Inside LabourStart

Just some quick updates on our upcoming Global Solidarity Conference in Istanbul.

• We received some three dozen requests for financial support – about half of them were incomplete.  I’ve written to all those who didn’t complete the form giving them another opportunity to do so.  The form itself is now closed.  I’ve shared a spreadsheet with details with our committee in Turkey and with several senior LabourStart correspondents.  We aim to reach a decision by the end of this week.
• The Solidarity Center is committed to bringing about a dozen representatives of the new independent trade unions in the Middle East and North Africa.  We should have details this week.  We’re arranging for a Monday meeting, post-conference, for them – in the Taksim Square area.
• ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow is preparing a video welcome to our conference.  We aim to have it subtitled in Turkish.
• We’ve reached agreement on a list of workshops which we’ll publish at the end of this week. We also have an agreed timetable and more-or-less have settled on who will be the plenary speakers.
• We’re still looking into arranging transportation from the conference hotel (in Taksim square) to the conference venue (Petrol Is); this may be done free of charge by the municipality.  If not, we’ll pay for a bus.
• We now have three bids from different companies regarding interpretation – the first time we’ve ever had to do this at a LabourStart conference.  We’ll need to consider these and reach a decision shortly.
• The organizing committee in Turkey is proposing a labour history walk around the Taksim square area on Friday before the conference opens, and a possible concert on Saturday evening.  Details to follow.
• If you have not yet registered to attend, and not yet registered for the hotel, please do so now.