>New Worker Online Digest > >Week commencing 25th February, 2000. > >1) Editorial - Shameful! > >2) Lead story - Outrage at rail safety U-turn. > >3) Feature article - Women workers cheated out of £250,000 in a lifetime. > >4) International story - Europe-wide demonstrations against Heidar. > >5) British news item - Reclaiming the struggle. > > >1) Editorial > >Shameful! > >THIS Sunday marks the centenary of the Labour Party (known as the Labour >Representation Committee until 1906). But judging by the silence from >Labour's headquarters at Millbank Tower, it must be a date the current >party leaders want to forget. > > No doubt they don't want us to be reminded that it was the TUC which >played the key role in founding the Labour Party and that, despite the >presence of the usual clutch of class collaborators in Labour's hierarchy, >the party was nonetheless created in order to represent the interests of >working people in Parliament. > > Instead of a commemoration, this Sunday will be overshadowed by a storm of >anger unleashed by the Blair camp's cynical and anti-democratic balloting >arrangements for selecting Labour's London Mayoral candidate. As a result a >majority of Londoners and London Labour Party members, who want the >opportunity to vote for Ken Livingstone in the Mayoral election, have been >outrageously cheated. > > Because the biased electoral college system gave a wildly disproportionate >number of votes to London MPs and MEPs (1000 votes each as against just one >each for individual Labour Party members), because some unions were >disqualified from voting on a technicality, and because the South London >Co-op and AEEU engineering union used their block votes without conducting >any ballot of members, the result was a travesty. > > Livingstone, who had a clear majority of individual Labour Party and trade >union members' votes, ended up being narrowly beaten by Frank Dobson -- >Blair's choice. > > The blatant carve-up was obvious to everyone. Opinion polls last week >showed widespread support among Londoners for the idea of Livingstone >standing as an independent candidate. At the same time the Labour >leadership is being soundly condemned for its anti-democratic moves -- >moves which the media write off as mere control freakery. > > These measures used by the Labour leaders are far worse than that. They >are clearly desperate to prevent Livingstone becoming Mayor. The cause of >their desperation is not so much Livingstone's 1980s "Red Ken" image as his >stated opposition to privatisation of the London Underground -- and while >Livingstone is not the only would-be contender with this policy, he is the >only one who could actually carry it through. > > Obviously there is big money at stake here and powerful voices in the City >of London are eager for yet another public utility flotation on the market. > > What's more Blair knows that Livingstone would have popular support behind >him as most Londoners are against Tube privatisation. > > It is also likely that the right wing hope the whole business will help to >demoralise the left in the Labour Party and the trade union movement by >giving the impression that the left will always be defeated by the right's >willingness to keep moving the goalposts. > > But this matter is in the hands of the left and the working class. We do >not have to fulfil the dreams of the right wing. Rather we need to take the >fight to Blair. Trade unionists who were not consulted by their executives >will no doubt be having more than a thing or two to say to their leaders. >Labour Party members too are showing their anger at the shabby way they >have been treated. > > We need to remember that Blair does not always get his way. We have seen >in Wales that Blair's favourite for leader of the Welsh Assembly, Alun >Michael, has been quickly put out to grass -- a tale that should give >Frank Dobson plenty of food for thought. > > The 100th anniversary of the Labour Party has coincided with a shameful >episode in Labour's history. But this could be Blair's bridge too far and >become a turning point in which the struggle for a democratic Labour Party >gathers momentum. The Labour movement as a whole has to stand up and speak >out. The Labour Party is not the property of Blair -- it is the creation >of the working class and it is there to serve the interests of our class! > > ************************** > >2) Lead story > >Outrage at rail safety U-turn. > >by Daphne Liddle > >DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott faced a public outcry last week after >backing down on his pledge, made in the wake of the Paddington rail >disaster, to remove the responsibility for rail safety from Railtrack to an >independent body. > > His announcement came at the end of a Government rail safety review which >began last October after the crash that killed 31 people. > > The Department of Transport review recommended that Railtrack should be >stripped of its responsibility for ensuring the rail operating companies >are safe to operate. > > Prescott has accepted this