RIHAI MANCH (Forum for the Release of Innocent Muslims imprisoned in the name of Terrorism) पटना धमाके में आईबी की भूमिका, क्योंकि आईबी ही चला रहा हैै आईएम -रिहाई मंच पटना धमाकों में आईबी एवं आरएसएस की भूमिका की हो जांच -रिहाई मंच भाजपा, सपा, कांग्रेस से अपना टेरर एजेंडा सेट करवा रही है आईबी […]
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Labour Herald – Issue No. 100
Africa / Asia / Caribbean / Central America /Europe / Middle East / South America Asia Strategy planning by Asian unions at TATA Steel [IndustriALL Global Union] 2013-11-01 Australia / South Australia Liberals pledge to review WorkCover board changes if elected in SA next March [ABC] 2013-11-01 42 more labour news stories from Australia today Austria Metalworkers reach 2.85 per cent … Continue reading
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Raided anti-war activists to be in federal court with motion to unseal secret documents
St. Paul, MN – Two Minneapolis anti-war and international solidarity activists will be in federal court, Nov. 1, to demand an end to the government secrecy surrounding their case. Jess Sundin and Mick Kelly are two of the 23 Midwest activists targeted by an investigation that included two years of spying by undercover agents, Sept. 2010 raids of homes and offices in Minneapolis and Chicago by the FBI, and a secret Chicago grand jury.
Their attorney will present arguments for a motion to unseal the affidavits used to obtain the search warrants for their homes more than three years ago.
Jess Sundin, a plaintiff in the case, said, “The government launched its vicious attack on anti-war and international solidarity activists with two years of surveillance by undercover agents, then carried out FBI raids on a dozen homes and offices and attempted to force our testimony to a grand jury in Chicago. Every step of the way, the government acted under a cloak of secrecy and has insisted on guarding those secrets to this day. On Friday, Nov. 1, we will have our day in court, as our attorney argues for our motion to unseal the affidavits that were used to obtain the search warrants for those FBI raids.”
Bruce Nestor, attorney for the plaintiffs, writes in a document filed with the court, “Over three years ago, based upon the submission of secret evidence, the United States government convinced Magistrate Judge Susan R. Nelson to seal the search supporting affidavits at issue in this matter. Over three years after the applications and affidavits were ordered sealed, there are no public signs that the government is continuing its investigations related to these warrants or of the individuals named in the warrants. Indeed, while turning the constitutional presumption of innocence on its head by stating that the Petitioners in this matter remain subject to prosecution and therefore under ‘suspicion.’”
Nestor continues, “The government’s position in this matter also raises the question, ‘What is the prosecution trying to hide?’ [This also] … prevents undersigned counsel from effectively challenging the government’s claims.”
The hearing will take place in courtroom 3C at the United States Courthouse in Saint Paul (316 N Robert Street) at 9:00 a.m.
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Oct 31: The dark side of Naveen Patnaik regime
http://gulail.com/the-dark-side-of-the-patnaik-regime/ The dark side of Naveen Patnaik regime Shazia Nigar Anyone who dares to dissent against the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha faces the risk of being branded a naxal or seditionist. The list of those jailed on trumped charges includes legions of protesting tribals, public-spirited lawyers and human rights activists. In a month long […]
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Oct 31: Indonesia hit with mass strike over wage hike demands
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/indonesia-hit-with-mass-strike-over-wage-hike-demands-113103100702_1.html Indonesia hit with mass strike over wage hike demands Tens of thousands of workers went on strike across Indonesia today, in the latest industrial action to hit Southeast Asia’s top economy as its citizens seek a greater share of the spoils from stellar growth. Unions are calling for hefty pay rises as the cost […]
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Delhi: Dharna to demand punishment of guilty of 1984, Nov 1
Join the dharna to demand Punishment of guilty of 1984, November 1, 2013, 11 am, Jantar Mantar Dear friends, November 1, 2013 marks the 29th anniversary of the genocide of Sikhs organized by the Congress Party in Delhi and other places in our country. For 29 long years, women and men of conscience have fought […]
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Jacksonville protesters rally at courthouse for Marissa Alexander re-trial hearing
Jacksonville, FL – Protesters from across Florida gathered in front of the Duval County Courthouse on October 31 for the first status hearing in the retrial of Marissa Alexander, the 33 year old African American mother who fired a warning shot to fend off her abusive husband.
The status hearing lasted just a few minutes as Judge James Daniel set November 8 as the date of Alexander’s bail hearing.
Although protesters tried to enter the courtroom to show support for Alexander, Jacksonville police locked them out. The group of protesters regrouped outside for a press conference, where they discussed future plans to win freedom for Alexander.
Alexander’s case drew national attention after the murder of Trayvon Martin and the not-guilty verdict in the trial of racist vigilante George Zimmerman, Martin’s killer. Prosecuted under Florida’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws, Alexander received a 20-year prison sentence for aggravated assault in 2012 despite only firing a shot in the air to defend herself from a domestic abuser. Zimmerman, on the other hand, received a not guilty verdict after murdering Martin, an African American youth. Protesters contrasted the cases to show the racist and sexist nature of the criminal injustice system.
