All Stand Together

One man is facing a massive struggle to enforce an ex employer to pay him his well deserved redundancy. Derek Coad worked for Durham Sweepers ltd  in Ferryhill County Durham and was made redundant, the company refused to pay Derek any redundancy payment, Derek persued his former employer in the tribunal courts and was awarded a redundancy payment of £787.50, failure to pay sums under contract of employment £470.90 (net wages) and damages of £578.40.

No money has been handed over despite every effort from Derek, he has written recorded mail and telephoned his former employer and was told “you are getting nothing”

Derek is on a one man crusade to get his money, he has made a massive poster and is sitting on a busy roundabout at Thinford in Spennymoor to highlight his plight and is now asking for help from allstandtogether.co.uk. we are urging everyone to telephone his former employer,

Steven Anderson

Durham Sweepers Ltd

89 Dean Park

Ferrhill

Co. Durham
mobile 07720 168 004  or  01740 650498

and ask them to give Derek his redundancy as ordered by the courts, this may not seem a massive sum of money but with a house and children to support it will help Derek through the coming weeks until he can find other work.

PLEASE HELP!!!!! ….POST THIS TO YOUR FACEBOOK PROFILES….SEND TO ALL CONTACTS…….LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO ONE MANS LIFE.

Facebook group can be viewed  here

Police forces all over the UK will soon be able to draw on unmanned aircraft from a national fleet, according to Home Office plans. Last month it was revealed that modified military aircraft drones will carry out surveillance on everyone from protesters and antisocial motorists to fly-tippers, and will be in place in time for the 2012 Olympics.

Surveillance is only the start, however. Military drones quickly moved from reconnaissance to strike, and if the British police follow suit, their drones could be armed — but with non-lethal weapons rather than Hellfire missiles.

The flying robot fleet will range from miniature tactical craft such as the miniature AirRobot being tested by Essex police, to BAE System’s new HERTI drone as flown in Afghanistan. The drones are cheaper than police helicopters — some of which will be retired — and are as wide as 12m in the case of HERTI.

Watching events on the ground without being able to act is frustrating. Targets often got away before an unarmed drone could summon assistance. In fact, in 2000 it was reported that an airborne drone spotted Osama bin Laden but could do nothing but watch him escape. So the RAF has been carrying out missions in Afghanistan with missile-armed Reapers since 2007. From the ground these just look like regular aircraft.

The police have already had a similar experience with CCTV. As well as observing, some of these are now equipped with speakers. Pioneered in Middleborough, the talking CCTV allows an operator to tell off anyone engaging in vandalism, graffiti or littering.

Unmanned aircraft can also be fitted with speakers, such as the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), which could not only warn fly tippers that they were breaking the law but also be loud enough to drive them away.

The LRAD is a highly directional speaker made of a flat array of piezoelectric transducers, producing intense beam of sound in a 30-degree cone. It can be used as a loudhailer, or deafen the target with a jarring, discordant noise. Some ships now carry LRAD as an anti-pirate measure: It was used to drive off an attack on the Seabourn Spirit off Somalia in 2005.

LRAD makers American Technology prefer to call its product a device rather than a weapon, and use terms such as “deterrent tones” and “influencing behaviour.” Police in the US have already adopted a vehicle-mounted LRAD for crowd control, breaking up protests at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh last year, although there have been warnings about the risk of hearing damage.

The LRAD has been tested on the Austrian S-100 unmanned helicopter, and the technology is ready if there is a police requirement.

But rather than just driving them away, a police drone should be able to stop fleeing criminals in their tracks. Helicopters already mount powerful searchlights, and strobe lighting capabilities can turn such systems into effective nonlethal weapons. High-intensity strobes can cause dizziness, disorientation and loss of balance making it virtually impossible to run away.

This effect was first harnessed in the “Photic Driver” made by British company Allen International in 1973. However, it has taken improvement in lighting technology (such as fast-switching Xenon lights) and an understanding of the physiology involved to make such weapons practical.

