Sophie Ploeg comments about Oldbury in The Independent

South Gloucestershire Council is against it but they're building a new power station in Oldbury's flood plain, 4x the size of the old one. It creates jobs...why not build a cathedral, that creates jobs too. Or why not carry water to the sea....it creates job without the bad side effects that us and our great-grandchildren will have to suffer.

Doro Chiba Mass Rally....Ban nuclear worldwide

Organize International United Action against nuclear plants and unemployment! Withdraw the dismissal of 1047 national railway workers! Abolish casual employment system! Build up a nationwide network of militant labor unions to fight against neo-liberalism! Call for endorsement to and participation in November 6 National Workers’ All-Out Rally Solidarity Union of Japan Construction and Transport Workers Kansai Area Branch (Kan-Nama) Metal and Machinery Workers’ Union in Osaka (Minato-Godo) National Railway Motive Power Union of Chiba (Doro-Chiba) Nationwide Movement against the Division and privatization of National Railway and the Reinstatement of 1047 National Railway Workers (Nationwide Movement of National Railway Struggle) Fighting workers across the nation and all over the world! On March 11, the East Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed the lives and jobs of many people in an instance. Millions of people all over the country including the affected areas are exposed to high-level of radioactivity and now in mortal danger. Moreover, people are facing a great wave of unemployment. Farming and fisheries were deeply impacted. Already hundreds of thousands of workers have lost their jobs and forced to live in dire poverty. The government is planning to promote drastic tax hike and dismantlement of the social security system. Most of these things were caused by neo-liberal offensives. For instance, the public infrastructure was completely dismantled as a result of privatization, local governments were pushed into financial collapse, the number of public workers has been endlessly decreased and so on. Since the Privatization and Division of National Railways, the neo-liberal policies have diminished the power to prepare against disasters, resulting in an unimaginable catastrophe. On top of it, the Fukushima nuclear disaster revealed the corrupt governance mechanism. All the whole ruling class of this society—the government, bureaucrats, business circles, bribed scholars, mass media, courts, co-opted labor unions—are tainted by cozy and corrupt vested interests. They, having an urge to equip our country with nuclear arms, promoted the nuclear energy policy by telling people a bunch of lies. It was the crimes of the government and capital that brought about the catastrophe. The government still conceals the truth and insists that the radiation level is safe and it does not pose a health risk. There is a mounting anger across the nation. This public outrage is expressed through many protest actions against the government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), developing into the struggle to live through. Especially, the growing anger of 2 million people of Fukushima, having been deprived of everything, is reaching to the boiling point. On June 11, a big protest action was carried out at the Sinjuku Station East Square in Tokyo. Over 20 thousand protesters gathered there and the shouts of “anti-nuclear” and “anti-unemployment” filled the streets around the downtown area. One of the endorser unions, Kan-Nama, set up a relief center in the affected area to fund with their pay raise that they have won through their spring labor offensive of this year. Minato-Godo and Doro-Chiba are also striving hard to fight with the people in the affected areas. On the other hand, labor movements are now threatened with a serious crisis. In the circumstances of the reactionary offensive of the government and capital to force upon us nationalism such as the “general mobilization to confront nation’s adversity” under the name of “reconstruction”, the co-opted labor unions are giving up every struggle and abandoning the class point of view. What is now happening is just the same dangerous situation, in which workers are forced to go for war as a soldier. The Japanese government and the business circles are attempting to designate the affected areas as “Reconstruction Special Zones” where every regulation would be abolished to force workers into thoroughly low wage, privatized/outsourced, temporary works. With the government in command, public service workers get pay cut. What is more, all of 3.6 million public service workers are to be fired at once and rehired selectively as temporary workers under the name of the “Reform of Local Government Employee System”. 160 thousand postal temporary workers who work under the fixed-term contract are on the verge of being fired and turned adrift. Now is the time for all workers to stand up for a powerful struggle against nuclear plants and unemployment from their working places. Capitalist system is on the verge of meltdown. The global economic crisis triggered by the Lehman Shock three years ago caused full-scale financial collapse in the US, EU countries and Japan. They are trying to escape their current desperate conditions by taking a toll on the workers. Above all things, we now need to revitalize fighting labor unions. The Division and Privatization of National Railway drove labor movements to step back and to give up their basic labor rights. That is why we are consistently insisting that we should not obscure the point of this offensive. However, last year on April 9, we faced a crucial situation. It was a decisive attack to dismantle the struggle to reinstate 1047 fired National Railway Workers. The so-called “political settlement” was agreed and in July this year the declaration to end the struggle was announced, ignoring the social and legal responsibility of massive lay-offs and state-sponsored crime to collapse labor unions by privatizing and setting up unfair labor practices. Under such crucial situation, we have started the new labor movement with the slogan of “Don’t put out the fire of National Railway Workers’ Struggle”. The purpose of our movement is to make a class unity of workers across the nation. We support independent efforts at work places to organize struggles no matter how small a struggle is. Kan-Nama waged a general strike for 139 days and is playing its way to a victory successfully fighting back against a ferocious crackdown. Doro-Chiba has been consistently blocking the outsourcing plan of Japan Railways (JR) by waging strikes for many times. Minato-Godo has kept confronting corporate bankruptcy and subsequent discharge through organizing workers of small and medium enterprises and achieving victories by the unity of all the workers. People of Okinawa and farmers of Sanrizuka bring an outburst of fierce angry voice. We need to unite the power of all workers of the world to confront the situation that is unprecedented in human history. We call on an international united action on November 6 to fight against nuclear plants and unemployment. Let’s get together in Hibiya and raise a big angry voice. We call on all who share same aspiration to endorse to, and to participate in November 6 National Workers’ All-Out Rally. August, 2011 TITLE of the Rally: Organize an International United Action against nuclear plants and unemployment! Withdraw the dismissal of 1047 national railway workers! Abolish casual employment system! Build up a nationwide network of militant labor unions to fight against neo-liberalism! November 6 National Workers’ All-Out Rally Date: Sunday, November 6, 2011 Time: At 12:00 noon Venue: Hibiya Open Air Stage, Tokyo DORO-CHIBA (DC): National Railway Motive Power Union of CHIBA Email: doro-chiba@doro-chiba.org Web: http://www.doro-chiba.org/

