[Onthebarricades] Protests - health, welfare, pensions, arts, services
Andy
ldxar1 at tesco.net
Mon Apr 14 12:02:08 PDT 2008
* UK: Hundreds protest east England arts cuts
* UK: Protest over closure threat of museum in Burton
* IRELAND: Thousands rally for healthcare
* ITALY: Big Brother hit by "far right" protest for social housing
[the right campaigning for housing??? are they sure???]
* UK: Western English train service hit by ticket fare strike
* US: Unrest at Boca Raton housing office over need for subsistence
housing
* NEW ZEALAND: "Bikers for Boobs" campaign for breast cancer drug
* SCOTLAND: Mothers protest over creche cuts
* BAHRAIN: Homes protest continues
* PAKISTAN: Low gas pressure in cities sparks protest
* AUSTRIA: Vienna doctors protest healthcare policy
* SCOTLAND: Post office closure protested
* UK: Big protest over fire station closure "breaks fire safety rules"
* INDIA: Opposition protest food, fuel price rises
* AUSTRALIA: Protest against sell-off of NSW power industry
* SOUTH AFRICA: Bread price protest at parliament
* INDIA: Mumbai locals protest for health care, water
* NIGERIA: Retired railway workers protest unpaid pensions
* SOUTH AFRICA: Irate Durban airport passengers protest delay - glass
smashed
* INDIA: Bhopal survivors reach Delhi after long march
* PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Development protesters target Australian PM
Publicly Archived at Global Resistance:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7198137.stm
Protest march over cuts to arts
Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Norwich to protest at cuts
to the arts across the East of England.
Organisations face the prospect of losing all their Arts Council England
funding next year.
Those under threat include the Norwich Puppet Theatre, Community Music East,
King's Lynn Arts Centre and Momentum Arts in Cambridge.
The Arts Council England will make a decision on cuts in the East, which
could be as much as £1m, next week.
Protesters marched to City Hall on Saturday led by the Norwich Samba Band
http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail-news/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=304296
Protest march: hopes for a good turn-out
by KEITH BULL
CAMPAIGNERS hoping to keep open the Coors Visitor Centre and Museum of
Brewing are being urged to turn out for a protest march today.
The march will begin from 10.30am at the town's memorial gardens, in
Lichfield Street, and continue into High Street, where the Coors head office
is based, before winding into Horninglow Street, Guild Street, Station
Street, and back.
Protesters, armed with banners, are expected to stop outside Coors
headquarters in the middle of a working day to chant to bosses: 'Save Our
Heritage!'
Police patrols will monitor the parade, but organisers say they want a
peaceful event which demonstrates the strength of feeling in the town.
Organiser Michael Rodgers, Burton representative on East Staffordshire
Borough Council, said: "I would urge people to turn up and show their
support.
"There has been a lot of media interest, BBC Midlands Today is coming down,
and I hope enough people will get their coat on and get out to support us.
We are not prepared to raise a glass and say goodbye to the museum yet."
People wanting to take part in the protest march are being urged to meet at
the town's memorial gardens from 10am.
Former Bass Museum director Adrian Wedgwood will be meeting Jon Douglas from
BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme at the start of the march.
Mr Wedgwood will show his guest round the museum to be recorded talking
about why it should be saved for a programme to be broadcast some time next
week.
He told The Mail: "I'll extol the virtues of the place and show him some
fascinating things that reveal why it should be saved. It will be good to
see a nice turnout at the march."
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIkc0Mo_LoroQlTpDFUBPeDI8cKQ
Health protest backed by thousands
Mar 29, 2008
Thousands of people joined a mass rally in Dublin to demand improvements to
the public health service.
Trade unions, patient and hospital groups called on the public to take to
the streets of the capital to demonstrate their anger and frustration at the
Health Service Executive.
People assembled at the Garden of Remembrance before marching to Leinster
House. The rally was to be be addressed by a range of speakers including
Janette Byrne from Patients Together, Conor MacLiam, husband of Susie Long,
and Dr Orla Hardiman, consultant neurologist, Doctors Alliance for Better
Healthcare.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0329/breaking10.html?via=me
ast Updated: 29/03/2008 18:13
Thousands at health service protest
Several thousand people marched through Dublin city centre this afternoon in
protest at the state of the health service.
Among those in attendance was Conor MacLiam, the husband of Susie Long, who
died last October of cancer having been unable to get a diagnosis in good
time because of long waiting lists.
Trade unions, patient and hospital groups called on the public to join the
march to demonstrate their anger and frustration at the Health Service
Executive (HSE).
Patients Together had hoped as many as 50,000 would turn but the figure was
much less. There was no official estimate.
The march went from the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square to Leinster
House this afternoon.
Sinn Féin Dáil leader and health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was among
the politicians at today's rally.
He said that contrary to the claims of Minister for Health Mary Harney and
HSE chief executive Brendan Drumm, health cuts were affecting patient care.
