Neil Young. Refuses to cross a picket line

Im a bit of an old hippy, me. Ok I have a bit of punk inside me as well, so what.

Read a report today that Neil Young refused to cross a picket line. Who said militancy and solidarity was dead??

I will go to bed tonight listening to Harvest!!

David Mitchell in the Observer (2)

Again a brilliant article by the comedian. It sums up everything about the fight by New Labour and the New Tories to gain the'middle ground' or 'middle England'. Look what we are left with.

Mandelson

Tories are seeking clarity on Mandelson in a bid to retake the moral high ground. And that is the real issue here. Osborne hanging out with millionaires on a yacht off Corfu is what Osborne does after all he IS a millionaire. He returns from his little jaunt and then comes back to preach the pathetic and unbelievable new Tory line about fighting poverty and the injustices of the economy under Brown. What Osborne has effectively done is remind voters of the corrupt 90s when Tories where taking brown envelopes for questions amongst other things.

We all know about Mandelson. He is what he is. The guy is as far from the ideas of Socialism as Tebbit!! But Osborne was meant to be a picture of something new, something distant from the nasty Tory 90s. That view has been well and truly trashed in the eyes of the electorate whether he asked for money from a Russian oligarch or not and in my view on the balance of probabilities he probably did. So much for this 'great' Tory strategist.

Here is a foreign donation the Tories did receive. Here is one they are being asked to pay back.

(PS. Why aren't British super rich businessmen called oligarchs?)

(PPS. Dear Anon. Dont post it wont get published!!)

Agency Workers celebrate

The law has now been given the big 'yes' in Europe. While I believe the law doesnt go far enough, Agency workers should have full rights from day one,this is a big step in the right direction. For too long now Employers have benefited from using Temp workers to undercut terms and conditions in the workplace. This levels the playing field somewhat and a gain for the TU movement.

The CWU celebrates the law here.

Our Sick workplaces

While the economy totters on the brink of recession its worth looking at a couple of reports bringing the obvious to our attention on how our workplaces and the pressure they put on workers can have an unhealthy and expensive effect.
This one shows the implications of not managing stress in the workplace. This one comments of the increase of mental health issues on the shop floor.
One of the things which annoys me is that while these risks are apparent the government and their shadows in the Tory Party are still looking to attack benefits for sufferers of work related injuries. They should be dealing with the causes of stress and mental illness caused by workplaces and not attacking the sufferers

Interesting report here about how job choice affects Alzheimers.

Asbestos risk. Clean up workplaces

A new report shows the risks of Asbestos related disease is an ever present danger on UK workplaces. Stronger legislation, a halt to deregulation and good trade union organisation will clean up 'dirty' workplaces where the presence of Asbestos threatens workers health.

The statistics show the death rates are appalling.

HSE Asbestos page here.

George Osborne. A 'cad and a bounder!!'

I always thought Osborne was a bit slimy. He really should have been a bit more careful and exposed himself to this. And yet in the debate about Party donations the Tories still insist on lumping in Union donations (the cleanest and transparent donations) with reform as Peter Lilley did on Newsnight last night. It is clear to everyone by this incident with Osborne that when rubbing shoulders with the stinking rich it conjures up more sinister and devious influences that should be controlled.

Sales of Capital on the rise.

Apparently copies of Marx book 'Capital' are flying off the shelf in Germany.

Is this the end of PFI?

Now that the term 'there will be no more boom and bust' has buried under two miles of concrete the issue of the use of PFI will urgently have to be addressed. News today of the M25 revamp being put on hold places the issue firmly on the Governments agenda. Likewise all the other PFI schemes in Schools , Hospitals and the Rail Network will also have to be critically examined and replaced in the current economic climate. Over the next months the real risk that PFI posed will become apparent.

A clear argument for Socialist policies can be starkly posed which would include an urgent programme of public works which could be brought about through state control of the financial institutions.

If by the way anyone asks 'where's the money going to come from', try here for a start.

Torywatch 2. What is Cameron?

Yes its PR over Policies. Cameron has put his mittens on to shadow box pathetically at the government. I feel embarrased for him.

You can stop anyone in the street now and while most will have a go at Brown no one is really sure what the Cameron clown really stands for.

New Oil Power in the Caribean

This will put the shits up the Americans! Those 'dirty commie bastards' have got hold of some black gold. They are going to control it through their nationalised industries and use profits to support free education, free health care and house building.The downright cheek of it!

Hey thats what Chavez is doing in Venezuela as well. Bloody dictatorships!!

Bankers, Bonuses and Bail-outs!!

This isnt going to go down well with the Tax payers!!

Meanwhile Gordon Brown makes an observation. No shit sherlock!!

Economic Crisis. Who suffers?

With the World Economic crisis biting harder than ever the full effects are being felt in the UK giving the prospect of a miserable Christmas for millions of workers. Meanwhile it seems that Gordon Brown is strutting around the world stage being portrayed as the saviour of capitalism. Only Sarkozy the French PM seems to be upsetting the party by claiming it’s his initiatives that are being adopted. The cynic in me says that the measures taken are too little too late for world capitalism and it will take many, many years for any kind of economic stability. Meanwhile the small group of people shouldering the most responsibility for this crisis, the capitalist class, will be the most visible as the class least affected by any recession as they continue to spend their profits oblivious to the plight of the class that made it for them.

