WORKERS RIGHTS FILM CATCHES MOOD OF COUNTRY?

Women machinists at Ford Dagenham voting to strike in 1968(Pic: Pat Mantle/TUC Library)

Sometimes film and music is said to reflect the mood of the country - the box office hit film ' Made in Dagenham' directed by Nigel Cole seems to fit in this category.

The film tells the gritty story of women machinists in 1968 employed by the Ford motor company taking industrial action to demand basic workers rights – in this case, equal pay with men doing similar jobs in the company.

The story not only brings out the sexism of the time but also exposes the cosy relationship between the Bosses and the Trade Union Leaders who are more concerned for their conditions (junketing, status etc) then that of the workers.

It also shows the pernicious nature of the relationship between multinationals and government.

The personal development and confidence of the ordinary women workers is the dynamic that keeps the Bosses and Trade Union leaders on their toes.

The film sends an optimistic message to workers that by standing up for your rights – even in the most difficult circumstances that you can win struggles and also have a wider positive social impact on society.

If the film attendances in 2010 are reflecting a growing mood of interest in workers struggle in the country then Clegg and Cameron face a turbulent time ahead.

The film is currently showing at Rugby Cineworld.

SAVE JOBS SAVE SERVICES LOBBY MARK PAWSEY MP FRIDAY 22ND OCT AT 3.30pm

RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS

SAVE JOBS

SAVE SERVICES

LOBBY MARK PAWSEY MP

Mark Pawsey Tory MP for Rugby

to be called to account for cuts plan

FRIDAY 22ND OCT AT 3.00PM

CONSERVATIVE PARTY OFFICES

ALBERT STREET RUGBY

* Please contact us if you intend to come to the meeting

FROM RUGBY AGAINST THE CUTS - http://rugbyagainstthecuts.blogspot.com/

NEVER TRUST A LIB DEM AGAIN? LIB DEMS VOTE AGAINST PR!

Simon Hughes Lib Dem Deputy Leader (Pictured left selling out on PR) led the Lib Dems this week in rejecting a cross party (only Lib Dems MP's did not vote for it) amendment in parliament to allow people to

have an option to vote for PR at the forthcoming referendum in May 2010.

Fair Votes and specially PR (Proportional Representation) has been a corner stone of Lib Dem policy since the 1970's and they have always pledged to allow the people of the UK to at least considered this in a referendum.

Now the Lib Dems are in Government this core principle has now been dropped!

Many people were first attracted to the Lib Dems because of the unfair voting system - for example the Thatched Government was a minority Government in terms of votes (about 40%) but was able to wreak chaos and damage to the country.

Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP proposed the PR amendment along with Austin Mitchel (Lab) and Douglas Carswell (Con).

More information here from fellow Green Party member Stuart Jeffery - http://stuartjeffery.blogspot.com/

NEVER TRUST A LIB DEM AGAIN?

(Incriminating picture from http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/10/tuition-fees-nus-pledge-lib-dems-caving-in-to-cameron/)

*Picture top left- Clegg's right hand man in Rugby - Councillor Jerry Roodhouse

Remember just before the last General Election, that nice, young and bright Nick Clegg and his band of fair minded Lib Dems, who with your support could break the mould of British politics with their ethical, honest and socially aware approach to problems in our society.

Unfortunately it appears that this was all well a good until they were offered 23 pieces of silver (cabinet posts) to turn their heads.

Take for example the issue of Student fees -

From the Guardian - 9th Feb 2010

Lib Dems promise to scrap tuition fees

Money to meet promise would be raised by the abolition of Child Tax Fund and fewer tax credits for some

University tuition fees would be scrapped under the Liberal Democrats, the party promised today.

Nick Clegg, the party's leader, pledged to divert almost £7bn from other areas to enable the state to again fund degree courses for full and part-time students.

Only a student's first degree would be paid for, but the Lib Dems say this would still save a graduate more than £9,000 over the course of their lives.

Fees and grants for advanced apprenticeships and NVQ level 3 courses would also be scrapped.

To meet the promise, families with incomes above £27,000 would have their tax credits cut and the Child Trust Fund – a government-backed savings account for children – would be abolished.

Quangos that strive to improve the population's skills, such as the Learning and Skills Council and Train to Gain, would be closed down or have their budgets cut.

The rest of the funds would come from cutting 90% of the government's road and motorway building plans and saving on government advertising and IT projects.

The Liberal Democrats said the £6.6bn would stretch to funding free childcare for children between 18 months and five years old.

