The TUC has joined with Amnesty International in protesting about the shooting of Guatemalan trade unionist Mateo Lopez. General Secretary Brendan Barber has written to the Guatemalan Ambassador in the UK demanding an enquiry and protection for Mateo and his family.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-18808-f0.cfm
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Friday, 12 November 2010
Alex Epstein and the apprentice
I am still profoundly annoyed by Lord Sugars decision to remove Paloma Vivenco from the apprentice last week and I am still waiting for him to call me and explain his logic.
But I am also happy that Alex Epstein was removed this Wednesday. I fear that we have all been set up and that he was someone who was placed there to take negative criticism. On balance he did less bad ( if that's a right term?) than the week before so I am trying to figure out the logic used by our captain of industry when assessing and making decisions? On the other that could be the whole point of the show?
But I am also happy that Alex Epstein was removed this Wednesday. I fear that we have all been set up and that he was someone who was placed there to take negative criticism. On balance he did less bad ( if that's a right term?) than the week before so I am trying to figure out the logic used by our captain of industry when assessing and making decisions? On the other that could be the whole point of the show?
Student protests
Caroline Flint was right to say last night on Question time that the 50 or so students who turned to aggression during the demonstration of 50,000 protesters managed, by turning to violence, to get a hostile media turn its attention away from the real issues facing us all. An otherwise peaceful gathering of people who object to the introduction of an unfair system managed to damage and dilute the message, saying that we must not forget that the vast majority of people oppose this measure and more should be done to challenge its validity.
It is just not fair to impose such a huge burden on our young, we will make them carry debts of £70,000 and expect them to retire at 70 the way things are going. On top of that we have a deputy PM who gave guarantees before the election saying he would never agree to an increase go back on his word. What kind of an example is that to our young? Ihope the Libs pay for this at any elections coming up!
It is just not fair to impose such a huge burden on our young, we will make them carry debts of £70,000 and expect them to retire at 70 the way things are going. On top of that we have a deputy PM who gave guarantees before the election saying he would never agree to an increase go back on his word. What kind of an example is that to our young? Ihope the Libs pay for this at any elections coming up!
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Cyprus
I am reproducing a letter printed in the Guardian by Peter Droussiotis President of the Cypriot Federation of UK.
It is imperative that all TU activists campaign for the unification and integrity of the sovereign state of Cyprus in accordance with numerous UN resolutions. The partition/division of the island will be a catastrophic end result of a long process. The two communities are capable of resolving their dispute if left on their own in a federal unified bio communal state without outside interference.
From P Droussiotis
Dear Sir,
Jack Straw, in his article No ifs or buts, Turkey must be part of the EU, makes many points several of which are valid, while others are grossly inaccurate and misleading. However, the entire premise of the piece ignores three critical reasons why Cyprus remains a barrier to Turkey’s EU accession: human rights, justice and international law. Rather than blindly repeating his claim that the EU needs Turkey more than Turkey needs the EU, Mr Straw ought to ask himself why the international community has steadfastly refused to legitimise Turkey’s military occupation of northern Cyprus and why the United Nations has repeatedly re-affirmed its condemnation of that occupation. The answers are too numerous to list here but amount to one basic fact – Turkey’s invasion and continuing military occupation are illegal and breach human rights on a scale that the EU cannot possibly bear within its ranks. As ever, the key to a solution is in the hands of the Turkish government, whose control of the puppet regime in occupied northern Cyprus is indisputable. A solution that reunites the island for the benefit of all Cypriots, and which leads to the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation army from the island, will boost Turkey’s chances of joining the EU like no other single factor. But this requires Turkey to change its bullying behaviour and give the Cypriot people a chance to live in peace, in their own free and reunited country.
Yours faithfully,
Peter Droussiotis
Federation President
It is imperative that all TU activists campaign for the unification and integrity of the sovereign state of Cyprus in accordance with numerous UN resolutions. The partition/division of the island will be a catastrophic end result of a long process. The two communities are capable of resolving their dispute if left on their own in a federal unified bio communal state without outside interference.
From P Droussiotis
Dear Sir,
Jack Straw, in his article No ifs or buts, Turkey must be part of the EU, makes many points several of which are valid, while others are grossly inaccurate and misleading. However, the entire premise of the piece ignores three critical reasons why Cyprus remains a barrier to Turkey’s EU accession: human rights, justice and international law. Rather than blindly repeating his claim that the EU needs Turkey more than Turkey needs the EU, Mr Straw ought to ask himself why the international community has steadfastly refused to legitimise Turkey’s military occupation of northern Cyprus and why the United Nations has repeatedly re-affirmed its condemnation of that occupation. The answers are too numerous to list here but amount to one basic fact – Turkey’s invasion and continuing military occupation are illegal and breach human rights on a scale that the EU cannot possibly bear within its ranks. As ever, the key to a solution is in the hands of the Turkish government, whose control of the puppet regime in occupied northern Cyprus is indisputable. A solution that reunites the island for the benefit of all Cypriots, and which leads to the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation army from the island, will boost Turkey’s chances of joining the EU like no other single factor. But this requires Turkey to change its bullying behaviour and give the Cypriot people a chance to live in peace, in their own free and reunited country.
Yours faithfully,
Peter Droussiotis
Federation President
Remember those who died in conflict
Remembrance day today. We remember those who died in conflict in battlefields around the world unknown soldiers and heroes. Those who gave up their lives so that the rest of us can enjoy the benefits of freedom and democracy.
Student demostrations and huge fees
I wrote about the unacceptable situation created by the government and the massive increase in tuition fees. It is not right that a 21 year old today would leave higher education with something like £70,000 debt which she/he would have to repay on top of their mortgage etc, this just isn't right and it will create a situation where we have the rich being able to afford higher education and the poor forced to avoid it.
The demonstrations by more than 30,000 students yesterday in central London clearly shows the frustration felt by those in higher education and it is understandable. It is not, however, clever to turn a peaceful demonstration into a violent insurrection by the few, this is not right and it will allow the media and others to focus attention on that rather than the real issue. It is also remarkable that the Lib Democrats are on record giving guarantees that they would never support an increase before the election and they are now the party pushing these changes forward. This sheer greet for power should be punished and I hope that the NUS will go ahead and put a candidate against every Lib Dem at the next elections in conjunction, hopefully, with the Labour party.
The demonstrations by more than 30,000 students yesterday in central London clearly shows the frustration felt by those in higher education and it is understandable. It is not, however, clever to turn a peaceful demonstration into a violent insurrection by the few, this is not right and it will allow the media and others to focus attention on that rather than the real issue. It is also remarkable that the Lib Democrats are on record giving guarantees that they would never support an increase before the election and they are now the party pushing these changes forward. This sheer greet for power should be punished and I hope that the NUS will go ahead and put a candidate against every Lib Dem at the next elections in conjunction, hopefully, with the Labour party.
Equal Pay issues
This report, published jointly with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Unison and the Fawcett Society, explores the issues around equal pay.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-18795-f0.cfm
http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-18795-f0.cfm
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