Action-without-theory

Journalism from beyond the grave

2009-12-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

The recently retired editor of the National Union of Journalists' magazine has set up a blog.
Tim Gopsill was at the helm of the Journalist for 21 years.
His blog is named after Victor Noir, a French radical journalist who died in 1870.

Vote Richard Simcox for Journalist editor

2009-10-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

In the next few days NUJ members will receive a ballot paper to vote for a new editor of the Journalist - the union's magazine. This full-time job is elected by the whole membership.
Please give your first preference vote to Richard Simcox.
Here's his campaign website http://richsimcox.co.uk .
For the past three years Richard has enjoyed enormous success as the editor of an activists' magazine and website for the Public and Commercial Services union - one of the UK's biggest trade unions.
Earlier in his career Richard, who grew up in Dudley, was a union rep at a Newsquest-owned paper in south London.
He helped to organise a strong chapel which won big rises for the lowest paid through negotiation and the threat of industrial action.
Richard knows what it's like to worry about your student loans and your pension, to be a journalist in the multi-platform media age, and to fight over job cuts and low pay.
He offers a unique combination - experience as editor of a major union’s magazine and as a committed grassroots NUJ activist.
Richard has pulled together a coalition of scores of hard-working reps and officers, from all sections of the union, who trust him to produce the Journalist - online and in print - that we need to keep the union united and strong.
Richard has the skills, commitment and energy to inspire the next generation of activists, and Action Without Theory is proud to support his campaign.
Please vote Richard Simcox 1.
More about his plans for the Journalist.

Can the Left preach to the unconverted?

2009-08-05T02:13:00.000-07:00

Will the People's Charter have a stall at Rebellion?
If not why not?

Photogaphers take on anti-terror laws

2009-08-05T01:55:00.000-07:00

Photography is under attack. Across the UK people with cameras are targeted by police as potential terrorists.
'I'm a Photographer Not a Terrorist' is a campaign started by photgraphers who have been harrassed.
Join their launch party on Saturday August 8 from 6pm until late at The Foundry, 86 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3JL.
In association with Photo-Forum.
Hundreds demonstrate their freedom to photograph

Taking to the streets to stop ID cards

2009-08-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

The London Activist Network is organising anti-identity card stalls across the UK capital on Saturday August 8.
Meet at noon upstairs in the Dartmouth Castle pub, Glenthorne Road, Hammersmith.
Until 1.30pm volunteers will be briefed on the plan for the day - to set up simultaneous stalls outside several London tube stations.
There will be coaching on how to engage the public, the arguments to use, and regulations governing the setting up of stalls.
No2ID
Defy-ID

Dublin, Abu Dhabi, death and drapery

2009-08-04T02:54:00.001-07:00

Manchester City fans can breath a sigh of relief this morning that Thomas Cook are no longer their shirt sponsors.
The holiday company is implicated in a brutal police raid on protesting workers in Dublin.
The Irish Times reports: "Former staff of Thomas Cook who have been occupying the company's shop in Grafton Street were arrested by gardai this morning in a dawn raid.
"More than 15 officers from Pearse Street Garda station broke down the door of the premises and arrested all those inside at just after 5am."
Many City fans will still be walking around advertising the strike-breaking company as Cook only stopped sponsoring the world's richest club at the end of last season.
The new kit features the logo of Etihad Airways - the national carrier Abu Dhabi, the country ruled by City's owners.
Abu Dhabi is part of the United Arab Emirates - where Human Rights Watch says construction workers are dying because of lax laws.
Fans should remember the advice Oxford Blue once offered on the Blue View message board: "It's ok to buy your club's replica shirt - but under no circumstances should you wear it."

Can New Labour stop marching to the right?

2009-08-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

"Jobs, Education, Peace" is the theme of a demonstration to be held outside the conference of the UK's ruling Labour Party in Brighton on Sunday September 27.
There will be a lunchtime march and rally on the sea front.
The event has been backed by four unions - UCU, NUT, NUJ and PCS - the Stop the War Coalition and the Right to Work campaign.
NUJ activists are launching an organising committee to build for the event at the union's HQ in London on Tuesday August 4.

Manchester supports southern strikers

2009-08-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

A solidarity meeting is being held in Manchester to support workers from the Vestas wind turbine factory who have been fighting to save their jobs.
It's on Tuesday August 4 at 7.30pm at the Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, city centre.