It would also pay for extra cash for schools in disadvantaged areas and class sizes of only 15 in primary schools.

Clegg said the promises showed how his party would "promote social mobility through the education system, the childcare system and through colleges and universities".

He said: "We can take the tough choices on Gordon Brown's wasteful public spending to redirect it to the kind of things people really need at a time of recession.

"We know that young people will be hit hardest by the recession

The list of sell outs is mounting - how long before the hard hand of electoral failure at the ballot box gives our 'good friends' a reality check?

Answers on a post card to Jerry Roodhouse - Rugby Lib Dem Leader and former Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Rugby c/o jerry.roodhouse@rugby.gov.uk

SO HOW BAD IS THE UK DEBT PROBLEM COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD? - CON DEM MISINFORMATION EXPOSED!

NATIONAL DEBT – THE FACTS

The national debt of countries represents how much money the government of that country owes. Like a household budget, national debt gets larger when a government spends more than it takes in. This can continue for years, or even decades. This budget deficit is the total amount of this debt that has grown over time, with interest charged adding significantly to the amount owed by the government.

The amount owed varies greatly with the amount of money a country generates, its population and how much its government spends. In Germany, the national debt is $1.79 trillion. This represents 62.6 percent of Germany’s gross domestic product, or GDP. In The U.K. the national debt is $42.2 trillion. This is 47.2 percent of the GDP of the U.K.

In Russia, the national debt is $151.3 billion. This is 6.8 percent of the Russian GDP. Italy owes a national debt of $1.89 trillion, or 103.7 percent of the Italian GDP. The national debt of France is $1.40 trillion. This is 67 percent of France’s GDP.

One of the highest levels of national debt relative to the country’s GDP can be found in Japan. The Japanese national debt is $7.47 trillion. This is 170.4 percent of the Japanese GDP. India has a national debt of $2.55 trillion. This debt is 78 percent of the GDP of India. Zimbabwe has a national debt of $472.51 billion. This level of national debt is 241.2 percent of Zimbabwe’s GDP.

In the Americas, The United States has a national debt of 8.68 trillion. In the U.S., this is 60.8 percent of the American GDP. The Canadian national debt is $814.26 billion. In Canada, the national debt is 62.3 percent of the GDP. In South America, Argentina has a national debt of $293.56 billion. The Argentinean national debt is 51 percent of the GDP of Argentina.

The gross domestic product of a country is the market value of all of the products and services that a country produces in one year. This includes spending that is done by the citizens of the country and by the government of that country. It includes the value of items produced within the county and exported elsewhere, but it does not include the value of any imported items. The GDP is the primary way to calculate the size and status of the economy of a country as a whole. It is calculated quarterly as well as yearly.

Taken from http://www.visualeconomics.com/gdp-vs-national-debt-by-country/

RUGBY ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGNERS TO JOIN PROTEST IN COVENTRY ON WEDNESDAY 20TH OCT!

Wednesday October 20th is the day that the ConDem government will announce their Comprehensive Spending Review. Although we will have to wait for the more detailed plan of how the cuts will be managed we are expecting to get a real idea about the scale of the cuts that will impact on our communities and services.

Rugby Against The Cuts agreed at our last meeting to encourage people from Rugby to attend the mass demonstration in Coventry to show solidarity across Rugby and Warwickshire from workers and local communities against the CON DEM cuts.

We want to organise the biggest protest we can outside the Coventry City Council House at 5.30pm.

Please pass this on to friends and family, workmates and neighbours. Bring placards, banners and anything else to tell this government that we do not accept these cuts . Make sure you are there. If you in a trade union makes sure this a priority for members.

JESSE JACKSON AND CAROLINE LUCAS TO SPEAK AT ANTI CUTS PROTEST IN LONDON ON THE 20th OCTOBER.

