Strike action closes Scottish airports for second time in a week

Adam Robertson
Thu, 22 December 2022 

Three island airports are closed as a result of industrial action (Image: Jamie Simpson/Newsquest)

THREE island airports are closed for the second time this week as workers take industrial action in a dispute over pay.

Barra, Benbecula, and Sumburgh airports are shut on Thursday after members of the Unite union walked out.

Bosses at Highland and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) said that Stornoway Airport on the Isle of Lewis will open from 1pm to 7.45pm.


Elsewhere, Kirkwall Airport on Orkney will be open from 7.15am to 1pm but only for inter-island flights.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon and STUC demand UK Government action on rail strikes

The other Hial airports at Campbeltown, Dundee, Inverness, Islay, Tiree, Wick and John O’Groats are operating as normal.

Thursday’s walk-out comes after workers took strike action on Monday.

The industrial action comes after the union members rejected the 5% pay rise they have been offered, with almost three quarters (73.5%) backing strike action in a ballot.

Inglis Lyon, Hial managing director, previously apologised for the disruption.

He said: “We deeply regret the disruption and inconvenience to our airline partners, passengers, and local communities that this action will cause.

“Against the backdrop of unprecedented financial pressures, we presented an enhanced pay offer to colleagues that maximised the flexibility within the Scottish Government’s pay policy, which Hial is bound by.

“We recognise the challenges colleagues face due to inflationary pressures and the cost-of-living crisis. However, the claim for a rise of at least RPI is unrealistic, and any further offer must be met from cost savings within existing budgets.

“We will continue dialogue with the trade unions in an attempt to avoid further industrial action.”

Unite confirmed that medical and other emergencies will be serviced from all Hial airports on both days.

Schools in many parts of Scotland to close next month due to strikes


Lucy Garcia
Wed, 21 December 2022

Teachers from the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association union (SSTA) on the picket line at Smithycroft Secondary School in Glasgow (Image: Lucinda Cameron)

SCHOOLS in many parts of Scotland have announced they will be closed as teachers walk out on strike next month in a dispute over pay.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and NASUWT members in primary schools will take strike action action on January 10 while those in secondary schools will walk out on January 11, joined by Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA) members.

Teachers have already rejected a deal which would see most staff in classrooms receive a 5% pay rise, although the lowest earning teachers would get a 6.85% increase.

Several councils, including Highland and Aberdeen City Council, have announced that schools in their areas will be shut, while Glasgow City Council said it is “likely” they will be.

A Highland Council spokesperson said: “Following notification of strike action by the Educational Institute of Scotland, the Highland Council has taken the decision to close all primary and early learning and childcare settings on January 10, 2023, and all secondary schools on January 11, 2023, to pupils across Highland on these dates.

“The safe supervision of children and young people is of utmost importance and, given that we anticipate significantly reduced numbers of both management and teaching staffing in schools and early learning and childcare settings, a decision has been made to close all educational establishments to pupils.

READ MORE: Activists 'hopeful' as Scottish Parliament gender debate hits day two

“It is hoped that a clear decision will enable parents and carers to plan ahead for the disruption expected.”

The council said that a letter has been sent to all parents affected.

An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: “Given the high level of uncertainty around the number of teaching staff who will be available to teach classes, we have taken the decision to close city primary schools and Orchard Brae School on January 10, and secondary schools on January 11. Schools have written to parents and carers to inform them about arrangements.”

Glasgow City Council has not made a final decision but told parents that it is “likely” that schools will close, including on January 16 when EIS members are due to begin further action.

Ambulance workers walk out in strike-hit UK

Wed, December 21, 2022 

Striking ambulance workers in England and Wales manned picket lines on Wednesday, escalating a pay dispute with the government following walkouts by nurses and other public sector staff.

The series of stoppages are causing misery Britain in the run-up to Christmas, with railway workers and passport control officers set to ruin festive holiday getaways as the government vows to resist the growing pay demands.

As paramedics and call handlers walked out Wednesday, the government and unions furiously traded blame over the possible loss of life.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay, writing in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, accused the unions of making a "conscious decision" to "inflict harm" on patients.

GMB union national secretary, Rachel Harrison, hit back calling his comments "insulting" to ambulance workers, who were "forced" to strike "because year after year the government has failed to listen to them".

Employees across the UK economy are demanding salary rises above decades-high inflation -- currently running at nearly 11 percent -- which is spurring the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

On Tuesday, thousands of members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland took to picket lines, five days after their first strike in its 106-year history.

Unions representing both nurses and ambulance workers in the state-run National Health Service (NHS) have threatened further stoppages in the new year if the government keeps refusing to discuss pay.

- 'Immense pressure' -

Around 40 staff formed a picket line outside West Midlands Ambulance Services' hub in Longford in central England, standing behind a banner reading "our NHS is under siege".

As passing ambulances sounded their horns in support, a Unite union representative, Steve Thompson, said the walkout was about trying to retain and improve services, as well as pay.

"This is about telling them (the government) that we are not going to allow it (a deterioration in services) to happen. We are not going to roll over," he said.

"We want the government to actually wake up and realise that this situation is serious."

Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said the UK's emergency health system had been under "immense pressure" for the last three years.

He told Times Radio the last year had been "the worst we've ever seen it" when it came to delays in getting patients into hospital from ambulances due to a lack of beds.

And he said accident and emergency departments were expecting people to make their own way to hospital on Wednesday -- even those with strokes and heart attacks.

- 'Cold shoulder' -

The government insists it must stick to modest increases for public sector workers recommended by independent pay review bodies.

"The best way to help them and help everyone else in the country is for us to get a grip and reduce inflation as quickly as possible," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said.

But the RCN has criticised the government's stance and accused Barclay of adopting a "macho" negotiating style during recent brief meetings.

It has warned that nurses would take wider industrial action next month if the government "keeps giving our nursing staff the cold shoulder".

Ministers have drafted in 750 military personnel to drive ambulances and perform logistics roles to mitigate the impact of Wednesday's ambulance strike which will affect almost all areas of England and Wales.

Despite the government's insistence that it will not negotiate, polls indicate most people support nurses, and to a lesser extent other workers walking out.

YouGov polling published Tuesday showed two-thirds of Britons support striking nurses, with 63-percent support for ambulance staff.

NHS staff could be offered pay rise in spring as health sec rules out movement on current wages

Thu, 22 December 2022 at


Health Secretary Steve Barclay is considering offering NHS staff a pay rise in spring in a bid to end strikes - but has ruled out any immediate movement on current wages.

The stalemate between unions and the government appeared to show no signs of abating on Thursday morning, following two days of historic action from nurses and paramedics.

NHS leaders have warned they are bracing for a surge in demand for emergency treatment as they urged ministers negotiate on pay to stop further walk-outs next year.

In a tweet on Thursday, Mr Barclay said his door "is always open to talk to trade unions about concerns around working conditions".

But he added: "We have an independent pay review body... and we will continue to defer to that process to ensure decisions balance the needs of staff and the wider economy."

The pay review body (PRB) has recommended pay rises of around £1,400 - about 4% - for most NHS staff, but unions say this is not enough to keep up with soaring inflation.

The government says it can't afford to make a new offer, but has not ruled out a new deal early next year.

Health workers typically receive a backdated wage increase in the summer, even though recommendations are made by the independent Pay Review Body in April.

The Telegraph has reported that Steve Barclay, the health secretary, wants next year's PRB process to be sped up so any extra money can be added to pay packets at the "earliest opportunity".

While this does not mean a new or "fast-tracked" pay offer, a source close to the cabinet minister told Sky News political correspondent Ali Fortescue that he is "keen to get moving" with the process and doesn't want it to be "bogged down" as it has been in the past.

The process of setting pay recommendations for next year is already under way and there is an "opportunity in spring to assess if pay rises are affordable", the source said.

But Unison's head of health Sara Gorton said: "Before embarking on the 2023 pay round, ministers need to accept they've not raised wages sufficiently to stop key staff from leaving the service this year.

"The pay review body process is no longer delivering for NHS staff or the government. Direct talks with ministers to solve wage issues are the way forward."

Unions - which have been calling for inflation-busting pay rises - have said they expect NHS workers to be offered a 2% increase next year, based on a letter sent by Mr Barclay to the PRB last month.

It comes after historic strike action saw thousands of nurses picket on Tuesday and ambulance staff stage their biggest strike in 30 years yesterday.

Health chiefs have stepped up calls for the government to negotiate with unions on pay as they brace for a challenging winter.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, told Sky News that the health service "coped as well as could be expected" during the strikes due to planning and the public making "less use of 999".

But he warned that the NHS "can't afford to drift into further industrial action across the winter" as he urged the government and trade unions to come to an agreement.

NHS 'paying price' for austerity

He said the NHS is "paying the price" for 10 years of austerity, the COVID backlog and not addressing workforce issues - as vacancies reach 130,000.

Mr Taylor said: "This winter is going to be incredibly tough, there's nothing we can do about that. But the industrial action adds to what is already a challenging situation, which is why, on behalf of leaders in the NHS, I repeat the call to the government to re-enter negotiations in good faith with the trade unions and to try to find a way of avoiding further industrial action across the winter."

Ministers have continually insisted pay negotiations are not up to them as the independent pay review bodies recommend what salary increases should be, and the government has accepted that.

The pay review bodies are made up of experts in their field without political affiliations who take evidence from a range of sources, including trade unions and staff.

