Jayaben Desai

Wednesday, 29 December 2010


Jayaben Desai, whose refusal to obey a management instruction to stay on and work overtime after another worker had been sacked for not fulfilling his quota, started the famous Grunwick strike, died just before Christmas. She was 77.


I have written elsewhere on this blog LINK how this strike in Dollis Hill, in the heart of Brent, was a significant milestone in the history of trade union struggle in the UK - and one that should feature when local schools devise their programmes for Black History Month.


As someone who attended the pickets I well remember her inspiring presence in front of the Grunwick gates. This was a fight against exploitation based on race, class and gender and challenged the trade union movement's neglect of immigrant and women workers.


Here is Jayaben's own account of the working conditions at Grunwick:
"On two sides there are glass cabins for the management so that they can watch you as well. He is English. He moves around and keeps an eye. You have to put up your hand and ask even to go to the toilet. If someone is sick, say a woman has a period or something, they wouldn’t allow her home without a doctor’s certificate, and if someone’s child was sick and they had to take it to the clinic or hospital they would say “Why are you going, ask someone else from your family to go”…


Even pregnant women who wanted to go to the clinic were told “you must arrange to go at the weekend.” On the rare occasions when a woman did go during working hours she would be warned that that was the last time. Everyone would be paid a different wage so no one knew what anyone else was getting. And to force people to work they would make them fill in a job sheet saying how many films they had booked in. If someone did a large number they would bring the job sheet around and show the others and say “She has done so many, you also must.”


And here is a quote about George Ward, the boss, that sums up her strength:


He would come to the picket line and try to mock us and insult us. One day he said “Mrs Desai, you can’t win in a sari, I want to see you in a mini.” I said “Mrs Gandhi, she wears a sari and she is ruling a vast country.”… On my second encounter with Ward he said “Mrs Desai, I’ll tell the whole Patel community that you are a loose woman.” I said “I am here with this placard! Look! I am showing all England that you are a bad man. You are going to tell only the Patel community but I am going to tell all of England.”


Quotes from Amrit Wilson, Finding A Voice: Asian Women in Britain


Jayaben's funeral will be at Golders Green Crematorium at 11am on December 31st. Her husband would like people to attend if they are able.




Posted by Martin Francis http://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2010/12/death-of-valiant-fighter-for-justice.html at 3:27 PM

'Artists of the Resistance'

10/12/2010


Dear Guardian letters


Len McCluskey calls for a "broad strike movement" to stop the coalition's "explicitly ideological" programme of cuts. ('Unions Warn of Massive Wave of Strikes', Guardian 19 December 2010) This will happen. Government cuts are decimating education, welfare, health, sports and the arts. We are told t; that they are as inevitable as the rain; that the only choice we have is between music classes for our kids or care for our elderly.


We need both and do not accept that jobs, services and the quality of life have to be jettisoned for the greed of those who are asked to sacrifice nothing. Cutbacks in the arts mean that access will be limited to those who have the money to pay while many who work in the arts will lose their jobs.


The closing of public libraries is the most obvious example. They are where literature, art and culture are available to everyone without charge. Some authorities are already selling them off, others are offering them to the 'consumer' on the principle of 'if you want them buy them'.


Massive increases in education fees and the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance are part of the same philosophy. Everything that is not immediately of use to the corporate agenda is to be placed on a 'pay as you go' principle. Meanwhile funding for theatre, film, music, dance and other arts projects is to return to the Victorian notion of finding patrons, drawn from the people and corporations who have their own agendas of how to define the arts.


In the face of those who choose to exercise their power to destroy, we need to create. We urge all those who work in the arts to join us at 'Artists of the Resistance' in opposing the cuts.


Iain Banks, writer
Andy de la Tour, actor
AL Kennedy, writer
Roger Lloyd Pack, actor
Miriam Margolyes, actor
Susie Meszaros, musician
Michael Rosen, author and poet
Martin Rowson, cartoonist
Janet Suzman, actor
Timberlake Wertenbaker, playwright
Shaun Askew, animator
Shabina Aslam, theatre director
Anne Aylor, writer & ballet teacher
Jordan Baseman, video artist
Elizabeth Beech, artistic director,The Phoenix Project
Maria Birmingham, animator
Cecily Bomberg, writer
Sean Bonney, poet
Phil Branston
Stephen Carley, AV artist
Florence Curtis
Karl Benjamin Frankson, artist
Jill Gibbon, artist
Marilyn Halpin
Joseph Healy, disability worker
Simone Hodgson
Camilla Howalt, artist
Angela Jane Kennedy, artist
Fin Kennedy, playwright
Ol'ga Kretz, film-maker
Lucy Lepchani, writer & poet
Fiona MacDonald, opera singer
Mel McCree
Carol Mottershead, dancer
Jane Park
Romayne Phoenix, visual artist
Konstantina Ritsou-Zavolia, author & director
Dee Shaw
Patricia Shrigley, video artist
Patrick Simons, artist
Patrick Snape
Ron Stagg, Museum Association
Rebecca Thorn, musician
Geoff Tibbs
Charlotte Turton, artist
Elizia Volkmann, writer and artist
Michael Walling, artistic director, Border Crossings
Joanne Walker, CoR Tyne & Wear
Debra Watson
David Wilson, publisher
Tom Wood
Jan Woolf, writer


