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Notes from an FBU picket line

Joe Thorne reports back from the front lines of the London firefighters strike against mass sackings and shift pattern changes.

The FBU has held two eight hour strikes in the past fortnight. The cause? The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) has threatened to unilaterally impose new terms and conditions, specifically a new shift pattern, and has said that any of the 5,500 London fire fighters not willing to sign up to them will be sacked.

Striking firefighter hospitalised by station manager

One firefighter has been airlifted to hospital and three others injured after a station manager drove his car through a picket line.

Tam Ozdemir of Red Watch, Croydon was rushed to hospital with suspected neck and pelvic injuries.

Obama administration takes strong stance against pot legalization

Once again, President Obama’s administration is standing in the way of pro-working class, civil rights legislation. In response, the Democratic Party’s base is dropping out from under them. In order to offset the lost votes, Obama and the democrats are doing everything they can to get their base motivated – everything except listening to them.

President Obama has been racing across the country these past several weeks in a desperate attempt to rally the Democratic base and get out the vote, responding to large Republican gains in key senate and gubernatorial races.

An attempt to report on the situation in France - Mouvement Communiste

Blockade of Nice airport - October 19th 2010

Mouvement Communiste report their impressions of the past several weeks of struggles in France.

This is based on eye witness accounts, testimony of comrades and friends and cross checking with the media. It cannot pretend to be a complete account but it gives you an idea of how we understand things.

The first month (starting from 7th September 2010)

General overview
We have seen a growing number of demonstrators in many towns and cities of France in demonstrations called by the unions and supported by official left-wing parties. But on the side of working class strikes the figure is not so bright.

Belfast - Thousands march to oppose the cuts

Workers came out in their thousands in Belfast today to protest against government cuts that will see services slashed, benefits cut and an estimated 30,000 job losses.

Sammy Wilson may have told them they were wasting their time but workers came out in their thousands in Belfast today to protest against government cuts that will see services slashed, benefits cut and an estimated 30,000 job losses.

UK Workplace News Roundup - October 2010

Recent industrial news from the UK, including the Firefighters Strike, The ongoing Astrazeneca dispute in Macclesfield, and more.

London firefighter strikes are on

Firefighters in London have overwhelmingly voted to take strike action in a dispute over new contracts.

Protest of Hospital Sanitary Workers in Starachowice

Workers protest against outsourcing of jobs.

A group of orderlies from a hospital in Starachowice have been protesting for a week over plans to outsource their work to a private firm. About 30 people have been taking part in the protest which has included wearing black shirts to work, blocking the offices of the director of the hospital, taking off work to protest and holding a hunger strike.

South African Communist Party Attacks Road Blockades as 'anarchist and reactionary'

Abahlali baseMjondolo Road Blockade in Cape Town

The South African Communist Party (SACP), long considered one of the most Stalinist Communist Parties anywhere, has joined the liberal NGOs in their attempt to rally public opinion against a two week long wave of popular protest in Cape Town that has included numerous road blockades and some damage to state property. The SACP statement, and a reply from Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape, are both reproduced here.

The Statement from the South African Communist Party

Blockading Public Roads is anarchy and reactionary

Autonomous Community Oaxaca on the TV Fri 22 Oct C4‏

Unreported World
Mexico's Indian Rebellion
Friday 22nd October 7.30pm
Channel 4

In the mountains of southeastern Mexico, Unreported World finds 400
members of an indigenous community, who are fighting for independence,
holed up in bullet-ridden homes and surrounded by a militia in an
unreported war.

Reporter Evan Williams and director Alex Nott visit Yosoyuxi, a
neighbouring village to the besieged town of San Juan Copala. Members of

Round 2 of the TEKEL struggle: workers against the unions

The TEKEL struggle has restarted - this time in Istanbul.

The TEKEL struggle which gave birth to the "Ankara Soviet", a collection of tents which workers gathered and lived around for 80 days in the center of Ankara, Kızılay, was one of the most important struggles in Turkey for several years. The new law - famously known as 4C - which turned the workers into contractors, was the cause.

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