IRANIAN LABOUR:

JAILED IRANIAN TRADER UNIONIST REQUIRES URGENT MEDICAL TREATMENT:

Molly has blogged before on this blog about the case of Mahmoud Salehi, an Iranian trade unionist who is presently imprisoned for his peaceful trade union activities in Iran. Mr. Salehi is presently on hunger strike to defend his rights. An appeal from Amnesty International on this case follows. Check it out, and send a letter of protest.

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Jailed Iranian trade unionist requires urgent medical treatment

Mahmoud Salehi has long suffered persecution by the Iranian authorities, spending several periods in prison because of their legitimate and peaceful activities as trade union activists and human rights defenders. He began his sentence on 9 April 2007. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience and is concerned for his health.

Mahmoud Salehi, who has serious long term medical concerns, is now on a total hunger strike and there are serious fears for his safety. He went on hunger strike after he was summoned to appear for questioning by Branch 4 of the Sanandaj Courts on 17 March 2008 when, after a prolonged wait, new charges were issued against him.

He has reportedly been accused of ‘communicating with those outside prison for the purposes of issuing messages of solidarity’ for other individual prisoners on hunger strike and students facing arrest. The new charges appear intended to justify Mahmoud Salehi’s continued detention beyond his scheduled 23 March 2008 release date, when he will have completed a one year prison sentence.

Health fears Mahmoud Salehi, former leader of the Bakers’ Union in Saqez, has long-term medical concerns. He was reportedly transferred briefly to hospital, unconscious, on 11 December, after repeatedly collapsing in prison between 4-10 December. During an earlier hospitalisation, on or around 4 December, the authorities placed restraints on his bed. He may not be receiving adequate medical care.

A May 2007 request by his doctor that he be accorded specialist treatment outside the prison has been ignored. He suffers from chronic kidney disease, as a result of which he requires dialysis. He is also said to suffer from a heart disorder and has been returned to prison where he remains.

In December 2007 it was reported that Salehi has grave intestinal edema or swelling that may be connected with his renal disease. His wife, Najibeh Salehzadeh is reported to have said on 18 December that:
“…the physical health of my partner is extremely severe. One of his kidneys has stopped working and because of being deprived of proper medical treatment the other kidney is losing its functions. His blood pressure fluctuates and his blood sugar is surging. He falls unconscious about twice daily. The lack of treatment of his kidney has affected his heart as well. His feet and legs are swollen and the excessive injections of tranquilizers have seriously endangered his well-being….”

Background

Mahmoud Salehi has been denied visits from his lawyer and family. His family, who live 400km from Sanandaj, have been able to contact him by telephone. He was arrested after a peaceful demonstration to celebrate May Day 2004. In November 2005 he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and three years' internal exile in the city of Ghorveh, Kordestan. At his trial, the prosecutor reportedly cited his trade union activities as evidence against him, and referred to a meeting he had held with officials from the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) - now reconstituted as the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) - in April 2004, shortly before the May Day demonstrations.

His conviction was overturned on appeal, but after a retrial he was sentenced on 11 November 2006 to four years’ imprisonment for "conspiring to commit crimes against national security". He was free until the appeal hearing on 11 March, when his sentence was reduced to a three-year suspended prison sentence and one year’s imprisonment, which commenced with his imprisonment on 9 April 2007.

Mahmoud Salehi has long suffered persecution by the Iranian authorities, spending several periods in prison because of their legitimate and peaceful activities as trade union activists and human rights defenders. He began his sentence on 9 April 2007. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience and is concerned for his health.

Mahmoud Salehi, who has serious long term medical concerns, is now on a total hunger strike and there are serious fears for his safety. He went on hunger strike after he was summoned to appear for questioning by Branch 4 of the Sanandaj Courts on 17 March 2008 when, after a prolonged wait, new charges were issued against him.

He has reportedly been accused of ‘communicating with those outside prison for the purposes of issuing messages of solidarity’ for other individual prisoners on hunger strike and students facing arrest. The new charges appear intended to justify Mahmoud Salehi’s continued detention beyond his scheduled 23 March 2008 release date, when he will have completed a one year prison sentence.

Read the joint Amnesty-Global Unions' statement on Mahmoud Salehi's continued detention here
More about Iranian trade union rights
Send an appeal to the Iranian authorities to release Mahmoud Salehi or to ensure he urgently receives appropriate medical treatment

TIBET:

WHAT DOES "FREE TIBET" MEAN TO YOU:

The following is reprinted from Anarkismo.Net. It concerns our way of viewing what is happening in Tibet today, and how anarchists should view these events. Not that I agree with everything here concerned as to "emphasis", but I really think this is a valuable contribution for thought and debate.

Molly

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What Does "Free Tibet" Mean for You?

by Laure Akai

Friday, Mar 28 2008, 12:45pm

The struggle to be free is one that is commendable and deserves our sympathy. At this time when the state is committing brutal violence against a people, solidarity and action is needed and in fact, around the world well-wishers have expressed their outrage at the situation in Tibet. Protest movements have been calling for "an end to cultural imperalism", "freedom", even for "crushing the oppressor" and are united in such slogans and demands. Yet what if Tibet were to gain independence from China?

The question of national liberation is a complicated one. Discrimination, destruction of culture and community are forms of repression which are often seen in the contest of nation against nation instead of in the context of the ruling classes against the subjugated. Thus national liberation movements of all kinds tend to create the illusion of a mass common interest against an oppressor which is always external. "Self-determination" is too often a slogan which really means establishing the right of the elites of a given nation to exert power and influence, both economic and political, over those who would be subjects of a new nation state.

The struggle to be free is one that is commendable and deserves our sympathy. At this time when the state is committing brutal violence against a people, solidarity and action is needed and in fact, around the world well-wishers have expressed their outrage at the situation in Tibet. Protest movements have been calling for "an end to cultural imperialism", "freedom", even for "crushing the oppressor" and are united in such slogans and demands. Yet what if Tibet were to gain independence from China?

*****
The question of national liberation is a complicated one. Discrimination, destruction of culture and community are forms of repression which are often seen in the contest of nation against nation instead of in the context of the ruling classes against the subjugated. Thus national liberation movements of all kinds tend to create the illusion of a mass common interest against an oppressor which is always external. "Self-determination" is too often a slogan which really means establishing the right of the elites of a given nation to exert power and influence, both economic and political, over those who would be subjects of a new nation state.