Protest at Downing Street on 20 October US Civil Rights activists Jessie Jackson is the latest speaker to confirm for the protest Stop the Con-Dem cuts! Build the Resistance! Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay! Speakers include Tony Benn, Caroline Lucas MP, Jessie Jackson, Jeremy Dear (NUJ) Dot Gibson(National Pensioners Convention) Lee Jasper (BARAC) Zita Holbourne (BARAC) John McDonnell MP Mark Serwotka (PCS) Jeremy Corbyn MP Bob Crow (RMT) Aaron Porter (NUS) Marches are converging at Downing Street on 20 October Student March to Downing street: Assemble 4pm outside ULU, Malet Street Camden Trades Council March to Downing Street: Assemble 5.00pm at Lincoln’s Inn Fields Marches will join the Coalition of Resistance Rally at Downing Street: Assemble 6pm The momentum for the demonstration on 20 October is growing. Camden Trades Council’s march is now supported by 15 trade union bodies plus the local Labour Party and several anti-cuts and anti-privatisation campaigns (full list below). At the same time, the University of London Students Union is calling on all students to march (assembling 4.00pm outside ULU, Malet Street). The students will march to join the trade union demonstration. The joint march will then head for a rally in Whitehall outside Downing Street. The Coalition of Resistance is calling on all supporters to build the demonstration and rally, and to join the march if possible (4.00pm in Malet Street, or 5.00pm at Lincoln’s Inn Fields) or the final rally (beginning 6.00pm outside Downing Street). When Osborne announces the cuts on 20 October, we need to challenge head-on the Con-Dem lie that ‘there is no alternative’ and that ‘we are all in it together’. We need to break through the media consensus that working people and the poor have to pay for a crisis caused by the bankers, big business, and the rich. That means making the protest on the 20 October big, loud, and vibrant. We can build protest over the next month by: Holding street stalls where we hand out leaflets, collect signatures on the Statement of Resistance, and sign people up to the 27 November CoR National Conference. Organising CoR public meetings with national and local speakers (contact us if you need speakers or help setting up a meeting). Leafleting tube stations, workplaces, meetings, door-to-door. Download the leaflet If you have a group of local activists committed to building and joining the demonstration, issue a statement to the local press explaining why you will be joining the protest (model press statement below). Model Resolution This [trade union branch, student union, campaign group, or whatever] resolves: To campaign in active opposition to the Con-Dem Government’s programme of cuts. To sign the Statement of Resistance headed by Tony Benn and Caroline Lucas and now supported by thousands of others. To affiliate to the Coalition of Resistance and to send a delegation to the inaugural national conference in London on 27 November. To support the Coalition of Resistance’s call for a mass protest in Downing Street on 20 October, when Con-Dem Chancellor George Osborne announces the cuts. Model Press Statement On the day Con-Dem Chancellor George Osborne announces the results of a ‘spending review’ designed to cut £83 billion from public services, the Coalition of Resistance is calling a mass protest in Downing Street. The Con-Dem government of millionaires, supported by the media, says ‘there is no alternative’ to massive cutbacks at the expense of working people to pay the debts of a bankrupt system. They tell us ‘we are all in it together’ as they plan cuts in jobs, pay, pensions, benefits, and public services that will hit the poor ten times harder than the rich. If they want cuts, let them cut bank profits and bonuses. If they want to pay off debt, let them tax the rich and big business. If they say we can’t afford the NHS, let them axe Trident and withdraw from Afghanistan. The cuts they plan will plunge us into a slump. Cuts in the public sector destroy jobs in the private sector. Cuts on the scale of the 1930s will produce unemployment on the scale of the 1930s. What we need is massive investment to create jobs, regenerate the economy, and provide the goods and services people need. In particular, we need massive investment in renewable energy and public transport to begin the transition to a green economy. If the bankers object, we should take over the banks and put them under democratic control. We [members of, residents of etc] will be joining the march called by Camden Trades Council (assembling 5.00pm at Lincoln’s Inn Fields) and the rally called by the Coalition of Resistance (beginning 6.00pm outside Downing Street). Current list of individuals and organisations supporting the protest: Tony Benn, Caroline Lucas MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Dear (NUJ), Matt Wrack (FBU), Mark Serwotka (PCS), Bob Crow (RMT), Dot Gibson (National Pensioners Convention), Lee Jasper (BARAC), Zita Holbourne (BARAC), Paul Mackney (former General Secretary, NATFHE and UCU), Aaron Porter (NUS), Kanja Sesay (NUS Black Students Officer), Clare Solomon (ULU) Camden Trades Council, Camden UNISON, Camden NUT, East London Teachers Association (NUT), Hammersmith & Fulham NUT, Islington NUT, Lambeth NUT, UCU London Region, CWU Mount Pleasant (International), RMT Euston No.1 and Camden No.3 branches, Brent Trades Council,Hackney Trades Council, Haringey Trades Union Council, Islington Trades Union Council,Greater London Association of Trades Union Councils, Holborn & St Pancras Constituency Labour Party, Coalition of Resistance, Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC), Right to Work Campaign, Keep Our NHS Public, Islington Hands Off Our Public Services, Green Left,Socialist Resistance, Counterfire

Our mailing address is: Coalition of Resistance Coalition of Resistance, c/o Housman’s Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road London, London N1 9DX