National News

RMT fight against Sodexo links with Orgreave campaign

ACTIVISTS FROM transport union RMT, fighting union- busting outsourcing outfit Sodexo, last Friday linked up with campaigners from the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign in central London as both organisations sought to apply pressure for justice in their respective campaigns.

Trade unionists fighting the victimisation and dismissal of RMT union activist Petrit Mihaj took the fight against global union- busters Sodexo to the front door of the company’s London headquarters on Holborn Friday morning 14th November.

Afterwards they joined up with the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign who were taking their case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, also at High Holborn, at noon that afternoon.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Protests as Ukrainians honour SS dead at Cenotaph

by New Worker correspondent

ANTI-FASCISTS from a broad political spectrum gathered in Whitehall opposite the Cenotaph to make a silent and dignified protest to show their outrage as Ukrainians living in Britain staged a memorial ceremony for Ukrainian soldiers “fallen in all wars”.

This includes members of the Galician SS division who collaborated with the Nazis and who, as members of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), took part in murdering Jews, Poles and Communists before Nazi troops had even occupied Ukraine and who served as concentration camp guards at Auschwitz.

It was even more shocking as the event came just two hours after the Union of Jewish Ex-Servicemen had held their annual remembrance event at the Cenotaph and their wreath ended up overlapping the UJEX wreaths.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Britain First’s ‘epic fail’ in Rochester

THE FASCIST Britain First (BF) group tried to march through Rochester in Kent last Saturday for the second time in a fortnight and, as before, they were totally outnumbered by local anti-fascists who blocked their path in a three-hour stand-off.

BF wanted to stage the march in support of their candidate in the coming by-election there, Jayda Fransen. They managed a pitifully small turn-out at Rochester station but they were greeted by several hundred local anti- fascists.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

‘UKIP’ thugs attack

THUGS claiming to be from the UK Independence Party last week attacked a group of Labour supporters campaigning for the NHS in Corringham, Essex.

A disabled pensioner was kicked while on her mobility scooter during the assault. Linda Hall’s terrified seven-year-old grandson Thomas was with her when the yobs struck last Saturday.

The three men had passed the Labour group’s “Save our NHS” street stall earlier and one said to one activist that they were “Ukip — we will be back later”.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Victim ‘witnessed murder

A VICTIM of the Westminster paedophile abuse scandal last week claimed he saw a Conservative MP murder a young boy during a depraved sex party.

And the Sunday People reports that detectives are investigating three allegedly linked to a network of VIP perverts.

The horrifying account comes days after Scotland Yard confirmed they have launched a murder probe - connected to allegations of sex abuse from the 1970s and 80s.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Humber Refinery workers strike

HUNDREDS of contract workers last week downed tools for a second day at an oil refinery in North Lincolnshire over “safety concerns”.

The decision to walk out was made following a meeting at 08:00 GMT on Tuesday 11th November of workers and union officials.

The day before at least 450 contract workers at the Philips 66 plant in South Killingholme had left the site. It followed a gas leak the previous week in which two people were taken to hospital. The refinery processes barrels of oil into petrol and diesel.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Biscuit workers protest

HUNDREDS of workers at a Liverpool biscuit factory are set to go on strike after voting in a row over sick pay.

Members of the GMB at the Jacobs factory in Aintree backed the walkouts with 84 per cent, with the union planning to announce strike dates soon of the vote.

Stuart Fegan, the GMB national officer, said: “Senior management of United Biscuits have issued a letter to all employees at Aintree unilaterally suspending company sick pay with immediate effect and advising the workforce that they are looking to source the products manufactured at the Aintree site elsewhere.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Scottish News So long Salmond

by our Scottish political correspondent

FULLY two months after his first announcement The Right Honourable Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond MSP has finally departed as Scotland’s fourth First Minister after a career of devoted service to Scottish capitalism. Born in Linlithgow he was educated at the local Academy before going to Edinburgh College of Commerce for his HNC in Business Studies.

This was followed by a lower second class degree in Economics and Medieval History from St Andrews University, the birthplace of “Thatcherism” which equipped him for a career as an economist in the Royal Bank of Scotland, albeit after a spell as a civil servant.

Throughout his political career he never wavered in his loyalty to his employer. When he became First Minister one of his first actions was to support Fred Goodwin by offering “any assistance my office can provide” in the bank’s takeover of the Dutch bank ABN Amro, which resulted in the bank’s collapse and £46 billion bail-out.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Building support for the DPRK

by New Worker correspondent

FRIENDS of the Korean revolution met last weekend to strengthen the worldwide movement in solidarity with Democratic Korea and build the Korean Friendship Association.

The biggest ever KFA international meeting took place in the Belgian city of La Louvière with delegations from all over Europe, Asia and the United States as well UK KFA official delegate Dermot Hudson and communications secretary Theo Russell.

Also present were Hyon Hak Bong, DPRK Ambassador to Britain and two delegates from the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, Director Ryu Kyong Il, and Kang Hyon Gyu, liaison officer in Pyongyang.

The meet ing was opened by KFA president Alejandro Cao de Benos, who said that the period 15th November to 17th December has been declared a special period of mourning marking three years since the passing of dear leader comrade Kim Jong Il.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

For Lenin and revolutionary change!

by New Worker correspondent

COMRADES and friends joined millions of workers all round the world to salute the anniversary of the 10 days that shook the world, at the New Communist Party’s reception at the Party Centre in London last weekend.