He said Fianna Fáil and the Green Party had promised improvement in the
health service but instead the situations has worsened.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is under pressure about his finances but the "chaos"
in our health service "is the biggest reason for the Taoiseach to go", Mr Ó
Caoláin said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/23/italy.bigbrother
Big Brother besieged by far-right protest
Tom Kington in Rome
The Guardian,
Wednesday January 23 2008
This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday January 23 2008 on p23 of
the International section. It was last updated at 07:13 on January 23 2008.
Three aspiring Italian Big Brother contestants preparing for a few weeks of
easy celebrity in a comfortable apartment got a dose of hard reality on
Monday as 60 supporters of a far-right political party trapped them in a
Rome piazza to demand housing rights for low income Italians.
Waving fire crackers and carrying a banner reading "A home is no game", the
protesters attacked and burst a four metre high transparent plastic bubble
set up in the piazza to host the hopeful contestants, who were appearing
live on TV waiting to hear if they had been selected to enter the Big
Brother house.
The live footage was quickly blacked out as chanting protesters stabbed
holes in the bubble using knives according to press reports. The party
behind the demonstration, Fiamma Tricolore, denied knives were wielded,
although the bubble slowly collapsed as the contestants inside - a young
student, a mechanic and a gym instructor - fled to safety, leaving
protesters, some masked, to dump leaflets demanding cheap housing.
By the end of the evening, the student had been voted into the Big Brother
house, set up at Rome's Cinecitta film studios, joining an entire Sicilian
family and a transsexual from north Italy among other contestants. The
protesters, meanwhile, marched away in triumph across the nearby Roman
Milvian bridge.
The Milvian Bridge neighbourhood today boasts a lively youth scene but has
also recently witnessed frequent knife fights involving Roma fans and rival
supporters including Manchester Utd fans, with five British supporters
stabbed before a Champions League match in December. The area was also the
scene of violent clashes between football fans and police after a Lazio
supporter was mistakenly shot by police in November.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b57e3d12-cdf8-11dc-9e4e-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1
First Great Western hit by ticket protest
By Robert Wright, Transport Correspondent, and Jamie Martin
Published: January 29 2008 02:15 | Last updated: January 29 2008 02:15
The group behind a planned fares strike by West Country commuters on Monday
insisted the event had been successful, although the company targeted said
only 100 passengers had declined to pay for their journeys.
Tony Ambrose, one of the organisers of the Bristol-based campaign group More
Train Less Strain, said the protest on First Great Western, one of the UK's
worst-performing rail franchises, had achieved its objective, with 10,000
fake tickets bearing protest slogans handed out at 20 stations.
He claimed that the aim of the action - billed in advance as a fares
strike - had never been to withhold fares from the operator, part of
FirstGroup, the UK's largest train operator. Mr Ambrose said: "Our aim was
to make a public statement."
First Great Western, which runs services from London Paddington to the
Thames Valley, Wales and the West Country, suffers the second worst
punctuality of any UK passenger train operator, according to figures from
the Office of Rail Regulation.
In the year to September 30 2007 - the last period for which figures are
available - 82.7 per cent of its trains arrived within 10 minutes of
schedule.
The only operator with a worse record was GNER, whose InterCity East Coast
franchise has been handed to National Express East Coast. First Great
Western came last for passenger satisfaction in the national passenger
survey by Passenger Focus, the passenger group, published last week.
One FGW commuter at Paddington station on Monday told the FT: "They are
often late. I almost always have to stand, and the prices are extortionate."
"I've been commuting on this line for six years and it has been consistently
bad," said another disgruntled traveller. The salesman added: "They used to
say, and I'm sure it's still true, that mile for mile it is more expensive
than Concorde."
First Great Western argues it is working hard with Network Rail, owner of
the rail infrastructure, to improve services on its routes, where track and
signalling have had little investment in 30 years. As on other parts of the
rail network, most delays to trains on First Great Western are a result of
signal failure, flooding or other problems related to the track.
However, First Great Western has also suffered problems in areas it
controls, such as the allocation of rolling stock to services. When First
Great Western's current, 10-year franchise started in April 2006, the
Department for Transport forced it to give up some trains that had
previously run on routes in its area. The result was the shortening of some
busy trains and acute overcrowding.
More Trains Less Strain wants the DoT to strip FirstGroup of the Great
Western franchise, but there has been no sign so far that the department is
considering such a dramatic step.
http://www.turks.us/article.php?story=RiotPoliceRestrainRestiveCrowdAtBo
Riot Police Restrain Restive Crowd At Boca Raton Housing Office
Thursday, March 13 2008 @ 10:14 AM Central Daylight Time
Police in riot gear intervened Wednesday when hundreds of people seeking a
chance at subsidized housing grew frustrated after officials ran out of
application forms.