Read more:
Strikes every day before Christmas - which sectors are affected and why

How A&E and other NHS services will be impacted

But last week, the GMB union - which represents tens of thousands of health workers - announced it was pulling out of the process used by the government to set NHS pay, as it questioned the independence of the PRB.

Some Tory MPs have also called on ministers to ask NHS pay reviewers to reconsider their recommendations as a way to end the strikes by offering higher rises.

The government has insisted higher pay offers are not affordable and the money would have to be taken out of frontline services.

There was no sign of the stalemate ending last night, as Unite general secretary Sharon Graham accused Mr Barclay of a "blatant lie" for saying ambulance unions had taken a "conscious decision" to inflict harm on patients.

Further ambulance strikes are planned next week, with unions threatening more action next year unless there are moves on pay talks.

Workers across several other industries are also set to strike in the build-up to Christmas.

Warning of knock-on effect after health workers' strikes - plus the walkouts planned today

Wed, 21 December 2022 


Two days of strikes by nurses and paramedics will have a knock-on effect on appointments with a return to "very high numbers" of emergency calls in the coming days, NHS Providers has warned.

Historic strike action saw thousands of nurses picket on Tuesday and ambulance staff stage their biggest strike in 30 years yesterday.

Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, told Sky News that the next few days would be a "challenging time".

The NHS is 'haemorrhaging staff'

Talking about structural issues impacting the NHS, she said: "Staff on the frontline are significantly overstretched and we need to see a real growth in the number of staff across the whole of the NHS.

"What we've got to see now is the government come to the table and have a serious discussion and negotiation about pay because this dispute is about pay and it's also about working conditions and keeping patients safe."

Highlighting the record high of NHS vacancies, with around 130,000 posts unfilled, she said: "We know that we are haemorrhaging staff because of pay and working conditions, particularly in more junior bands of NHS staff. So, we really have to do something about that.

"And it's not just about the NHS. The government knows we need to do something about social care as well because social care is really on its knees and it needs a boost. And if if social care has a boost and the NHS frontline staff have the terms and conditions they need, then we will see an effective NHS."

'Severe effects on patient wellbeing'

The chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, told Sky News that lack of investment in the NHS was now coming to the fore: "We know we had the 10 years of austerity. It meant we went into COVID with a hundred thousand vacancies, with a crumbling estate.

"So, what we've got now is a big gap between demand and capacity."

He repeated calls to the government and trade unions to re-enter negotiations and to try to find a way of avoiding further strikes across the winter, saying: "We can't afford to drift into further industrial action."

While he said he understood both the concerns of the trade unions over pay, and the challenges facing the government over public spending, he warned: "We need leadership. We need imagination, because the health service cannot deal with a winter of industrial action without there being severe effects on patient wellbeing."

'Call 999 if you need to'

Appealing directly to anyone needing to use the NHS over the coming days, he said: "Primary care has not been affected by the industrial action... If you have concerns about your health, contact your GP. If you have an emergency, contact 999. If you're not sure, ring 111. The services are there and do use them."

The number of people calling 999 appeared to drop in some parts of England yesterday, and NHS Providers - the membership organisation for NHS hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services - said there had been "varying levels of disruption" across the country.

It said some demand had shifted to other services or not materialised as expected.

But the organisation said demand for care across the whole healthcare system remained high and trust leaders were reporting ongoing delays to ambulance services and overcrowding at some accident and emergency departments.

Nurses, ambulance staff, railway and postal workers have now returned to work, however, there are more strikes taking place today - with highway workers and driving test examiners among those downing tools.

The military steps in

NHS England said at least 11,509 staff were absent from work across England during strikes by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on Tuesday and 13,797 appointments and procedures had to be rescheduled.

Members of the military stepped in to take the place of ambulance workers yesterday, with trusts telling patients to only call 999 in the case of a life-threatening injury.

The next ambulance strike is due to take place on 28 December.

Read more:
Strikes every day before Christmas - which sectors are affected and why

Government could fast-track NHS pay rise

Meanwhile, reports said the government could fast-track an NHS pay rise next year.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Health Secretary Steve Barclay is poised to offer an expedited pay deal after unions and ministers remained mired in a stalemate over pay conditions.

The paper said a source close to Mr Barclay, who has been criticised by unions for suggesting striking health workers had "made a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients", revealed he is keen to "speed up the process" of giving NHS staff a pay rise early next year.

Unions have said they expect NHS workers to be offered a 2% increase next year based on a letter Mr Barclay sent last month to the NHS Pay Review Body.

Wales strike action 'upsetting to all'

Doctors in Wales are considering taking strike action for the first time, the British Medical Association Cymru has said.

Almost two-thirds of hospital doctors surveyed by the union said they would be willing to take some form of industrial action over pay and conditions.

Iona Collins, the BMA's Welsh Council chairwoman, called the survey "upsetting to all" and said it is "gut-wrenching for doctors to consider walking away from work".