*****
It is no coincidence that the "struggle to be free" is supported selectively. Individuals or larger groups of society may give precedence to one struggle over another for various reasons and in Europe and North America one can observe the existence of "causes célèbres" which are given both support by famous and powerful persons and disproportionate media attention (when compared to other analogous struggles). Causes célèbres are able to attract and mobilize people, gather ardent supporters for the cause. But not all social struggles or even human tragedy can qualify as a cause célèbre.

Causes célèbres are easily mobilized around those national liberation movements which are also (not coincidentally) related to establishing independence from the superstates created by so-called "communist nations". The brutal totalitarian nature of such states are joyously exposed with indignation by countries many of which even have equal atrocities on their account. Members of the American political establishment are quick to condemn human rights conditions in China and some even call for a boycott of the Olympics similar to that held in 1980, while Americans continue to kill civilians in wars for oil, support right-wing murderous paramilitaries, execute prisoners and financially support slave-like working conditions in factories around the world producing goods for American consumers. Few "concerned citizens of the world" were whipped into such a frenzy to demand a boycott of the Olympic Games in the US.

This is not to say that a reaction to the situation in Tibet is undue. Quite the contrary. However, I would like to pose a few questions for consideration.

The Tibetan situation is treated by many with, quite justifiably, a sense of urgency. In my city, at least three pickets have been held in the past week with large crowds in attendance and throughout the country, people mobilized instantly. We are being passionately implored to boycott the firm that is producing Olympic uniforms, to go to the Chinese embassy, to boycott Chinese goods and anybody who has been less than enthusiastic about this may be told they are supporting genocide. By comparison, many recent events have gone largely ignored in these parts, for example recent Turkish military actions against Kurds or, even more tragically, the ongoing and outrageous situation in Congo. How is it that over 5 million people have been killed in Congo over the last ten years and the great local activist masses have stayed passive, if not totally ignorant of the situation?

The answer is complex, and, unfortunately not very convenient. Tibetans can be easily portrayed as the ultimate victims. As some internet commenter argued, Tibetans are more deserving of our support (than Kurds) because they haven't been violent. I was asked "how many people have they killed" (in comparison to Kurds).

I don't think any historians are in a position to give an answer to this question. During the CIA-sponsored Tibetan resistance, surely tens of thousands of Chinese were killed, but supporters of the Tibet cause would argue that this was merely self-defense. Currently, some Tibetans have also taken part in random ethnic violence (in fact pogroms) which also tends to be justified by supporters of the cause as an appropriate reaction to Chinese settlement in Tibet. These types of episodes, if known at all, are easily juxtaposed by the dominant images of Buddhist monks, led by the Dalai Lama, as men of peace, a noble opposition to the violent and barbaric Chinese.

The creation of such images of peaceful, happy Tibetans is probably the result of a long-term PR campaign boosted by naive believers and well-wishers as well as government-sponsored propaganda. Few people care to know about the realities of the feudal system which existed in Tibet up until the second half of the twentieth century, nor do they wish to view "his holiness" the Dalai Lama as a human deity who lived in a huge palace, up kept and served by serf labour, a person whose prime interest was to maintain social servility and Tibetan elites. The social composition of Tibetan society played no role when the CIA supported the Tibetan resistance; its support was absent when it needed China as an ally and came when its political priority became "fighting the spread of communism".

The campaign to free Tibet which sprung up in the 1980s was largely kick started through help from the CIA and the National Endowment for Democracy. With such backing it had a good start to build grassroots movements and student groups which would later give it complete activist legitimacy. The Tibetans were a perfect subject that could be presented as the ideal victims: peace-loving, religious, wise, living in Shangri-La and viciously oppressed by the world's worst human rights abusers. Celebrity Buddhists and New-Agers helped segue this issue into the mainstream. Thus gaining its legitimacy through the mainstream media and having become a cause célèbre, thousands of people interested in peace and social justice around the world have taken up the cause. Some may envision the development of some sort of bourgeois civil society after Tibetan is free, while others maintain some idolized vision of spiritual Tibet and appear at pickets donning orange robes and carrying portraits of the Dalai Lama. And while this cause is picked up by the thousands, hundreds of equally urgent struggles remain unknown or are dismissed as the actors in these struggles fail to present themselves as the perfect victims. They may have been defined and portrayed to the world through the lens of the capitalist-dominated press or otherwise did not inspire enough empathy to mobilize support.

*****
The struggle for a "Free Tibet" may begin with a struggle against the Chinese police state - but it certainly does not end there. Self-determination is usually a code word for national determination, but real self-determination begins with self-management.

Can the movement in Tibet be transformed from a national liberation struggle into a social revolution? We have no evidence of such revolutionary tendencies although the information we receive tends to be filtered through the ideological lens of the liberal establishment. Recent experience has tended to show that people can throw off the yoke of a totalitarian communist state but, without experience in grassroots self-organization, and operating largely in a vacuum, such countries can develop into more-or-less democratic market economies run by economic elites, or they can develop into autocracies or rather undemocratic regimes such as one finds in parts of Central Asia.

The struggle for freedom in Tibet is thus not just a struggle against the Chinese state, but also a struggle against all the powers which would enslave the average Tibetan upon gaining nominal independence. The feudal order represented by the monks, the Dalai Lama and the children of the merchant class in exile cannot be allowed to take root again in that country.

One may be quick to point out that feudalism is not likely to be restored in Tibet but this does not mean that similar conditions cannot arise under different socio-economic regimes. Many workers find themselves in indentured servitude even in Western Europe, the US or the Gulf States where such an economic system does not technically exist. In factories throughout Asia, workers are treated as chattels, although their countries have achieved national independence. The chains of one ruling class were simply exchanged for those of another, the form of slavery merely modified.