MAIL

DORO-CHIBA

Press Release from SANE

我々は、オールドで福島をしたくない

Press Release

We at Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energy are sad that after E.on and RWE have decided to give up building new nuclear in the UK that Hitachi have decided to buy the sites that are owned by Horizon Nuclear Power.

We do not want the Shepperdine site to become another Fukushima. We are in touch with various environmental bodies and a Japanese labour union called Doro Chiba to try and get a full understanding of what they know about Hitachi.

We undrestand that the reactor will have to go through the full Generic Design Assessment and this will take up to four years.

Reg Illingworth of SANE says " It will be interesting to see if the government cave in to the energy companies and guarantee the massive subsidy that will be needed to build any new nuclear power stations in the UK"

"What will this do the coalition agreement ? We as taxpayers and electricity consumers had better get used to helping shareholders of Hitachi in receiving guaranteed dividends!"

For press or media contact Reg Illingworth on 07979 569063

 

Japanese Copy of Article

英国の原子力産業の一部をつかんで、その初期歓喜後悲しい現実は、E.ON、RWE、株主、彼らはそれを行うには何もしたくないことをドイツの賢明な公共に沈んだ。

我々は、E.ONさえフィンランド新しい原子力発電所に、その飼料を終了することを決定したことを聞いて喜んでいる。

よくやった！

それは常に日立の計画を疑問視すると、彼らはあまりにもついに新しい原子力は実行可能な選択肢ではないことを理解するであろうことを確認するためにSANEsの意図である。

私達は私達の抗議運動が前進する方法の緊密な情報で私たちを通過する日本の仲間たちとの強力な関係を形成することになる

E.on and RWE leave the nuclear industry

After their initial glee at grabbing a piece of the British nuclear industry sadly the reality sank into E.on, RWE , their shareholders and the wise public of Germany that they want nothing to do with it.

We are pleased to hear that E.on has even decided to end its forage into the Finnish new nuclear plant.

Well done!

It is SANEs intention to constantly question the plans of Hitachi and to make sure that they too will finally realise that new nuclear is not a viable option.

We will form strong relationships with our colleagues in Japan who will pass us on close information of how our protests will go forward

Hitaci Press Release

SANE will be working with various groups including Doro Chiba to help explain to the British people what our country is allowing Hitachi to do.

Hitachi Announces the Acquisition of Horizon Nuclear Power

London, UK, October 30, 2012
- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, "Hitachi") today announced the acquisition of Horizon Nuclear Power (Horizon) from RWE and E.ON. The transaction is expected to complete at the end of November, and upon completion, Hitachi will start leading a programme of building new nuclear power plants in the United Kingdom.

In addition, Hitachi also announces that two leading British companies, Babcock International and Rolls Royce have signed MOUs to join Hitachi to plan and deliver the programme. Hitachi will cooperate with other nuclear energy related companies around the world.

Hiroaki Nakanishi, Representative Executive Officer and President of Hitachi, Ltd. said: "I am extremely pleased that we have been successful in acquiring Horizon Nuclear Power. Today starts our 100 year commitment to the UK and its vision to achieve a long-term, secure, low-carbon, and affordable energy supply. We look forward to sharing Hitachi’s corporate vision and nuclear business policy with the management and employees of Horizon, and working harmoniously with UK companies and stakeholders for the delivery of this vital part of Britain’s national infrastructure and the creation of a strong UK nuclear power company."

