CAMDEN COUNCIL is trying to set up an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) to take over its housing. ALMOs are a two-stage strategy to privatise council housing and Camden's Defend Council Housing is waging a campaign to stop the plan.
AROUND 100 workers at Cold Drawn Products in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, walked out on strike last Tuesday. They were angry that they had been offered a 2 percent pay rise, having asked for 3 percent. The workers at the wire manufacturing company planned to walk out again on Monday of this week if their demands are not met.
AMICUS UNION members at Fujitsu Services in West Gorton, Manchester, have voted to strike by a majority of over 75 percent. The dispute is over two sets of issues. Firstly, the company are breaking longstanding union recognition and redundancy agreements. Secondly, the company have rejected the union's pay claim.
ARMS COMPANIES plan to hold Europe's largest arms fair from 9 to 12 September in the Docklands area of London. Warships are already cruising the Thames in preparation. Around 1,000 companies will run stalls at the DSEi event, which is attended by representatives of many of the world's most repressive regimes.
NURSERY NURSES in Scotland plan to escalate their action against low pay and for respect for the valuable job they do. The workers' Unison union has said that nursery nurses across Scotland will strike for a week, between Monday 8 September and Friday 12 September, unless Scotland's local authorities come up with a decent offer. The week of strikes will culminate in a protest at Glasgow Green on Saturday 13 September.
'We will call him to account next week' THE revelations about the lies and cover-ups over the war on Iraq are exposing the rot at the heart of New Labour. Blair and his circle distorted what even his closest advisers were telling them was the truth in order to launch a war for oil and US power. Now it's time to call Blair to account for his war crimes. Next week, on Saturday 30 August, the Stop the War Coalition is holding a People's Assembly to charge Blair.
THE SUN fell to new lows with another sickening campaign against refugees this week. Monday's poster front page ranted "Halt The Asylum Tide Now", labelling asylum as "Britain's biggest crisis". The Sun used a loaded online poll to claim over 80 percent of the population agree with its witch-hunt. But the poll only measured how well the Sun spreads its filthy racist message to its readers.
AROUND 160,000 postal workers across Britain begin a strike ballot over pay next week. London postal workers will also vote in a second ballot over London weighting. Nationally postal workers have been offered a 4.5 percent rise over 18 months. Any larger increase is dependent on mass job cuts, a worse service and even harder terms for the workers.
WEAPONS EXPERT Dr Kelly wasn't even against war with Iraq. Like other "intelligence" officers, he grew angry at the way the government exaggerated weapons claims. The Hutton inquiry heard how two senior intelligence officers had taken the unusual step of formally protesting over the way the government was using their reports.
Tony Blair and his key lieutenants knew full well that they were lying to justify war with Iraq. They knew that Saddam Hussein was "no threat", but deliberately lied to try and persuade people to back war.
