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Keeping up the pressure: the fight against workfare continues

In the lead up to the National Conference on Workfare due to be held in Brighton on 26 May, Brighton SolFed have organised two weekends of pickets against workfare beneficiary Holland & Barrett in Brighton and Hove on the 12th and 19th of May.

We intend to make it clear to Holland & Barrett that as long as they continue to use free labour to cut their staff costs their brand is tainted and the pickets will continue to turn away customers from their stores.

Workfare flashmob targets Bristol Stores

Dressed in prison garb Bristol Solidarity joined the 1st of May Group on their Workfare fashmob. The first action took place inside Primark, stunned shoppers were given leaflets as the Workfare Prisoners helped to stock shelves. Surprisingly security quickly bundled the workfare voulunteers out of the store. It would appear that having free-labour is only acceptable to them if the victims of this modern day slavery are hidden from the public eye.

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.

London Mayday 2012- Report back

The first of May is international workers day. A day where we commemorate those six anarchists of Chicago who were convicted and executed after the Haymarket riot, a protest in 1886 over the 8 hour day.

This year mayday started early for some of us; with a morning demo at the Shard in London, called by the sparks rank and file group. This was in response to employers trying to block rank and file activists from even attending the on-going negotiations over the JIB agreement. We stuck it out for an hour or two in the bleak weather, then retreated back to the café for a break and a caffeine fix.

New Stuff Your Landlord leaflet

Whether it's at work, at home, or at the job centre, bosses, landlords and the state are always trying to get more from us for less, or give us less for more. It might be work not giving you your breaks, or a landlord not making repairs, or the job centre forcing you onto a 'voluntary' scheme for your dole money. Forcing them to play by their own rules can be an important first step in turning the tables, and shifting the balance of power in our favour. To do that, you've got to know your rights!

EWN training

start: 
Sat, 11/08/2012 - 10:00

Location

Brighton
United Kingdom
50° 49' 21.108" N, 0° 8' 13.7868" W
See map: Google Maps

Workplace training for education workers by education workers. Topics will include: use of casual graduate teaching assistants / hourly paid FE teachers / working with TUC unions / speaking in public / going on strike  / organising & coordinating with students. Details to be confirmed.

local, network, collective: 
EWN
Access Layer: 
Public

London May Day 2012 - Against Workfare

MEET: 12:00pm @ Clerkenwell Green.

RE-CONVERGE: 16:00pm @ West One Shopping Centre (by Bond Street tube)

MAP OF LOCATIONS: http://g.co/maps/wx93f

On May Day we are calling on all those fighting back against the government's austerity plans to join us in taking direct action against companies participating in the workfare schemes. Instead of standing around and listening to speeches at the end of the TUC march we will be heading straight into the West end to regroup and start taking action.

Shop owned by National Front mayoral candidate picketed by anti-fascists

On Saturday 28 April, Liverpool Antifascists picketed Quiggins Attique, owned by National Front mayoral candidate Peter Tierney.

Anti-fascists held a banner aloft over the shop front between 10am and 12.30pm, whilst giving out leaflets and speaking to passers by. Tierney, previously a member of the British National Party before defecting to the National Front, has a prior conviction for attacking a trade unionist with a camera tripod. He was also involved in another fracas in December 2010 which saw his brother charged with assault for punching an anti-fascist.

The response from members of the public was overwhelmingly positive. The only exception was a man who lives above the shop, who tried to threaten the picket with a large dog and a chain wrapped around his hand. He soon fled when the threat failed.

SPUC Off

Yesterday, anti-choice campaign group Society for the Protection of Unborn Children held “kerbside vigils” across the UK, to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the Abortion Act 1967. Liverpool was, unfortunately, one of the cities to be blessed with a vigil and so Liverpool feminist group Angry Women of Liverpool (AWOL) organised a counter-protest just a week in advance.

Far-right humiliated by mass resistance in Brighton

Around 100 assorted members of far-right groups including the EDL, Infidels, and March For England were vastly outnumbered by up to 1,000 anti-fascists and Brighton residents when they attempted to march yesterday. The route of the march was repeatedly blocked by crowds, and police were only able to force a path through with baton-charges, shields and horses. Despite this, the march was twice forced to divert from its high-profile route down backstreets, where anti-fascists assembled barricades and once again blocked the march.

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