Wandsworth Against Cuts! May 18

On Wednesday 18th, Solidarity federation gathered with Wandsworth Against the Cuts and others, to protest the recent cuts campaign perpetrated by the Wandsworth Council. It appears that the Council has decided to make Wandsworth somewhat of an elitist poster boy of UK’s class war. Wandsworth already charges the lowest council tax in the country and the new program of cuts is to strike the borough further in the depths of neoliberal wasteland. On the cutting board are services from health care to community, such as libraries and youth centres. The council specialises on cutting services from small, politically weak groups, like people in need of mental health services or domestic violence counselling.

‘Is there anybody there?’: The Census Man always rings twice...

In days gone by it was a popular cry for mediums when attempting to conjure the spirits of the deceased to ask: ‘is there anybody there?’ (for older readers think Margaret Rutherford in Blythe Spirit). The same phrase seems to have found its way into the lexicon of the state in recent weeks as it attempts to mop up the strays and slackers who have failed to return their census forms. An army of civil servants have been annoying people around the UK who have forgotten to fill in their forms.

Solidarity on the picket line - no to scab lies!

On Saturday 14th May, Liverpool Solidarity Federation - along with members of Anarchist Federation and UK Uncut - held a picket outside a government office in Bootle. This was in support of PCS union members who were facing victimisation for upholding an overtime ban in defence of their jobs.

PCS reps have been on picket lines most Saturdays since before Christmas, reminding people of the ongoing national action. Overtime is being used as a way of masking job cuts, as well as speeding up the current workload so as to meet the "cliff face" at which job cuts can be made faster. 96% of staff in the building, not just union members, support the ban - but a tiny and vocal minority remain determined to stab their colleagues in the back for a quick buck.

Victory against Office Angels!

Solidarity Federation has recently been leading a campaign in support of Dan, a former temporary worker employed by the Office Angels recruitment agency over unpaid wages. The past week has seen a national week of action against the agency, and response has been phenomenal, with pickets of branches across the country. This was to be followed by an international week of action, against both the company, and parent company Adecco, with a large number of pickets planned across the world. Whilst on the pickets yesterday we were informed by Office Angels that they had given in and paid Dan all the wages he was owed. We've now had this confirmed by Dan himself so would like to thank everyone who supported this struggle.

Office Angels picket: Liverpool

SF-IWA members in Liverpool held a picket outside the premises of Office Angels as part of a national week of action against the temping agency.

A comrade who took part in the action said: "This has been an excellent national campaign that I think is definitely a sign of things to come from our organisation. Hopefully companies like Office Angels will begin to get the message that the exploitation of temp workers will not be tolerated."

See more photos from the picket here.