Labour First, Labour to Win & Progress Joint Statement on the EHRC Report

 

Labour First, Labour to Win & Progress write:

The publication of the EHRC report into antisemitism in the Labour Party is a dark day in our party’s history. No democratic socialist party, with our values committed to equality and anti-racism, should ever allow anti-Jewish hatred to gain any ground within its ranks. It is a matter of shame for all of us, and there can be no excuses for, the spread of antisemitism within Labour after 2015 and the party’s failure to swiftly deal with this.

Today is a day for those impacted by antisemitic harassment, discrimination and victimisation – both Jewish members and former members of Labour, and the wider Jewish Community – to have their say about what they experienced.

We have stood in solidarity with our Jewish comrades during the disgraceful events of the last five years and we are committed to supporting Keir Starmer as he implements all the recommendations of the EHRC report, and to a zero tolerance approach which removes antisemitism from the Labour Party.

More at my other blog: Howie's Corner Too:

The worst the left has to offer rallies to defend Corbyn

The revolutionary left fall behind Corbyn

Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS) on the EHRC Report

Denny Taylor, founder of Labour Against Antisemitism said:


“We welcome the publication of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission report into the Labour Party. 

In our view the report’s conclusion that the Labour Party has acted unlawfully is a vindication both of our decision to ask for an EHRC inquiry and of our three-year campaign against institutional anti-Jewish racism in the Labour Party. It is also a victory for those who believe in a viable mainstream Labour Party that the Jewish community can support without fear.

The responsibility now falls on Keir Starmer and the Labour movement not only to follow the recommendations of the report, but to ask serious questions about how the British Left has found itself in this situation. Antisemitism has also flourished in our trade unions, our universities and in our media, and this must also be tackled. 

In the meantime we will continue to report instances of antisemitism in the Labour Party and hold its behaviour to account - as we have always done.”

Website: labouragainstas.org.uk

Jewish Labour Movement: EHRC Report Resource List

 

After five years of pain, anger and distress, we will soon be hearing from the Equality and Human Rights Commission - the independent equalities regulator - on the extent of the problem of antisemitism in the Labour Party, and most importantly what needs to change. The fact that we have got to this point is a moment of great shame for the Labour Party.

_____________________________________

Our essential EHRC report resource list

Ahead of the report release, we put together an essential resources list on how we got to this point, key events and the problem of antisemitism on the left. 

WATCH:

• Our webinar on what to expect from the report which you can watch on our Facebook page.

READ:

• We've compiled an 'EHRC Report 101' on the background to the report.
• Our timeline of key events leading up to the report.
• Take a look at HOPE not hate's hub of articles and resources on the EHRC report, left antisemitism and its impact on the Jewish community.
• The Guardian have written up what to look out for in the EHRC report.

LISTEN:

• HOPE not hate's podcast with JLM Vice Chair Ruth Smeeth on antisemitism in the Labour Party with HOPE not hate's Matthew McGregor (or listen on your preferred podcast platform).

____________________________________________________________________

We know that when ever the EHRC report is released it will be very emotional for many of us. Help us amplify the voices of the people impacted by antisemitism - Jewish Labour members and the Jewish community. We will endeavour to keep our members informed whenever the report is released.

Website: www.jewishlabour.uk

Doctor Who - Time Lord Victorious: He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not (Big Finish Audio)

Cross-posted from Howie's World of Comics

Time Lord Victorious is a multi-media Doctor adventure that began in Doctor Who Magazine last month as a comic strip featuring the Ninth Doctor (and is continuing) plus a second comic adventure published by Titan (in an American format) featuring the Tenth Doctor. I will get around to reviewing these in due course but am a bit behind and anyway this sixty minute features the Eight Doctor who is only known from one BBC film and a short special some years back.

The Eight incarnation of the Doctor was or is played by Paul McGann and Big Finish have produced a large range of audio adventures on CD featuring him and his various companions, the best known being Charlie rescued from the crashing Airship 101 but that is a story for another day even if in the past. Time travel can be confusing.

This Doctor has of course not yet met the Ood but then he's just decided  land on a planet called Atharna to revisit one of the seven hundred wonders of the universe but somethings wrong. The place is bare, a desert where an ocean should be and there are two people in need of his help.

Photo: CC Swamp Dragon

The Doctor is about to meet Brian a rather nasty assassin and bounty hunter who is on the trial of two lovers. One to bring home the other to kill. Did I mention he's one of the Ood?