At least one person was arrested and at least six others were hospitalized
for exhaustion during chaos at the Boca Raton Housing Authority that some
believed would have grown into a riot.
Judith Aigen, executive director of the housing authority, said the crowd
surged forward when told applications remained only for disabled people. She
said mothers with children and people in wheelchairs were almost crushed.
''We have got a major crisis right now,'' she said.
People began gathering at the housing authority before midnight, and before
long there were far more than the 600 applications officials planned to
distribute. Many of those waiting were women with infants or toddlers in
their arms, or a baby on the way.
''We're all working people, and we're all bitter right now,'' said Deborah
Davis, 37. ``To be turned away like this hurts.'' She said, ``They should
have anticipated having a large crowd.''
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1318360/1634908
'Bikers for Boobs' present petition
Mar 12, 2008 7:12 PM
First there was Boobs on Bikes, now a new group, Bikers for Boobs has hit
the road.
Thirty riders arrived in Wellington from Auckland, stopping at the bottom of
parliament's steps and holding a protest rally.
They presented a petition calling for twelve months access to the early
stage cancer drug Herceptin.
The government's drug buying agency will fund nine weeks of Herceptin but
has refused to fund it for a year.
Spokeswoman Maxine Cook told those gathered that she feels let down by the
government and its failure to respond to women who need the drug.
Doctors and lobby groups have criticised the decision, saying the 12 months
option has proven to be effective. They say the nine-week combination
treatment is unproven and based on a small sample of women in a Finnish
trial.
Eight patients took Pharmac to court last month seeking a judicial review of
Pharmac's funding.
A ruling is expected later this month.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7292171.stm
Mothers protest over creche cuts
Mothers are planning to protest at Edinburgh City Chambers
Mothers and carers are to protest outside the City Chambers against the
closure of creches at Edinburgh's leisure and sports centres.
The move follows the announcement by Edinburgh Leisure to cut six of its
eight creches as part of efforts to save £300,000.
The Royal Commonwealth Pool and Ainslie Park Leisure Centre are the two
creches which will remain running.
Demonstrators will hand a letter of protest to Edinburgh Leisure.
Closure of the creches will effectively stop many mums from enabling their
kids to take part in sports and fitness
Joanna Duff, creche user
Joanna Duff, who regularly uses Edinburgh's Ainslie Park centre with her two
sons, said: "It is vital that, from an early age, a child experiences the
sports environment, and understands their parents' participation in physical
activity.
"These early experiences will develop the child's interest in sports, making
them comfortable in the routine and fun of regular physical exercise.
"Closure of the creches will effectively stop many mums from enabling their
kids to take part in sports and fitness.
"This will seriously limit parental understanding of the importance of
physical activity in tackling obesity, and promoting healthier lifestyle
choices."
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=210055&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30345
Homes protest continues
By RASHA AL QAHTANI
MORE than 1,000 families from Nuwaidrat and neighbouring villages continued
protesting for the seventh day yesterday over the allocation of government
homes.
Their representatives will meet Central Municipal Council chairman
Abdulrahman Al Hassan today to discuss the issue.
Housing Civil Committee representative Abdulkhalik Ebrahim Qambar said
nobody had approached them and that they were still protesting.
"If nothing happens after the meeting with Mr Al Hassan, we will start
thinking of other measures, which we will announce at a later stage," he
said.
On Sunday evening, some of the families continued protesting despite the
Central Municipality removing their tents from the protest site.
Municipal officials said they had not been shown any kind of proof that the
families were granted a licence from the Interior Ministry to erect the
tents, which the protesters were using during the day.
However, residents said the ministry had granted them a licence legalising
their protest and also allowing them to set up tents.
The families are protesting outside a BD21million vacant housing project in
Nuwaidrat until it is "justly" allocated to residents of Nuwaidrat,
Ma'ameer, Eker and Sanad.
They claim that it has been promised to a group of MPs for people in their
constituencies, which they say lie outside their four villages.
This allegedly followed a call for a share in the project by MPs Abdulatif
Al Shaikh, Salah Ali, Jassim Al Saeedi and Abdulhalim Murad.
The families claim they were promised that 50 per cent of the project would
be allocated to Nuwaidrat residents and the remainder to the other three
villages.
The families recently learnt that only half of the project would go to the
four villages, while the other half would be allocated to other
constituencies.
The families have sent a petition disapproving the new move to the Royal
Court.
The Housing Ministry and Mr Al Shaikh, Mr Ali, Mr Al Saeedi and Mr Murad
were not available for a comment yesterday.
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=209727&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30342
Protest over housing plan
By RASHA AL QAHTANI
MORE than 1,000 families yesterday pledged to continue protesting outside a
vacant housing project in Nuwaidrat until it is "justly" allocated.
They have erected three tents near the completed but vacant project, where
their protest continues for the fifth day today.
The families are demanding that the new government housing project be
allocated to residents of Nuwaidrat, Ma'ameer, Eker and Sanad.
