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.