Once the bustling heart of Christian pilgrimage, Bethlehem now faces shuttered hotels, empty streets and a shrinking Christian community, while Israel’s assault on Gaza and the tightening grip of occupation destroy hopes of peace at the birthplace of Christ, writes Father GEOFF BOTTOMS
Alstom shoots itself in the foot (both actually)
BILL GREENSHIELDS looks at the background of the threat to engineering jobs in Derby's Alstom plant
Alstom’s success in France owes much to the fact that railways there are nationalised
[Houss 2020 / Creative Commons]
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ONCE again the future of railway engineering in Derby – and the whole of Britain – is under threat, as Alstom, the current transnational corporation (TNC) owners of this vital national asset, set about slashing 1,300 workers from its 2,000-strong workforce, making future operations unviable.
But a public community campaign has been launched by the Derby People’s Assembly to back up trade union efforts to prevent the job losses and potential closure. A People’s Assembly petition – supported by the trades unions’ social media – has attracted 1,500 signatures in just a few days and continues to pick up momentum. https://chng.it/xBK9wjp8zK
Back in 2011 the industry faced a very similar threat when the then owners, Bombardier – another TNC – took a similar position when the Tory government placed a contract for trains with its TNC rival, Siemens.
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