They claim that it has been promised to a group of MPs for people in their
constituencies, which they say lie outside their four villages.
The alleged move followed a call for a share in the project from MPs
Abdulatif Al Shaikh, Salah Ali, Jassim Al Saeedi and Abdulhalim Murad.
The families claim they were promised that 50 per cent of the project would
be allocated to Nuwaidrat residents and the remainder to the other three
villages.
Housing Civil Committee representative Abdulkhaliq Ebrahim Qambar said
yesterday that they learnt only half of the project would go to the four
villages, while the other half would be allocated to other constituencies.
"This project has been implemented in many parts of the country and it has
followed the same procedure, where 50pc goes to the village it is being
built in and the other 50pc goes to neighbouring villages in the same
constituency," he said.
"We are only asking for our rights and we have sent a petition disapproving
the new move, which we sent to the Royal Court."
Mr Qambar said they will continue to protest until their demands are met.
"We have a licence from the Interior Ministry legalising our protest and we
were allowed to set up our tents," he said. "We even added a third tent as
the number of protesters increased and we had to accommodate all of them."
Mr Qambar said this was the first government housing project they have been
given.
"But we are having a tough time for something that is rightfully ours," he
said.
MP Dr Abdali Mohammed Hassan, who represents Nuwaidrat, said that the
project was meant for its residents and the neighbouring villages.
"It is called Nuwaidrat Government Housing and the Housing Ministry should
follow the law accordingly," he said.
"I am acting as a link between the residents and the ministry so that their
voices are heard."
The Housing Ministry and Mr Al Shaikh, Mr Ali, Mr Al Saeedi and Mr Murad
were not available for comment yesterday.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C27%5Cstory_27-1-2008_pg11_7
Protest against low gas pressure
ISLAMABAD: Over 70 people, including women and children, from Rawalpindi
staged a protest demonstration on Saturday in front of the Sui Northern Gas
Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Islamabad office against low gas pressure in
different localities of the city.
Pakistan People's Party, Rawalpindi chapter, President Zamurd Khan led the
protestors, who said that low gas pressure had disturbed their routine life.
They slammed the government for increasing the gas tariffs and failing to
ensure its adequate supply.
They said low pressure had forced them to buy coal and wood for cooking and
heating in the cold weather. They said SNGPL senior officers' phones
remained busy all the time due to which their complaints could not be
addressed.
Later, the protestors apprised SNGPL General Manager Muhammad Ismail Paracha
of their concerns. staff report
http://www.wienerzeitung.at/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4082&Alias=wzo&cob=326777
Vienna doctors begin protest against health-care policy
The Vienna Physicians Chamber has begun a protest against the government's
health-care policy that will last until March 26.
The campaign will feature posters and informational material at 2,000
doctors' offices that accuse SPÖ Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer of being "an
ex-social fighter" who is responsible for the alleged creation of a
two-class system of health-care in Austria.
There will also be lists of concerned patients in the offices that visitors
to them can sign. The lists will be given to Gusenbauer at the end of the
campaign.
Chamber President Walter Dorner calls government health policy "a mess that
is hurting doctors."
Chamber Vice President Johannes Steinhart adds that political decisions have
caused financial deficits at the Vienna health-insurance fund office.
He is calling on politicians finally to take steps to improve the
health-care system.
Doctors oppose proposed ceilings on their fees and changes in their contract
with the health-insurance fund and what they call the government's
"anti-doctor" policy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7235504.stm
Post office closure plan protest
Nairn, near Inverness, could lose its sub post office
A protest march has been held in Nairn over plans to close the town's
Harbour Street post office.
Nairn River Community Council organised the march, which was held in the
Inverness-shire town on Saturday.
The town's sub post office is among those in the Highland Council area
earmarked for closure.
Meanwhile, the local authority has drafted a response to Post Office
Limited's planned shake-up of rural services.
Neighbouring shops
The response will be considered by councillors at a special meeting of the
full council next Thursday.
The Post Office intends to close 29 post offices across Highland.
It has been proposed to shut 18 with no new replacement service provided and
two with services relocated to neighbouring shops.
Nine would be closed with reduced services provided through new outreach
provision and four new outreach services provided where no post office is
currently available.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7230506.stm
Wednesday, 6 February 2008, 12:35 GMT
Fire protest 'broke safety rules'
Firefighters turned away 100 people protesting about a fire station closure
near Grimsby because the venue was so crowded it broke fire regulations.
About 300 people packed into Waltham Leas Junior School on Tuesday night for
a parish council meeting over plans to close the village's retained station.
Fire officials, who had been invited to address the meeting, had to ask many
in the hall to leave on safety grounds.
A fire service spokesman said: "It was dangerous and didn't meet
regulations."
Humberside Fire Service wants to shut the Waltham station because full-time
firefighters from Grimsby could reach a fire in Waltham sooner than their
part-time counterparts in the town.
