Greece: ‘War on the capitalist’

The Greek workers who struck and marched last week are our sisters and brothers in a crucial battle. At stake is who will pay for the crisis, and who will meet the bill for the bailout of the bankers. The Greek banners caught the spirit of revolt – “No to the capitalist parasites, wealth belongs to the workers”, and “The workers’ answer is war on the capitalists”.

Several read, “We are not Ireland, we will resist”. The Irish government, aided by compliant union leaders, is imposing a 20 percent wage cut in the public sector, tax increases and welfare cuts. Greek workers are determined to fight. They called their demonstrations a “river of fury”. One large banner carried by finance ministry workers proclaimed, “Workers will cancel the plans of the government and the European Union (EU) carried through with the collusion of the union leaders and the media.”

http://projectsheffield.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/workers-take-to-greek-streets-against-cutbacks/

$15 Billion Euro Olympics Bill

The Return of the One Big Union? Syndicalism and the IWW in Australia and Sweden.

audio at: http://www.reasoninrevolt.net.au/bib/PR0001754.htm

Recorded by Jack Roberts, at Victorian Trades Hall, Carlton Melbourne, Australia. Discussion with Dave Kerin and Gabriel Kuhn on syndicalism in Australia and Sweden.

It mainly focuses on the experiences of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) in Australia but also makes some comparison with the case of the SAC (Central Organisation of the Workers of Sweden, an anarcho-syndicalist federation).

Avatar’s secret history lesson on our doorstep ... The films names, plot and characters are almost direct references to the 1997 Bougainville crisis yet no one seems to have drawn the dots between science fiction and south Pacific fact. Until now. Many people will be familiar with the story of Avatar. The story opens one hundred and fifty years in the future. A human mining corporation, RDA, has come five light years from Earth to the ecologically pristine jungle wilderness of the planet Pandora to mine the mineral unobtanium. The richest deposits of unobtanium lie buried deep within the ground of Pandora and directly below the home of an alien race known as the Na’vi.

A 4 hour day with no cut in pay will end the time thief Bosses rip off of the "surplus value" of our labour time we donate to them as profits every week...

Coaltion supremo Tony "Taliban" Abbott and the Prime Mincer KRudd who take turns running the meat grinder of us all that is wageslavery disagree with such an upsetting plan and want us all instead to work 40 plus hours with voluntary overtime on and on until 68-70 years of age ....

Shorter working week soon inevitable, forecasts NEW Economics Foundation 13 February 2010

A shorter working week is set to become the new norm, according to a report out this week from nef (the new economics foundation), the UK's leading independent think tank. Published today (Saturday, 13 February, 2010) the study, 21 hours, forecasts a major shift in the length of the formal working week as a consequence of dealing with key economic, social and environmental problems. And this can be seen as a positive opportunity, say the researchers, rather than a threat.

ITF RALLY AGAINST RIO TINTO IN SUPPORT OF 560 SACKED ILWU MEMBERS ON TUESDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 2010 at 120 COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE at 12.00pm

• Rio Tinto made a profit of 3.7 billion in 2009. • 560 sacked workers at Boron Mine (Mojave Valley, USA) on 29 January 2010. • Contract expired on 11 September 2009; negotiations for the new contract have broken down since. • Bus load security. • Replaced by scab labour.

All Unions, delegates, members and activists are encouraged to attend. Help support those who have supported us.

Authorised by Kevin Bracken, Victorian Branch Secretary, Maritime Union of Australia 46-54 Ireland Street, West Melbourne, Victoria, 3003 Ph 03 9329 5477 Email muavic@mua.org.au http://www.mua.org.au/branches/vic/

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not such a mickey mouse strike ?

Disneyland Hotel Workers Fast For Safer Work Posted By James Parks February 9, 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7GXdfJ2nxE

Quick Solidarity Notes Choir performance at a transit station in Vancouver of a song by David Rovics, in front of Coke advertising , just before transit police arrive. Coke is an official sponsor of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver beginning Feb. 12.

Lyrics to Drink Of The Death Squads :

Coca-Cola came to Colombia Seeking lower wages

They got just what they came for

But as we turn the pages

We find the workers didn't like the sound

Of their children's hungry cries

So they said we'll join the union

And they began to organize

So Coke called up a terrorist group

Called the AUC

They said "we've got some problems At the factory"

So these thugs went to the plant

Killed two union men

Told the rest, "you leave the union

Or we'll be back again"

Now Coke did not complain

About this dirty deed

Why give workers higher wages

When Coke is all they really need

They phoned the AUC

Said "thanks, without you we'd go broke

And to show our appreciation

Vorsprung durch Technik (German pronunciation: [ˈfoːɐ̯ʃpʁʊŋ dʊɐ̯ç ˈtɛçnɪk], 'Advancement through Technology' or "leap ahead" / 'head start through technology')

What might you find in Victorian Police Chief Simon Overlord, oops Simon Overland's 2010 I WANT ONE shopping list.... What do you buy for the authoritarian thug who has "everything" like cctv surveillance cameras & such, stop & search powers, judges, lock-up cells, batons, handcuffs, guns, capsicum gas... last year they got the Taser (electric shocker) this year ... some noise !

The Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) is a crowd-control and hailing device developed by American Technology Corporation. According to the manufacturer's specifications, the equipment weighs 45 pounds (20 kg) and can emit sound in a 30° beam (only at high frequency, 2.5 kHz) from a device 83 centimetres (33 in) in diameter. At maximum level, it can emit a warning tone that is 146 dBSPL (1,000 W/m2) at 1 metre, a level that is capable of permanently damaging hearing, and higher than the normal human threshold of pain (120–140 dB).

Mexico Solidarity Forum Presented by Latin American Solidarity Network (LASNET) 'A report from the Borderlands of Mexico and the US' Thursday March 4, 7PM Northcote Uniting Church 251High St. Northcote

Mexico-US Border “Something to hide?” a “new Future for everyone?

Award-winning radio documentary producer, LASNET co-founder, Colm McNaughton will talk and show photographs about his recent experiences in the borderlands of Mexico and the United States. Colm recently returned from a four month visit to Guatemala and Mexico where, among other things he was making two radio documentaries for the 360 program which is part of Radio National ABC.

drinks and finger food available Donation $5 In solidarity

Building Solidarity with Latin America... Building Bridges... Organising Globally... The power of Grassroots Organisations Latin American Solidarity Network (LASNET) www.latinlasnet.org

lasnet@latinlasnet.org

Supported by Australia - Latin America Solidarity Coalition

YES WE CA$H!- Welfare struggles and the precarity in Italy by Pemulwry on Feb 3 2010

An interview with a new campaign for a social wage in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, formed in the wake of Onda Anomala movement last year. The current phase of welfare struggles (in countries that have welfare to struggle over) is of defensive struggle against their erosion by neo-liberal re-imposition of work and privatisation.

However, Italy is potentially moving in another direction as the crisis has highlighted the problems of welfare with even liberal commentators advocating the extension of welfare benefits. Yes We Cash is a regional movement, pushing for the creation of a social wage in Emilia-Romagna (in North-West of the country.)

When did YWC start?