"Free Tibet" cannot be reduced to religious freedom, freedom to associate in non-threatening civic organizations or other freedoms which are normally the rewards of democratic independence movements. Of course one cannot justify repression of such freedoms; even a critic of clericalism can condemn repression on the grounds of religious conviction and understand the impulse to fight against this. Yet all of these freedoms do not amount to a society where there is true popular control, where workers and communities cooperate to create social equity and where the financial and political elites are divested of their power, their means of exploiting and controlling people. This vision of "Free Tibet" is inspiring but, unfortunately one that is still lacking in the popular imagination.
Laure Akai
Article written for Anarkismo.net

RUSSIAN LABOUR:

SUPPORT RUSSIAN NESTLÉ WORKERS' RIGHT TO NEGOTIATE WAGES:

In the "cowboy capitalism" of Russia today where the state bureaucracy relentlessly engulfs the "commanding heights" of the economy the new ruling class leaves the average worker as prey for the most avaricious of foreign companies. These companies get away with things there that they never would in countries where the balance of rulers is more settled, simply because the new managers of Russia see no need to have even the pretense of caring for "the worker" anymore. An example is documented below, and the IUF calls on people from across the world to stand in solidarity with Nestlé workers in Perm. To read more and join this campaign see below or go to the IUF website.

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Support Russian Nestlé Workers' Right to Negotiate Wages!

Share this article with a friend.

A full four months after the IUF-affiliated Nestlé Perm Workers Union first demanded a substantial wage increase for the almost 1000 workers at the Kitkat candy and confectionary plant, Nestlé Russia still denies bona fide wage bargaining. The union is now calling for international protest action in order to highlight the right to wage negotiations as a basic workers right.

At a protest rally in Perm on March 22, workers declared their support for the union's demand of a 21,5% wage increase from Jan. 1. Workers are not prepared to accept the wage increase decreed unilaterally by management nor to be a party to the bad faith negotiations forced upon them by Nestle Perm management.

As reported earlier (> Nestlé Russia tells workers "We don't negotiate wages"), Nestle had denied wage negotiations for several months, contending that wages were not subject to collective bargaining at all. After a collective labour dispute was declared, and an OECD complaint was filed against Nestlé for violation of basic workers rights, the company changed its strategy from one of refusing to one of constantly delaying negotiations. Up to now, no concrete new proposal for a wage increase has been received from management.

At the protest rally held in the centre of the city of Perm on Saturday, March 22, more than 200 participants demonstrated their refusal to put up with Nestlé’s postponement game any longer. It became abundantly clear that the company’s hope of placating the workers by handing them a 15% wage increase had not been realised. No wonder – this does not even cover the official inflation rate of over 16% in the region in 2007. “We need a real wage increase now” speakers declared at the meeting “Many of us donate blood regularly, as we can’t make ends meet with the salaries we get”.

The protest rally in the centre of Perm attracted more than 200 participants. As management has declared on several occasions that final decisions are taken not in Perm, but in Moscow or even at Nestlé headquarters in Switzerland, the union will take the protest beyond Perm. On Tuesday, March 25, a demonstration will be held in front of Nestlé Russia headquarters in central Moscow with the support of the Agricultural Workers Union of Russia and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR).

IUF General Secretary Ron Oswald commented – “Nestlé is responsible for ensuring that trade union rights, including the right to bona fide wage negotiations, are respected in every single factory and worksite. A global corporation may not shirk such obligations by attempting to dictate terms and conditions unilaterally. The right to wage negotiations is a fundamental workers right – everywhere!”

Support Nestle Perm workers in their struggle for the right to wage negotiations!

Click here to send a protest message to Nestlé corporate management now!

Copies will be automatically sent to the IUF secretariat.

CHILE:

CHILE TODAY PART 5:

MORE FAILURES OF NEOLIBERALISM:

The following is Part 5 of Larry Gambone's presentation of what he saw on his latest trip to the country of Chile. Stay tuned to his Porkupine Blog for further installments. In the following Gambone lays out even more evidence of how Chile is hardly the shining success that neo-liberals make it out to be.

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Chile Part 5 - More Failures of Neoliberalism
I have already touched on the problem of rapid economic growth coupled with price inflation and wage stagnation. (With the exception of the 1998 Asian Tigers Crisis, GDP growth has averaged between 5 and 10% annually. (1) ) I also referred to the grotesque level of inequality, one of the worst in the world (2), and the refusal of the government to create proper social welfare and education systems in an attempt to rectify this. But there are more problems than these facing Chile.

An export-dependent economy. What happens when the global economy goes into the toilet? What will happen to Chile in the coming years when the rising oil prices make it uneconomic to export fruit?

The central part of the country where most of the population lives and most of the fruit growing occurs is drying up and may well become desert in the coming decade. Due to global warming, the Andes get less snow, lowering the water table and river flow. Furthermore, clear-cutting and poor water usage are contributing factors, Chileans have told me.(Yet, you read not a word about global warming in the Chilean press.)

Chile has almost no oil and natural gas. This at a time when prices for these resources are sky-rocketing. Power brown-outs are blamed upon Argentina's refusal to renew its natural gas export contract, as it seems that country needs its gas for its own use. And since there is less water, hydro projects don't seem to be the answer. The electricity problem is a fine example of the failure of neo-liberalism. Central and North Chile get sun 365 days a year. The coastline gets wind off the Pacific. You would think solar and wind power would have been introduced. But no, Chile is 30 years behind other countries in this technology. Utilities were corporatized under Pinocho and thus cannot see any further than this years profit margins.

Meanwhile, the authorities have applied the US model of suburban sprawl and vast shopping malls everywhere. (It was never so evident as this trip, and the disease was only beginning in 1996.) At a time of water and power shortages and rising oil prices, the most energy-inefficient way of living in the world is being actively promoted.

Agribusiness is driving campesinos off the land. They crowd into the cities and exacerbate the problems there. The remaining campesinos are being forced into mono-crop sub-contracting for the corporations. This further undermines campesino life and threatens the farmer's markets, the one source of cheaper food for the populace.

The inability of the Peruvian state to deal with its economic problems is forcing many Peruvians to immigrate (legally and illegally) into Chile, a country that is wealthy by comparison with theirs. The Peruvians add to the number of poor in the cities and due to racism are blamed for "stealing jobs." and a rising crime rate.

I am left with the feeling that these problems will tear the country apart in the coming years.

