Solidarity 017, 22 November 2002

"The question was posed: why should we pay firefighters more than nurses, teachers, or other public sector workers? My answer to that would be: rather than keep firefighters on low rates of pay, give all public sector workers a decent living wage". Steve Davies, FBU rep, Soho Fire Station, Central London School and local government workers strike on 26 November By Dion D'Silva School staff in London will strike on 26 November, calling for an increase in the London weighting allowance. Teachers from the NUT, NASUWT and ATL will be joined in the action by school support staff in Unison. Other...

By Colin Foster The European Social Forum in Florence made a call from its concluding session for anti-war demonstrations in all the capital cities of Europe on 15 February. "We believe", its statement said, that "this war, whether it has UN backing or not, will be a catastrophe for the people of Iraq - already suffering because of the embargo and the Saddam Hussein regime - and for people across the Middle East. It should be opposed..." The Forum also called for immediate action on the day a war starts, and national demonstrations everywhere the following Saturday. Additional plans for action...

A victory for the FBU will be a victory for all workers. An appeal to serving soldiers: Refuse orders to scab! Solidarity can win! reports from firefirighter' support groups Don't help the Government break the strike! The main enemy is the boss class at home! A victory for the FBU will be a victory for all workers "The anger in the fire service is greater than ever", said Geoff Ellis, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Campaigns Organiser, on 21 November. "The Government are just playing games with us". After hours of negotiations, an insulting four per cent was all the employers could come up with on...

After the Florence European Social Forum, Michaela Collins continues her analysis of the Social Forums, by asking: where do we go from here? At the centre of the ESF was the million- person march against the War on Iraq. This sums up both the problems and the potential of the Social Forums. It's impossible not to be moved and inspired by that mass of humanity. The section I marched with was overwhelmingly proletarian and political. They have resisted overwhelming media manipulation and intimidation. In Italy, Berlusconi effectively owns both the state and the media. They have held onto a...