Sackings, old and new

ANNESLEY – Bentinck pit in Nottinghamshire closed its doors last week after 140 years. The private firm Midland Mining took over the pit four years ago. But last December the company announced it was shutting the mine and sacking 450 workers. It is not just in the ‘old industries’ where workers are facing unemployment. Two big internet companies announced job cuts last week. Boo.com, which sells designer clothes through the internet, is sacking some of its workforce, as is the world’s largest online bookseller, Amazon.com. Amazon is cutting its workforce by 150, despite the fact that the company is valued at £20 billion.

Lobby Labour

SUPPORT IS growing for the lobby of the Scottish Labour Party conference called by a number of trade union branches. The lobby is calling for:

• Free education for all — implement the Cubie report.
• Full union rights now.
• A minimum wage of £5 an hour.
• Cancel all Third World debt.
• Protect the environment from corporate capitalism.
• Fund our services-tax the rich.
• Stop council house privatisation — scrap PFI.

Assemble Saturday 11 March, 12 noon, Regent Road, Edinburgh. Sponsors so far include the EIS — CLA national executive, Edinburgh AEEU No 1, Edinburgh Freelance NUJ, TGWU Glasgow Housing Associations and Dundee University AUT. Phone 07931 798 737 for details.