Hull SolFed held another anti-workfare ‘demo’ on Saturday the 20th, this time a mobile one. Based on suggestions on the Boycott Workfare website, we held a walk a shame through hull town center, stopping at nine different workfare providers, forming a picket outside each store, handing out leaflets and talking to shoppers. We also had some musical accompaniment, which helped to draw attention to the picket and kept the day more interesting.
Members of North London SolFed were out in Hackney today with the ever-excellent Feminist Fightback to keep up the pressure on M&S over their non-payment of people doing jobs for the company as part of the Boycott Workfare week of action.
Given the boiling heat, an incredible effort was made by a samba band who turned up to lend a bit of noise and colour to the scene for most of an hour and we ran out of leaflets to hand out almost instantly. The public response was, as is usually the case when it comes to workfarer pickets, very supportive, with a number of people expressing their disgust at M&S's participation in it.
On Monday 24th June Conductors and Station Staff from Northern Ireland Railways who are members of the GMB union staged a 24 hour stoppage over managements proposed pay deal, sick pay, new working arrangements and a history of steadily worsening industrial relations. The management proposals would see only one Conductor working longer trains where there are presently two, which is a threat to future job retention and creation. The proposed changes to sick pay would mean than staff with 'unacceptable' absence levels go on to Statutory Sick Pay.
Anti-choice campaigners in Ireland like to insist that there is no ‘need or desire for abortion in Ireland’. Except, not only are they wrong, but were they right, it does not mean it should be unavailable for those who do need or want it. According to official figures over 4,000 women and girls travelled to England and Wales last year to have an abortion, and more than 152,000 have done so since 1980.
The death of Thatcher, British Prime Minister 1979 - 1990, was marked by celebration across the left and by working people everywhere. Members of the Belfast Local of the Solidarity Federation were certainly among those celebrating. Unfortunately the jubilation at her death all too often descended into sectarianism in the north - a figure despised by so many could have provided a focus for much working class celebration.
The ‘Iron Lady’s’ record in power saw working class communities crushed, the miners not least among them, millions were thrown on the dole, in the north her policies amounted to nothing more than pouring petrol on the flames of the conflict.
Today's picket of M&S in Hastings was very successful. There was a good turnout with around 30 people joining in the leafleting, banner holding and loud, enthusiatic and harmonious singing at various points throughout the afternoon.
"If you won't pay your workers - we won't buy your knickers! If you don't pay your workers - we won't buy your walnut whip!"
We gave out about 4000 leaflets to overwhelmingly receptive Hastings shoppers. There was a good response from the public with toots on the horns from vans, taxis and cars, older M&S cutomers turning away from the shop complaining about how bad it is that companies don't want to pay people nowadays and a big enough turnout on the picket that we seemed to know half of the people who came by, many of them with their own experience of work placements and being sanctioned.
To mark the anniversary of the Spanish Civil War, Calderdale Solidarity
Federation will be hosting an afternoon of film, discussion and archive
material from our Spanish sister section CNT-AIT.
Hull Solfed has continued to picket Poundland over it’s involvement in the governments discredited workfare scheme, holding a picket on the 8th, and a week later on the 15th. Hull SolFed intends to keep holding weekly pickets of the shop, starting at 1pm every Saturday.