Some events featuring BRHG this month in Weston-super-Mare, Cardiff and Bristol :
The Captain Swing Riots
Date: Fri 10th Feb, 2017
Time: 2:15 pm
Venue: United Reform Church Hall, Boulevard, Waterloo St, Weston-super-Mare BS23 1LF
Price: Note: this is for University of the Third Age members, you will need to join at the event if you are not a member.
With: Roger Ball
The ‘Swing riots’ were a massive wave of protests, machine breaking, arson and extortion carried out by impoverished farm labourers and village artisans between the summers of 1830-31. More details here.
The 1831 Bristol rising - solidarity in South Wales
Date: Sat 18th Feb, 2017
Time: 1.00-2.00 pm
Venue: Room 1, Cathays Community Centre, 36-38 Cathays Terrace, Cardiff CF24 4HX
Price: Free-Donation
With: BRHG
Note: This workshop is part of Cardiff Anarchist Bookfair.
After the defeat of the first reform bill in early October 1831 violent protests exploded in many British cities. The rising in Bristol was the most spectacular and suffered the harshest repression by the military. This talk considers this revolt and, using new research, solidarity actions in South Wales to aid the Bristol ‘rioters’.
Spies and Trouble Makers: Wales's response to the Russian revolution
Date: Thu 23rd Feb, 2017
Time: 7:30-9:30 pm
Venue: The Hydra Bookshop, 34 Old Market St, Bristol BS2 0EZ
Price: Donations
With: Aled Eirug
On the centenary of the February revolution in Russia, this talk considers the impact of these world changing events on the Welsh people. Aled Eirug is the former head of news and current affairs at BBC Wales and is writing a book on Welsh opposition to the First World War.
For more information on these events see: http://www.brh.org.uk/site/event-diary/
Showing posts with label Cardiff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cardiff. Show all posts
Monday, 6 February 2017
Friday, 19 February 2016
Cardiff Anarchist Bookfair 2016 etc.
Sat 20st, Feb -
Spycops and Blacklisting talks at Cardiff Anarchist Bookfair at
Wed 6th March - 'Whistleblowing as Complaining; Blacklisting as Bullying' at Birkbeck Uni, London - with 'Blacklist' film by Lucy Parker - hosted by Prof John Kelly
Spycops and Blacklisting talks at Cardiff Anarchist Bookfair at
Cathays Community Centre CF24 4HX Blacklisting talk will be at 5pm
Cardiff Anarchist Network / Rhwydwaith Anarchaidd
CaerdyddCardiff Anarchist Bookfair 2016 Ffair Lyfrau Anarchaidd Wed 6th March - 'Whistleblowing as Complaining; Blacklisting as Bullying' at Birkbeck Uni, London - with 'Blacklist' film by Lucy Parker - hosted by Prof John Kelly
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Crewe Conference of Trade Union Councils
Where Are The Workers?
THE Sunday Times in an editorial following the May 2015 elections declared:
'Trade unionism is a minority cause. The days of an economy dominated by large
manufacturing industries are long past. The
proportion of private sector employees who belong to a trade union is just
14%.'
Last weekend's Crewe Conference dramatically displayed the
gulf between private sector trade unionism, and
public sector unions like the PCS.
Some eight Motions were dedicated to the attacks on trade unions and
about half referred to the PCS union.
Other Motions expressed concern
about the representation of the working class following the defeat of the Labour
Party in the General Election.
A Motion 7. from Cardiff noted 'attacks by local government on union
branches' and the 'clear intention of
(Francis) Maude and the Tories is to destroy PCS financially by withdrawing the
check-off from government departments'.
From the building trade, a UCCAT delegate questioned this domination of
the public sector when things were so bad on the building sites, and the
anarcho-syndicalist trade unionist Dave Chapple from Bridgewater TUC,
challenged the call in Motion 17. from Merseyside TUC that the TUC should 'wave
affiliation fees from [the] PCS [union]'.
Similarly the reference to the 'blacklisting
and victimisation of union reps' in Motion 7. must strike people working
in the British industrial wild west of the building sites as strange, when they
have suffered for donkey's years from blacklisting on a massive scale. To a former blue collar worker like myself; the
delegate from UCATT; the thousands of workers in the British building trade;
and even a postman like Dave Chapple, the Secretary of Bridgewater TUC who said that
his delegates 'would be displeased if the PCS delegates had their affiliation
fees waved'; the plight of the PCS would seem somewhat feather-bedded.