One final point that I didn't know where to fit in. Chile used to be one of the most socially progressive countries in Latin America. Thanks to the Pinochet dictatorship, this is no longer the case. It was a deliberate policy of the dictatorship to stamp out socially progressive ideas and it shows. Chile is in many ways like stepping back 40 years. "White" Chileans will cheerfully tell you that People of Color are inferior and that Indians are stupid, the sort of talk that went out of style among middle class Canadians a good while ago. Even though blonds only make up maybe 15% of the population, most women in advertisements are rubias. There are no women bus, taxi or truck drivers and no women tradespeople or construction workers. Only 30% of Chilean women are engaged in wage work, the lowest in Latin America and the same as Canada in 1960. This dependence upon one income is a contributing aspect of the poverty in the country and is a direct and long-term expression of the social reaction of the Pinochet regime.

NOTES:
1.) Average GDP growth between 1990 and 2001 was 4.7% Average growth, 2002-2007 was 4.71% (2007 at 5.2%) Sources, CIA Fact Book
2.) The GINI Index. Zero would equal absolute equality and 100 absolute inequality. Chile stands at 58.3, Costa Rica 48.9, Brazil, 56.7, and by way of comparison, Canada at 33.1, France at 32.3 and Norway at 25.7. Sources CIA Fact Book

BLOGGING:

MOLLY IS PISSED OFF ONCE AGAIN:

Sometime during the last hour this blog has been spammed by someone calling himself "Hammertime". He has posted nothing more than his address in multiple posts on this blog. My first thought, judging from the name, was that this was some fascist nut. Wrong ! Going to the site mentioned I found out that he is an incredibly illiterate fool who imagines that his blog is somehow supportive of the NDP. A sample of his mastery of the English language follows below(no editing this time)...

"anonymous your pathetic Non-Responsive Response continues with no shame or any intelligences or political facts at all, but more noise after noise etc etc etc ie strawman, fault economy moot points to no end but thats typical CORPORATE BAYSTREET BOARD ROOM CONSERVATIVE/Liberal CONSERVATIVE the parties of EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION yesterday today and tomorrow. VOTE NDP/NPD RE-ELECT NDP TONY MARTIN MP www.ndp.ca www.ontariondp.com"

My God ! We have a Shakespeare in our midst. Bad drugs ! Bad drugs! A long time ago I said that I would never delete replies here just because I didn't agree with them. I will soon be going down all the posts that this fool has spammed, and deleting every single one of his addresses. The address is ALL that he has left anywhere. So, pick it up while it's still here kiddies. I do this, not because I dislike the NDP, but rather because I am actually doing them a big favour. Molly does her level best to insult and demean idiots who have adopted the anarchist tag. If I was a member of the NDP I'd be just as determined to get rid of fools like this. You never have to be embarrassed by those who are your enemies, but those who want to claim your friendship can be very shame producing. I am also annoyed by the childish manner in which this ad has been presented. I've let more than one simple ad for a blog or website pass by here at Molly's Blog (as long as it wasn't commercial), but the impolite and offensive way in which this fool puts his tag at the end of multiple posts gets my goat. I went to the site mentioned, and I found out that others have complained of him doing the same thing. There is such a thing as an "habitual criminal", and I guess that there are also "habitual idiots". If Mr. "Hammer" wants to do the NDP a great kindness he will desert to the Conservatives and embarrass them.

AMERICAN LABOUR:

NATIONAL PETITION TO END SWEATSHOPS AND SLAVERY IN THE FIELDS:

In the fields of Florida and other states in the USA people labour under conditions that are nothing short of modern day slavery. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has launched a national petition campaign to demand that Burger King and other fast food outlets work with the CIW to end this regime. You can read more and join this campaign here http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/fields/wukd7sdrr7nj6tem? or at the website of the CIW.More information follows on this blog below....

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National Petition to End Sweatshops & Slavery in the Fields

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has launched a national petition drive to demand that Burger King and other food industry leaders work with the CIW to improve the wages and working conditions of the workers who pick their tomatoes and join with the CIW in an industry-wide effort to eliminate human rights abuses from Florida’s fields.

Please take a moment to sign the petition, which will serve as notice that those who sign are "prepared to stop patronizing Burger King now, and other food industry leaders in the future, should they fail to do so."
Tell me more

Full Petition Text:
WHEREAS, there is an ongoing human rights crisis in Florida's fields, including: poverty wages, rooted in an antiquated piece-rate pay system that hasn't changed significantly in nearly 30 years;

long hours without overtime pay when work is available, unemployment and transience when it is not;

physical abuse and wage fraud by crew leaders, supervisors, and growers;

damage to body and soul from back-breaking labor, with no employment benefits such as sick days, paid leave, health insurance, or pensions;

retaliation against workers who protest or organize to alleviate these inhuman conditions;

and, most shamefully, modern-day slavery, with six successful federal prosecutions of farm labor operations for servitude in Florida over the past decade, and a seventh just initiated, involving well over 1,000 workers and more than a dozen farm employers; WHEREAS, by leveraging their high-volume purchasing power to extract the lowest prices possible, Burger King and other food industry leaders profit from and play an active role in creating the miserable conditions in Florida's fields;

WHEREAS,

Burger King and other food industry leaders have not only refused to join Yum! Brands and McDonald's in working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to improve farm labor conditions, but have actually sought to reverse gains made by workers in agreements with those corporations;

WHEREAS,

private equity firms including Goldman Sachs, Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital and others, which are principal shareholders in Burger King and other food industry leaders, have made significant investments in the restaurant industry over the past decade, and have ignored calls by farmworkers and consumers for farm labor reform, while continuing to draw billions of dollars in private profits from their investments;

THEREFORE,

I add my name and voice to those of countless consumers calling upon Burger King and other food industry leaders to immediately join with the CIW in efforts to end exploitation in the fields and modern-day slavery in the 21st century. I am also prepared to stop patronizing Burger King now, and other food industry leaders in the future, should they fail to do so.

Specifically, I call on Burger King and other food industry leaders to:

Pay a penny more per pound for tomatoes and ensure that the increase is passed on to tomato pickers in the form of increased wages;

and Work with the CIW to establish and enforce a human rights-based code of conduct, including zero tolerance for forced labor, to ensure fair and safe working conditions.

