Mags O’Brien, from SIPTU gave a presentation on the Irish delegation that recently visited Palestine. Again she detailed stories of untold hardship being impressed on people. Mags showed pictures of deserted streets which are no go areas that contrasted greatly with the bustling activity on the streets of illegal settlements. She also spoke about the wall that Israel are building to shield itself off from the Gaza strip. This cuts through peoples gardens and rites of passage and is a massive structure being built against the wishes of the international community right around the Gaza Strip.
The BDS Campaign of Boycott, divestment and Sanctions was supported. Mags stated that Israel is an Apartheid State like South Africa once was and Sanctions and boycott have been called from Palestinian Unions in an effort to force Israel into a settlement. ICTU support this stance. There is a boycott of Israelis goods and of cultural activities. Artists, like Leonard Cohen, who have played Israel are being boycotted in a effort to stop them from going there. 150 artists from Ireland have signed up to a campaign pledging they will not travel to Israel to promote their music.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
International Trade Union Confederation
ITUC
International Trade Union Confederation held their 2nd World Congress in June this year. Owen Tudor who is head of European Union and International relations of the TUC UK attended and gave a rundown on how the ITUC works. 13 Resolutions were passed on major issues such as Climate Change, Globalisation, gender equality, Peace, Israel and migrant workers. World Day for decent Work is taking place on October 7 and ITUC is the driving force behind this
International Trade Union Confederation held their 2nd World Congress in June this year. Owen Tudor who is head of European Union and International relations of the TUC UK attended and gave a rundown on how the ITUC works. 13 Resolutions were passed on major issues such as Climate Change, Globalisation, gender equality, Peace, Israel and migrant workers. World Day for decent Work is taking place on October 7 and ITUC is the driving force behind this
Clean Clothes Campaign
The Race to the Bottom film was shown. This details the horrific conditions some workers in Bangladesh sweat shops face on a daily basis. How they need to work 16 hour days for no extra payment in inhumane conditions that no person should have to work.
CCC is an alliance of organisations in 13 European Countries. That number is set to increase on October 7 when Ireland joins the list. Its principle objective is to improve the working conditions and support the empowering of workers in the global garment and sportswear industries. CCC Ireland will be launched on October 7.
CCC is an alliance of organisations in 13 European Countries. That number is set to increase on October 7 when Ireland joins the list. Its principle objective is to improve the working conditions and support the empowering of workers in the global garment and sportswear industries. CCC Ireland will be launched on October 7.
Justice For Colombia
Colombia is still the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist. 49 trade unionists were murdered in 2009. 31 activists killed between Jan to June this year. Of the 2,700 union members murdered there have been just 4 convictions.
Jack O’Connor spoke about the horrific sights that befell him and his colleagues on a recent trip to Colombia. He heard horror stories of people not returning home, about mass graves for the disappeared and about people being imprisoned for the crime ‘Rebellion’. This is an all encompassing term that can mean jail time for anyone without trial and proof. Currently there are 5,200 political prisoners in Colombia, the majority being held under the charge ‘Rebellion’
All Irish MEPS have signed a declaration that they are opposed to signing up to the Proposed Free Trade agreement with Colombia until Human Rights violations are reduced drastically. Under intensive lobbying that will seems to be dwindling. Pressure needs to be put on these MEPS to ensure they stay on board. It may go to all national parliaments so we may need to lobby td’s. Representatives from very small unions in Colombia are going to Brussels making false claims to MEP’s and some of this seems to be working. Democrats in the US have refused to sign up to this Agreement so the Justice For Colombia Irish group have been working to try and ensure that Irish representatives do as their American counterparts are currently doing.
Jack O’Connor spoke about the horrific sights that befell him and his colleagues on a recent trip to Colombia. He heard horror stories of people not returning home, about mass graves for the disappeared and about people being imprisoned for the crime ‘Rebellion’. This is an all encompassing term that can mean jail time for anyone without trial and proof. Currently there are 5,200 political prisoners in Colombia, the majority being held under the charge ‘Rebellion’
All Irish MEPS have signed a declaration that they are opposed to signing up to the Proposed Free Trade agreement with Colombia until Human Rights violations are reduced drastically. Under intensive lobbying that will seems to be dwindling. Pressure needs to be put on these MEPS to ensure they stay on board. It may go to all national parliaments so we may need to lobby td’s. Representatives from very small unions in Colombia are going to Brussels making false claims to MEP’s and some of this seems to be working. Democrats in the US have refused to sign up to this Agreement so the Justice For Colombia Irish group have been working to try and ensure that Irish representatives do as their American counterparts are currently doing.
Global Solidarity is good fun
Over 50 trade union activists were in attendance from all over the island for the 2nd Global Solidarity Forum last weekend. This was a 2 day event held in the Capital in ASTI’s hq near Christchurch Cathedral. The event was wonderfully organised by Stellan Hermansson who is Global Solidarity Officer for ICTU.
