Industrial Workers of the World

PROTEST SEASONS GRATINGS For roadblocks threaten imprisonment of 40 days without parole. Fines for the disruption of "public policy" should be five times - and the police to protesters intent on mere suspicion of irregular prior to taking preventive detention for twelve hours. With these measures, the Danish government wants to take action against protests that are expected in connection with the UN climate summit in Copenhagen in December....Unimpressed by the criminalization of attempts by the government, meanwhile, will prepare for civil disobedience at the next climate summit. Last weekend, came together under CJA-directed participants from 30 countries in the Free State of Christiania, Copenhagen. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/442160.html

Cop15 Climate Conference: System Change, Not Climate Change - imc features | 23.11.2009 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/442160.html

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Did Privitization kill 121 people on Black Saturday? http://indymedia.org.au/2009/11/22/privitization-to-blame-for-worst-black-saturday-fire

The power line implicated in the deadliest blaze of the day was faulty. It was checked by a linesman working for the contractors UAM, who worked for the Singaporean private power wholesaler SP Austnet. The fragmentation of knowledge, skills and responsibility under privitization, combined with the drive for cost reduction may have helped kill people on Black Saturday. The Royal Commission into the Black Saturday Bushfire's heard this week about how the most deadly fire on February 7th 2009, the Kilmore blaze that killed 121 people, was started by a rusted electricity power line. The line had been checked in the previous year but according to expert testimony the rusty power lines had been faulty for more than a year, indicating sloppy maintenance.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/power-line-rusted-after-check-20091119-ioxx.html

Before privitization of Victoria's power, the production and distribution of power was all done by the SECV. The corporate knowledge and skills of employees were built up over generations. All responsibility for maintenance rested with the SECV. Now under privitization, customers buy electricity of a retailer, who purchases it off a wholesaler, who outsourced maintenance to another company. The electricity itself is generated by another set of private companies. At each step of the way, there is a drive to cut costs and maximise profits for shareholders. Given this inefficiences of running a private system is it any surprise that a private company has been implicated in shoddy maintenance leading to a deadly bushfire. A class action has been launched again SP Ausnet for the Feb 7th fire resulted from its powerlines. Funnily enough the media would rather people focus on individual arsonists rather than corporate arsonists, or blame greenies for not letting people chop down a few trees. Meanwhile the private companies continue to make billions in profits.

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Learning The Lessons Of Workplace Struggles Sunday 6th December 4pm Glasgow Social Centre 66/68 Osborne Street Glasgow G1 5QH

3 short films on the Visteon, Prisme and Vestas workplace occupations 600 ex-Ford workers at Visteon auto-parts factories are sacked with 6 minutes notice without redundancy pay. They respond by occupying their factories. After the factory occupations and the threat to picket out workers at Ford's state of the art plant at Bridgend, Visteon and Ford were forced back to the negotiating table - where they conceded a redundancy package better than the Fords package the workers were demanding. It is the biggest redundancy package ever paid out by Ford anywhere! (25 mins.) Dundee: Prisme occupation Another great response to the shutting down of a factory, as the cardbouard packaging workers refuse to leave and plan to reopen the factory as a workers cooperative. (6 mins) Save Vestas Wind Turbine Factory An unprecedented red, green and black coalition support the Vestas workers occupying to stop the only wind turbine factory in England shutting down. (19 mins) Followed by discussion on workplace struggles and how next year's cuts will affect workers. Hosted by Clydeside Industrial Workers of the World - A Union For All workers http://iwwscotland.org/2009/11/24/learning-the-lessons-of-workplace-struggles/

NOTE: 24th November at 11am the 'Magic Roundabout' will appear in Newport Magistrates Court to answer an eviction order under Traveller Encampment legislation. The Roundabout is one on an industrial estate that became home to protesters who came to the Isle of Wight to support the Occupation of the Vestas Wind Turbine Blade factory in July and August of this year. The Roundabout was pretty much the closest point to the balcony on which the occupiers appeared daily. Since the end of the occupation, some of the ex-workforce and several supporters (from unions, climate and labour movement groups) have continued to camp on the roundabout - which now includes a spacious kitchen with wooden yurt-type structure to withstand storms, a living room with 3 piece suite ad straw insulation, and several veg plots (broad beans, winter lettuces and herbs), alongside the tents used by visitors.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/11/442186.html

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http://www.forgottenbirdofparadise.net/Photos.html

http://unemployedcinema.blogspot.com/

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