Part one of  a story to be continued in next months release My Enemy Of My Enemy featuring the Doctors most dangerous opponents?

Watch out for further comics, books, Big Finish audio CD's and a five part You Tube BBC Animation as Time Lord Victorious continues over the coming months.

Available from Big Finish 

The Beatles Broadcasting Live in the US '64 (Limited Edition Picture Disk)

The Beatles were very much a band that I listened to and sang along with as a child. Like many of my contemporaries I went on to be a fan for life and even today cannot resist playing one of their tunes.  In 1964 when these recordings were made I'd have been about 8 years old and listened to them on the radio. Of course these particular concerts were broadcast in the USA so are new to me as well as many other fans.

This is a limited edition "picture disk" and although I remember seeing these back in the days when we actually had record shops this is the first one I've ever purchased. Indeed what spurred me to buy this had been listening to a Doctor Who adventure (reviewed here) where the Beatles had been erased from history. The horror!

That was fiction. These concerts are a reminder of a phenomenon that existed around the bband and I wonder if the girls screaming can actually hear the music being played? There are two short concerts Side 1 is in Miami with a bonus studio track whilst the other is in New York. A couple of songs are inevitably duplicated

I couldn't find any video of these but here's an interview with the Beatles from New York at the time.

Available from: codarecords.co.uk

Bubblerock Is Here To Stay (The British Pop Explosion 1970 -73)

Playing this album is like putting on the radio in the early seventies. Looking through the track list when ordering this triple CD collection there were lots of bands and/or songs I recognised but equally many I didn't. In fact when playing many of these are simply "forgotten tunes" that those of my generation will recall though I have to say there are a few that I either do not recall or may not have heard.

This is the third compilation of early seventies music I have picked up from Cherry Red Records ( the previous ones New Moons In The Sky and Peephole In My Brain being collections of Prog music from 1970 and 1971 respectively.

As I started to collect records in my schooldays prog Rock and early Metal became very much the scene that influenced my musical tastes however these songs were for sitting and listening to and not for parties or discos! The "Pop" music scene was quite lively and there were plenty of 45's that could be played either dance to or just have a general bit of fun.

Bubblerock Is Here To Stay contains no less than 85 tracks on 3 CD's beginning with this featured track from Mr Bloe which is instantly recognisable and features Blue Mink, St Cecilia, The Piglets, Mungo Jerry, Peter Skellern and Middle of the Road amongst so many other acts from the early seventies and is highly recommended for both those who want a trip down memory lane or simply to explore old music.

Available from Cherry Red Records: here

Labour To Win: Young Labour Elections. Stand up to bullying & entryism

 

It's been many years since I was either eligible for or took any particular interest in the youth wings of any party. Like Peter Hain I started off life as a Young Liberal way back in the early seventies when Militant took control of the Labour Party Young Socialists as a springboard to their other operations in the Labour Party. We all know where that that led and having joined the Labour Party in the late seventies I remember the events that led to the expulsion of Militant and the closing down of the LPYS.

Youth groups have always been vulnerable to entryist groups and Militant was far from the first group the Labour Party had problems with. The Socialist review group was kicked out in the early sixties. It eventually became the Socialist Workers Party. The Young Socialists then became under the influence of the Socialist Labour league & got booted to form the Workers Revolutionary Party. 

Today is no different. Although small groups like Socialist Appeal and the Alliance for Workers Liberty (AWL) are trying to make inroads these modern groups are eclipsed by Momentum the modern Militant for all intents & purposes.

It remains important that Young Labour remains the official youth group of the Labour Party and is as free as possible from outside influences so that young members can develop rational and reasoned politics that we will need for the future.

One of the candidates for Chair one Eluend Anderson has withdrawn from the contest due to a huge on-line attack over some "off colour" joke she allegedly made some time ago. Besides the atrocious bullying that led to Eluend closing all her social media accounts this holier than thou approach to politics i dangerous. 

After all who amongst us has never in all their lives said or done something "off colour in in their lives, I mean FFS I was a teenager and young adult in the seventies. Nobody, I repeat nobody is a saint and the expectations put on young people these days by the (for want of a better word) "woke" brigade who think everything is a micro-aggression or discriminatory for some reason has led to a shutting down of debate even at university level.