There was a number of themes over the two days, all very enlightening and unfortunately feature stories that need to be shared with colleagues. Whilst we may feel this is an extremely hard time for ourselves in Ireland we mustn’t loose sight of the plight of our less fortunate brothers and sisters throughout the world. This conference helped put a focus on that.
I'm gonna break it down by topic so will post a few seperate blogs on the following
Justice For Colombia
Clean CLothes Campaign
ITUC
Trade Union Friends of Palestine
Stop Climate Chaos
There was a number of themes over the two days, all very enlightening and unfortunately feature stories that need to be shared with colleagues. Whilst we may feel this is an extremely hard time for ourselves in Ireland we mustn’t loose sight of the plight of our less fortunate brothers and sisters throughout the world. This conference helped put a focus on that.
I'm gonna break it down by topic so will post a few seperate blogs on the following
Justice For Colombia
Clean CLothes Campaign
ITUC
Trade Union Friends of Palestine
Stop Climate Chaos
Monday, August 16, 2010
"They've got Burton Suits, Ha they think it's funny Turning rebellion Into Money"
"They've got Burton Suits, Ha they think it's funny, Turning rebellion Into Money"
or so Joe Strummer spat out when singing WHite Man In Hammersmith Palais many moons ago. Now we have an annual festival deep rooted in Joes Memory as it celebrates all things Punk Rock. It has morphed from Holidays In the Sun into Wasted into rebellion and seems to have found a kindred spirit in Blackpool. The impressive Winter Gardens has been its home for the past 4 years, in between ballroom dancing, political conferences and Darts games. It is an impressive arena and when the punks take over it transforms into 6 venues with an overall capacity of nearly 5,000.
For four days over the first weekend in August Blackpool - that Tatty Seaside Town - becomes home to Punk Rock. Blackpool seems to represent a different era, a time where tea was 20 pence and holidays were about bingo and rock. For this weekend it was a different rock - the PUNK ROCK. I used to trade tapes with the promoter, Darren Russell. He use to tape gigs in the Mermaid in Birmingham and I still have quite a few tapes from over 20 years ago. Lots af bands from that time have now reformed and pass through the Winter Gardens, bands like Resistance 77, The Last resort, GBH, Discharge and One Way System. This isn't just about bands though - the Winter Gardens becomes something akin to a punk Rock mall where you can buy everything from Studded Belts to Harrington Jackets with t-shirts galore in between. You can purchase your anti system statements in whatever way you wish. No cash? visa gladly accepted. CD's and records galore from all types of genre's. Hard Skin who featured on Saturday's line up put it best when noting that some dodgy bands had their releases on sale. Bands with sympathies to fascism. For every one of those there were double the number of anti-fascists so rebelloin say free speech is in operation but it did strike me as strange that Skrewdriver merchandise was freely available.
I spent 2 days at the festival this year and loved nearly every minute. I got to see songs by bands such as Slaughter and The Dogs, Penetration, TV Smith doing an adverts set, Vice Squad, Subhumans, The Blaggers, Paranoid Vision, Bad Religion, 7 seconds and Peter Murphy from Bauhaus. If you have any interest in punk rock from the 70's and 80's these will be familiar to you. The almost acoustic stage is a great forum for us old punks, where you have the old and the new singing stripped down versions of some great songs. Highlight had to be the aforementioned 7 Seconds, even though the sound was awful. That mixed in with the magnificent Goldblade who had 1500 people singing along to each and every song really is a sight to behold.
The introductory Burton Suits line came to me when watching the Godfathers play to a sparsely attended audience (considering Bad religion and Subhumans were playing on different stages at the same time explains that). They introduced a new song which was a homage to the Ramones "You will love this it's a F**king brilliant number" they warned us. I prefer to make my own mind up on this kind of thing and felt completely removed from the band. My Punk Rock is one of community, one where the band and audience are the same and this is where I feel Rebellion lets us down. Bands hang around the huge back stage area dringking the free beer they get but very little mixing and socialising is done. Having said that I will be back next year, hoping that fanzine sellers will be everywhere and look forward to meeting the same faces again
or so Joe Strummer spat out when singing WHite Man In Hammersmith Palais many moons ago. Now we have an annual festival deep rooted in Joes Memory as it celebrates all things Punk Rock. It has morphed from Holidays In the Sun into Wasted into rebellion and seems to have found a kindred spirit in Blackpool. The impressive Winter Gardens has been its home for the past 4 years, in between ballroom dancing, political conferences and Darts games. It is an impressive arena and when the punks take over it transforms into 6 venues with an overall capacity of nearly 5,000.
For four days over the first weekend in August Blackpool - that Tatty Seaside Town - becomes home to Punk Rock. Blackpool seems to represent a different era, a time where tea was 20 pence and holidays were about bingo and rock. For this weekend it was a different rock - the PUNK ROCK. I used to trade tapes with the promoter, Darren Russell. He use to tape gigs in the Mermaid in Birmingham and I still have quite a few tapes from over 20 years ago. Lots af bands from that time have now reformed and pass through the Winter Gardens, bands like Resistance 77, The Last resort, GBH, Discharge and One Way System. This isn't just about bands though - the Winter Gardens becomes something akin to a punk Rock mall where you can buy everything from Studded Belts to Harrington Jackets with t-shirts galore in between. You can purchase your anti system statements in whatever way you wish. No cash? visa gladly accepted. CD's and records galore from all types of genre's. Hard Skin who featured on Saturday's line up put it best when noting that some dodgy bands had their releases on sale. Bands with sympathies to fascism. For every one of those there were double the number of anti-fascists so rebelloin say free speech is in operation but it did strike me as strange that Skrewdriver merchandise was freely available.
