Workers' Liberty

The Olympic spectacular in August this year is likely to be another step on China’s march towards great power status. For sure the media will marvel at the incredible stadia, the clean streets of the capital and the immensity of the country.

So spare a thought for the workers on Beijing’s Olympic construction sites,

Here's an interesting source of information. Apparently, the Olympic Games and other 'mega-events' have displaced some 2 million people from their hom

By Matthew Thompson

The publication of a report by the Football Supporters’ Federation calling for the reintroduction of standing areas at grounds has been criticised by the Hillsborough Families Campaign, a group representing relatives of the 96 Liverpool fans crushed to death in 1989.

Apparently, David Beckham's move to LA Galaxy is not for the money. Yeah, right.

The Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskas who has died aged 79, fifty years after the Russian invasion which drove him from his homeland, was a key member of the Magnificent Magyars, the national team who revolutionised football in the early fifties.

As you know, this blog likes to keep you up-to-date with the progress of the England women's football team.

So I am delighted to report that the team has qualified for next year's World Cup finals, thanks to a "gutsy" away draw in France.

This one's for Hackney locals (including you Stoke Newington types who don't like to admit you live in Hackney), swimmers, and followers of useless local Councils and "Labour" politicians who fail working-class communities.

Not in general, of course (that would be sexist), but in England's international football teams.

Hat tip to Ben for this link to the England women's unstoppable progress towards the World Cup finals in China next year. Along the way, England have beaten Hungary 13-0, but also seem to share the men's team's expertise at drawing with Sweden.

The pundits have thus far interpreted the game. The point, however, is to win it.

For sixty minutes, England appeared to have a strategy of losing the ball as soon as they reached the final third of the pitch. Then a petulant lad thought it was acceptable to push your opponent in temper. (Just like a petulant predecessor did with a kick against Argentina eight years ago.)

BBC TV is plugging the Sport Relief mile. Among the array of sporty types encouranging us to canter for charity, one said, "If you can't run just one little mile for Sport Relief, you should be ashamed of yourself."

Laura Schwartz reviews Offside, directed by Jafar Panahi

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad recently ruled that women would finally be allowed into the stadiums of football-mad Iran.

The World Cup is with us, and for football fans, it's a fantastic celebration of the best of the beautiful game.

For most of us, it is a matter of supporting your team and respecting the right of others to do the same - whether it is England or one of the other 31. But the likes of the BNP are out to exploit the enthusiasm of England fans and recruit more racists. And the political establishment would like us all to rally around the flag and forget about their attacks on us and our rights. Don't let them - London Underground has a multi-racial workforce and every one of the 32 competing national sides probably has its supporters amongst our workmates.

I’m generally uninterested in anything connected to football — but a recent article by the SWP’s Keith Flett in tankie rag the Morning Star is really worth reading.

SWP man of letters Keith Flett really surpassed himself in today’s Morning Star (19 May 2006), with an article, Anyone but England: Socialists and the World Cup.

Flett says he won’t be supporting England in the World Cup because:

1. Dry gardening magazine articles.

   Like this one. And adverts. And even a bloody Mayoral campaign.

   
   

By Bryan Sketchley

Aboriginal protesters and their supporters have set up camp a couple of hundred metres from the Government House, in Melbourne, where the Queen will be staying during her taxpayer-funded holiday in Australia.

By Heenal Rajani

We should remember George Best for his football alone and not his decline.

There will be gold medals for corporate sponsors, TV networks, sportswear manufacturers and politicians.
But will Hackney’s workers and communities get the wooden spoon?

The Olympic Games are big business. But unless we put up a fight, we could end up with ‘regeneration’ that pushes up prices, reduces our green space, and creates facilities that local residents can not afford.
Property developers will use the opportunity to make a ‘land grab’.

LABURNUM STREET PARTY 3rd JULY

This year's Laburnum Street Party to celebrate the 101st birthday of Haggerston Pool will be on Sunday 3rd July from 12 - 6pm. There will be a big stage in the street with djs, mcs (including Haunted House from Kiss FM), r&b singers, elvis singalike, chinese childrens dancing and much more. Also lots of stalls with food, games, bric-a-brac, plus the playbus, bouncy castle, facepainting, clown and a football tournament. To book stalls or take part, please call on general number below.

By Mick Duncan

The American billionaire Malcolm Glazer, has succeeded in his bid to take control of Manchester United, causing a huge backlash among the soccer club’s supporters.

Puma profits from the Olympics

From a new report by the US National Labor Committee and China Labour Watch

Puma sponsors Olympic teams and star athletes around the world. But it is unlikely that even these finely conditioned athletes could keep pace with Puma’s workers in China, forced to work up to 16.5 hours a day, from 7:30 a.m. to midnight, six or seven days a week, for wages of just 31 cents an hour.

Nike's multi-million dollar Olympics advertising campaign is in jeopardy.

Marion Jones, the record-breaking American athlete accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs, is in danger of being barred from the competition. She is under scrutiny by the US Anti-Doping Agency.

By Mick Duncan

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) is turning a blind eye to the super-exploitation of workers producing sportswear marketed around the Athens Olympic Games, and to the mistreatment of workers at the games venues.

By Mick Duncan

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) is turning a blind eye to the super-exploitation of workers producing sportswear marketed around the Athens Olympic Games.


The IOC ducks responsibility by stating that control over standards in this area lies with the National Olympic Committees, while the National Committees refer back to the IOC. But the Olympics Charter states that "all rights to the Olympic Symbol, Flag, and Motto belong exclusively to the IOC', giving them authority over licensing of National Committees and companies producing Olympics branded goods.

• Moving on up?

• Massive
• BAE bungs
• Feudal blues
• Siberian blues
• Viva, left of centre politicians!

Moving on up?

Residents of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest have been promised that should London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics goes ahead, their boroughs will benefit from 'the most significant urban and environmental regeneration ever seen in London'.

In the lead-up to the Athens Olympic Games in August, the Clean Clothes Campaign, Oxfam and trade unions across the world will be campaigning for sportswear workers' rights.

The campaign was launched on 4 March with events in more than 25 countries.

In Canada, Bruce Kidd, a Canadian athlete, raised a clothes-line of brand name sportswear with statistics highlighting the abuse of workers' rights.

• Indonesia: textile workers' victory

• No Sweat discusses Iraq workers' solidarity
• Women's TUC fringe meeting
• No Sweat steering group
• Play Fair Olympics campaign

Indonesia: textile workers' victory

Tom Belton assesses the future of football finance

After the abolition of the maximum wage, the Bosman Ruling, the Premier League, millionaire sugar daddies, and the collapse of ITV Digital, football fans could be forgiven for thinking that they had seen it all, but three weeks ago the football world witnessed an event that could spell the advent of an era that no one anticipated.

Step forward Roman Abramovich, billionaire oil tycoon, Russian State Governor and proud new owner of Chelsea Football Club.

By Mick Duncan

Hip Hop Activists of the World is the latest group to back the struggle of the Mexican workers of Matamoros Garments, in Puebla, central Mexico.

This group of workers sweated in Matamoros produce expensive clothes for companies like the well-known German brand, Puma. In January they struck, in a fight extensively covered in the pages of recent issues of Solidarity. The workers set up their own independent union, SITEMAG, filed for their union's official recognition, demanded decent pay and respect at work.

By Mick Duncan, Secretary, No Sweat

After Mexican workers' action against poverty-pay and anti-union management in Matamoros Garment, and a massive international campaign in support of their struggle, a victory has been won for militant, independent trade unionism.