Precarious Mayday marks the start of dispute with Ephesus restaurant

This year's mayday was celebrated in Brighton with the coming together of different local unions and groups organising against casualised working conditions and the housing crisis. The demo soon headed for a local restaurant that has been underpaying one of our members, and demanding they be paid. The protest marks the start of a dispute, continuing our efforts over the past few years of trying to bring International Workers Day back to its roots in worker militancy and anarchist labour organising. 

Brighton: Precarious Mayday

We've been holding Mayday events for the past few years, trying to bring International Workers Day back to its roots in worker militancy and anarchist organising. This year, we're joining in the call from a coalition of local grassroots initiatives organising against casualised working conditions and the housing crisis. Meet 7pm Jubilee Square - A critical mass bike block will lead the (walking) demonstration - if you want to take part in that block, just bring a bike. The only way we’ll make our lives better is by fighting together!

Brighton May Day events

29 Wednesday - Syndicalism and Education Sussex Uni Fulton building 113 = 6−8pm

01 Friday - MayDay

02 Saturday - Syndicalism in Brighton at the Cowley Club = 4−6 pm

03 Sunday - Roast + Film and Discussion after at the Cowley Club = 1−6 pm

04 Monday - Demonstration 12 0’Clock from Old Steine + picnic

New Spanner in the Works out now

The latest copy of the West Yorkshire SolFed newsletter, Spanner in the Works, was released to an unsuspecting public on Saturday 20 April 2013.

Articles on ex-Remploy workers, David Brown Ltd, May Day, Freedom benefit and workplace victimisation.

Initial distribution took place at the anti-bedroom tax demonstration in Leeds and later the same day at the Freedom Press benefit gig at Bradford's 1in12 Club.

Available to download here:
http://db.tt/aGUdeY2f

London Solfed on Mayday: "You say Workfare, we say warfare!"

May 1st was, of course, Mayday, International Workers’ Day, held in memory of the six anarchists executed after the Haymarket riot, a protest in Chicago way back in 1886 over the 8 hour working day.  Despite it falling on a normal working day this year, both London SF branches called an anti-Workfare roving picket through central London, as well as attending an electricians’ picket and, least interestingly, the official, Trade Union Congress (TUC) march.

The electricians’ picket – called by the Sparks rank and file group – was in response to employers trying to block rank and file activists from even attending the ongoing negotiations over the JIB agreement. We braved the bleak, grey early morning for a couple of hours befire retreating to a
café for a break and a caffeine fix.