Not popular
Parish councillors in Waltham had earlier voted to oppose the cuts and
invited fire chiefs to present their case for closure.
The meeting was held in the school because it was the largest venue in the
village.
Glenn Ramsden, from the Humberside Fire Service, said: "The council has the
right to open its meetings to the public.
"But when we arrived we had to point out to them that there were far too
many people in the building, which is only licensed to hold about 200 under
fire regulations."
Many of the villagers attending the meeting were angry over the fire
service's plans to shut the 80-year-old fire station.
Mr Ramsden added: "Quoting fire regulations to that audience at that time
was probably not the most popular thing to do.
"But if an incident had occurred they would not have been safe and that was
our only consideration."
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/NDA_MPs_protest_against_Rail_Budget/articleshow/2818722.cms
Left, NDA MPs protest outside parliament
27 Feb, 2008, 1155 hrs IST, IANS
NEW DELHI: There were two sets of protests outside parliament house on
Wednesday with MPs from Orissa demonstrating against the railway budget and
Left parliamentarians alleging that there was discrimination in food grain
quotas to Kerala.
MPs from Orissa's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) staged an angry protest in front of the Gandhi statue, accusing
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad of doling out "lollipops" to the state in his
budget Tuesday.
The MPs said the railways division that covers much of Orissa provides 35
per cent of the ministry's national revenue, but there was not a single new
project for the region in the budget. They have decided to continue their
protest inside the house too.
The Left MPs - presenting a united front unlike Tuesday when those from West
Bengal voiced their protest against the rail budget but those from Kerala
expressed satisfaction - staged a sit-in at the main gate of parliament.
Led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), they alleged that the
central government was playing politics with food allocation to Kerala.
The group of vociferous parliamentarians, including CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury
and Brinda Karat, shouted slogans like "Don't play politics with rice" and
"Stop discrimination against Kerala".
They demanded immediate restoration of food grain quota to the state,
governed by the Left. Kerala's food grain quota was cut down last year.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/16/stories/2008021657240400.htm
Protest against price hike
Staff Reporter
Delhi BJP workers court arrest, demand immediate rollback
Photo: Anu Pushkarna
Looking for cover: BJP workers being dispersed with water cannon during the
rally in New Delhi on Friday against the latest fuel price hike.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party staged a demonstration at Jantar
Mantar here on Friday to demand immediate withdrawal of the increase in the
prices of petrol and diesel announced by the Centre on Thursday.
Led by Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan, a large number of demonstrators
courted arrest when the police did not allow them to proceed to Parliament
which they wanted to "gherao". The police used water cannons to disperse the
protesters when they tried to march ahead after breaking the barricades.
'Unjustified'
Addressing the protesters, Dr. Vardhan said the latest increase in the
prices of fuel was unjustified as the price of crude had started declining
in the international market. He said the hike would only lead to higher
inflation and further increases in prices of essential commodities due to
rise in transportation costs.
Dr. Vardhan also demanded that Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit provide relief
to the Capital's citizens by reducing the sales tax rates in Delhi.
The BJP leader charged that the Left parties were only shedding crocodile
tears over the issue of oil price hike. He claimed that the prices had
actually been raised with their consent.
Senior party leader and South Delhi MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra said people had
lost faith in the Congress and Left parties and exhorted them to teach the
Congress Governments a lesson. Stating that the Government could have
neutralised the increase in the price of oil by reducing tax, he pointed out
that India is the only country in the world where more than 50 per cent tax
is imposed on the most essential fuels, namely diesel, petrol, kerosene and
cooking gas.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/19/stories/2008031953291200.htm
Left parties protest price rise
Special Correspondent
Leaders blame it on budget proposals and speculation in forward trading
- Photo: R.V. Moorthy
Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat and other MPs of the Lok Sabha
and the Rajya Sabha staging a demonstration against price rise at Parliament
House in New Delhi on Tuesday.
NEW DELHI: During a daylong agitation within and outside Parliament against
price rise, the Left parties on Tuesday demanded restoration of the
allocation of subsidised foodgrains to several States, especially Kerala and
West Bengal. They said speculation in forward trading was responsible for
the recent rise in prices, mainly of essential commodities.
Before both Houses convened for the day, the Left MPs squatted at the main
entrance of the Parliament House, holding placards and raising slogans
against the government policies that led to price rise. They then spoke on
the issue in both Houses during zero hour and walked out.
The West Bengal Left Front Committee submitted a memorandum, signed by its
chairman Biman Bose, to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Left parties then
held a mass dharna, addressed by their leaders, in the national capital.
Statement sought
Raising the matter in the Lok Sabha, Rup Chand Pal (CPI-M) wanted Dr. Singh
to come out with a statement on price rise.
Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) said the prices of all essential commodities went up
after the budget presentation. The budget and economic reforms were solely
responsible, he said, adding the Finance Minister had failed to control
prices.
