Cyberspace Lenin...absolutely

Thanks to Luna 17 for his well presented argument HERE

Following on from my continuing calls for better use of the new technologies that are at our disposal, in the implementing of the Internet for Activists conference that I helped set up in March, and also from the way ICT was employed in the recent occupations I am currently writin a paper on the political uses of the internet vis a vis the revolutionary paper for Historical Materialism conference in November.

Please add any useful links and advice below.

So relevant is the 'quote of the day' below to our situation today that I want to flag it up as a post as well...

Solomon Quotes Marxists (and friends)

Quote for the Day: 22 August 2009

any army which does not train to use all the weapons, all the means and methods of warfare that the enemy possesses, or may possess, is behaving in an unwise or even criminal manner. This applies to politics even more than it does to the art of war.

Lenin, Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder (1920)

Breaking news: Vestas workers re-enter factory site

No quite in the building yet. More news as soon as I get it

UPDATE: they have been forced back out again but are in fighting spirits.

They are all now building for the National Day of Action for this Wednesday.

See my post below for some of their suggestions.

Well done anjd solidarity from London and SOAS Occupiers

URGENT PROTEST : SOLIDARITY WITH THE SOUTH KOREAN WORKERS IN OCCUPATION

URGENT: Hundreds of workers have been occupying the Ssangyong Motors factory against layoffs - Now the South Korean state unleashes a wave of violence to crush them.

SOLIDARITY PROTEST 5.30- 6.30pm tomorrow @SouthKorean Embassy in London. Nearest Tube : St James Park. Map: tinyurl.com/skoreaembassy

Simple text msg to fit in ONE text:

Flash protest outside SKorean Embassy in solidarity w occupying workers. TMRW, Thurs, 5.30-6.30pm. Nr St James Pk tube, SW1. Bring banners & people. Plz forward

PLEASE FORWARD TO EVERYONE YOU CAN AND IF YOU CAN MAKE IT SEND A FB MESSAGE OR RSVP.

Photos:
http://tinyurl.com/skoreaprotest
http://tinyurl.com/skoreaprotest2

Articles:
Counterfire: When 'Class War' is not a metaphor http://tinyurl.com/kjskpt

Socialist Worker: Day of fierce fighting at occupied South Korean car factoryhttp://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=18715

Videos:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8185341.stm

Counterfire video
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8183023.stm

Video of police breaking Thomas Cook occupation. Smashed Windows to enter

"This is a non-violent occupation." Stealth Videoing. Comrade Donal must have slept outside all night. Awaiting updates.

Thomas Cook Breaking news: Irish police raid Dublin shop, arrest protesting workers

'The World is changing'. Brilliant video explaining why they are occupying and what they want us to do. They've had messages of suport from Vestas and are in constant communication with them.

Sent from my iPhone

In a scene all-too-familiar to people living under dictatorship, the police choose the early hours of the morning to break down the doors.

But what happened this morning didn't take place in North Korea or Burma.

It was Irish police who chose to raid the Thomas Cook shop in Dublin at 5 AM today to forcibly remove workers engaged in a peaceful protest.

Some 20 workers and officials of their union were taken out one by one, including at least one pregnant woman.

According to newspaper reports, the defiant workers clapped and cheered as they were taken out.

As one union official put it, this morning's removal of workers from the Thomas Cook store as "a dark stain on the history of industrial relations in Ireland ... These are ordinary working people standing up for their rights. They have a right to be treated with respect."

For full coverage of this breaking story, go here:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Ireland&langcode=en

The union's website is here:

http://www.tssa.org.uk/

Please spread the word -- forward this email to your fellow union members.

Thank you.

Eric Lee

Help Thomas Cook sit-in protesters against police

From Facebook group (is there a blog anywhere where it would be easier to access info from?)

Just been sent LINK to LIVE streaming from inside the shop. Well done for the creative reporting.

