cleaners demonstrate for sick pay and holiday pay at SOAS

About seventy people demonstrated at SOAS on the 6th June, in the continuing battle for better conditions for cleaners in the London universities.
The cleaners at some universities have won the London Living Wage, but they have not given up and are demanding equal conditions of employment for all staff - fair sick pay, holiday pay and pension contributions. Some universities, like UCL, are refusing to make any increase in cleaners’ wages. Others, like at Senate House, have conceded the LLW but are now trying to impose speedup on the cleaners with an increase in workload.

Hull SF picket Holland and Barrett (26/05/12)

Hull Solidarity Federation have picketed Holland and Barrett again, on the 26th of May. From 11am to 2pm we handed out leaflets and struck up conversations with passersby and potential customers, informing them about use of 'workfare' and encouraging them not to shop there. Handing out the same leaflets we made for last time, we successfully turned away a fair few potential shoppers, whilst we estimate that our presence in official hi-visibility Solidarity Federation picket vests deterred further amounts of people through their sheer brightness in the mid day sun.

Shop steward reinstated at Ratcliffe power station after walkout

Hundreds of people stopped work at Ratcliffe power station in Nottinghamshire last Tuesday after a shop steward was suspended. Rank and file activists from round the country went to the site at 6am and spoke to workers going in, who held onsite meetings and voted to take action in support of their health and safety rep. 600 people eventually walked out unofficially. It is inspiring that various trades took part, not just electricians, including welders, scaffolders and pipefitters. Rank and file activists say that the rep, Jason Poulter, who was suspended six weeks ago, is being victimised for being active in the Besna protests.  He has now been reinstated and is back at Ratcliffe. 

Sussex University outsourcing update

  • More demonstrations. Tuesday's demonstration happened despite Unison emailing its members saying the demo was cancelled.
  • University Vice-Chancellor Michael Farthing bullshitted his way through open staff meetings (reports from staff: 1, 2). A student was physically removed by Head of Security Roger Morgan. Outside contractors were used for security, which suggests management know they've lost the trust of the in-house security staff they're outsourcing.

Denied deposits? Refused repairs? Harassed by your landlord?

South London Solfed can help you fight back against the exploitative practices of landlords and estate agencies.

Our new "Stuff Your Landlord" leaflet lists some basic legal rights.

It can be useful to know the law because many landlords don’t follow basic legal requirements. But we also need to remember that the law is not going to be on our side most of the time. We shouldn’t rely on a court system designed to benefit the rich and powerful to make sure we’re treated fairly.

Lively Holland and Barratt protest hits Northampton

Northampton Solidarity Federation held a lively and loud protest and leafletting on Saturday outside Holland and Barratt in Northampton's busy shopping Centre. The protest was against Holland and Barrat's involvement in the Government's workfare scheme, which allows them to use unpaid labour. A number of shoppers were turned away. This was the second time in a month that the store has been targetted.

Save Our College - 250 people march against redundancies in Hackney

250 people marched through Hackney on Saturday against the threat of 55 redundancies at Hackney College. Although there have been redundancies every year bar one for ten years, this year the proposed cuts are much more serious.
In a borough with 11, 243 people claiming JSA chasing just 669 jobs in the jobcentre, courses that may be closed include basic literacy, basic maths and health and social care. All the courses in the Access department are at risk even though Access to Nursing, for example, is already full with more than a hundred people on the waiting list. 

Workfare profiteers Holland & Barrett once again targeted

Re-posted from Johnny Void's blog:

Workfare campaigners staged a lively day of action in South London [on 19th May] following the call out from South London Solidarity Federation.

Snake oil salesmen Holland & Barrett, who have plans to replace around a quarter of their staff with unpaid labour, were the target on a day which also saw actions in Hackney, Brighton and Lincoln.

In Lewisham protesters met in the town centre and thwarted a heavy police and security presence outside Holland & Barrett in the shopping centre by heading to leafy Blackheath instead.

Statement from South London, North London and Brighton Solidarity Federation about sexual assault within the anarchist/activist community

This statement comes from recent discussions within South London and North London Solidarity Federation locals, and in response to a recent case of sexual assault which took place in the wider activist community. Following the actions taken by North London, South London and Brighton Solidarity Federation locals, this statement was written by the South London Gender Working Group.

We want to state clearly a number of things.

Third Demonstration against the Privatisation of Sussex Services

start: 
Tue, 29/05/2012 - 13:00
Event organiser: 
Sussex staff
iconimage: 

After two Great turn outs at demos against the privatisation of Sussex Services, a 3rd is planned for Tuesday 29th, we need to keep pressure on the senior management and spread the word to every student, worker and academic on campus and beyond !!!!

local, network, collective: 
Brighton
Access Layer: 
Public