It’s not enough to be a human being. In order to live on the planet you need to be loaded if you live in the so-called democratic Western World. In USA there is a battle to provide health care for more than the rich and the UK as usual is moving towards the “great American ideal”. Justice? Can you afford it? Not when the multinationals, supported by government (doesn’t matter whether Tory, Lib-Dem or New Labour) get together. The following came from the Socialist Labour Party:
Steve Acheson has now found out where his court hearing is – it is at the High Court, Chancery Division, in London on Wed 21st October.
According to Wikipedia Chancery should only deal with high value cases or cases of high legal importance. By going to this court SSE (Fiddlers Ferry power station owners) are clearly hoping to win their case by out-spending Steve. Chancery normally deals with mega commercial cases, for instance they heard the case of The Beatles versus Apple (i-pod). Another case the High Court has just dealt with is the release of records of torture in Guantanamo Bay.
One of the court officials said that you will be lucky to get a case into Chancery for less than £20,000 – quite understandable if you are dealing with a £20 million pound case, but totally over the top for a case where a company is irritated by a sacked trade unionist sticking some banners on their fence.
They were hoping to get their injunction ‘without notice’ – that is without Steve knowing about it, and that is why they make allegations about a threat to the generation of electicity and of bringing down the National Grid, but the court obliges them to give at least informal notice of the injunction hearing, which is why Steve was handed a sketchy outline of the case by the security.
There is a clear implication for other workers here. The construction strikes and mass protests earlier this year at Lindsey, Stanlow, Sellafield and Fiddlers Ferry itself could all find themselves banned by High Court injunctions in an expensive court if this goes unchallenged. All those sites could be argued to be of national strategic importance.
Unite has now agreed to send someone with Steve on Wednesday thanks to certain members of the NEC who have worked hard to secure this help. He is hoping to get the case adjourned in the interests of justice so he can put his case against the misinformation in the injunction application about threats, intimidation and a possibility of invading the power station to disrupt generation.
I attach a draft press release (below) from the Trades Council for circulation and will circulate information after the hearing on Wednesday.
Regards
Andy
Warrington Trades Council

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The idea that essential services and commodities should provide profits to providers predictatably comes to grief every time. We have inefficient, expensive, fragmented rail and bus services, the post office is up for grabs (the profitable bit that is) and the jail service has more projected private contracts. Why? The evidence according to a report in The Independent shows that privately run prisons are performing worse than those that are run by the state – presumably on a low budget.
Even Mandelson is having to draw back a little from his Post Office plans. He has put them on hold it seems but what this Machiavellian schemer is up to is anyone’s guess. He certainly seems to have manoeuvered himself into considerable power, probably more than Brown. Don’t forget he went back with TB’s blessing and Brown has remained encircled by Blair’s vampire brigade, like Blears whose poisoned fangs became exposed after she was nobbled for fiddling. Strange isn’t it that Mandelson was always the one in the news for his lavish tastes and dealings yet this time there seems to be silence while everyone else is being caned! I think the Telegraph has taken our eye off the ball.

As more news trickles out a British-based security firm is coming under scrutiny concerning serious injuries sustained by Iraqis.
Our “civilised” world is beset with contradictions and among those who contrive to set themselves above and outside the bounds of law and civilised behaviour are various contractors who arm employees and send them into dangerous places. There’s money to be made you see. Problem is there are no set down terms of engagement. Not that regular armies are often bothered by such niceties routinely. War is not a place for detailed attention to the rules. Abuse, killing, maiming are a matter of routine. Companies set up serious websites about the services they offer, although curiously this aspects is never mentioned. Blackwater and Haliburton are well-known giants in the US, but there are an unknown number of smaller concerns which have not come to light. So when I notice another it will get a bit of attention here.

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