In Spain, in the famous anarchist trade union, the CNT, there were times when the land-labourers of Andalucia had their union dues waved because of the hardship they suffered through the irregular work pattern in the field with unpredictable harvests: the anarcho-syndicalist industrial workers in the factories of Catalonia and Barcelona were more than willing to shoulder the costs of their Andalucian brothers and sisters.
In Spain, in the famous anarchist trade union, the CNT, there were times when the land-labourers of Andalucia had their union dues waved because of the hardship they suffered through the irregular work pattern in the field with unpredictable harvests: the anarcho-syndicalist industrial workers in the factories of Catalonia and Barcelona were more than willing to shoulder the costs of their Andalucian brothers and sisters.
But, comparing the English PCS union today to the Spanish
trade union confederation the CNT of the 1930s is like comparing a white-collar pygmy to an
industrial giant: it just doesn't bear comparison on any scale of
reference.
In 1966, I led a raid with group of Manchester anarchists on my local dole office in Rochdale to obtained a my labour exchange file. When we examined my file compiled by Labour Exchange staff (the kind of people who are now members of the PCS) we found that it contained a section marked 'Derog' in this derogatory dossier, as part of my labour exchange record since I was involved in the national apprentice strike in 1960, there was a stream of derogatory references entered by those law abiding employees at the Rochdale Labour Exchange who had interviewed me over the years after I'd been sacked after the apprentice strike up to 1966 when we purloined my dole documents.
In 1966, I led a raid with group of Manchester anarchists on my local dole office in Rochdale to obtained a my labour exchange file. When we examined my file compiled by Labour Exchange staff (the kind of people who are now members of the PCS) we found that it contained a section marked 'Derog' in this derogatory dossier, as part of my labour exchange record since I was involved in the national apprentice strike in 1960, there was a stream of derogatory references entered by those law abiding employees at the Rochdale Labour Exchange who had interviewed me over the years after I'd been sacked after the apprentice strike up to 1966 when we purloined my dole documents.
It's nice to know that the people in the Labour Exchanges of the 1960s, and would now be members of the PCS
union working in Job Centres, were routinely black-balling me back then and for all I know may still be blacklisting claimants now. Yet, these people in the PCS, who operated as
willing blacklisters of working people in the 1960s, are now asking me and my
Trade Union Council for support because the Government, to which they have been
for years the loyal servants of the
State is getting at them.
I have a heart, but isn't this kind of cant and humbug asking rather too much of me under the circumstances?
I have a heart, but isn't this kind of cant and humbug asking rather too much of me under the circumstances?
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Blacklist Update
1. High Court Claim
The first hearing in the first ever High Court claim for blacklisting as an "unlawful conspiracy" takes place on Friday. The claim is being brought by Guney, Clark & Ryan solicitors (GCR) who have been preparing this case since 2009 on behalf of nearly 100 blacklisted workers and is the legal challenge fully supported by the Blacklist Support Group.
Come along and support the campaign - wear your "BLACKLISTED" T-shirts for the press photos.
High Court Blacklisting Protest (press photo-opportunity)
9am Friday 29th November 2013
High Court
The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
If you are a blacklisted worker and wish to get more info about the GCR High Court claim contact: Liam Dunne ldunne@guneyclarkryan.com
2. Day of Action on Blacklisting - more pix & vids
I think everyone is over the moon about what happened last week. Often, these kind of events are a bit of a damp squib but November 20th saw genuine rank and file civil disobedience protests across the country, lobbies of parliaments in Westminster, Edinburgh and Cardiff. (An anti-blacklist protest also took place in central Manchester outside Manchester Town Hall called by the Greater Manchester Contracting Branch of Unite, and supported by many local blacklisted electricians, George Tapp, Tameside TUC and other members of Unite and Ucatt). There were also major announcements about blacklisting from Ed Milliband, Scottish government, the ICO, UCATT and UNITE.
You can support the blacklisting campaign by distributing these videos to your mailing lists and sharing on social media. This really makes a difference.
Videos:
http://reelnews.co.uk/national-blacklisting-day-of-action-sends-shockwaves-through-the-building-industry/ - great stuff from Reel News: London civil disobedience & House of Commons together. Reel News are massive supporters of BSG and we urge every union branch to take out an annual subscription to keep them going.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeuPmmqja-A&list=UUdtWZi4_T0dr6Tc-KhgV-qQ - Scottish lobby of parliament
Pix:
http://guy-smallman-photos.photoshelter.com/gallery/Blacklist-City-protest-20-11-13/G00002TpOOoLSyYk
3. Public Inquiry
Ed Milliband and Chuka Umunna both pledged an incoming Labour government to hold an inquiry into the blacklisting scandal (see Reel News video above).
