Brighton SolFed in dispute with Cafe Plenty over outstanding pay

Brighton SolFed is making public a dispute with a cafe who are unwilling to settle outstanding pay of over £4K. The former worker, who stopped work at the establishment in early June has been asking to be paid ever since. As attempts to resolve the issue amicably were ignored or frustrated by Cafe Plenty, Brighton Solfed is now going public to warn potential staff and customers.

After getting nowhere, she approached Brighton Solidarity Federation for support. The business are not disputing they owe the money - in fact they finally paid part of the money owed two weeks ago. However £4,482 is still outstanding. After multiple attempts to resolve the dispute, including a face-to-face meeting, we are now stepping up our public campaign in support of the aggrieved worker.

Brighton Solfed Housing Union supports tenant kicked out from sublet

For the past few weeks Brighton SolFed and friends have been supporting a tenant that got evicted with a week's notice!
The tenant, a Spanish immigrant that doesn't speak English at all, had been living in a sub-letted shared room with an other sub-lettee in deplorable conditions of mold. Solidarity Federation helped mediating with the live-in sub-letter, but they refused any facilitation of eviction and responded by violently scaring the tenant to leave the property. After a huge show of support in front of the landlord's flat - where almost 20 members and friends turned up to help -  temporary accommodation was found for the tenant.

G4Lets Refuse to Pay Up: Brighton SolFed's Campaign Intensifies

Brighton lettings agency G4Lets is facing a growing campaign by two groups of tenants organising with Brighton SolFed for the return of their deposits and for compensation after they lived in damp, mice-infested accommodation for a year, and were subsequently charged for pre-existing damage at the properties when they requested the return of their deposits. Both sets of tenants were students at the time of their tenancies.

New Edition of the Migrant's Guide to Manchester in English and Spanish

Manchester Solfed's guide for migrants coming to Manchester has been republished with a updated edition for November 2017.

The guide contains information to help new migrants settle in the city. While focusing on Manchester, much of the guide will be useful to people living anywhere in the UK.

Available in English and Spanish, the guide can be downloaded in pdf format from the links below, paper copies will also be distributed around the city.

We are currently working on a translation into Portugese and we are producing a version for smartphones.

The Migrants Guide is a work in progress and we welcome submissions and suggestions. Please contact the Manchester local if you have anything to contribute.

 

Brighton Solidarity Federation Opens a Dispute with G4Lets

Brighton Solidarity Federation has started a dispute with the lettings agency G4Lets on Hythe Road in Fiveways. Two sets of tenants have been organising with SolFed regarding a number of issues with their tenancies. The first group of tenants had to live in mice-infested, unsafe accommodation for a year, and then had £2000 illegitimately deducted from their deposit. The second group of tenants have had £1080 deducted from their deposit for similarly dubious reasons.

Brighton SolFed Housing Union round-up: three months, three victories

Three groups of tenants organising with Brighton Solidarity Federation Housing Union over the past three months have each secured victories in their disputes. Working with our Housing Union, these tenants used the everyday tactics of solidarity and mutual support to take direct action – to win back stolen cash and to improve their conditions.

The first dispute was a group of tenants whose landlord and lettings agencies had left them living in damp, infested accommodation for a year. The landlord switched agencies half way through the tenancy, though both failed to address the problems in the house. After a direct action campaign, the landlord and the two agencies paid out £3900 in relation to the damp issue. Together with the tenancy deposit the campaign had demanded to be returned in full, the six tenants received just over £6000 as a result of the campaign.

Brighton Solidarity Federation opens a dispute with The Property Shop lettings agency

Brighton Solidarity Federation has started a dispute with The Property Shop on St James's Street. A tenant has been organising with SolFed after they were charged for repairs that the landlord was obligated to carry out.

Along with the tenant, Brighton SolFed wrote to The Property Shop on 18th October, explaining the issues and outlining options for redress. The Property Shop requested an extension on the one week deadline for a response, which Brighton SolFed granted, but The Property Shop still did not respond within that timeframe.