Prince Rhyus
Spokesman of King Antonio
It's not as if the PCS can stand people for election though.
No2EU - Yes to Democracy (EU Election Platform of TUists and Left Parties)
- Thread starter where to
- Start date
It's not as if the PCS can stand people for election though.
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
That's not the definition of a 'real' trades union though.
lewislewis
Lumumba Cymru
I got this press release through a mailing list, surely it has implications because No2EU is standing in Wales as well. It's possible that most votes they will pick up will be people mistakenly thinking they are a UKIP-style party. Moreover, does the positive outcome of the vote Jill Evans refers to mean anything for workers? Does anyone know?
Plaid MEP Jill Evans has attacked the Conservatives for letting down Welsh workers once again by voting against a law to control subcontractors who exploit workers.
She was speaking in Strasbourg after an important vote in the European Parliament on subcontractor liability, which was adopted with 321 votes to 235, meaning that the Conservatives and their allies lost the vote.
Jill Evans, who represents the whole of Wales in the European Parliament, said:
“As we have seen from recent disputes, the practice of subcontracting across Europe has resulted in undercutting wages and working conditions. Subcontracting is used by some, especially in the construction industry, as a means of exploiting workers and getting away with it. If often leads to a race to the bottom in terms of rights and conditions as employers compete with each other for lower labour costs.
"Eight EU member countries have brought in their own liability schemes. These have worked well and in Germany it led to posted workers getting back payments worth thousands of pounds.
"But a European law is needed for when subcontracting takes place across borders. Companies have to be responsible for the conditions of workers employed by people they subcontract work to. We are calling for "joint and several liability" which would ensure this. We also want to see campaigns to inform workers about their rights.
“Plaid Cymru is on the side of Welsh workers. By opposing a new law, the Tories have shown once again that they put profit before people.”
Plaid MEP Jill Evans has attacked the Conservatives for letting down Welsh workers once again by voting against a law to control subcontractors who exploit workers.
She was speaking in Strasbourg after an important vote in the European Parliament on subcontractor liability, which was adopted with 321 votes to 235, meaning that the Conservatives and their allies lost the vote.
Jill Evans, who represents the whole of Wales in the European Parliament, said:
“As we have seen from recent disputes, the practice of subcontracting across Europe has resulted in undercutting wages and working conditions. Subcontracting is used by some, especially in the construction industry, as a means of exploiting workers and getting away with it. If often leads to a race to the bottom in terms of rights and conditions as employers compete with each other for lower labour costs.
"Eight EU member countries have brought in their own liability schemes. These have worked well and in Germany it led to posted workers getting back payments worth thousands of pounds.
"But a European law is needed for when subcontracting takes place across borders. Companies have to be responsible for the conditions of workers employed by people they subcontract work to. We are calling for "joint and several liability" which would ensure this. We also want to see campaigns to inform workers about their rights.
“Plaid Cymru is on the side of Welsh workers. By opposing a new law, the Tories have shown once again that they put profit before people.”
well a real trade union actually does stuff for its memembers and should also consider doing things for wider society. Now they are inept i know people who are leaving unions becuase they are crap. They are unions in all but name. that is why they are many which are not 'real'
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
PCS does things for its members and wider society. It's also incresed it's membership in the tens of thousands over the past few years.
lostexpectation
New Member
bit of solidarity with the irish please thank you
dennisr
the acceptable face
Nigel
For A Degenerates' Workers State
Nigel
For A Degenerates' Workers State
Apparentely all eight seats will be contested(if thats the right phrase)
Even against left Green Party candidates
I agree
Divisive Cotton
Now I just have my toy soldiers
When are the candidates going to be announced?
Nigel
For A Degenerates' Workers State
Teachers welcome new EU-critical election platform
Around 70 delegates to the National Union of Teachers conference and local socialists attended a No2EU—Yes to Democracy fringe meeting in Cardiff this week.
Prospective No2EU—Yes to Democracy candidate Robert Griffiths told the well attended meeting that the alliance was standing to provide a clear alternative to New Labour, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the SNP—all of whom support the drive to a United States of Europe based on a market economy and bogus ‘social partnership'.
“Even more important, we also represent a clear alternative to the Tories, UKIP and the BNP fascists whose hostility to the EU is fuelled by narrow British nationalism, racism, support for US imperialism or the view that no concessions should be given to organised labour”, he said.
“It is also vital that the Lisbon Treaty is exposed as the roadmap to a militarist and imperialist bloc”, the Communist Party's general secretary added.
'The treaty centralises yet more power into the hands of an unelected EU Commission and an unaccountable European Central Bank to pursue policies of monetarism and marketisation, while a European Defence Agency is charged with building a European military-industrial complex,” he said.
