Unions can ensure the wages of volunteer emergency services workers like firefighters are protected in the event of forced absences from work. BOYCOTT FOSTERS LARGER FOR SACKING VICTORIAN VOLUNTEER BUSH FIRE FIGHTERS

Firefighters sacked by Foster's Sunday, February 15, 2009 » 07:06am

Workers say brewing giant Foster's deliberately made 115 employees redundant in the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires to minimise publicity. Maintenance and trade staff working at the Abbotsford plant in inner Melbourne, including Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers Shane Cramer, Dave Dixon and another unnamed worker, were notified of their redundancies on Thursday.

Foster's publicly apologised for the timing of the announcement on Friday, saying it was 'a very unfortunate accident'.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/no-paycheck-for-volunteer-firefighter/2009/02/21

No paycheck for volunteer firefighter February 21, 2009 - 8:48AM

A Victorian aged care home did not pay a volunteer firefighter who battled the Black Saturday bushfires, a union claims. The Health Services Union (HSU) says the frontline firefighter was called to put in containment lines around fires in Gippsland as part of a Country Fire Authority strike team.

"then dump the bosses off yer back"

Tent City for Jobless over the New Years Period was opened at Hibiya Park in Tokyo. Many temp workers who were laid off gathered. Produced by Video Press. Subtitled by Internationl division of Labor Net Japan. http://labornetjp.blogspot.com/2009/02/tent-city-for-joblessmovie-with-english.html

MORE: http://www.povnet.org/node/3076

Japanese tent city for unemployed January 9, 2009 - 11:30am Over the new year, a tent village was set up by a number of volunteer groups in a Tokyo park for the country’s growing number of unemployed workers. The organizers led a march to demand stable employment and housing.

The tent city filled up so quickly that the government was forced to open up shelters to house the unemployed workers....

Be a Home Defender "Some things are worth fighting for, and I think your family and your home are two of those things." -Baltimore ACORN Foreclosure Fighters Co-Chair Louis Beverly

The foreclosure crisis lies at the very heart of the broader economic collapse. The glut of foreclosed properties on the market forced housing prices into a tailspin, and banks loaded up with mortgage-backed securities and complex derivatives, unable to value or sell these assets, stopped lending to each other and the credit markets froze up, triggering the broader economic morass.

A broad and successful economic recovery is impossible without directly addressing the record foreclosure rate that lies at its heart. If we do not take any action, Credit Suisse predicts that there will be between 8 and 9 million foreclosures in the next four years, at a potential cost to the economy of $702 billion.

"We have only a few hours to flood the Iranian government with messages of protest from around the world.

Ali Nejati, Feridoun Nikoufard, Mohammed Heydari Mehr, Ghorban Alipour and Jalil Ahmadi are leaders of the trade union of workers at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation and Industry Company in Shush, an affiliate of the IUF.

The 5,000 workers at Haft Tapeh have had to resort to repeated strike action over the past two years over failure to pay wages and in support of basic workplace rights. They have been ceaselessly harassed and victimized, with suspected militants subject to frequent arrests and public whippings.

On 20 December last year, the five leaders were charged with "acting against national security" as a result of their trade union activity. They face potentially lengthy prison sentences. We've received a report from the IUF that on Sunday, 22 February, there is going to be a court hearing in Iran at which the fate of five jailed trade union leaders may be decided.

Indymedia reports from the MUA state conference Restream the radio show here:

http://www.rtrfm.com.au/restream/6195

Alex Whisson and Ray Grenfell from Perth Indymedia Radical Radio interviewed international trade unionists attending the MUA state conference this week.

UK - Steve Todd, National Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. Steve spoke about the current wildcat strikes in the UK, the attempted infiltration by the BNP and the future for workers in the UK and abroad in the context of the economic crisis.

South Africa - Yongamela Manene, National Secretary of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) Yongamela spoke about SATAWU's decisions to boycott all Israeli vessels entering South Africa, the similarities between apartheid South Africa and Palestine and the current political and economic situation in South Africa.

February 18, 2009

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/2/18/as_obama_unveils_foreclosure_plan_activists

As Obama Unveils Foreclosure Plan, Activists Place Homeless in Vacant Homes

As President Obama is scheduled to announce his $50 billion foreclosure prevention plan today, we go to Minneapolis to speak with Cheri Honkala of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign. The group is taking matters into its own hands and finding housing for homeless people in foreclosed and vacant homes.

We also speak to Dwayne Cunningham, a homeless man who recently moved into a vacant home. Guests: Cheri Honkala, National Organizer with the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign. She grew up in Minneapolis and is based in Philadelphia. Dwayne Cunningham, Recently moved into a vacant home under the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign home-takeover program. Related Links http://www.economichumanrights.org/index.shtml

POOR PEOPLE'S ECONOMIC HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN Sabathani Community Center 310 East 38th St Room # 126 Minneapolis, MN 55409 Phone: (612) 821-2364 email: info@economichumanrights.org

The collapse of global financial markets in late 2008 has given Mining companies in Australia a welcome gift for 2009. The rejection of the anti-worker ‘Work Choices’ legislation by the Rudd government in 2008 had kick started feelings of optimism and solidarity amongst mine workers in the conspicuously un-unionised mines of Western Australia.

"Those left homeless by the bushfires are able to access emergency accommodation through Office of Housing staff at the relief centres in their area, or by calling the accommodation line on 1800 006 468. 600 units of public housing across Victoria will be made available for those made homeless by the bushfires....UP to 2,000 bushfire victims are to be accommodated on Australian Defence Force (ADF) bases Up to 1,200 beds in communal accommodation would be made available at the army base at Puckapunyal, near Seymour, close to the fire-affected areas. 150 beds would be made available at Maygar Barracks, near Broadmeadows in Melbourne. The RAAF base at East Sale, in Gippsland, will provide accommodation for up to 500 people, including 150 places with disabled access. Another 200 could be accommodated at the navy base, HMAS Cerberus, on the Mornington Peninsula. Another RAAF base at Point Cook, southwest of Melbourne, will be able to provide accommodation for 150 people. until better accommodation can be found.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/emergency-accommodation-hotline-for-bushfire-homeless-20090210-82x9.html

"DOLE BLUDGERS" Back in the 1980s the Unemployed Workers Union (before it imploded due to competing leninist sects boring from within & squabbling bored away everyone else ) used to hold open air meetings at abandoned/empty sites like servos/petrol stations. Since then they fence them in much more securely, coincidentally ?

"SIT-DOWN MONEY" One building used by UWU in Northcote used for claimants advice sessions etc was evicted by the Tactical Response Group who came through roof and upstairs windows for show and practice for their political Masters. Irony was the building was then turned into a social security office. More ironic still that office was closed as Howard Inc centralised Centre-link offices. The 'service" (of hassling the jobless) was sub contracted out & sites sold off to mates. The "Opposition Leadership" now First Family of Oz Battlers Mrs Rudd aka Terse Reign set up a privatised job agency and made mega bucks in the Family/National Interest.