Support trade unions and defend and improve public services
UNISON would like to invite all to a public meeting and reception to celebrate 60 years of Cuban revolution on Tuesday 5 November 2019 between 6.30 and 8.00pm at St Pauls Cambridge in the Lower Hall.
Two leading Cuban trade unionists, Santiago Badia Gonzales General secretary of health union SNTS and Neisy Pina Lago of public administration union SNTAP will be speaking at the meeting.
Latin America Conference 2019. Saturday 23 November 2019, Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ
www.latinamericaconference.co.uk
US warmonger John Bolton has called Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua a ‘Troika of tyranny’ and is making increasingly dangerous threats of intervention against these countries.
The Trump administration is using military aggression, ‘lawfare’ and economic sanctions to try and force a broader reactionary agenda from Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia, to Honduras, Ecuador and Mexico.
Yet people across the region continue to organise and fight back, developing progressive mass movements to struggle for independence, sovereignty and resistance to the vicious US onslaught and attempts to dominate national resources and economies for the benefit of the multinationals.
Features films, stalls, music and discussion on:
– No to Trump’s ‘regime change’ agenda in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua
– 20 years since Chávez’s election – a spark for 21st century socialism
– Cuba 60 – standing firm under the eye of the empire
– Art, Protest and Change
– Populism and stopping the far right Fighting back: Honduras, Brazil, Argentina
Young people in the UK who have been striking for the climate are calling on adults to join them on Friday 20 September as part of a massive global day of action.
“This is not a single-generation job. It’s humanity’s job… Let’s all join together, with your neighbours, co-workers, friends, family and go out on to the streets to make your voices heard and make this a turning point in our history.” Greta Thunberg and 46 youth activists from the international school strike movement
Spread the word! This can be online – for example, share the Facebook event – but face to face conversations are best. Lots of energy and mobilising will take place in existing campaigns, communitiy groups etc. But this is a day where there will also be actions organised from workplaces, whether that’s a strike, a short walkout to join young people a stoppage or some other solidarity action. There’s a guide here for adults wanting to get involved.
You can talk to people in your workplace about why this is so important. Think about holding a meeting to discuss what action you can take. If you can, invite a school striker or climate activist. Be creative and imaginative. Tell your employer about the strength of feeling in support of backing the young people.
Find out about what’s happening in your area.
There will also be planning events organised throughout the summer (see below, this page will be updated with details of new events as we find out about them). Thinking of organising one yourself? Remember to contact not just climate campaigners, but trade unions, activist groups concerned with other social justice issues, and of course, school strikers in your area. There will be lots of ways people can get involved.
If you are a trade union member, there are more details on our trade union group website about organising through trade unions.
Check in for general updates: There are weekly online meetings, currently 6-7pm each Thursday (join by video link or dial in from a phone) to bring together people and organisations interested in making 20th September happen. In the calls we discuss the ways in which we’re organising our communities and groups, how we can collaborate, event logistics, sourcing resources, supporting one another and so on. To join via your computer, phone or tablet, click on the link https://wwf.zoom.us/j/571969920 and download the Zoom app when prompted. Or call 020 3051 2874, enter the Meeting ID (571 969 920) when prompted.
In September UCU are bringing a motion to the TUC Congress for the TUC to call a 30 minute workplace stoppage on the day of the strikes – the first time in over 30 years that the TUC has issued such a call on any issue. To get this motion passed UCU will need to demonstrate how widespread the support for it is – please sign up and share, whether you are a trade union member or not.
Our
annual conference is a chance for members and delegates to assess the
risks of war, have their say on Stop the War’s strategy, elect the
steering committee and put forward ideas on how to build the movement in
the universities, amongst activists and in local communities.
The afternoon session will focus on the prospect of conflict with Iran.
We will discuss how best to resist the drift towards a new war which
would bring untold destruction to the Middle East with an excellent
panel of speakers:
On
Wednesday 11 September, the Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the
UK, alongside Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
and London Students for Yemen will hold a protest demanding that the
British Government end arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. A
delegation of representatives will hand a letter to the Prime Minister.
The British Government has sold over £5 billion of Arms to Saudi Arabia
since the Saudi-led war on Yemen began in 2015. The Court of Appeal has
ruled these sales as unlawful, as the government has repeatedly failed
to carry out the necessary investigations into the Saudi regimes use of
British weapons in the targeting of civilians.
The British government in its appeal of this ruling continues to seek
profit from the arms trade, despite it clearly violating international
law.