ONTARIO:

DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS PICKET DISCRIMINATORY QUEEN ST. RESTAURANT:

The following is a press release from OCAP, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. It is about a recent picket of a Toronto restaurant that refuses to serve people in wheelchairs.

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Media Release: Disability Rights Activists Picket Discriminatory Queen St Restaurant‏

Media Release

- For Immediate Publication -

Disability Rights Activists Picket Discriminatory Queen St Restaurant

Friday, March 28, 2008

Aaron Shelbourne is a disability rights activist and a member of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). He has Cerebral Palsy and uses Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC), which involves using his eyes to communicate and the facilitation of an assistant.

Mr. Shelbourne went to Everest Restaurant on Queen St today to demand an apology from management that has told him they don't serve customers in wheelchairs, and asked him never to come back. Mr. Shelbourne was joined by 20 supporters today. Mr. Shelbourne entered Everest asking to speak with restaurant manager Karma Sanchok who had previously told him they don't serve people in wheelchairs. Mr. Shelbourne sought a public apology from Ms.Sanchok and the restaurant, and a promise that this kind of blatant discrimination would not continue. Ms. Sanchok refused to speak or engage with Aaron in any way, speaking only to his non-wheelchair-bound supporters and quickly retreating behind the counter refusing to apologize or speak directly to Mr. Shelbourne as a fellow human being. Ms. Sanchok proceeded to call the police to forcibly remove Mr. Shelbourne and his supporters from the restaurant.

Mr. Shelbourne's simple, just request for an apology was rudely ignored.This is unacceptable, and Mr. Shelbourne is not prepared to allow this kind of discrimination to continue unchallenged. He calls on supporters, allies and members of the public – especially those using wheelchairs – to go to Everest Restaurant and demand an explanation from the management!

Mr. Shelbourne and his supporters and allies will be back at Everest en masse in the near future, to pursue Mr. Shelbourne's just request for an apology and to ensure that this restaurant does not discriminate against people with disabilities with impunity.

Background

Last week, Mr. Shelbourne went to Everest Restaurant & Lounge with one of his assistants. They had a meal, and at one point he had to use the washroom. It was not accessible and he nicked the door with his wheelchair going in.

As Mr. Shelbourne and his communication assistant were leaving the restaurant, after paying for their meals, the restaurant manager pulled Mr.Shelbourne's assistant aside and informed her that they were not welcome back. She said that the restaurant was newly renovated and wheelchairs aren't welcome because they cause damage.

"I am a person," says Mr. Shelbourne. "The worker at the restaurant didn't even come to tell me all of this herself but went to my assistant instead.I was angry because I am a human being and I have rights."

This Friday March 28th, with the help of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) and DAMN2025, Mr. Shelbourne returned to Everest Restaurant to seek redress, to send a loud message to management, its customers and the public that people who use wheelchairs have rights and this type of treatment is discriminatory and unacceptable!

Says Mr. Shelbourne: "I am demanding a public apology from the management of the restaurant. I want them to acknowledge that I am a person and that because I use a wheelchair, that doesn't make me any less of a person. If they don't like scratches on their bathroom doors they should make the washroom accessible!"

ANARCHIST MOVEMENT:

ANARCHISM IN JORDAN !!!:

While browsing the internet today Molly came upon the following interesting report on the A-Infos site from a Jordanian anarchist. It's further proof of what I have said many times here at this blog, that anarchism today has the widest geographical extent (if not the depth of penetration amongst certain populations) that it has ever had in history. There are many reasons for this. One is that there is basically no longer an isolated society on the face of the globe (with the possible exception of some of the Andaman Islands which the government of India maintains as some sort of an "ethnological preserve"). There are computers and the internet in Mongolia, for God's sake, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear of "Mongolian anarchists" at some point. Ideas pass from mind to mind much faster today than they did in the past. Another reason is that anarchism is basically "expanding into a vacuum" with the worldwide disintegration of the Leninist idea of socialism. As I have also said before anarchism is basically well on its way to becoming the "ultra-left" which all other currents to the left of social democracy have to orient themselves towards - often by biting the backs of the anarchists like fleas, but perhaps more often by borrowing from the anarchist bag of ideas and trying to pass the result off as their own brilliant plans as if their party structure doesn't eviscerate and decompose any such good ideas that they may borrow.

I think that it is a safe prediction that the age of Leninist revolution is really and truly dead, never to rise again, and it is wonderful thing that it has died. Another left wing tactic- left wing social democracy- has a little more life in it, once more quite often by borrowing from libertarian ideas (usually quite unacknowledged), but outside of the South American continent this "way to socialism" generally has nothing of the vitality it had even 2 decades ago. There is also a leakage of people from both the Leninist parties and left social democracy towards libertarian socialism as people discover the source of the socialist ideas that are still attractive, no matter how much their leadership might want to keep them in ignorance. The leakage is more gradual from the social democratic camp because social democracy is nowhere near as flagrantly in contradiction with both anarchism and morality and reality as Leninism is. Social democrats generally don't suddenly convert ; they just get slowly more and more libertarian.

Anyways, the following article explains how such leakage is playing out today in a country that previously had little or no anarchist tradition. The following has been slightly edited for English grammar.

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An overview of anarchism in Jordan today.*..theory and activities
Finally after more than 50 years of communist activism in Jordan the anarchists started to gather…Most Jordanian anarchists are artists who work in music, film making, and graphic design. One of our comrades is finishing his master in gender studies…Some comrades are Jordanian and others are Palestinian refugees living in Jordan… ---- Most of us come from a Marxist background so theory has great importance for us…Two comrades finally found an Arabic book that talks about anarchism…Actually we found three more books but with different Arabic words for “anarchism” ---- 1- Fawdawiya which literally means kenotic ---- 2- La soltawiya which literally means anti-authoritarianism ---- 3- Taharoriya which literally means libertarianism ---- 4- Anarkeya which literally means anarchism

We also found Egyptian and Lebanese anarchist websites which were extremely helpful. Until now we are about 20 comrades …I believe that there are more anarchists in the country, but it is hard to find them! Lately, we became part of a bigger movement called the social left which consists of Marxists feminists and others…Despite the fact that the movement has more than a 1000 members, we –anarchists- have ,relatively, very strong influence and effect in/on the group… we meet in Anti-globalization office in Jordan