Something the Party as a whole needs to address one day.

In the meantime Labour to Win has recommended the following individuals for the internal Young Labour elections. They are from a variety of traditions apparently and I'm happy to reproduce their list for young members to consider though don't ask me any questions about the individual candidates because until the last couple of days or so I had not taken much notice of what is going on. 

Young Labour Elections

If you're under 27, you'll also have received a ballot for elections for Young Labour's National Committee. As with the NEC elections, we're recommending candidates that represent a broad swathe of traditions in the Labour Party, but are all committed to engaging constructively with the party to build a better, kinder and more open youth wing. The candidates are as follows:

Chair - Cathleen Clarke
NEC Rep - Kira Lewis
International Officer - Rosie McKenna
U18s Officer - Jimmy Sergi
Student Representatives - Alli McKelvey and Dylan Patel
Eastern Rep - Tina Bhartwas
London Rep - Henna Shah
North - Adam Ellison
North West - Holly McCormack
South West - Marley Bennett
Wales - Jack Dunne
West Midlands - Jennifer Maidment
Yorkshire and the Humber - Jess Raspin

Yusuf / Cat Stevens: Tea For The Tillerman 2

One of the big artists back in the seventies was one Cat Stevens who released a number of hit singles and albums. His unique vocals and brand of Folk-Rock was highly entertaining. A couple of years back I picked up one of those compilation albums that seem to be in vogue these days. I was reminded of his hits Matthew & Son (from 1967!) Moonshadow, Morning Has Broken and Can't Keep It amongst others.

However one album that helped define his music was Tea For The Tillerman which has it's 50th anniversary this year. I remember it the first time round and am beginning to feel old as a result! In order to cerebrate tit's original release Cat has redone the whole album and a good job he has made of it as well. 

Here to prove the point is the new version of Cat Steven's own old classic Wild World. Just one word: Enjoy.

Official Website: catstevens.com

Labour Against Antisemitism: Statement on Len McCluskey’s Newsnight Comment

 

Euan Philipps, spokesperson for Labour Against Antisemitism, has said:

“Len McCluskey’s “count his gold” comment about Peter Mandelson (whose father was Jewish) on last night’s Newsnight programme appeared to promote a blatant antisemitic trope.

It is unsurprising but still shocking to hear one of the most senior figures in the British Labour movement seemingly reveal such a poisonous view. Over the last four years Mr McCluskey has at times appeared to dismiss antisemitism in the Labour Party, describing it as “mood music”, but this is the first time he has made such a seemingly antisemitic comment himself.

We hope the still to be published Equalities and Human Rights Commission into institutional antisemitism in the Labour Party will provide a framework for tackling this kind of anti-Jewish racism, and we look forward to Mr McCluskey’s forthcoming retirement as General Secretary of the Unite union.”

Labour NEC Elections: Reclaim the Party! Vote for Change!

 

The ballot for the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party opened today. Labour First have issued a list of recommended candidates that will reclaim the party and help Keir Starmer make Labour electable again. This will be no easy task. Despite the decline of the hard left they are far from out of the fight. Momentum and the other factions are organising so it's time for moderates and their allies to do the same.

Every vote will count. Contact fellow party members and ask them to use their vote to restore hope and reason in the Labour Party.