Coventry Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist insisted that “urging people not to vote BNP because they are nasty and deny the Holocaust” was not working in a growing number of working class constituencies.
“Advising them to vote New Labour—for the very politicians whose pro-big business, pro-war and anti-working class policies have driven them in despair towards the BNP in the first place—is not good enough,” he argued.
'That is why this No2EU—Yes to Democracy initiative is potentially historic, because a militant trade union and an alliance of left-wing parties and groups is now going to provide a real alternative for electors on June 4,” he said.
In a lively discussion, issues raised included the impact of the economic crisis on manufacturing and public services, the anti-trade union laws in Britain and recent verdicts at the European Court of Justice, EU-driven policies of privatisation in the Third World and the role that NO2EU MEPs could play in developing a popular anti-monopoly, working class-based movement in Britain and internationally.
MEPs in line for £13,000 pay rise
The Mail reports that British MEPs are in line for a £13,000 pay rise this summer, from £63,291 to around £76,360 a year, as new rules come into force which ends the practice of MEPs earning the same as national politicians in their home countries. The article also reports that MEPs will not pay tax in the UK anymore, but qualify for a preferential rate of 15 per cent.
German MEP: "percentage of legislation originating in Brussels is 85 percent in Germany, and even higher in eastern Europe"
EUobserver reports that, according to Liberal German MEP Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, EU citizens are for the large part unaware that the vast majority of national legislation originates in Brussels, saying the percentage was 85 per cent in Germany, and even higher in eastern Europe. He added: "People don't know this because national politicians don't want them to know. They don't want to show up their own minor role."
EUobserver
Stop the Thatcherite EU juggernaut – vote NO2EU –Yes to Democracy
Brian Denny outlines how the EU is dominated by right wing Thatcherite economic policies and how the Lisbon Treaty would enshrine these neo-liberal policies as legal requirements for all member states if it is put into place.
Around 70 delegates to the National Union of Teachers conference and local socialists attended a No2EU—Yes to Democracy fringe meeting in Cardiff this week.
Prospective No2EU—Yes to Democracy candidate Robert Griffiths told the well attended meeting that the alliance was standing to provide a clear alternative to New Labour, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the SNP—all of whom support the drive to a United States of Europe based on a market economy and bogus ‘social partnership'.
“Even more important, we also represent a clear alternative to the Tories, UKIP and the BNP fascists whose hostility to the EU is fuelled by narrow British nationalism, racism, support for US imperialism or the view that no concessions should be given to organised labour”, he said.
“It is also vital that the Lisbon Treaty is exposed as the roadmap to a militarist and imperialist bloc”, the Communist Party's general secretary added.
'The treaty centralises yet more power into the hands of an unelected EU Commission and an unaccountable European Central Bank to pursue policies of monetarism and marketisation, while a European Defence Agency is charged with building a European military-industrial complex,” he said.
Coventry Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist insisted that “urging people not to vote BNP because they are nasty and deny the Holocaust” was not working in a growing number of working class constituencies.
“Advising them to vote New Labour—for the very politicians whose pro-big business, pro-war and anti-working class policies have driven them in despair towards the BNP in the first place—is not good enough,” he argued.
'That is why this No2EU—Yes to Democracy initiative is potentially historic, because a militant trade union and an alliance of left-wing parties and groups is now going to provide a real alternative for electors on June 4,” he said.
In a lively discussion, issues raised included the impact of the economic crisis on manufacturing and public services, the anti-trade union laws in Britain and recent verdicts at the European Court of Justice, EU-driven policies of privatisation in the Third World and the role that NO2EU MEPs could play in developing a popular anti-monopoly, working class-based movement in Britain and internationally.
MEPs in line for £13,000 pay rise
The Mail reports that British MEPs are in line for a £13,000 pay rise this summer, from £63,291 to around £76,360 a year, as new rules come into force which ends the practice of MEPs earning the same as national politicians in their home countries. The article also reports that MEPs will not pay tax in the UK anymore, but qualify for a preferential rate of 15 per cent.
German MEP: "percentage of legislation originating in Brussels is 85 percent in Germany, and even higher in eastern Europe"
EUobserver reports that, according to Liberal German MEP Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, EU citizens are for the large part unaware that the vast majority of national legislation originates in Brussels, saying the percentage was 85 per cent in Germany, and even higher in eastern Europe. He added: "People don't know this because national politicians don't want them to know. They don't want to show up their own minor role."
EUobserver
Stop the Thatcherite EU juggernaut – vote NO2EU –Yes to Democracy
Brian Denny outlines how the EU is dominated by right wing Thatcherite economic policies and how the Lisbon Treaty would enshrine these neo-liberal policies as legal requirements for all member states if it is put into place.