and said he would also end "Railtrack's >dominance" of the industry's safety agenda by removing its responsibility >for setting and enforcing security standards, which will pass to the >Department of Transport. > > But Prescott has decided to allow Railtrack to keep overall responsibility >for setting safety standards and carrying out audits. > > And Railtrack's Safety and Standards Directorate will be set up as a Rai >Itrack subsidiary company, Railway Safety Limited rather than removing it >entirely from Railtrack control. > > Families of those killed in the Paddington crash are horrified. Solicitor >Louise Christian, spea king on behalf of the bereaved families, said: "They >are concerned there remains a conflict of interest in any company >associated with Railtrack retaining a responsibility for safety. A >subsidiary company will still be part of the profit structure and will be >under the same pressure to put profits before safety." > > Prescott has also decided against requiring the rail companies to fit the >expensive but failsafe Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, which would >prevent trains going through red lights, in favour of the cheaper Train >Protection and Warning System. > > Louise Christian said: "The families feel the announcements are motivated >by the desire to save costs. The only modern, computerised fail-safe train >protection system is ATP." > > Prescott's decision coincides with the opening of the first inquests on >the victims of that crash. > > Last Monday Mrs Birgit Andersen read out a tribute to her daughter >Charlotte. In tears she spoke of the "crash that could have been prevented". > > Mrs Andersen added: "She lost her life due to lack of safety measures. Her >sister, her father and I were robbed that morning at 8.11am. > > "We feel angry as well as worried and feel it is a matter of time before >lives are lost in a similar accident if safety is not improved. > > "I plead that the dead of Ladbroke Grove should be honoured by ensuring >that this does not happen again." > > The inquest also heard from fire station officer Richard Hodson of how it >took fire crews ten minutes to prize open security gates to get heavy >rescue equipment to the site of the crash. > > In the meantime firefighters had pitched ladders against the fence and >another one 100 further on to give immediate help to the victims. > > Britain's railway chiefs were confronted with another safety issue by the >Rail Maritime and Transport Union which last week voted in favour of strike >action against proposed changes to the role of train guards -- changes >which the union says will undermine safety. > > Train guards working for 16 of the 23 train operating companies are now >ready to strike against the downgrading of their role to "glorified tea boys". > > The union has not yet fixed strike dates as it hopes to persuade the train >companies to withdraw the proposals before the end of the month. > > RMT spokesperson Vernon Hince declared: "They cannot claim that >commercialism and safety are one and the same thing." > > There are well founded fears that the train companies intend to save money >first by downgrading the train guards and then doing away with them >altogether. > > If RMT talks with the company managements fail, the union is expected to >stage a series of one or two-day strikes that will affect the entire rail >network in Britain. > > Train drivers employed by the Connex rail company who staged a very >successful one-day strike earlier this month in a long running dispute >overworking hours, are planning to strike again after the company reneged >on the promises it gave to get the drivers to drop the strikes. > > >campaign > > The train drivers' union Aslef is planning another campaign of disruption >and work to rule beginning on Tuesday 29 February if Connex, which operates >services between London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex, does not keep its promises. > > One of their pledges was to send Connex managers on industrial relations >training but so far they have made no effort to improve. > > The union also complained that drivers have been harassed and managers >have failed to organise joint meetings, as agreed. > > The union has provisionally set other strike dates for 8, 16, 24 and 27 >March and 4 April. > > Aslef general secretary Mick Rix said: "We hope that this issue can be >resolved before 29 February but at the end of the day, Connex has to make a >serious effort to improve industrial relations." > > ********************* > > >3) Feature article > >Women workers cheated out of £250,000 in a lifetime. > >by Caroline Colebrook > >A TYPICAL woman worker will be paid around £250,000 less than a man during >her working lifetime simply because she is a woman, according to Government >research published last week. > > The Cabinet Office report shows that women are still being paid around 20 >per cent less than men on average in spite of nearly three decades of equal >pay legislation. > > The research looked at women in three categories: low-skill