When we started reading we looked for any form of anarchy in our own history and local culture…After reading a book called “Sufi tropics” written by an Iraqi writer(Hadi al Alawi).. we found that Sufism is ALL ABOUT anarchism…Actually we found a website on the internet that talks abut Sufi-anarchism…Now most of us label themselves as Sufi anarchists…We even found Sufi anarchist movements and groups from the 8-16 century… So after reading what we were able to find from Bakunin’s Proudhon’s Kropotkin’s books…and after studying the history of anarchy in Spain Ukraine Paris Mexico…and after studying Sufism, we started to have our own understanding of anarchism…

Another real messed up comrade of ours even worked on his own understanding of Sufi-anarchism in a way compatible with his own understanding of post modernism and the fall of ideology or what he called nihilist Sufi anarchism(plz don’t ask me to explain!!!)

We heard about other groups in Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon and Palestine but never met any of them…Last week, a very important columnist wrote about us –anarchists- in the most popular newspaper in the country…after he saw our flag for the first time in a protest…

All political movements and parties in Jordan have a problem with numbers,…recruiting more people can be very difficult because most people are too afraid to participate…In Jordan we still suffer from expulsion from universities because of any political activities. Laws that are extremely hard to understand and interpret which are used against political activists like: disturbing civil harmony! bashing higher status! long tongue!!! (I wonder what that is-Molly )copying without permission! Unauthorized gatherings!

Human Rights Watch talks about torture, kidnappings…There is also 3 years in prison because of founding unauthorized groups..So, anarchism in Jordan still has a long way to go but it is expected to grow in the upcoming years…

From your brothers/sisters …

comrades

Anarchists of Jordan

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* by H - jordanian anarchist

CANADIAN LABOUR:

STOP THE ATTACK ON TRADE UNION RIGHTS IN SASKATCHEWAN:

Ah, Molly's old stomping grounds back in the Jurassic. The Canadian province of Saskatchewan has a new conservative government, the Saskatchewan Party, and one of the very first acts of this set of rulers was to introduce union-busting legislation. The Saskatchwan Federation of Labour is asking that people email the government protesting this legislation. To read more and to join this campaign go HERE. The basics of what is happening follow....

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Act NOW!

Stop the Attack on Trade Union Rights in Saskatchewan

The first act of Saskatchewan’s brand new government was to introduce two union-busting pieces of legislation. The Essential Services Act (Bill 5) will take away the right to strike of almost every public sector worker, and even allows the government, at their own whim, to deem private sector workers as essential. Bill 6, amendments to the Trade Union Act, will allow employers to use threats and intimidation to communicate their opinions about unionizing and the business of the union. It will also move organizing from automatic certification to secret ballot votes, which is far less democratic and will result in a halt to union organizing in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour and its affiliates have launched a public relations and mobilization campaign to have Bills 5 and 6 withdrawn. We are also challenging the legislation in court, arguing that they violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Human Rights code, and international law, including the International Bill of Human Rights and several UN and ILO Conventions

CANADIAN POLITICS:

IF STEVIE GETS HIS WISH:

(FROM THE HARPER INDEX)

The Harper Index is sort of an online "Harper Watch", devoted to keeping a close eye on all things connected with the federal Conservatives and especially what they would like to remain hidden. There's a great recent article there on what a majority Conservative government would likely be like. Sort of a "disaster planning" exercise I guess. The consensus was that Harper would throw his present restraint and caution to the winds if the tooth fairy left him what he wants. There are some people who should never be trusted with sharp instruments. Anyways, the article....

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Majority government would move faster and farther
Social conservatives could call shots if Conservatives faced fewer constraints, predict most surveyed.

Ottawa, March 26, 2008: In federal by-elections March 17, the Harper Conservatives showed surprising strength. They nearly won in Liberal bastion Vancouver Quadra and won by a landslide in the formerly Liberal Saskatchewan riding of Desnethé Missinippi Churchill River.

Despite serious controversies (Mulroney- Schreiber, AECL, Afghanistan, Cadman), Stephen Harper's and his party's polling numbers have held firm over the winter. The Conservatives are polling consistently in the low-to-high thirties, with high ratings for Stephen Harper's leadership. Although many Canadians appear to adamantly oppose Harper, there is a real prospect the next election, if it is fought on Harper's terms and turf, could result in a majority Conservative government.

What would a majority Stephen Harper Conservative government look like and do? How would it differ from the current minority government, which Harper has tried to position as moderate?

To get a sense of the answers, HarperIndex.ca conducted a small, informal survey of ten reporters and political observers. All responded to an email asking them to "type a number from 1 to 10 after each item on this list to show the priority you think it would get from a Harper majority government," and to offer other comments. Of the ten who responded, two simply offered comments, one by phone.

Would Harper bring back capital punishment? Some thought it was a top priority, some the opposite. Opinion was more consistent on other issues.

Most felt that an anti-union labour law would be a fairly high priority.

So would privatizing the CBC, which no one rated lower than 6. Other privatization projects - like Canada Post, the ports and social insurance - were consistently rated between 4 and 9 in priority.

A Harper majority would "lay-off or reduce civil service by 60,000 positions," forecast pollster Marc Zwelling, who added that "Harper would push more deregulation in the interest of 'competitiveness' (and corporate tax reductions), and de-emphasize climate change and the environment."

Privatization of health care, most panelists felt, would be a high priority. Three gave it number-1 ratings.

All ten panelists saw the introduction of a flat tax as likely, with two number-1 ratings, and none lower than 5.

A 'three strikes' law was also seen as a high priority by many, with one number-1 rating, and none lower than 6.

Several of the commentators warned that a Harper majority government would pander to the religious Right. At least two thought an attempt to rescind same-sex marriage laws would be likely.

Toronto Star columnist Antonia Zerbisias expects a Conservative majority would "start chipping away at women's reproductive rights" with measures like recognizing the fetus as a person. "Judging from the emails I get, I think that the woman-should-be-barefoot-and-pregnant misogynists would be difficult to control," she writes.