The Clash for the twitter generation.

2009-08-02T05:03:00.000-07:00

The King Blues were inspirational in Middlesbrough last night.
You must see them.
Listen to some songs here: http://www.myspace.com/thekingblues

Arthur's crew still doing it in Brum

2009-03-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

The Socialist Labour Party is holding a public meeting on Saturday, March 28 at 3pm, St Andrew’s Church Hall, College Road, Handsworth, Birmingham B20 2HX.
The Economic Crisis: a Socialist Alternative
Speakers include Dave Roberts, vice president SLP; Ron Sinclair, UCATT regional organiser (in a personal capacity); and Birmingham SLP members. English and Punjabi. Chair former councillor John Tyrrell.
The debate will include
· the collapse of the banks
· loss of jobs
· repossessions
· European Union diktat on capital and labour
· threats to public services
· why do the poor foot the bill?
http://www.socialist-labour-party.org.uk/

What's all the fuss about the Damned United?

2009-03-21T05:56:00.001-07:00

Of course it's not accurate.
It's based on a NOVEL.
Which I wrote about here.
I can't wait to see the film.

Re-born Left debates workers' control

2009-01-31T12:55:00.000-08:00

After years of snoozing the NUJ Left is a flurry of activity.
Theorists may wish to expound on the role of a Left group in a union where the members of that Left group are effectively in charge.
When resources are spread thinly should we build the union, build the Left, or both?

London NUJ Left activists are organising a public meeting on Tuesday February 17 between 7pm and 9pm to discuss media ownership and control. It's at the London Welsh Centre, Grays Inn Road, between Kings Cross and Holborn.
Former BBC industrial and political correspondent Nicholas Jones has agreed to speak.
As jobs are axed and some local media bosses beg for state aid is it time to call for nationalisation under democratic workers control?
Or is social enterprise the answer?
The issue has been discussed on Roy Greenslade and Jon Slattery's influential media blogs.

Celebrity Big Brother made me laugh

2009-01-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

Did you see evictee Michelle Heaton going on about how Scottish socialist Tommy Sheridan was trying to be like fellow housemate Coolio by using words like "brother".
Sorry sister but Tommy's a trades unionist.
He's been calling people brother since before the rap was invented.

Anti-academy teacher suspended in Oldham

2009-01-19T04:48:00.001-08:00

Call for the reinstatement of Mac Andrassy

Leading Oldham National Union of Teachers member Mac Andrassy has been suspended from his job at Counthill School, Oldham and is under investigation for a charge of gross misconduct.

Mac is a well-respected school teacher, and has earned a reputation as a motivational teacher over 17 years in a school which has had many problems in the recent past.

It would be surprising enough in this context alone that Mac's professionalism is being called into question by the school management.

However Mac's motivational qualities have also been employed to good effect in the Oldham Campaign Against Academies (OCAA), both in his role as union representative at a school which is destined to close and re-emerge as an Academy school, and in the community response to the Academy plans put forward by Oldham Council.

OCAA has campaigned against the proposals to merge existing schools and create three new Academy schools. Oldham Council has falsely claimed that Academies are a price that must be paid to secure the best facilities for children in the Borough. Despite evidence to the contrary from around the country, and against the wishes clearly expressed in response to its own public consultation, Oldham Council has decided to press on with the Academy plans.

Oldham NUT believes Mac Andrassy is being victimised for his activity against the Academy proposals and needs to be vigorously defended. It is calling on all trade unionists to apply pressure to the authorities by writing letters to the Oldham Chronicle and Advertiser, and to the following officers who are in a position to reinstate Mac and call off what has all the hallmarks of a politically motivated action.