The Zimmerman verdict brought new attention to Alexander’s case, launching nationwide protests demanding her release. The Southern Movement Assembly led a 126-mile walk from Jacksonville to Sanford in August demanding Alexander’s freedom and the resignation of State Attorney Angela Corey, who prosecuted her case. On September 26, 2013, a Florida appeals court ordered a new trial for Alexander.
Over 30 people attended the press conference afterwards, bringing together members of the Southern Movement Assembly, the New Jim Crow Movement, Sisterhood of Survivors from the Miami Workers Center, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Dream Defenders, the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition, the New Black Panther Party, and Florida New Majority.
Speakers focused on domestic violence, the racist criminal justice system, the school-to-prison pipeline, and Florida’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws, which disproportionately affect African Americans and other oppressed nationalities.
Shay Brown talked about domestic violence and pointed out that the state of Florida does not take the safety of women seriously. As a domestic violence survivor and victims’ advocate, she pointed out that women and abuse survivors everywhere have an interest in seeing Alexander freed.
Other speakers denounced the racist criminal injustice system for incarcerating Alexander in the first place.“They had the white robes of the KKK in the 60s,” said Minister Richard Burton of the Epiphany Baptist Church in Jacksonville. “And they have the black and blue robes inside the Duval County Courthouse today.”
Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard sent a staff member to read a letter expressing his support for Alexander and demanding her freedom. “I urge you to drop the charges on Marissa Alexander,” read Bullard’s letter, “and I urge you to drop the new trial.”
At the end of the press conference, chants broke out of “Free Marissa Now!” and “What do we want? Freedom for Marissa! When do we want it? Now!”
Protesters plan to rally at the courthouse for the November 8 bail hearing at 2:00pm and demand, “Free Marissa Now!”
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Jacksonville protesters rally at courthouse for Marissa Alexander re-trial hearing
Jacksonville, FL – Protesters from across Florida gathered in front of the Duval County Courthouse on October 31 for the first status hearing in the retrial of Marissa Alexander, the 33 year old African American mother who fired a warning shot to fend off her abusive husband.
The status hearing lasted just a few minutes as Judge James Daniel set November 8 as the date of Alexander’s bail hearing.
Although protesters tried to enter the courtroom to show support for Alexander, Jacksonville police locked them out. The group of protesters regrouped outside for a press conference, where they discussed future plans to win freedom for Alexander.
Alexander’s case drew national attention after the murder of Trayvon Martin and the not-guilty verdict in the trial of racist vigilante George Zimmerman, Martin’s killer. Prosecuted under Florida’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws, Alexander received a 20-year prison sentence for aggravated assault in 2012 despite only firing a shot in the air to defend herself from a domestic abuser. Zimmerman, on the other hand, received a not guilty verdict after murdering Martin, an African American youth. Protesters contrasted the cases to show the racist and sexist nature of the criminal injustice system.
The Zimmerman verdict brought new attention to Alexander’s case, launching nationwide protests demanding her release. The Southern Movement Assembly led a 126-mile walk from Jacksonville to Sanford in August demanding Alexander’s freedom and the resignation of State Attorney Angela Corey, who prosecuted her case. On September 26, 2013, a Florida appeals court ordered a new trial for Alexander.
Over 30 people attended the press conference afterwards, bringing together members of the Southern Movement Assembly, the New Jim Crow Movement, Sisterhood of Survivors from the Miami Workers Center, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Dream Defenders, the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition, the New Black Panther Party, and Florida New Majority.
Speakers focused on domestic violence, the racist criminal justice system, the school-to-prison pipeline, and Florida’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws, which disproportionately affect African Americans and other oppressed nationalities.
Shay Brown talked about domestic violence and pointed out that the state of Florida does not take the safety of women seriously. As a domestic violence survivor and victims’ advocate, she pointed out that women and abuse survivors everywhere have an interest in seeing Alexander freed.
Other speakers denounced the racist criminal injustice system for incarcerating Alexander in the first place.“They had the white robes of the KKK in the 60s,” said Minister Richard Burton of the Epiphany Baptist Church in Jacksonville. “And they have the black and blue robes inside the Duval County Courthouse today.”
Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard sent a staff member to read a letter expressing his support for Alexander and demanding her freedom. “I urge you to drop the charges on Marissa Alexander,” read Bullard’s letter, “and I urge you to drop the new trial.”
At the end of the press conference, chants broke out of “Free Marissa Now!” and “What do we want? Freedom for Marissa! When do we want it? Now!”
Protesters plan to rally at the courthouse for the November 8 bail hearing at 2:00pm and demand, “Free Marissa Now!”
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Workers’ unity, struggle puts brakes on firing of School Bus Union 5
Fight Back News Service is circulating this following article from Workers World. We urge our readers to go to the Team Solidarity website at tinyurl.com/d5tntcg and lend your support to this important struggle.
