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Tributes to Pavlos Fyssas 21/09/13.
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Monthly Archives: September 2013
50th Anniversary Event Bristol Bus Boycott – Thursday 3 October 2013
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott. The boycott against the ‘colour bar’ of employment of blacks on the buses began in May and ended in the Autumn with a successful conclusion. After pressure from Bristol’s small black community and anti-racists in the city the colour bar finally collapsed at the Bristol Omnibus Company when the bus workers’ TGWU branch voted at a mass meeting of 500 conductors and drivers to end their support for the colour bar.
This event celebrates that victory with an evening of talks from campaigners, trade union representatives, films of the boycott, food, bookstalls and bar. Madge Dresser’s book ‘Black and White on the Buses’ will also be launched in its reprinted version.
Meeting sponsored by: Bristol NUJ, Bristol City Unison, Bristol Trades Union Council, UWE Unison, Bristol Unite Health, Bristol RMT, Bristol Unite Finance and Legal, Bristol NUT, Bristol Unite General Services, Bristol Unite Against Fascism.
Bridgwater Trades Union Council 1913-2013 CENTENARY CELEBRATION SATURDAY 19TH OCTOBER
Join us for a march, with your branch banner, to a rally at Bridgwater Baptist Church, to commemorate the founding of the town’s organised trade union movement by local rail-workers in 1913
12.30pm: Assemble: Cranleigh Gardens, Bridgwater, TA6 5JS
1pm: Banner parade and march
1.45-2.45: Rally, Baptist Church, St Mary Street, TA6 3EQ
Speakers:
- Rosemary Eaton, Minister, Bridgwater Baptist Church
- Nigel Costley, Secretary, South West TUC
- Rosie McGregor, White Horse(Wiltshire) Trades Union Council
- Bob Crow, General Secretary, RMT
3.15 – 4.15pm: Ships, Bricks & Cellophane: a radical view and discussion of Bridgwater’s political and industrial history, with Dave Chapple, postman and secretary of Bridgwater Trades Union Council
Further information: Dave Chapple: 0777 6304 276 E-mail:
“A red ship in a sea of blue!”
Bridgwater Trades Union Council was founded on June 22nd 1913 after a march of over 2,000 workers from Bridgwater and Highbridge proudly wound its way through Eastover, Fore St and High Street to a rally at the Town Hall.
This new West Country trades council was founded by the Bridgwater and Highbridge Branches of the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR). The NUR itself had only just been established: a historic joining of several railway unions, including the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (ASRS)
In the militant years before World War One, the new NUR was hailed as a significant step towards achieving a single, strong, industrial union for the whole rail industry-then, as now, privately owned and run. Today’s RMT continues that militant NUR tradition!
In 1913, Bridgwater had NUR, ASLEF, RCA and AEU members working at both Bridgwater North Station (Somerset & Dorset) and the Great Western Railway (GWR): (a goods station at Bailey Street, the carriage works at Colley Lane, and the Bridgwater docks and wharves.)
Highbridge had double the number of Bridgwater’s rail workers: 900 at the huge Walrow carriage, repair and engine works: the engineering headquarters of the Somerset and Dorset Railway.
The Brick and Tile industry was still dominant in Bridgwater, and workers from Ben Tillett’s Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourer’s Union-a forerunner of Unite- were there on the day, with the bakers, printers, tailors, the various building trade unions, the Engineers (AEU), agricultural workers, Co-op workers, and, perhaps, the National Union of Seamen.
Our 2013 centenary celebration also commemorates 100 years of working-class political and industrial organisation: Bridgwater as “a red ship on a sea of blue”: defiance of hostile employers and a counterweight to Conservatism! Bridgwater Trades Council is still fighting the cause of the Bridgwater working-class, so come and join us on October 19th!
ORGANISING THE WORKING CLASS IN UGANDA
Supporting the IWW Uganda wobblies to organise:
After the successful working class organizers’ training in Uganda last month (see pitch photos, video clips as well as in gallery section of this campaign) by two members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) from USA and Germany,the motivation has compelled the Uganda IWW members and other members of the working class to carry out other series of same training.
This comes at the same time when there is a nationwide strike of teachers under their umbrella Union,Uganda National Teachers’ Union(UNATU) some of whom are IWW Uganda members
In order to do more successful organization there is need for; traveling, training sessions, radio programmes and announcements, distribution of the IWW materials and other working class educational materials,leafleting,banners and other forms of organizing facilitations.
Therefore the Uganda IWW needs your support in form of contribution to this campaign.
We need to raise at least United Stated Dollars(USD) eight hundred($800) to carry out the above mentioned activities and pay for costs of the mentioned services and goods/materials.
Support the campaign here: Also share and refer others to this campaign.
An injury to one is an injury to all. Contact us at: uganda@iww.org
PRESS RELEASE: Anti-Fascist Network statement on Saturday 7th September EDL demonstration
The Metropolitan Police arrested over 280 anti-fascist activists, local community members, and passersby in East London on 7 September, as up to 700 English Defence League supporters were allowed to march over Tower Bridge and rally at Aldgate without encountering any mass opposition.
A large community demonstration was restricted to Altab Ali Park, well out of sight of the EDL’s march route and rally point.
Support the Tower Hamlets 286.
North East Antifascists have produced this lovely graphic which fits neatly into your Facebook profile – show your support for all antifa comrades arrested on the 7th September 2013!
Bournemouth needs you! BHSTOPEDL
Following the recent disgraceful fascist manifestation in Charminster Road and dark mutterings on the eddles farcebook pages about “taking back Charminster” and other such delusional nonsense, some humans in Bournemouth have produced this friendly leaflet.
BHSTOPEDL can be contacted here: Download flyer here: A4 2xA5
East End: Always Anti-Fascist
Reblogged from Anti-Fascist Network:
Brilliant to see thousands turn out yesterday to tell the EDL to fuck off once again from London. They had a shit turnout, no local support and didn’t go where they wanted. Many hundreds joined the AFN in a bold attempt to block the EDL’s route, despite massive police odds – and we came pretty close. Insane policing resulted in 286 anti-fascist arrests, mostly from the AFN bloc.