Artists of the Resistance
c/o Coalition of Resistance
Housmans Bookshop
5 Caledonian Road
City of London N1 9DX


T: 07951 579 064
http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/

Statement of support for Peter Allen; Green Party candidate in Oldham and Saddleworth

21 Dec 10


Statement of support for Peter Allen; Green Party candidate in Oldham and Saddleworth
By jamesbcy Leave a Comment


Green Left supports the candidacy of Peter Allen in the Oldham and Saddleworth by election and calls on all those on the Left to support a united campaign against the neo Liberal parties (Labour, Tories and Lib Dems) and against the appalling spectre of Fascism and racism represented by Nick Griffin and the BNP.


Peter is standing on a clear programme of resistance to the cuts being implemented by the ConDem government and opposition to the war in Afghanistan, which continues to drain both human lives and essential funds necessary for health and education. The Labour Party offers no real alternative and as Len Mc Cluskey of UNITE said this week simply calls for less cuts and more slowly introduced and also refuses to reject the policy of introducing Trident and the obscene amounts spent on military hardware. Only the Green Party offers a radical alternative to the policies of cuts and war presented by the other parties and the hatred and intolerance represented by Griffin and the BNP. Peter has worked with other progressive groups and trade union activists in the North West in the Convention of the Left to campaign for workers rights and the most vulnerable in society currently being threatened by the policies of this government.


We call upon all progressive voters in Oldham and Saddleworth to vote for Peter Allen in this election.

Oldham east and Saddleworth Parliamentary by-election campaign - help needed

Subject: Oldham east and Saddleworth Parliamentary by-election campaign - help needed -please circulate


As you may know the polling date for this high profile Parliamentary by-election is Thursday January 13th which leaves the Green Party with very little time to campaign, so we desperately need all the help that we can get.


Green Party Candidate Peter Allen and team will be leafleting on the following dates:


Tuesday 21/12/10, Thursday 23/12/10, Tuesday 28/12/10, Thursday 30/12/10


We will be Meeting each day at 10.00 am outside Glodwick Health Centre, 137 Glodwick Road, Oldham, OL4 1YN, we will be leafleting until 14.00 pm.


For further details, directions or if you are available to leaflet on other dates please contact:


Ian Barker Tel 0161 637 7543 Mobile 07540652752
Nigel Rolland Tel 0161 339 3979 Mobile 07709056079


Further dates are planned from 03/01/11 in Saddleworth, details to be agreed.


For any Green Party members who are able to come and help from other regions, there will be overnight accommodation available by arrangement if required

Ratcliffe coal power station protest: trial update

On 17 Dec 2010, at 17:24, Ken Montague wrote:Anyone object to my sending a message of support from BCaCC? Let me know asap if you do. You might also circulate this to your own groups - Ken


Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:50:07 +0000
 From: jjjstevenson@fastmail.fm
To: climateallianceuk@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Climate Alliance: 118] Ratcliffe Trial verdict


Hi all - the 20 people who were on trial for trying to shut down Ratcliffe coal power station were found guilty on Wednesday.


Their sentencing was due today, but it's been moved to January. The date hasn't been set yet but there are plans for a solidarity demo outside the court once it's fixed if anyone's interested. It's in Nottingham Crown Court.


I'm sure they'd appreciate further messages of support right now. You can contact them on info@ratcliffeontrial.org.. The blog from the trial is also really interesting for those thinking about communicating climate change and arguing for different forms of action: see info@ratcliffeontrial.org.


You can also follow what happens at their sentencing on facebook and twitter: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ratcliffe-On-Trial/109572312438910 & http://twitter.com/ratcliffetrial


There'll be a separate trial of 6 people who hadn't decided whether to participate in the action at the time of arrest in the new year.


Jonathan


PS. The silver lining is that in the course of fighting the case they got a high court judge to rule that a climate change 'necessity defence' should be heard in court. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2010/dec/16/ratcliffe-trial.

St Andrews occupation freezes under repression!

St Andrews students are suffering from severe repression as officials and the police lay siege to their occuptation of the university.


In a pathetic and inhuman act the heating was turned off leaving the students inside
facing obscene conditions in order to continue their protest as outside temperatures dropped below -5C last night. Police have also stopped freedom of movement meaning that the students have been denied access to


food and other amenities. The students inside are said to be dealing with the repression and keeping their spirits up. The university is now coming under mounting pressure from people acting in solidarity by sending messages to the principal's office complaining about this repression.


Turn up the heat on the University principles office by emailing them to complain about its awful treatment of students.


po-all@st-andrews.ac.uk




Currently there is a media black out on coverage of the student protests by corporate media in order to starve the movement of publicity. Now it seems universitys have taken to trying to starve and freeze students as well. Please get the word out and take whatever action you can.