Workers occupying the Thomas Cook shop in Dublin today defied a High Court order, requested by the Company, to vacate the shop. They have now been told that the police will arrive and arrest anyone who is still in the shop. They will have to appear in court and be given a prison sentance.

After an emotional discussion when solicitors told the mainly female workers, two of whom are pregnant, the workers decided that they would remain in the shop and not be bullied by Thomas Cook.

A rally was held this morning with supporters ranging from the Lord Mayor to striking Dublin dockers.

We are now asking people to come to Grafton Street when they can to protect the workers inside in case the police turn up.

We will be holding another rally at 10am outside the shop. It is vital we have as many people as we can- please spread the word.

We are headline news and need to keep up the momentum!

Also, please phone in any talk radio shows to tell them that Thomas Cook are behaving dispicably by threatening to jail innocent workers.

Adrian Kennedy's Talk Show is on (0044) 1 67 97 104

Our contact is (0044) 7894 587 845

Thanks

5 things Vestas sit in is teaching us...

From the great blog River's Edge found HERE.

1. Capitalism is such a crazy profit-driven system that it does utterly ridiculous things, like closing a plant producing wind turbine blades at the precise time when the need for such technology has never been higher. If capitalism is allowed to continue in this unplanned and chaotic way, we will never achieve even the weak climate change targets agreed by world governments.

2. The social class that is most conscious of the threat to our environment, and best placed to do something about it, is the working class, because it does not share the insane lust for profit at the cost of anything else that is driving the owners of industry and the oil and energy companies to pollute and despoil our planet.

3. Workers who take militant action, like occupying a closing plant, are winning massive support and understanding from their community, and solidarity from around the world.

4. While the police, courts and legal system are designed to defend the right of a company to make profits ahead of the right of workers to work, and the need to save our planet by reducing carbon emissions, a strong campaign mobilising thousands can win victories, even here.

5. The Labour government has utterly failed to defend these jobs, or the plant, despite all their professed policies on climate change and the environment. Labour has abandoned the working class and is in the pocket of the big business polluters. Labour's commitment to the environment is an empty husk. We need a political alternative to Labour, and the Vestas workers could be key players in building and leading such an alternative.

Thomas Cook staff, Dublin, occupy over job losses

Just got a Twitter msg that this has happened. The only info so far is this article that i found by googling...more info as soon as i get it.

Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117888623383&ref=mf

Send emails of support to wendy@thomascook.ie andfennj@tssa.org.uk

UPDATE: Managers came from England this morning and announced they were closing the shops with immediate effect. Staff are now occupying the shop on Grafton Street. Get down there if you can. You can log on and chat to workers in the shop via this link

http://pub20.bravenet.com/chat/show.php/1646126451

HERE's a link to their campaign so far.

Thursday, 30 July 2009

RTÉ News understands that about 20 staff have locked themselves into a room in the company's office on Grafton Street after being told that they are to lose their jobs today.

Ciaran Shortall, customer services manager at Thomas Cook in Grafton Street, says that staff were told last week that the Dublin office was to close on September 6.

However following a protest last week, he says, staff are being told today that the company has brought forward the closure of its two Dublin offices, and are being asked to leave the premises immediately.

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Mr Shortall says staff are refusing to leave, and will stay as long as they have to in order to resolve the matter.

A spokesperson for Thomas Cook has confirmed that its two Dublin stores - on Grafton Street and North Earl Street - are to close today, with most of the 44 staff are to lose their jobs.

He said staff meetings are taking place now. He also confirmed that the closure was originally scheduled to take place on September 6.

'Following more than two months of consultation, it is with regret that we have now reached the decision to continue with plans to close the two Thomas Cook stores,' the spokesman said.

'During this time we have considered several alternatives to make the two stores profitable but unfortunately these have not proved to be viable,' he added.

'Our priority is to contact customers with bookings made through the two stores to let them know how to contact us and to make arrangements for the collection of travel documentation,' he concluded.