Labour Party announced they are no longer going to be using G4S [1] for their conference security. This decision by the Labour Party, which now represents 330,000 members and many more supporters, sends a clear message: our political parties can stand up and act ethically and responsibly, and this can be at the centre of how politics works.
It tells G4S loud and clear that we won’t stand for their involvement in the ongoing occupation of Palestine [2]
1) http://www.leftfutures.org/2015/11/labour-party-will-boycott-g4s-security-services-over-repression-of-palestinians/
2) For information on G4S’ involvement in the Israeli occupation: http://whoprofits.org/company/group4securicor-g4s
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Veolia has announced (Aug 2015) that it is completely pulling out of its contracts with Israeli apartheid! This is a huge victory for solidarity with Palestine and the BDS movement and sends a clear message to other companies – doing business with Israel risks your reputation and profit.
The campaign against Veolia notched up major successes with Veolia losing major contracts. The pressure from campaigns like ours was too much and today they announced they’re selling the Light Rail shares too! That means Veolia has completely withdrawn from Israeli apartheid, exactly what our campaign wanted them to do.
A victory like this only happens because of the people involved, the dedication of PSC activists and supporters, all of the other campaigners in the UK, in Palestine, and people around the world.
West Midlands pension fund invests in a number of companies, or may do so in the future if there in no policy, that are complicit with Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine e.g. Motorola, HP, G4S.
locxal campaigners have lobbied the West Midlands Pension Fund to divest from Israeli companies
West Midlands Pension Fund
What is it?
One of a 103 Local Government Pension Funds in the UK, WMPF covers the seven local authority areas that make up the former West Midlands County. Contributing members are the staff of these seven councils (but not teachers, firefighters or police officers), and staff of services that used to be provided by councils (e.g. colleges) and of admitted bodies (e.g. various private and voluntary organisations)
WMPF has over 270,000 member; 420 employers are involved. Assets amount to over £10billion.
Where does the money come from:
Members’ contributions – deducted from their wages; and,
Employers’ contributions – mainly raised from Council Tax and other taxes we all pay.
Who runs it?
Although the money is to pay the pensions of the workers, workers don’t run it. Employers run it. When the West Midlands County Council was abolished in 1986, administration passed to Wolverhampton Council which set up a Pensions Committee of eleven Wolverhampton Councillors and one each from the other six participating councils.
The Pensions Committee has an Investments Advisory Sub-committee consisting of three of the Wolverhampton Councillors and all of the other six. The Pensions Committee determines investment policy; the Investment Advisory Sub-committee is concerned with investment management.
There is also a Joint Consultative Forum involving representatives of recognised trades unions (GMB, UNISON and Unite). It sends four non-voting representatives to the Pensions Committee and two to the Investment Sub-committee.
Here are the names and e-mail addresses of members of the Investment Advisory Sub-committee:
Wolverhampton
Councillor Peter Bilson* Lab, Low Hill peter.bilson@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Councillor Michael Heap* LibDem, Spring Vale michael.heap@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Birmingham – Councillor Muhammad Afzal* Lab, Aston muhammad.afzal@birmingham.gov.uk
Walsall – Councillor Mohammed Arif* Con, St Matthew’s arifm@walsall.gov.uk
Sandwell – Councillor Steve Eling* Lab, Abbey steve_eling@sandwell.gov.uk
Coventry – Councillor Damian Gannon* Lab, Sherbourne damian.gannon@coventry.gov.uk
Dudley – Councillor Rachel Harris* Lab, Brierley Hill Cllr.Rachel.Harris@dudleymbc.org.uk
Solihull – Councillor Alan Rebeiro* Con, Knowle arebeiro@solihull.gov.uk
In addition you could contact the other Wolverhampton members of the Pensions Committee
- Councillor Lorna McGregor Lab, Oxley lorna.mcgregor@wolverhampton.gov.uk
- Councillor Ian Brookfield Lab, Fallings Park Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square, W’ton, WV1 1RR
- Councillor Valerie Evans Lab, Fallings Park 66 Blackhalve Lane, Wednesfield, W’ton, WV11 1BH
- Councillor Jasbir Jaspal Lab, Heath Town jasbir.jaspal@wolverhampton.gov.uk
- Councillor Phil Page Lab, Bilston North philip.page@wolverhampton.gov.uk
- Councillor Sandra Samuels Lab, Ettingshall sandra.samuels@wolverhampton.gov.uk
- Councillor Paul Singh Con, Penn paul.singh@wolverhampton.gov.uk
- Councillor Zahid Shah Con, St Peter’s zahid.shah@wolverhampton.gov.uk
- Councillor Tersaim Singh Lab, St Peter’s tersaim.singh@wolverhampton.gov.uk
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