Bulletin for the November 30th public sector strike (2011)
A pub worker and South London SF have together won 6 weeks in stolen wages after a campaign of direct action and threatening pickets of a London pub. Laura was employed by ‘The Hartley’ pub in South London. She was let go after she refused to work because she hadn't been paid for 6 weeks - owed over £700 dating back to mid-September.
Laura got tired of waiting and spoke to South London Solidarity Federation (SLSF). The first step of the campaign was for Laura and members of SLSF to deliver a letter demanding her back-pay on Friday 19th. While waiting for action from the boss, Laura organized a mass phone-in of her employer with her friends and family. The boss was clearly rattled:
"Tell your people to stop calling me. I've got everyone's numbers, I'll report you, I'll report you to....to..... your networks!"
Glasgow Anarchist Fair
Saturday 10th December
Kinning Park Complex
There will be hot food available between 12.30 and 13.30 and between 18.00 and 19.00.
We can always do with more volunteers to help on the day, with setting up and clearing up, stewarding and to help with the Kids Space.
Ground Floor Hall 10.30 – 18.00
7.30am - Western Infirmary Main Gate
8am - Hillhead High School Oakfield Avenue
9am - Glasgow University Main Gate
Join Glasgow University Feeder March to student rally Buchanan Street
at 11.30am for STUC March assembling 12.00pm Shuttle Street
(off Albion Street) March at 12.30pm Rally at Barrowlands Ballroom
1.15pm.
11:30 - Assemble at the Pier Head (Derby Square is an alternative for those wanting to take a slightly shorter route or if the weather is bad on the waterfront)
12:00 - March from Pier Head, James Street, Derby Square, Lord Street, North John Street, Victoria Street, Roe Street, Lime Street
1:00 p.m. - Rally at St George's Hall including speakers and music from Ian Prowse (Amsterdam/Pele) and Connie Lush.
Get on the N30 Battle Bus and help support pickets around the city and rally support for the march leaving the Pier Head at 12pm As well as having a soundsystem we will be joined by the Liverpool Socialist Singers!
If you want to join the bus, we will be leaving from the UCU Offices on Oxford Street at 7.45am, and people will be there bannering-up the bus from 7 - and people can join the bus at the different stops.
Shorefields Technology College 8am
University of Liverpool 8.30am
The Triad, Bootle 9.15am
The Royal 10am
Sir Ian Blair, ex Commissioner of the Met Police was meant to give a talk at Sussex university last night, but faced disruption from students - see the report below.
This morning the weekly protests got very lively as the rank and file electricians occupied the Grattes Brothers HQ. With only a few days left of the ballot for strike action, we gathered at 6.30 outside the gates of the building site at Kings X. Electricians and supporters leafletted the workers going in and there was a short attempt to block the gate but the police kept a pathway open so people could still go in to work.
Workfare is a growing problem, as demonstrated by recent stories of a number of supermarkets had volunteered to be providers for the scheme and that young people were providing 30 hours a week of unpaid labour. This presents a problem both for the claimants trapped by this scheme, essentially as slave labour, and for the providers' workforce who are being undercut by those doing their job at practically no cost. Equally worrying is that, despite the growing anger over government attacks and emergence of anti-cuts groups across the country, nothing is being done to challenge this.
The big November 30 strike is drawing near. Rents and prices are rising, unemployment is going through the roof and at the same time wages are falling, benefits are slashed and people are being kicked out of their homes. The NHS is being sold-off while public services are decimated, schools and universities wrecked and the poor excluded. Officially these strikes are about pensions, but we all know it’s about a lot more than that.
We'll be keeping this post updated with plans for Brighton as we get them. So far: