Support the workers at Curzon Cinema

North London Solidarity Federation sends out fullest solidarity and support to the workers at Curzon cinemas.  Struggling against precarity, zero-hours contracts, management disrespect, and low wages, the workers at Curzon have been fighting to establish a union in their workplace.

Workers at over 8 cinemas across London have demanded a union.  They submitted a petition with over 1500 supporter signatures and have framed their demands not only in terms of their own material interests, but in protecting the integrity of the independent film industry. In response, management has ignored workers' demands for collective meetings and set up a faux-employee representation program.

Hull SolFed - Walk of Shame

Hull SolFed held another anti-workfare ‘demo’ on Saturday the 20th, this time a mobile one. Based on suggestions on the Boycott Workfare website, we held a walk a shame through hull town center, stopping at nine different workfare providers, forming a picket outside each store, handing out leaflets and talking to shoppers. We also had some musical accompaniment, which helped to draw attention to the picket and kept the day more interesting.

Fightback on Mare Street

Members of North London SolFed were out in Hackney today with the ever-excellent Feminist Fightback to keep up the pressure on M&S over their non-payment of people doing jobs for the company as part of the Boycott Workfare week of action.

Given the boiling heat, an incredible effort was made by a samba band who turned up to lend a bit of noise and colour to the scene for most of an hour and we ran out of leaflets to hand out almost instantly. The public response was, as is usually the case when it comes to workfarer pickets, very supportive, with a number of people expressing their disgust at M&S's participation in it.

Newcastle SolFed hold anti-workfare picket outside Marks and Spencer's

As part of the week of action against the government workfare and affiliated schemes, Newcastle targeted upmarket retail chain, Marks and Spencer. M&S seek to profit to the tune of 1 million pounds using its own workfare scheme. While M&S attempt to put a worthy spin on its free labour, only a small percentage of people find work because of workfare. Not only is workfare an attack on unemployed workers but threaten the positions of those in work, potentially pitting worker against worker. Marks and Spencer's were no different to all the pickets Newcastle SolFed has taken part in, 15 minutes in sending out their security guard to try and harass us - to no avail. What made it different was people really stopped and took time to listen to what the picket was about.

NIR Conductors On Strike

On Monday 24th June Conductors and Station Staff from Northern Ireland Railways who are members of the GMB union staged a 24 hour stoppage over managements proposed pay deal, sick pay, new working arrangements and a history of steadily worsening industrial relations. The management proposals would see only one Conductor working longer trains where there are presently two, which is a threat to future job retention and creation. The proposed changes to sick pay would mean than staff with 'unacceptable' absence levels go on to Statutory Sick Pay.

The Lack of a Woman's Right to Choose in Ireland

Anti-choice campaigners in Ireland like to insist that there is no ‘need or desire for abortion in Ireland’. Except, not only are they wrong, but were they right, it does not mean it should be unavailable for those who do need or want it. According to official figures over 4,000 women and girls travelled to England and Wales last year to have an abortion, and more than 152,000 have done so since 1980.

Bury Capitalism

The death of Thatcher, British Prime Minister 1979 - 1990, was marked by celebration across the left and by working people everywhere. Members of the Belfast Local of the Solidarity Federation were certainly among those celebrating. Unfortunately the jubilation at her death all too often descended into sectarianism in the north - a figure despised by so many could have provided a focus for much working class celebration.
The ‘Iron Lady’s’ record in power saw working class communities crushed, the miners not least among them, millions were thrown on the dole, in the north her policies amounted to nothing more than pouring petrol on the flames of the conflict.

Hastings Against Workfare: This is not just a picket, this is an M&S picket

Today's picket of M&S in Hastings was very successful. There was a good turnout with around 30 people joining in the leafleting, banner holding and loud, enthusiatic and harmonious singing at various points throughout the afternoon.

"If you won't pay your workers - we won't buy your knickers! If you don't pay your workers - we won't buy your walnut whip!"

We gave out about 4000 leaflets to overwhelmingly receptive Hastings shoppers. There was a good response from the public with toots on the horns from vans, taxis and cars, older M&S cutomers turning away from the shop complaining about how bad it is that companies don't want to pay people nowadays and a big enough turnout on the picket that we seemed to know half of the people who came by, many of them with their own experience of work placements and being sanctioned.

Hastings Against Workfare: This is not just a picket, this is an M&S picket

start: 
Tue, 09/07/2013 - 15:00

Marks and Spencer recently announced plans to provide 1400 unpaid 'placements' to the young unemployed. Workfare not only forces people to work up to 37 hours a week for a meagre £56 in benefits, but also harms paid staff by discouraging employers from paying overtime, and the rest of us by removing paid jobs from the market in favour of free labour.

local, network, collective: 
Hastings
Access Layer: 
Public