Voting Guide We have six candidates standing to be CLP reps. It’s a transferable voting system so you have to number the candidates, not put crosses. The important thing is to number all our six candidates as your first six choices, numbers one through to six. We aren’t recommending a set order to vote for our six candidates as it would be unfair on the candidates we didn’t put at the top; we think they are all great and they all deserve a chance to win. And it would be patronising to our supporters to tell them the exact order to vote. Our six candidates are listed here in alphabetical order, so you can find them on the ballot, but you can rank them in any order you prefer: Luke Akehurst - NEC member 2010-2012, former Chief Whip of Hackney Council and parliamentary candidate in Essex and Hampshire Johanna Baxter - NEC member, Cunninghame North CLP Chair, Scottish Executive Committee member Gurinder Singh Josan - NEC member, antiracism campaigner, Vice Chair of Sikhs for Labour, Sandwell Unite branch secretary Terry Paul - Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services on Newham Council and former PLP Campaigns Officer Michael Payne - Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council & Notts County Councillor; Deputy Leader of the LGA Labour Group Shama Tatler - Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Property & Planning, Brent Council In the interests of ensuring a politically pluralistic NEC, and to ensure gender and regional balance, Labour to Win is only standing six candidates itself, and also urging its supporters to vote for three other candidates, from the left of the party, with your 7th, 8th and 9th preferences. 7 - Ann Black – Open Labour - NEC member 2000-2018 as part of the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance, South East Regional Board Member, Secretary of Oxford & District Labour Party 8 - Theresa Griffin – Tribune Group - MEP for the North West Region, 2014-2020 9 - Paula Sheriff – Tribune Group – MP for Dewsbury, 2015-2019 We need you to vote for all six Labour to Win candidates with your six highest preferences because although the STV voting system usually produces proportional results i.e. if we get one third of the vote we get one third of the seats; this only works if people vote for all a team’s candidates, if you start lending high transfers to other candidates it could lead to us getting less than our fair share of seats. The STV voting system is incredibly complicated but it usually produces fair results where all strands of opinion get represented. If a candidate gets more than 10% of the vote they will be elected straight away. Any surplus votes a winning candidate gets above 10% are redistributed to their 2nd preferences and so on. The candidates at the bottom are knocked out and their 2nd preferences redistributed and so on. This carries on until all nine seats are filled. For Treasurer we recommend voting for the incumbent, Diana Holland. If you live in Wales, we recommend voting for Carywn Jones for Welsh Rep. If you are a Labour Councillor, we recommend you vote for these two candidates for local government representatives: Nick Forbes - Leader of the LGA Labour Group and Newcastle City Council, incumbent NEC member Alice Perry - Islington Councillor and LGA Labour Group Deputy Chief Whip, incumbent NEC memberIf you are under 27 years old, we recommend you vote for Kira Lewis for Youth Representative. If you have registered with the party as a disabled member, we recommend you vote for George Lindars-Hammond for Disabled Members Representative. Further info: www.labourfirst.org

World Anti-Slavery Day - Support the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill

It's difficult to imagine in this modern 21st century world that slavery continues and it's not just men,women & children in chains being owned and used for all purposes imaginable with no respite, no rights, no hope yet...

Slavery continues unabated not just in the traditional fashion but in so many other forms in the form of domestic servitude, forced prostitution in prison camps across the world and more. 

In recent history we have seen the use of slavery by the ISIS extremists as they raped and murdered their way across a swathe of the Middle East particularly targeting the vulnerable Yezidi people. Slave markets opened in Libya as criminals captured black migrants and sold them. In fact there are many countries in North Africa where traditional slavery (even where formally banned continues to exist in counties like Mauritania, Mali and Chad. 

The abuse of Asian domestic servants by employers in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries continues despite the protests of the Philippine and Indonesian governments. But such slavery has been found in the West even in the UK where African children have been sent ostensibly for a better life in this country but ended up in servitude a lot of which has been exposed but continues.

The use of Vietnamese and other Asian immigrants in the drug trade such as cannabis factories and even in nail bars remains an on-going problem that the authorities need to deal with.

Then there are government penal institutions such as the worlds largest in North Korea where people are sent for the slightest infringement against the regime and as has been shown in China the Uyghur people are being used as for slave labour as part of their so-called "rehabilitation".

However we must not be complacent. Slavery exists in the UK. It's hidden. From the abused men found in a few "travellers" camps to women trafficked as prostitutes against their will.

 

More needs to be done to protect victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. That’s why the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill is so important. If the Bill is passed, victims of modern slavery will be guaranteed the help they need, including somewhere safe to stay and the medical and psychological care they need to begin their recovery.

Please sign our petition and ask the Home Secretary, Priti Patel MP, to put the Government’s weight behind this crucial Bill. Britain led the fight to end slavery in the past. The fight isn’t over yet – please sign our petition.

 

Please sign the Anti Slavery International's petition: www.antislavery.org/take-action

Howie's Corner blocked by Facebook

 

Image: By Time3000

Over the last few months Facebook users have been facing a number of problems caused in the main by the use of algorithms which restrict and censor users without any good reason. One of the problems that I suddenly faced was the imposition on limits on the sharing of posts from this blog.

When I first started using Facebook I was able to share posts with impunity but the algorithm suddenly started restricting me to no more than two which when I was taking an active part in discussions in four Labour Party Discussion groups caused a problem.