University of Toronto political scientist Nelson Wiseman isn't so sure. "While [Harper] is socially conservative, that isn't his priority. He's more interested in economic issues, so I don't think he could touch abortion, and I'm not sure how far he could actually go on same-sex marriage. I think he would move on the gun registry and have that totally dismantled, although he's done that (already) by not enforcing" it. He also expects there would be quick action on "so-called democratic reform," such as an elected senate.

Wiseman says Harper "would try to ensure the feds can't enter into areas of provincial jurisdiction. He would continue to have an emphasis on defense and the military, and would probably have a less sympathetic approach to Aboriginal interests..."

York University political scientist and author James Laxer thinks a Harper majority government would be more extreme than does Wiseman. The government, Laxer says, would "throw red meat to the Conservative backbenchers, who have suffered from the gags tied on them by the PMO during the minority." How? By having parliamentary committees study capital punishment, by banning late term abortions, by placing restrictions on immigration, through support for faith-based initiatives, by cuts to federal support for the arts and for research, and through the private marketing of wheat and the termination of the Wheat Board.

"Unlike social democrats when they take office (as they have in four Canadian provinces over the decades), a Harper majority government would not hesitate to implement the full Right-wing agenda for which the Conservative Party of Canada was created," Laxer writes. "The Harperites will not compromise on anything. They will put through their program, always with an eye to making it irreversible by any future government - just as Brian Mulroney did with free trade."

Harper, Laxer says, "would act quickly to set up a sweeping study (perhaps Royal Commission) on the prospects for a much closer North American Union" and tighter economic military integration with the US.

Dalhousie University journalism professor Stephen Kimber expects the Harper Conservatives would "dismantle the CRTC, reduce what restrictions remain on foreign ownership, more closely ally our military with US forces, look for ways to undermine gay marriage and a woman's right to choose, and offer more corporate tax cuts."

None of those surveyed expected a Stephen Harper majority government would move with the caution of the current minority.
Posted: March 26, 2008
Harper Index (HarperIndex.ca) is a project of the Golden Lake Institute and the online publication StraightGoods.ca

QUEBEC:

RESISTANCE TO WAR, PAST AND PRESENT:

It's literally the last chance to catch to the. This Friday, March 28, buses will be leaving from all over Québec to converge on the Capital Québec City. it's all to demonstrate opposition to Canada's war in Afghanistan and to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the anti-conscription riots of 1918. Here are the details...

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Canada, Quebec: Resistance to war, past and present
All the relevant information on the March 28th anti-militarist demonstration, including about the buses leaving from Montreal and Sherbrooke.

--Anti-militarist demonstration in Quebec City Friday, March 28th

Rally at 5PM In front of the Gabrielle-Roy Library

<==>

To get a place on the bus leaving Montreal at noon, write to mtl@nefac.net

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To get a place on the bus leaving Sherbrooke at 1:30 PM, write to aecs@cooptel.qc.ca

or call 819-346-1874

---- Call for an anti-militarist demonstration Resistance to war, past and present ----

90 years ago, Canada was engaged in an imperialist war in Europe. With the flow of volunteers drying up, authorities turned to conscription to continue to provide their share of cannon fodder. It was January 1, 1918. Opposition to conscription was virulent in Quebec and the army was reduced to chasing draft-dodgers in the cities, resulting in numerous incidents.

Quebec city was at the time witnessing a genuine popular revolt against conscription. From 28 March to1 April 1918, crowds of several thousand people confronted the military, bare-handed, in the streets of the city core. Five days of riots ensued, during which a police station was put under siege, militarist newspapers were attacked, and an army office burned down. Five days that ended in a bloodbath in the working class neighborhood of Saint-Sauveur when the army charged the crowd, causing 35 injuries and 4deaths.

Today, 90 years later, Canada is once again at war.The reasons are no different, it is once again an imperialist war waged in the name of democracy and freedom. But, then as now, people are not fooled. There may be no conscription but it is in our name,and with our money, that Canada is at war. Despite the incessant propaganda, a majority of Quebec's population opposes the war.This popular opposition needs to have a voice! That is why we will march on March 28th, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the riots against conscription and to express our opposition to the war in Afghanistan

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An initiative of NEFAC* (http://www.nefac.net)

This call is supported by:

Collectif Piranhas (piranha@resist.ca)

Gauche socialiste (http://www.lagauche.com)

Quebec Solidaire Taschereau riding association(http://www.quebecsolidaire.net)

Regroupement autonome des jeunes (RAJ)PCR Quebec-city branch (http://www.pcr-rcp.ca)

No one is illegal-Montreal(http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com)

Block the Empire-Montreal(http://bloquezlempire.resist.ca)

Association des Étudiantes et des Étudiants enHistoire (http://aeeh.asso.ulaval.ca)

Convergence l'Autre 400ePCQ-Québec (http://www.pcq.qc.ca)

PI-Québec

To endorse this call and participate in the mobilization, send an email to nefacquebec@yahoo.ca Nouveau: Le blogue de La NUIT

http://voixdefaits.blogspot.com--

Collectif anarchiste La Nuit (NEFAC-Québec)

a/s Groupe Émile-HenryC.P. 55051, 138 St-Vallier Ouest

Québec (Qc), G1K 1J0

--nefacquebec@yahoo.cahttp://www.nefac.net

ANARCHIST PEOPLE:

FREE WOMEN OF SPAIN- A BOOK REVIEW:

(FROM LINCHPIN ISSUE 3)

As Molly has mentioned previously at this blog the Ontario based Common Cause organization has brought out issue # 3 of their publication Linchpin. Here's one of the articles in that paper, a book review of Martha Acklesberg's book 'Free Women of Spain', about the Spanish anarchist organization Mujeras Libres. Gives the flavour of what Linchpin contains....

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Free Women of Spain
The Free women of Spain strikes its readers into thinking about equality, empowerment community and revolution, Karine from the Hamilton local delves in further to what sounds like a brilliant book.

Martha Acklesberg, in Free Women of Spain, reviews the history of the struggle for women's emancipation in Spain, before and during the Spanish Revolution (1936-1939), focusing on the major anarchist women's organization, the Mujeres Libres (Free Women) a group of libertarian women in many parts of Spain.

