Strikers playing with fire

Over 5,500 fire-fighters began their 47-hour strike yesterday, and are not working on what is usually their busiest weekend of the year.

The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) said they had no choice, and simply didn't want to accept the longer dayshifts panned and the fact that staff not signing the new contracts might be fired.

In case of emergencies back-up support has been available.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was granted a High Court injunction which enabled contract workers employed by private firm AssetCo, to enter and leave stations without being stopped by picketers.

So far so good

As I'm writing this, safe at home, I'm surrounded by the crackling noise of fireworks, and it sounds like London has turned into a war zone with 100s of machine guns. But, so far no serious incidents have been reported.
   
Around 40,000 people attended last night's events, and apart from a 21-year-old man who was injured when was hit in the chest by a stray rocket, most incidents have been of the nature of drunken fights and assaults, and not related to fires.

There are a few hours to go, but it seems like the strike has passed fairly pain free. Something I hope even the strikers are happy about.

The government has called this irresponsible and cynical.

Listen to my report from Wednesday to hear what FBU’s Matt Wrack says about the criticism surrounded the strike, and how event planners prepared for this weekend.

Prisons do more harm than good

Sunday Morning Live posed the question “Do prisons do more harm than good?". Popular author Benjamin Zephaniah, a former convict, is convinced that prisoners come out full of hatred, wanting revenge and having learnt to commit crime more efficiently from fellow inmates.

I fully agree with Mr. Zephaniah. Today, very little effort is put into getting to the root of the problem and working with prevention of continuous crimes after their release.

Three out of five sentenced to prison for less than 12 months, have returned to a life in criminality within a year from being released.

Naturally convicts that are a physical threat to the public will have to be locked up. But, these cases are a minority of the over 100,000 prisoners in the UK today.

Our prisoners range from drug addicts and people who have failed paying their utility bills to mentally sick people. Some are in serious need of mental or medical treatment. Others could provide fantastic services within the public sector through day jobs.

Not only would this make convicts an asset to society while serving the crime, but it would also keep them integrated in society, and even provide a job to go to once released. 

Not the least - they would be away from the “school of crime” other prisoners provide in jail. Surveillance could be solved by wearing an electronic shackle.


Training, treatment and prevention

People might argue that this solution would not offer justice for the victim. But serious offenders guilty of murder, rape or abuse would still be kept away from the public – whether locked up in prison or in mental institution.

We need to start thinking like the developed, civilised society we are. Instead of isolating prisoners, feeding into their feeling of bitterness, anger and quest for revenge we should strive for a constructive punishment with the relevant treatment, training and prevention.

Hopefully this would create more and more cases of former prisoners, when looking back at their sentence, being grateful for having been given a second chance.

Strikes - the new plague of London

London was hit by yet another chaotic tube strike today. On Friday, it's the fire brigade's turn to walk out. Londoner’s patience with the unions is running out.

Extra buses and just a fraction of tube lines affected was the promise from London Underground as late as yesterday.

My commute normally takes about 40 minutes by tube. Today it took over three hours, on four different buses. All tube lines were partly closed, and over loaded buses were too full to let passengers on at the bus stops. 

Most Londoners are completely dependant on public transport (and it doesn't come cheap) and thus in the hands of what the unions decide.

After waiting for hours in the cold at a rainy bus stop in Harrow, I couldn't help but thinking of the tube workers safe and warm at home on their day off.

They claim the reason is mainly public safety being threatened by planned job cuts. I do suspect however, that it comes down to the cuts themselves. Worrying in times as these - I agree. But this is most people face on the current job market.


Next up is the firebrigade

As the fire-brigade plans to strike this Friday and Saturday, one wonders if it's a coincidence that they chose bonfire night weekend.

On average, bonfire night means five times more secondary fires, and it's usually the busiest weekend in the year for the fire-brigade. 

The fire-men's dispute is over longer day-shifts that the claim will affect their family life. Understandably a concern, but there should never be an excuse for putting the public at serious risk.

Human trafficking; a vicious modern-day slavery

Human trafficking is growing at a terrifying speed. According to the United states State Department data, an estimated 600,000 to 820,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year. Experts believe the number is even higher.

Approximately 80% are women and girls, and up to half of the victims are minors. The majority of transnational victims are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. 

Poor, often naive and badly informed girls are easy targets for vicious criminals - making substantial profits in return for the victims’ freedom and dignity.

The classic example of a woman trafficked for sexual purposes is that they have put their trust in a man pretending to be their boyfriend or agent.

Lured by a better life abroad as a model, nanny or waitress, they instead end up in a brothel -not uncommonly serving up to 30 customers a day.

The fact that the victims can be sold again and again make this trade the ideal market in the most unimaginable cruel way. 

By threatening to harm, or even kill, the women's loved ones at home they often keep their hellish fait to themselves.

Due to already established strong networks and the never-ended need met by huge profits, this modern-day slavery has proved extremely difficult to stop.


Miramed makes a difference

Miramed Institution
One of the organisations that consistently and patiently strive to fight human trafficking is in Moscow. It was founded in 1999 as the first non-government organisation in Russia.

Miramed reaches out to these women through:

Pprevention

• information campaigns
• Training
• Media campaigns

Rescue projects

• International toll-free hotline
• assistance centres

 
Protection

• Regional safe houses
• Law enforcement trainings
• Research and publication of best practices on victim rehabilitation

A succesful model

The model of Miramed has proven successful, but they need attention and support from the outside world to spread their mission to other parts of Russia.

With support, their model could be applied to other countries around the world.

Human trafficking concerns all of us; victims and trade connected to trafficking can be found everywhere, including the modern western world, which often provides the commercial base for this profitable industry.

Only by making people aware of the facts, are we taking the first steps to stop this evil trend.

Anish Kapoor - Turning the world upside down



Anish Kapoor's exhibition Turning the World Upside-down is an amazing art experience, and set in Kensington Gardens, it's the perfect weekend outing.  

Listen to the report my colleague Mladen Petkov and I did on this unique exhibit.

Are bloggers anti-social geeks?

Andrew Marr recently claimed that bloggers are nothing but anti-social geeks. He also said they are "inadequate, pimpled and single loners who rant about the world from the safety of their mothers' basements".

To prove Mr. Marr wrong I spoke to devoted blogger Sienna Lewis. Sienna writes a dating blog and has even based a book on her blog called Intimate adventures of an office girl. She is shortly coming out with a sequel.

What does Sienna think about Andrew Marr's quite odd remark?



FA could do more to battle discrimination in football

Kick It Out, a UK charity that strives to battle inequality and racism in football, believes government bodies could do more.

Kevin Coleman, Grass Root Development Officer, says the Football Association (FA) could do more to reduce discrimination in football as a governing body.

He says that “the FA is made up by 65-year old white men” and that its structure should change to become more diverse.

In the 80’s and 90’s English football was synonymous with hooliganism and racism. It has now drifted towards homophobia, and discrimination of Asian rather than black players.

Whether the discrimination is related to racism, religion, sexual orientation or disability, Kick it Out is dedicated to raise awareness through campaigns and events all over the country.

As Mr. Coleman suggests, it does seem hopeful that with continuous co-operation with governing organisations and advisory boards as well as a restructure of FA, the mission to combat discrimination within the UK’s biggest national sport will be successful.