We will not tolerate £9,000 tuition fees!
We will not tolerate repression and inhuman treatment!
We will not tolerate being condemed to an age of austerity!




St Andrews occupation can be contacted on 07824566976


Comments and updates can go on indymedia.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/12/470022.html

GPTU applauds the nationwide wave of student protests

GPTU statement issued by P.Murry (GPTU Secretary) drafted by Spin Pitman


The GPTU applauds the nationwide wave of student protests in response to the government assault on education funding. As of Monday 6th December 21 universities were under occupation alongside regular organised marches in many towns.


Higher education is currently faced with total budget cuts of 45% with up to 80% being taken out of block teaching grants. This is accompanied by increased marketisation of the HE system due to the move towards differential fees between universities and courses, leading to institutional competition based on cost, rather than academic excellence.


Fees are also set to rise by up to three times the current level to £9000. Many students who would have been applying to university in 2012, when the reforms are due to come in, are already being put off and considering looking for employment instead.


The abolition of EMA will result in fewer students from disadvantaged backgrounds accessing further education, directly impacting the diversity of university applicants and resulting in more people seeking employment at age 16.


The house of commons is set to vote on the proposals this Thursday (9th December) with further mass demonstrations planned across the country.


The momentum shown by the student movement over the last month is commendable and acts as inspiration to the wider trades union movement. Coalitions are starting to form between the two groups with the actions taken also garnering wide public support. Maintaining this energy will be vital if the devastating impact of the cuts is going to be fully minimised.


Notes


The Edinburgh uni occupation has compiled a fully updated list of ongoing occupations here: http://edinunianticuts.wordpress.com/other-occupations/

LSE Occupied!

LSE Occupied!
Students go into Occupation after 400-attend Emergency Union General Meeting


2nd December 2010
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact


Charlotte Gerada, Ashok Kumar
General Secretary Education Officer
LSE Students' Union LSE Students' Union
Ph: 07971395413 Ph: 07799793618


Over 120 Students have gone into occupation of the LSE. This began at 2pm today and has been entirely peaceful. We understand that these students have occupied the Vera Anstey in the Old Building - purposefully not disrupting any students, teaching or learning within the School. Students are demanding that Howard Davies write a joint open letter with the LSE Students Union and the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU).


Ashok Kumar, LSE Students' Union Education Officer said, "We have been trying to get Howard Davies to write a more powerful statement for a while now. Less than a month ago we asked that he write a strongly worded letter at the Union General Meeting, but he refused claiming to have done 'all that was in his power'. We know this isn't the case, its now or never - and when our university is losing nearly 100% of its teaching grant, the fact that Howard has barely lifted a finger to protest is a unacceptable."


Hero Austin, LSE Students' Union Community and Welfare Officer "The occupations taking place around the country have been at a mass scale. These aren't a few activists demonstrating, but hundreds of students who have marched, demonstrated and recognised the power of direct action." The occupation comes less than a week after students at the LSE staged a sit-in at the constituent offices of Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes (Southwark and Bermondsey), protested outside of a Nick Clegg lecture at Kings Place, and demonstrating on the streets of London on November 24th.


Voting is now underway across the entire student body of LSE about whether the Students' Union should directly support occupations like this or not. You can vote at www.lsesu.com/vote. We would ask the School directly liaise with those students in occupation about their demands until the Students' Union position is decided by our members. The results of this will be known shortly after 5pm on Friday 3 December.


The LSE occupation comes after over 25 universities around the country went into occupation on the 24th of November demonstration. Students at the LSE have one demand; that the university director, Howard Davies, co-draft an open letter to the government with the Students' Union.

University of London Union and UCU London Region have called a demonstration on Thursday 9th December, the day Parliament debates the raising of the cap on tuition fees, to add support to the mass lobby of Parliament called by UCU and NUS.

Add your name to the statement by emailing sean.vernell@yahoo.co.uk…spread this out widely
Our students are fighting to defend education for all- join them.


University of London Union and UCU London Region have called a demonstration on Thursday 9th December, the day Parliament debates the raising of the cap on tuition fees, to add support to the mass lobby of Parliament called by UCU and NUS.


The student movement has inspired all those who wish to defend education for all. If the Coalition government get away with raising tuition fees and cutting EMA it will deny access to Further and Higher Education making it the preserve of the very wealthy.


By taking to the streets in their tens of thousands, students have broken the idea that cuts are inevitable. They have exposed the government as weak and demonstrated that they can be stopped from wrecking people lives.


As student placards have stated: “We did not cause this crisis - why should we pay for it?”
We are calling upon the trades union movement and community organisations across London to come and join the students fighting for all of our futures.


Please email sean.vernell@yahoo.co.uk to add your name

Coalition of Resistance Conference:London 27 November 2010: DEFENDING THE WELFARE STATE questions and discussion

workshop: DEFENDING THE WELFARE STATE questions and discussion (part 1)



workshop: DEFENDING THE WELFARE STATE questions and discussion (part 2)


NB Video clips of opening plenary on http://gptublog.blogspot.com/2010/12/coalition-of-resistance.html