Send messages to :

HR contact person at Counthill School http://us.mc542.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=elaine.shaw@oldham.gov.uk

The Headteacher at Counthill School http://us.mc542.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=dlack@counthill.org.uk

Director of Education, Oldham Council, Janet Donaldson http://us.mc542.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=janet.donaldson@oldham.gov.uk

Executive Member for Children's Services, Kay Knox http://us.mc542.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=kay.knox@oldham.gov.uk

Don't forget to copy your messages and any responses to http://us.mc542.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=macandrassy@aol.com and http://us.mc542.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=secretary@oldham.nut.org.uk

Oldham Chronicle: http://us.mc542.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=editorial@oldham-chronicle.co.uk

Oldham Advertiser: http://us.mc542.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=oldhamadvertiser@gmwn.co.uk

Bury deserves better than this

2009-01-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

My first job was on the Bury Times.
I collected the union subs so I know we had 25 journalists - based in Bury and a distrit office in Radcliffe.
Now the paper's American owners Newsquest have cut things back so that there is just one reporter a week rota-ed to work in the Bury office.
Bury Council is to debate the cuts backs.
The National Union of Journalists has already condemned the move.
Bury has two MPs and its own council, spending hundreds of millions of pounds of public money.
In future how will politicians be held to account? And how will people be informed enough to participate in civil society?

Jewish campaigners oppose Gaza bloodshed

2008-12-31T03:31:00.000-08:00

Statement from the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network:

TAKE ACTION TO DECRY THE ATTACKS ON GAZA

27 December 2008
The world majority stands with the Palestinian people in this devastating time that Israeli Defense Secretary Ehud Barak calls "just the beginning." Israeli attacks on Gaza in the past 24 hours have killed over 200 people and injured hundreds more. We decry the multiple forms of collective punishment currently being inflicted that reflect Israel's 60-plus year history of ethnic cleansing: lack of access to electricity and potable water, blockades of food and medicine, and these brutal attacks.
We are outraged but not surprised by this escalation. Israel's unilaterally designed and implemented disengagement from Gaza has maintained control of the borders, air and water space, and completely isolated Gaza practically and politically. This has been accomplished with unconditional support from the United States and its allies and with the complicity of the broader international community and Gaza's neighbors. It has also set the stage for these horrendous events.
The media frames this violence as a conflict between warring peoples with equal power. This framing is possible because the media fails to recognize Israel as an apartheid State or as a colonial occupying force with one of the most technologically advanced militaries in the world.
The Gaza-based One Democratic State Group has called for "all civil society organizations and freedom loving people to act immediately in any possible way to put pressure on their governments to end diplomatic ties with Apartheid Israel and institute sanctions against it." IJAN stands in solidarity with the people of Gaza and supports this call.

WE ASK YOU TO JOIN US AND TAKE ACTION!
1. Join or organize emergency protests and direct actions in partnership with Palestine solidarity and social justice organizations in your area. Please send announcements of actions you are joining or organizing (with date, time and location) to ijan@ijsn.net so they can be announced on our web site. Also send reports of actions you participate in so this information can be shared with people around the world.
2. Donate money through the Middle East Children's Alliance to pay for desperately needed medical supplies and their delivery. The current conditions in Gaza medical facilities are dire. The Middle East Children's Alliance is working with health organizations in Gaza to procure the most-needed medicines and send them direct to Gaza with the help of the Free Gaza Movement.
3. Flood Israeli embassies and consulates with letters and calls decrying the attacks. Find contact info for Israeli embassies around the world.
4. Contact government officials and call on them to act by denouncing the attacks and demanding an immediate cease-fire.
5. Shift the framing of Israel's actions in the media by phoning into a talk show or writing a letter to the editor.
6. Sign the petition in support of UN General Assembly President Father Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann who has spoken out to condemn Israeli "Apartheid" and call for boycott, divestment and sanctions

Gaza protests in Manchester

2008-12-30T09:42:00.000-08:00

I don't agree with protesting at the BBC.
I heard an Israeli spokesman get a really hard time on Five Live drive on Monday.
And what have BBC workers in Manchester done to deserve this abuse. Nothing.
But for information I repost this:

Stop the massacre in Gaza!
End the siege now!www.manchesterstopwar.org
1 Join the daily candle light protest vigils 5pm - 6pm outside the BBC,Manchester.
'As long as they are bombing every day we will protest every day' NahellaAshraf
'I am from Gaza. It is important we show our opposition in Manchester', Anan'
What they are doing to the Palestinains in Gaza is a massacre, it isgenocide', Dr Aziz
'The BBC is the nearest thing we have to an Israeli embassy in Manchester!Israel planned the war, and they planned for a media offensive to try andjustify the killing. Ambassadors and diplomats are on the BBC every day tellinglies and spouting hypocracy, but Palestinians voices are silenced.' Mark Krantz
2. Demonstration in Manchester. Saturday 3rd January 2008Stop the war on Gaza! End the siege now!Assemble 12 Noon, Cavendish St. All Saints Park, Oxford Rd.March around Manchester followed by rally.
Called by 'Palestinians in Manchester and Their Friends' a coalition of groupsincluding: Greater Manchester Stop the War Coalition, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Palestinians in Manchester and others.
Check the website for updates, routes etcwww.manchesterstopwar.org
There is a national demonstration in London. Details at www.stopwar.org.uk
The coalition is not able to charter coaches to London for this protest march, there is one in Manchester to add to the world wide protests.