I spent 2 days at the festival this year and loved nearly every minute. I got to see songs by bands such as Slaughter and The Dogs, Penetration, TV Smith doing an adverts set, Vice Squad, Subhumans, The Blaggers, Paranoid Vision, Bad Religion, 7 seconds and Peter Murphy from Bauhaus. If you have any interest in punk rock from the 70's and 80's these will be familiar to you. The almost acoustic stage is a great forum for us old punks, where you have the old and the new singing stripped down versions of some great songs. Highlight had to be the aforementioned 7 Seconds, even though the sound was awful. That mixed in with the magnificent Goldblade who had 1500 people singing along to each and every song really is a sight to behold.
The introductory Burton Suits line came to me when watching the Godfathers play to a sparsely attended audience (considering Bad religion and Subhumans were playing on different stages at the same time explains that). They introduced a new song which was a homage to the Ramones "You will love this it's a F**king brilliant number" they warned us. I prefer to make my own mind up on this kind of thing and felt completely removed from the band. My Punk Rock is one of community, one where the band and audience are the same and this is where I feel Rebellion lets us down. Bands hang around the huge back stage area dringking the free beer they get but very little mixing and socialising is done. Having said that I will be back next year, hoping that fanzine sellers will be everywhere and look forward to meeting the same faces again
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Ireland Argentina - an organisational farce
Here's a copy of what I submitted to Ticketmaster for review of Argentina's defeat of Ireland at the new stadium
************************************************************************************
Being a believer in public transport I placed my hands in the lap of the dart to attend the first soccer international at the newly developed Landsdowne Road. Getting out of the train at Lansdowne I started to wish I had already got my tickets in my hand as I ended up visiting 2 incorrect collection points. I should have read my email correctly but stewards pointed me in the wrong direction 2 times. Third time lucky I felt and I ended up at the collection point outside Landsdowne House.
It was then time to go to the game but I had to go on another mystery tour to get to my seat. I could see the new development inviting me in but as my seat was for the east stand I had to take the scenic route around not only the stadium but the adjoining thoroughfare. 50 minutes after getting off the dart which leads to the ground I arrived at the turnstiles. My 8 year old sons enthusiasm was flagging at this stage, mine was well disipated. Mess(y) indeed.
Football from Argentina was great, Ireland fought valiantly and the final whistle went, not after a controversial goal got us a bit excited. I then went to head back to the train station only to be met by a line of stewards not really in the mood for talking but certainly intent on implementing the Spanish Civil War motto - 'no pasaran'. They shall not pass the direct route to the dart. Do no pass Go, go straight AROUND the vicinity. I gathered myself and headed towards the nearer Grand Canal Dock station. Closed. I ventured to Pearse Street. Packed - no extra trains to ease congestion. My 8 yr old was still singing sweetly about the wonderful Lionel but more and more kept asking "are we there yet?".
That mantra continued across the water to the northside where I eventually got a bus to sanctity, knowing I will never spend €60.50 on this mess again.
************************************************************************************
Being a believer in public transport I placed my hands in the lap of the dart to attend the first soccer international at the newly developed Landsdowne Road. Getting out of the train at Lansdowne I started to wish I had already got my tickets in my hand as I ended up visiting 2 incorrect collection points. I should have read my email correctly but stewards pointed me in the wrong direction 2 times. Third time lucky I felt and I ended up at the collection point outside Landsdowne House.
It was then time to go to the game but I had to go on another mystery tour to get to my seat. I could see the new development inviting me in but as my seat was for the east stand I had to take the scenic route around not only the stadium but the adjoining thoroughfare. 50 minutes after getting off the dart which leads to the ground I arrived at the turnstiles. My 8 year old sons enthusiasm was flagging at this stage, mine was well disipated. Mess(y) indeed.
Football from Argentina was great, Ireland fought valiantly and the final whistle went, not after a controversial goal got us a bit excited. I then went to head back to the train station only to be met by a line of stewards not really in the mood for talking but certainly intent on implementing the Spanish Civil War motto - 'no pasaran'. They shall not pass the direct route to the dart. Do no pass Go, go straight AROUND the vicinity. I gathered myself and headed towards the nearer Grand Canal Dock station. Closed. I ventured to Pearse Street. Packed - no extra trains to ease congestion. My 8 yr old was still singing sweetly about the wonderful Lionel but more and more kept asking "are we there yet?".
That mantra continued across the water to the northside where I eventually got a bus to sanctity, knowing I will never spend €60.50 on this mess again.
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