The print shop was transformed into a bar and buffet for comrades to meet friends old and new and greet the guests who joined us on Saturday to honour the generations who fought and built the Soviet Union.

NCP chairperson Alex Kempshall kicked off the formal part of the evening by introducing the speakers which included Michael Chant from the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain, Fuzhe Yu from the embassy of the DPR Korea and NCP leader Andy Brooks.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

International News

Russia will not let the Ukrainian resistance die

by Ayre Vende

AFTER he faced a cool welcome at the G20 Summit, Russian leader Vladimir Putin spoke out to explain the Russian stand on Ukraine. “The issue is that we can’t have a one-sided view of the problem. Today there is fighting in eastern Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian central authorities have sent the armed forces there and they even use ballistic missiles. Does anybody speak about it? Not a single word. And what does it mean? What does it tell us? This points to the fact, that you want the Ukrainian central authorities to annihilate everyone there, all of their political foes and opponents. Is that what you want? We certainly don’t. And we won’t let it happen”, the Russian president declared during an interview for the German ARD TV channel.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

US cover up on torture

by Ivan Martínez

THE United States is deleting a large amount of information about torture techniques it has used since the 9/11 attacks, says an activist and political analyst.

“The first thing the president should do is release the torture report that has been going through a very aggressive editing process with the administration reportedly deleting a great deal of information that the public needs to know,” Kevin Zeese of Voters for Peace told the media last week.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

The blockade against Cuba: A US boomerang?

by Robert Garcia

UNITED States diplomat Ronald Godard was under considerable pressure at the United Nations General Assembly in his attempts to defend the indefensible: the economic, commercial and financial blockade Washington has maintained against Cuba for more than 50 years.

On 28th October 2013, 188 of the 193 members of the UN voted for the 23rd time in favour of the resolution proposed by Cuba on the need to lift this coercive measure.

Only the US and Israel opposed the motion while the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau abstained. A few hours later the digital edition of the New York Times carried a piece entitled “On Cuba Embargo, It is the US and Israel Against the World — Again”, another in a series of articles by the newspaper advocating for a change in policy on Cuba.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Aerospace exploration in the DPRK

by Choe Kwang Hyok

THE DEMOCRATIC People’s Republic of Korea, a manufacturer and launcher of artificial earth satellites, is fully exercising its legitimate and peaceful rights to explore space and making headway towards applying the cutting-edge technology in this field.

It succeeded in launching its first earth satellite Kwangmyongsong 1 on 31st August Juche 87 (1998), and Kwangmyongsong 2 in April Juché 98 (2009).

After successful launches of the two trial satellites the scientists and technicians of the DPRK pushed forward with the development of applications satellites. The project was not all plain sailing, as the field of space exploration was a synthesis of advances in cutting-edge science and technology and, moreover, the imperialists and reactionaries of the world resorted more viciously to obstructive manoeuvres against the DPRK.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Features

Fighting Ebola: China’s assistance is real

by Zhou Fei

ON THE 11th August when a special Chinese airplane fully loaded with anti-Ebola materials slowly touched down at the airport of Conakry, the capital city of Guinea, people of the country were thrilled and the news spread fast among them. President Mala of the China-Guinea Friendship Hospital said: “China sent a special airplane, flying thousands of miles to bring us the most needed supplies. It is so touching.”

This is just one episode of China using chartered airplanes to bring much needed supplies against Ebola to African countries. In fact since March 2014 China has been doing the same to not only Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea where Ebola is rampant, but also to their 10 neighbouring countries of Ghana, Mali, Togo, Benin, DRC, the Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau.

Ebola casts a dark shadow over West Africa, and the three West African countries are facing a fatal threat. At such a critical juncture, the Chinese people, who have an agonising memory of SARS, feel the pain of the African people, immediately reach out their hands, and do their utmost to provide pragmatic help to their African brothers. First, multiple rounds of pragmatic assistance have been sent to the Ebola-stricken areas. Last April, when Ebola just emerged, China immediately came up with material supplies worth four million yuan to help four West African countries.

[Read the complete story in the print edition]

Beware! India’s new regime carries deadly virus

by Baldev Padam

INDIA is a “Secular Socialist Democratic Republic” as per its constitution, and its citizens are equal before law, irrespective of caste, colour, or creed. But its secular feature may come under stress after Narendra Modi and his BJP (Bharatya Janata Party or Indian People’s Party) formed the government in May 2014.

There is nothing unusual in rulers changing through the democratic process, but power this time passed to the political arm of a dogmatic Hindu organisation, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — National Volunteers) whose mantra is to make India a Hindu Nation (Rashtra). The RSS founders opposed the concept of a secular Indian state, and also admired Hitler’s theory of purity of race. Long-time RSS President Guru Golwalkar, in his book We, Our Nationhood Defined (1938) wrote: “Germany has also shown how well-nigh impossible it is for races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by.” Such noxious thoughts prompted ardent followers like Modi and BJP to target India’s non-Hindu minorities, the Muslims in particular. Hence the alarm!

[Read the complete story in the print edition]