In just the week before the UK will be hosting the DSEI arms fair which will welcome a large Saudi delegation.
The war on Yemen has caused what the UN describes as “the world’s worst
humanitarian crisis.” Currently the UN states that 80% of the Yemeni
population, totalling over 24 million people, are in need of immediate
humanitarian assistance and since the conflict began at least 230,000
people have died.
The Saudi-led coalition would be unable to continue its bombardment of
Yemen without British support and weapons. It is imperative that the
international community demand that the targeting of civilians, the
destruction of vital infrastructure and violations of international law
do not become normalised for the sake of economic interest.
Join us in demanding the UK government stop arming Saudi Arabia and its coalition forces.
The arrest and disappearance of Yassin Hassan Abdelkarim, president of the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee on 28 June has drawn strong condemnation from the University and College Union (UCU) and International Solidarity Officers in the NEU teachers’ union. Paul Cottrell, acting General Secretary of UCU wrote to the Sudanese ambassador calling for Yassin’s immediate release after hearing that armed men stormed his house in the early hours of 28 June and took him away to an unknown location.
Sudanese activists are extremely concerned that he could face torture or death in detention at the hands of the brutal militias affiliated with the Transitional Military Council who have already killed over 100 protesters during attacks on peaceful sit-ins after 3 June. The Teachers Committee is an independent union which has played a key role organising teachers’ strikes in recent years.
UCU calls for immediate release of Yassin Hassan Abdelkarim, president of the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee #StandWithSudan https://t.co/DzJvmZVJaM
— UCU (@ucu) July 2, 2019
International Solidarity Officers in NEU adopted a resolution on 1 July also calling for Yassin’s release alongside other political prisoners. Huge protests gripped on Sudan on Sunday, following a call by the Sudanese Professionals Association and the opposition Forces of Freedom and Change for further peaceful demonstrations and civil disobedience to demand the transfer of power to a civilian government from the ruling Military Council.
Statement by International Solidarity Officers, NEU
We, National Education Union International Solidarity Officers, condemn the arrest of our brother and colleague Yassin Hassan Abdulkarim President of the Teachers’ Committee in Sudan.
We support the struggle for democratic rights and civilian government in Sudan. We support the demonstrations called by the Sudanese Professional Association and note protestors have exercised non-violent civil disobedience in pursuit of their aims.
We condemn any use of force, including that used on June 3rd in Khartoum, against these peaceful protests.
In addition, the arbitrary arrest of civilians exercising their right to organise cannot be tolerated. We call on our government, trade unions and human rights organisations to demand the immediate release of Yassin Hassan Abdulkarim.
Last week, our friends at Campaign Against Arms Trade won a historic court case against the UK Government over arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The Court ruled that the Government’s approval of arms sales to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen was unlawful, and that it must halt exports until it reviews the permissions in light of evidence of Saudi violations of international law. The ruling is unprecedented, and really speaks to the collaborative work of grassroots campaigners, lawyers, academic experts, and many others who pitched in to make the case so strong.
But this is just one case. The UK still approves arms exports to dozens of other human rights abusing regimes that use military force to repress protests, to gain territory, and to commit dreadful and illegal violence against civilians. And it will undoubtedly try to resume its exports to Saudi Arabia at the earliest date possible. That’s why we need grassroots pressure now to make this court victory stick, for the people of Yemen and millions of others around the world who are still at risk of being attacked using British made bombs and other weapons.
The UK sells weapons and
military technology to States that commit sustained and grave human
rights abuses, including Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Honduras, the
Philippines, and dozens of other regimes.
The UK must stop arming repression. Will you email your MP, and ask them to pressure the government to end its trade in arms with human rights abusing regimes?
Nine housekeepers at the Hotel Condestable Iranzo in Jaén (Andalusia) were dismissed in May while organizing a union and demanding the application of the collective agreement for the hospitality sector in the province. The CC.OO Services Federation is fighting for their reinstatement as unions challenge the massive growth of outsourcing which is impoverishing hotel staff.
You can support their struggle by signing the online petition initiated by the union here.
The main speaker will be Ahmed Alshami, Executive Director of Arabian Rights Watch Association (ARWA) – an organisation engaged in human rights advocacy and peace building initiatives. He participated with the Sana’a government delegation in the Stockholm peace negotiations and the recent negotiations regarding the economy that took place in Ammon. He is also a member of the Economic Committee set up by the UN Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths.
This will be a very informative event. It is free and open to the public. Please allow time for security checks.