Opening of schools must be linked to safety in other workplaces

No Safety No Work

Independent Sage has issued a report detailing how the government should proceed to open schools. It states that schools should be the last to close down in a lockdown and the first to open- not because of the economy- but because of the negative impact on the children themselves.

However, there are certain criteria that must be met in order for schools to open and at the moment, none of these are being met.

From the report

(https://www.independentsage.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Schools-consultation-Feb-2021-2.pdf)

Measures should be taken immediately to ensure that school students can return to in-person learning as soon as possible. These include:

• Tighter regulation of everyday activities to bring down infection rates more quickly. People are still allowed to enter each other’s houses as cleaners, tradespeople and estate agents. Religious gatherings are still permitted. The definition of essential worker is so loosely drawn as to require many more people to attend workplaces…

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Does working from home weaken the working class? By @bluebirdbeta

New Syndicalist

This piece came about from conversations withinIWW Cymru, and we hope that it kicks off discussion in the wider labour movement. A quick note, while many forms of labour take place at home, such as unemployed and unpaid caring, in this piece “work from home” is used to refer to employed and “self-employed” workers who carry out computer-based work, or former office work.

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For many years, workers have been told that flexible hours and working from home are impossible demands. But as companies have been forced to adapt to lock-down this perceived common sense has been shattered. This presents a range of possibilities and opportunities for workers who seek more autonomy in how and where they work.

However, trade unions have yet to examine the enormous challenges that arise when people work from home. Despite surface appearances, it is not quite as liberating as we might think…

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Editorial #1 – The Covid crisis facing the whole of humanity

Wessex Solidarity

Angry Workers

In this editorial we look at the general situation of the Covid crisis, the incapability of the ruling class and the need for an independent discussion and practice within the global working class in order to find a way out.

Ever since the Covid pandemic began politicians, journalists, commentators and assorted Dames and Lords have been telling us that the pandemic has revealed the inequalities that exist in our society.

How wonderful that all these highly paid folk have suddenly become aware that many people don’t have large houses, or gardens or incomes or laptops or internet, can’t work from home or don’t even have work or a home.

The people they feel so sorry for knew about inequality long ago. No, what the Covid pandemic has revealed is that all of these people, the Government, Labour opposition, Dame Dildo, Lord Fuckwit – the people that supposedly are in…

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Go Ahead strike going ahead: class struggle round-up for mid-February

Cautiously pessimistic

A quick round up of class struggle news from the last week or so:

In workplace news, bus drivers employed by Go Ahead in Manchester will be launching an all-out strike from February 28th against the “fire and rehire” attempt to tear up their contracts. There’s a petition in support of the workers you can sign here.

A number of reps are fighting victimisation attempts at the moment – CAIWU are continuing to campaign for the reinstatement of their member Carlos Rodriguez at UEL, and on London buses, Unite rep Judith Katera has just had an appeal against her sacking heard, while another, Moe Manir, has a disciplinary with a threat of the sack scheduled for February 23rd. I’ve not yet seen anything about the outcome of Judith’s appeal. Education union NEU are asking people to sign a petition in support of Kirstie Paton, a NEU…

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Stuart Christie Memorial Archive

Wessex Solidarity

https://www.gofundme.com/f/stuart-christie-memorial-archive

Stuart’s life may have been plastered with headlines, Britain’s most famous anarchist was the usual description, but the small print of it was what was important. His courage, imagination, his loyalty, not just to what he believed in, but to his friends and family, his remarkable intelligence, his self-deprecating, droll and spiky humour. He was a man of parts, each one of them remarkable.

To reveal the richness of Stuart’s life and the many histories he was a part of, we intend to establish a memorial archive in his name. The Stuart Christie Memorial Archive will be housed at the MayDay Rooms in Fleet Street in London.

This project has been brought together by his family, close friends and comrades and is supported by the MayDay Rooms collective. The memorial will include photographs, letters, personal mementoes, art works, his writings, as well as the output of his publishing arms…

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Dear Arthur – A Message to the Gender Police

Brick the …er

Wessex Solidarity

The background to this is an exchange between some wobblies and a character called Arthur Brick in comments under Martin’s New year video, it can be found here: https://youtu.be/irNeK4DIgyg – ed.