Trying to appeal this seemed occasionally to work but after sharing the post about the on-line Labour to Win Rally to just five groups I found not only that post removed as "spam" but a comment using a link on four other posts. Even my single post on John Lennon's new compilation album was removed as spam.

I sent in multiple appeals and other messages to Facebook yesterday but have had no response in the mean time every single post from my blog has now been blocked and removed along with the link on my home page though the comics blog remains unaffected.

Whilst I realise that problems of spamming exist I would hardly think four or five shares really counts as such from a private user. Considering the material Facebook allow on their pages I am understandably vexed. I have no idea if any appeal will now work and have to consider the future.

Despite erratic posting since my illness and retirement this blog has contained not just my opinion pieces and other interests particularly music and the occasional Doctor Who related post I have tried to make Howie's Corner a campaigning blog. Amongst the campaigns I have supported are Free Tibet, Free West Papua and the work Council of Ex Muslims in the UK. 

Howie's Corner has also stood against both political & religious extremism taken part in the fight against antisemitism and is now fighting for the modernisation of the Labour Party. Whilst not a full member I have joined an affiliated organisation the Jewish Labour Movement.

In response to Facebook's actions I have hurriedly set up a new blog to continue my work and will have to consider how both of my sites will work as in recent times the bulk of my readership has come via Facebook but not all. This editorial will appear her and on my new "back-up" site where I will be more careful with sharing as "staggering" shares over the day may allow me to continue my blogs interventions in the on-going debate inside Labour.

Readers can be assured that I will not be silenced by algorithms or anything else and I will continue to campaign on social media for the causes in which I believe through whatever methods are open to me. I maybe physically unable to intervene at meetings and on marches like in my youth but my mind remains intact unlike my body!

Please note: For the time being both blogs will continue to be updated until I make a decision on how to proceed. Howie's Corner has had well over a million reads, small beer perhaps but an audience exists. 

New blog: Howie's Corner Too

For Free Speech and Human Rights!

Howard Fuller

Hawkwind Light Orchestra - Carnivorous

The latest studio album from Hawkwind came out today and it's title is an anagram of coronavirus as the album was recorded during the lock-down and the band put the pandemic down to the human desire to eat flesh. I didn't know Dave Brock and company were vegans but the enclosed booklet directs the reader ro a number of animal rights and vegan websites. 

Whist a supporter of animal rights and believe in the humane treatment of farm animals veganism is not for me even if I were able to eat such a diet (which I'm not able due to medical conditions) I wouldn't as humans are naturally omnivorous. That perhaps we should eat less meat and certainly avoid some species like bats and panagolins the latter of which are in danger of extinction due to the Chinese appetite for these animals which are basically "scaly ant-eaters" is clear I don't think veganism is the answer.

That aside there is of course the music. This is a much gentler version of Hawkwind that that from my youth and I've been a fan for years. Dave Brock continues to produce good listenable and challenging music at the same time. This album is a pleasant follow up to last year's All Aboard the Skylark.

I've actually chosen the penultimate track to feature on tonight's blog and I'm dedicating it to my friend Josh who agrees with my politics but not my musical choices. Can't win 'em all it would seem!

Official website: www.hawkwind.com

Labour to Win Rally Sunday 18th October: Sign Up & Volunteer: Reclaim the Party!

 

Join Stella Creasy MP, Ruth Smeeth and all the NEC Candidates Labour First and Labour to Win are supporting one last time before ballots drop on Sunday 18th October at 7pm, as they make the case for a decent, united Labour Party that's ready for Government. The full list of speakers is as follows:

• Stella Creasy MP Labour and Co-operative MP for Walthamstow
• Ruth Smeeth former MP for Stoke-on-Trent North and Vice-Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement
• Luke Akehurst Secretary of Labour First, former Labour NEC member and candidate for the CLP Section of the NEC
• Johanna Baxter current Labour NEC member and candidate for the CLP Section of the NEC
• Gurinder Singh Josan current Labour NEC member and candidate for the CLP Section of the NEC
• Terry Paul Newham Councillor and Cabinet member, candidate for the CLP section of the NEC
• Michael Payne Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council and the LGA Labour Group, candidate for the CLP section of the NEC
• Shama Tatler Brent Councillor and Cabinet member, candidate for the CLP Section of the NEC
• Alice Perry Local Government NEC representative and candidate for the Local Government NEC Representative
• George Lindars-Hammond Sheffield City Councillor and Cabinet member, candidate for NEC Disabled Members Representative
• Kira Lewis Candidate for NEC Youth Representative.

