Brighton Solfed statement on disaffiliation of a member

CN: Sexual assault

Brighton Solfed have taken a collective decision to permanently exclude a member due to allegations of sexual assault made against them. The member was formally suspended at the end of April, after we were informed that they had been excluded from two other groups, and since then attempts were made to try and start a process whereby this member could be held accountable for their actions. However, due to the survivors’ wishes for space and privacy, this was not possible in any transformative sense without going against the survivors’ autonomy.

In light of this, the Brighton local of Solidarity Federation has taken the decision to permanently exclude the member from the group. Our reasons for this are:

Sign the Petition to Get Ian Hartley IPP Prisoner Released

Ian Hartley is one of those prisoners still serving an IPP sentence. Originally given a tariff of 3 years and 2 months, he is still in prison 12 years on. Ian discribes the hell which is IPP as follows “I hate waking up in a morning and look forward to going to sleep at night. Prison is an awful corrupt place full of violence and abuse. I have served my time and just want to be in a loving family environment to live the rest of my life. The hell I am suffering within this place is indescribable and if it wasn’t for my partner and my family I would have ended my life by now." As part of the Smash IPP campign a petition has been organised.

You can sign the petition here: http://chn.ge/2yfxiDU

You can get more info here: https://www.change.org/p/free-ipp-prisoner-ian-hartley

Fujitsu: stop victimising reps

As part of its national campaign to make over 1000 people redundant Fujitsu  is targeting a number of reps at its factory in Manchester. The Manchester site has a long history of militancy and the 3 reps being target, Ian Allinson, Denis Morris and Lynne Hodge, have been active at Fujitsu for many years.

You can get more information about the dispute at: www.ouruniontest.wordpress.com

Send letters of protest to Duncan.Tait@uk.fujitsu.com

Support Rail Guards Strike

Rail guards on the 3rd October took action to protect their jobs on Northern,‎ Southern, Merseyrail and Greater Anglia. The strike is aimed at preventing the rail companies removing the guards from trains and operating driver only trains. The RMT rail union stated  "RMT members are standing absolutely rock solid and united this morning in these four separate disputes as they make the case for safe, secure and accessible rail service for all.”

Support Train Guards

Rail guards on the 3rd October took action to protect their jobs on Northern,‎ Southern, Merseyrail and Greater Anglia. The strike is aimed at preventing the rail companies removing the guards from trains and operating driver only trains. The RMT rail union stated  "RMT members are standing absolutely rock solid and united this morning in these four separate disputes as they make the case for safe, secure and accessible rail service for all.”

Calderdale SF on Catalonia: against police violence, against new states

Calderdale SF/IWA condemns the police violence against Catalan citizens on the 1st October 2017 who went to vote on what the Spanish state has declared to be an illegal referendum on independence. While, as anarchosyndicalists, we don't support the creation of a new state, which reflects mainly the interests of the Catalan bourgeoisie, we do condemn all police violence and intimidation against men, women and children. Instead of the creation of new states with warring police and capitalist factions pitted against one another, we favour the deeply embedded solution of libertarian federalism - free, self-managed communities that are plural, open and tolerant.

Spencer & Leigh Make Legal Threats Against a Tenant with Young Children: Brighton SolFed Opens a Dispute

Brighton Solidarity Federation has started a dispute with the lettings agency Spencer & Leigh in Patcham. A tenant has been organising with SolFed after £510 was withheld from her deposit in order to change a lock and to have the property professionally cleaned. The tenant left the property secure at the end of her tenancy, and she also had it professionally cleaned prior to vacating it.