The latest news and analysis from SF locals

Australian Domino's Drivers: Bristol Solidarity Federation Action

Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation’s (Australia), call for action, saw Bristol SF picket the Domino's store on Whiteladies Road, Bristol. This solidarity action was in support of the campaign for wage justice for delivery drivers who have had their wages arbitrarily cut 19%  by Domino's Pizza Enterprises management.

The Bristol Local members held the red and black banner across the door of the store and handed out leaflets to passers-by. We had taken time to explain to the workers inside the store the reasons for our solidarity action and gave them a copy of our leaflet. Our anger is against profiteers who steal from workers not other workers.

ATOS picket - 28th of august.

On Tuesday the 28th of august members of Hull Solfed were joined by disabled activists in staging a protest outside the local office of official Paralympics sponsor Atos. Like similar demonstrations happening simultaneously around the country we wanted to shine a spotlight on Atos and its practices. Employed by the DWP to carry out work capability assessments declaring sick and disabled people 'fit for work', Atos uses an inhuman computer programme to do the testing, and trains its staff to push people off benefits. They profit from destroying the rights and lives of disabled people.

A report from the Workfare Tour of Shame, Liverpool City Centre (Sat 8th September 2012)

On Saturday 8th September, as part of the campaign against the government’s workfare programme, members of Liverpool Solidarity Federation, the Anarchist Federation and various other local activists held a tour of some of the city’s most high-profile exploiters of the unemployed.

First stop was Poundland in Williamson Square, who recently restarted their work programme following a high-profile court case brought by students who were forced to work in one of their stores. Banners were unfurled and we immediately began engaging with the passing public, passing on information about workfare and letting them know Poundland’s role in it.

Anti-workfare campaign in Thames Valley

The anti-workfare campaign is building up in Reading. Over the summer, SF members organised ad hoc pickets with local IWW and AF members. We decided to build up the basis of these joint efforts through coordinated planned actions. We held an initial meeting in August at which we decided to follow SF’s national target and to build our campaign with claimants. So we are aiming to alternate actions outside Poundland and JobCentrePlus.
Three weeks ago, two of us distributed propaganda on the rights of claimants in relation to the workfare schemes outside JobCentre. It became obvious that many of them did not know about it yet. Last Saturday, we held the first picket outside Poundland, which was met with overwhelming sympathy for the campaign from workers and members of the public alike.

Workfare picket Poundland, Gateshead.

Friday 7th of September saw a picket of the Gateshead branch of Poundland, organised by Newcastle Solidarity Federation, against the governments highly controversial workfare scheme. Poundland seek to profit from the exploitation of what is essentially forced free labour.

Following the SolFed's successful campaign against Holland and Barretts involvement in workfare and joined by members of the Anarchist Federation and others, the demo saw massive levels of public support, with car horns being pipped and hundreds of leaflets handed out.

This is a highly loathed and highly exploitative scheme, work will continue until workfare is consigned to the dustbin.

Forthcoming: 'Fighting for ourselves: anarcho-syndicalism and the class struggle' – a new pamphlet by the Solidarity Federation

We are living in times of unprecedented attacks on our living conditions on all fronts, of rising social tension and sometimes violent eruptions of class conflict. And yet if anything, the surprise is not that there have been riots and the odd strike, but that there have been so few. How are we to make sense of this? How are we to fight back, to take the initiative? Against capitalism, what do we want to put in its place? The 20th century discredited state socialism, and rightly so. But with it, a whole history of international class struggle, of revolutions and counter-revolutions, victories and defeats, spontaneous uprisings and vast workers’ organisation has been eclipsed too. This pamphlet aims to recover some of that lost history, in order to set out a revolutionary strategy for the present conditions.

Solfed in Croydon

Solfed members are organising a new local group in and around Croydon.

We believe that by standing up collectively against the forces that try to oppress and exploit us; bosses, bankers, landlords and the state we can win better working and living conditions and begin the process of undermining capitalism.

We envision that a future society based on co-operation, equality and direct democracy can replace the inequality and poverty, war, frustration, suffering, and environmental destruction we live with now.

If you want to get involved, or are just getting interested in anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian ideas and want to learn more get in touch.