with no >qualifications, mid-skilled with GCSEs and in a clerical job and >high-skilled graduate professionals. > > They compared their lifetime expected earnings with a man with the same >qualifications and number of children. > > The research showed that even women who did not have children and took no >career break, were paid many thousands of pounds less than men with no >children during their working lives. > > Those who did take a break to look after growing children paid a real >penalty -- with those who had children earlier in their career suffering a >greater pay loss. > > Low-skilled women tended to lose most. A low skilled woman who had no >children would be paid £197,000 less in a lifetime than a man in similar >circumstances. She would lose a total of £482,000 if she did take a break >to have children. > > A middle-skilled woman with no children would lose £241,000 simply for >being a woman. If she took a break to have children that figure would climb >to £381,000. > > A high-skilled woman would lose £143,000 if she had no children but that >would rise to £162,000 if she did. > > The research was carried out by the London School of Economics, the >Institute of Education and Birkbeck College for the Women's Unit. > > Government Ministers for Women Baroness Jay and Tessa Jewell admitted that >women workers are still hit by a "female forfeit" and said the report >exploded the myth that women's incomes are lower than men's only because >they take time off to care for children. > > The TUC and women's groups responded to the report by calling for measures >to increase pay in female-dominated employment sectors and particularly in >part-time work. > > They are also calling for improved childcare so that the burden of looking >after young children does not fall so unfairly only on women. >And they are calling for legislation to ensure than women who do take a >career break to look after children can return to work at an equivalent >level rather than taking a lower paid job. > > Julie Mellor, speaking for the equal opportunities commission called on >the Government to show leadership by tackling the pay gap in the public >sector. > > She said: "The Government should insist that taxpayers' money is not spent >paying suppliers who do not pay women equal wages. > > "Twenty five years after the Sex Discrimination Act was introduced, women >are still sacked because they are pregnant paid less for equal work and >earn less over a lifetime than men, even if they never have children." > > And equal opportunities commissioner Jenny Watson called on the Government >to reform employment tribunals so their findings become applicable to whole >employment sectors rather than simply individual workers. > > ************************* > >4) International story > >Europe-wide demonstrations against Heidar. > >by Steve Lawton > >VIENNA's Heldenplatz (Hero's Square) was packed with what Democratic >Offensive organisers said were some 300,000 protesters outside the Hofburg >Palace last Saturday, despite cold and rain, to oppose the inclusion of the >fascist Jurg Haider-led Freedom Party (FPO) in the Austrian coalition >government. They called for the resignation ofthe conservative People's >Party leader Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel and his government. > > Schussel saw his salvation in a deal with Heidar after elections last >October in which the FPO gained 27 per cent of the vote. The coalition, >which broke 30 years of Social Democratic government and took office on 4 >February, holds 104 seats in the 183-member Parliament. > > Among many addressing the rally which brought together opposition parties, >human rights groups, trade unionists, artists and pensioners, was Jewish >community leader Ariel Muzicant who attacked Heidar's violent speech and >his followers who he said are "believers in Nazi ideologies". He said: "It >is a scandal that racism and anti-Semitism have once again become harmless >crimes. It is a scandal that these crimes have been legitimised by the >People's Party." > > The Austrian government can hardly move without encountering what is fast >running into a continuous and expanding movement of opposition by the day. >On the numbers for last weekend's action, it has matched the huge rally >against Haider seven years ago. > > In a statement, Democratic Offensive said: "Racism made the Freedom Party >big and is now being rewarded with Cabinet seats "that must not be >allowed." Max Koch, one of the organisers, described the event as a >"peaceful uprising of civil society". > > The European Union (EU), US and other nations such as Israel have >registered a range of actions from disapproval to outright condemnation of >Austria's government. The US briefly withdrew its ambassador but has so far >taken no other action. EU diplomatic sanctions action, and tougher measures >to follow if there is no change, will hit the hardest. > > These actions, far from playing into Heidar's hands on the grounds of >damaging Austria's sovereign interests, have emboldened Austrian opposition >while Chancellor Schussel reaps most of the whirlwind. Both German and >French leaders -- Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and President Jacques Chirac >-- have promised resolute action. > > The strength of feeling is becoming increasingly evident far beyond >Austria's borders, as the Hitlerite alarm bells rang out very quickly >across Europe. > > Last Sunday around 10,000 protesters from Belgium's French and >Flemish-speaking regions gathered near the Austrian embassy in Brussels >with slogans declaring that democratic Europe will not tolerate fascism. In >the Wallon region of Belgium some schools cancelled ski holidays in Austria >as a protest. About 1,000 people demonstrated in Liege. > > The Belgian government has taken a strong line on Haider who was publicly >snubbed at an EU ministers social affairs meeting. He was then forced to >cancel his attendance at a regional EU meeting due to take place in >Brussels. Belgian foreign minister Louis Michel had earlier said the >Freedom Party's inclusion in the Austrian government set a "serious >precedent" of normalising the extreme right in Europe. > > In Paris last Saturday there were around 9,000 on the streets; 3,000 in >Grenoble and over a thousand in both Lyons and Strasbourg and other actions >took place in Lille, Marseille, Bordeaux, Perigueux, Poitiers, Toulouse and >Narbonne. > > Any idea that Heidar's past words -- that Nazi concentration camps were >"punishment camps", praising Hitler's labour policies and FPO posters >praising anti-immigration -- is clearly more than words on his part. >Heidar's withdrawn libel dispute with the Sunday Telegraph over whether or >not he said Churchill was one of the worst war criminals, led it to examine >his recent past. > > It reminded us of the time in 1995 that Heidar was filmed speaking to a >predominantly Waffen SS gathering of die hard Nazis in a back room of a pub >in the Carinthian town of Krumpendorf. He is heard to say: "I find it good >that there are still decent people in this world with character who stick >to their beliefs and their convictions -- even if the wind blows against >them." > > Heidar had to be rescued by from a local restaurant by police after the >Vienna rally as a group of protesters, who had spotted him, began to attack >the building. > > Earlier, on a private visit to Canada, Heidar was prevented from entering >the Montreal Holecaust Centre. Moshe Ronen, president of the Canadian >Jewish Congress, questioned Heidar's motives. > > ********************* > >5) British news item > >Reclaiming the struggle. > >by Rene Sams > >"ONE year on since the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry this is a crucial time", >said Suresh Grover, chairperson of the National Civil Rights Movement. His >words opened last Saturday's one day conference at London's Conway Hall. >"We need", he said, "to look back and see what was won and what has >happened in that year". > > "The Lawrence Inquiry", he said, "had reached an unprecedented verdict >which for the frrst time admitted that the killers were motivated by race >and for the first time in this century had forced the Secretary of State to >institute a judicial inquiry. > > "It has given us the ability to scrutinise the motives of the police >force", and Suresh was happy that, "the Metropolitan Police Force have >promised they will be more transparent. > > "But", he told the conference, "over the past year there has been an >unprecedented rise of 89 percent in racist incidents and many more deaths >in custody". > > He was obviously disappointed to report to conference that although the >Met Police promised a paradise of swift action sadly "that has not come >about". The Inquiry made some 70 recommendations none of which has so far >been implemented. > > There is no doubt that the courage and dedication of Neville and Doreen >Lawrence in pursuing the police for all those years to get justice for >their son has had a tremendous effect. > > It has brought about a change of climate which has allowed the other >families to come forward and campaign for basic civil rights for their >loved ones. > > Speakers from 14 of the family campaigns now fighting to get some justice, >or at least an explanation of how their loved ones came to die, made very >moving speeches telling ofthe attitude of the police to them and their >families and witnesses of the incidents which come from all over Britain. > >Sukhdev Reel, mother of Ricky whose body was found in the Thames in 1997 >said, "police tried everything in their power to convince the family that >they had done all that was possible to solve the mystery of Ricky's death" >His death is still a mystery. > > Kwesi Menson, brother of Michael who was burned to death in 1997, spoke of >police disrespect of black people and their systematic efforts to minimise >the circumstances of his brother's agonising death after 13 days suffering >in hospital without even being interviewed by police. > > His sister Essie said she was sure that the police and judicial system had >been trying