On Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th of April low-paid workers at the Ritzy cinema launched a second wave of strike action, demanding the London Living Wage (LLW) from their bosses. The current rate for the LLW is £8.80 an hour; the current hourly rate for most Ritzy staff is £7.24, some 18% below the London Living Wage.

The strikes by members of the Broadcasting Entertainment and Cinematography Trade Union (BECTU) have now shut down the popular south London cinema on two occassions, during their busiest trading days. Workers are planning a third strike on the 1st and 2nd of May.

This year Bristol SF are participating in two workshops.

At 1.00pm, in Marquee Z, we will introduce "State Repression in Spain". This talk will be hosted by a Spanish comrade. Below is an short introductory text to set the background of this talk.

During the last four years Spanish society has witnessed a period of intense social protests against austerity, corruption, evictions, unemployment and so on. The greater and more radicalised the protest the bigger the state repression. The intensification of demonstrations and actions has resulted in an escalation of detentions and absurd fines. Every form of protest is now a new article in the criminal code.

A North London SF member was down at the picket line for the strike at Ritzy Cinema yesterday over the firm's refusal to pay a living wage to staff. Below is their report:

"I got to the Ritzy at about 8pm. I believe there had been a picket line of some form since 9am in the morning. Even though it was at the end of a long day there was still quite a sizeable presence with others probably joining them after work was over, perhaps around 40-50 people.

"For the last hour the samba band Rhythms of Resistance played, the band and a lot of chanting for the living wage drew quite a bit of attention from people passing by (the Ritzy is in a great place if you want to grab
peoples attention). They even marched up and down Brixton High Street a bit. It was a good atmosphere, a lot of energy, quite festival-like with a young crowd.

Another victory for Brighton Hospitality Workers and for direct action! In February, two members of Brighton Hospitality Workers (BHW) brought unpaid holiday entitlement issues to the group, incurred while both had worked at the Brighton premisis of a transnational hotel chain. The hotel's housekeeping staff were contracted to work there by the UK operation of an international recruitment exploiter with a reputation for withholding pay, particularly after contracts had been terminated. One worker was owed £286 in holiday pay for leave she was prevented from taking, despite repeated requests to her manager, as well as 2 days' outstanding sick pay. The second worker was owed £180 in holiday pay, also for leave she was prevented from taking, again despite repeated requests – in December her boss told her she 'had lost' her right to take paid leave.

On Saturday 22nd March members of the Brighton Hospitality Workers and Brighton Solidarity Federation picketted a prominent Brighton hotel over unpaid overtime owed to members of staff.

The hotel has since promised to ensure the overtime owed is fully paid. We are therefore not currently naming the hotel, although we intend to escalate our campaign should they fail to pay the workers involved.

Today's international day of action called by FORA saw Newcastle Local picketing the city-centre branch of HSBC, who provide finincial services to YPF the state-owned Argentinian oil company, making them complicit in the repression & persecution of Las Heras workers.

The absence of an Argentine consulate proved no barrier to Tyneside workers joining with IWA-AIT comrades in demanding the freedom of all Las Heras workers and the end of state-sponsored attacks on those fighting for their rights.

A warm, sunny day in Newcastle seemed appropriate weather to turn the heat up on Santander & shine a light on their slave labour policies and Union repression. We were joined by two comrades from USI as our banner was unfurled outside the Northumberland Street branch.

There was lots of interest from workers on their lunch-break for whom solidarity with our CNT comrades in Spain needed little explanation. Most people on Tyneside have friends or family who have suffered from outsourced labour practices & our presence today was well recieved.

An appearance by a flustered branch manager, who took some photos to 'pass on' our condemnation of Santander's abuse of workers' topped off an effective picket of this corrupt & criminal bank.

The latest issue of the Leveller is out not. With articles on opposition to Belfast City Council privatisation of our leisure centres, 'On The Runs', crisis in the Ukraine and more...