The two members described the reduction in the allocation of wheat and rice
to West Bengal and Kerala as "political victimisation."
In the Rajya Sabha, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) raised three points. First, he
demanded an immediate ban on forward trading in 25 commodities as proposed
by a Parliamentary Standing Committee.
Second, "at a time when price rise is eating into the vitals of the
economy," the allocation of foodgrains under the public distribution system
was reduced to several States. West Bengal and Kerala, in particular, had
their allocation cut by 82 and 44 per cent. He also opposed the removal of
above poverty line cardholders as that move would "cripple" the PDS.
All CPI(M) members later left the House.
Rural electrification
The West Bengal Left Front Committee memorandum, besides reiterating these
points, referred to the problems in implementing the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Programme, the slow pace of rural electrification,
re-imposition of import duty on naphtha and refugee repatriation.
The mass rally was addressed by Mr. Biman Bose, CPI(M) general secretary
Prakash Karat, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan, Forward Bloc and
Revolutionary Socialist Party leaders Debabrata Biswas and Abani Roy, CPI(M)
Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat, D. Raja (CPI) and A. Vijayaraghavan
(CPI-M).
The speakers sought a reduction in customs and excise duties on oil imports
so that the retail prices of petrol and diesel were not raised, and demanded
stringent action against hoarding of essential commodities.
Responding to the Left charge, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan
Dasmunsi quoted Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee that
of the Rs. 70,000 crore invested by the United Progressive Alliance
government in various projects in States, West Bengal alone accounted for
Rs. 20,000 crore. He accused the Left of raising the bogey of step-motherly
treatment by the Centre for decades.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/labor-mps-join-power-sale-protest/2008/02/26/1203788296123.html
Labor MPs join power sale protest
Protestors march down Macquarie Street.
Photo: Jon Reid
Thousands of demonstrators including 15 Labor MPs rallied outside NSW State
Parliament in Sydney today to protest against the planned sell-off of the
NSW power industry.
But even the most committed protesters conceded they had an uphill battle to
change the minds of NSW Premier Morris Iemma and Treasurer Michael Costa.
Workers from trade unions across NSW gathered at Hyde Park from 10am before
making their way down Macquarie Street, haranguing state MPs on their way to
the first parliamentary sitting of the year.
Crowd estimates varied, with organisers claiming 12,000 and police and other
observers putting the number closer to 4000.
Fifteen Labor MPs joined the protesters, including former frontbench MPs
Kerry Hickey and Grant McBride and current upper house president Peter
Primrose and Blacktown MP Paul Gibson.
Mr Gibson said he was "sticking to the Labor platform".
"Let me tell you this. There is nobody, no member of Parliament on our side
who is bigger than the Australian Labor Party," Mr Gibson said.
With a Labor caucus meeting running at the same time as the protest, Unions
NSW chief John Robertson was determined to apply as much pressure as
possible to Mr Iemma, Mr Costa and other Labor MPs thought to be wavering in
their support of the sell-off.
Referring to the anti-WorkChoices campaign last year, Mr Robertson said it
was "disturbing that we are here once again protesting against a Government
that refuses to listen to the people".
"This is political arrogance at its highest," Mr Robertson said.
"We just threw out a federal government that had lost touch and was
arrogant. We don't want to have to get rid of a Labor Government that has
lost touch and is arrogant [as well].
"We want a political leader with the courage and the strength to admit we
got it wrong. It would be refreshing and enlightening to see a leader
actually listen to the people of NSW."
But when the MPs left for the caucus meeting to discuss the controversial
sell-off plan, there was little confidence - even among the protesters -
that their voices would change their leaders' minds.
"They're arrogant - they don't listen to anyone except their union mates,"
power station worker Les McAllister, 53, said.
Mr Iemma said during question time that the Government would go ahead with
the plan, regardless of the opposition to it.
"This state will require extra energy and more electricity by 2014," Mr
Iemma said.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=nw20080120160356583C385821
Bread price sparks protest
January 20 2008 at 05:18PM
The Congress of SA Trade Unions in the Western Cape is to stage a protest
against the price of bread outside Parliament later on Sunday.
Cosatu provincial general secretary Tony Ehrenreich told Sapa the protest
involved handing over a memorandum to government representatives from the
premier's office and the department of trade and industry.
The bread price rose sharply again last week, between 35c and 40c a loaf,
following a finding by the Competition Commission late last year that some
manufacturers had colluded and fixed prices.
Ehrenreich said he expected about 200 people at the protest, set to start at
5.30pm. - Sapa
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Locals_protest_water_shortage/articleshow/2751842.cms
Locals protest water shortage
3 Feb 2008, 0011 hrs IST,TNN
MUMBAI: Mira-Bhayandar residents on Saturday protested against the perennial
shortage of water, load-shedding and poor health facilities in the area. The
local BJP unit also organised a morcha and hunger-strike outside the
Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation.