Press Freedom Round-up 2008

2008-12-30T03:30:00.000-08:00

See Reporters without borders
In 2008 :
60 journalists were killed
1 media assistant was killed
673 journalists were arrested
929 were physically attacked or threatened
353 media outlets were censored
29 journalists were kidnapped
Internet :
1 blogger was killed
59 bloggers were arrested
45 were physically attacked
1,740 websites were blocked, shut down or suspended

Action over African nation

2008-12-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the Congo Action Group is on Thursday January 8 2009 at 7.15pm in the Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester, M1, behind Manchester Central Library.

Gaza vigil in Brum

2008-12-29T05:55:00.000-08:00

WEST MIDLANDS PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN VIGIL RE GAZA
Monday 29 Dec 5pm
Outside Waterstones, High Street, Birmingham City Centre
(near the bull in the Bull Ring Centre)
pscwm@yahoo.co.uk

Civil servants force more talks

2008-11-07T06:25:00.000-08:00

The PCS national executive met this morning and agreed to suspend the planned industrial action over pay from Monday 10 November, which would have included a national one-day strike, overtime ban and possible targeted action into the new year.
The decision came after Gus O'Donnell, head of the civil service, wrote to PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka agreeing to extend the union's ballot mandate by 28 days to allow time for talks.
A copy of the letter is linked from the front page of the PCS website and there's more about the union's national pay campaign elsewhere on the site.

Manchester MP stands up for unions

2008-11-06T00:08:00.000-08:00

It seems that Manchester Withington Liberal Democrat MP John Leech rebelled against his own party's whip to vote for more rights for trade unions.
Susan has it here.

Fighting for more council housing

2008-11-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Defend Council Housing is organising a major national conference.
In London.
On a week day.
So they don't really want the likes of us attending.
If you are one of the payroll vote with time to spare on November 25 here's a report from the PCS union website.

Dig deep for Karen

2008-11-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

A legal defence fund for sacked mental health nurse Karen Reissmann is to be launched tomorrow (Tuesday).
The money will help Karen fight her employment tribunal which is listed to resume in January.
Karen was sacked for talking to the media by a Labour-government controlled health trust which has two Labour councillors on the board.
Labour Party members are amongst those organising the fund.
The launch is tomorrow at the Manchester office of the National Union of Journalists.

BBC apology over horse in pub joke

2008-10-31T05:35:00.000-07:00

Do you think the Brand/Ross calls were actually left on Andrew Sachs’s answer phone?
I don’t.
On Wednesday morning Absolute radio’s filthy shock jock Tim Shaw was on TV defending the dirty duo.
He said that he never really made crank calls. He just recorded the voicemail message and then put his own rantings on the tape afterwards.
Last night on Five Live radio comedy writer Steve Punt was going on about the fact that Andrew Sachs said he first heard the calls in his agent’s office.
That was after the Mail on Sunday had alerted them to the Brand show podcast.
If those calls were on the answerphone, said Punt, how come Sachs hadn’t already spoken to his agent about it?
The writer told host Richard Bacon that he was almost certain there was more to come out – but he didn’t want to say it on air.
Have the BBC got themselves into a muddle about what’s worse – leaving obscene messages on an old man’s answer phone, or conning the audience about leaving obscene messages on an old man’s answer phone?
Surely no-one expects light entertainment to all be entirely true.
Imagine the apologies.
“The BBC would like to point out that when, during Seaside Special in 1977, Frank Carson claimed a horse went into a pub and the barman said ‘Why the long face?’ - no such incident ever took place.
“Mr Carson has apologised to the equine community and the licensed trade. And every BBC Director General during and since the incident has been stripped of their pension rights.”