Issues Follow Follow

THE PRESS and Paintline section at Raven Manufacturing on the Altham Industrial Estate near Burnley are striking over pay. The 20 Amicus-AEEU members have been offered only 1.5 percent after a previous 18 month deal of only 2.5 percent. They are on a one-day strike every Monday.

WHAT YOU THINK - a forum for activists to discuss the struggle

OVER 50 people took to the streets of Fishponds, Bristol, last Saturday to show their disgust at the recent attack on a refugee hostel.

ANTI-NAZI campaigners have been out on the streets of Stoke, where the Nazi BNP is standing a candidate in an election to be mayor. Some 20 people went out last Saturday, and a further 30 went out leafleting last Sunday.

THE DEFEAT for the Labour Party leadership in the conference vote last week on PFI confirms the high level of opposition to this policy. Tony Blair then told the unions, "Work with us and we may do something about the two-tier workforce that now exists in the private sector."

ABOUT 450 people attended a Stop the War Coalition public meeting in Liverpool last week. It was held two days after the huge anti-war demonstration in London and included speakers such as Bob Wareing MP, Bruce Kent, Lindsey German and a local FBU union official.

A 16 year old Asian youth has escaped being sent to prison for his part in the campaign to save Govanhill Pool in Glasgow. The trial of Qasim Khan in Glasgow Sheriff Court saw a succession of police officers testify over eight days.

OVER 100 members of Gloucester City Council UNISON union demonstrated outside the council headquarters last week. They were protesting against proposed closures, redundancies and cuts in the city's museums, archaeology unit, arts centre and sporting facilities.

THE PROVOCATIVE police raids on Sinn Fein's offices in Northern Ireland last week created a crisis inside the ruling assembly. The police claimed they had raided the Republican party's offices in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Stormont, because of links with an alleged spy ring supplying secrets to the IRA.

CAMPAIGNING ACTIVITY for Socialist Alliance candidate Paul Foot to be the first directly elected mayor of Hackney stepped up another gear last week. By Sunday night our eight page election newspaper had been delivered to tens of thousands of households. Our open-top battlebus took to the streets on Saturday, and Paul has been enthusiastically greeted at meetings large and small throughout the borough. Socialist Alliance members and supporters showed solidarity with striking council workers on Tuesday 1 October, visiting picket lines and handing out a special "Foot for mayor" leaflet.

A REFUGEE from Kosovo, Elvis Leka, has had his appeal for asylum rejected. Elvis now lives in fear of deportation. He works at a hostel for refugees and is a valued member of staff. He is supported by Bristol Defend the Asylum Seekers Campaign.

SO MUCH Shouting, So Much Laughter is the new live album by US alternative folk singer Ani DiFranco. It is a great introduction to her music. Since her first album in 1990, she has toured almost constantly, building up a devoted following in the US and internationally. She is a fantastic live performer.