media and culture
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in the media and culture industries around the world, and analysis and reviews of art, culture and the media.
Projectile debating
This post is coming a little later than would be usual, as I just took my first proper (non-anarchist-related) break in what seems like ages after Projectile finished and only just got back from it.
For those of you who aren’t up on what the Newcastle-based Projectile anarchist film festival does, it really provides the main northern answer to the London Anarchist Bookfair as the place for libertarians to get together (though Manchester, Bradford and Glasgow all have their own regular bookfairs, none are on quite the same scale).
The Scum - comic about the Wapping strike, 1986
A contemporary spoof of The Sun newspaper containing a "Tintin" cartoon about the Wapping printers strike of 1986.
digitised by libcom.org
Scientists challenge copyright regulations
Last month a group of US physicists challenged copyright regulations that placed restriction on sharing their work.
A group of physicists last month challenged the American Physical Society after the APS withdrew two articles, the authors of which indicated an intention to publish some of the work on online-encyclopaedia Wikipedia
France: workers strike, many win
Restaurant and tire workers have won strikes with a bus drivers' strike ongoing.
Michelin - Workers at the factory in Toul (Meurthe et Moselle) began strike action after plans were announced to close it down. As well as occupying and blockading the plant with pickets of burning tyres the 826 workers also confined two managers to their offices during the four-day strike.
France: strikes in state television and radio
Strikes by workers in the state media saw many programmes cancelled.
The planned strike at France Télévisions against 'reforms' was successful. At France 3, seems to be targeted for privatisation as it is supposedly too critical of the current government 56% of all employees joined the strike, rising to 60% in regioal centres.
Greece: General strike against pension reform
Thousands of Greek workers have joined a 24-hour strike in protest against reforms which could jeapordise pensions and jobs.
Launched by Greece's two largest unions, the strike has affected all public services, hospitals, banks, courts and airports. All flights out of Athens airport have been grounded after air traffic controllers, pilots and flight crews walked out, and ferry and metro systems across the country have been hit.
France: strike action continues at the Paris Opera
Workers at the Paris Opera have been striking since October 18th in defence of their pension regimes.
The strike has caused the cancellation of 17 performances and 8 have gone ahead in a reduced form. The strike is strongest amongst workers from the Sud union, and to a lesser extent FSU. These workers are in the majority amongst lighting and stage hands and as such have a strong position. The FO, CGT and CFDT unions have already agreed to negotiations with management.
Jo Whiley - BBC scab
Radio "personality" Jo Whiley crossed picket lines to work during the 2005 strike of BBC workers against job cuts.
Fellow Beeb journalist Steve Bunce on BBC London later complained about not being able to give out prizes, he blamed "the stuff that Scabby Whiley's been up to."
Possibly then after someone had a word in his ear he followed up with "Well, she is a scab, isn't she. She crossed a picket line. No argument there. She's a scab so we can call her that."
No arguments here!
Lefeuvre, René and Editions Spartacus
A history of Spartacus publishing in France, with biographical information about its founder, René Lefeuvre.
Born in Brittany in 1902, René Lefeuvre, started work at 16, his father teaching him his trade as an artisan mason.
France: More workers join strikes
Hundreds of thousands of health workers, civil servants, printers postal workers and air traffic controllers yesterday joined transport and energy strikes over pensions and pay.
Thousands joined street protests in Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg, Marseille, Grenoble, Lyon and other cities.
The 24 hour strike left many schools closed, hospitals providing a reduced service and newsagents without newspapers.
The BBC reported that the French capital's two airports and Marseille airport in the south suffered delays and cancellations.