She introduces us to their struggle by interviewing some of the women of Mujeres Libres who explain their role and contribution during the revolution, but also the difficulties they encountered within the male-dominated organization, (such as CNT, FIJL and many others) of getting their voices heard. Nevertheless, they always believed in the importance of working together within these organizations while having their own organization in order to develop their sense of self and the skills they would need to believe in their own capacities.

This book is about empowerment, equality and the need to build community organizations. Mujeres Libres was a group that was able to reach up to 20,000 women, by, but not only, distributing their newspapers and offering courses and programs for women's interests. Many of us can learn a lot from their experience by reading this book because it reminds us to have to fight inequality, not only outside in the society, but also within our own organizations. It is book that I, myself, felt very empowered by and I hope it can reach you in the same way.

BUY IT>> AK Press carry this book at their site http://www.akpress.org/

READ ON>> There's an archive of a talk based on the book given to the Irish Workers' Solidarity Movement at http://www.wsm.ie/story/3131

DEMONSTRATIONS (VIRTUAL):

IBM- FROM VIRTUAL STRIKE TO VIRTUAL DEMONSTRATION:

After the (actual) success of last fall's "virtual picket line" in support of Italian IBM workers the employees involved have decided to extend the range of their activities at IBM's site on the virtual world 'Second Life'. this time they are protesting the IBM practice of outsourcing, cheap and easy way to drive down wages via increased job insecurity. See later for the statement of what the protest is all about. There is a training session tonight at http://www.union-network.org/uniwebmasters.nsf/sl?openpage for those new to the whole concept of the Second Life world. The actual demonstration at the site occurs tomorrow night. Here's what it's all about. For more information go to http://ibmslprotest.blogspot.com .

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27/03/2008 IBM GLOBAL DEMONSTRATION
AGAINST GLOBAL JOBS OUTSOURCING
Global decisions from companies need Global action and response from employees. We saw that with the virtual strike and now we can do it with a virtual demonstration. The national unions, works councils and IWIS (IBM Workers International Solidarity) global network are organizing a global virtual demonstration against the outsourcing contract.

IBM is misusing outsourcing contracts to reduce the workforce in a cheap way. In this kind of contract, IBM is selling not only services and machines but also people. We can see that recently in the IBM NSD to AT&T contract and Printing Systems/ PSD maintenance to RICOH as well as other outsourcing deals.

IBM employees from Network Service Delivery are against forced outsourcing to AT&T and request negotiations right now!

AT&T market-share and competition in the European market and the past experience with this Telco provider leads to the conclusion that there is a high risk of job loss for the IBM jobs that will be transferred.

Therefore we, the International Unions at IBM, ask with 'One Global Voice' for IBM management to open negotiations immediately in countries and offer employees 'in scope' other options: voluntary-based transfers, guarantee of employment in the new company with a return ticket to IBM in case of failure within contract duration (5 years). Other options could be envisioned.

Different actions have taken place in different countries, demonstration, strikes, petitions online (535+ signatures collected), etc… over the past months. All of them are showing the large concern of the employees and their frustration and anger.

All unions clearly request IBM management to review this decision and to adjust it, taking into account respect for the employees as a person and recognize the need for job security on.
We are against forced jobs outsourcing to AT&T, RICOH, and future ones, and officially request win-win negotiations about job transfer terms and conditions, in the different countries, urgently!
On March 26, 2008 - IWIS (IBM Workers International Solidarity)

AMERICAN LABOUR:

TELL SENECA COLLEGE PRESIDENT RICK MINER TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR VIOLENCE AT MARKHAM CAMPUS !

Since March 10 food service workers at Seneca College's Markham campus have been on strike. Violence against the strikers in terms of cars running them down has continued since the beginning of the strike. The United Student's Against Sweatshops has organized an e-campaign to pressure the College President to ensure the safety of the strikers. Their appeal follows. You can read more and join this campaign HERE.

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Tell Seneca College President Rick Miner to take responsibility for violence at Markham Campus!

On Monday March 10th Aramark food service and cleaning workers went on strike at Seneca College's Markham campus. Since then the level of violence against striking workers has been escalating steadily. College President Rick Miner needs to take control of a situation that could see someone seriously injured. Already there have been half a dozen incidents of cars striking picketing workers causing injury. Seneca College does not seem to be communicating the situation to the College community and students and faculty appear to be unaware that there is a lawful picket and that they need to be patient and respectful.

Tell President Miner to ensure the safety of workers at his college by: * Communicating that there is a strike and a strike protocol to students and staff and demand that it be respected * Telling Aramark to stop hurting Seneca's reputation and treat workers fairly Students across North America are learning about the safety issues at the Markham campus. The College's leadership needs to take action to protect the College's reputation.

The Aramark workers at Seneca's Markham campus organized last year and have been fighting for wage and benefit improvements and to address abusive behaviour by Aramark management. The workers make less than $10/hour, while their counterparts at other Seneca locations make at least $13/hour. Aramark, on the other hand, had sales of $12.4 billion last year.
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s): College President Rick Miner Director of Human Resources Phil Wong
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: President Miner ensure the safety of your workers!

I was astonished to learn of the current situation involving striking Aramark workers at the Seneca College's Markham campus. The level of violence on the picket line is completely unacceptable- how far does this situation have to go before you act?

Aramark is a wealthy multi-national that makes billions of dollars each year. Its workers at Seneca College's Markham campus mostly make less than $10 an hour. These low waged workers are simply asking for a fair first contract. Why is Aramark paying substantially higher wages at other Seneca locations and treating the workers at Markham as second class workers? Is the Markham campus somehow second class?

You need to take immediate action to assure the safety of everyone on Seneca's Markham campus, including those on the picket line. Additionally, you need to make it clear to Aramark that it is unacceptable to force workers to strike when all they are asking for is a living wage equal to what other Aramark employees at Seneca College earn. You should insist that Aramark offer the Markham workers wages and benefits equal to what Aramark's other employees earn. If Aramark will not do that, then you should find a vendor who will pay employees equitably and will not bring violence against strikers to this campus. Seneca's reputation as a world-class post-secondary institution is on the line.

Please, act now.

Go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/markham_campus/gi566w207n7bmkn? to sign this letter and send it to President Miner.