In Turkey a female trade unionist Meryem Özsögüt has been in detention for nearly six months.

Ms. Meryem Özsögüt, trade union leader and management board member of PSI’s affiliate SES in Turkey (the trade union of public employees in health and social services) was arrested on the morning of 8 January following her participation in a press conference on 14 December 2007 to denounce the killing by the police of activist Kevser Mizrak. Ms Özsögüt’s attendance at the press conference was the result of a fax message received by her trade union, requesting that the union participate in the press conference. PSI understands that at no time before or during this press conference did the police or other authorities issue a warning that such a gathering or activity was viewed as ‘illegal. Several other people who were arrested at or around the same time as Ms Özsögüt, ostensibly for the same reasons, have since been released. However, Ms Özsögüt remains in custody and her trial has now been postponed several times. PSI remains convinced that the arrest of Ms Özsögüt was motivated solely by her activities as a trade union leader. Her continued detention in one of Turkey’s notorious “F-Type”, or small group isolation prisons, is further evidence of the Turkish Government’s hostility to trade unionists and its determination to use whatever means at its disposal to repress the legitimate activities of trade unions in Turkey. A response by the Turkish government to PSI’s letters of protest claims that Ms Özsögüt was arrested in connection with “being a member of a terrorist organisation” and “for making propaganda in favour of the terrorist organisation”. PSI calls on the Turkish government to secure the immediate release of Ms Özsögüt, to take any necessary steps to guarantee her safety and to abide by the international norms ratified by Turkey.You can sign the petition and get more campaigning info at Labour Start.

In Iran Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, a member of the Iranian bus drivers union, has been arrested and detained for an indefinite period while his case is investigated. The ITUC has more info on the arrest and detention.

All over the world trade unionists are being arrested, detained just for standing up for workers rights. There is power in a union!

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Fire on Jackass Mountain (plus more jackass activity in Europe).

Here’s 101 things we’re about, with 20 we’re not about.

And here’s us dancing on Parliament Hill:

Death to our enemies.

In Italy…

This was reported on a week or so ago.

Now it is getting more attention:

Italy’s highest appeal court has ruled that it is acceptable to discriminate against Roma on the grounds that they are thieves.

And:

Europe’s human rights watchdog has issued an unusually strong-worded statement hinting that a plan by the Italian authorities to fingerprint Roma amounts to fascism.

…

Amnesty International and the Anti-Defamation League believe that the idea behind fingerprinting Roma is to scare them into leaving major cities and prepare the ground for mass deportations.

Italy is a country ruled over by a corrupt gang of criminals and has a thick ignorant clown and corrupt tosspot as prime Minister who sits at the apex of shit that is their pretend government. Italy is a nation state that is the laughing stock of the EU and Europe more generally.

Kick them out of the EU - demand repayment of all EU largesses made to them since day one - boycott all Italian goods - don’t holiday there - don’t eat their shite food either.

PS. The Yanks invented pizza and Italian football is the most boring shite played anywhere on this earth.

Here

by Dunbar