She added: "Without action now, patients will continue to suffer as a direct consequence of an under-funded NHS with insufficient direct clinical care."

In October, the BMA announced that a ballot for industrial action by junior doctors in England will open on 9 January.

Just under 1,000 doctors in Wales responded to the survey seeking views on a 4.5% pay award from the Welsh government - with 78% of those who answered saying they want a pay rise matching or exceeding inflation.

Dr Collins said: "Doctors have been quietly quitting the NHS for years, by reducing their contracted hours or leaving altogether. The financial incentive to remain in the NHS has eroded over the last decade."

Who's striking today?

National Highways workers will begin a walkout in London and the south east of England, which will last until Christmas Day.

This will affect officers who work in the aftermath of accidents as well as call centre staff. National Highways have said no roads will be closed as a result of the strike.

Workers for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in the north west of England, Yorkshire and Humber and North Wales will stop work.

Driving test examiners will also be striking, affecting driving test centres in north west England and Yorkshire and the Humber. Theory tests will not be affected.

Rural Payments Agency (RPA) staff will continue their walkout and Unison workers at the Environment Agency will refuse to provide on-call cover for unexpected incidents.

Unite members working for Highlands and Islands Airports will also be striking.

DEC 20/21 COVERAGE

UK Strikes latest: National highways workers to stage industrial action as travellers brace for inconvenience (yahoo.com)

Ambulance strike – live: Fears of A&E ‘rebound’ in days after drivers walk out (yahoo.com)

Suez Canal chief seeks to dispel fears over draft Egypt law

Thu, December 22, 2022 


The chairman of Egypt's Suez Canal on Thursday affirmed the waterway is "not for sale", in a bid to allay fears over a draft law under discussion in parliament.

On Tuesday the legislature approved in principle a bill proposed by the government seeking to establish a sovereign wealth fund "that can carry out all economic and investment activities" for the Suez Canal Authority.

The draft bill has sparked wide debate on social media. Many fear the fund would undermine the state's sovereignty over the waterway which accounts for roughly 10 percent of global maritime trade and is a vital source of foreign currency for economically-battered Egypt.

Suez Canal Authority chairman Osama Rabie said in a news conference on Thursday that the canal cannot be "sold, leased or borrowed for collateral".

He added the purpose of the fund is to invest in mega-projects.

The proposed bill comes with Egypt's economy struggling under growing foreign debt, and the local currency plunging against the dollar.

In October the government said Egypt had clinched a $3 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund conditioned on a currency depreciation and state subsidy cuts.

Economist Hani Tawfiq suggested in a Facebook post that the purpose of the proposed sovereign fund would likely be to "exchange state debt for bonds issued by the fund (and) guaranteed by Suez Canal revenues".

Rabie nonetheless denied this in his press conference. He said the purpose of the fund was to draw foreign investment.

But the bill has already provoked widespread anger among Egyptians on social media, where it was among the top trending topics all week.

Former Suez Canal chairman Mohab Mamish said the new law would be "impossible to implement and opens the door to unprecedented changes... that allow for the presence of foreigners in the Suez Canal's management".

The foreign investors could "change the system upon which the canal's management has been based for years and which has returned record profits", Mamish said in remarks published by local media.

Sending Rescue Ship to ISS to Replace Damaged Soyuz May Take About One Month, Source Says

18.12.2022

© AP Photo

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian space agency Roscosmos may need about a month to dispatch a Soyuz rescue spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) to replace the damaged Soyuz MS-22, but a decision has not yet been made on the matter, an informed source told Sputnik on Sunday.

On Saturday, Roscosmos said that the preparations for the launch of the next Soyuz manned spacecraft to the ISS could be sped up after a fault was detected in the Soyuz MS-22 cooling system.

"No decision has been made yet regarding the acceleration of preparations to send Soyuz MS-23 to the ISS in connection with the accident at Soyuz MS-22. If such a decision is made, the timeframe for the preparation of the spaceship could be reduced to one month," the source said.

At the moment, there are two spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Soyuz MS-23 and Soyuz MS-24, the source clarified.

In the meantime, Roscosmos specialists managed to lower the temperature aboard the spacecraft.

"The temperature aboard the manned Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft has been going down thanks to specialists of the Flight Control Center located near Moscow. It is within the required range," Roscosmos said in a statement.

The leak will be inspected using cameras on the Special Multipurpose Dexterous Manipulator, a robotic hand installed on the US space station module, the Russian space agency said.

A leak from the cooling system of Soyuz MS-22 occurred on Thursday due to damage to the spacecraft's outer skin. The cosmonauts reported to ground control that the diagnostic system of Soyuz had been triggered, and also confirmed that they were visually observing the leak.

Due to the incident, the spacewalk of Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin had to be canceled. The NASA broadcast showed how fountains of technical liquid were being shot from the Soyuz.