"Corruption is the only thing that is flourishing in Mira-Bhayandar," said
Sreedhar Mandke, who lives in Bhayandar. According to residents, water is
being diverted to construction sites in the area. Local corporator Milind
Mhatre said the HC had directed the corporation to build a 200-bed hospital
more than a year ago but there had been no progress.
"The need for a full-fledged hospital has been upheld by the HC but the
corporation is yet to act," Mhatre added.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/16/stories/2008021653750500.htm
Widespread protest against fuel price hike
Special Correspondent
Thiruvananthapuram: The hike in the prices of petrol and diesel has started
fuelling a series of protests in the State. The State unit of the BJP stole
a march over the other political parties by organising the first protest on
Friday. It organised demonstrations at the panchayat-level throughout the
State as part of the protest.
CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan called for organising demonstrations
at the local level all over the State on Saturday. The Mahila Morcha will
picket the Secretariat as part of a countr ywide action against price rise
in general and the hike in the prices of petrol, diesel and milk in
particular on Saturday. CPI State secretary Veliyam Bhargavan called for
observing February 18 as protest day to place on record his party's
resentment.
The UDF had issued a call for a State-wide hartal on February 19 to protest
against the price rise which would be given an added impetus by the hike in
petrol prices.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200803140167.html
Nigeria: Retired Railway Workers Protest Non-Payment of Benefits
Leadership (Abuja)
14 March 2008
Posted to the web 14 March 2008
Nnamdi Mbawike
Retired staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), eastern district,
yesterday staged a peaceful demonstration in Enugu over the non-payment of
their arrears of pension.
Hundreds of the ex- railway workers marched within the premises of the
secretariat of the railway near sub-way, Ogui, Enugu, with placards, some of
which read;" railway pensioners are killed silently", "Fed Govt. pay us our
25, 18 and 25 months pension arrears".
In a press conference shortly after the protest, chairman of the Nigerian
Union of Pensioners (NUP) Railway branch, eastern zone, Comrade Dennis
Iweanya, stated that over 10,000 railway pensioners had died while waiting
for the payment of their arrears of pension.
He further disclosed that the Federal Government owed the Railway retirees
about N3.8 billion, adding that the government was not fair to them by owing
25 months arrears pension to pre-1966.
"We have observed with disappointment that government interest was only in
the army, police, prisons and other security services pensioners whom they
consider to be a risk to government should anything happen as a result of
non-payment of their arrears."
The railway pensioners lamented that government allowed the railway
corporation to decay in such a manner that it has lost relevance within the
transport sector in the country.
Nether the railway management nor the Federal Ministry of Transport is
thinking of granting railway pensioners the 12% and 15% salary revision of
2003 and 2005 respectively to meet with inflationary trend in the country",
he said
The labour leader recalled that they were informed by the authority that
fund for gratuity and pension for post 1966 retirees was deposited with NICO
Insurance Company in 1966, pointing out that payment of pension fo these
retirees became effective in 1999 only to be stopped in 2004 when the NICON
company was sold to private entrepreneur.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=181&art_id=vn20080323081901798C286800
Passengers smash glass in protest
Lynnette Johns
March 23 2008 at 08:57AM
Passengers at Durban Airport, some of them heading for the Two Oceans
Marathon in Cape Town on Saturday, were so enraged when a Mango flight was
cancelled that one of them smashed a glass door and armed riot police were
called.
Mango has now promised a full internal investigation.
The 9.45pm flight to Cape Town on Friday was delayed after an air hostess
became ill and couldn't fly.
Passengers who had already checked in and were waiting to board were
informed by ground staff that their flight to Cape Town had been cancelled
because the pilot had exceeded his permitted flying hours.
As passengers shouted in anger and frustration, one enraged man stormed the
door leading to the apron and kicked it, shattering the glass.
Airport security apprehended the man before he could run onto the apron.
Then six riot policemen arrived armed with sub-machine guns.
Many of the people were on their way to the Mother City for family
gatherings, weddings and the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon.
Former Weekend Argus editor Jonathan Hobday, who was scheduled to be on the
flight, said one disappointed couple had booked their flight to the Two
Oceans Marathon in July.
The woman, who had trained for months, was in tears because she knew she
would not make the starting line.
Hobday spoke to the pilot who told him he would be in contravention of the
law if he continued flying as he would exceed his flight hours for the day.
But pilots do have discretion to extend their shifts by a few hours.
Hobday said he and his wife got to a hotel after midnight. Even though they
were promised a 9am flight on Saturday, they boarded only after 11am.
Hobday blamed Mango management for the eventual 16-hour delay, saying they
should have had a stand-by crew as they had known hours in advance that the
pilot would not be able to fly to Cape Town.
