Support the PCS strike!

The PCS (Public and Civil Servants Union) striking in defence of jobs, conditions and the public services, have announced further national strike action on Budget Day, Wednesday 24 March.

John McInally, vice president of the union spoke about the dispute at the closing session of a very successful Bristol Convention of the Left in Easton last Saturday. It was unanimously agreed to give all the help we can.

Bristol has a fantastic tradition of support groups (FBU, CWU, VESTAS).

To that end, next Monday 22 March 6pm, at the CWU (Communication Workers Union) Offices, 20 Church Road, Lawrence Hill BS5 9JA.

We will be setting up the Bristol PCS support group,. PCS representatives will update everyone, giving full details, and then it's up to us to get behind them. Please publicise and support. We will all benefit from their victory.

From Jerry Hicks

I'm the Green Candidate for Kingswood

I have been selected as the first ever Green Party General Election candidate for Kingswood.


I am delighted to have the opportunity to stand as Kingswood's first ever Green General Election candidate, its about time the people of Kingswood had a real, progressive alternative to the Neo-Liberal agenda of the three main parties. If elected I will only claim an average wage for the constituency, donating the rest to Green Party funds.

Thanks to all who have contributed towards the deposit. Watch this space!

Jerry and the Wobblies

Apart from trying to get to grips with my History MA course I have involved myself in support of the CWU Postal Workers Strike, until it was pulled/sold out (take your pick). Loads going on locally and Nationally, Local Respect member and Trade Unionist Jerry Hicks is running for Unite General Secretary; http://www.socialistunity.com/?p=4911

I was particularly impressed with the work put in by the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) in support of the posties and went to their meeting on Friday. Traditional trade unions are particularly hamstrung by their own bureaucratic structures as well as Anti Union laws brought in by Thatcher and hardly touched by New Labour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World

Documentary Screening: Inside the Revolution: A Journey into the Heart of Venezuela (Thursday 29th October/Bristol)

Inside the Revolution: A Journey into the Heart of Venezuela

(Director Pablo Navarrete, 65mins, Alborada Films, 2009)

February 2009 marked 10 years since Hugo Chavez took office, following a landslide election victory, and launched his revolution to bring radical change to Venezuela. While wildly popular with many in the country, Chavez's policies and his strongly-worded criticisms of the U.S. government have also made him powerful enemies, both at home and abroad, especially in the media.

Filmed in Caracas in November 2008, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Chavez's controversial presidency, this feature-length documentary takes a journey into the heart of Venezuela's revolution to listen to the voices of the people driving the process forward.

"This is a rare film about Venezuela, a country in extraordinary transition. Watch this film because it is honest and fair and respectful of those who want to be told the truth about an epic attempt, flaws and all, to claim back the humanity of ordinary people."
- JOHN PILGER (Journalist, author and documentary filmmaker)

::: Thursday 29th October, 7.30pm-9.30pm

Film starts 7.45pm.

Entry: Free but donations gratefully accepted

The screening will be introduced by Derek Wall (Former Principal Male Speaker for the Green Party of England and Wales), who will also take part in a Q&A with the director after the screening. The event will be chaired by Karen Bell (Bristol Solidarity with Venezuela).

VENUE DETAILS:
University of Bristol
Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
School of Modern Languages
17 Woodland Rd
Bristol BS8 1TE

Map:
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=BD7+1BN&countryCode=GB#map=51.46022,-2.60375|16|4&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:51.46022:-2.60375:16|BS8%201TE|BS8%201TE

Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151133118307

For further details on the documentary and to watch the trailer, please visit:
http://www.alborada.net/alboradafilms

Green Left Statement on Birmingham Hall Green

The Steering Committee of Green Left voted unanimously to support the following statement. We believe that in this week of the failed New Labour conference and following on from last Saturday's Convention of the Left in Brighton, it is a significant step in the direction of forging a new progressive and Left unity in British politics.

“Green Left calls upon our fellow Greens in Birmingham not not to stand a candidate in the constituency of Birmingham Hall Green in the coming general election in order to give a strong, progressive and environmentally aware candidate the chance of taking the seat. We believe that Salma Yaqoob of Respect is the candidate most likely to do this and her victory would be a victory for all those opposing the policies of privatisation, war, greed, racism and environmental destruction.

We believe that this is an opportunity for the progressive movement in Birmingham to unite behind one candidate and not to make the mistakes of the European election, where a divided Left opened the way to the election of racists and bigots. For the benefit of the people of Birmingham and of radical politics in this country we ask the Green Party in Birmingham to stand aside and not to oppose Salma Yaqoob. We are firmly of the belief that this will benefit both the Green and progressive movements in this country and send out a signal that we are serious in challenging the neo-liberal economic policies of the three main parties as well as Fascism and racism.”

Climate and Capital - seminar in London

Climate and Capital

Saturday 12 September

10.30 - 5.30, Friends Meeting House, Euston, London

A seminar organised by Socialist Resistance and Green Left

Sessions on:

• Global Fight for Climate Justice
• The economic crisis and the ecosocialist response
• Gender, ecology and ecosocialism
• Alternatives to the market
• Alternative production
• The impact in the global south
• Direct action prefiguring a sustainable society
• Sustainable cities
• The campaign for green jobs
• Building the fightback and organising for Copenhagen

Speakers: Ian Angus, Grace Livingstone, Raphie de Santos, Romayne Phoenix, Liam MacUaid, Helen Ward, Sean Thompson, Sheila Malone, Derek Wall, Terry Conway, Roy Wilkes and others...

Book now on-line for 1/3 off entry and £2 off new book by Ian Angus on "The Global Fight for Climate Justice" by clicking here.

Check out all the details on the seminar and get the leaflet here.

what are my politics? I don't really know to be honest.

Sometimes I put myself down as a bit "flaky" in my politics, as a rather nerdy teenager I flirted with the old Liberal Party, before becoming a convinced lefty and sometime member of first Militant (now Socialist Party) then the SWP. I left militant partly 'cos I found their meetings dull, and preferred the SWP line on Stalinism and frankly the SWP were more active at my university (Militant were too busy with politics in the "real" word, which I now see was perfectly reasonable)
The SWP's strident, often sectarian and over simplistic politics soon began to wear thin with me and I started reading round the subject. Studying Anarchist critics of Leninism like Emma Goldmann and Peter Arshinov and later theorists (especially Murry Bookchin) but, I never really was a true Anarchist and I find the libertarian left nature of the Greens, really suits me best right now. My short attention span means my political theory is broad, but slightly shallow.
Still, within the Green Party we have our fallings out and disagreements, unfortunately sometimes the rivalries become rather too personal, which is a shame. Despite disagreements, I want to be in a broad based party with people from different traditions, coming together to fight for a common cause.