The Russian Skif-D satellite, the first orbital spacecraft from the Sfera (Sphere) multi-satellite orbital constellation, was launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome on October 22, using the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket.

© Sputnik / Ramil Sitdikov

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Go to the mediabank

Roscosmos Human Space Flight Programs Executive Director Sergei Krikalev said that a micrometeorite hit may have caused damage to the spacecraft's outer skin and depressurization of the cooling system. No other changes were found in the telemetry of the spacecraft and the station, he added.

Following the incident, the spacecraft began to warm up, with its temperature reaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) at one point. On Saturday, Roscosmos reported that the temperature in Soyuz MS-22 was not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and there was no threat to the crew's health.

Right-wing Israeli government sparks fear of Palestinian escalation

Veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu formed a new Israeli government on December 21, the most right-wing coalition in Israel's history -

by Guillaume Lavallee
December 22, 2022 — Jerusalem (AFP)

Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu has formed a coalition government but concerns are growing at what power he will exercise over his far-right allies, as violence surges in the occupied West Bank.

The incoming government, which veteran hawk Netanyahu announced he had formed late Wednesday, is expected to be the most right-wing in Israel's history.

It has sparked fears of military escalation in the West Bank amid the worst violence in the Palestinian territory for nearly 20 years.

Netanyahu's Likud party secured the mandate to form a government in the November 1 election, with backing from ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties and Religious Zionism, an extreme-right alliance of minor parties.


Leading voices within the new coalition will include Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, two leaders of the Religious Zionism bloc who occupy the extremity of Israel's political right.

Both live in Israeli settlements inside the West Bank, and will respectively take charge of settlement policy and national security.

At least three senior Western diplomats have told AFP they are concerned about the security impact of Ben Gvir's role within the government.

- 'Escalation' -


Ben Gvir's post as national security minister will include responsibility for Israel's police, which includes the border guard who, along with the Israeli army, operate inside the West Bank.

In recent weeks Israel's press has highlighted the risk of having "two" separate armies in the West Bank, with the army on one side and the border guard on the other.

But former Israeli general Amir Avivi, who now runs a network for former security officials, believes the command structure of Israel's forces will not be threatened.

"I don't see any scenario in which Ben Gvir will lead border guard operations" in the West Bank, he said.

However, Palestinian analyst Khaldoun Barghouti said the question was not about the structure of Israel's security forces -- but rather Israel's policies on settlements and annexations of Palestinian territories in the West Bank.

"This Israeli government will lead to an escalation, because the position of Ben Gvir and Smotrich will destroy the possibility of a Palestinian state," he said.

At least 150 Palestinians and 26 Israelis have been killed this year across Israel and the West Bank, including Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

A further 49 Palestinians were killed during three days of fighting between Gaza militants and Israel in August.

According to United Nations data, 2022 has been the deadliest year since the 2002-2005 Palestinian uprising, known as the Second Intifada.

- 'Third intifada' fear -

More than 475,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank, and the UN warns their presence threatens the viability of a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.

Smotrich has already signposted an intention to legalise a number of "wildcat" settlements that are not currently recognised by Israel.

Washington, Israel's foremost ally, said it will "unequivocally oppose" moves to expand settlements, annex areas of the West Bank or disrupt the status quo of holy sites, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned.

A point of frequent tension in annexed east Jerusalem is the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest place.

Under a historical status quo, non-Muslims can visit the sanctuary but not pray there.

"If Ben Gvir manages to convince Netanyahu, or orders the police to change the behaviour of Israeli citizens on the Temple Mount, it will lead to a third intifada," outgoing public security minister Omer Bar-Lev recently warned.

In May 2021, tensions in Jerusalem, and particularly at the Al-Aqsa compound, boiled over.

Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls the coastal Gaza Strip, launched salvoes of rockets from the enclave toward Israel, resulting in a deadly 11-day war.

The group has described as "provocations" several visits by Ben Gvir to the compound during the past year.

"I don't see Ben Gvir doing something (about the Al-Aqsa compound) without the approval of Netanyahu and the security cabinet," said Amos Yadlin, Israel's former military intelligence chief.

This is particularly true as the change of the status quo at the Al-Aqsa compound or further flare-ups risk regional repercussions, at a time when Israel is hoping to build formal ties with Saudi Arabia, as it did with the UAE and Bahrain under the 2020 Abraham Accords.

According to Yadlin, the only factors that could impact the normalisation deals are tensions at Al-Aqsa and "clashes -- by which I mean bloodshed".

Reactions to Netanyahu's new coalition government

 

After weeks of negotiations, Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to head a new coalition government seen as the most right-wing in Israel's history. Among the most controversial deals he reached is the appointment of Jewish ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir as security minister in charge of the national police force. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer gives us some reactions

WILDCAT!

