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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To mark the anniversary of the Spanish Civil War, Calderdale Solidarity
Federation will be hosting an afternoon of film, discussion and archive
material from our Spanish sister section CNT-AIT.
Hull Solfed has continued to picket Poundland over it’s involvement in the governments discredited workfare scheme, holding a picket on the 8th, and a week later on the 15th. Hull SolFed intends to keep holding weekly pickets of the shop, starting at 1pm every Saturday.
Bin men in Brighton today voted overwhelmingly to strike over attempts by the Green led council to slash pay.
The bin men (a self-adopted title, although they include many non male workers) voted 96% in favour of strike action. This follows an unofficial walkout on the 8th and 9th May and a fiercely enforced work to rule since which has left rubbish piled up across Brighton and streets unswept.
The first strike action is due to start on the 14th June and to last for a week. Further action is likely to follow if the council does not ditch the proposed pay cuts.
Workers opposed to privatisation at the university of Sussex decided to ballot for industrial action after uni bosses refused to stop the ongoing outsourcing process. The move comes less than three weeks after the Pop-Up Union, an unconventional rank-and-file initiative, became officially listed as a trade union.
Some developments over the last few days are worth flagging up for anyone interested in or affected by Workfare - which show pretty comprehensively exactly who's being a bully and who's not.
Freeing the data
Most important is that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has lost its appeal to hide the names of companies and charities which are involved in using unemployed people as a source of free labour.
It had tried to block freedom of information requests after telling all and sundry that campaigners picketing shops and explaining why to their customers amounted to "intimidating" behaviour, meaning commercial companies should be protected from being outed as participants.