A “light based personnel immobilisation device” developed by Peak Beam Systems Inc has been successfully tested by the US military, and work to mount it on an unmanned helicopter in the States is under way.

This sort of light would be too dangerous for a manned aircraft because of the crew being affected. But an unmanned “strober” could be a literal crime stopper, and something we could see deployed within the next couple of years.

Even the smallest drones could be used for tactical police operations. As far back as 1972 the Home Office looked at model aircraft as an alternative to rubber bullets, literally flying them into rioters to knock them off their feet.

French company Tecknisolar Seni has demonstrated a portable drone armed with a double-barrelled 44mm Flash-Ball gun. Used by French special police units, the one-kilo Flash-Ball resembles a large calibre handgun and fires non-lethal rounds, including tear gas and rubber impact rounds to bring down a suspect without permanent damage — “the same effect as the punch of a champion boxer,” claim makers Verney-Carron.

However, last year there were questions over the use of Flash-Ball rounds by French police. Like other impact rounds, the Flash-Ball is meant to be aimed at the body — firing from a remote, flying platform is likely to increase the risk of head injury.

Another option is the taser. Taser stun guns are now so light (about 150 grams) that they could be mounted on the smaller drones. Antoine di Zazzo, head of SMP Technologies, which distributes tasers in France, says the company is fitting one to a small quad-rotor iDrone (another quad-rotor toy helicopter), which some have called a “flying saucer”.

Robots are already the preferred way of approaching possible bombs without putting officers lives at risk. In the future, police may prefer to deal with potentially dangerous suspects the same way, tackling them remotely using a taser if the situation requires it.

But tasers are controversial. In 2008 the Met rejected government plans for a wider issue of tasers to non-specialist officers because of the fear they could cause, and there have been numerous complaints of abuse. For some, the arrival of a hovering law-enforcement drone with a video eyes and a 50,000-volt taser at the ready might be a police technology too far.

Which leads Wired to ask you for your thoughts: Are tasers and armed robot drones the ideal next step for British law enforcement, or will it just make our police officers less capable of dealing with serious problems when they’re forced to intervene in person? Let us know in the comments below.

SOLDIERS injured in Afghanistan and Iraq will be able to jump the queue for council houses.

Manchester has become the first British city to give priority to wounded heroes in line with Government proposals.

Those needing specially-adapted accommodation will be placed in the first of six bands which prioritise housing need.

Community workers and volunteers who contribute to their neighbourhoods will also be re-housed faster.

Manchester City Council’s director of housing Paul Beardmore called it a “modernised approach” to housing allocations.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced in December that NHS trusts, education authorities and town halls could be prosecuted if they fail to prioritise members of the armed forces.

He said he wanted to give them legally-binding access to public services so they and their families would not sit at the foot of waiting lists for health, schools and housing.

A study estimated that around 5,000 veterans are homeless and military charities believe the number could swell as troops come home from service.

Dr Hugh Milroy, of the Veterans Aid charity, said: “This could be a ticking timebomb.”

As you may know, other countries all over the world celebrate their patron saint or have other days, the closest to us and probably the most well known is Saint Patrick’s Day for Ireland! This day is celebrated all over the UK and also widely in the USA, what about Burns night for Scotland, for a well celebrated Scottish poet where the toasting of his words culminates in the eating of haggis, why then can we not have our own patron saint’s day.

We are actively campaigning to get ‘Our Day’ recognised throughout the UK and even to such an extent as being a public or bank holiday. Neither this campaign nor St. George’s Day Ltd have any affiliation or association with political organisations.

‘Saint George’s Day’ the website has been around for some time, we have now re-launched our website to be more user friendly and help you enjoy more of that English feeling, you can even purchase English Merchandise right from this website ‘Click Here’.