By Joseph Piette
Boston, Oct. 23 — In an impressive display of strength and unity in the face of a state attack against a militant union, hundreds of Boston bus drivers, bus monitors and community supporters came out tonight, in support of the School Bus Union 5: Andre Francois, Steven Gillis, Stevan Kirschbaum, Richard Lynch and Garry Murchison. Today’s events put the Veolia transnational corporation on the defensive, thwarting its hell-bent plan to break the union by attempting to unlawfully fire these long-time, respected members of Steelworkers Local 8751, the Boston School Bus Drivers Union.
The first hit against Veolia’s plans to terminate Gillis, Kirschbaum and the three other defendants was the legal brief presented to the corporation from the Steelworkers International legal defense team on Oct. 21. It reads in part: “As is explained herein, none of the named employees has engaged in any of the misconduct alleged against them inasmuch as the facts (as now known to the union) make clear that the events of October 8, 2013, amounted to an unlawful lockout by the Company and not a work stoppage by the employees and that, even if there were a work stoppage prior to the time when the Company locked the employees off the property, such work stoppage would have been a lawful unfair labor practice strike in any event. Moreover, pursuant to the facts expounded herein, the five named employees did not plan or orchestrate any of the concerted activity that occurred on October 8 and thus have no culpability beyond that.”
The 65-page document includes testimony, photos and other facts explaining that the company’s unfair labor practices were the real cause of the events on Oct. 8.
But the real power that made Veolia nervous today was the workers’ strength. The company knew workers and community members would be gathering outside the meeting at the company’s executive offices. That was why they announced early on that no one would be terminated today during the first disciplinary hearing against the Five. Another hearing is set for Oct. 28.
Strength of workers’ power
At the 3 p.m. start of the disciplinary meeting, the number of those gathered outside the building was understandably small because most workers were on their buses until 5:30. Union leaders demanded that all Five accused workers be present throughout the hearings.
When the company handed over three copies of the charges against Steve Gillis, union representatives demanded copies for every worker in the room, as past practices dictate. The company was forced to call a recess while that was done. The Five took the opportunity to walk out to the assembled crowd and hold the first of four or five rallies that took place over the next several hours.
Each time they walked out, Kirschbaum, chair of the union’s Grievance Committee, gave a report to a steadily growing crowd. Veolia management personnel drove in and out of the gates as the meeting progressed in order to report to their bosses the increasing size of the rally.
By 7:15 p.m., the gathering, which had grown to more than 350 workers and supporters, was a virtual occupation of Veolia’s corporate headquarters. As Kirschbaum walked out the door, some of the workers picked him up and carried him to a makeshift stage on the back of a truck. The rest of the Five joined him, as well as Boston City Councillor Charles Yancey.
Each member of the Five spoke during the last rally of the day. Kirschbaum reported that the disciplinary meeting would be continued on Oct. 28. Decisions have been delayed, but Veolia’s attempt to fire the five union leaders is still on the table. Kirschbaum pointed out that the rank-and-file members’ willingness to mobilize in support of the Five has put Veolia on the defensive.
Steve Gillis, USW local vice president, focused his remarks on the villainous role of the Veolia corporation as a worldwide imperialist pirate, more powerful than many governments. Through its four divisions Veolia does business in the trillions of dollars, has operations in 48 countries and employs more than 300,000 workers. It is trying to corner the world’s water supply; is an energy monster that even uses fracking, which is known to destroy the environment; and runs apartheid bus lines and Israeli-settler-only garbage dumps in the occupied West Bank.
But, Gillis pointed out, the real, much stronger power is the power of the workers fighting for their rights in unity as a powerful workers’ assembly.
Francois, Lynch and Murchison all thanked the assembled rank and file for demonstrating by their actions the time-honored motto: “An injury to one is an injury to all.” The three thanked the workers for showing by their solidarity that they would not allow a single union leader to be sacrificed to Veolia’s union busting. Then they told the workers they were living the 8751 motto: “Together we will win. Ansamb nou se yon fos. Todos unitos. De juntos somos forte!”
Councillor Yancey told the drivers and monitors: “You offered to do the afternoon run and pick up the children [on Oct. 8], but the mayor refused and locked the gates. The mayor sided with Veolia. You love the children of Boston. You deserve respect for the work you do. If you win, all of Boston wins. If you lose, workers all over lose.”
This reporter heard workers express a common belief: If the union leaders are terminated, their wages and benefits will go next. They must stop the company’s plans. Hands off the School Bus Union Five!
Piette is a retired letter carrier from Philadelphia.
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New York: “If you look across the world, riots always begin typically the same way: when people cannot afford to eat food,” Margarette Purvis, the president and CEO of the Food Bank for New York City
Food stamp recipients face a massive benefit cut set to kick in when stimulus funds expire Friday.
The nationwide cut “is equivalent to about 16 meals a month for a family of three,” according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis using the USDA’s “Thrifty Food Plan.” CBPP called the roughly $5 billion annual cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program “unprecedented