Hastings Against Workfare: This is not just a picket, this is an M&S picket

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.

Hastings Against Workfare: This is not just a picket, this is an M&S picket

start: 
Tue, 09/07/2013 - 15:00

Marks and Spencer recently announced plans to provide 1400 unpaid 'placements' to the young unemployed. Workfare not only forces people to work up to 37 hours a week for a meagre £56 in benefits, but also harms paid staff by discouraging employers from paying overtime, and the rest of us by removing paid jobs from the market in favour of free labour.

local, network, collective: 
Access Layer: 

Hastings SolFed

contact info: 

This is the page for Hastings SolFed. We were formed in October 2012 and have members in Hastings and the surrounding area. 

 

Location

Hastings

Hastings Solfed (In formation) Pickett Poundland 10/11/12

On Saturday a group of us formed a protest outside Poundland in Priory Meadow shopping centre Hastings against their continued use of the government's workfare scheme. Although few in number we made a very big impact. The first action was to send someone in store to put anti workfare leaflets on the store's shelves. At lot of customers pick these up and read them. We then stood outside the shop front with our banner and handed more leaflets and talked to members of the public. We got a good response and at least 15 people would not shop there after talking to us.