French railways face 100-mn-euro bill over Christmas strike 

Thursday, December 22, 2022  © AFP 2022 

Travellers are furious about the disruption which comes despite a 12-percent pay deal for rail workers. 

France's railways face a 100-million-euro ($106-million) bill over a Christmas rail strike organised by ticket inspectors without union backing which has caused a major backlash from travellers, a minister said on Thursday. 

Transport Minister Clement Beaune called the stoppage over the the coming weekend "incomprehensible and unjustifiable". "It will probably cost the company around a 100 million euros," he told Franceinfo radio. "We don't need that at the moment and we need everyone to start talking again."

 Several hundred thousand travellers have seen their tickets cancelled this weekend, the first Christmas since 2019 without major Covid-19 health concerns. The SNCF has offered to reimburse double the face value of cancelled tickets if travellers are unable to book an alternative. 

"I'm totally fed up. It's becoming a nightmare. You can't take people as hostages like this," pensioner Christian Petit told AFP at a station in Lyon. 

Resolving the dispute -- which has led to the cancellation of two out of five long-distance trains this weekend -- is complicated by the way the strikers have organised themselves.

 The stoppage has been coordinated by an informal collective of train managers on Facebook, rather than via union representatives, and the strikers have made no public statement.

 The SNCF says unions have already negotiated a pay rise of 12 percent over two years for staff, which is in line with inflation and superior to most private-sector settlements. "We've done everything to try to avoid the strike," SNCF boss Jean-Pierre Farandou said on Thursday. More disruption looms over the New Year weekend when unions have informed management of another possible strike. 

"What we expect from the management of the SNCF today is that they find a solution in the next few hours, and I mean in the next few hours," Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told Sud Radio. 

France Faces Wave of Transport Strikes on Christmas Week-End

Albertina Torsoli, Bloomberg

Commuters wait at Gare de Lyon in Paris during a strike organised by SNCF controllers on Dec 2. Photographer: Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images , Photographer: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP

(Bloomberg) -- France is bracing for another Christmas of travel disruption after the state-owned railway operator SNCF was forced to cancel one in three TGV high-speed trains because of strikes. 

The measures will be put in place on Thursday evening due to a strike notice by on-board client managers, according to the SNCF’s website. Roughly the same situation is expected Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, SNCF said.

No disruption is expected for international travel on Thalys and Eurostar trains during the period, SNCF added, aside from that caused by UK strikes. There are currently no Eurostar trains scheduled for Dec. 26 due to a strike at Britain’s Network Rail, though further walkouts planned for this week were called off Wednesday after staff received an improved offer. 

The walkouts are among many taking place across various industries — especially in the UK — as inflation spirals and cost of living becomes harder to afford. While protests and demands for higher salaries are legitimate, there’s no justification for strikes at such a crucial time, French government spokesman Olivier Veran said in an interview on France Inter Wednesday. 

Families are desperate to reunite after two difficult Covid-19-blighted Christmases, he said. “There should be no strikes but a truce for Christmas,” Veran said. “This is not the time to take the French hostage.”

SNCF has pledged to reimburse double the price of the lost tickets. Veran said he wasn’t yet in a position to estimate what the reimbursements will cost the company.

Air France-KLM’s French carrier also faces possible strikes in the coming two weeks, although the airline has pledged to take all its clients to their destination nonetheless.

(Updates with Eurostar strike cancellation in third paragraph.)

Spain approves trans rights bill that has split the left

Hazel WARD
Thu, December 22, 2022 


Lawmakers on Thursday passed a transgender rights bill allowing anyone 16 and over to change gender on their ID card, putting Spain on track to becoming one of the few countries to allow the change with a simple declaration.

Approved by 188 votes with 150 against and seven abstentions, the bill now moves to the Senate where, if left unchanged as expected, it will become law in weeks.

The bill simplifies the procedure for changing gender on a person's national identity card, allowing them to request the change based on a simple statement.

It also bans conversion therapies, promotes non-discrimination against LGBTQ people in the workplace and seeks "to advance the inclusion" of transgender women in particular who tend to be disproportionately affected.

But the text has sparked a bitter dispute among activists in Spain's powerful feminist lobby and LGBTQ equality campaigners.

In Europe, Denmark was the first country to grant such a right in 2014.

The legislation is a flagship project of the equality ministry, which is held by Podemos, the radical left-wing junior partner in the Socialist-led coalition.

"That's how history is made," tweeted Equality Minister Irene Montero, thanking "the feminist majority" alongside a snapshot of the vote count and footage of LGBTQ campaigners applauding.
- 'Transphobia' -

A strong advocate of gender self-identification who has denounced opposition to the law as "transphobia", Montero has said the law would "depathologise trans lives and guarantee trans people's rights".

Until now, adults in Spain have been allowed to request the change with a medical report attesting to gender dysphoria and proof of hormonal treatment for two years, while minors needed judicial authorisation.