Time really for the debate for real political change. That debate can only take place in the Trade Unions and the Labour Party. We can celebrate the death of Thatcherism ("an ideology based on class hatred") as in the article by John Wight in todays Morning Star but we must hurriedly start digging the grave for her bastard son New Labourism.

We must also make sure our affiliated unions put pressure without any hnit of prejudice on the Labour leadership to enforce policies that will in the first place help workers thrown into dole poverty through no fault of their own and to replace this bankrupt system with irreplaceable socialist change.

Plan B for the Utilities in this crisis

Interesting article in the Observer today. Apparently Hain thinks renationalising the private utility companies as 'moonshine'. As the turmoil in Banking drops into serious depression its good to see this ex minister still fails to grasp the reality of the situation.

ToryWatch; Tories attack Health and Safety legislation

In the name of deregulation, the Tories have continued their real agenda to attack H&S protection for workers. There seems to be collective amnesia amongst these ladies and gents to the struggles workers have waged in the past to improve working conditions and building safer workplaces. In their tiny minds the modern age seems to have answered all the questions of poor health and safety after all we are not living in Victorian times any more. They have to be stopped. The only way to stop deregulation is good union organisation and a strong shop stewards movement.

But, hey, they are Tories, what do you expect.

While I'm on the subject of Tories attacking workers, this caught my eye a few days ago. The minimum wage has helped millions of workers away from the poverty wages the Tories love. Its nice to see Cameron reverting to type (well that's if he has in anyway changed from type in the first place!!)


And here is 'barking' Ed Vaisey getting wound up about Newsnight. Bloody Commie BBC!!

Spanish Civil War veterans honoured

About time to.

Report of Unite GEC meeting.

I was emailed this earlier today.

Yesterdays' special Executive agreed overwhelmingly (68 to 3) to set back the formal date for integration of the 2 sections 6 months from 1st November, and allow Derek Simpson to stand again for election to remain in post as Joint General Secretary till his 66th birthday in December 2010.

From the T&G Section's point of view this proposal (which came from the T&G) is designed to settle Derek down and stop his posturing about forcing a very divisive election for a single GS for UNITE, and meanwhile in our view obstructing any meaningful progress on integration of membership data and finance etc.

Setting the date back from 1st November does not in any way delay integration. In fact we will now be much more pro-active in presenting specific proposals to the Exec starting with November's exec. The fact is integration has not taken place anyway on some of the most important issues of all and will not be by 1st November.

However it must also be said that whilst we of course seek amicable agreement with AMICUS to push the integration through speedily from now on, our recent experience of Derek and his team is that we have to be prepared for total obstruction. Whilst we are prepared to use our majority on the Executive more aggressively we have to confront the unpalatable truth that the AMICUS leadership may be so obstructionist that the merger cannot work on the terms we all agreed. If that is so (and we hope it will not be) then we must have the freedom to demerge, and we cannot do that at all if both sections disappear for ever on 1st November. Hence the need to delay the date for integration under Rule. The delay is for only 6 months.

Regarding Derek's election, he is simply restanding for his existing position. The legal advice is unanimous that Jerry Hick's complaint to the Certification Officer will be upheld. Derek will have to stand for election again if his to stay on beyond the age of 65. So we are letting him do it. The timetable for Joint General Secretaries therefore remain in place as agreed by the membership i.e. AMICUS JGS steps down in December 2010 and a newly elected GS Designate takes office alongside Tony Woodley for one year until December 2011 when new GS takes over. Under this arrangement Derek will not "resign" so Tony is not forced to stand down a year from now.

Interesting news straight after the Executive finished yesterday. Laurence Fairclough UNITE Regional Secretary has announced he is standing against Derek Simpson. Nominations open shortly and the ballot takes place early next year.

Unite to hold election

The UKs largest Union is to hold an election for one of the Joint General Secretaries. The election is to take place in the Amicus section which was to disappear together with the TGWU section in November of this year.Full reports of the GEC meeting held in London yesterday are yet to come out on the net. The main factor for this election is a legal challenge by former Rolls Royce steward Jerry Hicks to Derek Simpson. Jerry has made his intention to stand quite clear and rumour has it (you know we should never listen to rumour) Laurence Fairclough, the Regional Secretary in the South West, has thrown his hat into the ring. It is not clear at all if Jerry has the support of the main left grouping in Amicus, Amicus Unity Gazette (AUG).

I personally think that this election disrupts the formation of the new union big time. So the date set for the formation of the new union has been put back until May next year, to give time for the candidates to slog it out.

We need a strong united union, wedded in the ideas of workers power and lay members democracy if we are to accept and challenge the challenges in front of us in the next period.

National Economic Council. Where is the Trade Union representative?

Very good post from John McDonnell's blog which I have 'borrowed' word for word below.
John rightly asks where is the Trade Union representation on this body. I would like to further add that considering the amount of money the Unions give Labour, especially my union , Unite, we should have been guaranteed a place.