to con us that the Lawrence case was just a one-off. But >judging by the number of cases present on the platform that is obviously >not the situation. > > It is not only black and Asian people who have to fight for civil rights. >Another incident concerns five Chinese waiters who were attacked by five >white racists who smashed up the restaurant and racially abused and >threatened the staff. > > When waiters called the police they were shocked to find themselves being >arrested. Because they were Chinese the police seemed to have immediately >assumed that it was just a Triad gang who caused the incident and an >internal Chinese affair. Sheila Coleman from the Hillsborough Justice >Campaign told the audience of how they are still fighting against the >police cover-up of the horrific disaster at the football ground when 96 >people died. > > The Bishop of Croydon, Dr Wilfred Woods, President of the Institute of >Race Relations, recalled the early days of black immigrants in the 50s in >Notting Hill where a policeman only had to say a man kicked him in the >shins and he was arrested. > > "There is a different situation today, he said. "We don't have to >vindicate our blackness". "But", he stressed, "the importance of supporting >the families in struggle is because "it concerns us all". > > Director of the Race Relations Institute, Dr Sivanandan, also reminded >conference of the history of black people, who had worked in transport, and >helped to provide much needed services but who still must fight to get >their basic dues. > > "Despite the new Freedom of Information Act", he said, "the police are >still free to withhold information to those who need it". > > He was scathing about the multitude of committees, joint committees, >liaison committees and forums created by the state which have proved >ineffective and just public relations exercises. And he warned that "state >racism contaminates civil society". > > A warning to the ethnic minority communities came from Sir Herman Ouseley, >former Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, who gave an appraisal >of the situation today for the younger generation of black and Asian >people, many of whom now have good jobs. > > He explained the problems facing those working in institutions. They will >face pressure to conform with the culture of those institutions. He >stressed thatthere must be no compromise on principles. > > Lee Bridges, Professor of Law at Warwick University, said the Lawrence >Inquiry Report had let the genie out of the bottle -- now they are trying >to get it back in again. > > "Every institution has to have policies", he said. "But it is in the >implementation of those policies that racism shows". He cited the stop and >search policy much favoured by the police. > > "It is claimed", he continued, "that this is necessary for the detection >ofcrime, but individual police officers have a wide and selective >discretion in who actually gets stopped. There is evidence to show that >their powers are abused and not effectively monitored". > > Michael Mansfield QC, President of the National Civil Rights Movement, >spoke of the 70 recommendations in the Report. He told the conference that >the authorities have had the arrogance to say they are beginning with 40 >per cent of these. They did not say which 40 per cent! > > "All we do know", Mansfield said, "is that in reality the changes are nil. >There are plenty of laws in Britain, but the problem is not so much the law >but the implementation of the law that has to be changed. > > He stressed that the movement has made real achievements over the last >year. "They are", he said, "significant and tangible - and we must >recognise what we have achieved. > > "Before the Lawrence campaign started people had to struggle alone, now >that has changed and there are now not just one or two groups but a whole >network of groups. There is collective support for those fighting for their >rights. Families are no longer isolated. > > "The authorities now know that they are not dealing with one family. There >is a solidarity which they have not had before in this country -- the power >of the families has at last come home to roost". > > The enormous change between the pre-Lawrence and post-Lawrence situation >was noted by solicitor Imran Khan. He said it was most important that we >recognise and acknowledge that change has taken place. But he warned that >there has been no recognition or acceptance of institutional racism by the >police. > > "Transparency and accountability are the current buzz words" Imran Khan >said, and "we have to make sure that this becomes real". > > Conference concluded with Doreen Lawrence making an appeal for the unity >of the movement. "We must stand together and not ourselves to be divided", >she said. "Together we can make a change". > > ********************* > > >New Communist Party of Britain Homepage > >http://www.newcommunistparty.org.uk > >A news service for the Working Class! > >Workers of all countries Unite! __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