Divisive Cotton
Now I just have my toy soldiers
did you write that nigel?
Divisive Cotton
Now I just have my toy soldiers
Well can you put a reference where you took it from
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
I've heard Dave Nellist and Keith Gibson from the SP are the east and west mids lead candiates.
who what when ?
dennisr
the acceptable face
May well be - canditates are still being sellected according to the site
http://www.no2eu.com/candidates.html
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Well their behaviour up here in Scotland would indicate it's hardly inclusive.
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Scotland will be an interesting one. The behaviour of No2EU up here leaves moer than a lot to be desired.
dennisr
the acceptable face
Must say - I am concerned about this comment, if there is any weight to it - has the SSP been cut out in some way? Could you tell us some more Fed?
Udo Erasmus
Well-Known Member
Haven't seen it discussed anywhere, but at a meeting in Cardiff last week Mark Serwotka mentioned that the PCS would be starting the process of discussing & debating standing candidates in some circumstances.
While commending Bob Crow as the best trade union leader in Britain today (and various other statements to make clear that he respected many involved in the project) he was scathingly critical of No2EU - Yes2Democracy saying that he wouldn't &couldn't vote for it.
He critiqued the very name, saying that the alternative wasn't the EU vs. Democracy, Britain wasn't democratic enough, it was the British government who privatised our utilities, and argued that the platform of No2EU promoted the idea of 'socialism in one country' and had a strong nationalistic tinge, he argued that we should be taking our lead from comrades in France and Ireland in the fight against neoliberalism.
He also said that the way the slate had been set up was untransparent for a group with the name - 'Yes2Democracy' and said that you shouldn't take short cuts when trying to form a new mass workers party. He alluded to not knowing who had drawn up the platform, how the candidates had been selected etc.
He said in the PCS, in contrast, the process would take several months, they would be debating and discussing at every level of the union. He felt that the union taking the initiative in standing anti-neoliberal candidates in a handful of constituencies could help break the logjam on the left since the collapse of SLP, Socialist Alliance, Respect, SSP and other left unity projects. He said it was unlikely that they would have completed the debate in time to stand candidates for the General Election, but made it clear that if shortcuts were taken and things weren't thought out and above-board then it would cause more damage in the longrun,.
While commending Bob Crow as the best trade union leader in Britain today (and various other statements to make clear that he respected many involved in the project) he was scathingly critical of No2EU - Yes2Democracy saying that he wouldn't &couldn't vote for it.
He critiqued the very name, saying that the alternative wasn't the EU vs. Democracy, Britain wasn't democratic enough, it was the British government who privatised our utilities, and argued that the platform of No2EU promoted the idea of 'socialism in one country' and had a strong nationalistic tinge, he argued that we should be taking our lead from comrades in France and Ireland in the fight against neoliberalism.
He also said that the way the slate had been set up was untransparent for a group with the name - 'Yes2Democracy' and said that you shouldn't take short cuts when trying to form a new mass workers party. He alluded to not knowing who had drawn up the platform, how the candidates had been selected etc.
He said in the PCS, in contrast, the process would take several months, they would be debating and discussing at every level of the union. He felt that the union taking the initiative in standing anti-neoliberal candidates in a handful of constituencies could help break the logjam on the left since the collapse of SLP, Socialist Alliance, Respect, SSP and other left unity projects. He said it was unlikely that they would have completed the debate in time to stand candidates for the General Election, but made it clear that if shortcuts were taken and things weren't thought out and above-board then it would cause more damage in the longrun,.
Udo Erasmus
Well-Known Member
Selected by whom?!
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Well the SSP have certainly had NO official invite, and no copmmunication tho the National Secretary. Someone in the RMT/No2EU campaign contacted John McAllion re the SSP getting inviolved. McAllion rightly said that such an offical request had to go through the National Secretary. Someone from RMT/No2EU then aopproached Colin Fox, he said the same as McAllion and said go through the National Secretary. The National Secretary has received no communication from either the RMT or NO2EU.
Divisive Cotton
Now I just have my toy soldiers
is tommy sheriden going to stand for them?
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Well ther was a stoery in the Daily Record up here that Sheridan was considering standing for the RMT lash-up. When the RMT were contacted they categorically denied it. Whereas Sheridan, every the meeja hoor, refused to comment. That the RMT had blown it out of the water seemed to elude him.
I was speaking to a Solidarity member the other week and in his opinion Sheridan at the head of the list would be a disaster. Even though some want that or bust. Others think he should be on it, others don't want hiom on it, this is from Solidarity members.
Bizarrely the SWP have been told to stay away from it but SWP members in Solidarity are gonna be involved.... Curiouser and curiouser.
Similar threads