The people who have been asked to serve on this body are part of the problem, not part of the solution. When will Brown and co wake up to that fact?

Government of the City, By the City, For the City

When I first got a phone call telling me about the appointment of Mandelson to cabinet I thought it was one of those reshuffle day wind ups. Usually it is someone ringing a backbencher and pretending to be the Prime Minister offering a job. I though that this was a subtler version of the joke. When I found it was for real I expressed incredulity and the after a short while declined all media interviews because I thought it was coming across as personal and not political.

The significance of the reshuffle is not just the circling of the old New Labour wagons and the Faustian pact Brown has made with the Blairites to stave off another coup attempt for a period but more importantly the statement that is made by the appointment of Mandelson and people from the City like Paul Myners into government and the establishment of the National Economic Council makes about future economic policy.

This is in effect establishing openly the government of the city, by the city, for the city. Look at the team of business advisers which Brown has appointed alongside the NEC.

This includes :
Marcus Agius - Chairman, Barclays
Sir Victor Blank - Chairman, Lloyds TSB
Sir John Bond - Chairman, Vodafone
Lord John Browne - President, Royal Academy of Engineering and MD of Riverstone Holdings
Sir Terence Conran - Chairman, Conran Holdings
Mervyn Davies CBE - Chairman, Standard Chartered
Dr. Chris Gibson-Smith - Chairman, London Stock Exchange and British Land
Professor Malcolm Grant CBE - Provost and President, UCL
Sir Philip Hampton - Chairman, J Sainsbury
Dr John Hood -Vice Chancellor, Oxford University
Lord Digby Jones
Anna Mann - MWM Consulting
Dick Olver- Chairman, BAe Systems
Professor Alison Richard -Vice Chancellor, Cambridge University
Lord Richard Rogers - Richard Rogers Partnership
Paul Skinner - Chairman, Rio Tinto
Sir Kevin Smith, CBE - CEO, GKN

There doesn't appear to be a thought given to appointing a representative from the trade union movement to advise on economic, employment or industrial issues. Even the tamest general secretary in the history of the TUC, Brendan Barber, is not acceptable enough to sit at the high economic table. Surely all those trade union general secretaries who were convinced by Brown at the Labour party conference that a new dawn of policy change, partnership and co-operation had broken and the age of Blairism was over must now feel conned.

PS Here's a funny thing. When we were the first to call for Northern Rock to be nationalised, we were ignored then pilloried as dinosaurs. Eventially when Vincent Cable came out in favour of nationalisation he was depicted as prescient.

When we were the first to expose the role of Granite as a result of Richard Murphy's research, we were ignored and then looked upon bemusedly. When the government went into disarray on it, Cable then took it up and was praised for his sagacity.

For the last three months we have been calling for a significant cut in rates and the overriding of the Bank of England Advisory Committee. See the article reproduced from the Guardian's Comment is Free below and the LEAP website. (By the way we refused to support the independence of the Bank in the first place.) We were ignored again. Today Cable has come out with exactly the same demand and it is the number one story on the World at One and Cable is again feted as the profound greybeard of economic policy.

Next week we will be calling for at least a 3% cut in rates. I bet we will at best be derided but more than likely ignored. I also bet that within weeks people will be calling for a much more significant cut in rates than the Bank of England Advisory Committee will allow this week, amongst them will be one Vincent Cable.

Funny old world.

Cabinet re shuffle

So with the additon of Peter 'nothing wrong with getting stinking rich' Mandelson, the CBI representation on the Labour Cabinet is further consolidated.

Peter Mandelson - business
Margaret Beckett - housing
Geoff Hoon - transport
Ed Miliband - climate/energy
John Hutton - defence
Jim Murphy - Scotland
Liam Byrne - cabinet office
Caroline Flint - Europe minister

I cant find anything apealling about any of them.

Unite Cameron Cheesy Newspaper advert

Elaine Chao. US anti worker slime

While the good shp capitalism is sinking rapidly lets spare a thought for one of George W Bush's Obersturmbahnfuhrers against organised Labour. Here is her wiki entry and here in good detail is what the US Labour movement says about her.

Nice Lady!!

Senate seals the deal

The US Senate has backed the bail out deal for the bandits who got us into the mess. Please note,the senate isnt up for election this year. The House of Representatives though can go into the elections with their crazy free enterprise credentials in tact.

Unite to Ballot its NHS members for Industrial action.

News that Unite members in the NHS are to ballot for industrial action is to be welcomed. Idealy you would have liked to have had the two main unions in the NHS, Unison and the RCN on board with this but unfortunately both accepted the offer with no consultation with any of the smaller unions. This is a shame and is something that cant be allowed to happen again.

Same old Tories, always cheating!!

After the revealing Dispatches programme on Monday about the dark, sinister forces that finance the Conservative Party the GMB have written this to the FSA and Unite carried out a demonstration outside the Tory Party jamboree in Birmingham.

The Telegraph commented about this demo yesterday. (Note the usual original hill-billy, redneck replies in the comments section)

Camerons Speech

Apparently he is a man with a plan. I think he's shitting himself and hasnt got a clue.