RSVP now using the button below:

RSVP for Eve of Poll Rally

With voting opening in just 4 days time, we've been blown away by your support for our NEC candidates, Luke Akehurst, Johanna Baxter, Gurinder Singh Josan, Terry Paul, Michael Payne and Shama Tatler. But to get elected, they're going to have to overcome a huge and extremely well funded Momentum phone banking and social media targeting operation.

To win, we're going to need your help to contact all of our supporters and get out our vote. If you're interested in phoning our supporters on behalf of the candidates, please get in touch with Lloyd Duddridge, the Labour to Win National Organiser using the button below.

Volunteer to phonebank

Nathan Burns
Organiser, Labour First

John Lennon - Gimme Some Truth (Deluxe Edition)

Yesterday would have been John Lennon's 80th Birthday. Today is my 63rd birthday and National Album Day so what better way to celebrate than with the new John Lennon compilation Gimme Some Truth which is available in a variety of formats including a deluxe 2 CD version which I chose. 

There are 36 tracks on this album which is playing as I type these words. I'm not going to attempt a review of the great man's work but imply recommend that if you want a good collection of Lennon's output then this really is the dogs bollocks as they say.

The album begins with Instant Karma from 1970 so I though I'd share that video.

Heavy Metal deployed as a weapon of war

One of the stranger stories in the media today was the news that Azerbaijan had made use of local heavy metal musicians as part of their war against Armenia. The New York Post reported

The Azerbaijan military has released a bizarre heavy metal music video touting their war weapons and featuring lot of explosions amid a violent dispute with its neighbour Armenia.

The guitar-shredding propaganda tune “Atəş”— or “Fire” — was performed by a group of local heavy metal rockers dressed in combat uniforms....

It’s performed by the local musicians Ceyhun Zeynalov and Narmin Karimbayova, backed by the Nur Group

Sadly the continuing conflict over land led to "dozens" of deaths when fighting broke out last weekend.

Of course the military use of Heavy metal is not new. The American military used it against General Manuel Noriega in Panama. The BBC wrote of the events in 1989:

The repressive military leader had holed himself up in the Vatican's embassy in Panama City, after President George Bush Senior invaded Panama.

Noriega was facing a US indictment for drug-trafficking, as well as claims he had rigged the 1989 election.

The embassy was surrounded by US troops, but he refused to give himself up.

The US army decided to use psychological warfare - by blasting a wall of sound non-stop outside. A fleet of Humvees mounted with loudspeakers rolled in, and rock music rolled out.

In the case Noriega surrendered though the Vatican (unsurprisingly) complained and the music stopped after three days. Apparently the playlist used by the US troops is available on You Tube. 

AC/DC - New Single out today and album due next month!

At long last some new music from one of the worlds top rock and roll bands. The new AC/DC single Shot in the Dark was released at 5AM this morning and is posted here along with the news that their new album Power Up will be released in multiple formats on November 13th.

Available from: pwrup.acdc.com

Colombia: Support miners striking against the 'death shift' at Cerrejón

Once again, a company has taken advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to attack workers' rights.

This time, it's coal miners in Colombia who have had to go on strike.

Workers at the Cerrejón coal mine are in the middle of bitter dispute with three multinational mining companies, Anglo American, BHP and Glencore.

When the pandemic broke out back in February the union, in good faith, withdrew its list of demands and suspended collective bargaining negotiations.

When negotiations resumed in July, the company refused to respond to the union proposals, and instead demanded concessions in rights and benefits. Then the company unilaterally announced a radical shift change roster, without consulting the union and in violation of Colombian law. The new shift roster, which workers call the 'death shift' will lead to the loss of 2,500 direct and indirect jobs, will require workers to work an additional 72 days a year for the same wage, will cause turmoil in workers' family lives and will lead to an increase in fatigue and thus an increase in accidents. The company has boycotted the government labour ministry’s facilitation to end the strike, now in its fourth week.

The union in Colombia and IndustriALL global union have a launched an online campaign on LabourStart in support of the miners. 

Please take a moment to show your support - click here.

And please don't forget our campaign in support of miners in Ukraine, who have taken their fight for justice underground - into the mines. 

Learn more and show your support here.

Eric Lee