Following on from the succesful day of action initiated by Liverpool Uncut on 3 March, our aim is to spread the action beyond the City Centre and get claimants and local communities more involved.
The North West Infidels (NWI), a splinter group from the English Defence League, are holding a demonstration in Bolton on Saturday 24 March. Liverpool Antifascists is calling on all anti-fascists, anti-racists and organised workers to mobilise in opposition to the presence of these fascists on our streets.
This demonstration comes in the wake of a number of incidents which show that the far-right is aiming to re-assert itself as a physical force on the streets. The British National Party’s electoral support is hemorrhaging thanks to internal splits, whilst the EDL is viewed as just not radical and racist enough for hardcore supporters, allowing the NWI to gain prominence with disillusioned far right activists.
To round off our week of action against Ryanair, Liverpool Solidarity Federation and Ryanair Don't Care campaigner John Foley today picketed Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Though not quite the spectacle that the previous day had been, it was succesful in getting across the key message: end the Ryanair recruitment scam!
We pitched up outside Departures at around twelve o'clock, with banners and signs, and began distributing leaflets to people as they came and went from the airport. This quickly attracted the attention of the police, though this time they felt no need to bring in horses and we were allowed to carry on our picket without interruption.
As part of the international week of action against Ryanair, on Friday 16 March Liverpool Solidarity Federation members joined John Foley of the Ryanair Don't Care Campaign for pickets in the City Centre. The targets of our action were a bank and a solicitors who are complicit in the budget airline's recruitment scamming.
The Allied Irish Bank formerly provided 3500€ loans to probationary cabin crew for their training with Ryanair, though they stopped this practice in 2010 under pressure from the Ryanair Don't Care campaign. More recently, however, it has come to light that they are still sending threatening letters to terminated staff, warning them to pay up outstanding fees (for training they did not finish!) or face bankruptcy.
Members of Northampton Solidarity Federation went to Birmingham International Airport this afternoon (16th March) to picket Ryan Air passengers as they checked in. This was an attempt to get the passengers to complain about the exploitative nature of the company's recruitment procedure. The leaflet labelled it a SCAM, for that is essentially what it is.
This was in part of the International Week of Action called by the International Workers Association, who have thrown their support behind the RyanAir Don't Care Campaign. This week was identified to coincide with a RyanAir sponsored race at the Cheltenham Festival.
MWA is not voluntary and people of any age can be mandated to take part, even if they have been claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance for a short time (source). Job seekers are referred to the scheme at the discretion of a Jobcentre Plus advisor and placements are organised through private companies who arrange for the participant to work 30 hours per week for four weeks for no wage.
As part of the IWA days of Action (www.iwa-ait.org) we will be picketing Holland and Barrett in Halifax due to thier involvment in Workfare. Come and join us, we'll be meeting @ 11.30 at the bus station in Halifax.
Following on from the succesful day of action initiated by Liverpool Uncut on 3 March, our aim is to spread the action beyond the City Centre and get claimants and local communities more involved.
Our action will take place in Wavertree, at a target to be announced on the day. There, as last time, we intend to engage staff directly and encourage them to organise against their employer's use of workfare as well as encouraging the public not to give their business to the target.
As part of the International Workers' Association days of action, Solidarity Federation Locals across the country will be taking action against workfare on Saturday 31st March. In Brighton, we will be meeting at the Clock Tower on the junction of Queens Rd and North St at 11am. Target to be confirmed, as firms are pulling out regularly at the moment.
The following Monday (2nd April), there will be a communications blockade of the same target to keep up the pressure.
This morning electricians and supporters gathered outside the entrance of the Shard site. The Rank and File Committee deciding to try and keep the momentum of previous months and take the fight to the agencies, (targeting big companies like Mace in particular) who rob workers pay packets week in week out. Agency workers on sites are often ununionised, work far longer shifts and have far less access to proper training than those in direct employment.