But the bill drops that requirement and lets anyone from the age 16 freely change their designated sex on their ID card. Even those as young as 12 can apply, but only under certain conditions.

After submitting the request, the applicant must confirm the demand three months later, then it will become valid.

Adopted by the cabinet in June 2021, the bill has sparked tensions between Podemos, the driving force behind the legislation, and the Socialists in Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government who have tried to modify it.

It has also divided the feminist movement between those supporting Montero and the powerful feminist lobby allied with the Socialists who are opposed to the text.

One of the most vocal opponents was Sanchez's former deputy Carmen Calvo, who abstained, telling local media she could never vote with the right-wing but could not bring herself to vote in favour of the bill.
- 'Neither voluntary or optional' -

"When gender is asserted over biological sex, it does not seem to me to be a step forward in a progressive direction; it seems to be a step backwards," she told El Mundo daily in September.

"The state has to provide answers for transgender people, but gender is neither voluntary nor optional."

Activists fear the law will be open to abuse and erode women's rights, allowing men who self-identify as women to compete in women's sport or request a transfer to women's prisons.

They have also raised alarm about minors having the right to self-determine gender. Under the bill, 12- and 13-year-olds need parental and judicial approval to do so, while 14- and 15-year-olds just need parental approval.

Although the Socialists pushed for an amendment that would have extended judicial authorisation up to the age of 15, it was rejected in what was widely seen as a victory for Montero and Podemos.

"The transgender law which will be approved today in parliament symbolises the Socialist party's biggest defeat by Podemos during this legislature," the conservative El Mundo newspaper said Thursday.

The centre-left El Pais said it was "one of the laws that had most strained the coalition government".

Tensions around the legislation prompted Socialist LGBTQ activist Carla Antonelli -- the first and only trans woman to serve as a lawmaker -- to resign from the party after decades of activism.

"We have seen part of the Socialist party and the feminist movement go from defending the rights of the trans minority to ruthlessly boycotting our very existence," she wrote in an op-ed published by El Pais on Thursday.

Scotland passes law easing gender change rules

Stuart GRAHAM
Thu, 22 December 2022


Lawmakers in Scotland passed a contentious law Thursday making it easier and faster for people to change their gender, despite a rare rebellion within the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) and "concerns" from the UK government.

The legislation, which garnered 86 votes in favour but 39 against in Scotland's devolved parliament in Edinburgh, drops the requirement for a gender dysphoria medical diagnosis in order for someone to alter their gender.

"The motion is therefore agreed and the Gender Recognition Reform Scotland Bill is passed," presiding officer Alison Johnstone said to loud applause from the public gallery.

People aged 16 and 17 will also now be allowed to change their gender, despite efforts by some Scottish lawmakers to keep the age at 18.

The law reduces from two years to three months -- or six months for 16-17 year-olds -- the time needed for an applicant to live in their new gender before it is officially recognised.

An additional three-month reflection period is also required, during which time those who have initiated or are considering altering their gender can change their mind.

Opponents of the law fear it could be a danger to women and girls, particularly around the provision of single-sex spaces.

But the Scottish government insists the legislation will not impact the Equality Act, which allows for trans people to be excluded from single-sex spaces such as changing rooms and shelters.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has faced one of the biggest internal rebellions of her eight-year tenure over the issue, said the previous system to change gender was "intrusive, traumatic and dehumanising".

- JK Rowling backed protests -

"I am a feminist. I will argue for women's rights. I will do everything I can to protect women's rights for as long as I live," Sturgeon said during a lengthy debate on the law.

"But I also think it's an important part of my responsibility to make life a little bit easier for stigmatised minorities in our country, to make their lives a bit better and to remove some of the trauma they live with on a day-to-day basis."

Rachael Hamilton, a Conservative lawmaker, said society as a whole was at risk from the law.

"While most of us around Scotland are good, decent, reasonable people, rapists are not, sex offenders are not," she said.

"It is ignorant to the extreme to believe they will not take advantage of loopholes that are ripe for exploitation."

The slow passage of the bill through the Scottish parliament has been marred by repeated protests, and seen Sturgeon pitted against Harry Potter author JK Rowling as well as some members of her own party.

Rowling, who has been accused of being transphobic and subjected to threats on social media since publishing a controversial essay on gender identity in 2020, backed protests in Edinburgh over the legislation.

Meanwhile SNP lawmaker Ash Regan, who was minister for community safety, resigned in October saying her conscience would "not allow" her vote for the law.

The UK government said on Thursday it shared "the concerns that many people have regarding certain aspects of this bill" and vowed to "look closely" at it.

London could try to block it coming into force if ministers believe the new Scottish law will conflict with UK-wide legislation.

srg/jj/fg

Germany asks EU to rein in Twitter after missteps

Thu, 22 December 2022 

© Samuel Corum, AFP

A senior German official said on Thursday Twitter should join other tech firms in being directly monitored by the European Commission, saying the company’s erratic behaviour under new owner Elon Musk posed a threat to free speech.

