Defending Democratic Korea!

By New Worker correspondent

 WHILE LONDONERS braved the rain to attend the Notting Hill Carnival or the many other fairs and festivals held across the capital on Bank Holiday Monday, supporters of the Korean revolution picketed the south Korean and US embassies to demand the withdrawal of all imperialist forces from south Korea.

taking the message to the puppet regime

The protest began outside the south Korean puppet embassy at 2.00 pm to condemn the joint American-puppet regime war-games that have heightened tension on the Korean peninsula and denounced the recent arrest of a number of pro-reunification patriots in south Korea.

KFA Chair Dermot Hudson said that a war was narrowly averted in Korea last week thanks to the patient and peace loving efforts of the DPR Korea. In order to avert war permanently US troops must be withdrawn from south Korea and there must be an end to exercises such as Ulji Freedom Guardian.

The picketers then moved on to the US embassy in Grosvenor Square at 4.00 pm to continue the protest and denounce the human rights violations by the US and its crimes against the Korean people.

...and Grosvenor Square

Comrades, including NCP leader Andy Brooks and Daphne Liddle and Theo Russell from the Central Committee, took part in the KFA demonstrations together with other supporters of Democratic Korea.

The UK Korean Friendship Association (KFA) organises solidarity meetings and protest pickets in London throughout the year. The KFA also works side by side with the Friends of Korea committee which also holds regular events in the capital.

Tube strike postponed again

LONDON Underground unions on Wednesday again postponed plans for strike action in the long-running dispute over staffing and safety for the planned launch of 24-hour working on the London Underground network at weekends.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union announced that it would suspend planned stoppages on 8th and 10th September.

Talks over the long running dispute are continuing after LU delayed the start of the Night Tube, which had been due to start on 12th September 12.

 An RMT spokesperson said: "As the implementation of Night Tube has been suspended until we reach agreement and we are continuing discussions and negotiations on all related matters, RMT has suspended the strike action called for 8th and 10th September.

"However we remain in dispute and all industrial action called to not co-operate with night Tube at local level including modelling and trials remains in place.

"If further negotiations prove negative then further industrial action will be called in defence of our agreements and for proper pay for our members.”

Tube dispute: unions advance but no agreement yet

THE JOINT trade unions involved in the long-running London Underground dispute over staffing and safety when plans for 24-hour operation are implemented, called off last week's strikes, but added new strike dates for September.

RMT announced that the negotiating teams at Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) have made significant progress.

The unions has made it clear to London Underground that they remain in dispute and further strike action will be taken on the 8th and 10th September unless London Underground management meets their concerns over staffing and safety.

RMT has also made it clear that they will take further industrial action if there are moves to run test trains or if there is any attempt to impose Night Tube operations.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “Our negotiators have been able to make enough significant progress in talks at Acas over pay, jobs and Night Tube to allow us to suspend this week’s strike dates. We have still not reached a final agreement and as a result we are putting on additional strike action on next month. In the meantime, the talks process will continue.

“I want to pay tribute to the union members who have remained united and rock solid throughout this dispute. It is their determination which forced LU to begin talking seriously and which has enabled us to make the progress that we have so far.

“Our dispute is not with the working class of London and RMT is not opposed to Night Tube providing it is introduced properly with safe and robust staffing arrangements which recognise the substantial extra pressures that this expansion will inevitably create.”

The dispute has already involved two all-out strikes that have seen transport in London grid-locked. TSSA leader Manuel Cortes said: “I am extremely pleased to say that our negotiating team has made sufficient progress to suspend this week’s planned strike action on the Tube.

“However, we are not out of the woods yet. A number of issues need to be resolved before our dispute is finally settled. We will therefore announce future strike dates in due course although we remain hopeful that further talks will soon result in a negotiated settlement”.

The giant general union Unite, which has more than 400 members working on London Underground, said it had suspended the strike action due to start on 25th August and 27th August as a gesture of goodwill to allow for further talks. Unite regional officer Hugh Roberts said: “There are still some remaining sticking points, but we feel sufficient progress has been made to suspend industrial action as an act of goodwill.

“We will continue to approach talks with London Underground in a positive manner. We trust that London Underground management seize this opportunity to reach a deal that fully addresses our members’ concerns and secures a successful future for night running on the Tube.”