Following completion of the transaction, Hitachi will immediately work towards achieving licence acceptance under the Generic Design Assessment process as governed by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and begin working with our UK partners on the future programme.
# # #

The Hitachi Horizon programme involves building two to three c1,300 MW plants at each of Horizon’s sites at Wylfa, Anglesey, and Oldbury, Gloucestershire, with the first unit becoming operational in the first half of 2020s. Hitachi endorses the UK government’s policy for promoting low-carbon society and will employ its Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) technology, which has already been licensed in other countries and is the only advanced nuclear technology (Generation III.PLUS) in operation in the world. Currently, there are four ABWRs in operation In Japan, built to time and budget.

Hitachi anticipates the creation of between 5,000 and 6,000 direct jobs at each site during the construction phase and a further 1,000 permanent jobs per site upon start of the operation of each site.

Preliminary estimates based on past build experience, indicate approximately 60% by value of the first unit will be spent on locally sourced materials, personnel and services, with this rising for future units. Hitachi will invest in transferring its modular construction technology which underpins the build timetable establishing a module assembly facility in the UK.

Hitachi will make a significant investment in training engineers, construction teams and operating staff for the plants, and will work with its partners and with local colleges and universities to develop training programmes, which will create a strong and permanent base of nuclear skills in the UK that also have a global demand.

In partnership with the UK government, the devolved administration in Wales and local authorities in the Wylfa and Oldbury areas Hitachi will work towards ensuring that economic benefits flow to the local communities in which the plants will be located.


About Hitachi, Ltd.


Hitachi, Ltd., (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2011 (ended March 31, 2012) consolidated revenues totalled 9,665 billion yen ($117.8 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that

Chinese Companies leave Horizon Bid

SANE thanks the Chinese Companies for leaving the bid for Horizon.

We are however concerned that Hitachi have now bought the Horizon shell off E.on and RWE and will be endeavouring the desperate civil servants in DECC to create jaw dropping subsidies for a sad ,depleted industry that has been around for 50+ years

Horizon worms come out of the wood to welcome Hitachi

Horizon worms Come out of the wood!

Over the years we have heard various " how good we are" , "how nice we are " comments.

The CEO of E.on rides a bike to work etc yada yada.....

Well finally the two German companies have decided to move away from the new nuclear industry in the UK, not on the grounds of viability but on moral grounds of their shareholders and the people of Germany.....Well done!

I am sure we will get the same jaded Horizon executives saying that Hitaci are amazing and their reactors are even better than Areva or Westinghouse.

It will test the morality of the executives, do i pick up my wage or do I stand up for what I stand for!

Horizon Nuclear Power said it looked forward to resuming its nuclear new build plans at the earliest opportunity following the transition to new ownership announced today. E.ON UK and RWE npower said agreement had been reached to sell Horizon to Hitachi. The deal is expected to complete by the end of November. Horizon Chief Operating Officer Alan Raymant said: "This is excellent news and marks the opening of an exciting new chapter for Horizon. Hitachi has a proven international track record in the construction and operation of nuclear power stations." "We’re very grateful to RWE npower and E.ON UK for the creation and development of Horizon to this point. We will now focus on fully remobilising the business, and working with our new owners to bring forward our plans as soon as possible." "This announcement is a major shot in the arm for the nuclear industry. We expect our projects to boost the UK’s infrastructure sector, and contribute to sustainable economic developments at local level for decades to come. We’re committed to working with all relevant bodies to maximise the opportunities for the UK and local labour markets and supply chain," said Raymant. "I’d particularly like to thank the communities at Wylfa and Oldbury for their continued support, along with our first-rate team at Horizon which has remained committed over recent months. As always we will work closely with them as we progress our plans." - ENDS - Notes to editors  Horizon Nuclear Power was formed in 2009 as a 50:50 joint venture between E.ON UK and RWE npower. The shareholders announced an intention to sell their stakes in Horizon on 29 March 2012.  The company holds grid connection agreements and owns land suitable for the development of new nuclear power stations at Wylfa on the Isle of Anglesey and Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire. Both sites are nominated for nuclear development under the National Policy Statement for Nuclear (EN-6). Contact: Tris Denton, Tristram.denton@horizonnuclearpower.com or on 07585 966 747 Or Horizon Press Office on 01242 713 677

Doro Chiba in alliance with SANE

We are talking with our friends Doro Chiba from Japan about visiting Japan to learn how the two potential Japanese investors in Horizon are needing to escape the industry on their home turf to exploit the weak UK government who yearn for a low carbon infrastructure at the surrendering of our energy security.

Toshiba and Hitachi should realise that we do not want to play the game of nuclear roulette in the UK that they seemed to be  happy with in Japan.

 

Our message to the Chinese Power companies thinking of investing in new nuclear in the UK.