When he appeared before Diocietian, it is said that St. George bravely denounced him for his unnecessary cruelty and injustice and that he made an eloquent and courageous speech. He stirred the populace with his powerful and convincing rhetoric against the Imperial Decree to persecute Christians. Diocietian refused to acknowledge or accede to St. George’s reasoned, reproachful condemnation of his actions. The Emperor consigned St George to prison with instructions that he be tortured until he denied his faith in Christ.

St George, having defended his faith was beheaded at Nicomedia near Lyddia in Palestine on the 23rd of April in the year 303 AD.

Stories of St. George’s courage soon spread and his reputation grew very quickly. He soon became known in Russia and the Ukraine as the Trophy Bearer and his remains are said to have been buried in the church that bears his name in Lydda. However, his head was carried to Rome, where it was preserved in the Church that is also dedicated to him.

St George was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church and is recognised in the liturgy of the Russian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Churches as well as the Roman Catholic Church. He has been revered in the Ukraine since Christianity was established in 988 AD by Volodymyr the Great the Prince of the Kyivan empire. The Romanesque Monastic order in Prague established St. George’s Church in the Castle in the year 920AD and in the year 1119 AD the Cathedral of St George was founded in Novgorod. His reputation for virtue and chivalrous conduct became the spiritual inspiration of the Crusaders and by this time the pennant or flag with a red cross on a white or silver background became prominent as a means of recognition by English Knights. It was also worn on breast plates.

In the year 1348 King Edward Ill established the Knights of the Garter, which is the oldest order of Chivalry in Europe. The Order of the Garter was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Edward the Confessor and St George. The Insignia of the order consists of a collar and badge appendant known as the George, the Star, the Garter and the Sash with the Investment Badge called the lesser George. This is a gold and richly enamelled representation of St George on horseback slaying the dragon.

A similar representation of St George can be seen in our Armorial Bearings and in the collar and appendant that officers of The Royal Society wear.

In 1352 the College of St George was established in Windsor, with 6 Chorister boys and since then, St George’s school has played an important role in the daily worship and on State Occasions in the Queen’s Free Chapel of St George in Windsor Castle. By providing free education and sustenance for the boys, a priceless musical inheritance in choral worship has been established and their numbers increased until the Plague struck in 1479 when the numbers were reduced from thirteen to six again but recovered to thirteen by Michaelmas in 1482.

It was in the year 1415 AD that St. George became the Patron Saint of England when English Soldiers under Henry V won the battle of Agincourt.

In 1497 in the reign of Henry VIII, the pennant of the Cross of St. George was flown by John Cabot when he sailed to Newfoundland and it was also flown by Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. In 1620 it was the flag that was flown by the Mayflower when the Pilgrim Fathers arrived in Plymouth Massachusetts. It is also the flag of the Church of England and as such is known throughout Christendom.

The story is a powerful allegory, emblematic of the triumph of good over evil; but it also teaches of enduring Christian faith in the extreme and the trust that at all times should be placed in the Almighty by the invocation of the name of St. George, Soldier, Saint and Martyr.

In the 13″ Century, there was a Guild of St. George to which the Honourable Company of Pikemen were related before evolving into the Honourable Artillery Company. Many regiments of the Army still celebrate St. George’s Day with great ceremony.

In Barcelona, it is traditional to give a book as a token of St. George’s Day, whilst in Russia and the Ukraine the day is celebrated by Spring Festivals and Picnics to celebrate the end of winter. In the world of Scouting, it is the first day for camping.

Winston Churchill wrote:
“There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word,
which means more to me than any other.
That word is ENGLAND.”

St. George’s Day is on April 23rd, so, in a sense, this is England’s National Day.

A march through the streets of Pembroke will take place on the 19th of March assemble at 3.00pm at the Mill pond near The George Hotel in Pembroke, then walk through the main street to the Town Hall, where a petition will be handed to local MP Nick Ainger.

Important Reminder !

