Doc class Agnes Varda and levels of thinking

It was so sad and warming too.. almost made me want to cry. BEN & PETER

Demonstrate LSBU

NSSN website is up

New one.. there was an old one which was a mess.. like my bad filing systems..


Ok maybe an online calednar? - http://www.keepandshare.com/htm/for_groups.php

NSSN likes page - 315 people

Something I set up around 23rd October - NSSN - Fighting Cuts

NSSN was set up in 2007 and I have been more actively involved this year. So I help with the weekly Facebook group bulletins and also set this likes page up as a way of putting up daily info that can go onto peoples home pages and be shared. Within 10 days we have over 300 people.

Group page is also growing... that allows us to send a weekly bulletin and it also have the January conference event on it. Group has 555 people on it.

January conference event has 157 people attending, 233 maybes, 848 not replied yet and 328 not attending. Yesterday sent them all a reminder about conference and the bulletin. Wondered if that is why the Group page has grown.. who knows!

NSSN Bulletin 24

This went out to Facebook group of 550 and then main NSSN list today: (will put up others within this)

FBU London strikes continue this week on Friday 5th for 47 hours. The mood is still strong and determined with support from across the country. This is despite an avalanche of lies in the mainstream media, whilst Firefighters are run over by scabs and managers there is a stinking silence, to heard from them. http://www.fbu.org.uk/newspress/pressrelease/2010/11_02.php

This crucial battle is against the imposition of cuts, but also bullying management tactics and the use of legislation called a 188 legal notice used to sack the whole workforce. Similar tactics & threats are being used over in Councils in Birmingham, Sheffield, Greenwich and most recently Rhondda Cynon Taff, S Wales to make cuts.
1) Messages of support: ian.leahair@fbu.org.uk or ben.sprung@fbu.org.uk, matt.wrack@fbu.org.uk

2) Letters of complaint against the shocking violence against firefighters to: Ron.dobson@london-fire.gov.uk
3) Request a health & safety impact assessment at your workplace.

RMT London started strike on Tuesday evening to save jobs and ensure our safety action on with a lively lobby outside people question time of Boris, & 3 jobs Coleman. Shouting solidarity messages with 'Hands off the FBU'. Many workers chose not to work on the underground whilst the FBU were on Strike to maintain staff and public safety. http://www.rmtlondoncalling.org.uk/node/1803
Messages of support: S.Hedley@rmt.org.uk

NUJ - 48 Hour strike 5th & 6th November NUJ members are to strike in protest at plans to make them pay more, work longer and get significantly lower pensions at the BBC. Public meeting Thurs 7th Nov 7pm Salvation Army Hall, Princess St, SE1 6HH organised by Southwark Save Our Services with FBU & NUJ speakers. http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=1788
Messages of support: campaigns@nuj.org.uk

UCU & NUS - 10th Nov National Demonstration: Fund our Future: Stop the Education Cuts. Assemble at 12noon Horse Guards Avenue (Westminster SW1A). March through Westminster to the rally. There will be an number feeder marches from different universities across London.
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4779

Local ANTI CUTS - update:
This weekend saw around a fantastic march of 2000 people in Brighton against the cuts, 100 in Portsmouth & 150 in Plymouth. 300 attended an anti-cuts meeting in Norwich and 50 at Hillingdon.

Please contact info@shopstewards.net with information about forthcoming events and reports about what you have done. Some reports have been posted on the news page.

3rd North Wales SSN - AGM 7-8pm Wrexham Lager Social Club, followed by NW Against Cuts meeting 8-9pm. Eileen O'Reilly (PCS) email brynidris2@aol.com
3rd Bracknell Defend our Services - 7pm Easthamstead Baptist Church. RG12 7NS
4th Solidarity with the striking firefighters: Waltham Forest anti cuts union meeting 7.30pm, William Morris community centre, Greenleaf Road, E17 6QQ
6th Taunton & West Somerset TC - March & Rally Assemble 10.30am. Contact Nigel 07833552340
6th Falkirk TC - 11am-3pm Saturday 6 November, Camelon Education Centre, Abercrombie Street, Camelon, Falkirk FK1 4HA. falkirktuc@blueyonder.co.uk
6th Wiltshire TC - Working Class Episodes, 0am-2.30pm Saturday 6 November, St Margaret's Hall, Bradford-on-Avon.Andy Newman 07764 563855, andydl1961@yahoo.co.uk
8th - Battersea & Wandsworth TC - Starts 7.30pm. PCS HQ, 160 Falcon Road, London SW11 2LN. 07958 125 128 or Spencer Barnshaw barnshaw@barnshaw.plus.com or Nadine: 07946 172 461 or nadine@bwtuc.org.uk
10th Nov Liverpool TC- 4.30 Mass lobby against City Council cuts. Liverpool5@rmt.org.uk,Tel 07585 268 607
10th Nov Bournemouth, Christ Church, Poole TC - Public meeting 7.30pm Woodlands Hall Labour club, 485 Ashley Road, BH14. 01202 529325 chairbcptuc@freeukisp.co.uk

H &S
Updates on the Young Review of cuts to HSE and local Authority budgets will be featured in the Morning star over the next six weeks. If you can pass on a personal experience of the importance of Health and Safety please contact: mail@gmhazards.org.uk http://www.hazards.org/votetodie/neutered.htm

NSSN Conference 22nd January
We are sending out invites to unions, trades councils and anti cuts groups to send delegates and visitors to the NSSN conference on the 22nd January. If you would like a copy of the invite letter please email us and also raise this in your workplaces and alliances, thanks. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159784320718030

We are conscious we are not reporting every march or dispute but need YOUR input to do this, short reports of even 50 words and a weblink & photo would be ideal otherwise major actions are left unreported and sometimes worse unsupported.

