WYSF took part in the "Hardest hit" demo in Leeds against benefit cuts today. Overall a good turn out, and we were well received. We gave out "poverty pimps" leaflets against ATOS and the other companies as well as a leaflet about Scope and their attack on smaller disability organisations. Speeches were the usual with 2 exceptions, PCS union rep asked people to join the Nov 30th strike and pickets, and a young man who spoke passionately about the affects of the cuts, criticising all politicians including Miliband, this got a loud cheer. All in all a good day
Today saw the start of the Royal College of GPs conference in Liverpool. Keep Our NHS Public held a protest outside the venue, the BT Convention Centre, as health minister Andrew Lansley was set to be the day's keynote speaker. Members of Liverpool Solidarity Federation joined the action.
As the land was private property, the security had taken the trouble to set up a protest pen using steel barricades, in which the demonstrators were to be contained. Liverpool Solfed members and others were resistant to this, but too many of those who turned up complied willingly either by going inside or by keeping their distance from the centre whilst giving out leaflets. The minority who chose not to be caged - especially as there were no police present! - simply kept moving about so that they were never static enough to be herded back to the pen.
John Fay's comedy tells the story of Tom Mann, the 1911 strikes of the seaman, dockers and railwaymen, and the tragedies on Bloody Sunday and Bloody Tuesday.
100th Meridian Theatre Company are kindly presenting this play at KUC, as part of the centre's 30th birthday celebrations on Friday 11th November. There is no charge to attend but seats MUST be booked and donations will be welcome.
John Fay will host a question & answer session / discussion after the performance.
Last year saw the largest wave of student protest in over 20 years as the government pushed-through fees of £9,000, scrapped EMA and announced savage cuts. Students responded with walkouts, protests, occupations and solidarity with striking staff, in a wave of anger and creativity that refused to let a generation be thrown on the scrapheap.
On Thursday 27th October, Liverpool City Council are holding a "Budget Question Time." They are "facing some tough decisions as we put together our budget for 2012-13" and so want "residents and business owners" to "quiz leaders about how the council can save £50 million next year."
Solfed has been busy for the London Anarchist Bookfair, which is on at Queen Mary University this Saturday. Alongside launching a new range of posters and pamphlets, we will be running a large stall with books, mugs and even shopping bags (oh yes, we went to a great deal of trouble in the irony stakes), alongside hosting two key talks for the day.
The first talk, starting at noon (Room 3.23), will play off our popular workplace organiser training sessions, looking at the nuts and bolts of how to turn your workplace from a soul-crushing bore into a hive of lively rebellious activity.
Solfed has been busy for the London Anarchist Bookfair, which is on at Queen Mary University this Saturday. Alongside launching a new range of posters and pamphlets, we will be running a large stall with books, mugs and even shopping bags (oh yes, we went to a great deal of trouble in the irony stakes), alongside hosting two key talks for the day.
The first talk, starting at noon (Room 3.23), will play off our popular workplace organiser training sessions, looking at the nuts and bolts of how to turn your workplace from a soul-crushing bore into a hive of lively rebellious activity.
The North and South London Locals of the Solidarity Federation extend our solidarity to the workers at Queen Mary University. With the threat of redundancies across campus, workers have become energised, linked up with students, and exhibited a growing degree of organisation. In response, university management have suspended the Queen Mary UNISON branch secretary on trumped up disciplinary charges.
While the Solidarity Federation recognises the power of the union rests not in its officials, but in an active and self-organised membership, management clearly believe they can defeat their workforce by 'beheading' the union. Such attacks must be resisted.
A private sector worker and SolFed member speaks out about why they have joined in the resistance against privatising public services - and argues for the struggle to spread to the private sector itself.