Blacklist Support Group, Francess O'Grady and all 3 main unions involved say this is not enough - we demand a fully independent public inquiry to expose the full conspiracy (not some half-hearted thing done by BIS).
4. ICO letter to workers on the blacklist
Five years after seizing the blacklist, the ICO are now finally sending letters to 1200 individuals where they hold addresses and national insurance numbers, something activists and unions have argued for all along. The ICO letter has however been condemned by victims and unions alike as it directs these workers, who in many cases have no idea that there name appears on the Consulting Association database, to the blacklist compensation scheme set up by the very companies who blacklisted them in the first place. The BSG complaint describes this as 'like sending the victims of crime to the criminals to receive justice.'
The Information Commissioners Office has now suspended sending letters to individuals whose names appear on the Consulting Association database following a complaint by the Blacklist Support Group (BSG). The BSG complaint condemns the actions of the ICO and describes how "From being the champions of blacklisted workers, the ICO is now a barrier in our path to achieve justice". The ICO has now agreed to place details of the Blacklist Support Group on the ICO website and in any future correspondence with those whose names appear on the blacklist.
Liam Dunne (GCR) said
'We are dismayed that the Information Commissioners Office have sent “fact sheets” directing victims to the Construction Workers Compensation Scheme (TWCS), which is run by the very people who blacklisted them in the first place and at this point has not been approved of by any of the stakeholders involved.'
5. Blacklisting campaigners win awards: Congratulations to:
Will Hurst from Building magazine - winner of 2 awards in the IBP Press awards for his investigative journalism on the issue of Blacklisting - Will broke a number of the stories that later made the mainstream media especially relating to Crossrail.
Welsh Assembly - for their strong stand on blacklisting - banning blacklisting firms from public contracts.
Blacklist Support Group - (YES, THAT'S US) - we won the Robert Tressell Award for services to working people at the Construction Safety Campaign AGM. "The families and partners of blacklisted workers and activists" were also awarded a special Robert Tressell Award for their support. They truly are the wind beneath our wings.
_________________________________________
The current printed issue of NORTHERN VOICES No.14, is now available for sale at all our usual outlets in the North of England and beyond - see below. This issue N.V.14 has a Tameside Eye story about how Tameside has a history of involvement in blacklisting, it also contains an interview by Barry Woodling with George Tapp - the Salford electrician injured in May on an anti-blacklist picket. The Voices has been in the forthfront of the campaign against the blacklist since 2003 and the DAF dispute at Manchester Piccadilly, its editor, an electrician, was on the blacklist of the Economic League in the 1960s, and there was an attempt to blacklist him while he was working in Gibraltar in both 1964 and 1967, but at the time this intervention by the Foreign Office was resisted by the Gibraltarian authorities, and the Gibraltar Transport & General Workers Union.
Postal subscription: £5 for the next two issues (post included). Cheques made payable to 'Northern Voices' should be sent c/o 52, Todmorden Road, Burnley, Lancashire BB10 4AH.
Tel.: 0161 793 5122.
email: northernvoices@hotmail.com
_________________________________________
The current printed issue of NORTHERN VOICES No.14, is now available for sale at all our usual outlets in the North of England and beyond - see below. This issue N.V.14 has a Tameside Eye story about how Tameside has a history of involvement in blacklisting, it also contains an interview by Barry Woodling with George Tapp - the Salford electrician injured in May on an anti-blacklist picket. The Voices has been in the forthfront of the campaign against the blacklist since 2003 and the DAF dispute at Manchester Piccadilly, its editor, an electrician, was on the blacklist of the Economic League in the 1960s, and there was an attempt to blacklist him while he was working in Gibraltar in both 1964 and 1967, but at the time this intervention by the Foreign Office was resisted by the Gibraltarian authorities, and the Gibraltar Transport & General Workers Union.
Postal subscription: £5 for the next two issues (post included). Cheques made payable to 'Northern Voices' should be sent c/o 52, Todmorden Road, Burnley, Lancashire BB10 4AH.
Tel.: 0161 793 5122.
email: northernvoices@hotmail.com
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