Comments on: I support the SOAS occupations

By: Dave Semple

Dave Semple — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:23:56 +0000

I noticed this nasty little piece of churnalism in the Guardian; the sting is in the tail-end quote from the border police.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/17/soas-occupation-ends

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:46 +0000

Bit slow picking up threads here as Dave’s site got filtered by my employer, and I had to make representations to get it unfiltered.

Yup, good post and actions of students etc to be commended.

I wonder to myself in passing what percentage of the speakers at the recent Convention on Modern Liberty (http://www.modernliberty.net/programme/speakers) have deigned to speak out on this issue, or to ‘write’ the letter promoted by Harpy on her site (or make any other representations).

It may be that being arrested when you arrive for work through the connivance of your employer, taken straight to a holding cell and then deported without being able to collect your things or see your friends/family again doesn’t doesn’t really count as a modern liberty issue, though.

By: HarpyMarx

HarpyMarx — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:45:45 +0000

Dave, just to say there’s a rally tomorrow from 6pm at SOAS called by Unison.

And indeed Charlie, I imagine employers would dearly love to!

By: charliemarks

charliemarks — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:43:53 +0000

God knows, if the bosses could deport us for trying to get decent pay, they’d do it!

Great post Dave.

By: Dave Semple

Dave Semple — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:53:02 +0000

Absolutely. The other thing we need to keep on top of are those people who are claiming that actually ISS suffer in the long run because they (may) be fined for employing illegal immigrants. The truth, of course, is that the threat of such a fine is illusory since ISS will probably not have enquired too closely into the status of its employees. If it does have to pay a fine, it’ll still be less than what it may have to fork out should our friends at SOAS and elsewhere succeed in their unionisation campaigns.

Frankly I’m outrightly disgusted by the people posting on blogs demanding that these workers be deported. Why should they be deported, I would like to know? Because some arbitrary law says so? They had leave to remain, and the speed with which they were removed – not to mention the rumours that they were not given legal representation or union representation – implies that what the rest of us take for granted as ‘due process’ was not followed. Naturally, this will be because ‘due process’ for immigrants is different than for the rest of us.

Sickening.

The key point, of course, is that such people demand that these workers get deported and then have the nerve to wonder why ‘the white working class’ is getting screwed over by their bosses! I only wish I could show more solidarity than a mere article on my blog.

By: HarpyMarx

HarpyMarx — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:29:00 +0000

Excellent post David, and great use of Shelley’s Mask of Anarchy.

Indeed workers and students must work together collectively as what ISS did, along with the role SOAS management played, cannot get away with this. It is also highlights what companies are willing to do to quell collective organisation and unionisation in the name of profit and ‘loyalty’ to their shareholders. Only too happy though to exploit migrant workers, but resort to the racist immigration laws when workers fight for their rights. The message is simple: Keep your mouth shut or else.

We have a duty to show solidarity to the people in occupation and the SOAS 9.

By: Liberal Conspiracy » Top Stories - Tuesday 16th June

Liberal Conspiracy » Top Stories - Tuesday 16th June — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:50:00 +0000

[...] Though Cowards Flinch Supports the SOAS occupations. [...]