24 November 2010
14 November 2010
100,000 march against social service cuts
Around 100,000 people took to the streets in cities across Germany on Saturday to demonstrate against cuts in social services, according to the German federation of trade unions, (DGB).
Police counted around 30,000 demonstrators in Nuremberg, at least as many in Stuttgart and more thousands in Erfurt and Dortmund.
They were calling for the provision or maintenance of a raft of social provisions including fair wages, a solidarity-based healthcare system, strong public services, abandonment of the increase in retirement age to 67 and better education.
“People are currently having to bear the consequences of the crisis in the financial markets, with tax increases, job losses and cuts in social services. That has nothing to do with fairness,” said Berthold Huber, national chairman of the IG Metall trade union speaking in Stuttgart.
They were calling for the provision or maintenance of a raft of social provisions including fair wages, a solidarity-based healthcare system, strong public services, abandonment of the increase in retirement age to 67 and better education.
“People are currently having to bear the consequences of the crisis in the financial markets, with tax increases, job losses and cuts in social services. That has nothing to do with fairness,” said Berthold Huber, national chairman of the IG Metall trade union speaking in Stuttgart.
Fire kills seven at migrants' residence in France
PARIS (Reuters) - At least seven people were killed and more than one hundred injured in a fire at a residence for immigrant workers in the French city of Dijon late Saturday, city authorities said.
The fire began in a dustbin on the ground floor of the nine-storey building, the mayor's office said Sunday.
"The winds were unfavourable, blowing the flames against the wall of the building," an official at the mayor's office said.
Some of the victims suffered smoke inhalation and others were injured trying to escape, with some jumping out of windows. Four were in a critical condition.
The residence, in the Fontaine d'Ouche area of the city, is owned by housing operator Adoma and can accommodate 180 residents. At the time of the fire, 141 people were inside the building. Twenty-one children were among the injured.
13 November 2010
WSM condemns police violence against students
WSM has released a press statement condemning the Garda attacks on student protesters in Dublin today during which many students were injured by Garda batons.
We say that we need to stand together in this period of attack on our quality of life and futures. What is clear today that like elsewhere around Europe and the rest of the world, police repression will be used by the state to try an make our movements for social justice and equality fearful and less open and effective.
For an account of the protests as they happened with videos see Riot police attack students after they storm Department of Finance in Dublin
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