A couple of months ago – Long enough for me to have already forgotten about it, I lightheartedly posted a simple phrase “If I can’t dance and be non-binary it ‘aint my revolution”. That’s it. I then forgot all about it. I think Emma wouldn’t mind after all she wanted nice things for everyone and sure embracing yourself for who you want to be is a nice thing.

I was reminded of my post this morning by a person by the name of Arthur, Arthur Brick bless you my dear you clearly feel threatened by the thought of me. I say the thought because you don’t know me and I don’t know you. Arthur wrote under my post “Non-binary?…

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Heathrow Workers’ Newsletter No.3

Heathrow Solidarity Network

Heathrow suffered further strain over Christmas heading into the new year. First with the discovery of the new Covid variant in the lead up to Christmas, which caused countries to ban flights from the UK. Secondly, the government’s removal of safe travel corridors on the 18th January meant much tighter restrictions on all passengers in and out of the airport. With the imminent imposition of new quarantine rules on travellers to the UK, forcing them to stay in hotels at their own expense on arrival, the aviation industry has its back against the wall.

Aviation’s track record on safety has been pretty dismal so far. Even though passenger numbers have fallen drastically (73% lower in 2020), reports of overcrowding in terminals is raising fears that the airport is a super-spreader event waiting to happen. [1] Social distancing in airports is proving difficult. A plane of 300 people would require a…

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Bloody Sunday Talk: Spy Cops – Making Scapegoats in Craigavon

Derry Anarchist Black Cross

This is a recording of the event.

Recent revelations have come to light in relation to one of the country’s most high profile, yet little reported on, miscarriage of justice cases since the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four.

Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton, known as the Craigavon Two, approach 12 years since their ‘wrongful’ conviction. It has now emerged that an agent provocateur, Dennis Mc Fadden, was at the heart of their campaign for Justice. The campaign to free them, like the campaigns to free the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four, struggle to make it into the news. Freeing these men was a cause dear to the heart of the late Gerry Conlon. Being one of the Guildford Four he knew only too well the anguish of languishing in prison unjustly convicted while the world goes on as normal. He was passionate about supporting their campaign for freedom…

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Pouring cold water on fire and rehire: workplace round-up for early February

Cautiously pessimistic

A quick round-up of workplace and other news:

Security guards at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading are taking strike action over a pay dispute, and are due to be out from Monday 8th February to Sunday 7th March. In Hackney, two separate sets of school workers are both due to strike from Wednesday 10th Feb to Friday 12th over job cuts, a one-off £500 payment and health and safety issues.

Up in Manchester, bus drivers at Go North West are balloting for further action in response to the company’s attempt to push through a “fire and rehire” attack that would involve job cuts, longer hours and worse sick policies. In Liverpool, DHL supply chain workers have been taking extensive strike action over a long-running pay dispute.

Brilliant to see a number of wagons refusing to cross the picket line today 👏✊👏 #DHLStrikepic.twitter.com/NxBA2hwgDS

— Unite North…

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Defend Rhodri! Retaliation at Berwyn

Wessex Solidarity

Prisoner Solidarity Network

The Prisoner Solidarity Network have just received news that Rhodri ab Eilian was assaulted by prison staff at HMP Berwyn yesterday (10th February 2021). This attack comes less than two weeks after Rhodri stepped forward to speak publicly about discrimination, racism, and the denial of language rights at the prison. Both Rhodri and the PSN see this assault as a clear example of retaliatory violence and call on everyone to mobilise urgently in Rhodri’s defence.

Following yesterday’s attack, one of the staff involved threatened further violence, telling another prisoner he was going to “punch his little head in.” Rhodri knew the risks and still did what’s right. It’s our responsibility now to defend him. We’re calling on people to: Contact relevant authorities to demand Rhodri’s safety and ensure disciplinary action is taken against the responsible staff. We’ve compiled a list of contacts below and a template…

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