Issues Follow Follow

NEWSPAPERS have been incredulous at the idea that the secret services could have forged the documents that purport to show that George Galloway received money from Saddam Hussein. In fact the intelligence services have used forgeries and concocted evidence time after time to discredit people and governments.

THE BRITISH National Party (BNP) is a danger to everyone living in Britain. It was standing a record 220 candidates in Thursday's election, and hoped it could make a breakthrough. The BNP tried to feed off the widespread insecurity and disillusion with mainstream parties.

LEADING RMT activist Glenroy Watson has been downgraded from his job as a tube driver to a station assistant in what the RMT rail union sees as a clear example of victimisation. Glenroy, a driver on the Victoria Line, has been an active union member for 20 years.

ALMOST HALF a million health workers are starting a vote on the government's Agenda for Change proposals. Members in the Amicus union started voting this week, and the much larger group of workers in Unison will vote from next Thursday. Agenda for Change is a serious attack on every health worker. Many health workers will be paid as little as £10,100 a year for a full time job.

THE education secretary, Charles Clarke, chose the conference of the second largest teachers' union, the NASUWT, to launch a tirade against anyone who dares to oppose him. He attacked the larger National Union of Teachers (NUT) and its leader Doug McAvoy for refusing to agree to a plan to "remodel" the job of teaching. The leaders of the NASUWT signed up to the agreement in January.

SOME 140 nursery nurses who are members of the Unison public services union in Kirklees met on Monday to discuss escalating their industrial action in support of a regrading claim.

JOHN PAGE and supporters lobbied his disciplinary hearing in Hackney, east London, on Friday of last week. The New Labour council suspended John with two other Unison union activists in December 2002.

THE RESULT of a ballot among 30,000 postal workers over London weighting was due to be announced this week after Socialist Worker went to press. The ballot covers postal workers in London employed by Royal Mail, Parcelforce, Post Office Counters, Motor Transport and Cash Handling.

THE ALL-Wales Coalition Against the War, supported by CND, held an anti-occupation of Iraq demonstration in Cardiff last Saturday. Demonstrators marched through the centre of town, and between 500 and 600 people from anti-war groups across Wales took part.

SCOTTISH WATER (SW) has announced 1,400 redundancies over the next two years (900 this year and 500 next year). Around 1,300 jobs have already been lost through voluntary redundancy. A year ago the four unions in SW, Unison, TGWU, GMB and AEEU,went into a partnership agreement with management.

LARGELY LABOUR-led local government employers are urging fire chiefs to rip up firefighters' conditions in anticipation of a general offensive if the government beats the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). The Local Government Association has told fire authorities to start implementing those parts of the Bain cuts package that do not require new legislation.

SIXTY JOURNALISTS at the Bolton Evening News and Bury Times have been striking against miserable pay and conditions at Newsquest, a subsidiary of US firm Gannet. After two two-day strikes the NUJ union members walked out on all-out strike on Tuesday of last week.