Join the fight for the future of our industry.

FOLLOWING THE RECENT PROTESTS OUTSIDE THE NEW ALSTOM PEMBROKE POWER STATION AN ONLINE PETITION HAS BEEN SET UP SO YOU CAN REGISTER YOUR SUPPORT AND HELP TO STOP THIS CONTRACT BECOMING ANOTHER STAYTHORPE, ISLE OF GRAIN OR USKMOUTH ( LET’S NOT FORGET COTTAM ).

ITS EASY ENOUGH, JUST FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW, DONT UNTICK ANY BOXES, IGNORE THE DONATIONS PAGE AND IT’S DONE. YOU CAN EVEN REMAIN ANONYMOUS IF YOU WISH.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/givethebritishjobsfirstatpembrokepowerstation

DO IT NOW. IT WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME.

As most readers will know Trade Unionist Adam Walker is facing charges before the General Teaching Council (GTC) for ‘unprofessional conduct’ i.e. the use of a school laptop in school time for personal purposes and for expressing views “suggestive” of racial and religious intolerance. This is due to alleged criticisms of some Muslims, and some asylum-seekers, between February and March 2007. 

Although Mr Walker left his post in a Sports College near Sunderland in the North East of England in 2007 he has been pursued by the GTC s ince November 2008. 
As President of the Trade Union Solidarity he has been fully supported at every stage. Because of political controversy surrounding the case there have been a number of hearings resulting in a change in the panels Chairmanship, a police request for an adjournment and other complications. The case is now in its second year.
As a libertarian Union we do not question our members political views let alone vet them. Whilst Adam Walker is being charged with a ‘political offence’ i.e. expressing religious intolerance we are not in the business of deciding whether what he did or did not say, was acceptable or not. We are in the business though of protecting the rights of individuals whilst at work. Two of these are the right to freedom of expression, regardless whether we agree with those expressions or not, and the right to the privacy of ones opinions.  
In Adams case he expressed views that some would support and others might not (he denies intolerance) but it should not be the business of schools or professional bodies to take ’sides’.
HUMAN RIGHTS

His comments were also made under a pseudonym (on a little known local forum) and it was only because of a politically motivated investigation by Sunderland Council that Adam’s identity was revealed. We believe it was unnecessary and an infringement of both Data Protection and his human rights to investigate and then publicly reveal his identity. Adam never linked his professional role or place of employment to the views he expressed.
The latter points were made by Adam’s Union Representative at the last hearing this month in an attempt to put an end to this torturous case, but sadly to no avail.
Thus the GTC will be hearing (probably for the last time) the case on May 24th, 25th and 26th. A demonstration has been called by the Civil Liberty campaigning group for th ese three days to point out that by sanctioning a teacher for expressing his political views outside of the classroom it opens up the door for all teachers to sanctioned too. Solidarity will be supporting the demonstration and is calling upon all its members to make an effort to attend on behalf of one of its own members.

COSTLY 
This case however has been a very costly one, hours and hours of research, the cost of travelling to and from the numerous hearings, legal opinion etc. In order to give the Union a fighting chance of winning this case we need your financial help! 
HELP US PROTECT OUR RIGHTS! 
We need this help, Adam needs this help, now! Please put your money where your heart is and let’s try and prevent the state from encroaching upon our fundamental right to express an opinion. 
We will be posting regular updates on preparations for the demo and in raising funds over the coming week s. For further information see http://www.facebook.com/l/217b9;www.allstandtogether.co.uk and the Facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=346224600735&ref=mf
You can make donations to cover Adam’s legal expenses at http://www.facebook.com/l/217b9;www.solidaritytradeunion.net/donate. or by sending a cheque to Solidarity to PO Box 93, Spennymoor, Durham DL16 9AN

The recommendation of the recent Review into racism in Schools that members of political parties, in particular the BNP, should not be excluded from teaching has been welcomed by the independent Trade Union Solidarity.

