Why i'm pro union

I am a recently joined member of Unite the Union in Britain and feel quite strongly in the role of trades unions.

I feel that they are one of the greatest collective groups of people power still left in the world. Many countries are denied rightst o form a union check out these little pieces of infrmation on treatment on workers wanting to form a union.

In the Philippines, Dole -- with the help of the military -- has been doing what it can to crush the independent, democratic union chosen by the workers. This includes making death threats against union leaders and having the army visit workers' homes. In less than a week, an election will take place. Dole (and the government) needs to be told to respect the decision of the workers. This is urgent -- please take a moment and send off your message today:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=878

Meanwhile, in Turkey workers employed at the Indian-owned company Polyplex are facing dismissals for trying to have their own union. More than 20 have already been sacked. Polyplex must start respecting trade union rights too. Please add your voice to the international outcry here:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=868

And finally, in Pakistan the Swiss-owned company Syngenta has sacked the leader of the union there, who is also President of the National Federation of Pakistani Chemical, Energy, and Mine (PCEM) Workers' Union. Tell the company that in Pakistan as in Switzerland, it has to respect workers' rights:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=867


These are all examples of countries cracking down on union involvement within workers.

Back here in the Uk it has been no coincidence that the selling off of factories and manufacturing industries the coal mine closures and other large factory worker plants have been sold off has coincidided with the decline in union membership take-up. The tories are dead scared of trades unions and their influence in a work place. They actively discourage workers from joining one or even allowing one. Their greatest fear is that the workers get together and realise their class struggle and form a militant style revolution in the work place. This frightens the tories to bits as they dont want anyone standing up and having a voice in the shop floor.

I know many union members at my local trades council and therea re fewer and fewer of them now. This is a sad state of affairs but unsurprising in many ways.

The way the right wing media in this country has bombarded the unions with negative press and what can only be described as union bashing from the tories in parliament and beyond does nothing to help their image to teh wider public.

Now this hasnt decimated the movement totally as there is still a estimated 6 million trades union members in the UK as we speak myself included. I feel this figure could rise as we become under increasing pressure about our jobs in the public and private sectors.

As well as union bashing from the usual suspects the tories and right wing press the ones you wouldnt e xpect it of would be Labour MP's and Labour party members.

Countless times now i have read pieces attacking unions and their right to strike and express their democractic right to strike.

Even Ed Miliband has been out saying he doesnt agreeing with strikes that are irresponsible. Shaking off that "red Ed" tag well and truely there ay ed ?
where is Ed's principles once he was elected by a lot of unions to become labour party leader back last september he now feels it is ok to attack the movement which served to get him elected. Very sad to hear.

It will be interesting to see if he does keep his pledge to march along side us on March 26th in London at the big TUC march for the alternative. From the sounds of it he was, then he wasnt, then he was and now he'll maybe just be speaking at it. Talk about flip flopping. But then again what would you expect from someone who seems to want to identify with the Lib Dems and offer them a place in his party and policy forming.

But back to unions i am a firm believer in workers rights. Allowing people to use the last democractic right anyone has which is to withdraw your labour should not be under-estimated. It is a vital role unions can play in the fightback against this right wing tory lead government.

I must say Unions are not perfect like any organisation of course and i can target critisism at them like anyone else can such as the TUC's sluggishness at responding to the cuts and not organising a march on parliament before christmas of 2010 instead putting it way back to March the 26th, for me that is too lat and a lot of the councils will have set their budgets for the coming year by then.

But on the whole unions do a very good job at representing workers.

The leaders at the top do sometimes need reminding who they are there to defend and fight for, their members not just themselves but on the whole i've met some very good union members during my time knowing the movement.

Lastly i do think certain unions should maybe consider their relliance on funding the labour party so religiously. I know this may not go down too well with everyone but labour do not represent working people anymore. Working people have no real voice or anyone who represents them ias a political force despite waht you may think of labour today. They dont but unions who do and can continue to fund labour a capitalist sympathising party to the hilt. Why ? i still havent worked that out either. I dont see what is in it for the unions. I really dont think their membership would be greatly affected if they pulled out of backing labour. I do think eventually a new workers party is needed to give ordinary working people a say in politics again and to represent them nationally and on issues that affect them not a party which focus's on big business and bailing out banks.

I do intend on doing a blog post on the need for a new workers party at somepoint but it needs a lot of thought but i do think in the meantime TUSC, Trades Union Socialist Coalition is doing a good job in being a stepping stone towards that eventual goal.

Egypt prove people power can work

So tonight we are witnessing a historic moment in Egypt with their president, dictator in many ways Hosny Mubarak has finally after 18 days of relentless and truely inspirational protests on the streets of Egypt and Cairo has finally resigned.

Joyous scenes on the streets of Egypt as this tyrant has finally been ousted.

I have to say the protesters who stayed on the streets day after day, night after night were truely inspirational.

The people of egypt have demonstrated to the world that people power is back and the middle east is trembling now of what happens next. The evil dictators in the region from Syria to Yemen and even Algeria will be panicing tonight wondering where will the next uprising happen. I feel for the Egyptian people. They have claimed their country back, back from the ruling party at the top.

