Manchester Solidarity Federation rejects both the ‘leave’ and ‘remain’ options presented in the EU referendum and are especially appalled by the overt racism and xenophobia that accompanied the campaign to leave the EU. This was a referendum brought about by the Tories simply to appease their racist right wing and prevent defections to UKIP prior to last year’s general election.
Talk and public discussion on June the 28th (Tuesday) at 6pm at The Cowley Club
From Brighton-SolFed, we want to support the French workers in their struggle against the Hollande government´s law aimed at reforming worker´s rights. Especially to the people facing police brutality and repression.
Nowadays in Europe, it is not unusual for governments to attack working conditions with the excuse of “deficit control” or the “competitiveness of the economy”. What is unusual (and amazing) in France, is the worker´s firm opposition.
This struggle concerns all of us. Their victory or their defeat will be ours, so we invite all of Brighton´s working class to show solidarity and join this event for the diffusion of information about these events and a discussion on our French comrades strikes.
The CNT (an anarcho-syndicalist union in Spain) workplace branch in Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Spain is fighting against the precariousness of the fund-raising staff. MSF has been including abusive clauses in their contracts and also has been discriminating against migrant workers.
Last weekend, Brighton-SolFed organised different activities to commemorate May Day, the International Workers Day.
Although the Working Class has not so much to celebrate these days, we used this opportunity for discussion, to give visibility to our struggles, and to invite our members and collaborators to have a good time together.
Anarcho-syndicalism in Brighton: talk and social
Saturday 30th April, 6pm at the Cowley Club
Day of action against exploitation
Sunday 1st May, 3pm at the Clock Tower
This year's Bristol Anarchist Bookfair is looking at "Building an anarchist future". As part of this dialogue Bristol SF will be hosting a workshop on:
Healthcare Beyond the State. For a people's NHS
What can we learn from recent NHS struggles that could help shape a health service based not on some golden age that never was but instead on the principles of direct democracy and mutual aid? How can we provide progressive healthcare without the bureaucrats and the bosses?
Here is how Bookfair Collective hope that the workshops and meetings with develop the theme of "Building an anarchist future".
The recent floods in the Calder Valley, affecting Brighouse, Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge areas, have been devastating. Some 2500 homes were affected either by partial or total flooding and some 1700 businesses were flooded. The costs of this latest excess of rainfall amounts to something like £15 million with many homes uninsured or with losses – the material ones, at least – difficult to calculate. In addition to the human and personal consequences, roads and bridges have been affected to the tune of £35 million, money that will have to be found to repair Elland bridge and canal towpaths as well as other aspects of the Valley’s infrastructure.
The Solidarity Federation today escalated it's campaign against wage thieves Jimmy's Restaurants, with a picket by the South London local of their Wimbledon restaurant.
Jimmy's owe their former workers in Brighton £1,500 in holiday pay and have failed to provide the workers with P45s or pay income tax to the HMRC (despite tax being taken from their pay!) The manager of the Brighton branch has refused to engage with SolFed when confronted with this, insisting it is the responsibility of head office who never answer our calls and emails.
Today an IPO eviction order was served on Carnegie Library in Lambeth, which has been occupied since 1st April to stop it being closed down and turned into a commercial gym. Milet Library on the deprived Angell Town Estate has also been closed down and Waterloo Library and others are threatened. I visited the library on Sunday.
After three weeks of action, Jimmy's Restaurant (on the Brighton Marina) is still avoiding their responsibilities. Three former workers are still campaigning to get their holiday pay and their P45 documents and we keep receiving contacts of workers facing the same situation.
From the beginning, the management of the restaurant has been denying any responsibility and addressing us to the “Head Office” who, curiously enough, never answer the phone or emails.
Moreover, last week we found out that the workers, having received their payslips with their tax deductions, are not in the records of the HMRC as having worked for Jimmy's. No explanation has been given by Jimmy's but we do hope that this is a misunderstanding.