Four hundred people took to the streets in Glasgow yesterday in support of the parents who are occupying the St Gregory's and Wyndford primary schools.
Save Our School's Organiser, Richie Venton, said:
"The spirits of those occupying the schools is sky high, because they know the Labour councillors are terrified by the width of support for the Save Our Schools campaign. This was a demonstration of unity in the communities against the worst attack on kids' education in living memory."
Solidarity's Co-Convenor Rosemary Byrne urged all parents and campaigners to continue their individual fight from school to school and to support the wider united "save our schools' campaign. She said:
"Together, so much more can be achieved. Solidarity give our full support to the sit-ins, to the campaigns in each school and to the Save Our Schools campaign and ask all of our members to keep up the actions in support of children and parents."
EU tells UK to cut public spending, NO2EU campaigners warn
EU finance ministers have given Britain six months to come up with plans to cut public spending, the EU-critical electoral alliance No2EU – Yes to Democracy warned today.
No2EU - Yes to Democracy West Midlands co-ordinator Cllr Dave Nellist gave the warning after EU finance ministers meeting Prague last week warned the UK to cut its budget deficit to the EU Stability and Growth Pact limit of three per cent within four years.
Solidarity offers its support to the workers at Visteon who are currently in occupation at three sites in Belfast, Basildon and in London.
These ex-Ford workers have been in occupation since last Wednesday protesting against being sacked and left to claim statutory redundancy from the state.
pic by Charlie Kimber
Please text urgent messages of support to:
Des Heemskerk (Basildon) 07814432215
John Macquire (Belfast) 07816 590 380
Kevin Nolan (Enfield) 0780 889 5724
And e-mail messages to:
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Parents at Wynford and St Gregory's Schools in Glasow have occupied their school in opposition to the Council widespread schools closure programme.
Speaking from inside Wynford school, Nikki Rathmill said: "We decided to occupy the school at the start of the holidays because after the break migh be too late. We are here for as long as it takes."
There are 8 parents occupting Wynford School and 9 inside St Gregory's.
Further reports will apear here later. Send messages of Support to
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Solidarity National Press Officer and NUJ Executive member Hugh Kerr, called for support for the boycott of this weeks edition of the Sunday Mail.
NUJ members at the Daily Record and Sunday Mail are taking strike action from midnight tonight, to stop management forcing through around 20 compulsory redundancies. Hugh said:
"We are calling on all Solidarity members to support this strike and to help by boycotting the Sunday mail on April 5th"
The STUC earlier called for all trade unioists to boycott the weekly paper, Assistant Secretary Stephen Boyd said:
"On Saturday 4 April, journalists working at Trinity Mirror newspapers (Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail) will take strike action over management’s decision to cut 70 jobs. The edition of the Sunday Mail which appears on Sunday 5 April will be produced by non-union labour using copy from agencies. It would be of tremendous benefit to the NUJ and striking workers if the sales collapsed as a result."
Messages of support should be emailed to
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or texted to the picket line on 07836 542699. Donations should be made payable to the Alan Hutcheson Fund and sent to NUJ Scotland, Third Floor, 114, Union Street, Glasgow, G1 3QQ.
Arrest the real Terrorists
As socialists and activists from across the world came together in London to highlight the crimes of the G20 nations, Solidarity Co-Convenor, Tommy Sheridan, has slammed the UK press and the Police for focussing on the wrong people.
"Over the last few days we have see a relentless atempt by the media to equate democratic protest against the criminials of the G20 with terrorism and a security threat. Meanwhile no mainstream press seem to be concerned by the fact that a man was found guilty of trying to blow up the Central Mosque in Glasgow and had threatened to behead Scottish muslims.
"If the press want to tell a story of terror and murder, if the police want to arrest people who are responsible for death and brutality, they should turn around and face the G20 leaders, not the protesters who are trying to stop their crimes.
"To the police in this country, it is OK, it seems, to collude in kidnapping, torture, and bombings, as long as you are part of the Government. To the press, it's OK to bomb mosques and threaten muslims while they recoil in horror at muslims protesting legally against war."
Solidarity step towards Left Unity
Solidarity, Scotland's Socialist Movement have taken further steps towards united left electoral projects by joining the No2Eu/Yes to Democracy platform for the EU elections and engaging in the fast growing movement towards 'left forums' around the country. Solidarity's Management Committee are also discussing further projects for the Westminster elections with leading trade unionists in Scotland.
At a meeting of the party's National Steering Committee (NSC) last week, Solidarity agreed to offer candidates and full support to the RMT led euro campaign, joining the Communist Party of Britain (CPB) and others.
Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan called on the SSP, and others, to get involved. He said:
“Despite our bitter relations with The SSP leadership I believe we should appeal to them and all other left and progressive groups and unions to join this Platform and campaign in a united fashion to maximise the left and progressive vote in Scotland at the Euro election on June 4th."
For the full Solidarity satement click 'read more' below.
Solidarity members will join our comrades behind the banner of No2EU/Yes to Democracy at the "Put People First' march in London this Saturday (March 28th).
Solidarity Co-Convenor, Rosemary Byrne said:
"Although our members will be more involved in other action against G20 in this coming week, we are supporting the No2EU presence at this march which is primarily organised by trade unionists."
The occupation of the Prisme packaging factory in Dundee has entered its 3rd week and is still going strong.
12 workers, some of whom had worked at Prisme for 15 years were sacked without notice on Wednesday 4th March. They were told that although they were entitled to redundancy payments, accrued holiday pay and wages due in lieu they would not be getting a penny because the company had no assets.
The workers took the courageous decision to occupy the factory and have been there ever since.
A wet and windy Monday night in Glasgow did not put off a large number of people from attending Solidarity’s public meeting organised to expose the damage wreaked on working class communities by the crisis in capitalism.
Those at the sharp end of this crisis and its effects were well represented with workers in occupation at the Prisme Factory in Dundee joining community campaigners fighting to save their schools and striking Community Service workers who had been out for over 10 weeks in a dispute about pay and conditions.
Kenny Ross from the FBU reported on his visit to the West Bank and Israel as part of an STUC fact finding mission whilst Brian Smith, recently elected secretary of Scotland’s biggest UNISON branch gave a report on council workers attempts to fight attacks from their employers. Both Kenny and Brian attended the meeting in a personal capacity. Solidarity Co-convenor Tommy Sheridan summed up at the end of the meeting chaired by council worker and Solidarity member Tricia McLeish.
Events Calendar
EU finance ministers have given Britain six months to come up with plans to cut public spending, the EU-critical electoral alliance No2EU – Yes to Democracy warned today.
Parents at Wynford and St Gregory's Schools in Glasow have occupied their school in opposition to the Council widespread schools closure programme. 
Solidarity National Press Officer and NUJ Executive member Hugh Kerr, called for support for the boycott of this weeks edition of the Sunday Mail. 
A wet and windy Monday night in Glasgow did not put off a large number of people from attending Solidarity’s public meeting organised to expose the damage wreaked on working class communities by the crisis in capitalism.
