Arthur's crew still doing it in Brum

The Socialist Labour Party is holding a public meeting on Saturday, March 28 at 3pm, St Andrew’s Church Hall, College Road, Handsworth, Birmingham B20 2HX.
The Economic Crisis: a Socialist Alternative
Speakers include Dave Roberts, vice president SLP; Ron Sinclair, UCATT regional organiser (in a personal capacity); and Birmingham SLP members. English and Punjabi. Chair former councillor John Tyrrell.
The debate will include
· the collapse of the banks
· loss of jobs
· repossessions
· European Union diktat on capital and labour
· threats to public services
· why do the poor foot the bill?
http://www.socialist-labour-party.org.uk

What's all the fuss about the Damned United?

Of course it's not accurate.
It's based on a NOVEL.
Which I wrote about here.
I can't wait to see the film.

Re-born Left debates workers' control

After years of snoozing the NUJ Left is a flurry of activity.
Theorists may wish to expound on the role of a Left group in a union where the members of that Left group are effectively in charge.
When resources are spread thinly should we build the union, build the Left, or both?

London NUJ Left activists are organising a public meeting on Tuesday February 17 between 7pm and 9pm to discuss media ownership and control. It's at the London Welsh Centre, Grays Inn Road, between Kings Cross and Holborn.
Former BBC industrial and political correspondent Nicholas Jones has agreed to speak.
As jobs are axed and some local media bosses beg for state aid is it time to call for nationalisation under democratic workers control?
Or is social enterprise the answer?
The issue has been discussed on Roy Greenslade and Jon Slattery's influential media blogs.

Celebrity Big Brother made me laugh

Did you see evictee Michelle Heaton going on about how Scottish socialist Tommy Sheridan was trying to be like fellow housemate Coolio by using words like "brother".
Sorry sister but Tommy's a trades unionist.
He's been calling people brother since before the rap was invented.

Anti-academy teacher suspended in Oldham

Call for the reinstatement of Mac Andrassy

Leading Oldham National Union of Teachers member Mac Andrassy has been suspended from his job at Counthill School, Oldham and is under investigation for a charge of gross misconduct.

Mac is a well-respected school teacher, and has earned a reputation as a motivational teacher over 17 years in a school which has had many problems in the recent past.

It would be surprising enough in this context alone that Mac's professionalism is being called into question by the school management.

However Mac's motivational qualities have also been employed to good effect in the Oldham Campaign Against Academies (OCAA), both in his role as union representative at a school which is destined to close and re-emerge as an Academy school, and in the community response to the Academy plans put forward by Oldham Council.

OCAA has campaigned against the proposals to merge existing schools and create three new Academy schools. Oldham Council has falsely claimed that Academies are a price that must be paid to secure the best facilities for children in the Borough. Despite evidence to the contrary from around the country, and against the wishes clearly expressed in response to its own public consultation, Oldham Council has decided to press on with the Academy plans.

Oldham NUT believes Mac Andrassy is being victimised for his activity against the Academy proposals and needs to be vigorously defended. It is calling on all trade unionists to apply pressure to the authorities by writing letters to the Oldham Chronicle and Advertiser, and to the following officers who are in a position to reinstate Mac and call off what has all the hallmarks of a politically motivated action.

Send messages to :

HR contact person at Counthill School elaine.shaw@oldham.gov.uk

The Headteacher at Counthill School dlack@counthill.org.uk

Director of Education, Oldham Council, Janet Donaldson janet.donaldson@oldham.gov.uk

Executive Member for Children's Services, Kay Knox kay.knox@oldham.gov.uk

Don't forget to copy your messages and any responses to macandrassy@aol.com and secretary@oldham.nut.org.uk

Oldham Chronicle: editorial@oldham-chronicle.co.uk

Oldham Advertiser: oldhamadvertiser@gmwn.co.uk

Bury deserves better than this

My first job was on the Bury Times.
I collected the union subs so I know we had 25 journalists - based in Bury and a distrit office in Radcliffe.
Now the paper's American owners Newsquest have cut things back so that there is just one reporter a week rota-ed to work in the Bury office.
Bury Council is to debate the cuts backs.
The National Union of Journalists has already condemned the move.
Bury has two MPs and its own council, spending hundreds of millions of pounds of public money.
In future how will politicians be held to account? And how will people be informed enough to participate in civil society?

Jewish campaigners oppose Gaza bloodshed

Statement from the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network:

TAKE ACTION TO DECRY THE ATTACKS ON GAZA

27 December 2008
The world majority stands with the Palestinian people in this devastating time that Israeli Defense Secretary Ehud Barak calls "just the beginning." Israeli attacks on Gaza in the past 24 hours have killed over 200 people and injured hundreds more. We decry the multiple forms of collective punishment currently being inflicted that reflect Israel's 60-plus year history of ethnic cleansing: lack of access to electricity and potable water, blockades of food and medicine, and these brutal attacks.
We are outraged but not surprised by this escalation. Israel's unilaterally designed and implemented disengagement from Gaza has maintained control of the borders, air and water space, and completely isolated Gaza practically and politically. This has been accomplished with unconditional support from the United States and its allies and with the complicity of the broader international community and Gaza's neighbors. It has also set the stage for these horrendous events.
The media frames this violence as a conflict between warring peoples with equal power. This framing is possible because the media fails to recognize Israel as an apartheid State or as a colonial occupying force with one of the most technologically advanced militaries in the world.
The Gaza-based One Democratic State Group has called for "all civil society organizations and freedom loving people to act immediately in any possible way to put pressure on their governments to end diplomatic ties with Apartheid Israel and institute sanctions against it." IJAN stands in solidarity with the people of Gaza and supports this call.

WE ASK YOU TO JOIN US AND TAKE ACTION!
1. Join or organize emergency protests and direct actions in partnership with Palestine solidarity and social justice organizations in your area. Please send announcements of actions you are joining or organizing (with date, time and location) to ijan@ijsn.net so they can be announced on our web site. Also send reports of actions you participate in so this information can be shared with people around the world.
2. Donate money through the Middle East Children's Alliance to pay for desperately needed medical supplies and their delivery. The current conditions in Gaza medical facilities are dire. The Middle East Children's Alliance is working with health organizations in Gaza to procure the most-needed medicines and send them direct to Gaza with the help of the Free Gaza Movement.
3. Flood Israeli embassies and consulates with letters and calls decrying the attacks. Find contact info for Israeli embassies around the world.
4. Contact government officials and call on them to act by denouncing the attacks and demanding an immediate cease-fire.
5. Shift the framing of Israel's actions in the media by phoning into a talk show or writing a letter to the editor.
6. Sign the petition in support of UN General Assembly President Father Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann who has spoken out to condemn Israeli "Apartheid" and call for boycott, divestment and sanctions