-Bank Bosses in the Netherlands forced to give up bonuses
-Hundreds of days of resistance against landfill site in Greece Bank Bosses in the Netherlands forced to give up bonuses Perhaps overshadowed by the occupation of Fortnum and Mason's by UK Uncut activists at the anti-cuts demo on March 26th, Dutch activists have been attacking bonus culture in the Netherlands, which could result in a blanket ban on bonuses to financiers who work for institutions that have been bailed out by the taxpayer. Customers of the bank ING, one of the biggest banks in the Netherlands, mobilised on Twitter and other social networking sites to protest bonuses being paid to bosses of the bank. They sent ING emails, made phone calls and hundreds closed their bank accounts. The threat of direct action in the form of people withdrawing money en masse lead to worries that there could be a partial run on ING. This posed a real threat to the Dutch establishment. The Dutch bonuses would have been much smaller than those awarded to bankers in the US and the UK, yet the public reaction lead to the ING Group's Executive Board not accepting their 'variable remuneration awards', due to worries that they would have been subject to constant public scrutiny and debate if they had done so. Politicians in the Netherlands have now voted to implement a 100% retrospective tax on all bonuses paid to executives at institutions that received state aid due to the financial crisis. ING was given a €8.7bn bailout package by the Dutch taxpaper. ING made a net profit last year of more than €3bn, but it still owes the taxpayer €5bn. Links: www.ing.com/group/pressdoc.jsp?docid=492902_EN
Hundreds of days of resistance against landfill site in Greece The popular struggle of the people of Keratea, just outside Athens, against an illegal landfill site threatened by a Greek construction company in conjunction with the Greek state, in an area of archaeological importance and natural beauty, has been ongoing for around 120 days. The struggle is widespread, and is proving to be very effective. In December last year, the company attempted to start construction work in the middle of the night so as to not be detected, but was met with mass resistance from local people, who managed to stop the construction, despite the company being aided by riot police. Actions have been ongoing since the company attempted to start construction. At the end of March, after 110 days of resistance, things came to a head. As the police attempted to break through peoples' barricades to allow construction machinery to reach the site of the planned landfill, the City Hall activated war sirens and church bells were rung throughout Keratea and neighbouring towns. More residents to rushed to the barricades. An excavating machine that arrived in an attempt to clear up the barricades, was set ablaze by locals, and molotovs and tear gas were thrown in enormous quantities by either side. The fight against the landfill site continues. Links:www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/tag/keratea-anti-landfill-struggle
http://en.contrainfo.espiv.net/2010/12/13/keratea-atticagreece-no-more-trash-in-our-lives-residents-against-landfill-constructions
-Hundreds of days of resistance against landfill site in Greece Bank Bosses in the Netherlands forced to give up bonuses Perhaps overshadowed by the occupation of Fortnum and Mason's by UK Uncut activists at the anti-cuts demo on March 26th, Dutch activists have been attacking bonus culture in the Netherlands, which could result in a blanket ban on bonuses to financiers who work for institutions that have been bailed out by the taxpayer. Customers of the bank ING, one of the biggest banks in the Netherlands, mobilised on Twitter and other social networking sites to protest bonuses being paid to bosses of the bank. They sent ING emails, made phone calls and hundreds closed their bank accounts. The threat of direct action in the form of people withdrawing money en masse lead to worries that there could be a partial run on ING. This posed a real threat to the Dutch establishment. The Dutch bonuses would have been much smaller than those awarded to bankers in the US and the UK, yet the public reaction lead to the ING Group's Executive Board not accepting their 'variable remuneration awards', due to worries that they would have been subject to constant public scrutiny and debate if they had done so. Politicians in the Netherlands have now voted to implement a 100% retrospective tax on all bonuses paid to executives at institutions that received state aid due to the financial crisis. ING was given a €8.7bn bailout package by the Dutch taxpaper. ING made a net profit last year of more than €3bn, but it still owes the taxpayer €5bn. Links: www.ing.com/group/pressdoc.jsp?docid=492902_EN
Hundreds of days of resistance against landfill site in Greece The popular struggle of the people of Keratea, just outside Athens, against an illegal landfill site threatened by a Greek construction company in conjunction with the Greek state, in an area of archaeological importance and natural beauty, has been ongoing for around 120 days. The struggle is widespread, and is proving to be very effective. In December last year, the company attempted to start construction work in the middle of the night so as to not be detected, but was met with mass resistance from local people, who managed to stop the construction, despite the company being aided by riot police. Actions have been ongoing since the company attempted to start construction. At the end of March, after 110 days of resistance, things came to a head. As the police attempted to break through peoples' barricades to allow construction machinery to reach the site of the planned landfill, the City Hall activated war sirens and church bells were rung throughout Keratea and neighbouring towns. More residents to rushed to the barricades. An excavating machine that arrived in an attempt to clear up the barricades, was set ablaze by locals, and molotovs and tear gas were thrown in enormous quantities by either side. The fight against the landfill site continues. Links:www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/tag/keratea-anti-landfill-struggle
http://en.contrainfo.espiv.net/2010/12/13/keratea-atticagreece-no-more-trash-in-our-lives-residents-against-landfill-constructions