Rob Ray

It has been revealed that the global shortfall in healthcare professionals has reached four million people – with one million needed in Africa alone. The figures were voiced at the Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, which opened in the Ugandan capital of Kampala on March 3rd.

With 349 new nuclear reactors now either under construction, on order or in the early planning stages around the world, the uranium mining industry has been kicking into high gear with a glut of new extractions underway.

LCAP, which was set up in August as a means of providing support to people who are not getting their legal rights through taking on ‘direct action casework’, identified homelessness as a growing problem in the capitol as resources are stripped away from shelter provision. Mat, a volunteer for LCAP, spoke to Freedom in a personal capacity about the group and campaign.

The problem, according to headlines in the mainstream press, was a 2.5% pay rise being offered by Royal Mail to its 190,000 workers, along with some vague problems to do with ‘terms and conditions’.

The reality of what is being faced by the postal workers is far more complex and vastly more damaging, not just for them, but for everyone who wants to be sure of getting their mail.

Two major train companies have announced large price rises this month, with Arriva deciding to raise their off-peak fares by over 30% and South West Trains 20%.

A battle between postal workers and managers over the future of the Royal Mail looks set to turn nasty following a litany of attacks on working conditions, staffing numbers and now wages.

Pat (the postman) stated:

During the most recent major conflict between Asda and an outside body, a dispute between the company and the GMB led to bug detectors being deployed by unionists during negotiations to avoid surveillance by managers.

In scenes reminiscent of the 80s pre-stock market crisis, a major row has blown up over the attempted Private Equity takeovers of high-street giants Sainsbury’s and Boots.

This June looks likely to see a resurgence in organising for the education sector, with an anarchist networking meeting involving three federations and individuals from around the country.

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Freedom: You've done two previous festivals, how do you think this one will compare?

A member of Haringey Solidarity Group, speaking to Freedom Anarchist newspaper, has condemned the government initiative as a cheap attempt to head off a growing community movement throughout the UK resentful of relentless losses of and cuts to services. He said: “. From the community angle anti-social behaviour is a real issue and it’s true it can have a disproportionately large effect.

The concept of ‘wiki’, online documentation which can be edited by anyone, such as the huge and growing Wikipedia website, will take a new step this month with the launch of an online document ‘leaking’ service.

January
A second strike in two weeks sees the RMT shut down tube stations across London as workers demand private companies running the system provide enough cover to meet fire and safety regulations, after they try to impose cuts just a few months after the attacks on 7/7.

Two appeals in the area at nearby sites have led to one yard on Cranfield Road given a five-year allowance for residential use, and three other sites, on Gypsy Hill, have won four years each.

Ahead of the International Workers Association congress in Manchester, Rob Ray interviewed Rolf Petter-Larssen, Secretary of the International...

The strike, which began after workers walked out in solidarity over the sacking of a cleaner for P&O, began late yesterday afternoon. They have blockaded most of the port.

A spokesperson for P&O Ferries has said that the Calais port has partially reopened after 12 port workers agreed to operate berths, and that two ships have set sail for the UK.

A new report published by online science journal Environmental Health (ehjournal.net) has found that US workers in the computer manufacturing centre have a significantly greater likelihood of contracting a wide range of cancers than the rest of the population.

October 21st saw the London anarchist Bookfair take over Holloway Road for the first time since the resignation of one of its most experienced organisers.

Freedom interviewed Alex, one of the bookfair collective’s new members, who is cautiously optimistic about how it went, with decent turnouts and enough funds raised to cover costs:

A leading NHS watchdog has attacked the government’s excuses for continuing their flagship Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) programme, even in the face of criticism from their own health committee.

ISTCs are private-sector providers of operations which are currently being licensed by the government as an alternative to the NHS.