SF-IWA calls for national week of action against Office Angels (9-15 May)

Since March the Solidarity Federation (SF) has been involved in supporting a victimised former Office Angels temporary worker. Dan worked for Office Angels for three days in December of last year. He was assured by the company that the lack of a time-sheet would 'not be a problem'. However, Office Angels are refusing to pay him the wages he is owed - falsely claiming he only worked for one day, despite them having called him at work on his third day.

Higher Education funding model against workers

Cardiff, Durham, Hertfordshire, Sheffield... the list of struggling HEIs goes on and on. If anything was clear as this stage, it's that the funding model for Higher Education is simply not working. Like most of capitalist or quasi-capitalist ventures, leaving everything to the market is not only wasteful but is also extremely damaging of workers' livelihoods. Young people and others who wish to embark on a University course are increasingly thinking twice about doing so because of mounting costs, often questionable quality as provision is cut to the bone and a future that is as doubtful as the continuance of some universities in the UK.
Once again, as many times before, workers on the front line are doing their best to defend their jobs and provide the "service" that managers expect. Strikes, partial strikes and pickets are robust across the land. The picture, nevertheless, is one of abandonment - first by a political class that is not interested in raising true discerning and combative educational tools for the future and second by supposedly national trade unions that have not even managed to mobilise throughout the country. Individual workers and groups of workers at institutions are more or less left to their own devices... and fates. No national strategy prevails. No joined-up movement to stop the rot has been created. Meanwhile, union officers, often in well-paid positions, maintain their jobs at the expense of high membership fees.
Not only is it time for a mobilisation along the lines of a national strike in the sector, it is also time to embrace a new form of unions based on democratic control and forms of direct action such as the boycott and strikes. Syndicalism historically and today where it is resurgent under the banner of the International Workers' Association (established in 1922) is doing just that. Slowly but surely, we are claiming back what is ours and what we produce through our labour. Join us in the fight.
For base unions, direct action and democratic control! For a fighting union now and social transformation in the future!
SFEU

IWA Congress XXVIII & Centenary

IWA Congress XXVIII & Centenary

The International Workers’ Association (IWA) unites anarcho-syndicalist organisations from around the world, improving communication and building solidarity across borders, against capitalism and the state. The Solidarity Federation is the British section of the IWA. In December 2022 the IWA held its 28th Congress in Alcoy, Spain - bringing together delegates from thirteen countries.

Pub Invest Group workers fight back: No redundancies for COVID-19!

A week after the closure of all hospitality business, the workers of Pub Invest Group from Liverpool got bad news.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, they were not able to give any hours to their workers as they don’t have the resources to cover their staff wages. They did, however, wish best luck to all their workforce and to see them back soon when they open again.

Pub Invest Groups owns some of the most popular night pubs in the central area of Liverpool such as Einsteins, Moloko or McCooley’s. As it is common in the hospitality industry, they show their appreciation for their staff with low-pay and job insecurity.

During the Coronavirus crisis we are having the chance of seen this in many places. Although the Government is offering the coverage of wages through the Job Retention Scheme, some employers just prefer to get rid of people.

Stop abuses in hospitality sector!

Liverpool SolFed is organising a campaign against bad working conditions in the hospitality sector. The hospitality industry, which includes workplaces like pubs, restaurants, hotels, canteens, etc. has an important presence in the city and is well known for abuses and exploitation. Our aim is to get willing workers of the sector together to fight back against abuses and for better conditions.

Voting and the General Election, Calderdale-SolFed statement

We all know the old saying ‘if you don't vote, you can't complain’. A better one would be ‘ if all you do is vote, you can't complain’.

Dig a little deeper into the history books and what you find at the heart of change is direct action and organisation at a grassroots level. Everything from workers rights, women's rights, decent wages and even the right to vote itself have been gained this way, rulers typically resist change until they know they have no choice but to throw a few more crumbs to the people below.

Campaign against insecurity in Sandemans

At Easter, Liverpool-SolFed made a call out to protest against working conditions at Sandemans, a company who offers “Free Tours” in Liverpool and across Europe. “Free Tour” does not mean that guides are volunteers. In Sandeman’s case they are ‘self-employed workers’ and their incomes are based on the tips that are given at the end of the tour and out of those tips workers have to pay a variable amount of money per tourist to the company. This is, according to Sandemans, a “marketing fee”.

Direct Action Discussion at Solfed Conference

The Solidarity Federation were delighted to talk to members of Disabled People Against the Cuts, Feminist Fightback, Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth, London Campaign against Police and State Violence and Sisters Uncut in a discussion of direct action and strategy at our recent conference in London.
 
The groups came together to discuss their aims, tactics, difficulties and hopes for future activities. Members of the Brighton local spoke on behalf of Solfed regarding their experience organising around the hospitality sector.