UAF Slammed by the Guardian

"Frankly, the part of the left that runs Unite Against Fascism is not up to fighting contemporary antisemitism. Its joint secretaryship is shared by a member of the central committee of the Socialist Workers party, and by a member of the National Assembly Against Racism (NAAR), which is strongly supported by Socialist Action. Both these political groups have a history of overlooking antisemitism.

For years, the Socialist Workers party promoted and toured the self-described "ex-Jew" Gilad Atzmon. When SWP supporter and Childrens' Laureate Michael Rosen criticised the party for giving a platform to a performer who, he argued, voiced racist and antisemitic ideas, he was slapped down by central committee member Lindsey German and others. Socialist Action activists led the charge, with Ken Livingstone, to defend the Muslim Brotherhood Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, after the human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell had outed him as an inciter of terrorism, antisemitism and homophobia."

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/18/race-raceandreligion

Angry Mini workers hurl fruit at union leaders after job cuts

Angry Mini workers pelted union leaders with fruit after 850 jobs were axed and all weekend shifts scrapped

Union sources said workers had thrown fruit at managers but BMW denied the claim. A spokesman said: "No BMW managers addressed the workers. I have confirmation that the fruit was thrown at union representatives."

Union representatives were shown on mobile phones being abused by disgruntled workers who accused them of not doing enough to prevent job losses.

All those axed were temporary workers contracted by Manpower, the employment organisation, for the Cowley work.

BMW faced heavy criticism from union leaders over the way it had handled the redundancies. Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite, said: “The manner in which these cuts were announced today was disgraceful. Sacking an entire shift like this and targeting agency workers who have no rights to redundancy pay, is blatant opportunism on BMW’s part and nothing short of scandalous.”

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman said: "This is very disappointing news and all I can say really is the Government is doing and will do all that we can to help those affected."

The spokesman added that a rescue package for the car industry which was announced recently was still being implemented.

BMW's Swindon plant, which produces Mini body panels and employs 1,000, is not affected by the cutback but 150 workers have been asked to transfer to the Cowley production line.

The BMW engine plant at Hams Hall also escape cuts. The plant, employing 1,000 workers, produces 300,000 engines a year for the Mini and BMW cars in Germany.

The cuts come as the company stops producing cars at the Cowley factory for a week in response to falling motor sales caused by the recession.

Production will not restart production until February 23, with all staff at the factory, including remaining agency workers, being paid their basic wages during the closure.

A Mini spokesperson confirmed that the company had held discussions with Unite union representatives over changes to shift patterns at the plant.

A statement said: "While Mini has been weathering the economic downturn, it is not immune from the challenges of the current situation.

"Against this backdrop the company felt that a review of its shift patterns was necessary. This decision has not been taken lightly. The plant's union representatives have, of course, been involved in the discussions."

The company's 4,500 staff had returned to work on January 5 after an extended four-week Christmas holiday. In December, 300 agency staff were told there would be no more work for them at the plant after the Christmas holiday.

Derek Simpson, joint leader of the union Unite, said the cuts at Mini showed how the recession was affecting the industry, as BMW was a "hugely profitable" firm and Cowley was an efficient factory.

"There is a huge onus on the Government to take drastic action to support the motor industry and to encourage people to buy cars.

The announcement is more grim news to the car industry which has laid off thousands of workers in recent weeks.

The Mini celebrates its 50th anniversary in August of this year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/4639628/Angry-Mini-workers-hurl-fruit-at-union-leaders-after-job-cuts.html

'This is the worst recession for over 100 years'

Ed Balls, the PM's closest ally, warns that downturn is ferocious and says impact will last 15 years

Britain is facing its worst financial crisis for more than a century, surpassing even the Great Depression of the 1930s, one of Gordon Brown's most senior ministers and confidants has admitted.

In an extraordinary admission about the severity of the economic downturn, Ed Balls even predicted that its effects would still be felt 15 years from now. The Schools Secretary's comments carry added weight because he is a former chief economic adviser to the Treasury and regarded as one of the Prime Ministers's closest allies.

Mr Balls said yesterday: "The reality is that this is becoming the most serious global recession for, I'm sure, over 100 years, as it will turn out."

He warned that events worldwide were moving at a "speed, pace and ferocity which none of us have seen before" and banks were losing cash on a "scale that nobody believed possible".
The minister stunned his audience at a Labour conference in Yorkshire by forecasting that times could be tougher than in the depression of the 1930s, when male unemployment in some cities reached 70 per cent. He also appeared to hint that the recession could play into the hands of the far right.

"The economy is going to define our politics in this region and in Britain in the next year, the next five years, the next 10 and even the next 15 years," Mr Balls said. "These are seismic events that are going to change the political landscape. I think this is a financial crisis more extreme and more serious than that of the 1930s, and we all remember how the politics of that era were shaped by the economy."

Philip Hammond, the shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said Mr Balls's predictions were "a staggering and very worrying admission from a cabinet minister and Gordon Brown's closest ally in the Treasury over the past 10 years". He added: "We are being told that not only are we facing the worst recession in 100 years, but that it will last for over a decade – far longer than Treasury forecasts predict."