Some info is being blocked, these will be posted on the Group page and some daily on our new 'NSSN - Fighting Cuts & Privatisation' LIKES page.

Join us! Get involved and let's fight together!
info@shopstewards.net

Representing Resistance? Performing Resistance!

This week is mad..

Yesterday Firefighters struck against the 90 day notices to sack them all which ends later this end, if they do not sign new contracts with shift changes.

- Update link on NSSN - LIKES page
- Update info on NSSN group page
- Collect info to send to Group e on FB, also through main elist and Morning Start group also forwarded both our emails.

- Towards the end of the day 2 firefighters are injured, one seriously by scabs... information shared online and in conversations.
- RMT arrange a protest at the peoples question time - info shared, text, email and mainly FB.

Share information on ASLEF/RMT H & S concerns around work..

Funny no news except Croydon local online about injuries... mention them as protestors as opposed to a striking firefighter being run over by fire managers and senior staff! Its a disgrace..

NSSN extra - FB then Main elist

Arti Dillon November 1 at 9:48am
As you know, the FBU in London is on strike today 10am - 6pm Monday 1st November, and then for 47 hours 5th - 6th November. The dispute is a crucial one - the employers, with the backing of government ministers and the media, are out to break the firefighters.

The shocking smears made against Firefighters and the FBU has been challenged by General Sec, Mr Wrack: “Each day, the large team of well paid press officers at LFB headquarters, paid for by Londoners, looks for a story which can be used to discredit its workforce, our members. Each day, something – a truth, a half truth, and sometimes just a lie – is fed to LFB’s friends on right wing newspapers. '.

All NSSN supporters should endeavour to do the following:

1. Visit picket lines, and take with you others from your workplace and union branch. The FBU have specifically asked for trade unionists to come to their picket lines. They are planning pickets at every single fire station in London.

2. Take workplace collections and ask for donations from your union branch

3. Invite FBU speakers to your union meetings

4. Below is the guidance provided by the FBU to ASLEF on the London underground. We want to get regional union officials, or exec members of London unions, to make requests to FBU for similar advice statements. Anything you can do to move that along will be helpful.

Fire Brigade capabilities during periods of strike action by members of the Fire Brigade union on incidents on the underground network in London FROM FBU REGIONAL H& S CHAIR:

Thank you for your concerns regarding periods of industrial action (strike action) by Fire Brigade union members in London. From the information you provided me, I feel obliged to bring to your attention the inaccuracies that your management have received in this matter from the London Fire Brigade.

The operational procedures relating to incidents on the underground, have been developed over a number of years ensure the fastest and safest response. These operational procedures involve dealing with the widest type of incident, from a small fire to a major catastrophic incident, all of which have happen in some form or the other in the past.

All these various scenarios have been pre-planned for, to ensure maximum capability at any call to the underground. Fighting fires in the underground requires specialist skills, none of which the contractors being employed by the fire brigade during periods of industrial action have. Their skills level, is very basic and in truth basic would be an underestimation. London fire-fighters spend six months in basic training before being sent to an operational station, and then spend a further two years training, before they are deemed to be competent. We understand that the contractors have had no more than one to 2 weeks basic training, and will only fight fires from a defensive point of view. In other words they will not attempt to make rescues or fight any fire internally, which obviously presents a specific risk if a fire occurs within the underground network.

Also when Fire Brigade union members are taking industrial action there is only 27 of these basic appliances available, and during last weeks industrial action on the 23rd, by 1400 in the afternoon there was only 11 appliances available across the whole of London, rather than normal 300, there were only 66 un-trained contractors available, rather than the 1200 plus professional fire-fighters during normal periods of working.

There will be no crews available with GAS tights protection PPE suits or other specialist equipment to an incident in tunnel network during periods of industrial action.

None of the specialist fire rescue units (FRU) will be available during periods of industrial action. These units carry 90% of the equipment required for dealing with incidents in the underground network. Without these appliances being available, rescues and incidents in tunnels will not be able to be dealt with. Incidents below ground level would be near impossible to be dealt with without the availability of these crews and appliances.

There will be no urban search and rescue (USAR) equipment or crews available in London either, during periods of strike action in London, should a terrorist or other major incident occur, this equipment is specifically designed to deal with incidents involving chemical or biological, as well as specialist decontamination equipment for members of the public and your members if such an incident were to happen.

Therefore if you are carrying a risk assessment you must have the full knowledge, that there will not be support of the Fire Brigade to assist should and incident occur.
The picture I paint is not a good one, and I completely understand that you have to take into account all of the above to ensure the safety of the public and your members. It is with deep regret that fire-fighters are taking this action.


Gordon Fielden
Regional health and safety coordinator.
London FBU Regional Chair
E-mail: gordon.fielden@fbu.org.uk
The Fire Brigades Union, John Horner Mews, Frome Street, London , N1 8PB

Messages of support to: ian.leahair@fbu.org.uk or ben.sprung@fbu.org.uk.

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RMT/TSSA - Strike Tuesday 2nd Nov

RMT & TSSA continue their battle against cuts on Tuesday & Wednesday this week. RMT also highlighted the Board Room Bonazas as workers face cuts and public pay higher prices. Please also encourage support for the pickets and RMT would welcome attending union meetings to discuss the dispute.

Messages of support/speakers: S.Hedley@rmt.org.uk,
Please forward information to your members and other workers - Thankyou.