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.

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Brighton
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Brighton Bin Men Strike Over Attacks on Pay

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.

Workfare: Who's the one being intimidating here?

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.

Bristol Solidarity Federation, Permanent Culture Now and Bristol Indymedia Present: The Great Housing Rip-Off

As part of co-ordinated action by the International Workers' Association across several countries, Indymedia and Bristol Solidarity Federation are hosting an evening of film and discussion on housing matters. Using film footage from the 1930s and 1970s, the struggles of ordinary people to live in a decent, affordable and secure home will be remembered. The talks and discussions will focus on the present day, providing: an overview of current national and local housing issues; an analysis of the expanding private rented sector; an insight into the tenants movement in Bristol; and a first hand account of DIY housing in the form of a local co-operative.


8pm sharp, Monday 13th May 2013, The Cube Cinema, Dove St South, Kingsdown, Bristol, BS2 8JD.

£3/£4 (but nobody turned away for lack of funds)

Photo From The Anti-Workfare Walk Of Shame Monday May 6th

The British Heart Foundation Uses Forced Unpaid Labour. 

We also picketed Poundland, Dorothy Perkins, Burtons, Top Man/Top Shop and Debenhams.  If previous holidays are anything to go by Workfare companies will have had people in working for nothing on Workfare rather than pay their regular staff holiday pay for the Bank holiday.

More photos on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.303056203160897.1073741827.237568036376381

May Day Poundland picket in Manchester

A picket of Poundland was organised in Manchester on May Day to coincide with the IWA days of action against Austerity, Exploitation and Oppression. Poundland  is making use of the government's Workfare programme that forces the unemployed to work for nothing. The picket was organised by Manchester Solfed and was supported by members of Manchester AF. The picket took place at the Poundland shop in the Arndale Shopping centre and we were soon approached by security staff who demanded we stop our protest on the grounds that it was taking place on private property. A few hundred leaflets were distributed  and the picket was generally well recieved by shoppers.

Bristol May Day Rally

The May Day Rally in Bristol saw a large Red and Black presence leading the march through the centre.

Members of Solidarity Federation joined the Radical Workers' Block. The red and black flags flags waved and demands of "Fire to the bosses" cried out. Others in the block included members of the Anarchist Federation, the IWW and other local anarchists.

The rally ended in Castle Park, where Trade Union activists, made tired and boring speeches about the need for Leadership and putting pressure on the Labour Party. The Anarchist Federation stood by, holding a banner proclaiming TUC censorship, drawing attention to the Trades Council ban on anarchists on the platform and allowing any mention of the historic roots of May Day.