The minister's comments came as the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, admitted the global economy was "seeing the most difficult economic conditions for generations". Writing in today's Independent, Mr Darling said his plans for shoring up Britain's finances included "measures to insure against extreme losses" as well as separating out impaired assets into a "parallel financial vehicle". Unemployment figures out tomorrow are expected to show the number of people out of work has passed two million. The Bank of England's quarterly inflation report, also released tomorrow, is expected to include a gloomy forecast for economic growth.

Yesterday, the Financial Services Authority warned that the recession "may be deeper and more prolonged than expected", adding that the global financial system had "suffered its greatest crisis in more than 70 years".

Speaking to Labour activists in Sheffield, Mr Balls conceded that the Government must share some of the blame because it had failed properly to control the banks. But he accused the Tories of blocking Labour's attempts to tighten financial rules.

He said: "People are quite right to say that financial regulation wasn't tough enough in Britain and around the world, that regulators misunderstood and did not see the nature of the risks of the dangers being run in our financial institutions – absolutely right."

The other great depressions

*Long Depression, 1873–96

Precipitated by the "panic of 1873" crisis on Wall Street and a severe outbreak of equine flu (Karl Benz's first automobile did not chug on to the scene until 1886), it was remarkable for its longevity as well as its global reach. In Britain, it was the rural south rather than the rich cities of the north that suffered. The UK ceased to be a nation that relied in any way on farming for its livelihood.

*Great Depression, 1930s

The "Hungry Thirties" were rough on many, at a time when welfare systems were rudimentary. The worst period was from the Wall Street Crash of 1929 to about 1932, but in places such as Jarrow, the unemployment rate hardly dipped below 50 per cent until the economy was mobilised in 1940. However, for many in the south and for the middle classes, the times were relatively prosperous.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/this-is-the-worst-recession-for-over-100-years-1605367.html

Check out Nationalists Online message board !

http://www.nwn-forum.co.uk/index.php

La Francia de Nicolas Sarkozy ; Infierno o Paraiso ? - Janique Arsenique

UNITE Running Scared

Unite: Derek Simpson will warn ultra right wing groups that their politics of hate are not welcome on construction sites across the UK

In a condemnation of the British National Party, Derek Simpson the joint leader of Unite, will warn ultra right wing groups that their politics of hate are not welcome on construction sites across the UK.

Mr Simspon said:

"The unofficial action taking place across the UK is not about race or immigration, its about class. Its about employers who exploit workers regardless of their nationality by undercutting their hard won pay and conditions. These are rights that trade unionists have fought long and hard for while ultra right wing groups did nothing but stoke hatred in our towns and cities.
Trade unionists stand against everything the BNP stand for. We have warned union members on construction sites to remain vigilant when it comes to ultra right wing leeches. These right wing groups do not support trade unions. In fact, they're probably taking down the names of trade unionists involved in the unofficial action and adding them to their list of left wing enemies."

ENDS

Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931 315

NWN:

UNITE have neglected to mention that even their pro EU buddy Peter Mandelson stated:

"xenophobia might be the cause of the problem."
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/district/4096175.Hampshire_workers_to_go_on_strike_again/


THE TRUE FACE OF ANTI BRITISH UNITE

Unite Bringing the Migrant Community Together


Unite, the UK's biggest union are together with Unionlearn hosting an event in Stoke on Trent on Saturday 6th December which will give information, advice and guidance to migrant workers working in the UK.

Workers and their families will be able to take advantage of free information about employment rights, family issues and local community benefits.
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=244351

Britain Awake!

PM will lose one more job... his own

LABOUR will be WIPED OUT at the next election because of anger over foreign workers taking British jobs, warned one of the party’s most respected MPs last night.

Ex-Welfare Minister Frank Field told the News of the World: “Failure to deliver British jobs to British workers could wipe Labour out.

“Labour must get a grip now — otherwise their actions will feed the British National Party.”

Wildcat strikes have exploded across Britain in protest over hundreds of Italian and Portuguese workers snapping up precious jobs on a £200 million oil refinery project.

Mass demonstrations are expected to sweep the country again next week, spreading outside the energy sector.

Gordon Brown sparked fury yesterday by slamming the strikes as “indefensible”.

He claimed: “No government is doing more to try and find ways that we can help people who are unemployed back into work as quickly as possible.”

In an interview today he also claims: “We are better placed. The reason is we’ve got low interest rates, low inflation, low public debt.” But union leaders slammed the PM as out of touch. Unite officer Bernard McAuley warned: “If we lose this battle our industry will go to the wall.

“We want jobs to be given to local people first. We have got to make the government understand.” Furious workers will regroup at the Lindsey refinery near Immingham, Lincs, before dawn on Monday as the revolt grows.

Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said last night: “Unless we get a commitment from the government to help engineering and construction workers, we will have more trouble.”But Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said: “It would be a huge mistake to retreat from a policy where UK companies can operate in Europe and European companies can operate here.

“Protectionism would be a sure fire way of turning recession into depression.”

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/151337/PM-gordon-brown-recession-foreign-workers-jobs.html