Mango spokesperson Hein Kaiser said a relief crew was dispatched on the
first available flight to Durban.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiAbD1gzmWpFnXJhQgIgzbwoIScg
Bhopal tragedy survivors reach Delhi after 37-day protest march
Mar 28, 2008
NEW DELHI (AFP) - Fifty survivors and victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak
arrived in New Delhi on Friday after a 37-day march and demanded to meet the
premier to seek a clean-up of toxic waste at the site.
It was the second such 800-kilometre (500 mile) trek from Bhopal city in
central India to the national capital in two years.
The protesters included three 11-year-old children and a woman in her
eighties.
"I could walk because there was a doctor with us to take care of our
problems. This time, we'd rather die rather than go back if our demands
aren't met," said Munni Bee, a woman in her sixties.
Activists and protesters want the site to be cleared of thousands of tonnes
of toxic waste embedded in the soil as well as jobs and compensation for
health problems suffered by the victims.
The disaster occurred on December 3, 1984 when a storage tank at the Union
Carbide India Ltd. pesticide plant spewed deadly cyanide gas into the air,
killing more than 3,500 slum dwellers immediately.
The death toll has since climbed to more than 15,000, the government says.
The survivors want US giant Dow Chemical, which took over Union Carbide in
1999, to pay for the clean-up and health damages. They also want a supply of
clean water.
Dow says all liabilities were settled in 1989 when Union Carbide paid 470
million dollars to the Indian government to be allocated to survivors and
families of the dead.
But local court cases in India have since challenged Dow's stand and called
for more compensation for victims as well as for the environmental damage.
Activists say the plant site still contains around 5,000 tonnes of toxic
chemicals, which have contaminated soil and water up to five kilometres
(three miles) away.
"We have been drinking poison. We have nowhere to go as no one will buy our
house," said Bee, one of the marchers. She said her daughter-in-law suffered
two miscarriages because of the toxic water.
Many survivors and nearby residents complain of breathlessness, neurological
disorders, diminished vision and other ailments. Others suffer from cancers
doctors attribute to chemical poisoning. Birth defects have also been
reported.
"When the gas leaked, we felt a burning sensation in the eyes and fell
unconscious. Our children got left behind as we ran for our lives," Bee
said. "I found my daughter after eight days."
In 2006, after protestors went on a hunger protest -- refusing to eat
anything for days as a mark of protest -- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
promised to set up a panel to look into their demands.
"The committee has since met three times, held discussions but hasn't done
anything till now," said Nityanand Jayaraman, spokesman for the
International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, who had been on the march.
Activists said the protestors will not go back this time unless they are
given a timetable for action planned by the government.
"We have been very naive in believing them earlier," Jayaraman said.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1287626/papua_new_guinea_protesters_kept_away_from_australian_pm/
Papua New Guinea Protesters Kept Away From Australian PM
Posted on: Sunday, 9 March 2008, 12:00 CDT
Excerpt from report by Papua New Guinea newspaper The National website on 7
March
[by Harlyne Joku]
Koiari villagers were prevented by police from meeting Australian Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd to demand answers to the future of the World War Two
icon, the famous Kokoda Track.
Mr Rudd, who flew into Port Moresby on an Australian Defence Force aircraft,
was probably unaware that villagers from the area sacred to Australians were
gathering nearby with placards to tell him they had enough of living in
poverty.
"What have you done for us in the past 65 years Rudd?", a placard read.
Over 30 landowners protested peacefully in front of the Airlines PNG
terminal yesterday, but were prevented by police from reaching the Jackson
Airport VIP area where Mr Rudd was inspecting a guard of honour.
"It is our right to express our concerns. This is a democratic country," the
leader of the Kokoda Track Authority, Barney Jack, said. [passage omitted]
Mr Jack said the people wanted to develop their land which had remained idle
for 65 years, lacking basic services such as water, power and roads. "This
is our land not Australia's land," the protesting landowners said.
An Australian company proposes to mine gold in the area, where part of the
sacred track runs through. The Mining Ministry has, however, refused to
renew the mining lease of the company, prompting demonstrations in recent
weeks by landowners supporting the mine.
The Australian government wants to fast-track its listing on the World
Heritage Listing, which would effective stop mining in the area.
The landowners say they have lived in poverty for over 60 years, and if
there is no mining, what alternatives are being offered by Australia.
Prime Minister Rudd at a press conference later said the issue had to be
resolved amicably and effectively. Mr Rudd he respected that PNG was a
sovereign state and should make its own decisions. He said Prime Minister
Somare and himself had discussed the Kokoda issue at great length yesterday
and is confident that both their officials will reach an understanding by
the ministerial forum meeting in Madang in April.
Mr Rudd stressed the officials will look at various aspects of the issue
which includes the interests of the landowners.
"They are important to the equation than anybody else," Mr Rudd said.
Sir Michael said they have to sit down and work out how they could have
Kokoda listed on the World Heritage Listing, and still develop part of the
area.
Originally published by The National website, Port Moresby, in English 7 Mar
08.
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