For world leaders this is unsettling and unstable times and they will not like this. They will be fearful of who steps in next. Of course taht rightly so wil be down to the Egyptian people. They should decide wahth appens next. Let the people choose they have won this battle and should be rewarded with deciding their future.

I do hope democracy spreads now and the country is rebuilt in terms of a fair equal society. There is a opputunity now for real socialism to make its way into Egyptian minds. It is their choice now which route they take.

But today belongs to Egypt and its people who have found their voice and their freedom as a result. This just goes to show what can be achieved given persistancy and real people power and collective force.

Tonight iraise a glass to you Egyptians out there

here is fora happier safer and fairer Egypt.

VIVA la revolution !

Is democracy really the way forward ?

Let me start by saying i am all for democracy and think it is a good thing, but my point with this post is to ask is it right we try and inflict our version of it on other countries and continents around the world ?

We see over the last week or so in Egypt a huge uprising on the streets of Egypt fighting back against their oppressive governments. I applaud their efforts to rid themselves of a leader who has a too strong grip on the country.

But democracy this idealistic system we seem to talk like it is the holy grail of living your life. Is it compatable for everyone around the world ? Could it not be modified to allow people a greater say. As lets be honest what we call democracy is not a real democracy is it ?

The real working people of this country dont really have a say

Ok we have a vote we can cast every 5 years or so but what does that get us, a elected bureaucrat who sits in parliament telling us waht to do. If we try to lobby our MP's which i have tried before we get a set of templated waffle of what their party line is. These Mp's claim they know about the people, in reality they havent a clue. SO this lovely thing we call democracy starts to look more of a farce the deeper you look into it.

On the face of it compared to a dictatorship it is certainly a better system but as far as giving people ordinary people on the street a true voice it still fails as far as i can see. I'm not against democracy at all i just feel that this form of it suits our ruling class and the capitalist system the best and so the leaders of the world will continue to promote it as it tightens their grip on the worlds finances. So i wonder if democracy could be reformed for want of a better word. Looked into and allowing the people to have more control of the wealth of a country and the power. Rather than it being held all at the top by a elite few who we democratically elect could we not give them less power or give more power to the people as cliche as that sounds.

When America and Britain invaded Iraq to over throw Saddam Hussain it was being touted in the name of democracy, giving freedom back to the people. Although this was true to a degree it will only allow the chance for another leader of similar nature to cease power in this country. Is it not the case that some nations are not ready for democracy to be forced upon them ? Should they not come to that decision by themselves rather than western nations thinking oh your people have no say lets invade you and give you democracy without stopping to think if this is good for them or will lead to a eventual better place for people to live. Giving a country democracy when it hasnt had it before can be a risky thing and i think the west should be warey of appearing as teh policeman of the world looking out for countries and meddling in their internal business. Afterall we wouldnt like it if other countries tried to inflict a way of life on us so why do we do it to others in the name of fairness and freedom.

the loss of compassion in Britain

This is a blog post on a more personal level. Some of you may enjoy this more.

As a young blind guy living in britain today it strikes me so many times during a week that we have become this selfish greedy country.

It saddens me that at such a young age i already feel that this country has gone to the dogs in so many aspects. I really dont think people look out for eachother in the way we used to anymore. Where i live in the south east of England people go about their business and rarely mix with others. We have become a society of individuals. More single people than ever before and more people doing what they want.

The selfish attitude of a lot of people in this country now i believe has alot to do with Margret tatcher and her right to buy policey which enpowered a lot of people to buy their own council houses. This gave people a real propety and a foot hold on the propety ladder.

Alot of people who took up this offer did not look back and have grown greedier and greedier.

I dont think this is what britain is all about. In the war times we all mucked in and helped eachother out. I strongly believe we are a kind caring country still not a conservative selfish one. We have always helped other countries out around the world be it through aid, funding, humanitarian or allies. I think peoples attitudes have changed so much due to the realisation of money and the good times we enjoyed in the 2000's.

Now money is becoming tighter the country over people are finding out how much they really do have.

Another point is just general friendliness. It seems so rare now for people to stop on their walk to work or the shops to say hello, not just hello but ask how people are, a small gesture can go a long way to making somebodys day a lot brighter.

This country is becoming less and less interested in helping people out and more about bettering themselves. The best feeling i can get for myself is helping someone out if i can in anyway at all. To me knowing i have helpd put a smile on someones face means a lot more than achieving something personal i find.

I am a big people person, care about the well being of people in general, the less well off more so as they are so often the ones who are the worst affected in life.


I also think it is a north south divide issue too.

Take for example when i was at Hereford at the royal national college for the blind the taxi companies all around there would go the extra mile to help you out if you needed it. They would offer to twalk you into the building you were trying to get into and it'd be no trouble to them.

In contrast not mentioning taxi companiy names down here in teh south east my t taxi company i use to get to work on a monday and tuesday seem in such a rush to drop me off and get off it just feels very unconnected. If i ask them where the door is roughly to get in to my work place they sound like its all such a big effort to help out. Its all wrong and i thinka general feeling of compassion has gone missing in alot of people today.