Sven Giegold, the state secretary in charge of competition policy at Germany’s economy ministry, pointed to Twitter’s abrupt suspension of journalists’ accounts and restrictions on the access to some links.

In a letter to two European Commissioners, Giegold called on the EU to launch an investigation and said the Commission should act to prevent what he called Twitter’s “anti-competitive behaviour”.

Twitter did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The European Commission confirmed receiving the letter and said it would reply in due course, adding that it was following the developments at Twitter closely.

“General terms and conditions that change almost every hour, erratic justifications for extensive restrictions on links and the blocking of journalists threaten freedom of competition and pose a risk to freedom of expression, information and the press,” Giegold wrote on Twitter, while sharing his letter.

Musk on Tuesday said he was stepping down as Twitter chief executive.

His $44 billion takeover in October has been marked by chaos and controversy. Changes in December to Twitter’s privacy policy and the suspension - and reinstatement - of journalists’ accounts drew condemnation from news organizations, advocacy groups and officials across Europe.

(REUTERS)

CRIMINAL CRYPTO CAPITALI$M

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried released on massive $250 million bond

Kevin McCoyKevin Johnson
USA TODAY

NEW YORK – Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was released on a $250 million bond following his first appearance in federal court, where he is accused of misappropriating billions of dollars in customer funds in one of the largest fraud schemes in U.S. history.

The enormous personal recognizance bond, which federal prosecutors described as perhaps the largest ever, is to be co-signed by his parents and two other suretors, and will be secured by his parents’ Palo Alto, California, home.

As a further condition of release, Bankman-Fried must live in his parent’s home with electronic bracelet and other electronic monitoring.

He was prohibited from opening new lines of credit, businesses and barred from transactions over $1,000, except to pay lawyers.

Bankman-Fried left the courthouse in lower Manhattan Thursday afternoon.

What happened with FTX?:How Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged scheme unraveled

More:Sam Bankman-Fried's political donations totaled millions. FTX could sue to recover them.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein said federal law required him to accept the bond package unless he concluded there were no way to ensure Bankman-Fried would appear for trial. That was not the case, said the judge, who noted that the defndant has no history of prior arrests or violence.


"If you fail to appear in court or violate any of the conditions, a warrant will be issued for your arrest" and the bond could be forfeited, the judge warned.

Gorenstein said the release conditions, particularly the electronic monitoring, “will go very far in ensuring the defendant will be kept track of.”

“Mr. Bankman-Fried perpetrated a fraud of epic proportions” and harmed many victims, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos said, describing the government's case as strong and that includes multiple cooperating witnesses.

Referring to Bankman-Fried's steep fall, Roos said: “His financial assets, which were once in the billions, have diminished significantly.”

'Old-fashioned embezzlement':FTX CEO testifies to Congress; founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrested: recap

The defendant, dressed in a dark suit and tie with a light-colored shirt, accented with ankle shackles, spoke just once, to tell the judge he understood the legal proceedings.

“My client voluntarily consented to come to New York and face these charges,” defense lawyer Mark Cohen said. He called the release conditions a “strong package” that the defense accepted.

The 30-year-old one-time mogul had been held in the Bahamas following his arrest earlier this month, but was extradited to the U.S. late Wednesday to face prosecution in New York.

Two former business associates of Bankman-Fried, Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, also have pleaded guilty to federal charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors investigating the alleged fraud scheme, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said.

Like Bankman-Fried, Ellison and Wang also have been accused of civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Before the spectacular financial collapse, Bankman-Fried was the face of FTX, a global company with more than 130 affiliates that allowed individual investors to trade cryptocurrencies, growing to be the third-largest exchange by volume. The company's commercials featured prominent celebrities, and its logo appeared on an NBA stadium and on MLB umpire uniforms.

Sam Bankman-Fried:Report: Former billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried says he's down to $100,000 in bank account

Bankman-Fried is accused of using billions of dollars of FTX funds to make personal investments and millions of dollars in contributions to political campaigns while repaying billions in loans owed by Alameda Research, a cryptocurrency hedge fund that he also founded, according to court documents.

The California man is charged with two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, two separate counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Each of the charges carry maximum punishments of 20 years in prison.

Bankman-Fried also is charged with conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and commit campaign finance violations, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years.

According to the SEC court complaint, Ellison, the former chief executive of Alameda Research, furthered the alleged fraud scheme by following Bankman-Fried's instructions to manipulate the price of FTT, an FTX-issued crypto security token.

Wang, an FTX co-founder and former chief technology officer, created FTX’s software code that allowed Alameda to divert FTX customer funds, and enabled Ellison to misappropriate FTX customer funds for Alameda’s trading activity, the SEC court complaint alleged.