Now is the time to mobilise public support against their plan.
Friday 21 September 2018
King George A&E: Mobilise public feeling!
Now is the time to mobilise public support against their plan.
Wednesday 19 September 2018
Greece Solidarity Campaign visit and fundraiser
Fund-Raising Dinner for Medical Aid for Greece with Women Social Solidarity Activists from Athens
Fund-Raising Dinner for Medical Aid for Greece
Saturday October 13th 2018 at 7.30pm
Hear from 3 women social solidarity activists from Athens!
Fabulous buffet dinner, live bouzouki music, a raffle.
At the Cypriot Centre, Earlham Grove, Wood Green N22 5HJ.
Book your Tickets £30.00. Book a table!
Email: greecesolidarity@mail.com. Cheques to ‘Medical Aid for Greece’ to Greece Solidarity Campaign, Housman’s Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX. Pay direct: to Medical Aid for Greece A/C 20307259 Sort Code 60-83-01
- Eleni Sotiropoulou from Patissia Social Solidarity Pharmacy, Athens
- Georgia Koumparouli from Peristeri Social Solidarity Clinic, Athens and
- Tatiana Egorova from Solidarity for All, Athens
will speak about their experience of building democratic social solidarity structures in Greece. The evening is NOT TO BE MISSED!
People in Greece still need our solidarity.
- The shocking fires which destroyed thousands of homes and killed 91 people in West Attica in July brought added trauma.
- The 8 years of severest austerity measures have led, despite fierce resistance, to huge unemployment – still at 20% (fallen from 27%), and youth unemployment still 39% (fallen from 50%), wages cut by 25% and pensions by more than 45%, huge tax rises and spending cuts, increased poverty and homelessness, the doubling of mental illness and big rise in suicides. Despite the social welfare measures of the Tsipras government to alleviate extremest poverty and ensure minimum health care cover, the situation remains dire with the debt-laden economy shrunk by 25%.
- In addition, 60,000 refugees are stranded in Greece and more continue to arrive on the islands. Half of the refugees are children.
The people have stepped up with inspiring selflessness, determination and courage in the face of these humanitarian crises. The grassroots social solidarity movement has developed a network of free health clinics and pharmacies, community kitchens, without middlemen food markets and employment projects. These are run by volunteers and organised by inclusive democratic assemblies. The solidarity clinics and pharmacies continue to provide free medicines and to serve the refugees and now the needs of the victims of the fires. Our Solidarity is Needed! Book your Tickets £30.00. Book a table!
Wednesday 15 August 2018
Tuesday 17 July 2018
Monday 9 July 2018
Solidarity with French Railway Workers Battling Privatisation
Bob Archer reports on cross-channel solidarity
I was delighted to accept a personal invitation to join a
discussion panel at an event in Pontoise, France, on Thursday 28 June this
year.
The event was organised by ATTAC (anti-austerity,
anti-globalisation movement), and started with a Viewing of Ken Loach’s film The Navigators in support of the current
action by French Rail (SNCF) employees against government plans to privatise
the industry. The panel discussion followed the viewing.
Marc Roudet of ATTAC set the event upand besides myself the
panel included Karl Galet, Gilles Coupet and Sonia Imchal, who are
representatives of the railways section of the CGT union in Paris Nord Region and their local branch at Ermont.
There were between 60 and 70 people present in the viewing
room at the “Utopia” Cinema in this provincial town a few miles north of Paris.
The cinema manager hosted the event and showed a high level
of understanding of the issues.
Ken Loach’s 2000 film about the fate of a team of railway
track workers and their experiences under rail privatisation still hits hard.
It would surely be worth re-releasing it in the UK at present in the discussion
over re-nationalising the railways.
I was called up first after the viewing to give an account
of the experience of UK railways since 1995. I talked about bizarre way in
which the privatisation had been carried out, with the extreme fragmentation,
the tragic safety issues that arose almost immediately, the series of serious
disasters from Southall to Potters Bar and how Railtrack was re-nationalised.
I drew on TUC and Action for Rail material to talk about the
high fares and the ludicrously wasteful character of the contracting process. I
explained about the serial collapse of contracts on the East Coast Line and the
total mess following plans to upgrade Thameslink Govia, Scotrail and Northern
Rail and the huge resentment of the travelling public at the ongoing botched
introduction of revised timetables.
The audience was already perfectly aware that public opinion
in the UK is on the side of rail nationalisation, but they were glad to have me
there to say it anyway!
They were also keen to know how the UK unions have faced up
to a privatised rail service.
The CGT speakers spoke strongly and passionately about their
dispute. They seem to be dug in for an extended “rolling” strike against
privatisation.
They welcomed any move towards international collaboration
against privatisation.
The CGT comrades got well stuck into the discussion and made
powerful statements about the issues involved, in particular the health and
safety aspects. They are confident that their rolling series of strikes will be
maintained and will reach a successful conclusion.
How well their remarks were received is clear from the email
from Gilles Coupet copied in below.
I am told that the attendance at the meeting included most
of the serious groups on the Left – the Communist Party (PCF), Mélenchon’s
“France Insoumise” and the New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA)
Following my return home I received these emails arising
from the event.
“(Email from Marc Roudet to Bob A., 1 July 2018)
Hello Bob,
We were all impressed by what you said about the situation
on the railways in the UK post privatisation.
It’s brilliant that Ken Loach sent a message of
encouragement to our event. Thanks for passing it on.
See below email from Gilles, one of the railway workers who
attended the meeting.
I hope we will have the opportunity to meet again in future
and, who knows, join together in anther similar event,
Fraternally,
Marc …
From Gilles Coupet
Subject : Last night’s support meeting at Utopia
Sonia, Karl and I and the CGT Railway workers at Ermont
would like to thank you for the event you organised yesterday evening.
The Ermont comrades came out boosted and refreshed by the
support we got from the people in the hall and the organisers.
An interesting discussion, a film that was dead right to
portray the present context, etc., it all went together to help us to explain
what is at stake in this struggle which started on 22 March.
I can use this opportunity to let you know that the
solidarity collection you handed over last night amounted to 2267 euros, with the particular help of a lady we
discussed with at the end of the event who gave us a cheque for 2000 euros
thanks to a recent legacy.
This sum will be handed over this morning to the comrades in
charge of seeing that the money goes to those strikers who have been put in the
greatest difficulties by the struggle.
In a struggle where it is important to explain to citizens
that the government is squandering and misappropriating a public good, the platform
you provided us with last night was an opportunity we couldn’t afford to miss.
Thank you to everybody,
Gilles,
For the CGT Sector Paris Nord and for the CGT (rail) Trade
Union Ermont.
Wednesday 27 June 2018
Rally against Trump visit, hald back the far right
Time to show what we think of the attempted resurgence of the Far Right. Turn out this weekend to oppose political thuggery. Trafalgar Square 5pm on Friday; Westminster 2pm on Saturday.
Redbridge Trades Union Council July meeting is postponed from this Friday evening to next Friday evening 20 July, otherwise usual time and place.
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