http://www.strongerunions.org Helping unions grow, helping unions win! Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:43:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Not a post directly related to trade unions - but thought it worth mentioning that yesterday I unexpectadly got the chance to go and see the Revd. Jessie Jackson speak at Liverpool University. Jackson's life has been devoted to the struggle for equality in the US and elsewhere and he witnessed ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/12/keeping-hope-alive/ This is officially the 100th post on the 'Stronger Unions' blog.We have yet to receive our telegram from the Queen... Since April we've posted 100 posts on issues ranging from union busting to 'well dressed organisers'. Some have been interesting - some really haven't; some have been insightful - some... Ah ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/12/100-not-out/ [caption id="attachment_360" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Union General Secretary Ghulam Mehboob in police detention. Union officers were detained for over 2 months on fabricated charges for which no evidence was ever produced, then dismissed from their jobs for...absenteeism. "][/caption] For over 7 years, workers at Pakistan's Pearl Continental Karachi Hotel have been fighting ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/12/tell-the-bbc-no-prize-for-union-busting-employers/ I came across this short piece on the Politics Home site today discussing the influence (or lack of) of unions on recent policy announcements by the government. According to a panel of "insiders and experts" trade unions (and am I being paranoid in thinking that the way the piece is worded suggests ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/11/no-beer-and-sandwiches-apparently/ A lot of the coverage of Zimbabwe in the news deals with two issues - how ghastly life in Zimbabwe is (eg the latest outbreak of cholera); and how Mugabe and Tsvangirai are squabbling over which Ministry their parties get. These are not unimportant issues (the main argument between ZANU-PF and ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/11/zimbabwe-its-not-all-about-who-gets-which-ministry/ I've just come across an interesting article in the US radical journal In These Times, by Randy Shaw, called Origins of the Obama Machine. It recounts some of the campaign history of the United Farm Workers (UFW) in the 60s and 70s in California, and shows how their campaigning work presaged ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/11/union-campaigning-laid-foundations-for-obama-campaigning/ Jail guitar doors Last night I attended a private screening of ‘Jail guitar doors’ a documentary produced to highlight the independent initiative set up by Billy Bragg called Jail Guitar doors which aims to provide musical instruments for the use of inmates serving time in Her Majesty’s prisons. It takes its ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/11/344/ I've spent the last couple of days in Madrid attending an ETUI 'Recruitment Network' meeting - and so have done little in the way of shopping etc. I flew out - and am waiting to fly back - on British Airways, which recognises a number of TUC affiliated unions including ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/11/an-ethical-week/ Yesterday I was in Blackpool at an event run by unionlearn in the North West to speak about the Activist Academy as part of a workshop on the link between Learning and Organising. During the discussion that followed the opening comments we got round to asking the reps there how many ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/11/building-the-reps-team/ Rather than go through EVERY single transaction I've, well transacted, over the last two days - here are some of the 'highlights'  (I use the word 'highlights' very advisedly)   On-line shopping at Tesco - Tesco is one of those companies people love to hate...its 30% UK market share has seen it ... http://www.strongerunions.org/2008/11/days-4-5/