented a spectacular failure by Government ministers to adequately promote green industries, protect the future of manufacturing in this country and safeguard British jobs."
"This was a massive loss for the 600 skilled workers made redundant - and it made a mockery of the UK's attempts to position itself as a leader in green energy and environmental policy. And now, as a reward for trying to defend their jobs, some of these workers are being deprived of their redundancy payouts."
"An invigorated renewable energy industry could provide hundreds of thousands of skilled, green collar jobs, taking full advantage of the UK's proud manufacturing heritage, while simultaneously tackling climate change."
"The local authorities must now continue to push the Government for a Sustainable Community Strategy for the Isle of Wight and ensure that the workers have a direct say in the Council's plans to enhance the renewables industry on the island."
Lucas concluded: "The time for empty promises on green jobs is over. If the Government can channel money into a new North East England wind turbine manufacturing facility, it should pledge financial aid and support for the Isle of Wight - including retraining workers where necessary, and finding new employment opportunities as soon as possible."
Notes to Editors
1) For more information, see: savevestas.wordpress.com
2) Lucas's visit will begin at 11:30am, at the protest site, St Cross Industrial Estate, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5WU
Friday, 9 October 2009
Campaign against Climate Change: London Public Forum 07 Nov 2009, 12:00 am
London Public Forum
Start: 07 Nov 2009, 12:00 am
Where: South Camden Community School, Charrington Street, NW1 1RG (Kings Cross tube)
London Public Forum, Saturday 7th November
12.00 noon – 6.00 pm,
at South Camden Community School, Charrington St (Kings Cross tube)
Free entry - no need to register!
Round Table Plenaries:
10% cuts by end 2010: the case for emergency action
Green Jobs Now – a million climate jobs by end 2010?
Decarbonising our transport fast – the way ahead
Copenhagen, the deal we need and the deal we’re likely to get
Plus assorted workshops including Biofelwatch / Food not Fuel
Speakers to include Aubrey Meyer (Global Commons Institute), Oliver Tickell (author Kyoto 2), John Stewart (HACAN), Johann Hari (journalist), Jean Lambert MEP (Green Party), Damian Carrington (Head of Environment, the Guardian), Alexis Rowell (Camden Council), Chris Baugh (Public and Commercial Services Union), Tony Juniper (ex Director, Friends of the Earth, Green Party), Dr Stuart Parkinson (Scienists for Global Responsibility).. plus more speakers invited and TBA.
Join us for drinks afterwards at a venue to be announced.
Start: 07 Nov 2009, 12:00 am
Where: South Camden Community School, Charrington Street, NW1 1RG (Kings Cross tube)
London Public Forum, Saturday 7th November
12.00 noon – 6.00 pm,
at South Camden Community School, Charrington St (Kings Cross tube)
Free entry - no need to register!
Round Table Plenaries:
10% cuts by end 2010: the case for emergency action
Green Jobs Now – a million climate jobs by end 2010?
Decarbonising our transport fast – the way ahead
Copenhagen, the deal we need and the deal we’re likely to get
Plus assorted workshops including Biofelwatch / Food not Fuel
Speakers to include Aubrey Meyer (Global Commons Institute), Oliver Tickell (author Kyoto 2), John Stewart (HACAN), Johann Hari (journalist), Jean Lambert MEP (Green Party), Damian Carrington (Head of Environment, the Guardian), Alexis Rowell (Camden Council), Chris Baugh (Public and Commercial Services Union), Tony Juniper (ex Director, Friends of the Earth, Green Party), Dr Stuart Parkinson (Scienists for Global Responsibility).. plus more speakers invited and TBA.
Join us for drinks afterwards at a venue to be announced.