Industrial unrest in 2010?

On New Year's Day The Guardian ran a considered article 'year of industrial unrest looms as public sector braces for spending cuts'. It was not the first on that theme and doubtless will not be the last. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/dec/31/strikes-unions-unrest-militancy

Dave Prentis New Year message - UNISON will stand up for our 1.4 million members‏

In his New Year's message UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, pays tribute to “selfless” public service workers, warned politicians against making them pay the price for the economic recession, brought on by city bankers, who should have known better.

A Happy and Peaceful New Year to and from comrades and friends around the world

Long live the Morning Star - 80 years old today!‏

The Morning Star
Eighty years ago last night the first edition of the Daily Worker, now known as the Morning Star was produced. Originally an organ of the Communist Party of Great Britain, its leader Harry Pollitt said “The paper is born and must never be allowed to die.”  In 1945 though, in recognition of the changing political landscape in Britain and the need to fund the post war expansion of the paper, the Party decided to hand it over to the entire labour movement through the creation of the Peoples Press Printing Society.

Celebrate the 51st Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution!‏

Who said “When first in the dim light of early morning, I saw the shores of Cuba rise and define themselves from the dark blue horizons, I felt as if I sailed with Captain Silver when first he gazed on Treasure Island. Here was a place where real things were going on. Here was a scene of vital action. Here was a place where anything might happen. Here was a place where something would certainly happen. Here I might leave my bones”?

All bets off as March General Election speculation gains ground‏

After 13 years waiting to take power Gordon Brown will lead New Labour into an election after thirteen years in Government. Will he be lucky? All money seems to indicate that he fancies his best chance is on March 25th.

Solidarity with the people of Iran‏

CODIR, the Committee for the Defence of the Iranian People's Rights - which for almost 30 years has campaigned against human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic of Iran – is calling on the British labour and trade union movement to lodge protests with the Iranian Government about its repression of opposition activists.

Smokers of Paper by Cesare Pavese‏

Culture: Smokers of Paper by Italian novelist and poet Cesare Pavese

Tax Dodgers' Alliance under investigation‏

The Charity Commission is investigating the anti public services taxpayers Alliance which is linked to the Conservative Party.

No new year greetings from Obama for Cuba‏

Former US Under Secretary for Hemispheric Affairs Thomas Shannon has finally been allowed to be voted ambassador for Brazil after republican US senator George LeMieux lifted a ban on the voting process in exchange for reassurances that Washington would promote democracy in countries like Cuba and Honduras.
With this confirmation, the Obama administration has clearly signalled it will continue to carry out the Bush policy of overthrow of the Cuban government by any means.

NHS Pay - battle lines drawn‏

THE NHS Chief Executive David Nicholson has thrown the gauntlet down to health unions on pay for the settlement period 2011/12 onwards:

"Israel is an EU member state in all but name."

By David Cronin, The Electronic Intifada, 21 December 2009: BRUSSELS (IPS) - Israel's relations with the European Union were tense for most of 2009 -- if newspaper headlines are to be believed. In the past week, a British court drew fierce criticism from Israeli politicians after it issued an arrest warrant for Tzipi Livni, the former Israeli foreign minister, following a complaint that she had authorized war crimes in Gaza.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10956.shtml

AFL-CIO & Israel‏

Labor for Palestine's 14 December Open Letter from US Trade Unionists to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: Boycott Apartheid Israel has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. However, it has also become clear that growing support for boycott, divestment and sanctions is seen as a threat by those who would continue US labor officialdom's support for the apartheid state of Israel, as evidenced by new attacks on Labor for
Palestine. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10966.shtml

Barbarism a la carte?‏

Is Ivan Lewis MP - who intervened with the Chinese authorities to seek clemency for a convicted heroin trafficker - the same Ivan Lewis MP who was a strong supporter of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza in which 1400 Palestinians were murdered including 400 children?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Lewis

Colombia - Edwin Legarda Memorial Event‏

In Cauca department, Colombia, more than 1000 people took part in an event to mark the first anniversary of the death of Edwin Legarda, an indigenous community member who was murdered by the Colombian army on December 16th 2008. Edwin was the husband of indigenous leader Aida Quilcue, who was in the UK in September at the invitation of UNISON Northern and the Northern TUC, in conjunction with the Colombia Solidarity Campaign. The event was supported by West Midlands UNISON, UNISON Northern, and the Gateshead Hospital branch.

The Great Party Question

‘Tis the season to be jolly and the merriment is in full swing. The cava and wine has been flowing and the room is growing steadily jolly, as the middle- aged party goers hum along to half forgotten punk classics they could once have pogo’d to. Everyone is relaxed, comfortable and stress free. These people share the same prejudices and values, but someone asks the inevitable question. “Where are your kids going after Primary? Then it is war.

The NHS is in mortal danger from the Tories‏

At an early stage in his leadership of the Conservative Party David Cameron recognised the importance of neutralising the NHS as a political issue. Cynical Tory strategists were aware in equal measure of the enduring popularity of the NHS and the recognition by voters that the Tories had run down the NHS in the Thatcher/Major years and therefore placed greater trust in Labour to preserve a universal health care system.

Tory Stories - New Blog:

Tory Stories - New Blog: http://www.torystories.com/about/ "The site acts as a depository for evidenced articles on Conservatives inlocal and regional government, showing that, once in office, the party's actions consistently fail to match its rhetoric. We urge readers to contribute to keeping this as up-to-date as possible by sending in furtherTory Stories from across the country."

Gaza - one year on from launch of 'Operation Cast Lead'‏

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Israel's unleashing hell on the people of besieged Gaza with its brutal and murderous 'Operation Cast Lead'. It was a haunting reminder of the threat made earlier in 2008 by Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai, who promised the Palestinians of Gaza a "shoah" - or holocaust. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7270650.stm