Last years demonstration at the GTC (General Teaching Council) Birmingham,  This protest was against Judy Moorehouse who was on the panel, she eventually stood down, VICTORY!!!. Support from Solidarity Trade union and Civil Liberty, thanks to Civil Liberty for providing the transport.

Adam Walker is facing charges before the General Teaching Council (GTC) of unprofessional conduct. There are two charges. One is content neutral and relates to use of a school laptop in school time for personal purposes. Adam has never contested this charge. The second, however, accuses him of using the laptop to express views “suggestive” of racial and religious intolerance.

The facts are these. Mr Walker, used to teach at Houghton Kepier Sports College at Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland in the North East of England. He left in 2007. The alleged incident, in which he is said to have criticised Muslims,  and some asylum-seekers, is said to have happened between February and March 2007.

He was first hauled before the teaching watchdog, the GTC, in November 2008. But the hearing was adjourned after his legal representative Pat Harrington successfully argued that the presence of Judy Moorhouse, a former president of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and a “known opponent” of the BNP, could prejudice the trial. In a five-page judgment, the original GTC committee accepted that it would be “inappropriate” for Ms Moorhouse to continue to sit in Mr Walker’s case. A new panel was appointed to hear the case.

In September 2009, the case was again adjourned. Ahead of the hearing, Superintendent Matt Ward of West Midlands Police wrote to the GTC expressing “concern about the potential public order consequences of the hearing being convened in Birmingham”.

Adam Walker expressed his views under a pseudonym (‘Corporal Fox’) on a local internet forum. At no point did he draw attention to his role as a teacher or name his workplace. It has been accepted that whilst those who ran the forum could trace the IS P address to a Sunderland Council server, it was only internally that it could be traced further. At no point was Mr Walker’s personal information regarding either his name or place of employment available to the public through the forum. There is no basis for saying that his actions brought the profession into disrepute.

Mr Walker made comments critical of asylum seekers who committed crimes whilst enjoying the protection and hospitality of our country, amongst other statements. Since these postings were made under a pseudonym and no personal email was made available to the public, there was no way to tie the statements to Mr. Walker. The only reason the public knows about them now, is because the school decided to make them public and attach Mr Walker’s name to the postings by making the complaint to the GTC.

Solidarity general secretary Patrick Harrington said Mr Walker had admitted he was wrong to use his laptop to contribute to the forum during wor k time just as he would have been wrong to use it to buy something on E-bay or anything else outside of his duties.

He said:

Here at Civil Liberty, we are 100 per cent behind the right of teachers to hold and express political opinions, even opinions we might disagree with.

We can say no better than Hoffman LJ in R v Central Independent Television plc [1994]:-

“Freedom means the right to publish things which government and judges, however well motivated, think should not be published. It means the right to say things which ‘right-thinking people’ regard as dangerous or irresponsible. This freedom is subject only to clearly defined exceptions laid down by common law or statute…It cannot be too strongly emphasised that outside the established exceptions (or any new ones which parliament may enact in accordance with its obligations under the convention) there is no question of balancing freedom of speech against other interests. It is a trump c ard that always wins.”

The GTC have set three days aside to hear witnesses and further argument in this important free-speech case. Gordon Bell, the school bursar, and Tim Bateson, the IT strategy manager at the school, are due to give evidence against Adam Walker to the GTC.

That’s the 24th, 25th and 26th of May. We urge all lovers of freedom to book these days off work so that they can attend.

The theme of our protest is ‘Make a Noise for Freedom’, so pack your drums, bells and whistles! See you on 24,25 and 26 May at the General Teaching Council, Victoria Square, Birmingham.

We hope to make it even bigger and better than our last protest outside the GTC HQ in Birmingham in November 2008.

If you’re on Facebook you can register your intent to attend the protest, here.

We will be posting regular updates on preparations for the demo over the coming weeks.