G8: march July 2 capitalism Make history!
OXI Two more pages of background and analysis to
the G8 CENTRE PAGES EVERYBODY seems to be supporting the call for a mass demonstration to put pressure on the summit meeting of the world's most powerful eight countries in Gleneagles on July 6: but not everybody is working to the same political agenda.
The call for a demonstration through Edinburgh on July 2 has been endorsed by a huge coalition including trade unions, charities, church groups ... and, bizarrely, our very own Chancellor, Gordon Brown, who will be the only political speaker on the official platform.
At first sight Brown is calling on people to join a demonstration against him: but clearly he, along with most of the organisers of the July 2 events sees the march simply as a means of applying moral pressure on other capitalist leaders for piecemeal measures to ease the debt burden on the poorest coun tries, while keeping the capitalist system itself - with all its inequalities, exploitation and deadly conflicts - alive.
Brown's inclusion as a speaker may appear confusing: but it should be seen in the context of the decision of the Make Poverty History coalition to exclude the Stop the War Coalition from its ranks, and its refusal to include an anti-war speaker from the rally.
Instead Stop the War has had to set up its own, alternative rally on July 2 in an adjacen venue, with speakers including Respect MP George Galloway. The same limited political
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Kathy Lowe The depth of the crisis at the BBC was brought home - literally - to listeners and viewers across the country last month when a one-day strike by thousands of BBC staff severely disrupted TV and radio programmes.
Between13,000 and 15,000 BBC workers answered a strike call by the National Unlon of Joumnalists (NUJ), the techniclans' unlon BECTU and office workers' unton Amicus on 23
After the strike and the Intervendon of ACAS Mark Thompson offered to delay compulsory redundancies until July. 2006 and pledged not to sell off the outside broadcast division BBC Resources. But he told staft the intended Job losses would go ahead after the graco period. Union leaders called off further strikes when ACAS Intervened but their workplace reps at the BBC rejected Thompson's concessions.
The unions are now demanding more talks, saylng they will leaving the BBC fatally weakened In its role as the world's leading public service broadcaster.
Vlowers would then see no polnt in paying the TV licence tee and would not oppose the Ilcence being dropped by a government that Is waiting to hand over UK broadcasting wholesale to private interests.
Leaders of the NUU, BECTU and Amicus have been sending out mixed messages, demandIng that Mark Thompson lifts the threat of compulsory redunTHE PICKET CEO
BB SUPPORT THE NUJ